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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (March 19, 1986)
• ■ t t » « -• . • Page 2. Portland Observer, March 19, 1986 Reagan’s Budget vs. Blacks EDITORIAL/OPINION Along the Color Line by Hr. Manning Marable Editorial Opinion: Meese Unfit to be Attorney General When President Ronald Reagan nominated Edwin Meese III as U S Attorney General, c ivil rights organizations bitterly opposed his nomina tion They argue that Meese would not enforce the nation's civil-rights laws. I he group's tears about Meese has become a reality Meese has demonstrated that he is unfit to en force this country's civil-rights laws Mcese's anti c iv il rights crusade has contributed to the in creased racial divisions in this country He lacks the sensitivity, moral distinctions, and legal know ledge required to be Attorney General ot the United Stales Meese has deliberately made misleading public statements in an effort to weaken civil-rights laws Meese has repeatedly labeled affirmative action programs as a “ quota'' system and affirmative action have favored unqualified minorities over qualified white males This assertion by Meese is an outright lie The U S Supreme Court has ruled such actions as illegal A ffirm ative action programs were im plemented to remedy blatantly discriminatory h ir ing patterns. Mcese’ s unfitness as this nation number one enforcer o f civil-law s, can be observed further when one examines the statement he made equating affirmative action as a new kind ol dis crimination Such interpretations reveal his lack of legal knowledge o f the law Affirm ative action has been found legal by the federal courts for years A ffirm ative action was designed to provide one form o f remedy for the remaining ef fects o f past discrimination and also to help remedy present discrimination Such a prog ram is needed to ensure that all in society are given the opportunity to participate in mainstream America, especially when racism is still embedded deep in that society. Instead of being the leader for equality for those w ho are v ictims o f discrimination Meese has been the driving force behind the efforts by those not committed to equality He is the proponent behind the Reagan administration's attempts to resc ind an executive order mandating affirmative action in awarding federal contracts Meese not only has been criticized by c ivil rights organizations, he has been scolded by members o f the I S Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens criticized Meese for ignoring the development ot the law over the pas, 200 years and for his ' 'lu d ic r ous” argument that the B ill ot Rights does not apply to states A man with ideological bias such as Meese is unfit to be this nation's chief law en forcement officer Reagan Wants Workfare HY June Mol; President Ronald Reagan wants workfare instituted throughout die country because he thinks it can cut weltare spending He has improvised a set o f extravagant and un founded claims about the workfare program he operated as governor o f California in the early 70 s According to Reagan, 76,000 people were placed in private jobs by this program According to slate records, however, only H.IMMI people were enrolled during the three year life o f the prog ram. California officials say they have no idea how many ol these people may have found jobs as a result Ifiey also have no idea where Reagan's number came from W hile Reagan cues the Massachusetts Employment and Training Choices Program (E I I as proof that his form ol workfare works, Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis retorts dial I I is no, workfare II is an employment ami training program, providing child care and transportation Io welfare recipients, mostly women with children, who arc enrolled in training programs Under E I . most participa lion is voluntary and many choices are offered Under Reagan's workfare, participation is mandatory, on an "o r- else" basis. The contnisersey over diew claims covers up the real profs lem w ith both workfare and I T Both programs mav. in la d . get people ott the weltare rolls one by coercion. ihe other by encouragement, but neither program gets people out of poverty A study o f E T by the American friends Service Committee shows that most E T graduates and their families are worse o il financially alter E T . because the |obs they get arc low jsaid and dead-end. and any increase m income is eaten up by costs and by kiss ol needed benefits, particularly medical insurance The basic questions remain How can women who head households and who may lack saleable skills be helped oul ol poverty ’ How tan we assure that government programs Io cused on work or training do not depress overall wage levels or interfere with workers' rights ’ How can we eliminate the sex and race discrimination thal contribute so greatly lo jvoverty among women and racial minorities ' To answer these needs, we must institute major public service employmeni and training programs, peg the minimum wage to inllalion. lit hasn't been increased since IMHI | and renew our commitment to equal |ob opportunity, affirmative action, and adequate income maintenance prog rants J ,n il W a t' It H illh " ill I II»» A » I l »,</» Sf 1 I h r L c ’i l . l / i C I ' H i l l , , ff« f St I » ( f i l l i f l i t ( ■ l il'im i lll H ih llh U li P h llo J c Ip h lU V E 'O E M E T THE ENEHY-AND HE US. - TURNING OUR CHILDREN INTO JUNKIES INTO THIEVES ANO PROSTITUTED, WHO PREY ON THEIR OWN PEOPLE. Several weeks ago. President Reagan sen, his 1987 budget to Congress Unquestionably, the President has proved decisively that he is the greatest proponent o f welfare in American history — welfare for the rich Indeed, the budge, can he summarized as nothing less than a political offen sive to smash the social, economic and educational rights o f Blacks. Latinos, and the poor It is anti- Black, anti-neighborhood, anti-fam ily, and in the words o f the Reverend Jesse Jackson, “ a misery index for the poor.” Reagan's total projected military budge,, includ ing nuclear weapons, would increase from $286 billion to $320.3 billion in 1987. and up to $405.9 billion by 1991 The Pentagon would receive 28 percent o f the total federal budge, This includes $4.2 billion for 21 M X missiles. 