P age A2
bv
D r . J avhs Z ogbv , P residí
ni
(AAI)
ome of the w orst
abuses of the McCarthy
era may be resurfacing
in the guise of the Clinton
A d m in is tratio n 's recently
launched campaign against
terrorism.
I he principle tools proposed in
the Administration's effort are the
President's January 24. 1995 Execu
tis eOrder ‘ProhibitingTransactions
with I errorists who Threaten to Dis
rupt the Middle East Peace Process";
and the recently introduced (S.390
HR 896) "Omnibus Anti-Terrorism
Act of 1995."
On the surface, the stated pur
poses of each seem commendable.
1 he Executive Order is designed to
cut off financial support for Middle
East organizations engaged in vio
lent. anti-peace process activity,
while the legislation seeks to expand
the power of law enforcement agen
cies in their effort to combat terrorist
activity.
On closer examination, howev
er. both efforts introduce draconian
measures that will seriouslv erode
NATIONAL1
C»
C O A L IT IO N
Danger To Our Rights
civil and political rights guaranteed
to U.S. citizens and noncitizen alike
under the U.S. Constitution and in
ternational law. In the name of com
batting terrorism, the legislation
would: ( I ) deny the "presumption of
innocence" for those under investi
gation; (2) allow the government to
conduct surveillance against persons
suspected of violating conspiracy
laws based purely on their stated
beliefs and associations; (3) allows
for a prohibition of fundraising by
"any person or organization" on the
basis of a non-appealable declara
tion by the President that they are
engaged in "terrorist activities"; (4)
establishes a secret court and secret
trials that can use secret evidence to
deport persons convicted o f no
crimes; (5) allows law enforcement
agencies to conduct surveillance
against individuals and groups, purely
on the basis of their beliefs and asso
ciations; (6) allows for preventive
detention under an extended pretrial
detention scheme; (7) allows perma
nent detention by the Attorney Gen
eral ofaliens conv icted of no crimes
with no judicial review; and (8) res
urrects the discredited ideological
visa denial provisions o f the
McCarran-Walter Act to bar foreign
speakers.
VV hile these measures are dan
gerous to the rights o f all Americans,
Arab Americans and Muslim Amer
icans are especially concerned since
on too many occasions in the past
two decades we hav e been cast as the
weak link in the civil liberties chain.
When various administrations have
attempted to rewrite extradition law,
undo reforms that restricted EBI in
trusion into legitimate and constitu
tionally protected political activ ities,
and otherwise chill or repress the
political activity of individual citi
zens—the targets were our communi
ties.
We oppose terrorism in all
o f its forms. We m aintain that
law enforcem ent must be vig i
lant and may require some e n
hancement o f tools needed to deal
with modern terro rist weapons
and technology. But, we must not
allow the C onstitution and the
Bill of Rights to be a casualty in
this war against terrorism .
If you want to preserve Am er
ica s freedom s and elim inate the
objectionable parts o f this legis
lation, please call the Arab Am er
ican Institute (AA I) at 202-429-
9210.
A io n g j h e Color Line: In Defense Of Angela Davis
Bv D k . M anning M arable
JII
'o re than a q u a rte r
century ago, African-
A m erican
s c h o la r/
activist Angela Davis first came
to public attention.
The young philosophy professor
was dismissed from her faculty posi
tion at the University of California-
Los Angeles in June, 1969, by then
California Governor Ronald Reagan.
I lie "grounds" for her dismissal had
nothing to do with her scholarship or
teaching effectiveness, both of which
were outstanding. Davis's member
ship in the US Communist Party, and
her public commitment to black liber
ation, were the basis for purging her
from higher education.
Less than one year later, FBI
agents charged her with involvement
in a shoot-out in a California court
room which led to several deaths, in
cluding one judge and a member ofthe
Black Panthers, 17-year-old Jonathan
leaving the US Communist Party sev
right for the free and unrestricted ex
Jackson, the younger brother of the
eral years ago, she has become a lead
pression of critical ideas from various
revolutionary prisoner George Jack-
ing member of the Committees of
political perspectives within any uni
son. Davis was named one of the coun-
Correspondence, a democratic and
versity.
try's "Ten Most Wanted Criminals.”
socialist organization involved in pro
Mass conservatism recognizes
Once captured and imprisoned, she
gressive political activism.
that it must delegitimate all potential
was constantly harassed and victim
I his attack against Angela Davis
and real voices of progressive opposi
ized But a massive international cam
is a smear against her outstanding
tion. within the academy and through
paign erupted in her defense. Through
record as a scholar and leading pro
out society. The Far Right seeks to
out the world, the name of Angela
gressive intellectual. Hercontributions
wage ideological war on scholars ad
Davis came to symbolized racist na
to the literature of race, gender and
vocating
the principleof human equal
ture of the US criminal justice system,
class in America have placed her at
ity.
and the naked political suppression of
the very center of multicultural schol
The defense of Angela Davis is
radicals w ithin American justice sys
arship. Experts in the field unanimous
once
again on our agenda, and we are
tem, and the naked political suppres
ly praise her intellectual insights and
challenged
as never before to raise our
sion of radicals within American jus
appreciate her theoretical and histori
voices
in
protest.
