Newspapers / The Carolina Times (Durham, … / Sept. 5, 1981, edition 1 / Page 15
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One can get a little carried away here at the UN [•meeting all sorts of diplomats, heads of state and pf governments, distinguished correspondents, jjjders and independence movements, advocates (jf a new “economic world order,” revolu- lionaries, do-gooders from every where and ad vocates for practically everything. With trips j[road as a consultant on economic matters, one •jp drift away in a euphoric sense and, in writing Ikout world conditions, assume you really are con- iributing to a greater civilization and influencing ankind for the better all over the world. Dal you know in retrospect you border on fan- _sy about improving things throughout the con- Inents when you are rudely awakened by the way [jpgs are going on here in your own country, the Ipiied States. Ip this instance, I leave the world scene to really jpl. at matters here at home. We blacks are cat- ding hell. There is scant hope for the days ahead. Usually, 1 walk from the New York Port iPlIioriiy to the United Nations. A few weeks ago [liis route, 1 ran into four fellow blacks — well nedand everything who were out job hunting. I ided up with four resumes in my brief case. 1 had a piilarjolt on my w'eekly Irek to Washington where |ea.si ten brothers and sisters and former esidential appointees shoved their “vitae” on me. Ipting the Nixon and Ford years and as an [gani/er and leader in black Republican ijvemcni-s I could get some help for such deserving vpls. But, not now! I will turn these resumes over Charles Fields, the eminent black headhunter, recall sve had some stalwart Republican leaders die Hill then. There was Senator Hugh Scott of (pnsylvania, the Minority Leader of the U.S. iiaic. At my urging, he made the While House Nixon appoint a black a.ssistant director of le Office of Communications. We were finally lie 10 recruit Stanley Scott who was then a suc- svfiil reporter for a wire service. Before becoming lee President and President, Jerry Ford was lipority t.eader- ot the U.S. House of Represen- iiivcs. These men cared about having black talent round to serve their country and party. Congressman John Rhodes of Arizona followed risideni Ford, who also did many good things, in- piling supporting loan guarantees for New York ill. Blacks h,ld caring Republicans like former rpplors Jacob Javiis of New York and Edward [ooke ot Massachusells. There were others with ill a few left like Senators Charles Percy of II- lois, Charles Mathias of Maryland, Lowell eioker of C'onnecticut and Mark Hatfield of SAT., SEPTEMBER 5,1981 THE CAROLINA TIMES -15 United Nations The Reagan Crowd Creates A Dilemma For Blacks Part I By Curtis T. Perkins Oregon. From the House, former Representative John Anderson of Illinois and current Con gressman Paul McCloskey of California. Even Senator Strom Thurmond of South Carolina and Majority Leader Howard Baker of Tennessee often joined forces in those days with the late Rogers Morton, the Republican National Chairman, to work with blacks and give them responsibility and statue. This was the past. Today the Reagan Republican Crowd is in charge plus others of peculiar views. An affable ex-actor Ronald Reagan, the President, leads the pack of budget slashers with odd conceptions on the work ings of this democracy. They approach the problem of economic revitalization by seeking un precedented rises in defense spending and cutting back on the needs of the poor, aged and ill. The most odious target are the minorities. NEW RACIST CODE WORDS Blacks especially are now victims of new code words and actions. They are “balance the budget,” “tax cuts across the board,” “supply side economics, “bite the bullet,” “tighten your belts,” “the work ethic,” “right to have guns ” etc. The Reagan crowd is a bright and articulate group. With the President setting the pace — courtesy, s.tyle and moderate phraseology will - beguile and deceive most. But the racism is uglier than ever for such deception still denies decency and optimism — for most of the underprivileged REAGAN APPROACH WELL PLANNED For decades, conservatives have tried to take over this nation. The late Robert Taft of Ohio, an erudite Republican Senator and leader, tried but lost in a bid for the Presidency to General Dwight D. Eisenhower. But strangely, it was Senator Taft who wrote and helped pass the public housing act for low income people. Senator Barry Goidwater of Arizona, a well- respected Republican conservative, lost heavily to Lyndon Johnson in his thrust for the While Hou.se. Yet it is Senator Goidwater who suggested Appeals Court Judge Sandra Day O’Conner, also of Arizona, as the first woman on the U.S. Supreme Court. This nominaition has brought down the wrath of the “right to life” gang and the religious fanatics who rightfully feel they-own the Presiden cy, the court and this country. It was Senator Thurmond and former Governor George Wallace of Alabama who formed their own conservative movements and got a goodly part of the vole when they ran. Mr. Wallace has since moderated his views. My point with this review of