Portland Observer, 1986 Paye 2, Along the Color Line EDITORIAL/OPINION by Dr M anning Marable Dr Justice Departm ent Right in Retrying Ebens The decision by the U S. Justice Depart inent to retry convicted killer Ronald Ebens on ivil rights violation charges was a proper de t ision. panel in Cmncmnatti overturned Ebens' con­ viction of violating Chin's civil rights. Resul­ ting in the justice department's decision to retry Ebens. Ebens was convicted in federal court of vio­ lating the civil rights of Vincent Chin, a Chinese American, by beating him to death with a baseball bat in Highland Park, Michigan in 1982. Incidents of racial violence have been on the rise across the nation for several years. Equal ly frightening is the fact that groups which During his first trial, Ebens was convicted in Wayne County Michigan Circuit Court of man slaughter, and was given three years probation and fined $3.000. Civil rights groups and on ental communities throughout the nation pro tested the decision As a result of this, the U S Justice Department retried Ebens in federal court for civil rights violations and he was sentenced to 26 years in prison. T wo weeks ago, a three judge appeals court practice both racial hatred and violence are also on the increase. Ebens. an unemployed auto worker, killed Chin after they were involved in an argument. Witnesses testified during the trial that Ebens was blaming Japan for his unemployment pro­ blems. He thought Chin was Japanese and shouted racial slurs at him. By retrying Ebens. the Justice Department is sending a strong message to individuals and groups that those who violate the civil rights of people because of their race, will be prose­ cuted by the U S. Government. Healthwatch by Steven Bailey. N D I bi* national campaigns against drug abuse come at a time w hich many w n te is consider to tie m otivated by ih<> upcom ing elec lions W hile the inaiority of indivi duals and com m unities involved in these campaigns are w n ikm y from their hearts, there is still a hollowness surrounding the w hole of this issue I sympathize w ith those w ho grieve for the victims of drug abuse, b oth the users and those whose personal safety is jeopardized by the violence associated w ith addiction/abuse Yet I'm saddened equally w ith the lack o l compassion that our society is show ing towards the victim s of use I hear m uch m ore hi the press about the need for additional jail space than for the need o, employm ent h i the m inority sections o f our cities and for educational and treatement programs for the users rod potential users in our society I believe that the piednm inant factor in the use abuse of drugs is o f a psycho social nature and lias nothing to d o w ith inadequate punishm ent for those who aie using frogs I fieri* is already an abundance of negative le infnri ers enisling for the drug abuser There is the ever present financial hardships for the user, the frequent family break ups, the frequent negative impact on em ploym ent. the legal problems, as well as the negative sell esteem associated w ith addiction, and, finally, theie is ari abundance of health concerns w hich are present to the user. The threat of greater legal sane lions to the user can not be expected to change the problem significantly We need to heal the entire problem rather than con centratm g in the bandage approach that these recent campaigns seem to focus upon Negotive self esteem and escape seem to tie ma|or factors h i the developm ent of abusive activities by diug isers The fact that most cocaine users are inner city m inorities strongly supports the social economic theo nt's of drug abuse, and the ever increasing unemploy merit in teen m inority populations should tie challenged in our anti drug campaigns as a ma|or causative agent W e have to piovide adequate education and employ merit for our youth if we expect them to become con s lr u c tiv e members of our society W ith the ever diminishing federal support lor educa -------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 lio n , social reform , drug treatm ent programs and em ploym ent in the inner c ity , we must look to prevention as the strongest suit in our war against drug use in our youth W ith m ost drug treatm ent programs costing m uch m ore than m ost poor families can afford, the only affordable approach is to stop the abuse before it begins C om m unity out reach, grade school and high school lectures and peer support groups are probably the easiest place to start in preventing drug abuse One social arena that needs to change is our double standard relating to drug use in America W hile we are firm in our denial o f such substances as marquana. cocaine heroin, etc . we are tolerant, if not supportive, of the abundant use o l acceptable drugs w ith in our society You cannot w atch T V w ithout tiemg told to use drugs for