V
P.iqez, i oitidiid Observer, May 20, 1987
Along the Color Line
A G R e s e a rc h : C u ltiv a tin g D o lla rs fo r O re g o n
by Or M an n in g M ar able
0<
a
by W ilburn E D . iv is
B u t fababeans w h e n green, they resem ble lim a
beans o ffe r p ro m ise as feed for O regon sw ine, w h ic h
o fte n eat m ore expensive feeds b ro u g h t in fro m o u t o f
state
A s a c ro p n e w to O regon, fababeans are a fo c u s o f
a g ric u ltu ra l scie n tists' research at the O regon A g n c u l
tu ra l E xperim ent S ta tio n , baser! on the O regon S ta te
U n iv e rs ity cam p us in Corvallis
A n d they .ire b u t one exam ple o f h o w exp e rim e n t
s ta tio n researt hers are w o rk in g year ro u n d and state
w id e to i m ate ne w p ro d u cts, to fin d ne w m a rke ts, to
le n g th e n shelf lives and to im p ro ve the q u a lity o f fo o d s
w e eat
In a state w h ere a g ricu ltu re is one o f ttie to p tw o
in d u s trie s , the e x p e rim e n t s ta tio n ’s c o n trib u tio n s can
be as a ttra c tiv e to our farm ers as an un gra zed alfalfa
m e .id o w is to a h u n g ry heifer
C onsider these exam ples
■
trea watermelon growet
ftei
harvest their cro p s u n til late July, long after the Fourth
of Ju ly peak o f w a te rm e lo n co n s u m p tio n A g ric u ltu ra l
E xperim ent S ta tio n researchers, ho w e ver are w o rk in g
w itti fab ni a n il plastn row covers used in f uro pe that
m ay he lp m elons ripen earlier w hile also p ro te i tin g them
against in clem e nt w eather
• M a n y O rego n g ro w e rs o f .o ft w h ite w tie a t are
lo sing m oney because a g lu tte d w o rld m arket lias de
pressed prices C rop si le ntists titta i lied to O S U . flo w
ever are d e veloping strains of hard red w in te r w tie a t,
like th.rt g ro w n in the Plains states w h ii h m ay enable
O regon w heat g ro w e rs to ini lease overseas sales
• Turkey*. a $12 l million cash crop for O re g o n in
1985. eat expensive M id w e st g ro w n i orn and soy
beans A nim al si le ntists are ex|>erim enting w ith yellow
peas and w ith a w heat rye co m b in a tio n th a t can be
g ro w n in O regon If suci essful, they w ill have redin ed
tu rke y g ro w e rs I o sls w h ile also expanding m arkets for
O regon field i tops
Even if yon aren t a farm er
to you
"A lo n g the C o k x l
r
w
... over ’ 40
n a w w a p iix m lm nalio naav
C hances are y o u 'v e never heard o f a fababean Even
if yo u have, they p ro b a b ly a re n 't g ro w in g in you r back
yard garden
•
M anning M . -.itila « jyotaaao. o t «ociotogv and potare al acian« •
al Poirtiw U n n n iM iy
this resean h is im p o rta n t
If farm ers can t g ro w t to p s e co n o m ic a lly and then
sell the m , they w o n t m ake a p ro fit
I, farm ers c a n 't
m a ke a p ro fit, the y w o n t .(lend m on ey w ith local
restaurants, gro cery stores, service sta tio n s, travel
agents, appliance dealers and theaters
To those in a g ricu ltu re , w o rk at the exp e rim e n t sta
lio n is as e x c itin g as tha t being c o n d u c te d at IB M or Bell
Labs
For exam ple, cro p scie n tists at the exp e rim e n t sta
tio n developed the S tep hen s w h ea t variety, an unusual
ly disease resistant strain tha t n o w a cco u n ts fo r nearly
75 percent o f w h ea t g ro w n in O regon
