»ge 2, Portland Observer, March 5, 1986
“ Liberated Haiti”
EDITORIAL/OPINION
Prostitution Continues to Erode Livability of Northeast
Portland Prostitutes and their customers conduct
business in parked cars and engage in sex acts in
fu ll view o f people’ s homes. Despite the serious­
ness o f prostituí ion in the community, city officials
have done little to eradicate it from Northeast Port­
land
Mayor Clark and Chief Harrington have only
given moral support to the community efforts to rid
their neighborhoods o f prostitution The mayor's
plan to read the names o f those arrested for solicit­
ing the services o f a prostitute was found to be
unconstitutional by a local judge Some say that the
mayor knew this would occur and that the reason
he announced the plan in the firs, place was for
publicity.
As warmer weather approaches, the prostitution
problem w ill only get worse Kirtland is known as
a city which allows prostitution to occur without
fear of being arrested by the police Community
and business leaders mus, continue to assert pres­
sure on city officials to come up with concrete
solutions to address the problem o f prostitution in
their community
Ihe longer the problem continues to escalate,
the livability of Northeast Portland w ill continue to
erode.
Recently a panel o f five consultants from out o f
state told business owners in the Union-
Vancouver W illiam s (U V W ) business district,
that in order for the community to prosper; the
follow ing must firs, occur: Rid the community o f
prostitution and street crime, remove or redesign
the median strips on Union Ave ; clean up the
trash; work with owners to upgrade the appearance
of blighted storefronts; know local financial in­
stitutions; and hold a community-wide forum
( ) f all the recommendations made by the panel to
the business owners, the panel stated that getting
rid o f prostitution should be o f the highesi priority
and one o f the first steps in transforming the area
The panel's assessment o f the devastating impact
of prostitution in Northeast is correct Prostitution
is a cancer growing throughout the community
No, only does prostitution prevent economic de­
velopment in the Union-Vancouver-W illiams
area, prostitution also degrades those living in the
area Adult females and young girls walking or
waiting for the bus along Union Ave are often
approached by predominantly white men, who
think they are prostitutes
The majority o f them reside outside o f Northeast
Letter^ to the Editor
To Ihe Editor
The nutnurch concept is a concomit
am o l Ihe non feminist image Essen
lia lly , this concept holds that the Black
woman is ihe dominant figure in Ihe
Black family I his deviation from ihe
"A m erikan patriarch" standards, ol
course, led, it is suggested. Io the
psychological castration o f Ihe Bl.uk
man This resulted, H is implied, in
negative consequences for the Black
man. such as lew educational achieve
menls, and ihe inability loearn a living
for his fam ily, personality disorders
and delinquency This myth as well as
Us subsidiaries, ihe myth ol Black
female education and employ mem.
have been thoroughly refuted by re
search Eor example, most Black
families whether low income or nol. are
characterized by all egalilorian pallern
in which neither spouse dominate but
each shares hi decision making and the
performance o f expected task In H7
percent o f poor Black families, hus
hands out cam wives Consequently,
Ihe husband is the provider in ihe over
whelming majority ol the cases Nol
withstanding the refutation of ihe
stereotypes, ihe Black woman still
bears the brum ol Ihe negativisms as
socialed with such images
The fact that the matriarchy myth
was popularized and widely accepted m
this country by all segments ol six ids ,
is a reflection ol Ihe depth of the cruelly
that Amcnka Iron) its inception has in
Dieted upon the Black woman For this
myth, i f carried to its logical conclu
sums, lends lo make Ihe Black woman
responsible for the creation of the so
cial, educational, economic. and im liti
cal institutions in this country, which,
historic ally , explicitly and im plicitly,
have been structured lodeny equality in
all ol these areas lo all Black people
Another inferenc e ol ihe matriarchy no
lion is the exemption ol caucasoid
Amcnka responsibility lor the oppres
sion of Blacks and the conditions lhal
inevitably resulted from this action In
stead, ihe Black woman who is at the
very bottom of the economic scale, is
blamed for ihe consequence ol
caucasoid Amcnka systematic efforts
lo dehumanize Blacks The absurdity ol
this myth is astounding, superceded
only by ilscruelly Vllerall. matriarchy
in Hs historical usage denotes a position
ol power which, ol course, neilhei
Black women nor Black men have sec
uied in Amenka F o lilic.illy. then, in
addition lo permuting exploitation of
Black female labor and shilling respon
sibilily tor oppression Irom ihe oppres
sots io the oppressed. Ihe non feminist
image also allows continuous brulahly
and insults against the Black woman
without generating mass hostility
which could lead lo systemic dis
equilibrium In ihe absence ol such a
threat, there is no compelling reason io
rectify ihe inhumane conditions lhal
support her abuse
In cases where Ihe lather is absent
from the family either by desertion or
death, Ihe mother becomes the family
head by default
I his is true ol
caucasoid families also Bui docs 1,11s
make Ihe female a malnarch ’ In lac,, il
has been suggested lhal no matriarchy
Idelined as a society ruled by women) is
