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 I I I Editorial policies Unsigned editorials appearing on the left side of this page represent a majority opinion of the Daily's Editorial Board. Letters and columns represent the opinions. of the individual author(s) and do .not necessarily reflect the attitudes or beliefs of the Daily.