Opinion
Winston-Salem Chronicle
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Prtii Allocator Pu0t ?%h*r* A*ioc>?lion of Clf CUlJItlOTIS PtMMn. tw.
Policing the Police
Over the past few weeks national and local newspapers
have run stories of police misconduct. Most of the stories
dealt with drug usage or drug dealing. Winston-Salem
recently had its own celebrated case where Joy Barber was
convicted of conspiracy to traffic cocaine. Barber, as well as
other law-enforcement officers, swore to an oath to uphold
the laws that a court found her guilty of breaking. She failed
to set an example of a good law-enforcement official, a per
son who is looked up to by many ? from adults to children.
Barber not only shirked responsibility as a law officer, but as j
a mother to a 5-year-old girl. Let us hope that her case was
an isolated one in the Winston- Salem Police Department and
that the department can get on with trying to salve the
wound that she inflicted on the department.
Zero Stands for Justice
District Attorney Tom Keith closed the books on the
Sheila Ann McKellar case, but Winston-Salem's African
American community should not close its minds to what '
happened to the 33-year-old woman. Blacks should not for
JL_ . get because what happened to her could happen to any one
. in the community ... , ? -
To help you remember the McKellar case, it might be
- ? helpful to remember-these numbers :-5^1 -and 0. Five is- for
the number of officers widely held to be responsible for
McKellar's death. They were the ones who arrested a manic
McKellar on last July 18, bound her wrists and ankles,
gagged her and placed her on her stomach in the holding cell
? of the warrant office. Lcjss than an hour after her ary^st,
another female prisoner aJafted offic?? that McKellar v*yas
"h~ not breathing. Less than two days later, McKellar was dead.
"Lessnhan a^eai^lateT, the officers can breathe easier and
return to work.
One is for McKellar, a 33-year-old, crack-using, HIV
infected black woman who was headed in a direction of
apparent rtesyrar.tinn One Qtanrk for McKellar because she is
the victim not only of police abuse, but of a society that
offers young black women very few chances to survive the
quagmire of poverty. Her criminal record dates back to 1975
and is filled with misdemeanor charges, mainly involving
theft. Whatever her reasons for stealing - to support a habit
or just feed herself - these problems suggest something was
gravely wrong.
The zero is for the absence of a state "negligent homi
cide" law. Had there been one, said Keith, he would have
had the power to press charges. Keith could find no reckless
ness in the officers' behavior.
Zero could also stand for justice.
Breaking Campaign Promises
If alFpoliticians who make false campaign promises are
forced to resign from their office, as Oregon Sen. Bob Pack
wood might be forced to do, there'll be no incumbents in
next year's elections.
Credo of the Black Press
The Black Press believes that America can best lead the world
away from antagonisms when it accords to every person ? regard
less of race or creed ? full human and legal rights . Hating no per -
son. the Black Press strives to help every person, in the firm belief
that all are hurt as long as anyone is held back.
; __ ? -
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Winston-Salem Chronicle
Oprah'sVisit to Arbor Road Not Disgraceful
To the Editor:
I read the Chronicle headline
"Oprah disgraces blacks in Win
ston." I would like to express my
opinion and say that 1 seriously dis
agree. Oprah happened to jog on
Arbor Road and saw a house with
beautiful dogwood trees and a
porch. She liked the house and had
a desire to sit on the porch and share
muffins.
I would not characterize
Oprah's visit to that house and fam
ily as disgraceful just because the
family is white and it was on Arbor
Road. If you have been keeping up
with Oprah Winfrey's career, you
will understand that she was not
thinking of racial politics. Those of
us who have been involved in racial
politics for years would probably
have acted differently because in
our activist struggle, we constantly
seek every opportunity to enhance
. our black political agenda.
To understand Oprah fuilyTwe
___ne#d-to~kn5wmore about her phi
losophy and what she is attempting .
to accomplish in her life and career.
She gTew up poor like most of us in
the black community, now that she
has achieved recognition of her tal
ent, achieved wealth and is a world
celebrity, she tries with all her being
to promote love every place she
goes and in every thing she does.
