READERS WRITE
ycbolo cal,'
eel due to the
ignific&nt role
and I have grown to see
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C rep ed in December of 1992 revea ed
that 0 ut of every four Ameri were of German descent
This immedi tely d a disheartening effect, in view of the history of
Germany, along with the upsurge in hate-crim here inAmcrica. well
in the nation of Germany itself.
That fear of Nazism that h so long been associ ted with those of
German descent till lingers in the air, and the reports of kin-head ctivity
in this country does little to allevi te that fear.
That census report also brought bac the knowledge that the United
States almost became a German- peaking nation, with English winning
out by a mall margin of votes.
Other tatistics were mentioned in that census report, such as, one out
of every ten Americans being of African-American descent, alo� with
the proportions of other-ethnic groups. Yet there was no mention of the
proportion of Native Americans.
IN VIEW of the f; ct thit the Native American population has
recently pushing itself onto ti ne with legitimate claims on
land rights, cultural rights, casino gamblin d other issues there migh
exist more j tification to push harder on some African-American issues.
There remains a common bond between the Native American and th�
African-American.
presence of .rampant alcohol and drug abuse; unemployment,
poverty, crime, and the deep-rooted psychological impact of disillusion­
ment are factors that both groups experience overwhelmingly in their
daily li
Yet remedies to alleviate these problems have come from contrast-
n and are motivated by equally different reasons.
The United States government has attempted to assist the Native
American directly through government grants placed at their disposal.
THE GOVERNMENT HAS also supported Native American claims
to certain inherent rights. This assistance by the government has almost
placed the native American in a omewhat autonomous light
On the other band the African-American has bad to, more ofless scrape
the bottom of the barrel from the very onset noes the African-American
need reparations? ,
If so, then what type? If we singly consider the effects of slavery, then
there is still an issue that will hold up to close scrutiny.
Yet today, wi th so many African-Ameicnas achieving success in many
areas of this SOciety, we may find the issue of slavery abandoned by its
own descendants. But are there more up-to-date issues?
Perhaps we should look at the fact that hate-crimes have increased
wit'Ain the past decade. A close, in-depth study of these crimes should
reveal that these crimes are only-the result of pent-up beliefs that were
executed in· other forms in the past.
TIlESE FORMS COULD fall into the category of job, housing,
school, and social discrimination, matched with a menagerie of other
subtle manifestations that are incorporated when permission f�c
revelation has not quite been condoned and granted by society.·
If we observe these subtle manifestations repeating themselves over a
prolonged period of time, then we eventually co� upon the legal system,
which has been the only hope for the African-American for potential
redress.
\ ,
Yet wijh the African-American population composing of only twelve
percent of the national population, but making up over tifty percent of the
prison population, there becomes an aspect to the legal system that
appears somewhat defective.
Obviously many African-American prisoners are guilty of some type
cf. crime, but can we say that these crimes are motivated by some
individual, personal defect? . . ,
Or, by the subtle manifestations of prolonged discrimination as pre­
viously mentioned?
, .
IF WE SKf'1LE for covert discrimination as the culprit responsible
for the increase in crime in the African-American community, then we
must also conclude that any request for reparations should include a form
of amnesty for the African-American felon.
. The substance of this amnesty may basically consist of a total erasure
of any past criminal record of the 'Present African-American felon. _
Understandably extremely serious offenses may constitute certain
stipulations, or perha even omission from the amnesty concept, y t the
majority of African-American felons don't tit into this category.
Nevertheless, the absence of a criminal record would bring new hope
to the attitude of the African-American convict
With the doors of employment, education, and social endeavors
swinging open his attitude will become positive and he will find a new
confidence that will no longer be held back by the stigma of a past criminal
, record.
MANY AFRICAN-AMERICAN felons have already changed, yet
are still haunted by the same traps that a criminal history presents.
Most simply lackthe superhuman determination and thepersonable
skills necessary to convince the holders of society that they are sincere,
and can be an asset to the' community.
The present trend towards indifferent imprisonment is unjustifiably
costly, and soon may. put any plausible solutions totally beyond reach.
TIlE AFRICAN-AMERICAN community can, no longer sit idly by
and watch their brothers and sisters carted away, then returned, only 10 be
carted away again due to the judgement oflaws that have been historically
designed to place the African-American at a disadvantage.