21 Trident sub marine missiles and other Midge,man missiles; and an extra $4.8 billion for “ Star W ars.” an increase o f 77 percent above current funding levels It doesn't take an Einstein to determine who's going to pay for all the military hardware Human needs and social service programs w ill be cut by $106.8 b illio n over the next five years Some o f the most callous cuts would be in the following areas: f ederal aid to public education would drop from $9 billion to $5 6 billion Guaranteed student loans would be cut from $3.2 billion to $2.5 billion this year, and down to $1.5 billion in 1991 Federal spending for compensatory education for elemen tary and secondary school students from low in come families, which was $4 2 billion last year, would be slashed to $3 5 billion next year Aid to Families with dependent Children would be reduced more than $600 m illion by cutting ou, unwed mothers under 18 years old if they leave their parents' homes, by stricter work require ments, and by halting payments to families when their youngest child reaches age sixteen, instead o f eighteen Food stamps would he reduced by $300 m illion in the next year And spending o f child nutrition programs would he cu, by an extra $704 m illion Jobs programs, including the Jobs Corps, would he cu, by 12 percent Chicago mayor Harold Washington has estimated that his city would lose $268 m illion in 1987 alone under Reagan's budge,: "T h e effect would he disastrous ” Mass transit funds would he reduced from $ 1 5 billion to $1 6 billion. How does the Reaganite budget preserve and extend racism and social class inequality'.’ Richard Grcenstein, the director o f the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, states that Blacks would suf fer disproportionately from the budge, cuts Greens,ein notes that ” 24 percent o f those using legal services were Black. and tha, Blacks made up 37 percent o f those receiving food stamps, 45 per cent o f those receiving Aid to families w ith Depen dent Children, and 45 percent o f the youths in volved in Job Corps ” In short, the budge, acceler ates institutional racism Perhaps the most perceptive comments about Reagan's latest offensive against Black and poor people were made by Marian Wrigh, Edelman, head o f the Children's Defense Fund The Reagan budge, w ill create " a new apartheid” in America, Edelman asserts, “ widening the gap between the rich and the poor.” A broad national coalition o f all budgetary victims must he forced to fight against this “ new apartheid.” I h Manning Mar able leath et pallili a l «ru io lo g) al C aígate Untier u t \ . Hamilton \ r * Îr»râ C ane the Calar I me a ppean in over 140 nen \ p a p e n tnlerruilianalli Healthwatch by Steven Bailey N. D. p> A lew weeks buck the Mew England Journal of Medicine published a report ihui "fin a lly proved" ih.it exercise max improve and extend xour file While this surprised tew people. except possibly those researchers who contend that you can never prove file extension since we only die once. H did statistically document that those individuals who regu larly exercise huce a lower rale ol death than those who exercise less, or those who don’ t exercise at all W bile this seems soil ol like pros mg the w heel exists alter 7(1 seats ot automobiles, il w ill provide doctors with the ■ haul evidence' needed so that they can tell their patients that exercise is beneficial lo then health Ironically many doctors ic-luse lo accept I he obv ious. until "reputable" jour nals doc umeui ihe paniculur c use I've written a tew times on subjects sueb as high tibei against colon cancer (science ucccpls I9K5, in lexl books its IM5Mi and ihe continuance ol these’ practices ol wailing lor hard prool speaks piNirly ol the limitations ot our medical model Mans people claim that (lie single drug, animal study model ol medicine is the only "pure science", yet this model has let, us al a place where over M I.IMMI Americans die annually horn drug caused conditions l.slimates that 25 40% ol hospital emetgencies are caused by doctor and drug conditions appear throughout American journals Yet while doctors accept this high rate ol death in their Iherapu tics, they are afiaid to recommend high vitamin C, exercise, Bela cuiulinv etc . until conclusive evidence shows their proven benefits Moi too surprisingly ihe drug companies and lood industries ate not eager to research or investigate non patentable forms ol medicines I be major journals ol Amert- can medicine are almost entirely filled with ads by phar maceuticals It is not surprising thal life-style, nutritional and preventative medicine are grossly absent from their journals Likewise the medical colleges which educate most o f our doctors, receive most o f their non federal money from drug and food industries Mo surprise that their curriculum reflects Ihe vested interests o f these wealthy industries Our doctors are victims ot this lo nearly the same degree as the consumer While Ihere is a tremendous amount o f evidence on ihe eliteacy