Oprah's love, like that of her closest
friends, is universal; it radiates
across the country through televi
sion media around the world. Her
concern for her fellow man touches
millions of people of all races,
creeds and colors. So, when Oprah
visited Winston-Salem, she instinc
tively did what she does best: pro
mote human relations and commu
nity harmony in the city, hoping that
our citizens would be proud, work
together in spirit of love, and she
hoped that industries and employers
* would be attracted to move here,
thus providing more jobs for our
people^
Oprah Winfrey gives millions
of dollars to black colleges and
other black causes. She concen
trates on education and jobs for
blacks. So let's be patient and
? understanding of Oprah, a good per
son trying to help us. even -though
she may go about it differently.
I asfk my friends who felt
slighted to carefully rethink their
position, and I am sure they will
conclude what many of Oprah's
friends will attest to: Oprah Win
frey has a genuine love for all peo
ple and that includes all of us in
Winston-Salem.
J. Raymond Oliver Jr.
Winston-Salem
Supporting Oprah
To the Editor:
After reading your article and com
? ments concerning Oprah Winfrey
and the attitude some people have
concerning her airing of certain
footage of this city, my duty to
uphold the truth has caused me to
comment. First of all, we as black
people do more harm to ourselves in
this modern time than anyone else,
and our rejection of the truth creates
that environment. Every other
nation of people on this earth
accepts the truth of white people
and who they are except the black
people in America. The living proof
of this statement is made manifest in
our daily actions, in that we don't
help and support ourselves. Every
other nationality of people here in
America puts forth a unified effort
to build and support themselves.
Now, these are actual facts: 1
am the host of a T.V. talk show
called "Around Town," and it is pro
duced by a black man, George
Bishop, owner of Reel Tyme Audio
and Video Productions of Greens
boro. I have interviewed Cecil Rou
son and John Raye of Dudley Prod
ucts, Alderman Larry Womble,
Whitt Lowery, the Rev. John
Mendez, the Rev. Carlton Eversley,
Vanessa Bell Armstrong and. of
course, Coach Clarence E. "Rig
house" Gaines. The show comes on
television all over the state of North
Carolina, except in this area. Why?
Black people do not support it
g?g|
Sauveur Orelus and Fabonor Sainvil , both peasant-union activist , are seen in Port-au Prince . Orelus, Sainvil ,
and a third union leader , the three alleged victims of police brutality after being arrested for supporting a
protest strike, were recently released from custody.
CHRONICLE MAILBAG
Our Readers Speak Out
here, and my main purpose in seek
ing to have it on television here in
this community was to offer my lit
tle help in bringing us together so
that we may know ourselves.
The show has gotten tremen
dous response everywhere except
the area it was intended to basically
-serve. Dudley^jwas asked to support
us, and his response was no, as well
as many others in the community.
So, no one can disgrace us because
we are a disgrace ourselves. We
have no faith at all in self.
Now, Winfrey is a beautiful sis
ter in-my opi^on, yet shf must ,
adhere to ^ood sense if she wants to
be successful.
As the media consultants advise
her of the fact that the majority of
her viewers are white people, and
all of her advertisers are also white
people, her producers execute in
thcir-effonjrnrview-ofihe facts. So
quite naturally, her shows are going
to cover that which entertains her _
viewing audience as well as coin
cides with those who financially
support the show..
Air time on television is not
free. I know a few celebrities, some
personally, and believe me, they
work hard, and they address with all
due respect that segment of the
community which is responsible for
their financial success. You must
understand that the qualifications
necessary 'to have it your way"
requires that you support it.
So in closing, I would like to
say, support me and Mr. Bishop,
and we can he rui T V. and show
forth our community. Winfrey did
not start out at the top; she got better
as she went along as a result of the
persons who supported her, and it
was not the black people of this
communfty. We are a fine people, as
our history here sixty years ago
indicates. So, we have the potential
to set an example for the black peo
ple throughout the country to take
note of. We certainly did it in the
past, and we can do it now.
