I Editorials & Comments
Republican Rhetoric On Judgeships
Undoubtedly many voters, and
particularly black voters, have
very strong and mixed emotions
about their presidential choices
in this year’s presidential elec
tion.
Whether he offers a good plat
form or not socialist candidate
Lyndon LaRouche Jr., will get
very little voter support. John
Anderson will probably suffer a
similar fate because of voters’
reluctance to endorse an alleged
“third party” candidate or, as
some have called him, a “self
righteous” man.
Teddy Kennedy too has his
problems as the shadow of Chap
paquidick has tarnished the Ken
nedy image to the point that
many autos have bumper stick
ers that read, “anyone but Ken
nedy.” The point is many
Americans simple don’t trust
Kennedy and do not respect him
the way they did his brothers
John and Robert. In addition, it
is viewed by the vast majority of
voters that Kennedy and others
could actually get the nomina
tion away from an incumbent..
This brings us to the front
runner candidates, one of which
will most likelv be the next
President of the United States.
Ronald Reagan, the former
movie star of grade-B pictures,
General Electric commercial
television announcer, two term
governor of California and an
eloquent speaker is making a
hard push to win the White
House.
In what has been billed as a
major address, Reagan appeal
ed to the 15,000 attendees at the
Urban League’s annual conven
tion in New York City this week
to not judge him as a carica
tured conservative” who is
usually described as being “anti
poor, anti-black and anti-disad
vantaged.” Rather he asked the
delegates to “listen carefully to
his plans for cutting tax rates
creating jobs, and helping the
inner-city poor with self-help
programs to lift them out of
poverty.”
As expected, Mr. Reagan at
tacked the Democratic Party,
cited statistics on black unem
ployment and said the solution
for blacks is “jobs, jobs, jobs,”
not “make-work employment
that lasts for one year and then
squeezes recipients back into
welfare roles.”
Enterprize Zones
Reagan said , if elected, he’d
push for the creation of “en
terprize zones” in depressed .
inner-city areas where various
regulations would be relaxed,
property taxes would be stabi
lized and depreciation and tax
rules would be changed to en
courage business to locate in
and hire inner-city workers.
Secondly, Mr. Reagan pro
jx>sed to create a self-help urban
home steading program in which
government-owned slum homes
in blighted areas are sold to the
poor for$i if they are willing (and
able) to rehabilitate them.
He also proposes to aid black
business developments and en
act a variable (below) minimum
wage for youths to encourage the
hiring of unskilled and unem
ployed young blacks. He pro
poses too to not hire blacks at the
expense of whites.
Mr. Reagan’s rhetoric says
nothing that is not already being
done and he adds, in his own
words, if you “listen carefully”
that he’ll cut the minimum wage
for youth on the incorrect as
sumption that it will create more
entry level jobs and he would
abandon affirmative action pro
grams to avoid alleged reverse
job discrimination.
The fact is, as a believer in the
private enterprise ideology and
their trickle-down theories, Rea
gan as President could not pro
duce jobs. Would his admin
istration save a Chrysler? We
think not.
H^h IJnen^ployment
Jimmy Carter, the incumbent
President, is asking the voters to
return him to the White House
for four more years in spite of
high unemployment, high infla
tion, the Iranian crisis, the Billy
Carter affair and a generally
weaker foreign policy position.
Given this sad state of presi
dential politics, what is a voter to
do? What kind of analysis should
a voter engage in in order to
begin thinking about whom to
vote for that will enhance the
progress of the American people
in general and black people in
particular?
While space does not permit a
lengthy answer to these ques
tions, and we are not committed
to endorsing any candidiate at
this time, a few thoughts are
noteworthy.
First, Mr. Reagan is offering
nothing in his rhetoric that is not
now being done, except that poor
people can’t afford to rehabili
tate houses purchased for $1 and
ultra conservatives like Jesse
Helms will block any really
progressive innovations a Rea
gan White House might offer.
