P age B3
T he P ortland O bserver • M arch 09, 1994
Two Roads: The Influence
Of The Church
D uring these troubled times o f
our emergence into a cultural soci­
ety, nothing played a greater role in
our lives than the church. T his was a
m ulti phasic era where even the two
roads had branches and o ff shoots
that lead to topics at later discussions.
The church held sway in both
dom inant and subtle influence in the
home lite o f many blacks...
This influence was the a b ility o f
the church to dictate the direction o f
our socio-religious relationships.
A ll levels o f the educdatcdly en­
dowed, thceconom ically blessed even
the poverty strickened, all bathed in
religions hopeful glow .
N obody, or rather not many
c h u rc h -g o e rs
q u e s tio n e d
the
m inister’ s place as shepherd o f the
flock.
These leaders were considered
by most to be divin ely called men.
They were men who had a C hristly
bearing demeanor; and who thought
out and prayed about church prob­
lems. They led their flo ck as men who
held onto “ the S taff o f Redemption”
They preached w ith effulgent power,
w hile m aintaining a temperate a tti­
tude w ithin the body o f the church...
They lead w ith ju st enough dis­
tance to be seen, yet never being lost
in to the chaos o f the crowd. When
“ The pastor” or a “ visitin g m inister”
announced a possible v is it to a par­
ticular home, there was always elabo­
rate preparations made in excited and
reverent anticipation o f that visit. A
place o f honor was usually set just for
“ The Reverend.”
C hildren never made unusual
noises, or disturbing racket during
that visit. In-any-w ay. I f you made the
dumb mistake and did disturb the
visit, laterafler the m inister had gone,
your literal hide was tanned, and real
good.
On Sundays alongside the pas­
tor, the choir played an im portant
part to the overall service.
The choir director was usually so
prayed up, spiritual and in tunc w ith
the pastor that he or she in tu itiv e ly
knew when to “ Come In ’ w ith that
hum, or a support song. They would
keep their eyes on the pastor, smile,
say a loud ‘ Amen Reverend” , rock
from side to side, and be a drunk
m ajor or majorette in G od’ s service.
D uring the week fo llo w in g the
service, the choirs special number or
the sermon hymn could be heard in
homes or wherever the spirit moved
you to sing them. People thought o f
the church and tried to incorporate its
teachings in to every aspect o f their
d a ily liv in g . C hurch goers talked
openly, unabashedly, candidly, and
every other about their church. You
could hear at any tim e o f day or night
someone “ breaking out” w ith I know
I am a ch ild o f God because He is so
good to me.” Fathers and mothers
rose early on Sundays to lead and take
the children to church.
E ve ry d a y a p ra y e r was heard
aro un d a d in n e r ta b le . P ra ye r was
s a id w it h o u t f a i l a t b e d tim e .
S ch oo l classes w ere n o t started
w ith o u t a p ra ye r.
A t lodge or p o litica l meetings a
prayer was said at the start and many
times as a benediction.
M en, because o f their religious
a ffilia tion s, w ould settle huge s ig n ifi­
cant business transaction w ith just a
hand shake. Black colleges and voca­
Detoxification Program Provides New
Evidence Of Agent Orange Harm
A revolutionary detoxification or
Purification program which effec­
tively reduces toxins stored in the
fatty tissue o f the body provides dra­
matic new evidence supporting what
veterans have been claim ing foryears-
-that exposure to the defoliant Agent
Orange in Vietnam created repeated
health problem s for thousands o f V iet­
nam Veterans. The health o f veterans
exposed to Agent Orange has been
the subject o f a continuing contro­
versy for over a decade.
The new program, developed
best-selling self-help author L. Ron
Hubbard and detailed in his book
Clear Body Clear M ind, has been
increasingly used to handle adverse
effects from all types o f chemical and
environmental pollution. Doctors as­
sociated w ith Health Med in Los
Angeles, Megan Shields and David
Root say it is the first program o f its
kind that actually works. And inde­
pendent studies, includ ing those pub­
lished by the Swedish Academy o f
Sciences and the W o rld H ealth
Organization’ s Agency for Research
on cancer, have found that it docs
significantly reduce toxins which have
accumulated in the body over long
periods o f time.
Results from number o f veterans
who were exposed to Agent Orange in
Vietnam and who now have com ­
pleted the program indicate that the
long-term side-effects o f Agent O r­
ange exposure may go far beyond just
the currently claimed increased o f
cancer and birth defects. M ental prob­
lems w ith as depression, increased
anxiety and stress, and even chronic
tional schools a ll exhibited a re li­
gious foundation.
For those young blacks who
showed promise to become leaders
and professional people someday, they
were sent to schools whose instruc­
tors represented homes w ith a strong
religious background. Our Founding
fathers were a ll men and women who
were deeply rooted and grounded in
the church.
