Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (March 2, 1988)
March 2, 1988, Portland Observer, Page 3 NATIONAL NEWS UPDATE Jesse Jackson on the Persian Gulf and Social Security We have much to lose if the battle in the Gulf continues. It can expand and ig nite the flames of a major regional war. The economic impact of such a war would be disastrous. With American troops at risk and the countries of the region facing off with U.S.- and Soviet-made weapons, the increased possibi lity of superpower confrontation exists. The human cost of such a war would be incalculable. Peace in the Gulf is the im perative of the hour. We must be determined and active in our resolve to achieve such a peace. PERSIAN GULF Bring Real Security to the Gulf Resolving the war between Iran and Iraq is the key to secu rity in the Persian Gulf. At best, the Iran-Iraq co n flict turns the Gulf into a floating dem ilitarized zone. At worst, the war ultim ate ly threatens the nuclear holo caust we all wisely fear and must work earnestly to avoid. The United States is ju s tifi ably concerned about peace and stability in the region and must maintain a com m itm ent to achieve these goals. M aintain ing the freedom of people, oil and other commerce to peace fu lly travel in in te rn a tio n a l waters is essential. To bring security to the Per sian Gulf, I propose we vigorous ly support UN resolution 596. My adm inistration w ill call for an Iran-Iraq cease-fire. It w ill call for the withdrawal of all forces to in terna tionally recognized borders. Also, it w ill call for an exchange of prisoners of war, the establishm ent of an impar tial body to inquire as to who started the war, and reconstruc tion efforts. If Iran or Iraq won’t abide by a cease-fire, we must work with our allies and the United Na tions Security Council to en force an international arms em SOCIAL SECURITY Take it Out of the Political Football Game bargo on both combatants. France, Britain, and Israel, as well as the Soviet Union and China, must be called to ac count for any further shipments. We cannot accept “ business as usual” with China while young American soldiers are targets of Silkworm m issiles supplied by the Chinese. We cannot accept defending the Gulf for our allies while they send weapons that continue the war. As president I w ill work vigor ously to build confidence in the Social Security system, not to undermine public support for it every tim e the budget is debated in Congress. Striking fear into the hearts of the elderly every year by calling for reductions in the COLA or by suggesting that the program be needs-tested w ill have no place in a Jackson adm inistration. We should even consider making Social Security into an independent agency to take it out of the political spend ing game. I want to improve on the Sup plemental Security Income (SSI) program as well. Currently only one-third of the elderly who are eligible participate, due to poor outreach and education about the program. Those who do par ticipate are only brought up to 75 percent of the poverty rate. It w ill take about $5 billion to bring the 3.3 m illion Americans on SSI up to the poverty level. Closing . the estate tax loophole passed in 1981 would raise twice that amount. Finally, legislation is needed to deal with the problems of pri vate pension plans. Employer contributions to the Pension Benefits Guarantee Corporation must be increased to cope with underfunded plans and ensure a steady income for those who have earned it. We need new re gulations to stop corporations from terminating overfunded plans. The merger mania on Wall Street is bad enough when you consider how harmful it is to the economy. But it is even worse when you consider cor porations are terminating the pension plans of seniors to ac quire more assets to fuel this un productive activity. Reprinted with permission from "The World and I” , March, 1988. National PTA Helps Parents and Youth Face Pressures of Drugs and Alcohol C hicago , ill — Stress and low self-esteem, as well as peer pressure, can cause children to d e c id e to d rin k , says the nation’s largest parent-teacher association, the National PTA® . ' “ Preteens and teens w ith low Self-esteem feel powerless and are more vulnerable to peer pres sure,” said G lenna G undell, chairman of the National PTA’s Health and W elfare C om m is sion. “ Telling kids like that to Say ‘no’ is not enough. They may not have the inner strength to resist when peers ask them to drink or use drugs,” she added. ? The areas of stress and self esteem w ill receive special em phasis from PTAs during the Na tional PTA’s fourth annual Drug and Alcohol Awareness Week, March 