For if scholars with
tice system, and the naked political
cal work.
a
commitment
to
democratic
activism,
suppression of radicals within Ameri
Student and supporters of Profes
women's
rights
and
black
equality
like
can society. In June, 1972. after nearly
sor Davis's UC Presidential Chair
commitment
to
democratic
activism,
two years imprisonment, a California
appointment, linking their activity to a
women's rights and black equality like
jury declared her innocent ofall charg
defense ofaffirmative action, which is
Davis
are silenced or removed from
es.
underattackinCalifomiaand through
their jobs, it is only a matter of time
Since thattime, Davis hascontin-
out the country. Certainly Professor
before other progressive intellectuals,
ued to combine a commitment to polit
Davis should be supported on the
leaders
in unions, and other sectors
ical activism and scholarship. Since
grounds
of academic
freedom,
and the
--------
—v —v •.v1
.uviii,aiiuiiic
win
will ne
be targeted.
The Republican Contract: A Second Post Reconstruction
bv
R on D aniels
y the time Jimmy Carter
was elected President
the re a c tio n /W h ite
backlash was so pervasive that
openly identifying with civil
rights, affirmative action was
no longer politically expedient.
Indeed, during his presidential
campaign Carter made no explicit
public commitment to promote Black
interests Instead. African Americans,
the most reliable allies of the Demo
cratic Party were reduced to accept
ing Carter’s private exhortations to
"trust me.” It was in part the Black
disappointment with Carter's perfor
mance on the Black Agenda that
contributed to the election of Ronald
Reagan.
The election of Reagan was a
decisive moment in the escalating
reaction to Black progress through
thecivilrightsrevoltofthe fifties and
sixties. With the U.S. economy
shrinking in the face of expanding
global competition and racked by a
new
phenom enon
called
blind society, Reagan unleashed the
Stagflation (the unique occurrence
Justice Department and the office of
of inflation and recession simulta
the Attorney General to attack civil
neously), Reagan's assignment was
rights laws and file lawsuits to dis
clear: secure a climate for increased
mantle affirmative action.
profitability and accumulation of
The Democrats chose to target
wealth for U.S. multi-national cor-,
the "Reagan Democrats," those
porations, the rich and the super
White voters who had abandoned the
rich. To accomplish this task the
Democratic Party to create the mar
Reagan agenda called for cuts in
gin o f victory- for Reagan and Bush.
social programs, drastic increases in
In essence the Democrats attempted
the military, war budget and tax cuts
to remake themselves as Republican
for the wealthy. To disguise this
look alikes. In so doing the Demo
scheme it was necessary to divert the
cratic Party abandoned and betrayed
attention of White poor and working
its Black allies in favor of pursuing
people away from the real motives
conservative/reactionary/racist ele
and objections of the "Reagan Revo
ments in the American electorate.
lution.”
The Democrats had learned to play
Once in office Reagan launched
the race card. History was repeating
an all out assault on civil rights and
itself in a second Post Reconstruc
affirmative action, introducing and
tion type scenario where once again
popularizing the notion of "reverse
the interests and aspirations of Afri
discrimination. White Americans
cans in A m erica were being
were depicted as victimsofcivil rights
marginalized.
and affirmative action and a new
The Democrats felt that by win
form of "oppression" called "Black
ning the White House in '92. they
racism. Under the guise of promot
had greatly diminished the potential
ing fairness, equality and a color
fora Republican resurgence. But it is
& /ifr
'□ f (Simitar
Send your letters to the Editor to:
Editor, P0 Box 3137, Portland, OR 97208
You Have The Nerve To Ask...
“Who Will Ask?”
In response to the recent letter
to the editor “Who Will Ask.” let's
ask who s asking the question in the
first place
Who's asking for the commu
nity to be concerned with what’s
happening in the state prison sys
tem? Who’s this person that is look
ing for the black community to sup
port his cause? Who is this person
that has obviously put a lot of time
and effort to ask the question. “Who
i.
Will Ask?"
Who is this person that is so
concerned about the psychologi
cal testing that is being done on
black inmates.’ Who is this p er
son that has put a lot o f energy
into researching why the penal
system is being inundated with
black youth? Who is this person
that is asking for justice?
Low and behold a black male
prisoner who unjustly murdered two
African-American women of this
community.
And he has the nerve to ASK???
We find it amazing that this
person would use the community
based new spaper as a forum to voice
his opinions about the treatment in
the prison system
We already
know the type of destruction he is
capable of committing.
Debora Leopold, Belinda
Barren, and Vickie Toliver
difficult to beat someone at their ow n
game. The epidemic of crime and
violence sweeping the country and
the economic insecurities created in
part by Clinton's pro-big business
economic policies produced a cli
mate ripe for the Republicans to ex
ploit. In announcing their Contract
with America in the Summer of 1994.
Newt Gingrich made it clear that the
goal of the Contract was to "finish
the Reagan Revolution.”
