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r> In This Issue We Must Declare War On Crime Series Of Articles Begins This Week j|;THETteuTHtteiwiai:Ei;>'jJ (USPS 091-380) Words Of Wisdom The essence of knowledge is^ having i(, to ap ply it; not having it, to confess your ij^norance. —Confucius ***** \ man has generally the good or ill (|ualittes which he attributes to mankind. —Shenstone VOLUME 60 - NUMBER 14 DURHAM. NORTH CAROLINA - SATURDAY, APRIL 10. 1982 TELEPHONE (919) 682-2913 PRICE: 30 CENTS at Law Banquet: ^power and Excellence Determine You Are Both The Reason And Upward Mobility’ The Answer To The Crime Epidemic By Donald Alderman Maynard . • Jackson founded a direct but sim- *p|c message: Power as uell as excellence deter mines the upward Mobility of any ethnic j3;oiip; blacks are no ex- ception. IJackson was speaking' at the 42nd Law Day Banquet at North Carolina Central Univer sity Saturday night. The banquet was a highlight ,of Law Day Week. \ puring the past week, members of the law feool community par- ^pated in week-long activities designed to draw attention to the role of law in American society and the rights of citizens under the con stitution. Dubbed, “New Horizon for Opportunity and Excellence,” lawv week featured moot court competition, civil rights forums, a roasting fo the school’s dean, Charles E. Daye, among other activities. It also provided the time and atmosphere for nismy of the school’s alumni to reflect upon accomplishments and to discuss tasks yet un finished. Jackson exemplified this when he told the au- Jience, that featured mme of Durham’s most distinguished citizens of the legal profession, that . H.M. “Mickey” Michaux led the battle in the state legislature to keep the problem- plagued law school open during the early ‘70’s. “I wish him well,” he said, referring to Michaux’s quest for the Second Congressional District seat. Jackson, Michaux and Frank W. Ballance, Jr., three of the six-member Class of 1964, all praised achievements of the school and its graduates. But of all activities, Jackson’s speech was probably the most in.spir- ing to the 78-member third year class, many of whom will soon be beginning their profes sional careers in law. “The pursuit of ex cellence is essential, but for an oppressed people, that is not enough,” the former mayor of Atlanta said. “The pursuit of ex- s ceilence and power are necessary” for economic security. He decried the lack of emphasis on power in the black community, and said that through the ef fective use of money and votes, blacks can free themselves. “Those of us who are oppressed must be the architects of our own liberation. . . .We cannot expect those who con structed the system of racism and economic op- fContinued On Page 8) Changing Today Criminal; Preventing Tomorrow's By Milton Jordan Effective crime prevention programs must be sharp, two- edged swords, cutting both ways: making it hard for criminals to commit crime, helping to ^ange those who have, preventing those ded that way from ing the plunge, recidivism is a major ne head. Recidivism he process of going k to prison repeatedly ause one doesn’t stop imitting crimes upon ase from prison. "o begin to unders- d- the impact of divism, consider this mple. If an inmate ) released from North rolina’s prison depart- ni about ten years L a typical ex- ender, black, in his' 1'20’s, a high school pout, with almost no job experience, and even ^ewer skills, he was a ood candidate for mating (recidivism). Jow, if this man had ayed in prison, without released, for the St ten years, he would, _ tve cost taxpayers more $150,000. On the Wer hand, if this ex- ^on, after being released, back to crime, fHng at an annual i^age rate of about hOOO a year, and had: T' caught two or three c times in the ten getting an average la year or two each by now his cost to would be more $250,000. [ "hat if this Offender , went ^rtght, and for the past years averaged $20,000 a year,; taxes, supported his Jtily and just generally ^•tnbuted to society*’ tn ithis case, he would i,’“®Htribufed - i^re .•fe 5500,000 to soefety., ■tte point is recidivism ^ more than itsi 5pea WO worth, and rehabilitation pays dividends that far exceed the investment. According to govern ment reports, nineteen of every tw.enty persons sent to prisons eventually return to society. But about eighty per cent of them also return to prison. These repeaters account for almost eighty per cent of America’s crime that to day costs the nation more than $9 billion an nually. According to former Attorney General Ramsey Clark, in his book Crime In America, “. . . .cutting recidivism in half would mean an almost fifty per cent reduction in crime.” There is also a direct correlation between recidivism and age. A U.S. Department of Labor study shows that fifty per cent of those fourteen and younger who are convicted, go back to prison. For those first arrested between ages 21-23,- the recidivism rate is about thirty per cent, and slightly more-than ten per cent for those first- arrested at age 35 or older. The conclusion is ob vious. The younger the criminal starts, the more often he will return to crime and prison, thereby hiking his cost to society by predigious amounts. And because most of the senseless violence that often ac companies today’s crime erupts from young of fenders, the toll on life and limb is horrendous. But what creates recidivism? Why do first offenders, caught, con victed and imprisoned, return to crime almost as soon as they are releas ed? Former Supreme Court Justice Abe Fortasi (Cdntinued On Page 10) Michaux: Students Must Vote To Save Benefits By Donald Alderman College students should register and vote, in particular for can didates that favor no reduction in federal education grants and loans, a candidate for the Second Congres sional District seat urged North Carolina Central University students Tuesday. “The lowest voting group in the country are those voters between 18 and 25,” said H.M. “Mickey” Michaux, the district’s only declared candidate, “and it’s a sad commentary because they are going to be hurt the most by the cuts.” Michaux, former U.S. Attorney and two-term state legislator, spoke during a rally designed to draw attention to pro posed cuts in education aid and to urge students to become politically ac tive, especially in elec toral politics. The rally, sponsored by the N. C. Aasociation of Black Student Governments and NCCU‘‘s Student Government, was one of eleven rallies slated to be held at the state’s black colleges and universities, April 5-9. Michaux criticized the administration’s new federalism proposal, and said a new partnership should be formed. “Let’s not talk about ‘new federalism’, he said, let’s call it. ‘new meanness’.” Michaux proposed a “New Partnership” to beat the “New Federalism”. “I see the seeds of a new partner ship for decency and fairness of all the people, he said, “to restore balance, renew hope and to inspire people to deal with problems.” He continued: “We seek out a new partner ship. It exists between blacks and whites, urban and rural, young and elder. . . .” “There’s a meanness out there today that we haven’t seen in so long,” Michaux said. “There’s no liberal or conservative out there. What’s con servative about budget deficits, and high interest rates.” He said the “new meanness” is also evidenced by high unemployment and deep cuts in social services such as social security benefits fo the elderly, aid to students, to the poor and needy. As injury is not enough, he said, the Ad ministration adds salt to the wound. “The Reagan ad ministration is not only mean and radical, but they also stigmatize the needy as frauds and cheaters.” But blacks are not alone, he said. “This meanness is col orblind; it hits poor white people as hard as it does poor black people. All of a sudden it is not • only black misery but: also white misery, All of a sudden white women are telling reporters about the kid who can’t go to college or the hus- (Continued On Page 10) JOYOUS EASTER First Winner and Honoree Mrs. Julia Wyatt Harris, center, of Durham, met the first winner of (he Julia Wya(( Harris Scholarship al NCCU’s Awards Day exercises Friday, April 2. Miss Lori Grier of Charlotte, recently elected Miss NCCU, won the scholarship given in Mrs. Harris’ honor by the Beta Zeta Chapter of the National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa. Shown (from left) are: Miss Grier, Mrs. Lenora S. Hooker, Mrs. Harris, Mrs. Lola Solicc. and Mrs. Minnie Cromarlie. Mrs. Hooker, Mrs. Solice and Mrs. Cromartie are members of the national educational sorority. Voter Registration Main Focus of Pilgrimage By Donald Alderman A large coalition of social, political and religious interest groups joined two national civil rights organizations in planning the North Carolina leg of a pilgrimage that will stretch from Alabama to Washington, D.C. In the third of four state planning meetings, the groups Gathered at Russell Memorial CME Church in Durham last Saturday, mapping strategy for what will be one of the longest civil rights marches since the mid-sixties. The Southern Chris tian Leadership Con ference, which initiated the pilgrimage, and the North Carolina office of the Commission for Racial Justice are the chief organizers for this area. Dr. Joseph E. Lowery, president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, who flew in from Atlan ta to help plan the march, said the “People’s Pilgrimage” will demand peace, justice and voting rights. Translated, marchers will trek against further cuts in social programs, against a military Publisher 's Note For the next several weeks, The Carolina Times is devoting con siderable space and attention to crime in America, including Durham, and crime prevention. We consider our job to be an educational effort in the public in terest, and we also believe that it is not enough to tell people constantly about the problems, without as ofteh as possible encouraging our readers to do something about them. We know intimately that crime is a major problem in this country. We know that for black people crime ap pears to be a double whammy. Not only are we victimized, far dispropor tionately to our numbers, by murders, robberies and other types of crimes, but when the criminals are black, we are also often robbed of a potentially bright young man or , woman who possibly could have I made positive contributions to us and to society at large, if we. had caught him or her before- efime made its claim. Therefore, we believe very strongly that a sensible, logical, well-planned and determined war on crime MUST be a top priority for all people in this , country, and particularly for black people. We believe that crime must be attacked on all levels. We cannot toler^fl crime in high places, and must irtsist on swift and true punish-' ment for rich crooks in our midst. But, by the same token, we cannot allow maudlin excuses of poverty- poor education and other societal J-:. to cause us to excuse crime on the lower levels. Because we feel so strongly about this, we asked one of our writers, Milton Jordan, to