Jimmy Carter obviously has
his weaknesses and some of
them will continue. However,
almost with the stroke of a pen,
he can appoint some blacks to
judicial posts including the
Supreme Court during a possible
second term. Given the long
term impact of such appoint
ments on the progress of black
people, that alone is reason
enough to vote for Carter.
ARE WE GOING TO SIT AND LET
BLACK COMMUNITITES CRUMBLE AROUND US?
GRASS ROOTS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS,
MUST EMERGE TO FORGE
A UNITED EFFORT AGAINST CRIME,
NARCOTIC TRAFFICKING, BLIGHT AND DECAY.
Leaders Must Organize
As I See It
I
Learn To Listen?
Uerald O. Johnson
Post Columnist
When I was in college, a
young man we called
Spiderman used to bug me
to death to listen to his
music. Well, in those days I
didn’t have time to listen
because I was too busy
chasing women. So I used
to tell Spiderman “not now
man, I’m busy.”
Later, Spiderman was
writing a book and again he
called on me to read his
work. Well, I thought this
had gone far enough. So I
said, “Spiderman, I just
don’t have any time, man.”
You see, I thought Spider
man might be a little touch
ed. He had a reputation for
being a little tall on tales.
Today, Spiderman is a
well known singer, writer
and composer. He has cut
over a dozen albums, ap
peared on numerous tele
vision shows, plays the col
lege circuits, and writes
songs for other singers.
Many artists are singing
his songs and copying his
style. If imitation is the
truest form of flattery,..
Spiderman has truely ar
rived.
Oh, by the way, you
might know Spiderman by
his real name...Gill Scott
Heron.
The lesson I learned
through this experience
was to listen. Now I listen
to the voices of those who
want to get a critical
opinion of their ideas, or
their works.
Recently, a young man I
work with finished a draft
of a book he’s been working
on for several months. He
let me read the first chap
ter and we discussed the
book. The book has pro
mise, but more important
ly, the young man has
promise. He is aggressive,
bright and persistent.
Regardless of the out
come of his first book, this
voung man has the right
Gerald O. Johnson
chemistry to succeed. The
only road block that might
stand in his was could be
his ability to shoulder ini
tial failures.
But for anybody that
worked as hard as he did to
complete his wj>rk de
serves praise. This man’s
name is Terry Wiley. You
might be hearing it aeain.
BUCKLEY ON
BLACK EDUCATION
William Buckley recent
ly used a study by Orlan
Love to attack black lead
ers on misrepresenting the
black people. The study
concluded that 42 percent
of 17-year-old Blacks are
functionally illiterate.
Then he adds that on any
given day in the public
school system, 4 out of 10
students are absent.
Buckley concludes that
because parochial schools
are clearly superior to pu
blic schools, Black leaders
betrayed their Black con
stituency when they voted
against the tax credit bill.
The tax credit bill would
grant tax relief for each
child admitted to a non
public school.
This type of rationale by
Buckley puts him in the
same category with Dr.
Shockley...an ass.
Even with tax relief the
vast majority of Black
parents still could not af
ford to send their children
to parochial schools.
Hence, the tax relief would
only benefit the white mid
dle and upper class people
of this country. Moreover,
it would aid us in making
the already stupid public
schools even more stupid.
No Mr. Buckley, the
Black leaders were abso
lutely right in trying to
protect the only education
outlet for the vast majority
of Black kids. It is true,
however, that the Black
populace is being betrayed
by the Black leaders of this
country. But this is not a
case of it. It seems to be a
case of trying to pull a snow
job on the Black people to
benefit the vast majority of
white people.
I was sorry to read Pro
fessor Sowell’s comments
bn the subject. He is truly a
great Black economist; but
it appears he, too, can be
non-objective on some
topics.
Martin Open
Campaign
Headquarters
Congressman James G.
