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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (June 17, 1992)
Page 2...The Portland ()bserver...June 17, 1992 The "Ciubbing Of Justice” Continues In Los Angeles By Benjamin F Chavis, Jr. The v ideo sight last year o f a "gang” o f Los Angeles police officers m erci lessly beating Rodney King is still fresh in the minds o f m illion s o f persons throughout the w orld. In the aftermath o f the Los Angeles “ rebellion” in re sponse to the unjust verdict o f “ not g u ilty ” given to the police officers re sponsible fo r the unjust beating, the residents o f Los Angeles are still being threatened w ith new blows o f disre- spectfonn Police C hief Daryle F. Gates. The latest blow to the system o f justice in Los Angeles was Gates’ an nouncement that he was reconsidering the promise he had publicly made to the L .A . Police commission that he would retire at the end o f June 1992. This act by Gates would serve as an attempt to block and prevent the city from hiring its first A frican american police chief. In fact, form er Philadelphia Com m is sioner o f Police, C hief W illie L. W il liams, is already in the process o f m ov ing his fam ily to Los Angeles to hope fu lly began work as the new L .A . C hief o f Police prior to July 1, 1992. We would be the last to suggest that Gates should be treated unfairly. The problem is that once again C hief Gates has put his own personal arro gance as a higher value above the inter ests o f a city already tom by unprec edented racial strife and injustice, one o f the manifestations o f contemporary racism in the United States is the racist arrogance o f o fficials like C hief Gates who acting under the color o f the law breaks the law to satisfy the hysteria o f racial hatred and prejudice. No resident o f Los Angeles can be treated “ fa irly ” by a police system led by such an “ u n fa ir" and “ bigoted" po lice chief. Gates reportedly stated to the Los Angeles Times: “ 1 said I was going to retire at the end o f June and my feeling is now .... Screw you, I ’ ll retire when I want.” Is Gates the C hief “ B u ll” Connor o f the 1990’ s not in Alabama, but in the C ity o f Angels? Can the nation as a whole afford to allow this police chief to put him self above the law and every one else? W hat do you think the impact o f Gates’ recent remarks w ill be on the tens o f thousands o f young people in Los Angeles and in other urban centers as they contemplate the call fo r “ law and order” ? Los Angeles M ayor Tom Bradley aptly responded, “ I think the people have had enough o f Daryl Gates jerking them around.” Ironically as Gates was striking another blow to the people o f L .A ., a group o f w hite supremacists o f the N ationalist M ovem ent based in Mississippi were in C alifornia to show their support for Gates and the police officers who had “ clubbed” Rodney King. The threat to justice in Los Ange les is a threat to justice everywhere. It also is evident that Gates does not want the thousands o f young men who have joined one o f L. A .’ s notori ous gangs to stop k illin g each other. D uring the “ rebellion” a truce was de clared between the “ Bloods” and the “ Crips” and thus far the historic truce has held. Yet, on several occasions, the L .A . police have disrupted “ truce meet ings” between some o f L.S .’ s gangs. Why do the police want these young people to resume fratricide? Something is s till fundamentally wrong in Los Angeles. Rather than blame the victim s o f oppression and racism for their victim ization, it is im portant fo r acts o f solidarity and sup port to be made in the interest o f ensur ing equal justice for all peoples. The justice system in Los Angeles continues to be “ clubbed” by a ruthless police ch ie f and police officers who are agentsof institutionalized racism. When the so-called Watts Riots (Rebellion) in L .A . happened 27 years ago, the McCone Commission was mandated to investigate the causative factors that led up to the rebellion. Reviewing the McCone Commission Report, one w ill fin d a g la rin g absence o f the re cognition that racism, racial exploita tion and physical abuse jo in tly have played as prim a;y factors that fuel the ig n itin g o f ra c ia l and so cial unrest in Los Angeles and in the entire nation. But justiceand truth w ill ultim ately prevail in Los Angeles provided the people nor “ clubbing” the pursuit o f