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CP: Politic
fe
r;
n
Dear EditOf:
ThaD you for "Free
Micliiaan's Mandela" (July 7-
12). We apee in principle
t tbe e African People
I
Organization (NAPO) is
doing to help Ahmad Radman
ccure his freedom; however,
Mr. Rahman i not the only
political pri oner in
Michigan. Most African
American in Michigan
prisons are political prisoners.
Recently Governor
BI nchard r n an ad showing
an African A
boot camp. Thi
NAACP wa ffended and
told the Gover or so. 1Th ad
w racist nd promot d the
old myth tha all A�rican
Americans ar "croo "or
"thieve ".
We re, how ver, over rep­
re ented in t e num r of
Afric n A er ican: in
MiChigan pri 0 ,Thu, when
Governor Bla chard . pea
about crime a building new
ph on • it i ur contention
that Governor Blanch rd i
tal in Af ican
American, this i"
raci m. I
con­
cgree f lony
murder. Th e renee i m n­
datory. Under ichigan I , •
anyone who a' . and abet
another in the mmi ion of
a felony nd a ilJing occurs
(prior to Peopl v Aaron), he
i ju t a guilty a the p on
who pulled the rigg r.
The point J m trying to
make, It doe not m tter
where Mr. Rah
the killing oec rred� the law
ay that he is g illy. Th fact
that the tiggerm n pled guilty
and recci ved a I er entence
i of no import ceo Fir I-de­
gree murder oc urred regard-
le the rea on for it
commi sion.
the f llacy in lh
"tou h on crime"
THO: :
R building.
pri on in dcpre . ed arc of
the St te. In tti c area. they
hire locals. Mo I have nOI had
Co ti ed on Pa e 13
ixed race adoptions receive mixed repon e
By Derric " Le i
SllIff IUporter
is a Significant i sue in the
Metro Detroi I area. which ha
a high percentage of Blac ,
but not j n other part of the
'tate.
People arc a king wbat is to
become of the e chi Idren ho
arc taken away from their
mothers, their communi tie ,
their racial identity. who are a
lot of times placed in a white
fo ter borne. or arc adopted by
white parent with different
identity. culture. and social
per pective, an environment
totally foreign from where
tbey came.
According to Robert Bee,
director of Child Welfare
Licensing in the Department
of Social Service • thi feeling
HE SAID EW agencies
are sometime formed in
response to the e concerns,
and cited tive-American
chi Id placement agencie
being' formed in upper
Miehigan, because of Native­
American cbildren beib
placed in racially different
home.
The dr maucally nsrng
ber of African-American
Ildren b in pi ced in fo ter
.omes ha many people con ....
emed about the consequen­
ce of thi tr nd,
Cr ck addicted mothers un­
able to ta e care of tbeir
children. or poor mothers bo
re unable to obtain a
edicaid funded abortion are
heavily contribuung to t e in­
ere in number of Black
children entering fo uer care.
Bee commented lhat
record are not readiJ y a il­
able a to the numbe of
mixed-race adoption In the
slatt,
He indicated the informa­
tion would have to be obtained
from the numerous individu I
adoption agencie in the tate.
Some people who defend
the placement of Blac
children into hite home •
ay tbe love a child receives
from their adopting par nts
should compe» te for the di -
P ritie. TIley liso point ut
child ren placed in w hi t
home often gel better oppor­
. tunitie in life, becau e of
euer financial ituation and
t bllity.
Some ay the choice 0
tayrng in fo ter home all of
your life doe not outweigh
being adopted by a family-that
care for you, no matter what
r ceo
I PITE 0 thi rgu-
ment tate rule empba ize
t Black children are to be
Co tr. ed oa e 11
