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Commuter Train Killings: A Study Of Two
West Indies Immigrants Named Colin.
by
P rof . M c K inley B vrt
Actually, no further study is
needed on the one who became Chief
of Staff of the U. S. Armed Forces,
Gen. Colin E. Powell-and whom the
establishment appointed a ‘leader of
the black folks’ and a shoe-in for a
future presidency. It is to be admitted
that they provided some comic relief
with tons of media copy about the
“Jamaican Bob Sled Team”.
It is a different story with the
tormented and manic Colin Ferguson
for whom it all came together on the
5:33 train to Hicksville (a real town,
not a pun). I l is interesting that both
men come from what the media want
to describe as “mtddleclass” families.
The term is as misapplied in the case
of the general’s family as it was in the
case of several of the Milwaukee teens
who bludgeoned that 103 year-old
man to death.
Monday’s Oregonian described
their fam ily ’ s income at slightly above
a middle class average of $32,500.
Heaven help us if this is true either in
Oregon or across the n ation-if such
families must use this sum to stay off
food stamps, pay the rent or mortgage,
save for the kids’ college education
and, additionally, put enough aside
for retirement. Know any more jokes?
What we have here is a media-gener
ated cultural farce developed in con
cert with the advertising and market
ing fraternity (and politicians) to keep
the mass of consumers content with
their lot w hile they spend what they
can’t afford.
This classic exercise in Ameri
can demographics is quite relevant
here as we examine the commuter
train tragedy and various media treat
ments - which includes not only ‘re
porting’ but many interviews that are
frequently designed to elicit specific
responses that will support the emo
tional thrust of a story (selling many
more papers or building T.V. ratings).
When a reporter who is astute in this
‘craft’ is able to elicit a shocking
quote, no matter how racist or deni
grating, the rest of the nation’s media
feels free to run with i t Such as the
police c h ie fs description of Colin
Ferguson as an “animal”.
Were those killers from the Mil
waukee high school called animals?
Was the man in California who ab
ducted the child at knife point from
her bedroom? Have the murder(s) of
the little girls in St. Louis been termed
anything other than human? What
about the Milwaukee man who killed
and ate the body parts of black vic
tims; the murderous rampages at post
offices and fast food outlets or the
“Manson Gana”?
Rev. Jesse Jackson moved on it
immediately in his recent sermon de
crying the use of the term “animal”
and the deliberate night and day rep
etition of that Police C hiefs interview
- however, the harm was done and
surely a number of us not-so-vigilant
public should be awakened. A black
commentator points out that none of
the nation’s police have described
Mafia or Costro Nostra as “animals”
(Nor, of course, have they ever been
cruelly beaten like Rodney King). It is
always a matter of American demo
graphics - and dollars!
The Southern Poverty Law Cen
ter says that, “Racial Murders remain
relatively rare, and thus figures can be
skewed dramatically by a few inci
dents such as the train shootings or the
aftermath of the Los Angeles riots,
focusing here rather than the broader
systemic patterns of discrimination in
American life produces a distorted,
misleading picture”. Why, then, do
you suppose that the New York Times
News Service writer would claim that
“there is no evidence that Colin
Ferguson ever suffered from discrimi
nation?”
No, the writer is neither stupid
nor a fool. He is playing to and en
hancing the mindset of that media
generated demographic group I de
scribed. They represent billions of
dollars that will be pried loose in one
way or another, whether it takes the
insanity of television violence or rac
ism.
Volunteers Needed To Invest
United Way Funds
United Way of the Columbia-
Willamette is currently looking for
African-A m erican individuals to
serve as fund-distribution volunteers,
individuals like Helen Pittman.
“I got involved in United Way
because of my business experience,
social concerns and my African-
American perspective,’’said Pittman,
who works as a tax auditor.
During 1993, more than 110 vol
unteers like Pittman committed their
time to learn about the overall net
work of community programs, visit
and evaluate agencies, listen to pre
sentations, and decide on how to di
vide up United Way funds. People
form many backgrounds working to
gether ensures that contributions are
invested in human-care program s that
best serve the local four-county area.
Pittman believes it is important
for more African-Americans to get
involved in the process.”This allows
them to have a vote and a voice in how
United Way dollars are spent and how
it impacts our communities,” she said.
Orientation sessions begin in
mid-January 1994. The most time
intensive period lasts from March
through May, requiring an average of
three hours a week in meetings to
evaluate programs and make funding
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A T I ON
a in b
C O A L
Violence In America
Legislators Against Crime?
