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SEPT. 30,1998
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»V *»’•*
L a s t w e e k , S e n a t o r s S m ith
an d W y d en v o te d a g a in s t
c o n s u m e r s a n d f o r b ig
banks. T hey o p p o se d a p ro
p o s a l b y S e n a t o r D ’A m a to
(R -N Y ) th a t w o u ld h a v e
s to p p e d o n e o f th e b i g g e s t
b a n k r i p - o f f s : th e d o u b l e -
d ip p in g A TM s u r c h a r g e .
T h e S e n a te d e f e a t e d th e p r o
p o s a l. A T M s u rc h a rg e s a re
u n f a i r to c o n s u m e r s . S in c e
th e A T M n e t w o r k s b e g a n
a l lo w in g th e n e w s u r c h a r g e
fe e o v e r tw o y e a r s a g o , th e
& 'ear Editor,
T h e la st tim e I fe lt th e k in d o f
fru stra tio n 1 feel no w w ith a n a
tio n a l p h en o m en o n w as w h en
the late G eo rg e W a lla c e , h a v in g
ta k en his in fam o u s sta n d a t th e
d o o r o f the U n iv e rsity o f A la
b am a, sta te d on te le v is io n th a t
h is p o sitio n on se g re g a tio n r e
flec ted th e w ill o f th e m a jo rity
o f th e A m eric an p e o p le . B o th
th e n ew s m ed ia a n d th e a p p a r
en t b u lk o f C o n g re ss, b y in fe r
en c e , h av e g o n e th e ir o w n v o y
e u r i s t i c w a y r e g a r d i n g th e
C lin to n -L e w in sk y d e b a u c h e ry
o n th e b asis o f th e p u b lic ’s a l
leg ed in te re st in it w h ile , in fact,
a v ery g o o d m a n y o f us h av e
sh ru n k fro m h e a rin g m o re th an
th e in itia l b la n k e t re p o rt th a t
m is c h ie fh a d b ee n d o n e. T ry in g
to get aw ay fro m th e b lo w -b y -
b lo w (pun in ten d ed ) a c c o u n t h as
b ee n as p a in fu l a n d as fu tile as
an e x p e rie n c e I o n ce h a d w h en
reg a in in g c o n scio u sn e ss fo llo w
in g a h em o rrh o id e c to m y . M y
ag o n y w as so in te n se a n d so all-
en c o m p a ssin g th a t I w a n te d to
c ra w l o u t o f m y b o d y . M o re an d
m o re e v e ry d a y , I w ish I co u ld
cra w l o u t o f th is g o d fo rsa k e n
co u n try .
P re sid e n t C lin to n ’s b e h a v io r
w as in d e fe n sib le , b u t is has to
b e v ie w e d a g a in st a b a c k g ro u n d
fo r w h ich e v e ry ja c k d o g o f us
d ire c tly o r in d ire c tly is re s p o n
sib le. It b e g a n w h en H o lly w o o d
p a v e d th e w ay fo r its ev e n tu a l
lic e n s e to d e p ic t b a re fle sh an d
se x u al in tim a c y w ith re le a s e o f
film s b a se d o n s a la c io u s sto rie s
from th e O ld T e sta m e n t-to w it,
th o se o f D a v id (G re g o ry P eck )
a n d B a th s h e b a an d S a m p so n
(V ic to r M a tu re ) an d D e lila h . I
w as in m y te e n s, as I re c a ll,
w h en th e y w e re re le a s e d , an d I
re m e m b e r th in k in g th a t th e se
Why We Need Affirmative
Action
I
z.
’•'-Ti
z>, e ar Editor,
B ernice P owell J ackson
The state o f Washington is facing a
proposition on its ballot in November
which would effectively end affirma
tive action in that state, as did Proposi
tion 209 in California. The debate on
affirmative action has proven to be an
emotional one which often is based on
anecdotes o f individuals who believe
they have not received a fair chance to
go to school or for a jo b because o f
affirmative action. Let’s try to take
away some o f the emotion and just look
at some realities.
