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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (May 28, 1986)
Page 2, Portland Observer. May 28. 1986 EDITORIAL/OPINION U.S. Should Impose Total Sanction Against South Africa The expulsion of South A frica ’ s senior m ilitary attache from this country in response Io South African raids against Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana by the Reagan Administration is too little and much too late. In fact, killings have been a way o f life in South Africa. The government o f South Africa has de monstrated to the entire world it's lack o f any moral principles Black women, men and children arc shot like dogs, beaten, and detained daily. The Reagan Administration should show leader ship in the world by imposing full economic sanc tions against South Africa. The President should also order all American companies out o f that country; this is wha, he did to Libya. Only in response to full economic pressure w ill the .South African government move away from oppression and toward negotiation o f the senous differences that threaten to embroil that country in a racial holocaust. Reagan's policy ot constructive engagement towards Pretoria has been a complete failure The South African government has responded to con structive engagement by agreeing purely to cosine tic concessions. A, the same time, the government has refused to allow Black South Africans the right to share in that nation's power equation. Nor has constructive engagement stopped (he killings and violence in that country. ON SOUTH AFRICA Microsoft Halts S. Africa Sales by Elizabeth Pullium ¿Times business reporter Microsoft Corp , ending corporate ties to South frica after four years, has called for other local companies to follow its lead The Redmond-based software company w ill stop direct sales to South Africa because o f that country’ s apartheid policies, said Bob O'Rear. M icrosoft's director o f intercontinental ojxT.it inns, in a press release yesterday. O ’ Rear did not say if indirect software sales would continue, but said Microsoft w ill cut oft relations with its local distributor in South Africa Microsoft joins several other Northwest com panics, including John f luke Manufacturing, Sea first and Portland’ s Tektronix, in severing business ties to the white controlled nation O'Rear described the pullout as "th e final op tio n " available to the corporation Microsoft previously donated profits from its South African operations to the American f riends Service Committee, a Quaker-founded action group that promotes non-violent social change, said Randy Carter, program director for the com mittee The committee accepted the donation IX months ago without knowing where the money had come from. Carter said Carter said his group would have refused another such contribution, and asked Microsoft to consider severing business relations with South Africa "A n d in a great gesture, Microsoft considered our suggestion and decided to stop doing business there," Carter said M icrosoft's $100, (XM) in South African sales accounts tor 0 I percent of its total $104 m illion revenue. Seattle Times 4/24/X6 EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY “State of the State” flv G overnor Etc Anyth W hat covers nearly a third o f an acre, is located in a foreign country, and w ill bring millions ol dollars into Oregon nol only this year but for years to come? Answer: O regon’ s history to high lech pavilion al Expo 8 6 . which opened M ay 2 in Vancouver. B C . and w ill run Io bed and breakfasts, riding stables and g olf courses to w ineries, hot springs and ghost towns O regon's pavilion signed with the " in Oregon you're more than w elcom e" logo is larger than those o f C a lifo r nia and W ashington, is h xaled west ot the U S A pavilion, and is open daily 10 a m to 10 p m From the meain gale to the la ir, you can reach our pavilion by skytrain, by ferry or on foot. ( begun is fortunate to be so visible at so popular a world's fair Hy January, Expo 86 already had sold more visits than New Orleans' Expo 84 sold during its entire run Expo 86 visitors have bought tickets in all 50 states, in all 10 pro vinces, and in 22 foreign countries T o greet our visitors, your state H ighw ay and Parks d iv i Oct 13 Consider: —-An estimated 44X).tXX) Californians w ill travel through Oregon — tw ice to get to Expo 86 and to return home — Expo 86 is expected to bring Oregon $ Ml m illion during its 23-week run, another $15 m illion within a year, and $ 1 1 m ilium in new business investment — Oregon's pavilion w ill introduce as many as 2-m illion visitors to a cornucopia of 250 Oregon pnulucts ranging from blankets and hooks to pickles and popcorn Visiting Oregon's 13 ,5 0 0 -square foot Expo 86 pavilion will make you even prouder to he an Oregonian Outside, wood represents our timber industry and a water fall our beautiful lakes, rushing rivers, cascading waterfalls and breathtaking Pacific coastline Inside, attractions include a 21st Century Covered Wagon T im e Tunnel that lakes you through O regon’ s fiery volcanic history, across the rugged Oregon fra il, into nHulern-day Oregon and beyond to future exploration ol the Pacific coastline Among the other attractions are regional exhibits on Orc gon's seven distinct geographic areas, a theater with a Capac ity o f 19(1 lor film s, performers and lectures, a spectacular Oregon garden, and unique gilt shop and deli \ lounge in the pavilion provides space lor ( hegoniansto meet with business prospects visiting Expo As I write this, 71 Oregon communities such as Brow nsville. M c M in n v ille , Toledo and Veneta are signed up for their own special Com m unity Days at our pavilion Vacationers wanting to visit Oregon enjoy access to two computers loaded with statewide travel tips tanging from J p ORTWND OBSERVER sions have adopted the "Company's C o m in g " theme lor an ambitious anti litter campaign I encourage you to remember that theme, and to be especially friendly to out-of-state guests even when someone just stops you to ask for directions The budget to build and stall Oregon's pavilion came in at $2 9 m illio n , ot which $2 I m illion came from Oregoi. Lottery proceeds Donations ranged from Pacific Northwest Bell's $ 7 5 .