Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / Oct. 29, 1987, edition 1 / Page 4
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PageA4 Winston-Salem Chronicle Thursday, October 29, 1987 Winston-Salem Chronicle Founded 1974 ERNEST H. Pin Publisher MICHAEL A. Pin Assistant to the Pubi sher NDVBtSI EGEMONYE CO’Founder llainel. Pin Office Mar'ager JULIE PERRY llllHtii ng a rtag e r ■ VICTOR DAVIDSON Circulfition VINSON DEWBERRY |iii||t|qn")Vi a nage r| On the bond non-debate "We wish to plead our own cause ... too long have others spoken for us. ..." Those are the words of John B. Russwurm writing in the first issue of Freedom's Journal more than 150 years ago. Yet, even today, those words are meaningful. A case in point. We have attempted to give the community an in-depth look at everything surrounding the upcoming bond referendum on Nov. 3. We routinely covered the press confer ences and read the press releases. We were, just as we are sure you are, convinced that the bonds can help our community grow. Trying to be good journalists, we asked every question that we felt was pertinent in order for its citizens of this com munity to make an intelligent choice. When we asked the question, "Who is footing the bill to see that the bonds are passed?" we met such arrogance, disrespect and disdain that we felt more and more that the question deserved an answer. To this day we have not been able to get that answer. What has happened since then is that some people whom we assume to be part of the power structure have made threats to the effect that the Chronicle has gotten too big for its britch es. And that there should be some effort to limit the advertis ing support we get from local merchants. cannot fully say here what our reaction to this situation was, but we will say here and now that we will plead our cause whenever and wherever we feel it is in the best interest of our community to do so. No threat of violence, physical or monetary, will make us cease our efforts to hold accountable those that serve at the pleasure of the public. We know it is dif ficult for some people to accept, but we are a free press in these United States, protected by the very first amendment. We do not take this charge lightly. Having said that, we now will comment on the bond non-debate. \fote Nov. 3 TTie Forsyth County Commissioners and the city aldermen are asking residents to underwrite nearly $100 million for things they say will ultimately improve the quality of life in our community. We agree. The bond package ultimately will result in better roads, better health care, superior school facili ties, decent housing and recreation. We believe the effort by city/county fathers is noble and generally in the best interests of the community. However, we feel compelled to remind citizens to use their own minds to determine whether it is something they want to pay for or not. Your vote is perhaps the most precious thing you have in this political system. To be intimidated out of it or confused to the point of wishing you did not have it is a sin. It is your vote. Use it as you see fit. \6te for those projects that you feel will benefit your com munity. County projects Both city and county residents may vote for these; • $30 million for schools. • $7 million for a new county health department and ambulance garage at Reynolds Health Center. • $5 million for a new facility at Forsyth Tech. • $1.7 million for a new library facility in Walkertown and a computerized circulation system for Forsyth County library. City projects Only city residents may vote on these: • $36 million for streets and sidewalks. • $9 million for housing, mostly in East Winston and other development projects. • $3 million to buy land around Salem Lake. Jackson: New and bold leadership NEW YORK - The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson's decision to once again seek the Democratic nomination for president of the United States has implications far beyond next year's Democratic convention. While lis tening to Jackson make his announcement speech at the Raleigh Civic Center recently, 1 realized that the future of this nation is contingent upon how well our national political process is able to respond to both the chal lenge and the opportunity. Jackson is now considered by the established media and profes sional pollsters to be not only a serious candidate but the leading candidate and, as a result, presiden tial politics will never be the same. But what is more important than the fact that Jackson is running is the way he is running and the issues he is raising. Why would an African-Ameri can in 1987 risk his life to seek the highest political office in the nation when it is so obvious that the' course is fraught with landmines and sharks out for the kill? And why are the hopes and dreams of the millions of African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, Asian-Ameri- cans, Native Americans and white Americans who make up the National