take a deep and probing look at crime from all angles, and to give our readers a detailed and graphic view of the problem. But in addition to that, we asked him to also give our readers some suggested solu tions, some things that must be systematically changed in this society, as well as some things that each of us can do as individuals to strike a blow against this malignant cancer in our midst that threatens the very existence of this nation. ! We believe that he has done an ad mirable job, and we hope that you will read every word for the next several weeks. Some of it will be frightening. Much of it will be shock ing and surprising. But we also trust that in the final analysis, you will find hope in all of this, a hope based upon detailed understanding that crime will not go away, and that more jails, prisons, police, or efficient courts will not solve the problem. We hope that you will conclude, as we have, that the answer to crime in America is a fu-ndamentai change in our nature, our purposes and our goals, and the methods we choose to achieve these, goals. It is not enough to say that crime is committed by the “criminal”' among us. The truth is that we have seen the enemy, and he is us. — VAE . buildup at the expense of the needy and in support of a ten-year extension of the , 1964 Voting Rights Act. But as principal organizers weave their way through five southern states en route to the Nation’s Capitol, he said, they’ll set up voter registration booths in congressional districts with 35 per cent black populations, knock on doors to urge more black involvement in electoral politics, and otherwise conduct an aggressive . voter registration and education campaign. Dr. Lowery reflected upon the changing times and what he thinks may be the hope of the poor and the needy. After describing the state of affairs as one of “sadness’ and stating depressing unemploy ment statistics, he asked, “So where is our salva tion?” He answered: “It’s riot in the Republican or Democratic Party, because the truth of the matter is that the cuts couldn’t have gotten through without the Democrats. But they sold us out for a dinner •in the White House, cuff links and a bag of jelly beans,” he said sar- • castically, as the thirty or forty organizers in the small conference room laughed. Then, in a serious tone he said: “Our salvation — through God — will be black people. I believe that black people will be the moral catalyst that will lead this nation.” Among organizers present, who formed an executive con*mittee to ‘plan . further, were representatives from the (C'Qntinued On Page 4) By Miiion Jordan Crime rips across America like a vicious tornado; shattering lives and turning the nation into an armed camp of suspicious citizens and ever njore vicious criminals. Durham is no excep tion, despite the fact that figures for 1981 shows the city with an overall ■ two per cent decrease in crime. According to Durham Public Safety ■ Department figures, the ' city’s biggest crime' headache in pure volume is larceny, ranging from shoplifting to stealing hubcaps. And while burglaries, robberies and assaults are down slight ly over last year, they are still major problems. According to Durham’s Public Safety EJirector Talmadge Lassiter, most of the burglaries, particularly! the housebreakings in Durham, are neighborhood crimes, with people stealing from-folks just down the street. And like the na tional trend, most of the assaults and murders happen between families and friends. But here’s the kicker. If you are not at home now, even as you read this, theives might be rip ping you off. If you’re not in your car, even as you read •Jtlris, thieves too. Because crime does not confine itself to the “it happens to them” syndrome. Crime hap pens to you. It happens to all of us, and whether directly or ip^irectly, we all pay an astronomical price for the opportunity to suffer this indignity. As a direct cost, crime snatches your money to the tune of about $9 billion annually. But there are many other costs that up the price considerably. For exam ple, crime hikes in surance premiums, con sumer prices and the tax rate, as we try to hire, more law enforcement personnel to stem the tide. But additionally, you, the hardworking, tax paying citizen, crime’s chief target, also finance the criminal justice system. And here the costs get to be a REAL insult. In many instances, you pay for the offender’s at torney, and then you fork over more than $15,000 annually to keep him in prison, provided he gets convicted. Na tional figures show that arrests occur in only about 25 per cent of the reported crime, and only about half of the arrests result in convictions. But even at that, most of our prisons are in humanely overcrowded, and building more lockups is costing about $54,000 a cell. Just to give you a comparison, keeping prisoners in carcerated costs more than the average annual college tuition, and building more prisons runs just slightly under the price of a luxury con dominium. So you really have no choice. Either you will continue to dish out the dollars to criminals and their industry, inc!udmg the largely ineffective criminal justice system, or you will invest your money in a sensible, logical and effective fight against crime. But first, lets destroy two myths. Chief Lassiter: “It j would be awful hard for the Dolice alone to (Gontlnued On'Page-4)
The Carolina Times (Durham, N.C.)
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April 10, 1982, edition 1
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