Page 4-Tuesday, August 5, 1980-The Michigan Daily
4
Rape and race:
Blacks against blacks
Edited and ganaged bsdtdients Mobile, Alabama, is a part of
a the Unversty Mf M higa the old South.Walking through
the old downtown business
district the casual observer can
almost see the buildings and
stores decaying before one's
eyes. Segregation here is still the
rule, rather than the exception, in
social, political and economic
or C oh o e life. Whites live in nearby
Chickasaw (99.7 per cent white)
or in the suburbs. Blacks in the
city or in Prichard mostly dwell
behind the veil of poverty. The
OTERS ACROSS Michigan today Will cast political system is openly
their ballots for their choice of candidates corrupt, and black progressive
running for city, state, county, and federal politicians and street-wise ac-
positions. While there are important choices to be tivists have not organized effec-
made, the focus should be on third-partys' efforts to trveo Insodmuenemrbyanieg
be placed on the November ballot, and tie patently borhoods the Ku Klux Klan mar-
unfair law which requires this minor party vote. ches almost every weekend, in-
timidating black folks and
Under the current .law, voters are forced to moderate whites alike. The
choose between voting for major party candidates question of violence against
blacks, against the poor, against
or supporting a minor party's efforts to come nearly anyone who proposes
before the November voter. The Daily encourages social justice, is never very far
voters to avoid the partisan candidates and instead from the surface of huran
vote for one of two sensible, viable political alter- relations and culture.
natives: The Anderson Coalition or Barry Com- The violence against our people
inMobile-and indeed
moner's Citizens Party. We also urge that the throughout this coun-
primary ballot law be abolished. try-manifests itself into patter-
ns of self hatred and self
A vote for one of these candidates is a necessary degradation. Petty theft, drugs
step to ensure that the American voter will have a and sporadic personal violence
sound and fair choice - not between two bungling have become a part of the black
demagogues, but rather between individuals who community's normal life. A
envionmntalstsmajor part of the violence bet-
will represent the interests of environmentalists ween blacks is one of the most
and consumers. reprehensible crimes ofall-rape.
A conspiracy of silence between
The choice is certainly frightening between Car- too many black local leaders,
ter and Reagan. John Anderson is a refreshing ministers and businessmen ob-
face; a respected, talented representative who has scres the widespread nature of
distinguished himself from the othercandidates physical terror directed by black
through his liberal positions on social issues. men against black women.
THE MOBILE RAPE Crisis
Barry Commoner and his Citizens Party are Center, in operation for over four
newcomers to American politics. Commoner urges years, has attempted to provide a
changes toward a more socially equitable society, much-needed comprehensive
one which seeks to abolish corporate program to deal with the violence
monpolzaton hil naioaliingsuc prgras against women. The Center hasa
monopolization while nationalizg such programs 24-hour rape crisis hotline,
as the railroads and health care. provides counseling services to
efor either of these the rape victim and her family,
We are confident that a vote rlegal advice and a rape preven-
parties is an effective and meaningful step toward tion program.
opening the political choices available to voters. Statistics provided by the Rape
Crisis Center reveal the
The ludicrous primary ballot law is a two-headed prevalence of black-against-
monster. It provides a frustrating obstacle which, black rape in the community.
thus far, has prevented any minor party from Counselors estimate that at least
reaching the November ballot. Though some they have ntassisted rapevictims
system must be established which would eliminate Mobile have been black-a much
from the ballot those political parties which are higher percentage than the
void of substance and significant support, it ap- overall black population. An
pears that the law requiring 18,000 signatures is average of one and one-half rapes
sufficient enough. are reported to the Center each
day, out of an estimated two to
In addition, the rule coerces an individual to vote four rapes which occur daily in
only for one party, an archaic requirement in Mobile.