justice w ill not stop the unbeatable force o f human history that w ill not rest until justice and freedom are a realiza tion for every ch ild on earth. p e r s p e c tiv e s J I ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Education Update: Where as it is a fact of life that the economic vitality of any state depends heavily upon the strength of its edu cational system and therefore its abil ity to facilitate the growth of its in dustry and work force, and particu larly the ability to attract new com panies and investments, it would seem only logical to prioritize lottery in come to replace the 152 million short fall in the education budget. Having said that, I would again draw attention to the message I re peated so many times during the past tw o years: That the “ Year 2000” date so enthusiastically projected for America to achieve parity in technological edu cation among the nations o f the world was no more than a poorly structured dream. Can there be any doubt now, with the financial position o f most states on a par w ith Oregon, or, in some cases, even worse. This is not an I-told-you-so article, so much as an attempt to prepare for a search for solutions-after, first, accu rately identifying the problems. O b vi ously, we cannot depend upon the same educationists and organizationists that so grossly misled us; just as they did several decades ago w ith their b illio n dollar boondoggles that were to have led us to technological superiority among the nations i.e. The New Math, M etric System. Just last month I interviewed in these pages, Dr. M yles Brand, presi abstinent at treatment’ s end, 33 percent improve their em ployability and 25 percent are adding to their education. Consider how that boosts the hu man return on investment. Sherrell, mother o f three children, BY DR. WILLIAM F. GIBSON was referred fo r alcohol treatment by Chairm an Of The Board NAACP the state C hildren’ s Services Division. Investment Pays Big Dividends BY JEFFREY N. KUSHNER Here’ s the problem: Doyle, son o f an alcoholic, drank heavily for 13 o f his 42 years. He had extensive financial and legal problems, he was incarcer ated fo r a felony, and he was divorced. Doyle, his form er w ife and their four children were a ll on welfare. Here’ s what happened: Doyle en tered a three-month alcohol-treatment program in Portland, and his downward spiral began to revere. Today, he is an insurance-company officer. He has paid his child support, his taxes and restitu tion for his crime in excess o f $20,000. Here’ s why: Treatment for alco holism works. We figure that every dollar invested in treatment returns $4 to $10 in savings. Most o f Oregon’s 36 counties op erate programs to prevent and treat abuse o f alcohol and othei drugs, an e ffo rt coordinated by the state O ffice o f A lcohol and Drug Abuse Programs in Salem. We manage federal and state dollars and set indicators for measuring programs’ success or failure. This e ffo rt is intended to help the estimated 201,200 adult Oregonians w ith alcohol problems, a number greater than the population o f Clackamas County, and 148,200 w ith drug prob lems. The state program administers a two-year budget o f which nearly 60 percen- is federal money. H a lf o f the tax that Oregonians pay on beer and wine goes directly to pre- vention, intervention and treatment pro grams, mostly in local cities and coun ties, w hile the rest goes to c ity, county and state general-fund budgets for other purposes. Fines that intoxicated drivers pay help to support treatment programs for indigent offenders. What are the dollar payoffs? Here’s what the payback on treatment looks like: Individuals benefit by increasing achievement at work or school, im proving their psychological outlook, and reducing crime and other negative behaviors such as driving w hile in to x i cated. Insurance ratepayers and taxpay ers benefit. We know that, before treat ment, health-care costs (often paid by in su ra n ce o r M e d ic a id ) fo r an a lcoholic’s fam ily are about eight times greater than for other families. Employers and consumers benefit from treatment programs because em ployees increase productivity by suf fering fewer injuries, using less sick leave and reducing their use o f accident benefits. We measure the success o f treat ment programs on nine specific mea sures such as employment improve ment, education improvement, absti nence from alcohol and