These people were bold speak­
ers, daring adventurers, outspoken
representatives o f our communities,
fearless in the face o f danger, innova­
tive thinkers o f the future, profound
thinkers o f their day, compassionate
to the downtrodden, and very spiri­
tual.
M y own teaching and learning
about m yself , my m otivation for
progress, may inspired creative ideas,
opportunity to perform and deep in-
spiration fo r m y God and His son, was
born in the church.
I watched my dear mother, Edna
W illia m s sing in the choir, inspire
other inept souls to action, and per­
sonally heard her testim onies in
church. M y jo y is now after 66 years
o f her going to church, she s till does
not miss a Sunday at 80 years old and
s till going strong.
I salute our present shepherds,
who s till in the face o f what seems like
insurmountable odds, fo r the black
church to over come... I salute you for
standing and fighting. W e who are
holding on to the iron rod o f God. S till
love and support you...
As one great apostle once said: I
press toward the mark fo r the prize o f
the high ca lling o f God in C hrist
riculture com m odity foods are a v a il­
able.
New Worldwide Partnership To Build International Fan Excitement
school meal.
Approved program sm ustfum ish
free meals to children, up to age 18,
regardless o f fa m ily income. In addi­
tion, anyone attending a school pro­
gram fo r people w ith disabilities may
Sponsors must be a public o r p ri­
vate nonprofit school food authority;
fo r children.
public or private nonprofit resi­
“ M any children lose an im p or­
dential
summer camp; u n it o f local,
tant source o f nutritious meals when
m
unicipal,
county, tribal, or state g ov­ also participate.
schools close fo r summer vacation,”
A school district may sponsor a
said Rachelle Bagley, child nutrition ernment, college or university spon­
program
o r provide meals fo r a spon­
director fo r the Department. “ Needy soring a N ational Youth Sports Pro­
sor.
gram;
or
a
private,
nonprofit
[IRS
fam ilies often do not have the re­
Programs are especially success­
sources to adequately replace these approved 501 (c)(3)] organization.
fu
l
when
connected to organized c u l­
Sponsors must complete an ap­
meals.”
tural
or
recreational
programs.
Sponsors receive cash reimburse­ plication, attend a workshop, and dem­
E
lig
ib
ility
fo
r
the
program isw ith-
ment for operating and adm inistrative onstrate a b ility to operate a program
out
regard
to
raced,
color, national
costs. Payments are based on the num ­ and com ply w ith regulations.
origin,
age,
sex,
or
handicap.
Anyone
They m ust demonstrate that meal s
bers and types o f meals. A higher rate
who
believes
he
or
she
has
been
dis­
is available to sponsors in rural areas sites (other than camps) w ill meet
crim
inated
against
in
any
U
S
D
A
-rc-
or to those w hich prepare their own geographic or enrollm ent criteria. A
lated
a
ctivity
should
w
rite
im
m
edi­
site is geographically e ligible i f it is
meals.”
ately to the Secretary o f Agriculture,
Sponsors receive cash reimburse­ located in an area (usually a school
Washington, D.C. 20250.
m ent foroperating and adm inistrative district or census tract) in w hich 50
For further inform ation about this
percent
o
f
thcchildrcn
q
ualify
fo
r
a
fee
costs. Payments are based on the num ­
program and/or an application to par­
bers and types o f meals. A higher rale or red uccd -price school meal. A site is
ticipate, contact C hild N utrition Pro­
enrollm
ent
e
ligible
i
f
50
percent
o
f
the
is available to sponsors in rural areas
grams, Oregon Department o f Educa­
children
enrolled
can
be
documented
or to those w hich prepare their own
tion, at 378-3579.
to
q
u
a
lify
fo
r
a
free
or
reduced-price
meals. Some U.S. Department o f A g ­
Low Prices
trol (CD C ) bogged down and then
was canceled in a dispute over identi­
fying which soldiers were exposed to
Agent Orange. Blood tests proved
unreliable in determ ining Agent O r­
ange exposure because, after 20 years,
chemicals like the Agent Orange com ­
ponent d io x in (w h ich is believed
harm ful at levels measured in parts
per trillio n ) are lodged in fatty tis­
sues.
In addition, the C D C study found
that when compared to men o f the
same age who did not serve in V ie t­
nam, only non-H odgkin’ s lymphoma,
one rare cancer type out o f the six
investigated, was more prevalent in
veterans. And no connection between
Agent Orange and the cancer was
were men who did not serve in V ie t­
nam or who could safely be presumed
not to have had contact w ith Agent
Orange. But everyone in Am erica is
so riddled w ith toxins, including the
Agent Orange component d io x in , that
all previous studies may be flawed on
th is p o in t. Research by A rn o ld
Schectoer, a professor o f preventative
medicine at State U niversity o f New
Y o rk in Birm ingham , has indicated
that everybody in Am erica has d io xin
and its chemical cousins in their bod­
ies.