The idea of amnesty is only a small segment of the total scope. of
necessary reparations �eeded to allevia!e our present problems, andlfie
problems caused by the past. ,
Yet it is an idea worth considering since all other avenues seemed to
have fallen short. Perhaps the new deal con�pt can be truly realized
through1egitimate reparations for our people.
Robert L Turner J:ilghland Park
\'IE'\S& ()PI\J(f\
• Everyd y inside th . t regim tion ide the
of South Africa, more and more cative 0 bo the
evidence emerge about the nee ector of
y tem tic death-cho e that mment t bWz "
P rtheid malDtains a ai t th do iD soutbem Africa.
people of S th Africa. 0, F. ." An 01, amib Mozam iq
de IOer been forced admit and and lamb in particular, all It
coliftrm that South Africa's m1lltary the terror of South Africa'. from to
�an on oiD "co rt third forte" t y in po er by act of -10
that ha en aged in political ty military trikes" P of
lnauon and terrorism gainst an overall strategy of re ional
e Afri atio Con and· d tabllization.
other anti- partheid uppo We note, e ha in tb P 1,
In fact, both Bla'Ck and white that U.S. foreign pollcy to ard South
South Afri h ve been murdered Africa during the lut twelve years
by this "government apparatus" of actually erved to prolong South
apartheid. e believe that President frica' viability as a trong
de Klerk knew about these illegal and "strategic ally" both in political
barbaric ctions of the "third force" military terms.
ong before the public di closures of ,The d result that millions of
the p t few days. Africans have been killed with not
The aId aying, "The truth buried even a hint from Washington, that the
alway eventually comes to light," is Ilves of the people who live in the
quite applicable to this last difficult region of outhem Africa hould
stage of the historic struggle to have been protected-a long time ago
dismantle the brutal Institutionalized from this atrocity against humanity.
sy temolracismknownasapartheid. Without naming the accu ed
As we h ve previously argued, officers, Mr. de Klerkannounced that
. much of the, dramatic increase in the 23 mili tary officers arc. being
fratricidal warfare between the "uspended ordi missed" becauscDf
African National Congress and Chief their involvement wi th 'covert
Buthelezi's Inkatha group has been terrorist military operations in South
orchestr ted by forces with the Africa. '
mili tlry and government.
t'
SIX OF THE 23 were ranked
velations of full generals. Although President de
the extent to which repressive forces KJerI' asserted that he w "hocked
In South Africa have gone to and disappointed", it is not exactly
'*
Jo Beth DuPris
Member: Game Table»
Union Atlantic City_
Starting pay:, 21.351 hr
Monty "BlaclQac "Reilly
Member: Game 7bbles
Union Local
� Starting pay: $35.1 hr
done 0
done
ottbe
o th Atrl
-The flndin
co on t
hive leld to the death t)
peop e ... Co laborato 0
African De 0
invol , In
involved, in lllo II nd/or
unauthorized ctlvltles, nd
malpracti "
Will those guilty of th e crim
be pro ecuted? Or better, the
q tion ill government of
South Africa pro ecute I elf or
violently violating the human rigb
of the peoples of ou em ACrlca?
During the remaining tounds of
negoti tion to e t bli h
transitional government, we believe
the current command structure of the
South African Defense Forces needs
to be completely reorganized by
placing representatives of the ANC
and other civilians in charge of the
armed force during this critical
transitional tage.
A failure to disl04ge and purge the
right-wing ·elements from the
military will result in the escalation
,of political violence in South Africa.
THE AFRICAN NATIONAL
congress issued a statement in
Lena Monroe
Former City Employee
Budget cut-backs
Starting pay: 5.a5 1 hr
to the di clo
C ted,
o by P ident de er are
a tep in th right direc on,
not nearly enougli. e current
1 tio clear! only P of
iceberg."
e gree th the C
further call for full disclo ure of
joint intelligence oper tion
conducted by the South African
Defense Intelligence with the Central
Intelligence gency (CIA) during
the I t twelve ye
t The people of outh Africa and
the people of the ted Stat have
a right to know what were the joint
agreements on intelligence g thering
between the United States and South
Africa. •
Constructive ensa ement"
strategies of the Reag'cln-Bush era
have been very de tructive to
outhem Africa. I
The issue of changing U.S.
foreign policy initiative towar
Africa in general an outhem Africa
in particular will present ignificant
challenge to the incoming Clinton
Administration. The time for a
progres ive policy change i long
ov rdue. As more of the truth creep
out of South Africa, the end of
apartheid is at least in ighL
By Tim Jackson
.(
for everybody I _
-::::::::. -: J
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Oti Johnston ''2
Skilled factory worker ;j
Laid off �
Starting pay: 6.50 I hr
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ordan: Wh'
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,By JAMES E. ALSBROOK
Four years ago when George Bush
had won the 1988 presidential
election, the ·newest and most
conspicuous BlaCK person associated
with Republican political activity
was Willie Horton, the murderer and
rapist.