Nothing in the crime or gun bills and sentencing policies which im
passed by the House or the Senate this posed harsher sentences. Most such
year will significantly reduce or pre measures, whether by Congress or
vent violent crime in America. Since local officials, reflect the public’s
the Novem bcr2,1993 elections jolted impatience and the politicians lust to
members of Congress, the national find a quick fix to the escalating
craze on violent crime has been violence in America. In the process,
matched by a rush to “get tough” on Americans seem increasingly willing
crime and the predictable knee jerk to undermine fundamental liberties
and basic humanitarian concerns for
rush to punishment.
When the Congress adjourned in the promise of greater safety. Already
November the Senate had passed nearly half of young African-Ameri
Senator Biden’s Omnibus S-1607. can males in major cities arc under
The bill expands the death penalty to the jurisdiction of juvenile or crimi
over 50 new crimes and demands nal justice systems and evidence con
stricter sentences for another 60 tinues to be amassed that existing
crimes. The Senate allocated $22.3 sentencing policies are often racially
billion - six times more than at any biased.
Current anti-crime efforts are no
time in the last twenty years of crime
legislation - for more prisons and more likely to reduce the violence
cops from money to be “saved” by the than international interdiction re
proposed future layoffs of 250,000 duced the flow of drugs into the United
federal workers. There were at least Suites. Both the demand for drugs
22 House and 8 Senate legislative and the resort to violence stem from a
measures proposed at controlling common poverty of the soul and an
handguns, automatic weapons or bul emptiness of spirit that America re
lets. Wi(h fanfare the Brady Bill and fuses to address. This is why the
one banning automatic weapons be United States lost the “war” on pov
erty and the “war” on drugs and is
came law.
The United States already jails headed toward loosing the “war” on
proportionately more people than any crime and violence. The affects of
other country in the world, and crimi recent national and local anti-crime
naljusticespending is the fastest grow efforts will further impoverish local
ing area of state and local spending. governments, further escalate racial
But from 1974-1990 the growth in disparities and further restrict funda
prison population was not primarily a mental liberties. America will never
result of more crime but prosecution become less violent by frantically
pursuing greater safety at the cost of
social investment. Qenuine safety and
security can only come from consis
tent democracy for every person and
a profound redirection of our national
wealth toward our children. The more
we spend on police and jails, the less
likely it is that we will care for our
children in ways that lead them away
from violence and lawlessness.
R e d e fin in g v io le n c e as a
“public health epid em ic” often
m isses the endem ic ch aracter of
violence. V iolence prevention to
day does not address the reality of
more poverty for longer periods
of tim e than any o ther industrial
country and the grow ing racial
and social inequality that is the
m other o f violence and law less
ness. N either in capacitation nor
d eterren ce, the aim s of p u n ish
ment, constitutes genuine p rev en
tion. It is tim e for a co m p reh en
sive federal, state, county, city
and com m unity v io len ce, su b
stance abuse and crim e p rev en
tion strategy.
On January 6-8, 1994 in DC
there will be a Rainbow leadership
meeting on black-on-Black violence.
Reclaim Our Youth Co-Chairman B ill
Cosby is confirmed along with Spike
Lee, Cong. Charles Rangel, John
Conyers, Laura Murphy Lee of the
ACLU, Will Minter of NBC-LEO,
and Marion Bowden of BIG.
C e le b r a te D iversity
Visibly Committed
Helen Pittman
decisions. Volunteers are assigned to
one of eight committees that look into
specific areas such as child care for
low-income families, emergency food
and shelter, or domestic violence.
Throughout the remainder of the year,
participants meet less frequently to
continue looking into overall com
munity human services.
If you are interested in volunteer
ing or if you’d like more information,
please contact Claudia Wilton at
226-9346.
C li rasi mas A r r i v e s
front (Ehv
JJtrrtlan h
(Ifthserber
on H o rse L a c k
Brothers Free: Duane Washington and Santa Claus' annual gift-give away: candy
toys, hats and mittens giveaway. They also sponsor a dinner for families and
community residents.
£•
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!
22, 1993 • T he
, ■ T T
The work of the National /Association for
the Advancement of Colored People ( NAACP),
the Opportunities Industrialization Centers
(OIC) of America, the National Urban
League, and the United Negro College Fund
(UNCF) is essential to the communities they
serve. That's why R.J. Reynolds Tobacco
Company is committed to their continued
growth. No where is this support more visi
ble than in the R.J. Reynolds Public Service
Billboard Program.
This program makes available to these
organizations hundreds of high visibility
locations in dozens of cities coast to coast.
As a result, more awareness is focused on
the vital community development work they
carry out.
This is just one of the many ways R.J.
Reynolds, in cooperation with numerous
billboard companies, is demonstrating its
longstanding commitment to African-
American progress.
A working commitment that is working
for all of us.
Jr
Tobacco Company