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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 23, 1987)
Page 2, P. und Observer, December 23, 1987 EDITORIAL / OPINION EDITORIAL Let's Stop Senseless Crime At the beginning of 1987, most Portland citizens expressed hope and faith in the city's ability to curb the rising crime rate. A few months later, it was announced that Portland was losing the battle, especially in the areas of drug use and abuse and homicides. Months later, citizens were informed that Portland's homicide rate had exceeded previous records, and that an estimated 1,000 drug houses were in operation throughout the Portland Civil Rights Journal Beniamin F. Chavis Jr. James Baldwin: The Living Legacy of Harold Washington Metropolitan area. Jarred by these realities, many citizens, churches, social organizations and law enforcement agencies are desperately trying to get a grip on the magnitude of the problem. But, their efforts are being hampered by a reali zation that was identified at the Joe Holcomb Memorial by David Hupp. Mr. Hupp proclaimed that "Our city is under seige from a variety of sociopaths and psychopaths, some of them our own sons and daughters. Mr. Hupp has hit the nail on the head, especially in the Black community. In the Black community, a large population of our sons and daughters are committing the very crimes we want to erase from our neighborhoods. It is a reality we must face and address immediately. It is no longer sufficient for Black parents, community leaders, Black churches, and Black organizations to sit back and wait for someone else to address the problem. The NAACP, the Urban League of Portland, the Black United Front, Black churches, and other able organizations in the community must now commit themselves to immediate public action. Capable Black or ganizations must now step into the spotlight with program designs, research information, recommendations, proposals and a willingness to get their hands dirty. And, they must remain in the trenches until some evidence of progress You may recall that back in Feb ruary of this year we took over 100 "Freedom Riders" to Chicago from 12 southern states to help get out the vote in the mayoral primary election. Harold Washington won a major victory in that election. Then in April we witnessed another impressive victory when Washing ton was re-elected to his second term as Mayor of the City of Chi cago. We knew then, as we know now, that the political and racial progress that Chicago made under the dyna mic and outstanding leadership of Harld Washington continues to have national and international im is forthcoming. plications. In more ways than one, the Portland Observer commends the work Washington's untimely death on Black organizations have done to keep the community enriched, enlight November 25, 1987, sent shock ened, inspired, educated and on top of its problems. waves of grief across Chicago and But, times are changing fast. Our children are settling many of their the nation. Over a million citizens disputes through the use of violence. Many have developed a contempt for filed by the Mayor's casket at City '. our Black elderly. Many of our young Black males are committing rape and hall as an expression of their love sodomy as a means of empowerment. Many of our Black females are fall and respect. They also came to ing victim to prostitution, drugs and death. The problem has reached crisis show their devotion to continue the proportions. ideals and principles of the move The Black community must take charge of its destiny now. ment and coalition that Washington In the tradition of our African ancestors, we must teach our children had successfully led. Tens of thou honor. We must teach them how to regard the lives of others with honor. sands of people lines the streets to We must teach them the value of respect — for themselves, for their neigh salute him as the funeral procession bors and for their community. passed by. Many in the crowd But, before that can take place, we must strive to regain their trust, shouted out: 'We won t forget their confidence, their honor and their respect. If there is dishonor in our you, Harold," "Thank You, Harold, own house, then we can expect our children to carry that dishonor into the for showing us the way," and streets and into the lives of persons who don’t deserve such madness. No "D on't worry, Harold, we aren t one deserves the madness of crime. going to let anybody turn us around It is fast approaching the point where non-involved Black organizations now!” should be mandated to do all they can to help solve this serious problem. As I sat inside Christ Universal Involved Black organizations should be called upon to do more. No Black Temple during Mayor Washington's organization should be allowed to remain untouched. Black leadership, funeral service, it became clear that especially Black elected officials, should gather at the conference table and Washington's legacy lives on in the hammer out specific recommendations and proposals that reflect the social hearts and lives of millions of people and cultural diversity of the community. These recommendations and pro .*• • i in Chicago and throughout the posals should call for immediate action by local governments and by state world. What is Washington's le legislatures. gacy? It is the legacy of progres The Portland Observer is not advocating a separation of the issues. The sive struggle for the political and Portland Observer is advocating a focus on specific issues that are of imme economic empowerment of all peo •' A diate importance to Black communities across the State of Oregon. ple. It is the legacy of fighting Anything less is to invite suicide. for freedom. j; $ . Mr. Ramon Price, Mayor Wash ington’s brother and the curator of the DeSable Museum of African- American History in Chicago, stres sed in his tribute: "IHarold Wash ington! shall live on as men, women « and children step forward to claim ■. V the promise which God intends for 5*7 • all of us: for all of us to be free and seek justice; to share in the task OREGON'S