Page 2...The Portland Observer...October 21,1992
p e r s p e c tiv e s
More Oregon 8th And 11th
Graders Free Of Drug Use
Fewer o f Oregon’ s eighth and 11th
graders are using illic it drugs today
than two years ago, and 11th graders’
usage is declining faster than national
rates.
However even though fewer o f the
state's eighth graders are using drugs
than in 1990, those who are using ap
pear to be using a variety o f drugs.
Those are among results o f a state
wide survey o f tobacco, alcohol and
other drug use by the state O ffice o f
Alcohol and Drug Abuse Programs,
announced Wednesday at a Portland
news conference.
“ Oregonians can be proud that more
and more Oregon students are rejecting
alcohol and drugs as part o f their lives,”
Gov. Barbara Roberts told a Portland
news conference. But she said the sur
vey results, while encouraging, demand
on-going efforts to ensure that Oregon
meets its Benchmark goals o f virtua lly
all eighth and 11 th graders free o f alco
hol, tobacco and illic it drugs by 2010.
More than 4,400 students in 43
randomly selected Oregon middle and
high schools were surveyed.
These are among other key fin d
ings o f the survey o f Oregon eighth and
11 th graders, conducted every tw o years
since 1986:
Oregon 11th graders, well above
the national average in 1986 fo r usage
o f marijuana, cocain^ and amphet
amines, were below national usage rates
for these drugs in 1992. Although usage
o f heroin, barbiturates and tranquiliz
ers declined among Oregon 11th grad
ers, rates are still above national levels.
And 11th-grader usage o f LSD and
inhalants has not declined.
The percentage o f eighth graders
using an illic it drug during the 30 days
prior to the survey has declined since
1990, although rates for using specific
drugs has remained the same or in
creased. The survey found a two-year
increase o f 50 percent in eighth graders
who used five or more illic it drugs in the
prior year; illic it drugs o f choice were
marijuana and inhalants. Oregon eighth
graders’ usage o f most illic it drugs re
mains above the national average.
Since 198, Oregon 11th graders
have shown statistically significant de
clines in 11 drug types such as alcohol,
cigarettes, marijuana, cocaine. Since
1990, 11th graders’ usage declined in
seven drug areas w hile eighth graders’
decline in none.
Oregon 11th graders’ cigarette use
declined to a rate o f 19.1 percent who
reported having smoked during the prior
month, compared w ith a national rate
for 12tli graders o f 28.3 percent.
The steeper decline in use o f most
drugs among 11 th graders appears to be
a result o f schools’ initiating drug-pre
vention programs during 1988-92. In
addition, one survey found that an im
portant reason nationally is students’
J by Professor McKinley Burt
recognition o f how drug use has devas
tated their peers.
"U sing alcohol and other drugs not
only affects scholastic performance but
also reduces a student’s m otivation to
stay in school,” said Jeffrey N. Kushner,
director o f the state O ffice o f A lcohol
and Drug Abuse Programs. “ That’s why
getting these data, and doing something
about them, is c ritic a l.”
Kushner said drug use among the
nation’s 12th graders is also declining,
but that Oregon’s rate o f decline fo r
upper-class students is outstripping the
national average.
K evin W . Concannon, Oregon
Department o f Human Resources d i
rector, said state government is putting
a priority on reducing tobacco, alcohol,
and other drug use because they affect
people in so many other ways. “ D rop
outs, welfare, fa m ily violence, unem
ployment, unhealthy babies, crim e—
these problems and many more are
often directly lied to use o f alcohol and
other drugs,” he said.
“ More Oregon students are free o f
alco ho l and other drugs—and that
doesn’ t just happen,” Roberts said. “ We
can give credit to our children, to par
ents, to school programs, to com m it
ment by business groups, to comm unity
programs, to cooperation among state
agencies, and to the news media fo r
reinforcing the message that successful
lives and illic it drugs don’ t m ix.”
No On 9 Campaign Calls For End
To Sex, Lies And Videotape
Ellen Lowe, spokesperson for the
No On 9 Campaign said the Oregon
Citizens Alliance (O C A ) is waging a
campaign o f sex, lies and videotape.
Lowe outlined objections to the O C A
Measure 9 campaign at a news confer
ence.
Sex
“ The O C A has given voters its first
X-rated voters pamphlet” Lowe said.
The focus o f the O C A on graphic de
tails o f sex acts is not only extremely
offensive, it is not the type o f material
that should be delivered as a state ser
vice to homes where children may have
access to this material.
W hile the descriptions may be en
lightening to some, they do not shed
any lig h t on the issues involved in mea
sure 9. Measure 9 would rewrite the
constitution to require discrimination
against anyone who is or who is per
ceived to be homosexual, or who may
promote or facilitate homosexuals.