6-12. The theme of the observance is “ Parents and Youth: Facing the Pressure.” Peer pressure isn't the only pressure that young people face, noted Gundell. She urges parents to learn how to identify the symptoms of stress in their children and teens and how to help kids cope with stressful situations. Experimentation with alcohol and other drugs is often related to stress, as are moodiness, in somnia, preoccupation w ith ne gative or angry thoughts or feel ings, loss of appetite or eating disorders, and lowered body re sistance to colds, the flu or other diseases. The National PTA suggests that parents do the follow ing to help reduce the am ount of stress children and teens may experience: • Set a good example. When you’re under stress, don’t take it out on your children. • Have weekly family meet ings to discuss family activities, routines and problems. Work at problem solving rather than con frontation. • Show affection by hugging children often and letting them know you love them. • Give children some undivi ded attention every day. Talk about both the happy and the stressful events in their lives. Let them know you understand their concerns and take them seriously. During the week-long obser vance, thousands of local PTAs across the country w ill hold meetings and sponsor events to help parents and the com m unity be more responsive to the needs of ado lesce nts experiencing peer pressure, stress or low self esteem. Inform ation related to these topics is available in the Na tional PTA’s Drug and Alcohol Awareness Week planning kit and in its “ Parenting: The Underdeveloped S kill” program box. In addition, the association is working w ith the Keebler Comany to produce a s e lf esteem film , leader’s guide and brochure for parents, emphasi zing how it related to the use of alcohol and other drugs. The film and accompanying mater ials w ill be available in July. Currently available are two 1-800- GC-BUILT 1-800- 632-FBH 1-800- 423-WARM 1-800- -852-SAFE 1-800 ■SBVTIME 1-800 -443-PUMP 1-800 -722-WÄTR Wfe spell help in some r publications for parents on the subject of drugs. “ Young Child ren and Drugs: What Parents Can Do,” (available in English and Spanish) offers advice to parents on ways to develop children’s self-esteem. The bro chure suggests parents teach children how to feel good about th e m s e lv e s th ro u g h hon est c o m m u n ic a tio n , c o o p e ra tio n àrid personal responsibility and the ability to make judgements and decisions. For parents of older children, the PTA has developed "Drug Abuse and Your Teens: What Parents Should Know.” A single copy of each publication may be obtained by sending a stamped, self-addressed business size envelope to the National PTA, Drug Pubs, 700 N. Rush St., Chi- caco, IL 60611-2571. For more information about Drug and Alcohol Awareness Week and year-round drug abuse prevention activities, contact Jeanne Koepsell in the Program Department at the National PTA. WOZA (wo'zuh) just WOZA RUTH WOZA STEVE WOZA LILIAN WOZA ROBERT WOZA BRAM See Entertainment Page Rev. Benjam in F. Chavis, Jr. nothing back in return. Business will no longer go on as usual. We have a moral imprerative to stop cooperating . with our own oppression.” Scores of African Americans, organized by the Committee, re cently picketed Macy's and spoke w ith customers. Many customers were persuaded to go, instead, to other stores, while others, who were carrying shopp ing bags full of purchases, re entered the store to return their merchandise. The Rev. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., Executive Director of the United Church of Christ Commis sion for Racial Justice, and an other campaign organizer, while walking the picket line declared, “ We have a profound responsibi lity to unite ourselves in a con structive way. And this is a strategy in which everyone in our com munity can participate. Macy's and Sterling Drugs are just the first targets. We intend to expand this campaign until we fundamentally change the power dynamics that have controlled and allowed this overt racism to continue.” This long-range goal was rei terated by another campaign or ganizer, the Rev. Calvin O. Butts, Executive M inister of Harlem’s Abyssinian Baptist Church and president of New York’s Organi zation of Afro-American Clergy. He noted, “ African Americans spend over$290 billion ayear, yet we spend it primarily in com m unities other than our own and with those who do not support us. Thebusinesscom m unityw ill ignore us only as long as we per mit them to do so. We under stand that this is a long-range strategy, but we know from the response thus far that the people are ready to