February 1 2 ,1992...The Portland Observer...Page 3
Free Health
Screening Offered
This Way for Black Empowerment:
Matters of Life and Death
its (and death).
It is no secret that, w ith very few
exceptions, the politicians who run our
country do so on behalf o f Big Busi­
ness. The politicians o f the m ajor par­
ties-Dem ocrats as w ell as Republi­
cans—are mostly puppets whose strings
are pulled by the richest o f the rich.
Senator Tom Harkin o f Iowa, fo r ex­
ample, who poses as the most liberal o f
the Democratic rivals for George Bush’s
place in the White House, receives more
money from political action com m it­
tees representing the medical industry
than anyone else in the Senate except
for the right w ing senator from Utah,
O rrin Hatch. He and his kind are paid to
w orry about the health o f the insurance
conglomerates, the pharmaceutical
companies, and the American Medical
A sso ciatio n-no t the tens o f m illions o f
Americans who don’t have health in ­
the costs o f providing health insurance
for many o f his employees in his chain
o f fast food restaurants back home in
Nebraska. (Kerrey is the racisl-in-popu-
list-clothing who makes fun o f Vice
President Quayle—an easy target for
pseudo-liberals-for having said that a
“ help wanted” sign in a Burger King
proved that the economy is on the mend.
What the American people need, says
M r. Kerrey, are go-somewhere careers
in high tech industries. What he means
is that it may be okay fo r Black folks to
be serving hamburgers for the m in i­
mum wage into the 21st century, but
w hite people need real jobs.)
Although a national health care
b ill has been sitting in the Democratic
Party-controlled Congress for 27 years,
i t ’ s never even made it to the flo o r o f
the House. Despite the fact that 80% o f
the American people want a national
health plan, we don’ t have one. Why?
Because the politicians who run Am er­
ica aren’t interested.
They do have a big interest in the
m ilita ry industry, however; more than
h alf the members o f the Senate have
major investments in the armaments
business. For 40-years they and their
buddies got away w ith spending tr il­
lions o f dollars to ‘ ‘defend’ ’ us against
the “ great menace” o f the Soviet Union.
But that “ menace” was really just an
excuse fo r a handful o f fat cats to get
even fatter at our expense.
The truth is that people (unlike
corporate profiteers) don ’ t get any thing
out o f the m ilita ry industry. Tanks,
guns, missiles, bomber planes and bombs
aren’t socially productive; they don’ t
create more jobs, they don’t make anyone
healthier; better fed or clothed or housed.
They don’ t enable people to express
their love for other human beings, their
ideas, or their talent. They destroy,
they cripple and k ill, and then they rot
surance.
Senator Bob Kerrey says the words
“ national health insurance” every time
he opens his m o u th -b u t refuses to pay
into dust.
Every now and then the U.S. gov­
ernment makes wars for the purpose o f
heating up the economy, b ut’s like
BY DR. LENORA FULANI
This past Sunday night the five
white men who call themselves “ real”
Democrats and say they are the ones we
can count on to turn this country around
appeared on a televised debate to tell
the people o f New Hampshire--who
w ill vote in the country’ s first prim ary
on February 18~w hy they are qualified
to lead this country. But they only
succeeded in proving that they are
hypocrites and cowards who couldn’t
lead the way out o f a potato sack.
They don’ t understand anything at
all about the Am erican economy and
why it is dying, so they have no idea
how to revive it.
The only thing that can bring
America back to life econom ically is
democracy. The reason is that when
ordinary people—not profit-m inded
corporate bigshots and the professional
politicians who are beholden to them—
determine what the social priorities are,
they choose people (and life) over p ro f­
applying electricity to the heart o f some­
one w ho’ s already dead-you may get a
few pulse beats, but no life.
For more than a generation the tw o
major parties tried to terrorize us w ith
“ The Russians are com ing” threats.
But that was just an excuse fo r shelving
the production o f health care, educa­
tion, housing, clean air and water, and
everything else that people need to live
decent and productive lives; instead we
got m ilitary destruction, and the m ur­
der o f the Am erican economy, and a ll
along the killers have been sitting right
up there in the state houses, on C apitol
H ill, and in the W hite H ouse-and now
some o f them have the nerve to te ll us
to our faces that they’ re the ones who
can lead us to the promised land.
But they aren’t qualified. T hey’ re
the ones who took us into the desert
W hile these men were sitting up in
a television studio lying to the people
o f New Hampshire, I was outside (in
zero-degree weather) leading a m u lti­
racial democracy picket o f 400 people
who were protesting m y exclusion from
the debate. On the eve o f the celebra­
tion o f the birthday o f Dr. M artin L u ­
ther K ing, Jr., these white men who
claim to be leaders (and who had, on or
o ff the record, said that they thought I
should be included) had crossed our
picket line-because not one o f them
had the guts to take my hand and escort
me inside-the only A frican American
and the only woman running fo r presi­
dent o f the United States in the Dem o­
cratic Party prim ary.
There’s more to being a leader
than saying you are one. That’ s a fact o f
p olitical life that the Am erican people
need to learn.
D r. Lenora F ula ni is the chairper­
son o f the New Alliance P arty and a
practicing social therapist in Harlem.
She can be contacted at the New A lli­
ance Party, 2032 F ifth Avenue, New
York, NY 10035 and at (212) 996-4700.
The hospitals and health care or­
ganizations o f Legacy Health System
invites area seniors (age 55+) to attend
a FREE H E A LT H SCREENING. The
screening provides numerous im por­
tant health tests and services, includ­
ing: blood test (cholesterol, blood sugar
and others), general physical assess­
ment by nurses, blood pressure, dental
and oral cancer check, vision and glau­
coma check, hearing test, lung health
check, nutrition counseling, breast cancer
self-examination instructions, colorec­
tal cancer screening, and others.
