Forum
Local group supports S. African cause
A group of concerned citizens
- has come together and become a part
: of a national movement, the South
Africa Crisis Coordinating Commit
tee, in order to refocus attention on
the continuing struggle of blacks in
South Africa to gain freedom, justice
; and equality in their homeland. This
: ecumenical group is united with the
? persecuted churches in South Africa
; which have recently been under
; severe attack, with bombings and
; other forms of harassment directed
* -against them
" > The South Africa Crisis Coordi
, nating Committee, or SACCC, wants
to establish a lasting network of dedi
cated and committed Americans who
are willing to stand for truth against
apartheid until South Africa is free. It
also desires to build a spiritual union
, and solidarity between local U.S. reli
gious leaders, churches and commu
nity groups and the struggling church
and people of South Africa.
Thus a call to action has been
sent out, titled "From Pentecost to
Soweto," which is an initial campaign
that will begin with a series of coordi
nated activities on Pentecost Sunday,
May 14, and will continue through
June 17, when there will be a major
rally and march in Washington, fea
turing the Rev. Allan Boesak and
many other prominent leaders and
entertainers. Lobbying efforts will
take place on Friday, June 16, both
locally and in Washington, in order to
bring pressure on our governmental
officials to support strong comprehen
sive economic sanctions against
South Africa.
June 16 is also significant
because on that day in 1976 many
children were massacred in the town
ship of Soweto. It is hoped that these
activities, which are a part of an on
going national campaign, will bring
attention to the crisis in South Africa.
' The situation in that racially
divided country is at an intense stage.
Not only blacks but whites who sup
port the anti-apartheid movement are
sacrificing their lives on a regular
basis. Just last week, prominent white
activist David Webster was gunned
down by white extremists who con
Africa is at a standstill or that things
are improving for the majority black
population there. This is certainly not
the case.
Blacks are forced to live iir "ban
tustands," so-called homelands where
GUEST COLUMN
By ELWANDA D. INGRAM
tinue to believe that whites are the
superior race. Their beliefs echo the
white supremacist groups here in the
United States, such as the skinheads,
the Ku Klux Klan and other hate
groups.
This should make all of us aware
that what is happening in South
Africa is not an isolated case. Racism
is not only abroad but in our own
country and seems to be' on the rise.
That is why we need to support the
efforts of SACCC.
The members of SACCC want to
bring attention to the fact that since
the imposition of a national "State of
Emergency" in June 1986, thousands
have died in various disturbances.
More than 40,000 people have
been detained, with at least 50 percent
of that number being women and chil
dren under 18. It is not uncommon for
these detainees to be beaten and tor
tured, no matter how young they are
or what sex they are.
An estimated 700 South Africans
have been convicted as political pris
oners, and more than 400 have been
sentenced to death and hanged. Orga
nizations have been banned and
churches have been persecuted.
Often U.S. national news shifts
its attention to other parts of the
world, which may create a false
impression that the struggle in South
the land is not suitable for growing
their own food. Thousands have to
leave their townships daily to work in
large metropolitan cities where their
labor is needed but not their presence
after working hours.
South African males who work
in the gold mines are separated from
their families at least 10 months out
of the year. They have no chance to
move up the managerial levels in the
company.
There is a high rate of infant ,
mortality in South Africa because
poverty is widespread.
Yet the people continue to
protest. They are willing to resist, to
be jailed, even to be killed, because
they are just in their cause.
Local efforts during the "From
Pentecost to Soweto" campaign will
include prayers, teach-ins, film show
ings, lectures and1 an ecumenical ser
vice featuring church leaders from
South Africa who will be on a nation
al speaking tour to focus attention on
the crisis in South Africa.
Plans are being formulated to
sponsor a bus to Washington for the
June 17 rally. The Rev. John Mendez,
pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church,
is coordinating activities here in Win
ston-Salem.
Dr. Elwanda D. Ingram teaches
English at WSSU.
The Third World needs our help
NEW YORK ~ A recent head
line told it all: "Rise in Hunger Seen
As World's Harvests Fall and Crisis
Soar."
The story reported on a United
Nations Food and Agricultural Orga
nization, statement that said 15 coun
tries require "exceptional or emergen
cy" food aid. If the present situation
continues, more could be added to
that grim list. World food grain pro
duction has fallen for the past two
years. Food reserves are shrinking.
