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Doonesoury
Honey Do, Honey Did!
Okay, men. Wc all know the term "Honey"
is one of affection and love. So why does the
addition of one little two-letter word to "Honey"
change it from a term of endearment to a term of
imprisonment? I refer, of course, to that most
hattd of all terms ? "Honey do."
How many of you have ever been given a
"Honey Do" list? Honey do this and honey do
thai! Well, my wife has been making her list and
checking it twice, anA ?
hours?). Full of vacation generosity, 1 then sug
gested we go to the movie, just going with the
flow. "What movie are we going to?" she said.
"Don't Worry, just gel ready!" 1 replied.
"I'm not going if I don't know which movie
we are going to see." My resistance surfaced
again. This time I held out until we were actually
seated at the movies. "Cliffhanger," staring
Sylvester Stallone. "I don't even like Stallone.
during the week of my
vacation ? my week
of supposed rest and
relaxation away from
the stress and strain of
my paid job. After 15
years of marriage, I
should have seen the
GUEST COLUMNIST
By NIGEL 0. ALSTON
"Hooey Do" list writing on the wall. Bui guess
what? Honey did.
For the last few months, my wife has been
giving me a fine reputation to live up to. She
proved her true leadership qualities by winning
. me to her way of thinking and gaining my enthu
siastic cooperation. She was proud of me accept
ing a challenge and writing an article that was
printed in the Winston-Salem Chronicle. She
even used it in a class she taught this summer,
and I was a guest speaker. Boy did I feel good!
She was also proud about my involvement
in the community and other recent accomplish
ments. I should have seen it coming. Sufficiently
stroked and lifted up, here came tne list ...
"Honey do ..."
"Shampoo the carpets. What happened to
the flower-planting plans? The walls need paint
ing. New carpet? You need to take time and
work on this house," she repeatedly commented.
Now, mind you, I was on vacation ? a rest,
break from the stress and strain of work ? and I
just wanted to go with the flow. 1 am laughing at
myself for even entertaining this thought.
But this list that was about to control my
vacation destiny wasn't any list ? it was the
superstar of "Honey Do" lists. Not only did it
include things around the house that needed to
be done, but going to Gaffney, S.C. for the fami
ly's July 4th cookout; to Concord to a friend's
family reunion; and to see several movies she
had in mind. As was the honorable male thing to
do, I resisted.
During the week prior to my vacation, she
asked if I was going with her to South Carolina.
I should have said yes then ? I knew 1 was
going ? but the thought of taking Saturday for
myself and doing nothing appealed to me. Five
days of resistance was too much followed by:
"Why cant you go; will you drive; or that's okay,
111 go by myself." "Okay, go ahead, have a good
time," I said. "Well, why won't you go?
"Because I'm on vacation!" You guessed right.
Honey did go.
We had a great weekend ? great food, fam
ily and friends ? and Monday I "chilled out" for
the morning (or did she allow me to have a few
Why this movie? I wanted to see Jurassic Park,"
she said. Two hours later, she was happy and
enjoyed the movie. I smiled smugly at my tri
umph.
My victory was short-lived, however. The
all-empowering "Honey Do" list rose again to
the surface. I had been delegated the job of
developing a flower-planting plan a couple of
months ago. Periodically, Sarah would ask,
"What happened to the plan?" "Nothing hap
pened to the plan; I know what I am going to
do." I don't know the first thing about planting
flowers. I even watered a plant to death once.
I spent about an hour at a local garden shop
asking questions, geuing advice on what to plant
and how to arrange the plants. Soil conditioner.
Bone meal. Plants. Shovel. 96 degrees in the
shade. She's proud of me again; the plant plan is
happening. I think she was more happy I was
getting exercise than planting the flowers. I must
say they look good. Honey did. The praise starts
again. Must be time for the next item on the list,
"Honey do ..."
So far my vacation is going just the way she
wanted. Armed with my shampoo and equip
ment, I work until the early morning hours,
shampooing and vacuuming. Move furniture.
Shampoo carpet. Allow it to dry. Vacuum and
rearrange furniture. True to form, she appears.
"Honey, it looks good, smells j;ood, too. I am so
proud of you!" It's Friday. I know there is more
to be done. Painting the walls is next 1 just have
to take a vacation day today. After all, it's the
weekend. 1 worked hard for this day! The shades
are down, the blinds are closed and the fan and
air conditioner are on. 1 have just read the
Chronicle and am starting to resume reading
"Smart Schools, Smart Kids ? Why Do Some
Schools Work?" "Video Soul" is on and my
Macanudo Hype Park cigar is lit Boy, do I feel
good!
She'll be home soon. The funny thing is
after all the hard work and praise and exercise,
we will be back to square one. There is a lot of
work around here to do, what is the plan, you
need to find time ... Honey do this! Well! Honey
did ... at least until next weekend!