drugs, and not being arrested fo r substance-related crimes. Statewide, for example, 86 percent o f people who receive treatment are Publisher Alfred Henderson Contributing Writers Production Staff Dean Babb Gary Ann Garnett Rea Washington Operations Manager M cK inley Bun Dan Bell M attie Ann Callier-Spears B ill Council John Phillips Joyce Washington Accounting Manager Gary Ann Garnett Public Relations Chuck Washington Sales & Promotions Tony Washington The PORTLAND OBSERVER is published weekly by Exie Publishing Company, Inc. 4'47 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Portland, Oregon 97211 503-288-0033 • Fax 288-0015 She was receiving public assistance and a daughter had been placed in foster care to protect her from abuse. Fearful o f losing her other children, Sherrell enrolled in chemical-depen dency treatment and in classes to help her be a better parent and to manage her anger. W ith in a year, w ith the help o f CSD and A d u lt and Fam ily Services worker, Sherrell was o ff welfare. She has maintained custody o f her children and is successfully resolving fam ily conflicts. She is a part-time college student and a fu ll-tim e employee for a computer company. People interested in inform ation about prevention, intervention and treat ment may call their local alcohol and drug-services program, listed in the white pages under county government. In addition, we operate the Oregon Prevention ResourceCcnter(378-8000) in Salem where we provide inform a tion and referral, videotapes, pamphlets and trainers. The dollar payoffs o f treatment for chemical dependency are impressive. But they pale beside the human pay offs. POSTMASTER: Send Address Changes to: Portland Observer, P.O. Box 3137, Portland, OR 97208 Second class postage paid at Portland Oregon. The Portland Observer welcomes freelance submissions. Manuscripts and photographs should be clearly labeled and will be returned if accompanied by a self addressed envelope. All created design display ads become the sole property of the newspaper and can not be used in other publications or personal usage, without the written consent of the general manager, unless the client has purchased the composition of such ad. © 1991 THE PORTLAND OBSERVER. ALL RIGHTSRESERVED, REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PARTWITHOUT PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED. Subscriptions $25.00 per year. The Portland Observer-Oregon's Oldest African-American Publication-is a member of the National Newspaper Association--Founded in 1885, and The National Advertising Representative Amalgarhated Publishers, Inc., New York, NY. ■-<- ' A f S / ' s “i n- »•' t ; ‘ I •. Wfe/W- V ' c:.'> '-<<• ' » i J / S -i 4. » ‘ • ♦ * • -• A As we watch the unfolding tragedy o f thousands o f Haitians who are des perately fleeing oppression, one shame ful fact has become crystal clear; the Bush A d m in istra tio n has chosen a course o f moral bankruptcy, fueled by a consistent supply o f brutal and inten tional racism. The President maintains that the vast m ajority o f Haitian refu gees are trying to escape poverty. He asserts that very few have any w ell- founded fear o f persecution or physical harm. In fact, the opposite is true. Many Haitians who have endured abject pov- Oregon State U niversity’ s Veterinar ian and Pharmacy Schools. There is also a plant to elim inate the latter school’ College o f Veterinary M edi cine. Though the School o f Dentistry at Oregon Health Sciences University seems temporarily to have been spared, tuition is projected to increase by $825 a year, or 13% The School o f M edicine antici pates a 40% increase in tuition rising $3,300 a year from the current level o f $7,800a year. Unbelievably, this would rank the school among the fo ur most expensive public medical schools in the nation. As stated in the introduc tory paragraph, “ the economic via b il ity o f any state depends heavily upon the strength o f its educational sys tem..” We may wonder i f Oregons leaders in government and education are going to rise to the challenge. Certainly, we haven’ t been shown too much to date. A ll o f this leads us to again exam ine the role o f black leaders, parents and even the students themselves. Do the minorities need an Education Sum m it o f their own? It is obvious that this constantly changing education scenario requires new tools and approaches. It is not getting any cheaper to