pain constipation, allergies, tieadaches, etc . etc I have encountered many individuals w ho have begun then drug use on prescription pain killers, eti Eight years ago I gave a seminar for the AEL CIO on rehabilitation o f the adult injured and heard almost unanim ous agreement among rehabilitation counselors tlia t one o f their single biggest problem was drug abuse by workers, w ho. upon injuring their back, were pre scntied pain m edications, and, after 4 6 m onths of being o ff work, became dependent upon these rnedi cities We cannot be prescription using parents and expect our o u trig h t condem nation o , drugs to carry m uch weight w ith our youth Likewise, we cannot treat our stiess w ith cigaretts and alcohol and expect our youth to respect our puritanical denial of the re creational substancos of their peers Truly more people (tie as a result of alcohol abuse on tfie highways than all street drug abuse com bined Tfie cost of tobacco abuse in relationship w ith lung cancer and cardiovascu lar disease is equally alarming Let us begin as a nation to "p ra ctice w hat we preach" W hile I agree that the tragedy of addiction is great and warrants a strong national effort to com bat this problem. I hope that the zealousness of the ongoing campaigns does not let tfie underlying causes fester and worsen for lack o f social change It may well be that the social abandonm ent of the Reagan edmini stration has added more fuel to the co u n ty's drug pro blem than any anti drug campaign can counter ____________________ . . . " Letters to the Editor Facts Are a Remedy For Healing Forgetfulness Intentional or unintentional offensive remarks impact m intensive ill w ill The recent slip o f pom pous mis understanding from Prime Minister Nakasone's lips requires more than atiologies concerning m inorites There is a nr*ed to roll out facts and remind all of the status of lajian in the 1960 s and how diverse Amen m s i nun ’tinted to iparis rehabilitation in new duet to n s I r.” r we forget, lest we forget Part nt today's a< cum ulated prosperity in Japan is due to U S A dollars, skills and markets w hich w eie rapidly made available Given that kind o f oquity in opportunity, m inorities too can equally achieve It w ill take m ore than the blessings ot celebrities to redeem the unnecessary com m entary of Prime Minister Nakasone. lie needs a reading list of pluralistic contri buttons a people to people agenda and a financial sum m ary o f the kinds of cameras and autom obiles average m inorities have sustained through the years in Japanese purchases If Nakasone has so little respect for hum anity and the purchasing power of whatever intellect, then that in itself should establish a 1987 list of New Year's Résolu bons for rethinking (even persons in the same family from the same parents do not have the same intelli qence or potential) The disservice o f the prime minister s remarks is com pounded in the chronic viewing o f m inorités as pro Merna instead of as a contributing citizenry Let us roll out facts and reiterate how tfie blood, sweat and tears m u ltir a c ia l of m ultiracial m ultiethnic people have made the United States great and a number of other beneficiaries (in ­ cluding Japan), also 4215 S E Bybee Boulevard Portland Observer ... T>.« 7* •,.<*«w 3137. Portland Oregon 97208 Sar nnd t law po vege r«a*1 • ’ ^^ortlend Orago*- (Mrs I J M Gates Portland. OR 97206 -I », M • $»<••• th e /S u ila o d r J 6 *r >w « • * MtatWatwd »1 H ID t I •« f • Mr •• MEMBER S u ta c ry n n m 11$ 00 pai yaai a* lha t n County araa Poat ■ n a tta i Sand adil raat changaa Io iha Pnnl—td ( ib a m t r P O Box 31J7 Portland Oragon 973OS • I «I* »on fo u n o o O I M S • I- » in ./r * .4/ 8 illiams, Itp n rra l Manager 8 M ârnrog M «r«hl« « peofeuor of « o ro lo g i and po M «t4 « c o t c o • ’ * ur<)u« Untv«r«rf> Ak>nf t »Me n < w » p *p e ii mt«* n i h o M y 288 0033 A d v e rtis in g R ap raaan tath ra ’ ’’ u b tl'h » * Ine N a w VorX B p p M ft n »>v«r 140 "D ivestm ent Divestment is no longer the political demand of the antiracist, progressive m inority in this country It has sparked a widespread response w hich reflects the over w helm ing sentiments of the American people, both liberal and conservative alike For seven \ >ars, California legislator Maxine Waters had pushed the state to accept anti apartheid legisla tion Last year, a very modest divestm ent bill finally passed by the legislature, only to be vetoed by Republi can Governor George Deukmejian But in the academic year 1986 86 dozens of mass protests occurred at Cali forma university campuses S tudents and faculty be came involved and knowledgeable about the issues at stake And it became apparent that tough divestm ent legislation was not only morally correct, but a fiscally responsible and politically necessary step Americans finally recognized the brutality