Martin’s 1980 campaign for
the U.S. House of Repre
sentatives from the 9th
district will officially begin
at 2 p.m. Thursday, August
7, with the opening of his
headquarters in Room 706,
Colwick Towers, 4401 Col
wick Rd., Charlotte. We
are looking forward to see
ing you there: At that time
you will have the oppor
tunity to discuss issues of
vital importance with Con
gressman Martin, and his
staff will have the pleasure
of meeting you Should you
need to contact me, l can
be reached at 704-365-2824
(headquarters) or 704-376
2798 (home).
Affirmative
' Action
Underpaid and Underprotected
By Gerald C. Horne, Esq.
Special To The Post
Unemployment and jobs are getting to be
like the weather. Everyone talks about it
but few seem to do anything about it.
Nonetheless, the rates continue to spiral -
_ala the weather - with no relief in sight. This
is the highlight of the Bureau of Labor
Statistics report of unemployment rates by
race and Hispanic origin in major metro
politan areas.
Among Blacks, the unemployment rate in
May for adult males was 12 percent- for
adult women, ll.y percent, (who says Black
women get hired before Black men?); and
35.2 percent for teenagers of both sexes.
On the other hand, the unemployment
r^/or white workers was 6.9 percent; for
adult white men, the rate was 5.9 percent;
for adult women, 5.8 percent; and for
teenagers of both sexes, 17.4 percent.
Behind these bland statistics lie deep
political repercussions. The Carter Admin
istration is consciously drivine ud unem
ployment -- allegedly to combat inflation -
despite the disastrous impact on the Black
community which put him in office.
However, high unemployment serves the
interests of other Carter supporters; -
ployees are reluctant to push for wife
increases to keep up with double-digit
inflation when long unemployment lines are
staring them in the face. No doubt this
policy is pleasing to Carter’s corporate
supporters.
But hard as it may be to believe, some
folks who have jobs maybe worse off than
those who don’t. The Atlanta Constitution, a
bulwark of the Southern Establishment not
usually noted for progressive politics, re
cently published a landmark series entitled
“The Underpaid and Under-Protected,”
which won the Robert F. Kennedy Journal
ism Awards’ Grand Prize. This well
researched, enlightening study was con
ducted by a team of Black and White, male
and female journalists.
Their conclusions were startling. They
found workers - mostly Black - toiling for
as little as $1 per hour! This despite the Fair
Labor Standards Act, the law guaranteeing
at least $2.90 hourly wage to nearly 58
million United States workers.
Take the turpentine industry, for
example. This $25 million a year industry,
which has over 700 producers is important
in the making of paint thinner, shoe polish,
crayons, etc. In the Georgia woods where
the industry is based, Black workers live$fti
almost medieval existence that would be
condemned by some as “propaganda” if it
were portrayed in a movie. Yet, the fact
remains that Black .workers work for next
to nothing, then fork over to the boss what
remains of their paltry paycheck for rent,
water and electricity, etc. In fact, the
worker usually ends up owing the employer
and is thereby forced to continue working
on pain of being jailed for “larceny by
trick” or “fraud.”
This was an industry worked by slaves in
the 19th century and little has changed since
then.
The most prominent turpentine man in
the nation is Jim Gillis Jr. president of the
780-member Turpentine Farmers Associa
tion Gillis is a member of one of Georgia’s
most powerful families - his father was long
the road commissioner - and runs the
largest turpentine operation in Georgia
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Hade lawyers Accuse American Bar Association Of Racism '
Aiireaa l. Madison
Special To The Post
The American u«i Asso
ciation (ABA) which has a
great influence on Judicial
appointments in the United
States still practices
racism. Until the 1950s
black lawyers were barred
from membership in the
ABA. While now admitting
blacks as members the
association has not purged
itself completely of racism.
The all-black lawyers
organization, National Bar
Association (NBA) has
challenged the ABA to dis
card its racism practices.
They accuse the ABA of
using a double standard in
evaluating lawyers for
juu0onip». a irc assuuauuil
often ignores its own due
process rules of interview
ing prospective appointees
when it comes to blacks.