OLDEST AFRICAN AMERICAN PUBLICATION V- *» •. Established m 1970 of liberating others." Rev. B. Her u • z Y . e f bert Martin, pastor of Progressive A lfre d L. Henderson/Publisher Richard J. B row n/Editor Community Church, who delivered PORTLAND OBSERVER the eulogy, affirmed, "Harold is published weekly by Exie Publishing Company, Inc. ■ / V» Washington is the compendium of 5011 N.E. 26th Ave. Portland, Oregon 97211 all our historical struggle as Black ■ *ï P.O. Box 3137 people in America. He is the epi tome of all of our present achieve ments and a symbol of all of our future aspirations and yearnings and promise." In his prayer, the Rev. Dr. W. Sterling Cary, Chairperson of the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago, emphasized that, "We must continue Harold's redemptive work.” That redemp tive work was the building of a multi-racial coalition that sought to empower all the people of the city and to transform the municipal government into a structure ac countable "to the people, for the people, and by the people. On the issues of neighborhood renewal, full employment, the national prio rity of the urban agenda, education, homelessness, fiscal stability, youth development, and governmental ethics. Mayor Washington's leader ship was unparalleled. Another important component of the living legacy of Mayor Washing ton is the question of unity. Un fortunately, in the wake of Wash ington's death, the evil forces of racism and disunity are gathering in Chicago to challenge everything that Harold lived and worked for. Chicago activist Lu Palmer warned, "Even as we grieve, the wolves are at the door." The Rev. Jesse Jack- son astutely cautioned, "W e who live must keep the team together. Harold's latest slate is the monu ment to his vision of the city and ur ban America." Jackson was refer ring to the coalition of 26 city aider- men who were a part of Washing ton's team of reform. It was clear that the unity or disunity of these aldermen would determine the fu ture of the city. A painful lesson has once again emerged out of the depth of the freedom movement. Washington s great contribution to the movement will never be forgotten. However, African American leaders, in parti cular, must give more serious atten tion to the issue of who will succeed them after they are gone. Too many of our leaders have died with out adequately preparing for leader ship succession. The enemies of freedom have often capitalized on this predicament. Yet, the living legacy of Harold Washington demands struggle. We join with Jesse Jackson and with the people of Chicago in their fare well expression to Washington: "W e will not let you down, we will not let you dow n." The struggle will continue. Teacher. Friend. Freedom Fighter At the funeral services in New York City for noted author James Baldwin — a service which was tru ly a celebration of his life — novelist Toni Morrison spoke to Baldwin as if he were still alive. She comment ed on "the astonishing gift of your art and your friendship . . . a tender ness so delicate I thought it could not last, but last it did and envelop me it did . . . The season was al ways Christmas with you there." Playwright and poet Amiri Baraka, in his eulogy, recalled Bald win as "m y friend, my older bro ther," and added, "He was close, as man, as human relative; we could make it some cold seasons merely warmed by his handshake, smile or eyes." Author Maya Angelou also spoke of the warmth of his support, saying, "He is my brother." Though the recollections of this great friend and teacher were in tensely personal, they were also in tensely political. Baraka called Baldwin "this glorious, elegant griot of our oppressed African American nation. . ." who, he said, "made us feel, for one thing, that we could defend ourselves or define our selves, that we were in the world, not merely as animate slaves, but as terrifying sensitive measures of what is good or evil, beautiful or ugly. . . " Baraka also noted, "Jim m y was a 'civil rights leader,' too . . . at the hot peak of the movement Jimmy was one of its truest voices." And so he was. From the earliest days of the Civil Rights Movement, James Baldwin was there to give active and visible support to the struggle, even though it made him unpopular in some circles. I personally remember, while in prison in North Carolina as a mem ber of the Wilmington 10, that Bald win's powerful, life-affirming w rit ing helped us continue the struggle, even from behind prison bars. Then Portland, Oregon 97208 Phone Number: 1503! 288-0033 Opinions on Crime Problems Varied Leon L. Harris General M anager/C ontroller V • 3 Gary Ann G arnett Business Manager Richard J. B row n N yewusi Askari Photographer W riter M a ttie Ann Callier-Spears A rnold Pitre Religion Editor Sales Representative Vivian E. Richardson Kendel Bryan C ovington Entertainm ent Editor Sales Representative Joyce W ashington Rebecca Robinson Typesetter / Production Sales Representative Lonnie Wells Distribution Deadlines lor a« submitted materials Articles M o n d a y 5 p m Portland Observer welcomes freelance subm,swons Ads Tue sd a y 5 p m Manuscripts and photographs should be clearly labeled and will be returned il accompanied by a self addressed stamped envelope Subscriptions $15 00 per year in the Tri County area The P O R TLA N D OBSERVER Oregon's oldest African American Publication is a member of The National Newspaper Assoc.ebon Founded ,n 1885 The Oteyon Newspaper Publishers Asaociabon and The National Advertising Representative Amalgamated Publishers. Inc by Nyewusi Askari According to a recent Portland Police Bureau statistical report, the Inner Northeast community ranks as the most crime infested area of the city. The report, for 1987 through October of this year, states that a total ot 10,168 crimes were committed in the Inner Northeast community. The Bureau's breakdow n of Inner Northeast crimes: • M urder, 12 • M ole statio n . 54 • A ggravated assault, 1,062 • Non-residential burglary, 647 T h eft, excluding auto, 1,638 O ther larceny. 