send kids out o f state to traditionally black col- leges-or to any other kind, since, as stated, Every State is experiencing the same economic crunch. This analysis continued next week. S ubscribe j I — „« J • % • « • . • . • » • > • « • 4 a • • a *# e • * r * erty for generations would never con sider the dangerous ocean voyage. But they now choose to risk death in a small boat instead o f facing the brutality o f an arm y death squad. Since the legitimate government o f Father Jean Bertrand Aristide was overthrown on September 30, the army has turned terrorizing civilians into a recreational a ctivity. Every morning, bullet-riddled bodies are found on the streets o f Port-Au-Prince. M r. Bush’s executive order, which repatriates all Haitian refugees w ithout even attempt ing to interview them, has the same effect as sentencing many o f them to torture and even death. How could the leader o f the free w orld be so grossly insensitive? Recently, an unidentified Haitian man who was part o f a group being returned to H aiti on a U.S. Coast Guard cutter jum ped overboard. When rescu ers reached him, he tried to fig h t them o ff w hile screaming, “ I prefer to die.” Clearly, this man knew what kind o f reception the army and police would give him when he returned to H aiti. A: the violence continues, the body coun is sure to rise and the waves o f refugee; w ill grow. C ontinued O n P a ge 3 1 yANTAGEro... 2L by Ron Daniels 1992 “Just Might Be The Year Of The Ballot Or The Bullet In 1964, a Presidential election year, M alcolm X , in commenting on the options available to the Black L ib eration Movement proclaimed, that “ this just m ight be the year o f the ballot or the r —' — — —— — — — — i b ullct.” Tohisdcath M alcolm remained convinced that the liberation o f the Black masses and other oppressed people required a revolution. His read I ^ r r r lla r t h © b s e rU c r ing o f history suggested that revolu tions arc always turn ultuous and bloody. Therefore, M alcolm was skeptical o f the prospects o f a “ non-violent” revolu IT he P ortland O bserver tion. Nonetheless, in 1964 M alcolm was w illin g to suggest that perhaps the CAN BE SENT DIRECTLY TO ballot could be used by Black people | YOUR HOME ONLY $30.00 and the oppressed to achieve a peaceful revolution. However, M alcolm never I PER YEAR, retreated from his position that in the j P lease fill out , final analysis it was “ freedom by any I ENCLOSE CHECK OR means necessary.” In 1992, another Presidential elec I MONEY ORDER, tion year, 38 years after M alcolm ’ s j and M ail to : famous “ Ballots or Bullets” speech, the question o." which path/road to libera tion for the masses o f Black people and ubscriptions the oppressed is still an open question. W hat is absolutely certain is that a ■ T he P ortland O bserver revolution - a radical redirection o f j PO Box 3137 values and a radical reorganization and I P ortland , O regon 97208 restructuring o f this nation is required if the masses o f oppressed people arc to breath free. The insurrection/rebellion Name in Los Angeles brought the question o f the ballot or the bullet into stark relief. For far too long the people o f South Central L.A and the hundreds o f south Address_____________________ ¡ centrals across the U.S. have suffered peacefully. The uprising in L A was a city, State___________________■ long overdue response to a long season o f intolerable acts heaped upon Black zip-code_____________________« people and oppressed people in this country. T hank Y ou F or R eading [ To allow the top 1% o f the people T he P ortland O bserver ] in the U.S. to control more worth than the bottom 90% is intolerable. To allow S Deadline for all submitted materials: Articles: Monday, 5:00 pm -A ds' Tuesday, noon dent o f the U niversity o f Oregon. He was in Portland w ith the prexys o f the other Oregon institutions o f higher learn ing to discuss the future o f Oregon higher education w ith business leaders and the public. He brought a message o f particular interest to m inority parents and low-income fam ilies in particular. “ The related programs we have in place [ for m inorities] w ill not only con tinue but shall be enhanced... The school w ill work hard at recruiting and retain ing both m inority staff and faculty.. There shall be a special e ffo rt to secure the most important out come o f all, to see that they Graduate.” This month, Dr. Brand has a new