The Republican victory on No
vember 8, 1994 and the effort by
Gingrich-Dole and the radical right
to impose their racist Contract on
America is the logical climax of the
White backlash which swept Rich
ard N ixon into the presidency in 1968
fhe radical right is determined to
turn the clock back to the “good old
days" by destroying all vestiges of
the New Deal, destroying the “gains”
of the civil rights movement, and
putting Black people back in their
place. The fate and future o f Black
America is in danger. The second
Post Reconstruction is indeed at hand.
Views Not
Supported
1 he Port land Observer w ants
to publicly issue a retraction to a
letter to the editor in last week's
edition regarding the Oregon Ju
dicial System.
The article, entitled “ Who
Will Ask," does not reflect the
views o f the publisher or mem
bers of the Portland Observer
staff.
We apologize for not realiz
ing that this letter was written by
Stressla Johnson. 38, a murderer
of two African-American wom
en in our community.
Johnson s death sentence
was overturned in 1993. He is
currently at the Oregon State Pen
itentiary, serving two life sen
tences without the possibility of
parole
Joyce U ashington,
Publisher
p e r s p e c tiv e s
Its Hard To Get Good Help These
Days (In Getting Educated)
f ost educators I talk to
in a los Angeles manufacturing plant
Mhese days say that
that manufactured pots, pans and
there is such an air of
skillets. I compared this poorly ed
u n c ertain ty aro u n d the
ucated workforce o f Blacks and
educational scene that even
Mexicans recruited at the Grey
the professionals hesitate to
hound Bus Depot (cheap labor),
make any firm predictions as
who successfully performed their
to outcomes. Where does that
tasks with an admirable skill — with
leave the general public,
a less-successful situation encoun
e s p e c ia lly p a ren ts and
tered as chief accountant for Port
students?
land’s Albina Corporation.
We may be
The latter
gin our survey
situation, I ex
with an assess
plained to sever
Sy
ment o f congres
al puzzled indus
Professor try people, may
sional actions that
Mckinley
will seriously im
have involved a
Burt
pact the ability of
labor force at near
our youth to gain
the educational
a higher education; that is ifthey are
level of the Los Angeles group, but
not already cut-off-at-the-pass at
the parameters o f product specifi
lower levels. In a bill passed last
cations and quality control were at
month, the House eliminated $63.4
least a magnitude higher, here in
million used to match state money
Oregon. At the Los Angeles “Globe
for scholarships -- and drastically
Ware” plant a skillet could be as
reduced spending for the program
much as 1/300 out-of-round and
that aids students from low-income
nobody cared as long as the lid went
orethnic minority backgrounds who
on and the housewives didn’t com
are the first generation in their fam
plain.
ily to attend college.
However, at the Portland plant
Ina subsequent debate the Sen
the manufacturing process was com
ate restored some cuts, and there
bined with a Dept. of Labor training
seems a possibility that some pro
program. While the goal was to
grams or PARTS might survive.
produce an "ammunition box" for
Though Oregon Senator Mark
the military—a container made to a
Hatfield (R) was “highly impressed”
1/10,000 inch tolerance so that its
by student testimony before the Sen
tight-fitting ad would protect the
ate, he had a dire warning: “you
contents even when exposed to the
will probably be unhappy with what
corrosive salt water spray o f an
ever compromises are crafted”. Lisa
ocean voyage while lashed to the
R. Stevens, the federal lobbyist for
deck o f a ship. The workforce, re
the Oregon State System o f Higher
cruited primarily in the northeast
Education, says “higher education
area o f the city, remained too far
funding is not safe at this point.”
behind the learning curve targeted
Let me refer back to last weeks
to enable one to read and compre
“ Perspectives” article where I re
hend detailed instructions neces
viewed the Sunday, April 2 “Town
sary to operate sophisticated ma
Hall” program on KATU; Oregon’s
chinery or to make fine mathemati
School Reform Act was the topic
cal computations or to read some
for the televised debate. I reported
instruments.
the pros and cons o f the very heated
For these problems ofa grossly
discussion, but apparently did not
deficient education, the school dis
satisfy several membersofindustry
trict neveradmitted to any responsi
who communicated to me in no
bility despite the incessant clamor
uncertain terms that they felt it was
of parents and grassroots activists.
“ industry pres sure" that initiated
Industry made small noises back
the movement for school reform.
then, but now they are throwing
And that I of all people should
their weight around in respect to the
know that’ (I’ve never denied it).
degree of preparation they expect
This reference was to an in-
their workforce to have.
depth group of articles I wrote for
Fellow members o f the “Asso
the Portland Observer several years
ciation of Oregon Industries” to
ago after attending a state legisla
which I belong have differing view
tive hearing on education at the
points, although the print media
invitation o f then-state-
would have you think that all have
Senator Vera Katz (Teacher
the viewpoint of Intel and Tektronix
Competency Standards was the
on support o f the Oregon School
agenda). In one article I had alluded
Reform Act.
to experiences as a cost accountant
More on this next week.
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