Page 2, Portland Observer, January 22, 1986
EDITORIAL/OPINION
Dr. King’s unfinished business
T h is n a tio n has just com pleted the firs t
n a tio n a l o b se rva nce hon oring the la te Dr.
M a rtin L u th e r King. Jr. Dr. King is the
fir s t Black A m e ric a n to be honored w ith a
n a tio n a l h o lid a y. Such an honor is b e fit
tin g an in d iv id u a l o f D r. K ing's c a lib e r; he
re p re se n te d e v e ry th in g good fo r w h ich
w e as hum ans should tr y to a tta in . Dr.
King devoted his e n tire a d u lt life to the
cause o f ju s tic e and e q u a lity fo r all. He
encouraged B lacks and o th e rs to fig h t fo r
th e ir n a tu ra l rig h ts th ro u g h non-violent
means.
A lth o u g h Blacks have made progress
since Dr. K in g 's d ea th, and overt acts of
ra cism have a ll but d isa p p e a re d , Dr.
K in g 's dre a m is fa r fro m fin ish e d . Today
m illio n s of B lacks liv e in a sea o f p o ve rty
in the w e a lth ie s t n a tio n in the h is to ry of
the w o rld . T he p o v e rty ra te fo r B lack and
H isp a n ic youths u n d e r 18 is 46.5 and 39
p e rce n t, re sp e ctive ly. A lm ost h a lf o f a ll
B lack c h ild re n live below the p o ve rty
level.
Drug a d d ic tio n . Black on B lack crim e,
toon pregnancies, and poor h e a lth among
Blacks have reachod c ris is p ro p o rtio n s.
To make m a tte rs w orse, the Reagan ad
m in is tra tio n . lod by A tto rn e y G eneral
E dw in M oose. W illia m B ra d fo rd Rey
nolds. hoad o f the C ivil Rights D ivision of
the Justice D e partm ent, and U.S. C ivil
Rights Com m ission C h a irm a n C larence
Pendleton have been w eakening th is
c o u n try 's c iv il rig h ts law s.
Reagan's c iv il rig h ts re c o rd is the w o rst
of any p re sid e n t since R u th e rfo rd B.
Hayes. His Justice D e partm ent is cla im in g
th a t present A ffirm a tiv e A c tio n p rogram s
d is c rim in a te aga inst w h ite males. In fa ct,
m any believe th a t a d m in is tra tio n is w a it
ing fo r Dr. K in g 's c e le b ra tio n to pass, so
the President can m odify o r e lim in a te an
executive o rd e r w h ic h p re ve n ts d is c rim i
n atio n against m in o ritie s in a w a rd in g
fe d e ra l c o n tra c ts .
Blacks must exercise th e ir rig h ts to
stop th is tre n d . The a d m in is tra tio n 's
assault on c iv il rig h ts is ero d in g the social
and econom ic co n d itio n s o f Blacks, and in
the process, c re a tin g ra c ia l tension
th ro ugho ut the n a tio n.
Blacks s till la ck basic econom ic rig h ts,
tho most im p o rta n t o f these a re essential
e q u a lity in access to em ploym ent at a ll
levels. Dr. King re a lize d th is; it w as w h ile
p a rtic ip a tin g in a cam paign o f Black
s a n ita tio n w o rk e rs fo r decont wagos that
D r. King w as assassinated in M em phis.
Econom ic e q u a lity is a necessary con
d itio n fo r fu rth e rin g and sa fe g u a rd in g tho
gains o f the c iv il rig h ts m ovem ent, fo r
m aking re a l the fo rm a l p o litic a l and
social e q u a lity now in s c rib e d in la w . U n til
those problom s a re solved. Dr. K ing's
dream w ill re m a in un fin ish e d .
EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY
Justice is served in Seattle
Recently a fodora, g ra n d ju ry in Seattle
re tu rn e d a g u ilty v e rd ic t against 10 neo-
Nazi defendants. The ju ry ru le d th a t each
defend ant w as g u ilty o f c o n sp ira cy and
ra cke to e rin g charges. A ll w e ro members
o f a hate g ro u p know n as the O rd e r.