Another drought in the United States
or a low harvest elsewhere could lead
to widespread famine in the most vul
nerable parts of the Third World.
More than half a billion people
around the world are undernourished,
and the situation will worsen over the
next several months. The United
Nations expects the tonnage of free
food from western countries to
decline by about a fourth in 1989.
While the big food-producing
countries bicker about subsidies to
their fanners and cutting "surplus"
production, many millions in the
Third World starve.
Rising prices are making it even
tougher for paying customers in the
Third World to import food through
By JOHN E. JACOB
normal trade channels. Many of those
countries arc over their heads in debt
and have cut back living standards
drasticallylrT order to pay interest
charges.
The world debt issue is too often
discussed in terms solely concerned
with its impact on western financial
institutions, but there should be more
focus on its impact on Third World
hunger and on the need for develop
ment programs.
Proposals floated in western trea
sury ministries focus on how to
relieve some of the debt repayment
pressures on Third World countries
without endangering the banks, usual
ly through creation of government
facilities that would refinance the
loans.
The poorer countries are advanc
ing proposals of a different kind - to
limit debt and interest repayment to a
portion of foreign export earnings, to
forgive some of the debt, or to enact^
moratorium on it.
Whatever final agreement
emerges, it will have to allow breath
ing space for the poorer nations to
revitalize their economies and raise
their living standards. Their western
creditors should understand that it is
in their long-term economic interests
to prevent the Third World from suf
focating in the debt chokc-hold.
A big part of the troubling U.S.
trade deficit, for example, is due fo
the drastic slowdown of trade with
Latin America. We once had a trade
surplus with that region, but the area
is in a depression due to the strain of
debt repayments, and trade has
slowed.
So aid to help develop the poorer
countries' economies is a good invest
ment. The better off they become, the
more they will import from the indus
trial world. But United States foreign
aid investments are declining. Japan's
are rising, and that could hurt us in
the long run, since foreign aid donors
often become the country of choice as
trading partners.
With the Cold War winding
down and the Soviet Union express
ing an interest in cooperating with the
West in regional issues, the time may
be ripe for a sustained effort by all of
the industrial countries to provide
development aid and emergency food
supplies to the Third World.
Chronicle Mailbag From Page A4
protect us.
I urge each of you to take the
time and very small expense to call
Rep. Decker in Raleigh at 733-3272
or in Walkertown at 595-4864. Your
voice urging Rep. Decker to support
these tougher measures could mean
the difference in their passage. Last
year 378 lives were lost in North Car
olina in alcohol-related crashes, and
14,803 people were injured. We need
to let those who would drink and try
to drive know that we will no longer
tolerate their crime. New legislation
would send this message.
Frances G. Wells, State Director
Mothers Against Drunk Driving
&
A cocaine story
To The Editor:
She is a very bad girl. She has a
desire that is very strong and wicked.
When she is around, there is no more
love. She makes a dog out of a man
and a woman. With her strange taste
and possessive way, she take full con
trol over your mind. She causes so
much pain and sorrow. She makes
you believe in her and then robs you
for everything you have. She steals
your love, tender mercy, money,
homes, cars, lives and respect for
yourself and others. She will take you
for a walk all night long.
I have seen her make a righteous
man lie to his Saviour, and rob him,
for his own pleasure. This is a very,
very bad girl. I have seen her raging
through neighborhoods killing and
laughing. This bad girl is worse than a
terrible storm. If you see her, please
turn her away. Don't give her a chance
to introduce herself to you. She has
made so many mothers weep and
moan. She has made so many fathers
scream and shout to their sons and
daughters, "You get out!" Will some
one please listen and hear. That girl,
that very bad girl, will kill.
I've never known someone So
bitter and cruel. If you see her any
where tell her to please go away. She
will fool you and will make you think
that you can really handle her, when
all along she slowly pulls you down.
She will possess you and tell you lies.
When you start to believe in her and
really think that she will be here for
you, what a surprise you will get.
Go to the mirror and look, and
you will see that she is not here at all,
but she will leave her mark upon you.
Your body will look so small and
drained and your mind will feel so
much pain from what she has done to
you. She has a name, and I'm sure by
now you know. Stop - don't call her
name! Neither will I, because she just
might hear us and make a show. God
help us to destroy her, please.
Sylvia Boyd
Winston-Salem
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