This violation was great
ly evidenced in the recent
Federal Judicial appoint
ments of Grand and Cle
mons of Alabama. The
ABA's Judicial committee
filed huge reports with the
Senate Judiciary commit
tee, contending that these
rtwo former civil rights law
Alfred* L. Madison
vers were unqualified.
These reports, considered
largely “confidential hear
say" and newspaper clip
pings, to substantiate there
uiiH^udimcaiiuiut,
The ABA violated its owp
criteria by presenting
hearsay information to the
Senate Judiciary without
even allowing Gray and
Clemons the opportunity to
face their accusers, argu
ing that it was necessary to
shield the identity of the
accusers 'Sucji a practice
is highly unfair, especially
so when it comes to black
candidates for iudgships.
Reliance upon such a prac
tice for evaluating blacks
for judges will guarantee
continuation of the same
old discrimination policies.
The NBA emphasizes
that because the ABA has
found 34 extremely well
qualified lawyers for
judges over the the past
years, does not erase its
double standard qualifica
tion practices.
NBA bitterly criticizes
the ABA for beginning its
report on Clemons by
stating that "his under
graduate education at
Miles College in Birming
ham, which is a small
black institution, did not
prepare him well for a
nali/Mlol l&ui SmIiaaI Ailnk MM
Columbia, from which he
graduated in 1968. He un
doubtedly had to work very
hard with gr -at determina
tion in ore • to have a
successful taw career.”
NBA says this statement is
an insult to every black
college in America and
every black American.
Does the ABA have an
aversion to the virtue of
hard work and determina
tion? Does it place a high
value on indolence and the
lack of stamina?
In the six charges made
against Mr. Clemons in the
ABA report, upon cross
examination, all but one,
were admitted by the ABA
as being insignificant.
Even the significant tax
lein charge against Mr.
Clemons upon rigorous ex
amination of Mr. Jones, the
ABA witness, was based
upon the witness' own sub
jected opinion rather than
proof.
The NBA learned in Sep
tember, 1979, that the ABA
embarked upon its own
investigation, in order to
present its evaluation to
the Justice Department
and the Senate. This was a
scheme to disqualify these
two prospective black
judges The ABA has great
ly objected to being vi
gorously cross examined
about its presented evi
dence.
The ABA has historically
when a tentative unquali
fied rating is given, it is
tantamount to death for the
person being rated. Yet,
the ABA did not apply its ■
rule of talking with a per
son before tentatively com
municating the unqualified
rating to the Justice De
partment. This right was
not accorded Clemons and
Gray. Through the vigor
ous insistence of the NBA
and other organisations,,
the Justice Department
would not have proceeded
with these nominees and
the ABA’s ratings would
have kept both of these
outstanding black lawyers
from becoming federal
Judges.
The 8,000 NBA members
are furious over the ABA’t
double standards which
they term as only racism
and it feels that the ABA
should apologize to both
Gray and Clemons; not for
investigating their cases
but for the carelessness of
the reports and for its ob
vious violation of its own
rules in investigating them.
The NBA is demanding
that the ABA change its
methods of Judicial investi
gation - and the NBA has
no faith in the ABA’s evalu
ation methods. It demands
t**t confidential hearsay
be completely eliminated
from the evaluation pro
cess.
NBA further states that if
ABA refuses to remedy its
unjust process, it will ad
vise all black lawyers to
resign from the American
Bar Association.
SOjC 23W
Ccnwarfm Sel
ATLANTA - Delegates
from across the nation will
gather in Cleveland, Ohio
to attend the Southern
Christian Leadership Con
ference s (SCLL) zsra An
nual Convention, Thurs
(my, August 7 through Sun
day. August 10.
This year’s theme, ac
cording to SCLC President,
Dr. Joseph E. Lowery,
pastor of Atlanta’s historic
Central United Methodist
Church, is, “Developing A
Moral Agenda For The
Nation And The World
_