(XK)check to that of a Bend girl who cracked open her piggybank and gave $5 Our pavilion is being operated by our Expo 86 staff plus 83 trained "O rego n Am bassadors," who are living in Van couver tor six week shifts and being paid $5 (Canadian) a day Stall and volunteers w ill he on hand al all limes to greet visitors and to answer questions They e x p e c t to serve tre e s tra w b e rry s h o rtc a k e Io 1 0 . (XX) visitors on Expo's Oregon Day Saturday. M ay 24 Every day ot Expo 86. Oregon's presence w ill bring O re gon even greater w orldw ide visibility and Oregonians a larger share ot investment, trade and tourism dollars Maybe I 'l l see you at the Fair • 15 for on« v*«' • ?•> for two years Boi 313) Portland OR 9)ZOH I I Silt? 2 & -z = □ .. . 3 X Street Apt “S Z o m co 3 > X 5 * > 3J state M« Mftl Portland Observer The P n n lw a O tw erw r lU S P S 90B8B0I ■ p u bW w d «vary Thuraday by f n PxjMatwxg Company. Vvc . 1483 N t unvige <yonh. Portland. Oragon J W 1 Poat O rfca Boa 3117 Portland. Oregon 977OB Sacond daaa poataga paid « Portland Oragon 0«»‘ 3 1 »Tfc ¿y* «**Vm*« «têt»*** SOaíL The TVtriluad f g n m t r waa earaMahed n 1970 Sutiecnptmne *1 B 0 0 par year Ss Iha ToCounty urea Poat m aatar Sand erfcpaae changea lo iha ZSvrland Oórwrwr. P O B o i 3137. Portland. Oragon 977OB A lfred L Henderson, Editor/Publisher AI Williams. General Manager 2BB-0033 N a tio n a l A d v a rtla ln g N ap ra a a n ta th ra A m a lg a m a te d P ub llahara. Ine New Vor* Opinion__________ If lottery is to change, let it be for schools only One would not be particularly challenged to find a hundred people who don't like the Oregon lottery, not it* concept nor its appli cation. They are simply against gambling, or are at least agaiost gambling as a govern mental function. Il would be equally easy to find another hundred people who don't think there is any thing wrong with the way the current two- stage lottery is run. with its instant winner tickets and its on-line game too But probably the largest single group of cilisens, if asked, would say that they are to some degree supportive of the idea of the lottery, but not particularly happy with its current structure. Thai's the group that should be addressed when one thinks of doing anything to or about the lottery This major group may be slightly against the idea of government gambling, but tend to find the idea acceptable as a substitute for another lax A lottery, al least, is optional, while a lax to raise the same amount of mon ey would be mandatory If we cannot get a lax to support public functions, let it be done by those who wish to spend their money for it The lottery came to Oregon at a time when lots of stales either had one or were consider ing it The people who set it in motion sur veyed the way it should be assembled to achieve their desires, and concluded that if it read that the money would go for "economic development and jobs," it would get enough public support They were absolutely on the m a rk , because it did pass with that designation The problem is. however, that they didn't ask if the lottery would be approved if the money had been designated for something else They didn't ask if the lottery would be OK if the money went into the stale's general fund, or if it was simply parsed out to the counties to pul into their coffers They didn't ask if the populace would have preferred its gambling to be for the sole ben efit of schools. This is. after all, what several other states do with their lottery income — designate it solely for education And once the money did start coming in, the Legislature was unable to make a sensi ble division of it What it finally did left just abi/jt everyone dissatisfied The ^'satisfaction, in fact, has spurred at least two local area versions of petitions that would alter the way Oregon's lottery money is divided. The first is that promoted by Rogue River politician Royal DeLand, who would Change the lottery so that its opera tions costs would drop from 18 percent to 12, its payoff would remain at SO percent and its remaining 31 percent would be designated to counties, with half of that earmarked solely for vocational education in high schools. Why DeLand thinks vocational education is of greater value than general education is subject to discussion, but it is im m aterial. His approach is hardly the best one. We would look far more favorably on 'he proposal now being offered in petitions being circulated by three Glendale residents Those petitions would leave the lottery's op eration and prize money alone, but would simply shift the allocation of all the rest to prim ary and secondary education — to the stale's schools Dividing that pie could be simply accomplished by using the same for- mula that state basic school support us deter* mmed by. The idea of moving this voluntary "ta x " over to the state's greatest single taxation need is terrific II is Hie education lax that makes most property owners hurt when it comes to paying, since in almost all jurisdic tions it is the biggest single bite It is Hie educational system that is. in fact, the greatest benefit to the taxpaying public, inasmuch as it provides for the future of our stale and our society. The lottery may be debated in all sorts of ways, good or bad, fun or a bore, adequate or inadequate, paying enough or too little or too much. These things can be left to some other contest. Right now the proposal is whether the state should continue to pile up this mon ey for "economic development and jobs," a definition