On the other side of the con­
tinuing dispute, the Government
may claim that billions of dollars in
compensation may no longer be
warranted, even if health problems
are finally linked to Agent Orange,
now that detoxification is possible
using a program which generally
only takes a few weeks to complete.
COCA-COLA AND THE NBA TEAM UP GLOBALLY
Jesus.”
Sponsors Invited For Summer Program
The Oregon Department o f Edu­
cation is looking fo r organizations to
sponsor summer food service programs
migraine headaches may a ll be linked
w ith Agent Orange, particularly when
combined w ith the other toxins from
environmental pollution.
Veteran Roger T in d a ll’ s chest
s till bears the scars o f open bleeding
sores he developed a week after being
directly sprayed w ith Agent Orange.
These did not go away u ntil he did the
Purification program over 15 years
later. “ I also suffered from depression
and anxiety attacks which also disap­
peared imm ediately after doing the
program, “ said T indall.
“ Upon returning from Vietnam ,
I had continual problems w ith rashes
all over my body, lover problems and
continuous migraine headaches,” said
another veteran, Steve H u ff, who
served w ith a M arine A ir T ra ffic
C ontrol U n it in Vietnam a couple
miles from an area regularly sprayed
w ith Agent Orange. “ M y w ife also
had tw o miscarriages and had not
been able to get pregnant since then.
“ W here I was sta tion ed , the
w in d was c o n s ta n tly b lo w in g and
I have no d o u b t th a t w in d -b o rn
d u s t w h ic h c o n s ta n tly covered
e v e ry th in g was som etim es satu­
rated w ith A g e n t O range. A fte r
d o in g the P u rific a tio n p ro g ra m ,
these health problem s disappeared
and m y w ife g o t pre gn an t. W e
now have three c h ild re n .”
The effectiveness o f the Purifica­
tion program may open the door to a
new method to investigate the long­
term side-effects o f Agent Orange
exposure.
A $43 m illio n dollar Federal
study by the Centers fo r Disease Con­
Responding to burgeoning w orld­
wide interest in the National Basket­
ball Association and its dynamic su­
perstars, The Coca-Cola Company
today announced a groundbreaking,
global agreement which significantly
broadens its m arketing relationship
w ith the N B A .
“ This jo in t e ffo rt marks the first-
ever globally integrated marketing
alignm ent o f the brand Coca-Cola
w ith one professional sport,” said M.
Douglas Ivester, executive vice presi­
dent and principal operating o ffic e r/
North Am erica, The Coca-Cola Com ­
pany. “ It also conforms to the emerg­
ing global sports marketing strategy
for Coca-Cola that now w ill be b uilt
p rim a rily on three pillars: basketball,
a« f»nitnmÌ7r.d hv ihc NBA. World
Cup soccer and the O lym pic Games.
The Coca-Cola/NB A partnership
includes a m ajor integrated m arket­
ing and merchandising thrust cen­
tered around a new animated com ­
mercial for Coca-Cola featuring the
N B A - the first o f its kind in support
o f a sports partnership.
“ W hile all sports in general tra­
d itio na lly have been a natural mar­
k e tin g v e h ic le fo r C o c a -C o la ,
basketball’ s unmatched appeal to
youth both in the U.S. and w orldw ide
commands a more focused promo­
tional program ,” M r. Ivester said.
The 30-second, animated televi­
sion advertisement, titled “ Dancing
Clothes,” makes it debut during the
N B A A ll-S tar Game broadcast Sun­
day. Feb. 13, on N B C -T V and w ill
ning Feb. 18.
Beginning in February, point-o f-
sale displays featuring the animated
uniform s - including life-size card­
board cutouts - w ill appear in num er­
ous outlets, including lobbies and
concessions atU nited Artists theatres.
The cinema chain also w ill o ffe r
movie-goers a chance to purchase
o ffic ia lly licensed N B A merchandise
at a discount when they buy a special
popcom -and-soft-drink com bination
that includes a free Butterfinger candy
bar. United A rtists is contributing i t ’ s
p ro fit from the sales o f N B A mer­
chandise to the N B A Stay in School
program.
Eat Healthy Protect Your Health
Big Savings!
Prices effective March 9 through March 15,1994 at Safeway.
Lucerne
Gallon Milk
• 1% Low Fat
• 2% Low Fat
• Non-Fat
• FIRST 1
• SAVE UP TO 80ft
Lucerne Large
A A Eggs
• 1 1/2-Dozen farm
fresh eggs
•FIRST 2
CARTONS
• SAVE UP TO
1.00 on 2
Look In The Thb Week
Magazine for your Safeway
Shopping Guide for a complete
list of specials on sale this
week at Safeway!
have an exclusive six-week run in
United Artists Theatre C irc u it, the
nation’s largest cinema chain, begin­
89.
E n jo y E x tr a S a v i n g s W it h T h e
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S a fe w a y S h o p p in g G u id e
Available at your Safeway store.
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