Research also d o m e stica te d a crop called m ea do w
foa m , w h ich yields a high p rice d oil used in cosm etics,
lu b rica n ts and soaps
A nd they in tro d u c e d bush beans so th a t O regon far
m ers, w h o pre vio usly g re w pole beans, c o u ld use m ore
eco no m ical m echanical harvesters
Because O regon g ro w s m ore than 170 crop s in 10
d is tin c t regions, the A g ric u ltu ra l E xperim ent S tatio n
also w o rks statew ide
Branch sta tio n s are lo cated in A u ro ra . M e d fo rd ,
H o od River M o ro R edm ond. Burns, K la m ath Falls
H erm iston, Pendleton. U n ion and O ntario
fh e ir w o rk ranges fro m p o ta to e s and o n io n s to ca,
tie and sheep
In a d d itio n related o p era tions to help g ro w e rs w ith
Easter lilies and seafood o p era te at B ro o kin g s and
A storia
Experim ent statio n research also teach stud ents, and
the branch stations across O regon are available to both
graduate and unde rgrad ua te stu d e n ts for their studies
Ret og nizing the clear e co n o m ic value o f this re
search, the 1985 Legislature vo te d O regon L o tte ry re
venues to build ne w facilbe s Io c o n d u c t research in to
g ro w in g (M)tatoes la $100 m illio n dollar in d u s try in Ore
g o n l and raising sheep (w h ere O regon is No 8 na tion
a llyl
A i ross O regon, these advances in a g ricu ltu ra l sci
w h ethe r
in fru its fo w l forag e or fababeans
State and federal dollars invested in the Aqn< ultu ral
e rii e are b o o s tin g th e s ta te s farm e c o n o m y
I xpenm enr S ta tio n have an eco no m ic p a y o ff th a t
ex
te n d s b e y o n d O re g o n s b o rd e rs a m i ,n l o s s g e i e r a t « i
Ol
SI WS
IH I
W e usually th in k o f this con tra du bon m »»tther racial
term s, or gender term s
Tti.it is. m ost ot us are n o w
sensitized to racial prejudu
w e kn o w it w h e n w e see
it J im C ro w as d legal system no longer e n s ts W e are
less sensitized to gender disc rim m a tior >>r sewism But
we all k n o w th a t jo b disc rim m atior
-r educ ational dis
crim in a tio n against w o m e n is n o t «•< «»pt.tbh tnd th a t it
is illegal Yet so m any o f us w h o are a< c u te ly cons« »ous
of these fo rm s of disc rim m a tio n o v e r l o o k tb«» system ic
disad vanta ges of the poor w e an fre q u e n tly b lin d to
the c rip p lin g stereo types m-p. •,»•<! by 1 lass biases
Elitism is a g e n e ra l te rm w h o b em brac es th is per
vasive fo r m o f rn u ltic la s s dis« r im m a tio n
Perhaps th e
best d e fin itio n fo r • •» Usm is tti. set <<f sue u l a t t i t u d e s
values, public poli<
and in s titu tio n s w h ic h p e rp e tu a te
any fo rm o f syste r
in e q u a lity
The key w o rd in th is
d e fin itio n is s y s te im
I , .m is n o t .10 a ccid e n ta l or
c a s u a l coll» * tm o « >f >. .«« -• . p o rn ip le s a n d polic les w h ic h
p e rp e tu a te ttie aft
•
me
o v e r a n d ab<>ve ttie ♦ • •
f litis m IS ttie I’ JH ,
ra te
plannee I a n d
A n d t h e r e «in •
gro u p o f people
, ste u
• . j • -
, • a n d ju s tify «Hitist p o lic ie s
nun . r i,,, • . a m p le s or m a n ife s ta tio n s o f
in eq uality
T h e re is th e in e q u a lity » ,M,m ,n o ‘il by th o se m illio n s
o f A m e rica n s w h o liv e tie W the p o ve rty line or w h o
de pend on pubic as ,i ta n • for their survival There is