matters urges blacks to know that the “far right” has .schemed and plan ned to force their views on America for years. Mr. Reagan is their front. This man has been program med, given all sorts of funding, comforts and op portunities to mouth their positions against fair government, abortion, aid to blacks, fair taxes and social programs for the aged, the poor and the in- firmed. Their fixed and racist attitudes have spread to school integration, separation of church and Slate and prayer in the schools, welfare, food stamps and a litany of other rigid demands. Their ventures into foreign policy have pu.shed for racist regimes in Rhodesia and South Africa; no SALT talks, resurrection of Taiwan, dismantling of Presi dent Carter’s human rights pro,gram, consorting with military dictatorships, arms rattling with Russia, and ambiguity in the Middle East and no real cooperation with Africa and the Third World. Those around President Reagan have for genera tions refined their programs in “think tanks” and “institutes” many of which are associated with leading universities. They have a ready untoward academic approach to most situations which they strongly feel will put them back into an era of tranquility. Silencing blacks is a part of the ploy. Manipulation of the political institution is a studied and deliberate process. Each member of Congress is on computer. His or her weaknesses in particular, plus the prejudice of his slate or district are known to both the political and Congressional liaison offices in the While House. Lyn Nofziger, the hatchet political operative for Mr. Reagan — long a key in conservative causes — is a tough and smart figure in this area. He reviews all candidates for appointments, and raise.s cain if they don’t fit the mold agreed on for the job to be filled. He knows Congress and how to force members to vote the Reagan way. He can be sinister and is known to use shortcomings and skeletons to force the hesitant in line. It was Mr. Nofziger who pul together the “boll weevils” — the conservative Democrats, now giving the President his slight but coiuincing vic tories in the House on budget reductions. Mr.^Nof- ziger who has long been associated ^ \ih Mr. Reagan — beginning before his becoming governor of California — is kt^own to help keep the Republicans in both the Senate and House in support of the While almost to a man. THE WATCHERS The ultra-rightists have won several seals especially in the Senate. Millions were raised by Richard Vigucrc, head of the Conservaiivc Diiiest, to defeat senators who had long stood up for causes beneficial to blacks. Millions of those dollars also went to Mr. Reagan’s campaign directly from Mr. VIguere’s computer mail list of millions of single issue citizens and without doubt the most conser vative group in America today.-Mr. Vigucrc, along with Senator Jesse Helms, attract all degrees of funds for their narrow-minded and bigoted views and causes. The Rev. Jerry Falwell is an enigma, whose phenomenal rise to political power threatens the very fabric of the United States. Rev. FalwcM’s “moral majority” which is reputed to have over a million members — with chapters in most states —• brought out hundreds of thousands in support of the Reagan election. They, too, raised millions of dollars to also help defeat liberal members of Con gress. In addition. Rev. Falwcll’s organization now has a list of demands which aie sometimes laughable but really frightening. Most border on anti-American and anti-black. This cabal of Viguere, Helms and Falwell, plus the “right to life” people and the supply side economic amateurs are not only glib but con catenate and powerful. They must not be taken lightly if this nation is to have its Constitution obeyed. They are on their way to dividing this socie ty and building friction between the haves and have nots. To Be Continued Next Week The next time you switch on your radio or televi- ion, pause a moment to think that you are par- idpatinp in the most powerful and pervasive oedium complex in the world, telecommunications, really doesn’t matter that you don’t work at a sta- ionor know the difference between UHF and FM requency. The medium is the message and without ouihere would be no need for radio or television. Although the print media remain a powerful and luch used source of information, most would tree that telecommunications — the transmission ifinformalion by wire and air — represents a lion’s hreofihe daily diet of Americans, certainly black iinericans. Broadca.sting alone represents an $8 lion business in the U.S. But when you include liecombined industries of telephones, newspapers, jmputers, satellites and electronics^ a $300 billion larkei results. Most Americans take media power for granted, the case of blacks and other minorities, indersianding of the worlds of telecommunications ndparticipation in its operations is minimal. To be lire, most of us enjoy watching TV, but just as lany or more complain that blacks and other iinorities are not adequately represented or fpicted ill news or entertainment fare. Max Robinson, during his controversial Smith Mege speech, allegedly said: “. . . .until there are ?althy