known toexisl in any part ol the world
I. vervday Black brothers blame
women lor their problems many limes
because they see themselves as helpless
lo improve Ihe situation Some Black
men can't deal w uh Ihe responsibilities,
obligation and burdens lhal the family
im,s>se upon iheir individual marcissis
lie desires aftd aspiration
I here is reason lo believe lhal
caucasoid women in ihe lUXII's, like
those ol an earlier period, w ill disas­
sociate themselves from the issue of
racial justice whenever il appears ad
vanlageous lot them I o do so I uilher
more, there is a fundamental difference
between their concerns and problems
and those of Black women Ih is d ilfe r
ence is derived Irom Ihe racial caste
nature ol ihe Amerikan system itself
I his la d dictates different problem
sole mg appioac hes and programs ol ac
lion which may be' incompatible In any
case, since the system lavorsCaucasian
ovei Black, including caucasoid
women over Black women, il is nol
likely lhal ihe former w ill voluntarily
seek to dismantle lhal which serve their
interests and pamper them with
privileges Vet, the problems of Black
women w ill defy solution as long as
Amenka retains racial caslixm There
lore, Black women must aim ai more
dial) a ledelmilion ol ihe role ol wo
men. they must aim lor die abolition ol
Ihe racial caste foundation ol the
Amerikan Stale itself
I here must be respect and parity be­
tween man and woman lor unity I'm
inclined lo Ix-lieve, ihe strongest im ­
petus a man w ill ever have, in an indi­
vidual sense-, w ill come Irom a woman
he admires
l>r Jamil Chcrovee
Along I be Color Line by Dr. Manning Marable
When the despotic Duvalier fam ily fled Haiti
las, month, most Black people and progressive
forces throughout the world breathed a collective
sigh o f relief What the American media failed to
examine in sufficient detail, however, was the
long-standing U S role in perpetuating the p o liti­
cal and economic misery o f the six m illion Haitian
people, and the actual steps which must he taken to
assure the transition to a true democracy.
The overwhelming reality o f contemporary
Haiti is that o f extreme poverty H aiti's per capita
income is currently $379 a year; however, for
roughly three fourths o f the population, the figure
is actually $200. Adult unemployment is 50 per­
cent Two m illion people suffer from malnutrition,
and HO percent are illiterate
The two principal sources o f exploitation in
Haiti were both the corrupt Duvalier regime and
American capitalists According to one former
government o fficial, over one third o f all state
revenues under "B a b y D o c " Duvalier had been
stolen by the island’ s elite Duvalier himself is said
to have $H(X) m illion slashed aw ay in overseas real
estate and bank accounts But U S corporations
were cordial companions o f the Black dictator As
o f I9H5. about two hundred American companies
had large plants on the island, including United
Technologies, General Motors, Sperry Rand,
GTE, and MacGregor Sporting Goods Wages are
typically $3 a day. and the Duvaliers* bmtal private
m ilitia, the Tontons Macoutes, terrorized working
class leaders Despite outrageous violations o f
human rights, the Reagan administration was also
quite cozy with Duvalier l as, October, the State
Department actually claimed that H aiti’ s human
rights situation was "im p ro v in g ."
This situation changed only in recent months
Ihe Duvalier regime was too inefficient and too
corrupt even by American standards In I9H5.
Haiti's external deficit increased by 45 percent,
and the country's inflation rate was HO percent
I abor and political unrest began to accelerate The
task lor the U S corporations and Reagamtes was
to discard their Black ncocolonial puppet, and to
rearrange the unsettled domestic political system
without harming their vested interests
After a series ol anti Duvalier mass protests, the
U S refused to certify the regime's compliance to
human rights standards, and the government plan­
ned to cut $7 m illion in aid to Haiti. On January 31,
Reagan press secretary I .any Speakes declared that
Baby Doc had been deposed — a premature an­
nouncement, but a ploy which effectively isolated
and deestablished the regime The next day,
thousands o f Haitians in the town o f Gonaives. 90
miles from the capital city o f Port-au-Prince, dis­
armed the Tontons Macoutes I he spectre o f truly
"liberated H a iti," freed o f both Duvalier and U S.
imperialism, began to surface
The U S government then took drastic steps ,o
guarantee "D uvalierism without Duvalier " A
U.S military plane was dispatched from For,
Bragg. North Carolina lo pick up the desperate
dictator The French were pressured to grant
Duvalier a temporary visa A m ilitary junta was
hastily organized to restore order The country 's
new "leaders" include Lieutenant General Henri
Nainphy, who was a benficiary o f Duvalier*s graft
and also served as head o f the armed forces A lix
Cineas, Duvalier's former minister o f Public
Works, and Colonel Prosper A v ril, who had ties to
the Tontons Macoutes, are also at the top o f the
new regime W ithin hours alter taking charge, the
junta imposed a 16 hour-a-day curfew Soldiers
fired into crowds o f unarmed demonstrators who
were celebrating Duvalier's demise Meanwhile,
the U S Embassy in Port-au-Prince has received
dozens o f calls from American corporations re­
questing information on initiating plants in Haiti
Low wages and a pro-U .S .. Duvalier-trained junta
are the reasons.