First, let’s look at one significant
casestudy. It’stheU .S.Suprem eCourt,
the highest court in the land. If there is
one point o f deep chasm between per
ceptions o f fairness between people o f
color and European Americans, it is
around criminal justice issues. So, the
need for the active participation o f
people o f color at the nation’s highest
court is imperative.
Yet the numbers o f people o f color
in the nation’s highest halls o f justice
are astounding. In our nation’s history
only two Supreme Court justices have
been people o f color-both African
American men. There have been no
African American women, no Hispanic
men or women, no native American
men or w om en and no Asian American
or Pacific Island men or women who
have had the privilege o f serving on this
court.
Even more astounding is the record
o f the Supreme Court clerks, those
a v e r a g e a d d i t i o n a l c h a r g e to
n o n - c u s t o m e r is $ 1 .2 7 . A d d
t h a t to th e f e e b a n k s c h a r g e
f o r t h e i r c u s t o m e r s u s in g a n
o t h e r b a n k ’s A T M , a n d th e
c o s t o f u s i n g a n A T M is
n e a r ly $ 2 .5 0 , s o m e tim e s
e v e n h i g h e r . W ith o v e r 8 0 %
o f b an k s su rc h a rg in g , c o n
s u m e r s d o n o t h a v e a lo t o f
c h o i c e in th e m a r k e t p l a c e .
S u r c h a r g i n g is n o t o n l y
a n t i - c o n s u m e r , b u t it is a l s o
a n ti-c o m p e titiv e . T h e s u r
c h a r g e h u r ts s m a ll b a n k s a n d
c r e d it u n io n s .
M o re an d
m o r e s m a ll b a n k c u s t o m e r s
m o v ie s w e re s e ttin g a p r e c e
d e n t— o n e w h ic h e v e n th e e x
tr e m e ly s e l f - r i g h t e o u s c o u ld
scarcely p ro te st at th e tim e, since,
a fte r a ll, th e y w ere B ib le sto rie s.
I w as a ll to o rig h t. It w as d o w n
h ill fro m th a t p o in t o n . P s y c h o l
o g y fell r ig h t in ste p , an d g u ilt
b ec am e a d irty w o rd . S e x W ith
o u t G u ilt w a s n ’t w r itte n fo r
p e o p le to o sh y to c o n su m m a te
th e ir m a rria g e s! S ex th e ra p y b e
ca m e a re s p e c ta b le d isc ip lin e ,
an d m o v ie s (A R ip p le in T im e,
for ex am p le) sh o w n in w o rk sh o p s
to p ro sp e c tiv e th e ra p is ts w e re —
w h ile su p p o se d ly “ ta s te fu l”— so
g ra p h ic a lly re v e a lin g th a t th ey
m a d e p o rn film s lo o k lik e a
ch u rc h p ic n ic. A m o n g th e “ te c h
n iq u e s ” re v e a le d an d , 1 m ig h t
ad d , re c o m m e n d e d w ere th e v ery
o ral p ra c tic e s fo r w h ic h C lin to n
and L ew in sk y are n o w rev iled .
P a r e n th e tic a lly , s e lf- r ig h te o u s
c o n g re ssm e n — e s p e c ia lly th o se
w ho m eet fo r p ra y e r b re a k fa sts—
m ig h t w a n t to ta k e n o te o f the
fact th a t ac co rd in g to Je su s, those
w ho ev en lu st a fte r a w o m an have
c o m m itte d a d u lte ry w ith h e r a l
ch a rg es.
T h a t m a y s e e m lik e th e m a r
k e t p l a c e w o r k in g , b u t th e F e d
e ra l R e se rv e B o a rd h as sh o w n
t h a t b ig b a n k s c h a r g e h i g h e r
fe e s th a n s m a ll b a n k s a n d
a n o p p o r t u n i t y to p r o t e c t
c o n s u m e r s fro m th e f e e
g o u g in g A T M s u r c h a rg e s ,
b u t b e c a u s e S e n a t o r s S m ith
a n d W y d e n v o te d w ith th e
b ig b a n k s , c o n s u m e r s can
e x p e c t b a n k f e e s to k e e p x > n
g o in g u p .
c r e d it u n io n s .