of the apartheid regime that since late 1984 more than 2.200 people have been murdered and about 40.000 have been placed under arrest In August, the trustees o f the U niversity of California approved a $3.1 billion divestm ent decision, w hich must be im plem ented fully over the next four years. In the California state legislature, another tougher divestm ent bill was passed, and Gov Deukmejian signed the mea sure into law The new law will a ffect California state pensions totalling $11 billion M ost political observers state that Deukmejian's reversal was a classic case of electoral opportunism Running for reelection against a popular Democrat, Los Angeles mayor Torn Bradley, Deukmejian was pushed to take a progressive stance Despite his motives, the law undoubtedly w ill have a trem endous im pact on other state legislatures, as well as on corporations w hich are still clinging to their profits from apartheid The California case is only one o f several recent di vestm ent victories The U niversity of W ashington's board o f trustees recently reversed itself to approve divestm ent Nine o f the ten largest U S cities have approved divestm ent legislation W ashington. D C s city council approved divestments totalling $35 m illion. A total of ,9 states and 68 cities nationw ide have also divested including Massachusetts. $ 1,0 m illion; Con necticut. $79 m illion and Nebraska. $28 m illion At least 70 universities and colleges have either fully or partially divested from South A frican related firms Two weeks ago Georgetown U niversity's board of trustees app’ oved a divestm ent proposal w hich w ould remove $28 6 m illion from such companies as IBM , CBS. and General M otors corporation. G eorgetow n’s decision resulted from a senes of anti apartheid campus dem onstrations last spring, including a week long sit in The struggle for apartheid divestm ent has even m oved to historically Black colleges In September, the Reverend M otlalepula Chabaku. a South African civil rights spokesperson, and Jesse Jackson urged N orth Carolina A & T U niversity to end its fiscal relation ship w ith North Carolina National Bank, a financial insti tu tio n w hich has previously invested almost $100 m illion in apartheid related firm s or loans S tudents construe ted a South African style shanty near the student union building and staged a candlelight peace and freedom vigil The next stage of anti apartheid activism is set for October 10, the National Protest Day for Divestment and Sanctions Separate dem onstrations are being planned in several key cities Miami, W ashington, D C , Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, and other cities The rallies on October ,0 w ill call for political solidarity w ith the South A frican anti apartheid m ovem ent, for the immediate release o f all political prisoners, and tough US sanctions against the Pretoria regime Ronald Reagan's veto of the anti apartheid legislation last m onth only illustrates the contem pt he exhibits tow ards the legitim ate struggles of Black people Only through a continuation o f mass protests and continued political agitation can we m ove tow ard more effective and stronger legislation against the apartheid Only by going to the polls next m onth and voting against all Democrats and republicans w h o embrace Reagan's Constructive Engagement p o licy” o f support for apar theid can we move tow ard freedom for our sisters and brothers j ON SOUTH AFRICA Portlanders w ill be observing National A nti Apartheid Protest Day on Saturday. October 11th A march, sponsored by Portlanders organized for Southern A fn can Freedom (POSAF) and American Friends Service Com m ittee w ill begin at noon after assembling at Terry Shrunk Plaza at S W 3rd and Jefferson A t 1 30 p m a rally w ill begin at Terry Shrunk Plaza Speakers w ill include a representative from the A frican National Con gress I A NC l 1 he march and rally are being held in support o f the release of all political prisoners in South A frica and Na nubia total divestm ent from and comprehensive sanc­ tions against South A frica and solidarity w ith the peo pie of Namibia, currently illegally occupied by 100,000 Snulh A tm an Irimpx The apartheid system has generated one of the high est per capita prison populations in the w orld, some brought to trian and sentenced and others detained w ith o u t charge or trial Since the June ,2 th State of Emergency, there has been a new detainee every seven m inutes and an estimated ,3.000 victim s The Portland march and rally are part o f a grow ing e ffo rt in the U S to assure that these thousands o f men. w om en and children, each " g u ilty " o f fighting for freedom and jus tice, do not disappear. Total divestm ent is sought by POSAF and other U.S support groups despite the most recent Congressional action in suppoit of greater sanctions in an override of