Bush himself brought prominence
to the name of, Horton. But today,
when Bill Clinton has won the 1992
presidential ele¢on, .the newest and
most conspicuous Black person
associated with Democratic poll
activity and Clinton'S pending
presidencyis Vernon Jordan, leader
of Clinton's transition team.
This new status figure is a v teran
lawyer, social uplift advocate, and
recipient of many honors and awards
in private enterprise and in public
service.
Willie Horton lives in
Massachuse tts and si ts behind bars
where he belongs. Bu Vernon
Jordan lives in Washington, D.C.,
and ,sits in the Board of Directors'
rooms 0 big-name companies such
as Xerox, J.C. Penny, Dow Jones,
American Express, Corning,
Bankers Trust, RJ.R. abisco, Sara
Lee and otbers.
WllLIEHORTONhas been the
object of public condemnation and
the Subject of hot pursuit by police �
criminal behavior. .
But Vernon Jordan has been the
object of public admiration and
subject of many honors bestowed by
academic instftutions and
professional organizetions.
Jord n was born in 1935, at
Atlanta, Ga. He received the B.A
degree from DePauw University in
1957 and the J.D. at Howard'
University in 1960. , '
He married in 1958 and fathered
one child. He wife died in 1985 and
he remarried in 1986.
He passed the Georgia State BaT
examina tion in and the
Arkansas State Bar examination in
1964. He practiced law in Atlanta .
1961 and 1962 and in Pine Bluff,
in 1964 and 1965.
HE W GEOR�IA field
director of the NAACP from 1961 to
1963, and director, Voter Education
Project, Southern Regional CounGi
from 1964 until 1968. He was
attorney for the Office of
Employment Opportunity in Atlanta
in 1969, and executive director
I ..____
@ Tlm Jackson 1992
a
I
United Negro College Fund, New assassin was arrested because of his
York, 1970 to 1971. previous history of attacks on Black
After Whitney Young drowned' people and his being traced to a
off the coast of Africain 1970, Jordan .location near the attempted
in 1972 succeed� him as president assassination site on the day of the
of the National Urban League. He' crime. He was not tried because of a
served until 1981. reported "lack of evidence."
Jo ed civic tasks on Some Blacks say he was a
many boards, c . . ssions, and "copy-cat killer" attempting to mimic
councils. He is a member of the James Earl Ray, who used a rifle in
A.M.E. Church, the American Bar 1968 to kill Dr. Martin Luther King
Association, the National Bar in Memphis.
Associauon,' the National Council of Since president-elect Bill Clinton
Black Lawyers, the Council of named Jordan head of his transition
Foreign Relations, the Century team, speculation is that Jordgn may
Association and other groups. be the first Black U.S. Attorney
Jordan was almo t killed in May General., ,
of 1 80 when shot in the back by a George Bush used Willie Horton
gunman believed to be Joseph.Paul to scare white people, to divide the
F�n, a whi� man and avowed nation along racial lines and to get a
racist, from Mobile, Ala. larger "White" vote for himself.
Reports say the bullet was from a He imitated Nixon and Reagan
30. rifle and " eft a hole almo t who with a numerically inferio;
large enough to put a fist in." political party succe sfully used the
Jordan's life was saved by a Blac Horton-like ploy of racial hatred t
surgeon, Dr. Jeffrey H. Towles, who divert the nation' aUention away
performed1he operation. Jordan was from America's economic decline
shot when about to enter his room at and infrastructural det rioration. '
a motel before going to a speaking The Jordan appointment is one
engagement at the Fort Wayne, Ind., Clinton signal that he wants to be fair,
Urban League.:" reunite a ruptured nation and heal its
Newsoaners reoort the would-he racial wounc1�.