I f th e s e lo w e r - p ric e d c o m
p e t i t o r s a r e d r i v e n f ro m th e
m a r k e t , t h e n th e b ig b a n k s ,
f a c i n g le s s c o m p e t i t i o n , w ill
ra is e th e ir fee s e v e n m o re.
E v e r y c o n s u m e r w ill lo s e , a n d
th e b ig b a n k s w ill k e e p o n
p ic k in g c o n s u m e r p o c k e ts .
S in c e r e ly ,
J o h n V a lle y
O S P IR G
C o n su m e r A d v o c a te
th is e n tire d e b a c le is th e h y p o c
risy in v o lv e d . W e h a v e n ’t been
a m o r a l c o u n try in m y life tim e
(s ix ty - th r e e y e a rs). A n a tio n ’s
m o ra l s ta n d a rd s are in no re
s p e c t r e fle c te d b y th e w ay o r in >
w h a t n u m b e rs its c itiz e n s w o r
sh ip , b u t .ra th e r, b y th e so c ial
in e q u itie s it fo ste rs a n d th e n a
tu re o f e n te rta in m e n t it seek s.
O n g o in g p ro o f, o f o u r b la ta n t
s e lf-d e c e p tio n e x c h a n g e s h an d s
e v e ry d ay : “ In G o d W e T ru s t” is
p e rh a p s th e b ig g e st e v e r to see
th e lig h t o f day.
It is th e a lm ig h ty d o lla r on
w h ic h it is p rin te d th a t w e b o th
w o rs h ip an d tru st. W h a t g o es is
w h a t is p ro fita b le , th a t is th e
re a d y in th e ir h e a rts.
Y es, P re s id e n t C lin to n w as in
c o m p re h e n s ib ly stu p id to risk so
m u c h fo r so little . Y es, he c h o se
a m o s t in a p p ro p ria te p la c e to b e
y o u r a v e ra g e J o h n D oe. Y es, no w
th a t th e h o u n d s o f h ell h av e tree d
h im a n d n o t s a tisfie s w ith th a t,
c o n tin u e to b ay w ith u n re le n tin g
v ig o r, h e is, w ith o u t d o u b t, b e re ft
o f a n y p o w e r to e x e rt a p o sitiv e
in flu e n c e on th e c o u rse o f n a
tio n a l a n d in te rn a tio n a l e v e n ts.
A n y d ay is b la c k w h en R e p u b li
c a n s h a v e c a u se to re jo ic e , an d
th is is, in d e e d , a v ery b la c k day.
T h e y h a v e fo llo w e d th e ir S tarr
fro m th e E a s t an d are b o m ag a in
to e te rn a l life in C o n g ress. C o m e,
A rm a g e d d o n ! Y o u a re o v erd u e .
L e st th e G O P e n jo y th e ir co u p in
u n c o n te ste d b lis s, h o w e v e r, le t
th o se o f u s w ith a few b ra in s le ft
re m in d th e e le c to ra te th a t o n e b ad
D e m o c ra t no m o re m ak es all re
p u b lic a n s s a in ts th a n o n e b ad
L e w in sk y m ak es a ll w o m en o f
Je w is h e x tra c tio n w h o re s. ( L e t’s
c a ll th a t sp a d e a sp a d e too w h ile
b o tto m lin e .
If, in fac t, w e as a n a tio n b e
lie v e d in a d e ity w h o m e tes o u t
ju s tic e , w e w o u ld , to a m an , b e
fleein g th e co u n try like lem m ings
in a n tic ip a tio n o f a replay^
S o d o m a n d G o m o rrah .
W ith p r o fo u n d d is
D . J u n e F red m a
N E P o rtla n d
w e ’r e a t it.)
W h at m o st d istu rb s m e a b o u t
Jefferson High School:
Reconstruction lV-Condusion
by -P rof .