Certainly, one cannot do better
until they know better. My hat is off
to Winfrey; she inspired me to try it,
and that in itself was enough for me.
Karim Allah
Winston-Salem
Cigarette Tax
To the Editor:
1 am writing to respond to the
proposal we hear is under consider
ation in Washington, D. C., for a
"monster" cigarette tax increase to
pay for health care reform.
We all think health care reform
. long overdue. But raising excise
taxes on tobacco to pay the tab
possibly as much as S2 on a pack of
cigarettes ? is the wrong way to
go
First of all, the "monster" ciga
rette tax would wreck havoc on the
economy of our state and put thou
sands of tobacco workers out of
their jobs.
Second of all, tobacco taxes are
regressive and just plain unfair to
average working Americans. Excise
iaxes take a much bigger bite out of
the incomes of middle class and
.poor people than they do from the
rich. After twelve years of making
working people foot the bill, isn't it
time the rich pay their fair share?
Lastly, if we're finally getting
serious about enacting national
health care so millions of Ameri
. cans don't have to go without basic
medical coverage, we should pay
for the plan with a stable source of
revenue. History has shown that
when excise taxes are increased, the
money they generate goes down.
Our national health care plan should
have broad-based stable financing
so it's still around for our children
and grandchildren.
In the final analysis, the "mon
ster" tobacco tax is bad for our
economy, it will cost jobs, it's unfair
and it's a poor source f funds for
health care reform.
Larry B. Carson
Winston-Salem
AIDS Memorial
To the Editor:
In 1983, a small group of peo
ple with AIDS organized the first
AIDS Candlelight Memorial in
three cities in the United States. In
the following year. Mobilization
Against AIDS was formed and
made the promise that it would con
tinue the tradition of honoring those
who have passed away from AIDS
and supporting those who are living
with HIV and AIDS. Nine years
later, in 1992, 200 candlelight
memorials were held with a total of
over 100.000 participants in 44
nations on six continents.
In this very special year of the
10th Annual International AIDS
Candlelight Memorial and Mobi
lization, we invite you to join us in
worldwide solidarity to make this
the largest and most successful
AIDS candlelight ever. The AIDS
Candlelight Memorial will be held
at Grace Court Park on Sunday,
May 23rd at sunset. Individuate
should supply their own candles and
. protective cups. For more informa
tion, please contact the AIDS Task
Force Monica Paitsel at 723 5031.
> Monica Paitsel
AIDS Task Force
Winston-Salem
Positively Piedmont
To the Editor:
On May 4, the community of
Forsyth County once again exhib
ited its "positively Piedmont spirit"
and welcomed nearly 40Q students
from city/coi^tyMf9^ools of North
Carolina to our Second Annual Deaf
and Hard of Hearing Track & Field
Day.
The students were able to come
together and meet on common
grounds, compete on an equitable
- level, associate, and most impor
tantly. enhance their social and edu
cational experiences.
This day also served to sensi
tize all our communities toward the
need of such an event. It is hoped
that the event generate increased
sponsorship for its continuance
throughout the upcoming years.
We want to extend our heartfelt
gratitude to all of you that helped to
make this day successful.
To all the volunteers, parents,
interpreters, teachers, principals,
administrators . . . thank you.
To the supporters, BB&T, Dud
ley %s Q, Wachovia, Pepsi Cola Co.*
Burger King, Lance Inc. . . .thank
you.
To our host facility, Wake For
est University, and our guiding
light. Forsyth County Center for the
Deaf and Hard of Hearing, ...thank
you.
To the Winston-Salem Forsyth
County School System, thank you,
for believing in this effort and offer
ing unconditional support. To the
many others that sacrificed time,
energy or whatever was required . . .
. thank you. Because of your shar
ing, caring and contributions, all of
the participants were able to spend a
day seeding the hope that their
dreams can come true. Indeed, it
was a day that bestowed on us the
gift of gratitude, and united we say
"thank you so much."
Sharon Agnew~Oliver
Winston-Salem
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