cditoMb tconcnu
Gun Legislation Needs Your Support
Black leaders should go on record
in support of the gun legislation
pending in the 94th Congress. The
Judiciary Sub-committee last week
concluded the first phase of exten-”
- sive hearings which saw a number of
Congressmen go on record as sup
porting stiff gun control measures.
■vThe_ Judiciary Sub-Committee is
expected to report an effective pro
posal for curbing the high incidence
of gun crime to Congress in the near
future. J
. .Since more Blacks are victims of
firearm accidents than any other
race, it would appear that Black
leaders in this community would
make their views known on the
highly volatile gun control Issue. Our
representatives in Washington
should know how this community
and its leaders feel about this very
important bill.
.. The gun control issue certainly
will get strong opposition from the
gun lobby In Washington. This
powerful group has not neglected to
flex their muscles when gun control
was considered in past years, and
there are reasons to believe they will
strongly oppose all gun control mea
sures in this congress. Their reason
has profit making implications.
..The Post believes the so-called
“Saturday night special legislation”
should be strongly supported by all
citizens simply because the records1
show that more than 67 percent of all
murders in 1973 were committed
with firearms. The records also
show that the great majority of these
murders were the results of Blacks
killing Blacks.
. .We, however, do not feel that the
bill should ban the manufacture.
sale and possession of all handguns
as some have indicated.
..Some Democrats on Capitol Hill
are strongly urging the subcommlt
• tee to enact legislation that would
ban the manufacture, sale and pri
vate possession of handguns except
for law enforcement officers and
pistol clubs. Representative Walter
F a untroy - (D-Distr let of Columbia)
sums up the concerns of Members
who represent large urban areas
where the presence of a handgun is
more often than not the deciding
factor in whether a human being will
live or die. “He said,” I have burled
law-abiding citixens who were the
victims of handguns used in the
commission of crimes, and I have
officiated at the funeral of a very
fine police officer who was a mem
ber of my church, who was sense
lessly gunned down while handling a
routine traffice violation.”
..It is reported that during 1974 a
total of 669 handgun homicides oc
curred in the city of ChMgo, repre
senting 73 percent of the total. The
records further show that national
statistics Indicate that the percent
age use of the handgun in murders
across the country does not differ
significantly from the Chicago ex
perience.
. .We believe a strong bill should be
enacted that would provide stiff
penalties for the use of a handgun in
the commission of a felony. The
obvious answer to this serious pro
blem can be found in tougher gun
laws and not in banning firearms.
...It is our feeling that most Ameri
cans, even those against gun control,
are questioning the utility of the
statement, “guns don't kill, people
kill.”
Blacks Listen Differently?
There is a new bugaboo among us.
If you aren't tired of being proven
different from the other races, you
probably will be interested in know
ing that we listen to the radio
differently than the general popula
tion.
. .According to a special analysis by
Arbitron Radio based on listening of
the Black population in 10 major
markets, the listening patterns
among Blacks are “distinctly differ
ent from the general population.”
.. It is difficult for us to believe that.
However, we do concur that Blacks
spend more than 50 percent of their
listening tuned to stations program
med specifically for Black audien
ces. Arbitron says “A demographic
breakout by station format across
all the 10 markets surveyed showed
Black men 18 and older and, for
teens from 12 to 17, the Black
stations’ share is a whopping 73
percent.
from 12 to 17, the Black stations’
share is a whopping 73 percent.
.. The ability of Black stations in a
market to attract the Black popula
tion ranged from a high of 78 percent
in Birmingham to a low of 39 percent
in Chicago for total persons 12 and
older. Among teens, the range was
from 95 percent in Birmingham to a
low of 45 percent in Chicago.
.. There was no mentioning of the
Charlotte audience.
.. The survey shows that away from
home listening among Blacks during
morning and afternoon drive-time,
combined, was 45 percent lower than
that of away from home Untuning
among all ‘persons. The percent of
away from home listening was 18
percent for the Black population, 12
and older, compared to 18 percent
for the total population.
..Onereason to explain why Blacks
do more at home listening than other
population groups is related to the
- fact that a significant number of the
Black population live in highly ur
banized areas. In such areas access
to work on mass transit plus gener
ally shorter travel time to work tend
to reduce the amount of in-car
listening for Blacks during drive
time. The geographic concentration
of the Black community also de
creases travel time spent in shop
ping, visiting friends, etc. with cor
responding decrease in the oppor
tunity for in-car listening at other
times of the day.