the in e q u a lity o f tt
♦ • 20 m illio n Amenc ans w h o g o to
sle«»p h u n q ry «sic h
jtit
There is the* in e q u a lity o f ttie
s m a ll fa rm e r a n d fa rm w o rk e r
n o rn ii
w h o is fore ed in to e c o
p e n u ry b y d e s tri« tiv e fe d e ra l g o v e rn m e n t p o ll
tie s a n d by ttie
a g rib u s m e s s e s s
< » re p e titive p o w e r o f m o n o p o ly o w n e d
In e q u a lity < a n n o t be s e p a ra te d fr o m
Wilt <i«n f
c entaq» o f p«:v»*rty arnoc g H is p . in u s a n d Bl<ic ks fo r
instane «• th a n th e r
a m o n g w tiite s
Bee <iuse o f ttie
sewism tw<> t h ir d 4
ill f.im ili«*s whic h liv e tie lo w th e
f »• J«*r a
p n v x a ty l«‘vel «rre headed tiy
wom«»n
U c A is iM
c tip n h e n d th e ro le o f m u lti
D . iv is
is i h»n<.«Hkw of the Oregor, State System of Higher
t 'I« h
s e xist s o c ia l o rd e r
n .ito ry w a y
p o v e rty is e x p e rc m i e,f m a disc rim i
Be- a ir • , ,f c , lSn
c la s s O p p re s s io n .1
t t ie r e is a h ig h e r p«»r
siq m fic .in t s o c ia l v a ria tile
m u s t is o la te th»
we
m d c u re s to th e d ile m m a o f
e litis m
U N I I I I) ( H l k ( H <)|
IO R
( H K IS I
RA( IA I
JUSTICE
Ttie rn.it«
e litis t <lttltud«*s
♦ • t h e un»
g o o d s a n d s«*r
o rd e r
T he o ld
(Í th e p »or g e t p o o re r
The re p o rt revealed that 3 o u t o , every 5 A fric a n
A m e ric a n s and Hispanic A m ericans live irt co m m u n itie s
w d fi u n c o n ,lo lle d (a b a n don ed ) to x ic w a ste sites and
tfra t th e average nu m be r o f racial arrd e th n ic persons
w h o live nr co m m u n itie s w ith co m n re rci.il hazardous
w a ste far ilities w as five tunes greater th a n in c o m m u n i
ties w ith o u t such facilities
Itr a d d itio n , in 10 m a|or
m e tro ,M ill,a n areas m ore than 90% o f the A fric a n
a m e n t an p o p u la tio n lived nr areas w ith u n c o n tro lle d
to x ic w a ste sites hr ta ct, the larges, toxic w aste fact
class life style
horn«* o w n e rs h ip , tw o a u to m o b ile s,
m aterial a fflu e n c e and exce lle nt cnlucational and cul
tural faciliti«»s for one s ch ild re n , has be com e in cre a sin g
ly rem o te for m illio n s o f A m e rica n s B la ck. H ispanic,
a n d w h ite
The rich est one fifth o f all h o u se h o ld s in
tins c o u n try re» eive a b o u t 45 pe rce n t o f all in co m e ,
w h ile ttie tio tto r n one fifth gets under 5 p e rc e n t
Th<>
average in com e o f all tw o par«*nt fam ilies has d ro p p e d
- >ver 3 p«x «»nt b e tw e e n 1973 and 1984
The burden o f econom ic in e q u a lity falls m ore severely
am i u n fa irly u p o n y o u n g fam ilies
Back in 1973, the
aver.ige salary o f a 30 year old m ale w as $25.253, in
c urre nt dollars A decade later, th e sam e w o rk e r too k
hum»- .m average salary o f $18. Z63 As w a ge s fell, m ost
young con sum e rs w e re for. ed to rely on cre d it to cover
basic n«»«*ds C onsum er in sta llm e n t de bt rose to over
16 pen ent o f ill pe rson al in com e tiy 1986 O th er fa m i
lies began c u ttin g bac k try in g to lo w e r the ir exp ecta
tion s A i co rd in g to B u s in e s s W eek, the ty p ic a l fa m ily
headed tiy som eone .ig«*d 25 to 34 spent 14 p e rce n t less
o n fu rn itu re in 1981 tha n a sim ilar fa m ily did in 1973.