Reagan’s veto. There are strengths to the just passed bill w hich has been detailed elsewhere However, the bill has weaknesses, as well A m ong weaknesses are that short term trade finan cing is still perm itted and South Africa is still perm itted to reschedule outstanding loan payments, U S cor porations will still be allowed to reinvest their profits made in South A frica in their ow n corporation or any other e n tity in South Africa. Further, brokerage ac counts aie still allowed so investm ents in South A frican stocks and securities can continue In addition, "Black ow ned bruinesses w hich could be used as fronts for w hite interests are exempt from sanctions Also allow ed are loans to the South A frican governm ent to sub sidize purchase o f U.S agricultural products. w hites averages approxim ately $3,500 for every man, w om an and child; for Blacks it is less than $150 Arm ed uprisings o f Namibian people at the beginning o f the 20th century was crushed by German troops, only one third of the population survived and their land and cattle were taken A fte r the 1915 defeat o f Ger m any in W W I, South A frica was granted authority over South W est A frica as a mandated territory. In the 1940s and ,950s Namibia leaders repeatedly peacefully petitioned for independence to the United Nations. In 1960 the South West A frican People's Organization (SW APO ) was organized as a national liberation movem ent By 1966, after failure to resolve the Namibia question through diplom atic and legal efforts, SW APO launched armed struggle Its central objective, state by its ,976 constitution, continues to be "liberation from colonial oppression, the achievement o f independence and the transform ation of Namibia in to a dem ocratic, non racial, egalitarian so cie ty.” Indeed, by ,973 SW APO was accepted as the authentic representative of the Namibia people by the UN General Assembly Though pushed to a negotiating table previously. South Africa continues to occupy Namibia illegally and to im plem ent apartheid through adm inistrative control, m ilitary occupation and repression, including wide spread docum ented system atic torture of detainees M uch o f the country is a m ilitary zone, dom inated by an estimated 100.000 soldiers and jx>lice a, 85 90 m ill tary bases in 1981. There is a continuing flo w of refugees, forced, due to army programs of population removal, defoliation and fo rtifica tio n o f w hite to w n s ,” in to ' protected villages close to m ilitary bases or in to huge squatter camps Brutalities have resulted in fleeing of Namibians to An gola where 80.000 refugees now live in SW APO run refugee centers. Other Black residents w ho remain, live in home lands, and desert or marginal agricultural areas where they were forced in 1964 W hites, less than 10 percent of the population, claim 60 percent o f the land and an even a higher percentage o f fertile land In 1964 whites owned controlled .14.500 out of 35.000 « e ll* .urveyed Is the U.S on the right side o f this issue? By now it Less publicized in the U.S has been sweltering op pression in Namibia, bordering South Africa on the northw est Namibia is a land o f wealth and poverty It is perhaps the richest country in the w orld in relation to the size of its population, estimated at 1 5 m illion It is also among the most exploited in the w orld through the gathering o f that wealth into foreign hands Its Cm*» Domestic Product average* over S I,000 per capi­ ta annually, one o f the highest is Africa Yet over 80% of its population lives below the Poverty Datum Line, the incom e estimated by South African authorities to be necessary for a Black fam ily of four to meet its minimal needs may come as no surprise that the U.S has collaborated w ith South A frica in Namibia by insisting that Namibian independence be linked to the w ithdraw al o f Cuban troops from Angola (another southern A frican nation the U S has chosen to back the oppressors in, Ango la is also occupied by South A frican troops and is fre quently attacked by them under the pretext o f "hot persuit of SW APO soldiers and to bom b SW APO bases These actions, .vhich the U.S. has not yet wash ed its hand of, are part o f a policy o f m ilitary and econo mic destabilization o f countries that support liberation m ovem ents in South Africa and Namibia In Namibia a non w hite child has only a 50 50 chance o f surviving disease and m alnutrition to reach the age of five The occupying governm ent spends on Black chit dren s education one tenth the annual am ount spent to educate w hite children Annual personal income for Portlanders. Observer readers, have the o p p o rtu n ity this Saturday to demonstrate moral outrage at this U.S. com plicity and to join w ith a gro w in g number o f Amen cans whose voices are being heard and are no w impac lin g our foreign policy in southern A frica