M c K inley B urt
W e cited “ the critical im portance
o f feeder schools” as we closed last
w eek ’s reprise o f the stellar perfor
m ance o f over-achieving principals,
m em bers o f the “N ational A ssocia
tion for Schools o f E xcellence.”
W e could sim ply point to the ob
vious truths o f such statem ents as, “a
tree is not stronger than its roots,” but
m ore directly in support o f our asser
tion w as the testim ony o f those suc
cessful inner-city academ ics. And,
unfortunately, there are m any resi
dents o f the N ortheast com m unity
w ho also attribute the problem s o f
Jefferson High School-high drop out
rate and lagging academ ic achieve-
m ent-to docum ented deficiencies o f
the elem entary schools (not a N orth
east problem alone).
This assessm ent o f w hat m ust be a
critical elem ent o f any Jefferson H igh
School “ reconstruction” is seen to
lead to a very interesting observa
tion. For many m onths now we have
seen the frenzied antics o f the educa
tional pow er structure orchestrating
this process, generating ream s o f
uncorrelated data and statistics.
A nd over the unheeded protests o f
an intelligent com m unity o f caring
parents, teachers, students and activ
ists w ho have long understood and
docum ented the problem , this co n
trolling group has gained m om en
tum. Expensive consultants have
t v ll V
l i p
/ l X to - report
' J
' w w hat
i i u i 111
ai
been
em I ployed
is v al-
most important cases. It means that
institutional racism has for generations
kept out women and people o f color
and that the Supreme Court, other than
Justice Marshall,has notexamined how
to deal with it. It means that our nation
has not been well-served by having for
the most part only one race and gender
shape the judicial decisions ofourm ul-
tiracial, multicultural land.
Justice Thomas, having just ad
dressed the National Bar Association,
the nation’s African American legal
association, has expressed an interest in
increasing the number o f people o f
color clerks on the Supreme Court. But
this is too important an issue to just rely
on the interest o f individual justices.
The Court needs the best and the bright
est to serve as clerks. But the Court as
a whole needs to examine the system o f
recruiting and hiring its clerks so that
the best and the brightest are also reflec
tive o f our great nation. It is doubtful
that this Court, which has outlawed
affirmative action for others, would
choose to use it for itself. But by
whatever means, the Court and its em
Justice Steven Breyer.
ployees must be more reflective o f our
What does this mean for our nation
nationThe NAACP and the Hispanic
that both the Supreme Court justices
National Bar Association plan a protest
and these important behind-the-scenes -
outside the Supreme Court on October
shapers o f our justice system are by and
5, its opening day for the fall session.
large white men?
We can’t unelect Supreme Court
It may mean that by only choosing
justices,
who serve for life and are
from a very limited pool o f candidates
supposed
to be removed from public
that they are not getting the full breadth
opinion,
but
we must find a way to
o f experiences and insights which they
express
our
concern
and our outrage.
might as they consider our nation’s
young lawyers who are hired by the
justices to do much o f the reviewing
and writing o f first drafts o f opinions
for cases before the Court. According
to a recent USA Today article, o f the
800 Supreme Court clerks hired since
1965, when civil rights legislation was
passed, 675 have been European Ameri
can men and 80 have been European
American women. Only 18 have been
African American and 28 either His
panic or Asian American, there has
never been a native American.
A closer examination o f the Su
preme Court’s hiring practices shows
that h alfof the African American clerks
w ere h ire d by on e m an -Ju stic e
Thurgood Marshall, the first African
American to serve on the Court and
himself a significant actor in the civil
rights movement. Justice Thomas, the
only other person ofcolor to have served
as a Justice has hired one A frican Ameri
can clerk among his 33 clerks in his
seven years on the bench. Currently, in
this session o f the Court there is one
Hispanic woman who is serving for
C o n s u m e r s s h o u ld n o t b e
c h a r g e t w i c e to u s e th e A T M
o n ly o n c e . T h e C o n g r e s s h a d
a re s w itc h in g th e ir a c c o u n ts
to b i g b a n k s to a v o i d s u r
ready know n to school adm inistra
tors (stam ps o f approval are expen
sive).
