PERSPECTIVES
Friday, August 1, 1986
Page 7
The Michigan Daily
Don Grimes describes his reasons for running
Don Grimes, a research economist G: We've done a lot of direct mail extension act. At the same time he's your policy?
in the Institute for Social Resear- advertising and we've run television voting to spend money on the G: Carl Pursell also voted to cut the
ch, is running for the Democratic spots in the Jackson area. The: military, he's voting to spend money dairy price supports last September
nomination in the second district problem with a race against an in- on the MX missile, on nerve gas on the same day that he voted to in-
against Dean Baker. The winner cumbent Congressman such as Carl production, on a whole host of things crease price supports for sugar and I
will face incumbent Republican Pursell is that the opponent does not as well as voting to send several would certainly part company there.
Carl Pursell who is running unop- have the name recognition that's million dollars to the Contras in There are no sugar producers in the!
posed. The interview was conduc- necessary to challenge effectively so Nicaragua. I think it's a case of second congressional district and
ted by Daily Opinion editor Peter you have to establish name priorities not matching up to the there are a lot of dairy farmers, and
Mooney. recognition, you have to put up signs, priorities of the people of the second he's voting against the dairy farmers
you have to do direct mail, you have to district. in the second congressional ,district,
Daily: Who is supporting your can- get as much media attention as you D: How would you contrast the
didacy? can possible get, you have to do campaign you would like to run, if
Grimes: The AFL-CIO, the Wayne anything to get some name nominated, to the campaigns of the
County Democratic organization, the recognition, that is the first task of past which have been so unsuccessful
Jackson County Democratic any challenger. against Pursell? 'The business cycle
Organization, Lenawee County D: Baker says he is running mainly G: It will be a much more
Democratic organization and because of the Central America issue. professional campaign; infinitely defeat the businesst
Hillsdale Democratic organization. Do you have a primary issue which more successful, infinitely more are inevitable wha
D: How much money are you going you are concentrating on? professional than anything that's been
to spend in the primary election? G: Well, I think it's not just one run in the past. I'm absolutely certain nment should be is to
G: On the primary election we've issue but a question of whether Carl of that. The UAW has never supported
spent about $25,000, but that is mostly Pursell represents the district. I think any candidate to the extent that through the reces
directed at beating Pursell. It's not you see that in a whole series of they're supporting me now. I have joblessness.'
necessary to spend that much money issues, Carl Pursell has called for the been meeting with people in . s s
to defeat Dean Baker. It is necessary phasing out of the Social Security Wjashington, with people from
to spend that much money to beat system. Carl Pursell voted to cut fun- throughout the country. In terms of
Carl Pursell. ding for the school lunch programs. putting together a coalition that's
D: Will your campaign be more Carl Pursell has voted against far- necessary to beat Pursell.
media oriented or more direct mers of the second district, and he D: You mentioned Pursell voted to and in fact against all the farmers
grassroots oriented? voted against emergency farm loan cut loans to farmers. What would be when he voted against the emergency
make sure we have a sound policy
through the recession to minimize
joblessness.
D: What do you think of tax reform?
G: I would use the revenue raised
from a minimum tax on corporations
and from tightening up tax loopholes
for deficit reduction rather than simply to
shift the burden away from in-
dividuals. I think it's a good idea to
shift the burden away from in-
is old, you cannot
cycle... Recessions
t the role of gover-
have a sound policy
ssion to minimize
-Don Grimes
dividuals, but I think there needs to be
some additional revenue which comes
out of the plan.
D: What is your position on san-
ctions against South Africa?
G: I have consistently supported
sanctions against South Africa. You
have to do it in an effective fashion.
The correct policy is a group of
phased-in sanctions, where you step
up the level of sanctions if, over time,
the South African government does
not begin the process of turning over
real political power to the black
majority.
