EDITORIALS & COMMENTS
Pageant Offers Leadership Lessons
An estimated 70 million Americans are
believed to have watched the Miss America
Pageant last Saturday evening. Ironically,
interest in this year’s pageant with its high
moral and decency standards has been
'generated- by the controversies surround
ing the defrocking of Vanessa Williams for
having posed nude in lesbian scenes. Yet, in
spite of this more parents appear to want
their daughters to compete in the Miss
America contest than ever before.
Without a doubt the Miss America
Pageant is the queen of all beauty
pageants; it is a major social national
tradition; and across the nation, it involves
nearly 750,000 beauty contests and 80,000
contestants competing to be the 51 finalists.
The non-profit pageant pays out in scholar
ships each year over $4 million..
wnne tne pageant maintains its great
popularity, controversy surrounding it pre
ceded the Vanessa Williams nudity affair.
Some argue that the pageant is silly and
destructive and exploits women. These
critics claim that women, only the young,
. are judged by whaj they look like, that is,
their physical features, not by who they are
as people and what their talents are. This
argument seems hardly valid since Miss "
America is at best only a beauty contest and
nothing more.
Undoubtedly,, the pageant’s biggest flaw
is that until a few years ago black women
were not allowed to participate. This fact no
.doubt, too, added to interest in the Vanessa
Williams aTfair Obviously. Wacks were
pleased when the racial barriers were
removed from the pageant and elated with
great pride when a black was named Miss
America for 1984 followed by a black first
.runner-up.
Following the release of the September
issue of Penthouse magazine with the nude
lesbian scenes, Vanessa Williams said she’d
been exploited by a white photographer.
That turns out to be a lie since the
Noyember and January issues of Penthouse
are expected to show even more revealing
and explicit lesbian scenes of photos taken
inuthe photographer’s apartment, not his
studio. We agree with Tony Brown’s com
ment that “It is hard to believe that this is
the once-in-a-lifetime mistake that Williams
has-claimed and blamed on her ‘curiosity.’”
Pom Pictures
.••I
• The photographer who took the original
pictures, Bob Guccione, claims, “Vanessa
Williams was a fraud on the America people
-a.'fraud certainly on her own people.”
Since Mr. Guccione was the person who
gained financially from the porn pictures it
is hard to accept his word on anything.
However, we find it equally hard to not
agree with his conclusion that Ms. Williams
was and is a fraud. We take this position
because all Miss America contestants are
required to sign an agreement indicating
that they have not been involved in any kind
of questionable aMivi Hoc that might refloat
negatively on the pageant. Obviously, Ms.
Williams signed the agreement fully aware
of her own questionable activities.
It is for this reason, too, that we are
deeply concerned about published reports
that Essence magazine will present “a
written bouquet” to Ms. Williams in its
October issue where the editor argues the
ethic that condemned her. _
Essence Editor-in-Chief, Susan Taylor,
tells Ms. Williams that she has stumbled,
^but you did not violate the society’s ethics.
This society’s ethics violated you. You
were...lamblasted for posing nude.” Then
Ms. Taylor veers off by asking ‘‘that in this
country nudity is a disgrace and racism
isn’t?” This is an example of the absence of
responsible leadership if Ms. Taylor, as an
opinion maker and one in a position to
influence her readers, is implying that
lesbian nude scenes is innocent nudity.
Furthermore, we fail to see any rela
tionship between nudity and racism.
Black Heroine?
First, racism is clearly'a disgrace in this
country, Secondly, for life. Tavlor to suggest
that Vanessa Williams' is If ' victim—or
“society’s ethics’’ or that she is a hlack
heroine struggling against the evils of
America, is an insult to black womanhood.
Tony Brown expressed this point in his
“comments” article in The Charlotte Post
lastweek-when he saidr^To^how-support.
for Williams as a victim of racism, ignores
lesbian live scenes as well as her rejection
of her role as a black womam and role
model fpr black people.”
On both of these points black people in
positions of leadership such as Ms. Taylor of
Essence magazine must not be dupied into
thinking that we as black people can do no
wrong and that we must defend and support
the actions of a black person simply
because he or she is black.
Any condoning of Vanessa Williams’
behavior sets an extremely bad example for
young black girls epd implies that we don’t
need any sense Valq^ as guictyp for our
behavior. For too long now some blacks
have used their blackness within the context
of past overt racism as an excuse for
doing what they know is not morally right,
offering less than quality performance on a
job, and giving black youth the impression
that crying racism will get them through
life.
Black leadership at every level and in
whatever form must demand and demon
strate good judgment, high moral stan
dards, a sense of fair play, a commitment to
the work ethic, a willingness to accept
,v'^r' .V .r’W yj+\ ’ s l W*:- .
constructive criticism, and a faith in
Almighty God. Without these characteris
tics. mack people cannor expect nor will -
they deserve a fair share of the higher
quality of American life.