1,885 Vandalism , Rape and sodom y, 117 Robbery, 874 Residential burglary, 1,927 A rs o n ,109 Bike th e ft, 205 A u to th e ft, 607 1031 To start the Portland Observer coming every week fcäK’cS •;ï— $15 00 fo r one year E j $25.00 fo r tw o years PORTLAND OBSERVER Box 3137, Portland, um Name _ Address City __ Zip State__ V fifth At the same time Baldwin also understood and championed the plight of all oppressed peoples. As he noted in his letter to President Carter, the situation of U.S. political prisoners was "but a very small indi cation of the situation of the wretched in this country: the non white, the Indian, the Puerto Rican, the Mexican, the Oriental." We have seen three great African Americans leave us in recent days: John Oliver Killens, Harold Wash ington and, now, James Baldwin. Yet, their legacy lives on. Maya Angelou asked, "Where are the Black writers who will confront this racist nation?" This is the legacy for us all — writer and non writer alike. As Baldwin, himself, said: "For while the tale of how we suffer, and how we are delight ed, and how we may triumph is never new, it always must be heard." Freedom Et* Social Justice by Alexander R. Jones Peace on Earth Starts With You How many times have you been told "Never trust anybody" as if the extending of confidence to another human being was guaranteed sui cide? But what would have Mahatma Ghandi achieved without trust? What if the late Martin Luther King, Jr. held no confidence in his fellow man? Each had to depend on their lieu tenants and followers in life- threatening situations. Futher they had to have tremendous trust in the inner humanity and compassion of even their oppressors. Without this bond with others, they would have achieved little. Trust becomes even more impor tant during the Christmas season as it is a time when we traditionally contemplate and pray for world peace. But as nations drive them selves into bankruptcy stockpiling arms and military hardware to pro tect themselves from each other, it becomes clear that trust is a quality sorely missing from international affairs. But without trust, it is clear we will never have peace. So what can you do about this? Unless one can have confidence in the reliability of those about one, he himself, is at risk. When those he counts upon let him down, his own life can become disordered and even his own survival can be put at risk. Mutual trust is the firmest build ing block in human relationships. Without it, the whole structure comes down. Trustworthiness is a highly esteemed commodity. When one has it, one is considered valu able. When one has lost it, one may be considered worthless. One should get others around one to demonstrate it and earn it. They will become much more valuable to themselves and others thereby. So peace on earth starts with you. It begins by first ensuring you yourself are worthy of trust, and then by demanding that others be trustworthy as well. If you think that you can have no effect on the world, believe me, that is not true. If you help one small child become trustworthy you have done something for the world. New York sSL M I □ in January of 1977, Baldwin wrote a lengthy public letter to President Carter, decrying the continued per secution of political prisoners. The letter, written from Paris, appeared in the New York Times and was instrumental in galvanizing the inter national public pressure which would eventually help lead to the Wilmington 10 case being over turned in Federal Court. After being freed from prison, Baldwin and I had long conversa tions — conversations in which we sifted through the politics and events of the day and strategized about the on-going liberation of African American people. He al ways understood and validated the strength of our people, constantly prodding us to take the risks neces sary to struggle for freedom. Or, as Baraka noted, "He always made us know we were dangerously intelli gent and as courageous as the will to be free." 97208 The statistics indicate that the types of crimes committed, on an overall scale, varies from neighborhood to neighborhood. For example, the Outer S.E. community outranked Inner Northeast Portland in vandalism (1,105), auto theft (827), bike theft (310) and residential burglary (666). Of the total reported crimes, Inner Northeast ranked at the top with 10,168; North, 6,516; Outer Northeast, 5,638; Inner S.E., 7,892; Outer S.E., 9 860; S.W., 3,634; N.W., 2,986; and downtown Portland, 6,860 According to recent FBI Uniform Crime Reports, Portland experienced a 78 percent rise in serious crime from 1977 to 1986. Portland s Police Chief Dick Walker estimates that 80 to 90 percent of the reported crimes are linked to drugs. There are an estimated 1,000 drug houses in operation in the Port land Metropolitan area. Chief Walker also pointed to the continuing lack of jail sapce as another major contributor. However, according to a recent poll conducted by the Oregonian newspaper, thrity eight percent of the partici pants said that drugs were the main cause for the rise in crime, while 22 per cent said the lack of jail space was to blame. See "O p in io n s ", page 7 EDITORIAL CORRECTION: In last week's editorial concerning "The Case of Robert Parker," it was stated that former Senate Presidents Jason Boe and John Burns had alleged that Robert Parker (1) used a credit car belong ing to a lobbyist who represented the Oregon Gasoline Dealers, (2) that Par ker negotiated favorable treatment of City of Salem-supported legislation in exchange for the City's favorable disposition of his overdue parking tickets, and (3) that Parker offered favorable treatment of legislation in exchange for money from other members of the lobby. The last sentence of paragraph two of the editorial should have read: "The foregoing allegations were made by Senator Jim Hill (D-Salem) in his complaint to the Ethics Commission." , We are making a public correction because the misprint gives the im pression that Boe and Burns made the allegations. We are also making the public correction because the Observer believes in the doctrine of fairness and equal treatment before the media and the law