The continuous release o f daily
(and conflicting) press reports has
caused confusion and has raised pro
tests am ong taxpayers far beyond
this com m unity. The hiring o f ex
pensive press agents or spin doctors
does not suggest that there are solu
tions at hand. The im plication is that
things are out o f control, and the
entire city is suspicious.
So that "interesting observation”
o f ours is, given all the academ ic
truths that are seen to be ‘se lf evi
den t,’ how much longer will the Port
land School adm inistration be al
low ed to indulge socio-ethnic fanta
sies? O r is it the case that this insti
tution is not in control o f its own
destiny-and never w as? Som e in
sight m ay be gained from, “A Pecu
liar Paradise: A History o f Blacks in
O re g o n , 1 7 8 8 -1 9 4 0 , E liz a b e th
M cLagan, 1980 (The Oregon Black
H istory Project).
A nd more than fifty years later the
sam e pervasive them e is w ith us.
Tradition and social m ores are seen
to go w ith the territory-and it will
take real com m itm ent rather than lib
eral rhetoric and spins form academic
citadels to bring about a change in
the m ind set. O r maybe the following
approach.
Interestingly, a num ber o f people
in
that their
aaa the com m
. . unity
- J report
r
very first conversations w ith w hite
new com ers brought the query, “How
in the w orld did you ‘p erm it’ these
disastrous schools to exist-didn’t you
realize w hat was being done to your
children? ‘W e’ ju st w o n ’t hold still
for it!”
A nother im portant concept o f the
‘new Jefferson T rin ity ’ was slated
for review this week: “T he Science
and Technology arm -H as Congress
halted ‘v isa s’ for foreign techni
cians?” There is not space this w eek
for the full treatm ent o f this subject
and the vigorous analysis it deserves,
but rest assured that it w ill be fol
low ed through in depth.
O ur concern is w ith the tentative
plans that we announced earlier for a
technological academ y as part o f the
Jefferson format. H aving com e to
the education scene (Portland State
U niversity) from an industry and fi
nancial background, I had som e real
tim e experiences to underw rite my
com m entary. A nd see m y “Black
Inventors” book.
M y specific concern was that C on
gress m ight reverse its stance on the
freezing o f visas for the im portation
o f foreign technical w orkers, llie n ,
w here w ould the Jefferso n H igh
School graduates w ork?
C ongress did exactly that last
w eek, th o u g h p ro m isin g 10,000
scholarships for “underprivileged
students to ‘study’ math and science.”
Do you buy it?
Messages About Alcohol Are
Confusing
B y J ohn C lay
The large newspaper headline read:
“ Drinking produces painful history.”
The stories that followed were about
the devastating impact o f alcohol on
an entire family.
The front page o f another section in
that same day’s paper carried a feature
story under another section in that
same day’s paper carried a feature
story under another large headline: “A
celebration o f pinot noir.” On the page
were several photos o f happy people
drinking, with this prominent quote
from one man: “It’s sex in a bottle.
outside. I ’ m sure the message for many
o f them was that the real fun goes
along with drinking inside that “ for
bidden zone.”
N eed more reasons that young
people have trouble m aking good de
cisions about drinking? Just watch any
major-league game on television, es
pecially an event such as the Super
Bowl. Some o f the most creative ad
vertisements are for beer during big
games - and the ads work.
Is it any wonder that so many col
lege students can be found dnnking in
the bleachers at football games?
As a former newspaper editor and
now a media com munication officer
for the O regon Office o f Alcohol and
Dmg Abuse Programs, I pondered
those stories for an extra moment.
Together they were another example
o f the confusing messages everywhere
about alcohol and other drugs.
About the same time I went to
Salem ’s new Riverfront Park, where
popular swing dance lessons were be
ing offered, with live music.
The band and the lessons were in a
roped-off area where alcohol was
served, so young people had to stand
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