ol nutritional and preventative therapeutics, the av erage doc tor receive» lewer than I credit hour of nutrition in iheir training II is only through individual research, often lo the displeasure ot their peers, thal a doctor develops a work ing understanding ol Ihe effect ot lite style and nulrilion on health I do not know how we can influence the medical sy stem to leave these- grasps ol sell interest It is clear that we are al a cross roads ol American medicine where risks are high and affordability is beyond a large segment o f our population Part ol the change may occur as more and more doctors are held accountable lor ihe numerous "accidental" deaths of then medicines Ihe mal practice rales are already pulling many doc lors into oiher fields or retiremeni t he high cost ot crisis medicine may also force the issue o f preventative theraputics lo r today the consumer must look out lor themselves We must fx- aw arc ol the risks ot therapies, and begin lo en|oin hjhils that lessen the chance ot serious illness Mow that exercise has been "p ro v e n " effective, we can get o ff our dulls and live Letters^ to the Editor^ To The Editor: PORTLAND OBSERVER « I •?*> for tw o iâüjip Portland Observer _______ «I M W t - ■ ■ Oreqoo 115 for one yw«' M M ew .ii.il> « ’ ' P u b lis h e rs g !■ Asso< '.ilion IV \>° Tha Portland O tn m e r IU S P S 9BB8B0I a puhWfwd avarv ThuratWy by t « a PuMalwvg Company. Inc . 1483 N t * » n g * worth. Portland Oragon 91211. Poal OTBca Bo» J137. Portland Oragon 9 7208 Second daaa poaiaga paid at Portland. O a g o n »> ' t » l . M«V**1I* ft 0 > Tha Portland fg u trr e r was «aiataanad n 18/0 Sutoecnptnne »15 00 pat yaar *i tha Tn County araa m a a la r boat 2B R 0033 Sand addraaa changa« lo the ZVxitaad Ofcrar-rar. P 0 . Bo» 3137 Portland Oragon 97208 M W A L, L. Alfred L. Henderson, Editor/Publisher A! Williams, General Manager National Advartlalng Rapraaantattva A m algam ated Publisher« inc N ew York yent The news nicdia misinforms the American people when reporting the U S sponsored war against Nicaragua by repeating the U S Slate Ik-part ment s use ot the word "pressure" in describing aid to the Contras The Con Iras are not applying "pressure" lo Ihe Sandinista government, they arc Untied States paid and trained terrorists taping, torturing and murdering a civilian population John Hmkley was not ap plying political pressure to President Reagan: he was attempting to murder him The Contras are not applying “ pressure" to the Sandintslas; they are terrorizing the civilian population ol Nicaragua Because Ihe leadership o f the Con tras is prim arily former National Guardmen from the government ol Anastasio Sornoza. a brutal dictator who maintained political power by as sassinating his political opponents. Contra conduct is predictable The dis cover} ol a C IA written Contra manuel which described the necessity o f using murder and extortion against Nicara guans only confirmed the obvious The consistent misuse ol the word "pressure" by the Stale Department and its affable pitchmen only serves to sugar coat terrorist activity (state sup ported) for American consumption II also implies that a strain or racism exists in the Stale Department, dead, brown. Nicaraguans are good for bar gaining chips By recanting ihe words of the U S Stale Department the news media does not report the news ol Nicaragua; they arc serving as an extension ot the State Department propaganda team Herschel Soles To the Editor: Lor years we’ ve been claiming that Our actions have belied Ihiv, however, we have con tinued lo make weapons and install them around the world W'e have claimed that our bombs actually main tain peace in Ihe world an empty . inde fensible argument A bomb, like any other creation, exists to be used The more bombs thal exist, the more likely is their use Even more senseless and indelensi blc is our practice o f "te s tin g " these bombs At least we have agreed that it is not wise to explode them in Ihe atmos phere; so, instead, we explode them underground' What sense docs it make ’ W’e take the very bombs that we claim to be so against using, and we explode ihcm under our own le ci' W'e are bomb ing ourselves! W'e claim that this is necessary in order lo "keep ahead o f the Russians Who arc we fooling? The Russians vol untarily suspended their own bombing months ago They have asked us to do we don’t want nuclear war likewise Why have we refused? lv it because, in America, appearances are valued more than sensibility ’ Would it tcally hurt us to admit that the Russians have made a sensible move ’ Would it hurt uv except lor bruising our pride lo stop bombing ourselves? In reality we are all merely guests on this planet Ihe universe has its own rules W'e can acknowledge these rules and cooperate with them, or defy them and suffer Ihe consequences Recently we have seen a spectacular example ol this in the explosion ot the Challenger Our pride and high regard tor appearances outweighed our com mon sense, and we paid a gruesome price W'e knew that a cold weather launch was not sensible, lhat it was dangerous — but we d idn't want to disappoint the television cameras' We were impatient, we would not accept another postponement' So we pressed the button and the T V camera» got a bigger spectacle than anticipated Please, let us he sensible, let us quit bombing ourselves! le i us quit bomb ing the planet! Let us begin im mediately to heal the wounds that have already been made' To everyone who cares about ending the "te s tin g " o f nuclear weapons please write or phone your representa lives in Washington, D C . including President Reagan Let your feelings he known* Don Beckett