that is defying application, wheth er it should go to the counties and vocational education, as DeLand would have it, or whether it should go to schools in general. Strictly from a "give the money to Hie great est need” aspect, we have to favor the third, schools, as the most useful and sensible application A lot of signatures are needed to put that option onto a ballot, and then a lot of politick ing would have to follow. That's what the initiative process is all about, and win, lose ordraw H L.E. A rticle* are fn x n G rants Paaa, Oregon C o u rier. Letters to the Editor The Observer welcomes tellers lo the editor. Letters should be typed or neatly prin ted and signed with the author's name an d address /addresses are n ol usually published). We reserve the right lo edit f o r length. M a il to: Portland Observer, P O Box 3137, Portland. OR 9720B. Can We Afford More Concentration Camps? T o The Editor: The problem we face w ill nol be sol ved by building more prisons W hal we need to do is present multiple offenders from continuing to walk the streets I suggest that public officials - judges, parole board members, the governor be helf liable for malpractice tn the re lease or escape o f violent inmates who continue lo prey xm the Comm unity There is one sensible alternative to long prison sentences I t ’ s exile Exile lo remote corners o f the earth, where con victed rapists and murderers would he loo busy devoting their hostilities to ward survival with little enough time for mayhem Australia began as a penal colony, as was the plan for our state o f Georgia W hat's wrong w iih the Amazon jungle, the outback o f Australia, deserted South Sea Islands, Antarctic and the lar northern tundra o f Alaska and Canada'* This method seems far more humane lo me than being penned in a cell or tried in a chair W ill this idea ever he im plemented'* I doubt it This society has a tendency lo ignore straightforward approaches to problems in favor o f complicated abstract concepts A ll the social sciences — crim inology, sociol ogy, psychology, econom ic* — point out that if you subject people to depriva tion and inhuman living conditions, you can predict that they w ill rebel against those conditions The historical focus on the prison system has transmuted from practical punishment hi theoretical tehabilita tion At present, rehabilitation is a myth and to make it a reality entails an amount o f funds, staff members, and a complete overhaul o f the prison sys tem . which the state refuses to provide M o re psychiatrists, psychologists, sociologists and relevant programs re nting lo exisling occupation* in society are needed, ni« more prisons, tear gas, nightsticks, strip-cells, guns, restricted diets and the like The prison system to eltectuale rehabilitation, must be oper ated on a hasis conducive to the modes o f esivting cultures, based upon the theory that a man w ill be back unless property trained W e don't need individualistic p o liti c ia n s but only political representatives o f the people who realize that their strengths can only come from the con tinuing activities, struggle and organi zation o f the people What are many o f the inmates guilty o f, economic crimes or surviving.’ What would one expect from a system that produce* so much, but provides no legal way for so many to obtain the rightful fruits o f their labor ’ The world knows Black people have never been equally represented in the political proces» o f this country, that we suffer from acute "taxation without representation." so although we have been told government derives its power from the consent o f the g ov erned. apparently this does nol apply to Black people, for we certainly do not consent to the laws and order that for the past 450 years have deprived us of life , liberty, and the pursuit o f happi ness The essential facts are that regard less o f methodology em ployed, if suc cessful, the by-product w ill he the same, a broken m an/w om an, physically and m entally sent hack to the Commun ity Hope and the concept of in stitutionalization are not compatible elements One i t institutionalixed when all sense of self is gone The "m odel" inmate i* the matitutionaltaad ta m te . The mstnutionnlized inmeae hat no sense o f aelf He i t programmed and hi* actions show this I'm inclined to he lieve, in order to institutionalize a per son. his/her basic sense o f self must be eradicated The inmate is constantly reminded that he/she is part o f a com munity whose needs transcend their o w n, and in a sense this is true M any o f us have no know ledge o f the sub-human conditions o f existence which characterize Prison life W e can only hold Politicians and government officials accountable for a new era of unc urbed terror and official barbarism The overwhelming majority o f the poor prisoners arrive al their position be cause o f the sochi -economic situation into which they find they have been born Granted, there are those who in fringe upon the rights o f the C om m un ity; they should he placed in a therapeu tic situation That misplaced aggression is an effect o f the economic situatHm in which the lumpcnproletanans must fight for their survival This system, the same which has billions o f dollars to spend on space suits and rockets, can not provide jo b * fix the people The U S has reached a point o f desperate nithlcssness that has given rise to a so cial, political, and economic depravity unparalled in the history o f the world To deprive a person of work i* to ne gate a portion of hi* or her humanity There w ill be poor people involved in prostitution, dope pushing and mug ging It'* nut because they want to do this, but damnit, there i* little left lor them to look forward to. Without de cent remunerative job», the gmero- tionai cycle of poverty is given MMbar spin and society pick* up the mb in increased crime, welfare and urban de cay. Dr Jamil Cherovee