^^TheCharlottePos^^
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From Capitol Hill
Republicans Must Get Off The Christian 10ck__
By Alfred* L. Madison
Special To The Post
"Dear Christian Leaders: Presi
dent Reagan has made an unwaver
ing commitment to the traditional
values which I know you share. Join
with us to help assure that those in
your ministry will have a voice in
the upcoming election - a voice that
will surely help the reelection of
President Reagan and Vice Presi
dent Bush. As leaders under God’s
authority, we cannot afford to resign
ourselves to idle neutrality in an
election that will confirm or silence
the President.’’ This is a quote from
a letter that has been sent to
churches by Senator Paul Laxalt,
President Reagan's campaign
manager.
A picture of President Reagan was
included in the letter with several of
his quotes: “Of the many influ
ences that have shaped the United
States of America into a distinctive
nation and people, none may tie said
to be more fundamental and en
during than the Bible. I believe no
challenge fi more important to the
character of America than TWtor
ing the right to life to all human
beings."
This letter characterises Repu
blican leaders as having been or
dained by God and President
Reagan being the1 titular head of the
party as God's anointed ruler.
Mr. Reagan needs to explain the
part of the Bible that influences the
GOP How can he explain that those
who desired to attend the lunch
where he and Vice President Bush
appeared paid «1,000 and the $10,*
000 contributions were given special
convention privileges and they will
be invited to the White House for a
special meeting with the President?
Have these ordained gnd anointed
Alfreds L. Madison
oy t»od read the Bible story of the
widow’s mite? Are they following
the example of the rich man who
only let the poor man receive
crumbs that fell from his table,
while leaving core for his sores to
the lickings of the dogs?
This heralded Christian Adminis
tration reduced inflation by in
creasing unemployment, adding to
the below poverty roll, and cutting
health benefits*, in spite of (be
spiraling health '“‘ft. At the-*-“t‘
time it has continually increased
defense spending The Air Force
Times reported that in FY ’88 the
u.s arms sates were ftt.s button
Tbts fattened the coffers of the rich
military equipment manufacturers.
Air Force Times' further said that
$17 billion, annually, will provide
adequate food, water, education,
health and housing for everyone in
the world. This would restore life to
human beings.
This Christian hierarchy boasts of
working for world peace through a
military strength sufficient to kill
everyone on earth several times
over. Where does the Bible say kill’
It does emphasize "Thou'shalt not
BLACKS DESTINY IN OWN HANDS....
_________ «
\ BLACKS WHO WANT
WEIGHT CRIME BY
BLACKS AGAINST
BLACKS MUST NOT
BE itrriMIDATEP"
OR CHARLES XCBB
director
conntssiON for
EQUAL JUSTICE /
yWR OWN HAND, AND
WUNI1\
ENOUGH_rE7NE
BULLET, NOTHING MLL
change:
POOS t VtL TOOHNIN6
MPUTY COMMMMMfH HY
POJCt'PEPT.
Republicans Versus Democrats?
.. By Sabrina-Johnson
.. In the first part of this two
part article many social
issues were addressed. Both
political viewpoints were
and are given equal ex
posure to each individual
problem or situation. This
week the writer will attempt
to do the same.
What is the whole purpose
of the articles? Basically
speaking - an informed voter
is a responsive voter. But
back to the point at hand -
here are other issues impor
tant to all Americans who
have taken their places in the
spotlight.
-Intelligence Gathering
..The Republicans will con
tinue to strengthen the in
telligence services. The
Democrats made no mention
of the subject.
-Arms Control
.. Republicans are aware of
the fact that the Soviet
Union is violating arms con
trol agreements - it has doubt
that the Party will be will
ing and able to negotiate and
comply with new agreements
in a spirit of good faith (on
—both sides). Democrats favor
a unilateral moratorium
on the testing and-or de
ployment of severe nuclear
Sabrina
Second in series
weapons in hopes that it will
lead to negotiations of a
comprehensive, verifiable
and mutual freeze on the
testing and production of all
nuclear weapons.
-“Star Wars” Space De
fense
Republicans stand united
with the President’s hopes
that American engineers and
scientists can develop the
technology and hardware to
make nuclear war obsolete.
Democrats feel they must
oppose an arms race where
the sky is the limit.
-Military Power
The Republican Party
plans to keep peace by keep
ing the United States strong
er than any potential ad
versary. The Party plans to
do everything necessary to
kill.”