Rainbow Coalition lifted to new heights by this candidacy? In Jackson's own words, he CIVIL RIGHTS JOURNAL By BENJAMIN CHAVIS JR. wants "to serve America." Of course, his serving the nation also means changing the nation. With new and bold leadership in the White House, Jackson affirms that it is possible to make the nation and the world more just and more humane. It was interesting to listen to white farmers from the Midwest who had come to Raleigh to declare their support for Jackson. They said that Jackson is the only candidate who offers them hope and a way out of their economic crisis. Jackson is also the only candi date to challenge the economic injus tice created by U.S. multinational corporations - corporations which have eliminated the jobs of U.S. workers in order to exploit the work ers of Third World countries. Self- determination, human rights and eco nomic justice are the basic principles of Jackson's foreign policy. The day after Jackson's speech I traveled by plane from Raleigh to Chicago. While waiting to get my boarding pass, I looked around and noticed a long multiracial line of people of different ages waiting to board the plane. I soon discovered they were among the more than 6,000 persons who had attended the National Rainbow Coalition Con vention. There was a sense of joy Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. is the executive director of the Com mission for Racial Justice of the United Church of Christ. War against drugs on Bancroft Avenue NEW YORK - In a recent letter to George Hart, the police chief of Oak land, Calif., a desperate citizen, and I mean desperate, pleaded for help. The letter, the writer said, "is a loud cry for help from a neighbor hood" that is being (has been) despoyed by "savage drug dealers." On Bancroft Avenue, an accom panying petition told Chief Hart, the "vulgar and loud" drug dealers move about as armed, marauding bands. The citizens realize they are no match for these thugs. "This letter is a cry for help!" Bancroft Avenue at night is a living hell. Drug dealers control the streets, darting out to cars and will ing customers and hawking death to the innocent passers-by. Whis tles, vulgar and loud language and music are their trademark. "Every night, they put on a show to tell us, the law-abiding citizens, that it is they, the dope dealers, who TONY BROWN Syndicated Columnist are in charge," the plea says. A car firebombed, a man found dead in a car, families who cannot sleep, young children who cannot play - day after day, night after night. The spess is compounded by the real ity that the residents cannot afford to move. Like most of us, they are Papped where they live - in this case on Bancroft Avenue in Oakland, "Therefore, we do what all dis- pessed human do: We cry for help! Wfe, the law-abiding citizens of this neighborhood, arc asking you, Mr. George Hart, Police Chief of Oak land, to give us, the law-abiding cit izens of this neighborhood, real and immediate help!" It is obvious that the police no longer conpol the urban areas - the thugs do. It is also obvious that if decent people do not band together as a front line for the police, the police will not regain conPol. I suggest that the people on Bancroft Avenue who contacted me also contact the black newspaper in which this column appears and Within You (Just Say No), a local drug-prevention group in their city, at 3101-A Sacramento St., Berke ley, Calif. 94702, or call (415) 848- 0845. Collectively, they can orga nize a "Walk Against Drugs" on Bancroft Avenue. They should also write for tech nical assistance from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 56(X) Fish ers Lane (Room lOA-54), Rockville, Md. 20857, and make sure they send a dynamite pamphlet: "A Guide to Mobilizing Ethnic Communities for Drug Abuse Prevention." Within You grew out of the same neighborhood turmoil that we now see on Bancroft Avenue. Joan Please see page A5 CHILDWATCH By MARIAN W. EDELI^ Inside the teen-age mind and excitement as those in line began to embrace and congratulate each other on their mutual sense of accomplishment. Many of them now realized that the diversity of the Rainbow was more than just theory; it was a living reality. The hope is that this kind of political organizing and mobilizing, across racial and economic lines, will become the basis of a progressive pansformation of this society. For me, there are moral and theological implications of the Jackson candidacy that go beyond politics. In the black church Padi- tion we affirm that "the Lord sure moves in mysterious ways." At a time when there has been a dramatic increase in racially moti vated violence and other acts of overt racism across the nation, an African-American emerges as a major leadership figure for the whole nation. At a time when Presi dent Reagan and conservative polit ical forces seem determined to con tinue leading the nation toward greater racial and economic divi siveness, Jackson emerges as a viable alternative who