For those desiring the fu ll blood
test, it is suggested you arrive in a
fasting state-no food or drink (except
water and medications) fo r the previ­
ous 12 hours. Known diabetics should
follow their regular eating schedule.
Screenings are conducted weekly
at different locations throughout the
Portland Metropolitan area. Please call
W inetla Soderlind, R.N., at 241-3478
to obtain a schedule o f screening dates
and locations.
In Oregon and across the country,
groups o f men are gathering to chant,
drum and talk about issues close to their
hearts. They’re part o f the new “ men’s
movement.” Is this merely a fad? O r a
serious inward exploration by men similar
to the women’s movement o f the 1960’s?
The men’ s movement has many
facets: it includes elements o f spiritual­
ity , healing, male bonding and even
feminism. Men in this movement ex­
pect resistance. They expect skepticism
and even anxiety. They believe some
women w ill be threatened by this new
empowerment o f men. They suspect
that many men are not yet ready to
confront their feelings o f isolation, and
may mock those who do.
The men’s movement has lofty goals:
to make men more “ human ” ; to enable
men to be more creative and less de­
structive; to merge their personal and
Quick Relief at
Filing Time
Attorney at Law
filing !
Contact one o f the many tax pro­
fessionals in your community who are
accepted by the 1RS as electronic filers.
They w ill help you process your tax
return fast and accurately.
And by filin g electronically, you
can cut the tim e it takes to get your
refund by as much as three weeks. I f
you have it deposited directly into your
checking or savings account, it can get
to you even faster.
You can prepare your tax return
yourself and take it to an accepted
electronic file r fo r transmission, or you
can have a tax professional both pre­
pare and transmit it for you. Y o u ’ ll
need to bring your forms W -2, “ Wage
and Tax Statement,” and sign an au­
thorization form for transmission o f
Licensed To:
Assist you with your legal concerns
Protect your legal rights
Convenient Lloyd Center Location
2161 N.E. Broadway
Portland, Oregon 97232
282-7285
.........
F
*
*
________
General Roofing
Hot Roofs and Shingles
25 years experience
284-8977 hm.
284-1324 bus.
PO Box 6090
Portland, OR 97208
way to go!
McMurphy ’$
Appliance Center
Sales -Service -Parts
't r
—
OpenFrom8*6Mon.-ftl
and 9 ■ 4 on Saturday
benefit, too?
Join Jack Faust and an all-male
audience for this discussion on Sunday,
February 23, from 6-7 p.m.
For seat reservations, please call
Frank Mungeam, Alison Highberger,
L iza McQuade or Lynn MacRitchie at
231 -4620. Guests should arrive at K A TU
studios (21st & N.E. Sandy B lvd.) be­
tween 5:00-5:15 p.m. The public is
welcome, but reservations are required.
C ivil & Family Law
Chapter 7 & 13
Bankruptcy
transmitted.
Most tax professionals charge a
fee for the preparation and transmis­
sion o f your return. To find someone to
transmit yours, look in your local tele­
phone directly. I f you want quick relief
at filin g time, electronic filin g is the
Professional and Quality
Dry Cleaning & Laundry
Is Assured By Our
Courteous New Manager
Marva Mitchell
p olitical selves; to show greater appre­
ciation for women and m inorities and
thechallenges they’ ve faced; to let go o f
the need to dominate and control; and to
become more em otionally healthy.
What goes on in “ men’s groups” ?
Why are some men drumming and chant­
ing? What are the goals o f the men’ s
movement? How are the men who par­
ticipate changed? W ill men’ s liberation
come at women’ s expense or w ill women
Do you need your tax refund in a
hurry? O r you just want to put your
taxes behind you? You can get quick
re lie f at filin g tim e w ith electronic tax
your federal tax return.
The 1RS w ill acknowledge receipt
o f return information to your electronic
file r w ithin 48 hours from the time it ’ s
6800 N£ Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Inward Ho!
V
-
A
Harden’s Interiors Specialties
Your community floor covering contractor
here to meet your needs
Call 284-1324
' l l I
W e O ffer
Professional Alterations
Drapery Cleaning
All Weather Proofing Of
SkFWear & Rainwear
48 Hour Shoe Repair
And Specialize In Silk
Cleaning & Leather Goods
4011N.E. Union Ave.
Portland Oregon 97212
288-3233
Head Fixer/Jim McGowne
10% Discounts For
Senior Citizens
Z UNJONZAVENUE>
✓
One of the N orthw est's Largest W ig Displays
W igs and Hairpieces For all N ationalities
*■
u glass < cgmpany ;
BOSTON’S MINI MARKET
NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT!
PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR COMMUNITY STORE
IT’S A MUST.
PLEASE REFRAIN FROM DRINKING
ON THE STORE GROUNDS
AND ON THE OLD FRED
MEYER PARKING LOT.
IT CAUSES MANY
UNNEEDED PROBLEMS.
COME BY FOR ALL
YOUR SHOPPING NEEDS.
WE WORK WITH OLCC.
LOCATED AT 726 N.E. KILLINGSWORTH
282-6776
LORRAINE HLAVINKA
All Types of Auto Plate and Window Glass
Storm Doors and Windows
4709 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd
Portland, Oregon 97211
Woman-Owned
P h o n e 2 4 9 -5 8 8 6
Monday • Friday
10:00 am - 600 pm
282-1664
Saturday
10:00 am • 5:30 pm
1105 NE Broadway