support us. And if we succeed here, it w ill send a mes sage to the rest of the nation.” The Committee for Sanctions is hoping to nationalize its cam paign in the coming months, par ticularly as the Easter season ap proaches. As one organizer de clared, “ We have a profound re sponsibility not only to struggle, but to w in !” DON’T WAIT TILL IT HURTS Periodontal disease is painless. It affects 8 7 of the population, and often victims are unaware. There are warning signs, and the American Den tal Association and our staff want you to be aware: Y es No 1. Do your gums bleed when you brush your teeth or toothpick between them? 2 If the answer is yes to any of these questions, you owe it to yourself to bring it to the attention of your dentist or hygienist. Act now and keep your teeth for a lifetime. 5 Are your permanent or separating? 6 Is there any change in the way your teeth fit together when Are your gums red. swollen, or tender’’ teeth you bite? 3. Are your gums pulling away from your teeth? 4 7 Is there any change in the fit of your partial dentures? Do you see pus between your teeth and your gums when the gums are pressed7 8 Do you have bad breath7 NEW PATIENT SPECIAL This certificate entitles each new patient with: EXAM, BITE-WING X-RAYS, ROUTINE CLEANING $40.00 OFF F"Orty $35.00 NEW DENTURES Preventive Family Dentistry • Special Attention to Children and Gum Disease • Free Denture Cleaning • No Charge Consultation • Reline & Repairs while you wait Edward E. Ward, DMD Convenient, affordable dental care for your family. 610 SW Alder. Suite 1008 • yQU-d expect “ Rutland General Electric.” HOURS: M-F 7AM-7PM Dr. Edward E Ward N E R .■ new york — The escalating racist violence in New York has prompted African American lead ers here to return to an old but ef fective strategy of the civil rights movement — econom ic w ith drawal. On Friday, February 19, the Committee for Economic Sanctions Against Racism in New York announced that two New York-based companies, Macy’s Department Store and Sterling Drugs, Inc. (maker of Bayer Aspirin, Phillip's M ilk of Magnesia and D-Con), would be the Com m ittee’s initial targets. The targets were announced to an overflow crowd of more than 2,000, which packed Bethany Baptist Church in Brooklyn. As one member of the audience pointed out after the rally, “ This is the first time I’ve seen this many people come out for any thing besides a major racial in ci dent. This group is serious.” The meeting at Bethany was the culm ination of a series of mass meetings which the Committee had held throughout New York since January. The Committee is a coalition of over 40 African American leaders in New York from esta blished clergy, business, labor, civil rights, com m unity and youth organizations. They began plans for the economic sanctions cam paign in December of 1987. The com m ittee has called its effort an "econom ic sanctions cam paign” to underscore its long- range scope and to indicate the broader purpose of the cam paign. The Com m ittee’s research re vealed that both Macy’s and Ster ling Drugs maintain relations with South Africa, do not deposit in African American banks in New York, do very little advertis ing with Black media or Black advertising firm s and make m ini mal use of African American con tractors and vendors. Additional ly, Macy's relegates most of its African American employees to visible but low-paying cashier and sales jobs, while promoting its white employees to executive management positions. Referring to the broader goals of the sanctions campaign, spea kers at the rally spoke of the es calating racist violence and what they called "the dehum a’ izjng conditions which our people are forced to endure in New York.” As Bob Law, a nationally syndi cated talk show host and one of the organizers of the sanctions campaign, explained, "We are not saying that Macy’s must take a moral position. We are saying that we, as a community, must take a moral position. We pump m illions of dollars into Macy's and Sterling — and provide their margin of profit — yet they give To rise up. For instance, > the number above that ends in PUMP puts you in > touch with all kinds of information on heat pum ps The number that ends in SAFE yields informa tion on outdoor lighting. The number that ends in WATR covers electnc water heaters. And the number that ends in WARM is for weatherization. Fact is, we have a direct line for virtually ever)' one of our services - so we don t waste your time switching you from line to line. To call, simply look us up in your local telep h o n e^rert pty Economic SanctionsCampaign Announced in New York 228-3009 SATURDAY 8AM-5PM Expires March 31, 1968