They spent 15 p e rc e n t less on personal care, and 38
,
M e a n w h ile , prices c o n tin u e to
spiral
In 1984, th e average price for a single fam ily,
3 b e d ro o m 2 b a th hom e in D e tro it w as $95,000 T w o
later th e average pric e had increased to $110,000
w ell be yon d the m eans o f an average, w o rk in g
fam ily
A n d ttie h o m e prices in m ost A m e rica n cities
y e a rs
wer«
» rally m ore «»wpi'nsiv«* els«.»where 7 he average
house» in 1986 w e n t fo r $112,000 in B altim ore ; $115.000
m (.tin a g o s su b u rb s $124,375 in W a s h in g to n . D C
$ 180,000 in B oston, and «in unreal $375,000 in San Fran
CISCO
On«» of the greatest p o litic a l q u e stio n s o f 1988 is w h e
ther the w h ite m id d le class, especially those in co m e
♦ •arners b e lo w 40 ye.irs o f age, w ill c o m p re h e n d the
und«»rlyiny m asons for the exp an sion o f social e litism
and
onomic in e q u a lity in th is decade, and w h e th e r
they II vo te a cc o rd in g to their o b je c tiv e in te rests T w o
politic ,il o u tco m e s seem m ost p ro b a b le
The w h ite
m.dcfl«» 1 lass fru s tra te d and m ire d in con sum e r de bt,
m ay look for sc apeg oa ts to exp la in their p lig h t
The
p ro blem s of A fro A m e rica n s Latinos, and p o or pe op le
m ay b«* s«*«»n as s«»condary and even irre leva nt to their
o w n c o n d itio n s
The cry against elitism and d e c lin in g
liv in g s t.in d .ird s m ay feed a re a ctio n a ry p o p u lism head
ed tiy Reagan clones Kem p. Dole. etc. The o th e r op
tio n is that w tn te m id d le A m erica w ill discover th a t it.
!
,s vii tim ize d tiy ttie p o litic s o f elitism , co rp o ra te
g r.ift and so. lal w e lfa re c u tb a c k s The a b ility o f Jesse
J.ic kson and the R a inb ow C o a litio n to a rtic u la te a co
( j '- o t p o i i t u al m essage of m ultiracia l, rnu lticla ss eq u a lity
■ »ed » »nomic ju stice m ay spell the d iffe re n c e b e tw e e n
vi< to ry and de feat in H)88
“BLACKS HAVE BEEN AWAKEN ED . . f
C iv il R ig h ts H ead C h a rg e s " E n v iro n m e n ta l R a c is m "
Le veling tire cha rge o f "e nviro nm e ntal racism
Dr
B e n ia m in I Chavis Jr . f xecutive D irector o f the Com
m ission for Racial J u stice o f the 1 7 m illio n m em ber
U n ite d C h urch o f C hrist. def lated tfia t their just
released na tio n a l re p o rt show ed tfr.rt rat ism m ay tie a
fa c to r nr tire lo c a tio n o f hazardous w aste sites th ro u g h
o u t th e U n ited S tates The re p o rt, "T o x ic W astes and
Rai e in the U n ite d S tates
A N a tion al R eport on the .
Racial and S ocio E conom ic C haracteristics of C o tn m u
nitie s W ith H azardous W aste S ites
w as released at a
press i onferen« e held W ednesday, A pril 15, at th e Na
tio n .il Press C lub nr W a sh in g to n , D C
was never m ore a ccu rate a d e scrip tio n o f so cio e co
n o m ic realities th a n it is to d a y The dream o f a m id dle
p f o ent less on 1 h a rity
o t a delibe
• fie-, of p u b lic p o licy de
■ i! ille g ib ility
Ttie stereo
s s t e n t u u tc o rn e
L is io n s whic h p c e s e ry •• •.«
ty p e s ratio» » /♦
la s s o r
*• • »• i .♦ m o th e r c lass
c o n s id e ra tio n s o f r«i< •• or g e n d e r b«s a u s e m a rac ist a n d
SI K \ K I
C O M M IS S IO N
One o f th e m ost s trik in g c o n tra d ic tio n s ab o u t A m en
can so cie ty is ttie tre m e n d o u s d ista nce b e tw e e n its
rh e to ric o f d e m o cra cy, social eq u a lity and "e q u a l
o p p o rtu n ity for .ill, and the harsh rea lity of r lass in
eq ua lity, social b ig o try and » < o n o m ic d is c rim in a tio n
o f a g rii u ltu ra l p ro d u c ts
This p a y o ff is tru ly glob al
th ro u g h the sharing of in fo rm a tio n that im p roves tfie
lives o f people a ro un d the w o rld
CIVIL RIGHTS JOURNAL
A
E litis m a n d In e q u a lity