The O C A ’ s obsession w ith bizarre
sex acts not only distorts the real issues,
it is an embarrassment.
Lies
The O CA has distributed its first
tabloid at the State Fair, at several
county fairs and door to door in many
Oregon neighborhoods. The tabloid
(Lije
contains distortions and lies.
First, the tabloid says “ Even liberal
Presidential Candidate B ill Clinton, who
supports gay rights, sides w ith the
O C A .” The clear im plication is that
B ill C linton favors measure 9. That is
absolutely no true. B ill C linton ex
pressed his opposition to measure 9 in
the same T V interview that the O CA
refers to, and again through a message
delivered by Bob Hattoy at the No On
9 Rally in Portland last Sunday.
Second, the tabloid says - “ Port
land Future Focus...calls fo r affirm a
tive action and hiring guidelines (job
quotas) for homosexuals in a ll depart
ments and agencies o f the city and fo r
private contractors who do business
w ith the city. It also requires perfor
mance evaluations fo r all city manag
ers and supervisors to ensure com pli
ance. Those who oppose this plan may
have lost their jobs.”
Again, the O C A has resorted to
distortions and lies. The Future Focus
plan does support diversity and does
suggest developing affirm ative action
plans. The Future Focus plan does not
say anything about quotas and does not
say anything about supervisors losing
their jobs.
Third, the O C A tries to support the
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constitutionality o f their measure by
quoting from an interview on the NBC
Today Show.
The O C A ’ s tabloid says: Katy
Kurick “ announced that she had run the
measure by the NBC attorneys who had
agreed that it would pass constitutional
muster.”
That statement was a lie. The inter
view was not even conducted by Katy
Couric. When the NBC attorneys saw
the O C A ’ s statement they sent a le tte r«
to Lon Mabon that says: “ We demand
that you cease and desist from any
further publication o f such statement
erroneously attributed to NBC.
The No On 9 campaign joins NBC
in calling fo r the O C A to immediately
cease and desist distribution o f this
tabloid that is fille d w ith misleading
statements.
Video Tape
The O C A is beginning to distribute
a second videotape that again has a
focus on sex. They use shots o f a gay
rights parade in San Francisco in an
attempt to shift the focus o f this cam
paign away from the real issues.
Measure 9 is about mandating dis
crim ination. I f passed, Oregon would
become the first state to actually take
away rights from its citizens.
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The Thrill Is Gone
There seems to be several funda
mental questions being addressed this
fa ll in both black and white circles.
Both groups ask, “ w ill a victory by
either presidential candidate material ly
advance my condition in the near term?”
A second query weighs the same
option “ w ould either Bush or C linton
be lik e ly to institute measures directed
at the improvement o f race relations?”
Since summer I ’ ve read hundreds o f
articles, watched television political
shows, interviewed scores o f people,
and what do you know? W ell over half
o f the opinions are in the negative. And
this pessimistic trend grows as we near
the election.
The electorate are not seen as en
thusiastic campaigner For heroes who
car. turn around the most d iffic u lt situ
ation in which this country has ever
found itself, but as determined to vote
Against the candidate they view as the
worst case scenario. Never have so
many negatives been offered up in media
or personal evaluations o f presidential
candidates. Perhaps the best way to put
our increasing disillusionm ent w ith the
p olitical process really is sim ply to
say,” the th rill is gone” . B ut has anyone
suggested that the disillusionm ent is
w ith ourselves or should be?
Though the other candidate o f any
significant stature, H. Ross Perot, has
identified important economic issues
the other two have shied away from , he
has not brought to this p olitical stage
that degree o f substance and sincerity
that would make him a viable alterna
tive. Everyone knows what is wrong in
this republic, from the economy to
m orality and racial in ju s tic c -b u t the
m ajority cannot bring themselves to
adm it it, or to face the hard decisions
necessary to improve our condition.
And these facts may apply equally to
both whites and m inorities.
I f you think in terms o f my age
g roup-the one that has mature sons and
daughters, 35 to 40 years o f age--then
whose children are they, do you sup
pose, that became the junk bond deal
ers, the Savings & Loan thieves, the
armsdealers, the environmental rogues,
the exporters o f jobs to foreign coun
tries, the bankers and lawyers who sash
money for major drug manufacturers
and distributors, both home and abroad,
those who are most adamant in their
opposition to universal health care, the
do-nothing congressmen who voted
themselves a raise at m idnight after
cashing checks against nonexistent
funds?