. .The number of Black persons, the
survey continues, that listened to a
given Black station and to no other
station during a given time period
was higher than observed for other
station formats based on a special
analysis of listening done for the
New York metro.
325 BLACK
AMERICAN
JUDGES ON
THE COURT/,
DENCH, //A
COMPETENT SLACK PERSON
Sb*^®E5£&SWBS& .
RESTRAINING INFLUENCE ON HIS WHITE COLLEAGUES*
hy. times
Black Judges,...A Force For Justice
REPORT FROM
J^^Washingtog
Elimination Of Oil Depletion Allowance
In a rush of enthusiasm and self
righteousness, but with little idea of
the consquences, the House of Re
presentatives has voted to cancel the
oil depletion allowance. The vote
was 248 to 163, with North Carolina’s
delegation favoring the amendment
6 to 4. I believe it was a mistake.
. .I have no great love for the oil
depletion allowance. It does encou
rage exploration and drilling for oil
but it also encourages consumption—
by holding prices lower than they
otherwise would be.
..The Ways and Means Committee
was about to begin hearings on the
entire range of taxes related to
energy in just a few weeks. Chair
man Ullman was absolutely right
when he argued for leaving the
depletion allowance alone until then.
Tying it to the tax cut bill was not
necessary, unless you approve of
blackmail; it may endanger the tax
cut (which is OK with me, since it
has enough other problems to earn
my opposition); but most import
antly—the depletion allowance sho
uld not be eliminated until hearings
can show what the consquences will
be and what new tax policy should
substitute for It.
.. If there is to be no substitute tax.
incentive to replace it, then elimi
nating depletion allowance can have
only two results: (1) an increase in
oil prices or (2) a decrease in oil
wells, or both. I have made some
very rough estimates that In order to
keep even the present inadequate
pace of exploration and drilling-and
pumping-the tax break of the oU
depletion allowance would have to
be replaced by a price Increase of 4 -
7 cents a gallon. That’s as much as
the impact of the President’s import
duty of foreign oil. Or, if prices are
frozen at present levels, the loss of
the tax break (“loophole” If you
want to caU it that) would result In 3
million barrels per day less oil.
That’s as big a loss as the Arab oU
embargo in 1973.
. .After all, think what happened the
last time the depletion allowance
was reduced in 1969. Exploration
and drilling for oil and gas dropped
off sharply, and we had to face rising
oil imports and steadily rising shor
tages of natural gas. The last thing
North Carolina needs is a further cut
in the profitability of drilling for gas
in Louisiana and Texas.
..People who benefit from the de
pletion allowance are rich, indepen
dent oil men. Sure, they’re the ones
who win in the very risky business of
drilling for oil. The ones who hit a
series of dry holes lose. And if the
financial rewards are cut too low
then nobody will take the enormous
risk.
..It’s popular to blast the big oil
companies and pretend, that this bill
will punish them for their sins, real
and imagined. But the curious thing
is that the major oil companies
won’t really be affected much.
They’ll just raise the price to make
up for the lost tax break. It’s the
independents, the wildcatters, who
will be put out of business. They’ll
just sell out to the major oil compan
ies. So, oddly enough, ending the
depletion allowance will decrease
the competition.
. .But, there are a lot of other people
who benefit from the old oil deplet
ion allowance. That’s the people who
enjoy having adequate supplies of
oil. That’s you, Brother.
TO
BE
EQUAL
VERNON K. JORDAN J
Seniority Vs. Affirmative Action
- w*>o will be laid off? That's a question on a k
of people’s minds these days as the econom
continues to deteriorate and unemploymen
continues to climb.
.. It’s also a question that could be an exploslvi
one, deepening the already troublesome fissurei
in our society..
. .And it is a question of immediate significant
to employers, unions, minority employees, fede
ral officials and the courts, because of th<
conflicting claims of seniority and affirmatlv<
action. -
..Most large employers are bound by unioi
contracts that fay layoffs must be in order 01
seniority-first hired, last fired.They are alst
bound by the law, In this case the Civil Right!
Act of 1964, which forbids discriminatory em
pioyment practices.
.. It was due to this law that many blacks,
women and minorities got their first crack at
jobs previously reserved for white males. To
make up for past discrimination, many compa
nies have agreed with federal authorities to
undertake affirmative action programs designed
to increase the numbers of minority employees.
.. Now a recession-struck company is caught is s
dilemma: who to lay off? If they lay off older
white workers, they violate seniority provisions
of their union contracts. If they lay off blacks
who have less seniority thanks to the earlier
refusal to hire, the company reverts back to its
lily-white work force and violates affirmative
action agreements with the government, as well
as the Civil Rights Act.