parties of both races at the bargaining table, niil black America starts to talk about its own 5ins, until we start talking to white America, we ill not have anyone at the table.” As true as his aiemem might be, the fact remains that too few ack Americans inside and outside of the media ’proach the problems of media racial parity with ilfident knowledge and strategies. When I speak of the new media, reference is ade to the constant evolution of the basis of news id programming judgements and the new vistas reaching and influencing audiences being made The Ellis Media Report Understanding Your Role In The New Media By Dwight M. Ellis assible by expanding media technologies. To be* sure, blacks and other minorities are having* minimal presence and impact in this massive state of flux in media matters. Passing through the arenas of communications which include legislative (Congressional communications subcommittees), regulatory (Federal Comniunications Commmis- sion), radio and TV networks, broadcast groups, station management, communications lawyers, and on-air talent, minority representation is meager. This clear and present inequity is not unknown to those in power. Recognizing the impact of TV news on the public, ABC News president Roone Arledge recently stated in the Wat! Street Journal that, “the power of television is so great that lack of exposure of certain ideas or points of view is a real inequity. . . .” ABC News is planning a new prime time show, “Viewpoint”, that wilt “access television to groups of people who do not have access.” George Strait, a black ABC News correspondent is gathering data for one of the show’s planned features dealing with the history and status of black TV network cor respondents. Recently much has been primed and broadcast about the woes and perils of blacks in communica tions. But black audiences and consumer of media cannot allow the few troops in the trenches to fight lhe,se battles alone. Collective, responsible action is needed and possible. Listen to radio. React to what you deem negative to your community by calling the station or sending postcards and letters to the management. Support black-owned radio and their advertisers (a black-owned station manager in Washington, D.C., is currently asking his listeners to ask busines.ses they patronize to question business owners if they advertise on his station, if not, why not?) Watch TV. Let your local stations know what you think of local and network programming. Ex-' pand your comments to the acceptance of on-air personalities. Do the same with network programs, the content and the actors in entertainment pro gramming. Buy black newspapers. In 1979, there were only 165 black newspapers. There has been a 33.6% decline in black newspapers since 1974. Nevertheless, insist on quality reporting and presen tation from black newspapers as you do majority- owned papers. Last, but not least, when seeking media represen tatives to speak to your groups on substantive i.ssues regarding communications, selection persons — black or white — who know the issue(s) at hand and can give constructive direction. We can only be as good as the information received. It I DOUBLED MYCHANCES FOR SUCCESS WITH ARMY ROICr Irial Lawyers Work To Stop Annual Fire Damages Plaintiff’s trial lawyers by Cfwity are the single largest 'lip of sophisticated invest!- “fs whose work is vital a saler and less costly !• h iheri'fore necessary 'll'e public, the courts, the ''fiimeuf and trial lawyers _'FCo^i)i/,> fully the growing hi(‘ tort law (a civil ’JPlaiiU) ui the reduction '''horrendous cost losoci- hum fires and I’xpiosions _ ‘'lly Liabilitv lor fire IS a mail ay of forging fire safety in addition to arson convictions. Each year, 12,000 persons in the United States die from fires, and 120,000 are injured in fires and ex- plosions. Property damage losses alone approach ,, $4 billion. Harry M. Philo a gj^en year there are 70,000 indus- By Harry M. Philo President Association of Trial Lawyers of America trial fires, and 2,600 people die from fires where textile products — either clothing or bedding —are thecombustibles ignited. The firefrequency and severity rates in the United States are far woree than most countries, Trial lawyers have a grave social responsibility to advance concepts of liability, recognize liability, prove liability and sustain liability on appeal. CHECKING WITH INTEREST Is one of many ways we offer where your money can work for ! Just ask for our “Now Account’' brochure at any of our conven- '"t locations. We want you to see if checking with interest is right for “".because with us... »«'re Somebody [ ] MECHANICS & FARMERS BANK I LocatedStatewideln—, [pecial! 615 Fayetteville Street' 411 E. Chapel Hill Street Like ti) doiiLlc your chance.s kir succc.ss after CDlleg'e? Enroll in Aniiy RC) i C- roelay. You'll receive leaJe'rship and iiianaHement tntinin». Financial a.ssjstanco. And .scholarship opporruniries. 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The Carolina Times (Durham, N.C.)
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Sept. 5, 1981, edition 1
15
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