I believe that these were and are
“ our brats” , adm ittedly, aided and abet
ted by some o f our own peers. But the
fact remains that we raised them, sacri
ficed our own futures to get them the
best education we could afford, and we
boasted o f how they would “ change the
w orld.” They surely have! That pretty
w ell reads like an indictment o f “ those
other folks” , but what o f the A frican
Am erican scene?
What have our children been do
ing? Now, I ’ve been reviewing reams
o f statistics from both government bu
reaus and our own organizations; the
great gains in education at a ll levels
including terminal degrees, the large
numbers o f black elected officials. And
I flip through Jet Magazine and Ebony
on a regular basis, noting a ll those black
m id -le vel corporate executives ap
pointed (Just like Portland) are either
on “ soft money” projects or else “ s ta ff’
appointments, not “ line” positions. I
know, I ’ ve been there.
Now, it goes w ithout saying that
black parents, too, have made major
sacrifices to get our middle class edu-
cated-and also looked forward to their
“ changing the w orld ” , particularly for
black folks. However, it is quite o bvi
ous that when we look at another set o f
statistics-theonesthatreflecteconomic
disparities-they have changed nothing
at all except in relation to their particu
lar non-getto class. and even here, while
Drug Elimination Grant
Program Funding Renewed
The Housing Authority o f Portland
(HAP) received good news that an in
novative program to fight drug activity
has been fu lly funded for another year.
The Public Housing Drug Elim ination
G ran t Program is again awarded
$526,800from the Departmentof Hous
ing and Urban development (H U D ).
The program w ill continue to sup
port H APresidcnts and s(a f f as they jo in
w ith Multnomah County, C ity o f Port
land, and state partners in drug-related
crime prevention enterprises.
“ We must thank our many partner
as this endeavor continues,” said Denny
West, executive director o f the Hous
ing A u th ority o f Portland. “ We arc
especially indebted to the H AP resi
dents who became involved, the M u lt
nomah County S h eriff’s Department
who helps us tackle public safety is
sues, and the staff from Central C ity
Concern who work closely w ith fam i
lies overcoming drug and alcohol prob
lems.”
Augmenting the H U D monies w ill
be matching funds o f $77,397 from the
Housing Authority, Multnomah County
S h eriff’s Department and Central city
Concern, making the total program
funding $604,197. The program began
operations in January 1992.
“ This w ill be essentially a continu
ation o f the same program,” said Paul
Parker, director o f the Drug E lim in a
tion GrantProgram . “ W e’ ve had a num
ber o f successes but more important,
w e’ ve learned that we arc on the right
track. Now we want to get better at it.”
The drug elim ination program w ill
continue at Columbia Villa/Tainarack
development in North Portland; Iris
Court, a 54-unitcom plex in North Port
land; H illsdale Terrace, a 60-unit de
velopment in southwest Portland; and
five H AP developments clustered in
the R ockwood area o f Gresham —
Alderwood (20 units), F ir Acres (30
units), Eastwood Court (30 units), Stark
Manor (30 units), Townhouse Terrace
(32 Units).
Prevention/lntervention Services:
One successfu 1 component has been
the Youth Empowerment Fund, which
supports youth HAP residents in devel
oping special projects and recreational
activities. A t Iris Court, children planted
flowers in large wooden barrels to beau
tify the front doors o f apartments at the
complex. Children conducted a clean
up campaign at Stark Manor and were
rewarded w ith a field trip to Oaks Park.
“ Around 25 kids got to go to the park,”
said V icky Harland, Stark Manor resi
dent. “ We also hosted a picnic to get to
know our neighbors better. It went w ell.
Two police officers cam and talked to
everyone. I wish wecoulddoevenm ore
out here. In order to get things done, we
all have to get involved.”
Also provided in the Drug E lim i
nation program are intervention and
outreach services to at-risk families.
“ M ichelle W inning (Central C ity C on
cern fam ily outreach specialist) is re
ally helpful. W hen drug or alcohol prob
lems are referred to her, she’ s always
right on hand. It ’ s nice to know those
services arc here,” said L ily Hunter, a
resident at Hillsdale Terrace.
Other support services offer op
portunities for resident involvement.
“ We love them,” said Iris Court resi-
dcntLindaGraves.spcakingaboutDrug
Elim ination Program staff. “ They get
out here and talk w ith the people. Resi
dents feel comfortable w ith them.”
Public Safety:
The program *s primary focus-pub
lic safety services--are coordinated
through Safety Action Tams, made up
o f sheriff and police officers and com
m unity service officers who work d i
rectly w ith the residents, helping people
learn ways to solve problems and pre
vent crimes in their neighborhoods.
Three police agencies cooperate
w ith the D rug-Elim ination grant Pro
gram; the M ultnom ah County Safety
Action Team, the Portland Police Bu
reau and the Gresham Police Depart
ment.