Discrimination Seems to Die Hard
The myth that discrimination is no longer a
major factor in American life persists despite
overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Most
Americans seem to think that just because a law
is passed, discrimination just fades away. It
doesn't.
Most companies think that just because
they have strict rules forbidding discriminatory
treatment, discrimination no longer exists in
their business. They're wrong.
And many people of good will think that
because they act in ways that are fair toward all
Rights Act of 1964, but as those incidents show,
it*s alive and well.
So is the more subtle discrimination rooted
in negative stereotypes. Many banks, for exam
ple, make far fewer personal and mortgage loans
to African Americans than to whites, despite
formal equal-lending policies.
One banker explained to the Washington
Post recently why he thinks loan officers treat
blacks differently,
He gave the example of a mother and child
walking down a street and seeing a black male
and because they"
wouldn't dream of
treating others on the
basis of their race, reli
gion or ethnicity, that
discrimination is a
thing of the past They
too, are wrong.
TO BE EQUAL
John E. Jacob
Unfortunately all
the laws and company policies and personal
good will aren't enough to erase the prejudices
and stereotypes that are deeply ingrained in peo
ple. The myth of fading discrimination can be
helpful, since it reflects a behavioral norm that
says discrimination is wrong and should not be
tolerated. But it also serves as a barrier to end
ing discriminatory practices, since believers in
the myth look to other causes for African- Amer
ican disadvantage. That's why we hear so much
about people not wanting to work instead of
about people unable to find work or about peo
ple facing discrimination in their pursuit of a
home or a job. And it's why some Americans
ait so shocked when evidence of discriminatory
practices thought long dead suddenly surfaces in
the headlines.
That's what happened when news reports
told of a lawsuit by six African-American Secret
Service agents against the Denny's restaurant
chain, charging denial of service on the basis of
race. Earlier in the year, another restaurant
chain, Shoney's Inc., paid $132.5 million to set
tle a lawsuit filed by minority workers and job
seekers who had been discriminated against
That kind of discrimination was supposed
to have ended with the passage of the Civil
approach. "What happens?" he asks. "The
mother squeezers her child's hand and pulls the
child close. To me, this is one of the classic
examples of how biases get built in at the very
youngest age."
He's right Those almost subliminal misper
cepcions are reinforced throughout life, as peo
ple substitute negative stereotypes for reality.
So bankers see African-American loan
applicants through the distorted lenses of a life
time's worth of negative stereotypes. So do
landlords, factory managers, personnel execu
tives and teachers.
The result is a web of subtle discriminatory
practices that may not be immediately visible to
the naked eye. But they show up in lower lend
ing to African Americans, higher black layoffs,
lower black hiring rates and lower black school
achievement
That's why it's necessary to strictly enforce
laws and company policies that bar discrimina
tion. It's why the courts have to be strict in their
enforcement And it's why all institutions in our
society have to be made to see, to understand
and to correct the terrible impact of negative
stereotyping and deep-seeded prejudices.
7^
MACK,
GET ME
ROSTY ON
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MR PRESl
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CHAIRMAN
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I HATE TO SAY THIS, PEAR ,
BUT AS U0N6 AS THAT
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HEAP, TP THINK YOUVFEEL
HONOR-BOUNP \
TO RESIGN.
I AGREE!..
MR.&eAK?R?
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LIMITING OUR
THANK XXJ, MR. CHAIRMAN.
AS I'M SURE YOU'RE UJEIL
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MUCH PU3UC CONCERN LATELY \
OVER THE IMPACT OF YOUR
POSSBLB- INPICTMENT...
THE CHAIRMAN IS SIMPLY NO
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AS A OONSERmiVE, I HAVE
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OF JUSTICE THAT SAYS A MAN
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VOICES FROM THE COMMUNITY
With much discussion about teen-age pregnancy flooding the airwaves and the newspapers, the Chronicle asked resi
dents whether they thought people should engage in sex before marriage. Here are their responses:
I m
Charles Higgins, 23
J. Riggins
"It's up to the individual. If
you think, I can sleep with
this man even though I
know he's not going to do
right,' you're doing it
because you want to. As
long as it's not against your
better judgment, tiic deci
sion should be lelt to the
two consenting adults."
ft
Robert Garner, 45
Alliance Display
"No ? it all depends
on age. For example, tf
you're 16, you're still a
baby and I don't think you
really understand what
you're doing. I go by the
Bible, so I'm against il"
1 I
Gloria Scarborough, 49
Reynolds Health Center
"I really don't think
they should. They should
wait until they're married
bccause they should know
each other well. With all of
the diseases going around,
they really should wait and
get to know the person."
[ I .
OrrLs Knight, 22
Frederick's of Hollywood
"I don't think they should
becausc it's morally wrong.
Personally, I'd wait until
marriage because reli
giously I know it's wrong. It
influences a lot of the things
you do afterwards, espe
cially in relationships."