A c c o rd in g to fo d o ra l prosecu tors, th is
ra c is t g ro u p co m m itte d a v a rie ty of
crim e s in c lu d in g c o u n te rfe itin g , m u rd e r
and arm od ro b b e ry . M em bers o f the
g roup w e ro also try in g to o v e rth ro w the
U.S. governm ent and establish a w h ite
hom oland in its place.
The g u ilty v e rd ic t by tho S eattle ju ry
should serve as a w a rn in g to o th e r hate
g roup s th a t violence and ra c is t b o h a vio r
w ill not bo to le ra to d in a c iv iliz e d society.
E q ually im p o rta n t, tho g u ilty v e rd ic ts by
tho ju ry w ill help re s to re fa ith in the ju s
tic e systom; in tho past fe d e ra l pro se cu
to rs w o ro re lu c ta n t to b rin g charges
aga inst hate groups such as tho O rd e r
and tho Ku K lu x Kian.
D u rin g B lacks' stru g g le fo r c iv il rig h ts
in th is c o u n try , B lack ch u rch e s and
homos w o ro bom bed by the Kian. M a n y of
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PORTLAND OBSERVER
these bom bings w ent unsolved. Tho most
heinous of those bom bings o c c u rre d Sept.
15. 1963. in B irm in gham . AL. A d yna m ite
bomb oxplodod d u rin g services at the
16th S troet B a ptist C hurch, k illin g fo u r
Black g irls in a dressing room in tho
basem ent. This tra g ic in cid e n t w ent un
solved u n til Nov. 18. 1977, when a Ku K lux
K ian m om bor, Robert E. C ham bliss was
co n victo d o f firs t-d e g re e m u rd e r. It was
revealed d u rin g C ham bliss' tr ia l that
fo rm e r FBI d ire c to r J. Edgar H oover
sta lle d tho 16th S treet in ve stig a tio n by
fa ilin g to give in fo rm a tio n to sta te prose
cu to rs co n ce rn in g the bom bing.
Fodoral p ro se cu to rs h a n d lin g the O rd e r
case upheld the C o n stitu tio n by pre se n t
ing evidence beyond a reason able doubt,
th a t m em bors o f th is g ro u p w e re involved
in violent acts d ire c te d against Blacks.
Jews, o th e r m in o ritie s and U.S. govern
ment o ffic ia ls . Tho ju ry h e a rd the e vi
dence and re tu rn o d a p ro p e r v e rd ic t o f
g u ilty , and in tho process, ju stice was
served.
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Portland Observer
Ml MAI •
Tha Portland (M n m a r IU SPS 98BOIOI ■ pubkahad «vary
Thuraday by E i« Puhkahog Corrpany. Inc . 14K3 N ( KAriga
« « rth Portland Oragon #7311. Pnal O flk a Boa 3137, Portland
O a g o n 973CB Sacond claaa pnataga paid al Portland. Oragon
.-o' i»- »' »i,
Tha Portland ! »servar ara» aaiabfcahad a, 1970
m r u x iiX
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MEMBER
NW AL
X ito c ith o n ■ Founded
IMS
by Steven Bailey N. D.
Endometriosis—an alternative approach
by Cheryl Smalley. N D
Several years ago I had a
friend who for many years had
spent more than a week of every
month with crippling pelvic
cramps She was diagnosed ns
having endometriosis, a disease
in which uterine tissue spreads
out of the uterus into other parts
of that alxlomen. or even further,
and leads to sites of internal
menstrual bleeding. The symp
toms vary from woman to woman,
and can include severe and pro
longed cramping, excessive or
irregular bleeding, abdominal
prossure, infertility, and pain
during intercourse, it is most
often found in childless women in
thoir 30s. but is seen in other
groups as well. Although there
are several theories of possible
causes of endometriosis, it is still
one of the mysteries of modern
medicine.
My friend is a doctor herself,
and had access to the whole
range of treatments used in this
disease. She had tried everything
available, short of surgery, with
no relief of her symptoms. As a
last resort, making a real leap of
faith, given her training, she went
to see an acupuncturist. After
several treatments by this Chin
ese doctor, her symptoms dis-
appea red. a nd after severe I yea rs.
thev have never returned.