message, somewhat ominous. “ We w ill be down sizing this institution at a time when we should be m oving in just the opposite d ire c tio n . I f we continue at this rate, by the year 2000 one out o f every tw o Oregonians who want and need a college education w ill not be served.” Now, we have it that good inten tions are in danger o f a quick death. The system w ill dram atically restructure programs by consolidating and coordi nating business, nursing, engineering, continuing education, and teacher edu cation programs. And that is just the beginning. Further, campus leaders have been asked to consider the closing o f high- cost professional schools, including the U niversity o f Oregon’ s law school and President George Bush’s Policy On Haitians is Indefensible, Cruel Racism 5pnrllanh (©bseriicr I (USPS 959-680) OREGON’S OLDEST AFRICAN AMERICAN PUBLICATION Established in 1970 by Professor M cK inley Burt a small band o f wealthy bandits to loot the savings and loan industry to the tune o f $600 b illio n , a trillio n dollars over the next th irty years w ith interest, thereby depriving innocent people o f desperately needed resources fo r hous ing, health care, education and jobs is a crim e w hich is intolerable, to squander .50 cents o f every federal tax dollar on the m ilitary/defense/war budget w hile the masses o f poor and w orking people, women and m inorities have little or no “ defense” against poverty, unemploy ment, underemployment, disease, infe rio r education, illite ra cy, drugs, v io lence and a poll uted and poisoned envi ronment is intolerable. To continue to promote an anti-labor climate where unions and their workers (from PATCO to the U A W at C aterpillar) are threat ened intimidated and broken by the government and the corporations is in tolerable. These and a m ultitude o f other intolerable acts must no longer be tolerated. U. S. society must be radically changcd/transformcd,and Black people, people o f color, women and poor and w orking people, the oppressed must be in the vanguard o f the struggle to create a new society. It is the charge o f pro gressive political leadership in this pe riod to stand firm on the principle that there arc certain “ inalienable rights” which must not be violated by any government. This principle was a f firmed by no lesser document than the Declaration o f Independence o f this nation, and so there can be no apologies for the insurrection/rebellion which was erupted in Los Angeles and spread to more than thirty cities across this land. Il was/is a rebellion against massive inequality, neglect, abuse,and they ty r anny or the corporations, a revolt for a new, more humane and democratic so jj ciety. The insurrection/rebellion must continue at the ballot box and in the streets. A t the ballot box the oppressed must declare independence from the establishment parties and the pro-cor porate candidates. Neither the Demo crats or the Republicans or pseudo-inde pendents, neither Bushism, C lintonism or Perotism w ill save us. The progres sive movement must forge an electoral force rooted among the masses o f the oppressed, committed to the proposi tion that we w ill save ourselves. The oppressed must fig ht for power. And that Fight fo r power cannot not be confined to ballots alone. Those who would seek to promote the vision and values essential to create a new society must also engage the fig h t for power in the streets. Picket 1 ines, demonstrations, boycotts, c iv il disobedience and gen era! strikes are instruments which the masses o f Black people, Naive People, Latinos, Asian Pacific People, Arab Americans, other m inorities .women and poor and w orking people must use to bring down the “ walls o f Jericho.” In this year it must be clear that sim ply rotating presidents w ith in a flawed and failing racist and capitalist system w ill not liberate the masses who suffer in this country. What we must fashion is a movement that w ill accept nothing less than a new future w ithin a new society. And in the crusade to cre ate a new society, it must be equally clear that it w ill cither be “ freedom for every body o f freedom fo r nobody.” The oppressed must become ungovernable if necessary to defeat the tyranny o f corporate die tatorship. The lesson o f the insurrection/rebellion in Los Angeles is that 1992 “ just m ight be the year o f the ballot or the b ullet’” or both - “ freedom by any means necessary.”