lily m the n a tio n , w ire h ret eives w astes fo rm o ve r 45
states arrd several fo re ig n i o u tlin e s . is lot ated m
Emelle, Alabam a, w hose p o p u la tio n is 85
A tm a n
A m erican
5 t'P 7 l 5 /5
f \ I IB H l
1C
U H C h S h'HO CAPE A ß O U r THE BLACK
, VII V'H (V/ -I EHE NONE EX IB TB TO PA Y
A t ttie press co n fe re n ce Dr Chavis ta ile d the sitoa
tiorr an insidious fo rm o f in s titu tio n a l rat ism
I, is. nr
e ffe c t, e n v iro n m e n ta l racism
He added
G iven the
d is p ro p o rtio n a te e ffe t I o f these w astes on rat lal and
ethnic com m u nitie s, this has becom e n o t o n ly an en
v iro n m e n ta l issue, b u t a racial ju stice issue as w ell
Dt Ctravis also cha rge d the Heat,an A d m in is tra tio n
ant) its E nvironm ental P ro te ctio n A g e n cy IF P A l w ith
m a lig n a n t neglect anti s.titf this was to ta lly consis
terr, w ith the Reagan A d m in is tra tio n s general non
e n fo rce m e n t p o lity , pa rticu la rly in the area o f civil
rig h ts
lir e C om m ission tras called on President H e a t,an to
ta k e im m e dia te co rre ctive a ctio n in lin e w ith d ie re p o rt s
re co m m e n d a tio n s
Copies o f Toxic W aste and Race
are available from
lire C o m m issio n for Rat ral J u stice , Uruted C h urch of
C hris,. 105 M adison Ave N ew York N Y 10016
Letters to the Editor
TO BPENP THEHEB7 0 E THEIR U \E B PABBINO THROUGH A
OAUHJLET OCHUGCWC.
A re Y ou G u ilty ?
A re y o u g u ilty of t hild atmse? As th e fa th e , o f three
c h ild re n , I m increa sing ly con cern ed w ith this qu estio n
In Or to b e r o , 1986 the S tate o f O regon issued new
"a d m in istra tive rules i o n i ernrng the d e fin itio n o f child
ab use 1 hese new rules con tain m an y vague and open
ended phrases As a result, it s n o w very d iffic u lt to
k n o w if on e is c o m p ly in g w ith ttie la w
It's also a lo t
easier to fie accused o f ch ild abuse fo r trivia l reasons
The phrase includes, b u t is n o t lim ite d to appears
re p e a te d ly in the rules
This te rm in o lo g y can be con
• tr u e d to m ean alm ost a n yth in g
For exam ple, w h a t
w o u ld yo u as a p a ren t think the term ' neglect ' means?
W o u ld th is fie " n e g le i,? " These ru le s d is c rim in a te shat
ply against poor fam ilies, especially single m o th e rs w ho
are stru g g lin g to pro vid e for their ch ild re n
Tiie A m erican Humane A ssociatio n in A tla n ta reports
tfia t over a m illio n fam ilies annually art' falsely accused
o f ch ild abuse As a parent you can be accused tiy any
one. at any tim e, for any reason You w ill be reported
an o n ym o u sly O nce accused, it is e n tire ly up to you to
prove your in no cence
Recent cases o f false abuse
in O regon have s h o w n th is to be a co stly and traum a tic
experience for the w h o le fam ily
Senate Bill No 782. n o w lo g,am m ed in the Senate
ju d icia ry, w o u ld put som e cla rity in to present vagire ter
For one th in g , "neglect can be in adequate fo o d '
D o t's th a t m ean th re e m eals a day? A d ie t o f T w in k le s
and c h o c o la te m ilk-' Is th a t neglect? H ow ab ou t "in
ad e q u a te c lo th in g ? " W h a t if there were holes in the
m in o lo g y o f the law This bill w o u ld restore to parents
the freedom to raise g o o d ch ild re n in the fra m e w o rk of
the ir o w n un iq ue s e ttin g the hom e
knees o f y o u r bo y s jeans or a tear in his tennis shoes?
The O bserver w elcom es letters to the e d ito r ^ M H te r s
should be typed or neatly printed and signed w ith
the author's nam e and address (addresses are not pub
lished) W e reserve the right to edit for length M a il to:
P ortland Observer. P O Box 3137. Portland, OR 97208
R espectfully.
Roy G arrett
¡P O R T L A N D OBSERMER
M»
Mr 5
M*
I
I
L
M/s,
Portland Observer
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