The point of teiiing this story is
not to suggest that acupuncture is
a mega ( ure for this mysterious
and aggravating disease. 1 want
only to suggest that women have
some options to < (insider before
using powerful drugs and under
going maior surgery Medical
doctors now use three primary
kinds of treatment for endo
metriosis. Pregnancy has at least
a short term, and sometimes a
lasting effect in helping the prob
lem. and is a good treatment for
women desiring children. Hor
mone pills and hormone suppres
ing drugs are used to reduce the
abnormal activity of the uterine
tissue. Some women are helpod
by these, but a complete and
permanent cure is rare, and
negutive side effects are felt by
some women. Femalo hormone
pills can cause mood changes and
weight gain in some, and are risky
for smokers over 35 years of age.
and hormone suppressing drugs
can have disturbing masculiniz
ing effects, and can cause acne,
weight gain, liver damage, and
other problems. Surgery is used
to remove the abnormal tissue, or
to completely remove the uterus
and ovaries (hysterectomy), which
usually removes the symptoms,
but in some cases even this radi
cal therapy does not work Some
5°o of women with total hysterec
tomies have a return of symptoms
following surgery.
Given the unpredictable results
of theso treatments and their
possible risks, let's consider some
of the alternatives. Nutrition,
herbal medicine, homeopathy,
acupuncture, stress reduction
and physiotherapy have all been
used successfully by Portland
practitioners on their patients. As
with conventional drug and sur
ge al therapy, patients respond
differently to treatments, and
cases must be assessed and
treated individually. In most
cases basic diet changes are
made to lay the foundation for
further treatment. A diet is pre
scribed that is low in fats, refined
foods, sugar, caffeine, and red
meats; and high in foods and
supplements that seem to help
balance estrogen levels: vege
tables. grains and beans, onions
and garlic; and sometimes supple
ments such as vitamins C and E
and B complex, beta-carotene,
magnesium, calcium, zinc, sele
nium. and certain essential fatty-
acids. Physiotherapy procedures
include sitz baths, castor oil
packs, internal herb packs, as
well as ultrasound and electro
therapy. Certain herbal medi
cines are linked to the function of
female reproductive organs, and
combinations of theso can be used
to soothe the monthly symptoms
and to regulate the hormones.
Homeopathy is a therapy which
treats disease by using minute
doses of natural substances to
stimulate tho body to heal, much
in the same way that vaccines
can strengthen the immune sys
tem to fight specific diseases.
Homeopathic remedies are pre
scribed individually depending on
symptoms. Acupuncture can help
to balance the function of the
glands, and Chinese herbs are
used to nourish the body and
balance the hormones. Exercise
and stress reduction maximizes
the effects of all these treatments
and has a positive effect on
general health and outlook.
These natural therapies can
take some time to make changes,
lust as it takes time for disease to
develop, cure is not an overnight
process. But the advantage is
that the treatments are generally
free of negative side effects and
risks, and frequently have the
positive effects that come with a
healthier lifestyle.
Cheryl Smalley is a n a tu ro p a th in
private practice in Portland
PETERS
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Letters to the Editor
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Food Bank update
To the Editor:
We at Christ Memorial COGIC,
4237 N. Mississippi, wish to thank
each and every one of you who
has helped to make our food bank
a big success.
In just these few months since
beginning food distribution, we.
that is to say. all of you hove
helped pu, much needed food in
over 900 homos in our city. To
some, it wasn't much, but to many
it was just what was needed.
Tho need for food is never end
ing to many:
The elderly;
Those with limited income
Those out of work;
Those living on the street;
Those in emergency situa
tions.
At present, those who have
come hern see we are working in
our small church, sorting and
bagging the food and having only
limited space to store things (one
rofrigerator and freezer), and a
short time to do it in due to our
regular church services.
We are in the process of start
ing our building fund project. We
hope to raise enough funds this
year to build a new church and to
continue in the Lord’s work. This
w ill house a larger food bank with
the much needed storage space
I
and adequate refrigeration sys
tem. This w ill be a community
center where everyone can come
to worship, fellowship, and to
learn about the Lord.
This saving station w ill attempt
to meet the total needs of the
community.
Anyone wishing to donate food,
be a worker, donate funds, or just
inquire about our church, please
contact:
Leon Limbrick fr
Community Coordinator
Christ Memorial COGIC
4237 N Mississippi
Portland. OH 97212
288-1400