“ Once again, over h a lf o f the grant
funding pays fo r public safety,” said
Parker. “ That’ s a fair measure o f how
essential our law enforcement officers
are, i f we are going to be effective w ith
the other support services.”
Background
The drug elim ination program was
started at Columbia V ilia in A p ril 1989.
Iris Court has been a special Com m u
nity Policing Demonstration Project for
the C ity o f Portland since July 1990.
The Rockwood developments have been
served by a jo in t policing/public safety
program (West Gresham and David
Douglas Safety Action Teams) staffed
by Multnomah County S h e riffs De
partment and the Gresham Police De
partment since October 1990. Hillsdale
Terrace received additional policing
from the Portland Police Bureau begin
ning July 1991. Central C ity Concern,
a private, non-profit organization spe
cializing in low-incom e housing and
chemical dependency programs, started
w ith Drug Elim ination Grant Program
in 1992.
For more inform ation, call HAP
P ublic A ffa irs C o o rd ina to r Joleen
Colombo at 273-4521.
Letter to the Editor:
As mental health professionals we
are each deeply concerned about the
negative effects o f Measure 9 on our
clients, our colleagues our professions,
and our State. We have already ob
served increased anxiety and stress
among people who feel targeted by
Measure 9 and the OCA. We believe
that we w ill sec more depression and
s u ic id e , e s p e c ia lly among young
people., i f the comm unity declares that
their sexual orientation is “ abnormal,
wrong, unnatural, and perverse.”
We are concerned that it w ill be
impossible for us to provide ethical
counseling, supervision, and adminis
trative services under Measure 9. O CA
dogma contradicts scientific research
on human sexuality, (The American
Psychiatric Association years ago re
moved homosexuality from its D iag
nostic and Statistical Manual o f Mental
Disorders, and under this constitutional
amendment we w ill be unable to speak
the truth w ithout braking the law, and
jeopardizing our jobs. We would be
asked toconsistcntly violate our profes-
sional ethics.
Measure 9 lim its the free expres
sion o f ideas and i f i l becomes law it
w ill create an atmosphere o f fear, de
nial, and repression in which a ll o f us
w ill live. Please vote no on 9.
tom Barrett, M A , LPC, Deb Allison,
M SW , M illie Sampson, M HS, Sally
Simon, LCS W , Lynn Ashbridgc, MSW,
Elizabeth Gocke, M Ed, NCC, David
Hanson, MS MaudieCheney, MS, Jack
B o w s k y ,L P C ,L M D T , NCC, K im Bur
gess, LCSW , Lee Silby, M SW , Sally
M orkal, ACSW , Sharon Hval, MHS.
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The Portland Observer-Oregon's Oldest African-American Publicatlon-is a member
of the National Newspaper Association -Founded in 1885, and The National
T hank Y ou F or R eading
T he P ortland O bserver
AeNertteing Representative Amalgamated Publishers, Inc., New York, NY.
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their incomes and livin g standards are
embarrassingly superior to those o f the
mass o f urban black poor, our middle
class is as vulnerable as ever to work
force disabilities (last hired and first
fire d -la s t promoted, and the inevitable
“ soft money” .) But look at the other
side o f the coin; these “ children” had a
group security and ethnic or collective
drive that very few whiles have (I know
this to be a fact fo r at times I v ’e lived
among w hites-even towns where I was
the only Black person). 1 am speaking
o f a particular group ethos and drive
bom o f oppression and discrim ination
that has served alienated people since
tim e im m em orial--and blacks since
emancipation. So the question is, given
all the relative educational advantages
and special nurturing given this genera
tion that was to become our middle
class, why is it that in most U.S. cities
they cannot even operate a 7 - i l store or
dry cleaners in competition w ith other
m inorities? Even w ith the m ind-bog
gling tens o f billions in buying power
that A frican Americans have? Do we
need Clinton?
Docs the answer lie w ith the pro
jections put forth by colum nist Tony
Brown in his articles and weekly televi
sion show? Tens o f m illions (or more)
spent on “ conventions, related travel,
chicken wings and scotch’ . Has it some
thing todo w ith a m entality that dictates
expenditures on a M ercedes o r a
Cadillac when a car at h a lf the price
would leave enough money fo r any o f a
hundred types o f small business enter
prises or other inve stm e n t-w ith o u t
government help (plantations). Their
children w ou ldn ’ t have to w ork at
McDonalds after school.
You may say that the problem is a
need fo r psychological compensation. I
say d ia l is ridiculous and I ’ ll give you
the answer next week. You may not like
it, but we can no longer depend upon
our elite fo r the way to go. “ The T h rill
is gone.”
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