The decisive role in toppling the Duvalier re­
gime was played not by the U.S., but by the op­
pressed people o f Haiti It was their courage and
determination which culminated into the first, im ­
portant ac, toward the achievement o f self-
determination and political liberation. Our task is
to call for an end to U.S meddling and manipula­
tion in Haiti I he possibility o f U.S troops being
sent to the island must be denounced and opposed
When the last American intervention occurred a
generation ago. over 30,(MM) Haitians died This
tune, we must agitate to make certain that no new
forms of slavery and colonialism are imposed by
the U S A liberated Haiti, in complete control o f
its economy and political system, must be
achieved
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Healthwatch
by Steven Bailey N. D.
One- ol the mosi common human
complaints is the upset stomach In ail
ililio n lo I agamel as one ol the single
most prescribed medicalions, there are
numerous over the counter anl acids
Our media is Idled with ads id lin g you
lhal theirs is the best longesl lasting
product Nowhere do I see our ads say
ing lhal acid indigestion might be some
thing other than an antacid deficiency
In (act one pharrnacutical declares that
their product can proxide mesuiable
amounts o f calcium as a supplement
t here are many forms ol digestive
problems Many o f them produce
symptoms of burn inc and pain which
quite often lessen with antacids K.ilher
than accepting regular use ot digestive
aids, eating and life style changes might
produce a symptom free stale, with a
healthier digestive system
A ch I production by cells in the
stomach is a necessary component lo
proper protein digestion the amount
o f acid produced may occasionally be
greater than lhal needed for proper d i­
gestion. but the burning is less related
to the ph I measure of acidity ) than lo the
normal protecting lunciions o f the
stomach lining In addition lo cells lhal
secrete hydrochloric and pepsingen
(protein breakdown enzyme needing
high acidity lo work) and intrinsic lac
tors one group o f cells in Ihe stomacn
secretes mucus w hu h acts lo protect Ihe
lining Irom the high acid environment
necessary for digestion While Ihe
symptoms of burning may be aleviaied
by an antacid, the poor protection ol
lining is not addressed, and the less acid
luicesol ihe stomach may inadequately
begin the protein phase ol digestion
lagamei. ihe major prescription
drug in the I S chemically reduces ihe
and secretion ol ihe stomach cells and
results in dec teased acidity lagamenl
has shown ilselt effective in ledunng
ihe incidence ol gastric ulcer, but Ihe
effectiveness is based on ihe palienls
making no changes in other parameters
lo alter the conlribulers io poor stomach
protection
I here aie numerous causes ot dis
luilx-d digestive function These in
elude such things as coflee and caffein
mjesiion, which by Hs chemical actions
increase stomach acidity unrelated lo
digestive needs Other factors include
alcohol. medicalions and drugs, stress,
poor nutrition, micro-organisms and
physic.il/organic disturbances While
souk - of those factors require an edu
caled appraisal and diagnosis, many ol
the lite style and nutritional problems
can be addressed by lay approaches
A starling program for acid indiges
lion includes appraising irritants, in
creasing fluid (especially water) intake,
mucilagmeous aids (ie, slippery elm.
marshmallow root, licorice root (nol
with high blood pressure) and a diet
with good fiber, and live foods People
w ho eal a ly pical American die t. high in
while flour, sugar dairy and meal usu­
ally have problems convening lo large
amounts ot raw vegetables, as their sys­
tem is ill prepared for normal function.
Il is often necessary lo make gradual
changes Add a salad every 2-3 days,
more whole fruit, steamed vegetables
and whole grains A mild stool soften­
ing tibei like Yerba Pnmas psyllium
powder may ease the system into more
energetic function II is very imponant
io lake additional water or ,uice w ilh the
psyllium or it too may be too binding
for the system
A final aspect to gastric irritation is
our emotional slate When we are emo­
tionally upset, our brain signals ihe
body lo direct blood and therefore
energy Iron) Ihe digestive system Our
cells are then less able lo produce Ihe
mui us and enzymes needed for a health
symptom free digestion Stress is in­
evitable bul our reactions lo il are quite
individualized and can often be un­
proved Exercise, visualizations, medi­
tation, massage, vitamin C, B vita­
mins, deep breathing are hut a lew
techniques lo offset the neuro c hemical
components of stress
Il is important lo nol overlook serious
illness while working with life style tai­
lors While medical intervention may
be needed there is nothing harmful in
improving one s habits, and for those
who live in a chronic stale o f antacid
use these changes might lead lo a heal
ihier and less drug oriented life
fh* W^U’aro 3 lk A
r PORTLAND
,
OBSERVER
Portland Observer
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