provides a moral vision and a commitment to all people. WkSHlNGTON - What art thinking and feeling about thcmscii each other and the future? Even those of us who arc part of teens and see them every day (t do not know the answers. Yci must understand what makes itj tick in order to communicate i them about such urgent threats drug abuse, teen pregnancy and ^ ally Pansmitted diseases like AIDS Teens today arc anxious make money, are family-oricnij and are swayed by peer pressm according to results of one teens by Teen-age Research Unli ited, published in the August i of American Demographics. T poll's findings offer a rare glimp into our teen-agers' heads, A majority of teen-age surveyed agree with the statemt that "success means making a money." Teen-age girls are k likely to equate success ni money: nearly two-thirds sPonj agree that "money can't buy happ ness," according to the poll. It may come as a surprise! those of us with teen-age childie but more than three out of foi teen-agers surveyed say that I like to do things with their famii Two-thirds of teens, however, agii that "too often my parents seem to understand me." Teens, especially as they older, see a happy marriage as« of the most important things in lif the poll says. One thing that is front and ceil in our teen-agers' minds at all times what their peers think of te Because teens are painfully self-ct scious about their appearance, nu of the peer pressure they feel cenit around how they look and dress. Only a small fraction ofil teens polled sPongly agree withil statement, "I Py to be diffeit from my friends in the clothes buy." Most disagree with the slat ment, "Tm usually the first pera in my crowd to try something ne» Finally, and alarmingly, ll poll seems to indicate widespread publicity about the' gers of AIDS and other sexuij transmitted diseases has not sunll with nearly enough teens. Fe»| than half of teens polled (48 cent) strongly believe that sexi activity carries the risk of these eases. Teen-age boys are less coi cemed about these risks than girls. The survey also gives us adul some valuable clues about where oi children are tuning in. Most tea polled agree that television is the major source of entertainment, and even larger share say they often lislf to the radio. The overwhelniin majority, male and female, woil rather read a magazine than a boo! according to the poll. Wfe have to use these media t talk to our teens. Our messagt Unless they avoid the pitfalls teen pregnancy and sexually tran mitted diseases, they will n( achieve the success, the peer accq tance or the family life they' dreaming about. Marian Wright Edeiman is a Natioi ai Newspaper Pubiishers Assod lion coiumnist who is presidenti the Chiidren's Defense Fund, nationai voice for youth. CHRONICLE CAMERA Twin City residents reveal their favorite news anchorperson America has come to rely on televised newscasts as one of their primary and most immediate sources of infomiation. In an induspy where ratings and viewer response are the bottom line, news anchors often fall victim to the fickleness of viewers. So what do viewers want in a news anchorperson? Many viewers say they want to be able to trust news personalities to bring them clear, accurate and time ly news. Some say they want to get their news from someone who is pleasant to look at. Others say they simply want to hear the news in simple terms they can understand. It would seem difficult to find a person who can meet all of these requirements, but residents polled in this week's Chronicle Camera seemed to feel that there were some newsanchors who came close to meeting all of their needs. Winston-Salem is served by three network television stations and those stations employ a host of news anchorpersons and reporters to bring news into Triad homes. But this week's Chronicle Cam era polls Twin City residents about their personal favorites in the news anchor chair. The results of the random sai pling of residents were nearly unai imously produced one name as ll favorite news person in the area. "Denise Franklin (Channel t2). She sounds good, she looks good and she's very fine young lady She's also very eloquent." Shedrick Adams I like Joyce Taylor (Channel 2}. She talks good and you can understand everything she alks about. e knows what she's talk ing about.” Isaiah David "Denise Franklin. She's accurate and her pronuncia- •. tion is good. OUs Braswell This week’s question asks "Who is your favorite news anchor person and why?" "I watch Chan nel 12, so I hang , .with Denise franklin and :hat other guy Ric Amme). It Wms like hey’re together rith their [news.” Following is a sampling answers to this week's Chronit Camera question. "t watch Denise (Franklin. She's }ood.ljust like (way she 3lks. She seen' lice." Mary Evan Smith Ellis Armstrong Jr
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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Oct. 29, 1987, edition 1
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