This Administration pats itself on
the back for having either invaded
Grenada or conducted a rescue
mission. They haven’t really decid
ed which yet, since both reasons are
used interchangeably. This rich
country with a population of around
230 million overturned a coup in a
poor country of 110 thousand people
The shame on the U.S. is that this
Administration refused to talk with
late Prime Minister Maurice Bishop
when he came here long before the
coup, asking for help and warning of
this nation’s planned invasion. Pre
sident Reagan said Bishop statSd
that he wanted to work with us, but
we will never know now. The Bible
tells us that anyone who comes to
Christ, He’ll not cast out.
president Reagan, the ordained
Republican, congressmen, Jerry Fal
well ahd his Moral Majority are
pressing for required legislated
prayer time in the public schools
Does this mean that Jerry Falwell
and the Evangelical right's ministry
is so weak that they can’t influ
ence people etiddgft to make them
feel the need of prayer, so they have
to force public school children to
pray? The members of Congress
who rant and rave about prayers in
the schools are never in the cham
bers when the'bha plain opens the
House and Senate with prayer
Neither does President Reagan open
his staff or Cabinet meetings with a
prayer. He very rarely ever goes to
church Where does he get his
community prayers? Is it that these
prayer advocators feel they don’t
need prayer now • that only the
youth need it?
Christianity should give these
leaders sufficient strength to carry
out Uie mandates of the Constitu
lion which they took an oath to
uphold.
Just recently, Larry Speakes,
Press Secretary, said President
Reagan wants Federal judges who
are committed to his conservative
philosophy. Senator Paul Trible, one
of these authorized leaders, ex
pressed the same idea in a letter to a
bar association, when asking to sub
mit names for a judge position.
Trible also said that the candidate
must have considerable trial ex
perience, and yet he had, less than a
month before, sponsored Wilkinson
for a judgeship who had never tried
a case.
Has God ordained such weak,
mixed-up leaders who ignore the
mandates of the people whd elect
ed them to carry out the Consti
tution which they swore on the Bible
to uphold? Their constituents expect
them to see that the Courts remain
independent of a President’s phi
losophy in deciding issues, instead
make decisions based on their con
stitutionality.
Republicans must get off the
Christian trtefe -
Peace Events
Events centering on the theme of
“Peace" are planned by the YWCA
In early October.
- A “Peace Coffee” Is set for Mon
day, October 1, from 9-10:30 a m at
the Uptown Center. “There is no
agenda, the purpose is to share
concerns about the issue of peace,”
said Donna Arrington, who with
Leslie Sladky will lead the discus
sion. There is no charge.
October S and 12, from 7-0 p.m. at
the Park Road Center there will be
forums highlighted by two films,
“The Last Epidemic" and “No
Frames, No Boundaries*' Cost is IS.
insure the freedom of the
U:S. hrcase-of-eenfHct,.—_
Democrats believe while it
is true national security is a
top priority - the way to
insure this is to freeze and
reverse the arms race and
not pursue phantom nuclear
superiority.
-Nuclear Freeze
..Republicans plan to seek
ways of insuring substan
tial reductions in nuclear
weapons as opposed to
freezing nuclear weapons at
their present danger levels.
J. —U.S.^Soviet Relations
..Republicans want stable
and peaceful relations with
the USSR and believe they
are possible and desirable.
However, they do depend
upon the credibility of U.S.
strength and determination.
Democrats believe that U.S.
and USSR security can only
be strengthened by serious
cooperation and negotiation,
-Middle East
..Republicans are a lies in
the defense of freedom and
the root of their policy
remains in more than three
decades of moral and stra
tegic relationships with
Israel. Democrats believe
-ferael lfr an Important-stra
tegic point for the U.S. and
feel the U.S. must enter into
meaningful cooperation stra
tegically.
-Central America
~Bepuhliranfii,Xhe security
and freedom of Central
America is crucial to
U S. security and freedom.
El Salvador is nearer to
Texas than Texas is to the
New England area, this
meaning the U.S. cannot be
indifferent to its fate. De
mocrats are determined to
stop widening, militarizing
and Americanizing the con- i
flict. A Democratic Presi
dent would be dedicated to
stopping the violence and
finding a political solution. t
-Finanical Disclosure '
..Republicans will continue
to support full disclosure by
all high officials of the
government and candidates
in positions of public trust.
-Environmental Protec
. Hon
• Republicans made no men
tion^ Democrats support
revitalizing the Environmen
tal Protection Agency
-Toxic Waste
Republican Party supports
a strong effort to control and
clean up toxic wastes. De
mocrats are committed to
dramatically increasing
super-fund resources.
-Department of Energy
. Republicans want to ter
minate the department. De- ,
mocrats made no mention of
the4ssue.
See SABRINA On Page 7A i ,