U.S. has summer of racism
ideological and political terrain so Renewal, are the "skinheads" or
By Manning Marable essential for the development of racist "skins." The "skins" are white gangs
vigilantism. On balance, virtually all who usually shave their heads, don
Black Americans agree: the noxious paramilitary attire, and often tatoo
The old political maxim, "one step weeds of Ku Klux Klanism, Nazism, themselves with Nazi markings.
forward, two steps back," charac- and even newer manifestations of These young white men and women
terizes the politics of racial equality white terrorism, are directly related "are united in their hatred of 'peace
this summer of 1986. to the Reagan agenda, albeit in a punks', homosexuals, liberals and lef-
On the positive side, last month's more extreme form. tists, and in their frequent attacks
Supreme Court decisions which rein- Only three weeks ago, white ex- also upon Blacks, Chicanos, Puerto
forces the use of race-conscious af- tremists held the "Aryan Nations Ricans, and Jews." According to the
firmative action programs was a step World Congress" in Hayden Lake, Center's publication, the Monitor,
forward. NAACP leader Benjamin Idaho. Their manifesto calls for the "their record of violence in the U.S. is
Hooks described the decisions as a secession of Idaho, Montana, staggering considering their
rebutal to the Reagan ad- Washington, Oregon, and Wyoming as relatively small numbers. Since 1981,
ministration's "pernicious efforts" to an exclusively white supremacist skins have been accused of murders,
uproot affirmative action. Unfor- territory. The leaders of this racist assaults and vandalism, sometimes
tunately, these decisions were suf- formation call for unrelenting war on a weekly basis, in Detroit, Chicago,
ficiently ambiguous that the forces of against the U.S. government, which Atlant, San Francisco, New York
racial inequality could still maintain they term the "Zionist Occupation City, Denver, Baltimore, Boston,
that the high court's rulings should Government." Austin, Philadelphia and Washington,
not constitute the final word on the D.C." The motto of Atlanta skins is
controversial issue. Reagan's This June and July, at least six Dt a
solicitor general Charles Fried, who white supremacist rallies and SWP: Supreme White Power." In
argued the losing side before the protests were staged in and around other cities, skins chant "Kill all
Supreme Court, offered these sour Chicago. In Dolton, Illinois, Black niggers.
grapes: "We have said that race- youths were stoned and verbally Certainly, the vast majority of
conscious remedies which are victim- abused in a July 4th parade by a white Americans who actually voted for
specific are never permissible. The mob. On June 28, the Knights of the Reagan in 1984, as well as others who
court has said: 'Not never, but hardly Ku Klux Klan held a demonstration in favor a conservative political agenda,
ever.' " Marquette Park. About three hundred are opposed to racist vigilantism. But
The Reagan administration's fierce local whites attended the rally, which the battle against American racism
resistance to meaningful reforms was protected by several hundred cannot be won solely by concentrating
which promote racial justice creates police officers. Although most on these extremist sects. The real
a political and social environment residents weren't persuaded to join victory can only begi when we
conducive to the growth of white the KKK, not a few shared its racist remove from public office through the
racism. Whether Reagan is per- sentiments. As one white resident political process all politicians who
sonally a racist or not is irrelevant. stated to the press: "The Klan is a casually or deliberately provoke
The fundamental issue is whether the bunch of goofs. But I don't want no racial vigilantism by their own anti-
administration's callous disregard for niggers commin' into this neigh- Black, anti-Civil Rights policies.
the socioeconomic welfare of national borhood. I'll fight 'em. I'll kill 'em."
minorities, and its polemics and The latest manifestation of white Dr. Manning Marable is professor
policies 4gainst civil rights laws and supremacy, astrecentlycited. by the of poliical science and sociology
affirmative action, foster the Atlanta-based Center for Democratic al PurdieUnvesity.
farm loan.
D: What economic measures do you
think are necessary to revitalize the
economy?
G: The business cycle is old, you
cannot defeat the business cycle. We
will go through a recession. The
problem that will cause is horrendous,
especially given that we already have
a budget deficit that's over two hun-
dred billion dollars a year.
Recessions are inevitable, what the
role of government should be is to
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