modern politics. It appears illogical that a citizen is Even using conservative
prevented from voting for a third party because he figures, a devastating profile of
.y. oviolence emerges. Last year,
or she employed his or her right to choose between about 330 black women out of a
partisan candidates. total population of less than 50,000
This law has no place in a democratic form of black females in the greater
government. We must return to a sound political Mobile area were treated at the
system which offers the voters access to Rape Crisis Center. Counselors
reasonable and r~piil ateteeygy~ estimate that between .010 per
r rsnb ielespousible parties,thereby g g- cent to.016 per cent of all black
them a freer voice in our polticalrceSS. females are raped in Mobile
By Manning Marable
black businessi
woman to hav
mentally retari
sometime during any given year. for the man oi
Over a ten-year period, at least stead, the bla
one in ten black women is raped. periodically to
using the lowest estimates, local hotel whe
IN OTHER WORDS, it has youth to engag
become virtually impossible for sex. Frightened
black women living in this city to ran away and f
escape the omnipresent threat of der houses and
rape. Almost every family has stay away from
been touched by this violen- and the busine:
ce-mothers, sisters, daughters, Center receive
grandmothers and female infan- hospital, the m
ts. The age range for reported apathetically th
rapes of black females in Mobile liar-despite th
extends from eighteen months to evidence.
93 years of age. And the great No criminalsI
majority of these black women ted in the cases
were raped by "brothers." man in Mobile i
The stories of these women has been convi
cannot be told without anger and sister. And the
a deep hatred of what many black sight, unfortu
men have become, and for what growing pattern
has become so commonplace in ce by black m
our society. women.
Three black women volun-
teered to work for VISTA to im-
prove the welfare of the black Manning Ad
community. All three were raped political eco
within the same neighborhood Africana Stu
within a month. Cornell Univer
AN 80-YEAR-old black
paraplegic was alone in her room
when two black men broke into LETTERS:
the house. The elderly woman
had no telephone, and was
physically unable to resist or call Israel
for assistance. She was brutally
raped. no *i
. One young black woman in- 11' ofg1
vited her boyfriend to live with
her, along with her 54-year-old her lai
mother. One afternoon when the
woman was at work, the
boyfriend and four of his drunken
black friends took the mother to To The Daily:
Mississippi for a ride. She was I strongly be
gang-raped and severely injured should not pla
as she was thrown out of their follow the 1
automobile. resolution (call
One 19-yesr-old black virgin drawal trom the
went out on her second date on ds), or comply'
Christmas afternoon, 1979. The of the Palestini
young black man, age 17, was on her lands (D
"very charming" as he was in- reasoning is
troduced to her parents. The therefore, I hav
escort invited his date to visit his Mr Afat's, wi
parents. Instead, the youth MrAsit's, t
picked up a friend, and the girl position on the
was taken to an apar- you why I feel t
tment-where she was viciously resolution was q
raped. She was driven back to her roltionisti
neighborhood, pushed out of the of 'the Zionist,
automobile, andwas told to walk economically,
home. ideologically'
There are even instances of proposal" (Dail
black-against-black homosexual -Cliff Zir
rape. In one case, a prominent August:
man paid a black
e her 18-year-old
ded son "to work
n weekends." In-
ick businessman
ok the boy to a
re he forced the
e in oral and anal
d, the black youth
or a time lived un-
hid in alleys to
both his mother
ssman. When the
d the boy at a
iother responded
at her son was'a
e brutal physical
were ever convic-
waboveNo black
n recent memory
cted of raping a
ere is no end in
inately, to the
of brutal violen-
en against black
Warable teaches
nomy at the
dies Center at
rsity.
0
I
must
ve up
rids
40
elieve that Israel
ay appeasement,
United Nations
ing for her with-
ie "occupied" lan-
with the demands
ans and the world
aily, July 30). My
multipartite;
ve chosen to allow
ry recent quote of
iich reiterates his
issue, express to
he way that I feel:
uoted as saying a
ng for liquidation
entity politically,
militarily and
was merely a
y, August 2).
mmerman
2
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I
I
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