Caught in the middle are workers of both race*
who face layoffs in a job market that offers no
opportunity for alternative employment. There
are already some signs of deepening racial
bitterness as some workers are victims of layoffs
that don’t affect the other race as much. If this
situation continues, we would see a lethal
combination of racial conflict and economic
hardship, an explosiveumix.
..Several cases have already come before the
courts, but with contradictory rulings. In one
case, the court ruled that a company could not
lay off its black workers because such action
would perpetuate the effects of past discrimi
nation. In another case, the judge ruled that the
seniority system should predominate and it’s
just too bad if that works disproportionate
hardship on black workers.
..Ultimately, these and other cases will come
before the Supreme Court which may hand down
a definitive ruling that sets clear guidelines for
employers. But by then it may be too late-and
there Is always that chance that this Court will
Issue a ruling that rebuilds the discriminatory
walls that excluded black people from equal
employment opportunities.
.. In the Griggs case, which dealt with pre-hiring
tests, the Court ruled that employment practices
"NEUTRAL ON THEIR FACE, AND EVEN
neutral in terms of Intent, cannot be maintained
If they operate to ‘freeze* the status quo of prior
discriminatory employment practices..."
. .1 read that to mean the "neutral" operation of
a seniority system that operates to freeze blacks
Into a last-hired, first fired situation, has to give
way to the higher conflicting right of continued
black employment opportunity.
THE CHARLOTTE Fttel
“THE PEOPLES NEWSPAPER”
Established 1918
By A.M. Houston
Published Every Thursday
By The Charlotte Post Publishing Co., Inc.
9139 Trinity Road - Charlotte, N.C. 28216
Telephones (704 ) 392-1306 - 392-1307
Circulation 11,000
Bill Johnson...Editor - Publisher
Gerald 0. Johnson.Business Manager
Robert L. Johnson.....Circulation Manager
Second Class Postage Paid at
Charlotte, N.C. under the Act of March 3,1878
Member National Newspaoer Publishers
Association
National Advertising Representative
Amalgamated Publishers, Inc. '
45 W 5th, Suite 1403 2400 S. Michigan Ave
New York, N Y. 10036 Chicago. 111. G0616
489-1220 Calumet 5-0200
Being Black Is Not Enough|
. . _ — ... . . _____ - - ___________ . -.. .. .. - - _ __
By Gerald Johnson
The initial period of hiring the first
black that walked by the door is over
and probably forever. The late six
ties saw thousands of companies
storming onto predominately Black
campuses and hiring any and all
Blacks for precisely that reason;
they were Black.
..During the late sixties with the
equality in hiring laws, affirmative
action plans, the government forced
the hand of many companies into
hiring Blacks simply by threatening
to cut off federal funds if they didn’t.
Thus the “Tan Rush” was on. Com
panies were waiting in line for
coloreds. These companies would
hire you on the spot place a sign
around your neck, “Resident Nig
ger” and hang you in front of a
window so government personnel
wouldn't miss you when they made
their rounds. A lot of this Is still
prevalent today in downtown Char
lotte.
.. Anyway, the government soon got
wise to all this when they decided to
talk to the Black personnel these
companies were hiring. As I heard it
one government official asked a
Black male manager of a large steel
corporation how often did he meet
with his people that worked for him?
He replied, “They are with me
wherever I go, me, myself, and I.”
. .For whatever that was worth, the
1970’s have brought about a lot of
changes to the earlier practices of
companies. Once justification for
hiring was made into an issue com
panies had to seek qualified minor
ity personnel to work. Doors that for
a short while were open to most
Blacks are being slammed into a lot
of Blacks faces. Being Black is not
enough, anymore, to get you through
the dpor.
..It alone does not get the door
slammed in your face anymore,
either. This is to say that if you got
something to offer in the way of
qualifications you can get in any
door, black, white, yellow, or green.
..But don't be like the young girl
who came into the personnel office
of a company and applied for a
typist job and it took her three
minutes to type her name. When she
wasn’t hired she immediately cried
out discrimination.
..Ora promotion I witnessed where
a white girl stayed if ter work for 4
months learning about jobs other
than her own which she had master
ed. She was promoted over a young
black girl who had mastered the
same position but refused to stay
after work to learn about other ;
positions.
. .In closing let me just say oranges
aren’t sweet because they are
oranges, but because of what they
are made bf. Black isn’t beautiful
unless we as Black people make it
so.
/