Recipe J_New Year!
it nas become almost a compelling ritual
this time of year for journalists to review
the past year’s major events and to suggest
that its readers should make New Year
resolutions to help assure a truly Happy
New Year. In departing from this tradition,
we would say simply that 1964 was a year
characterised by Americans deciding to
feel good about themselves. Three events '•
personify this feeling - not one but two
“Miss Americas’’ who happened to be
black ; USA’s success in the Summer Olym
pic Games; and, a President who rode to
reelection by convincing most people to
resurface their pride in America because v
prosperity had been returned to all (well,
not quite everyone).
Oh the question Of New Year resolutions,
we would suggest that the' ritualistic man
ner in which such self-promises are made
that they be foregone for 1985. While such
resolutions can be useful in reevaluating
our lives and establishing new priorities or
goals, too many of us get on a guilt trip after
we make no real attempt to abide by ill
conceived piously made resolution*.
In order to avoid the annual guilt trip, we
might consider, in the .words of Ann
Landers that, “Just for today, I will have a
program. I might hot follow it exactly, but I
will have it,’’ as a guide, as something to
, work toward without^ sense of guilt if hot
achieved. '/
We think your non-binding but achiev
able “program’’ for 1985 should embrace
the two true keys to a Happy New Year -
good health and peace of mind. First, a
holiday message from Uie American Coun
cil On Science and Health suggests Some
“Dd’s” and "Don’ts” that will Contribute to
life-long happiness far beyond the year 1985.
In summary, the Council says DON’T:
smoke, mix alcoholic drinking and driving,
drink alcoholic beverages to excess, and
don’t becOme obese. DO: exercise regu
larly but cautiously, have regular blOod
pressure check-ups, use auto seat belts,
have a working smoke detector in your
place of residence, and be* cautiously
knowledgeable in the use pf health in
formation and health Consumer products.
This basic program to maintain and
or achieve reasonably good health will, for
most people, provide a rational basis for
positive thinking. Such thinking should
focus on the “Recipe for a Happy New
Year’’ as printed on a brochure many years
ago. It says, in part: \ * ’•
“Take 12 fine full months (1985) - see that
they are thoroughly free fronds all old
memories (1984) of bitterness, rancor, hate,
and jealously. Cleanse them completely
from every clinging spite; pick ok an
specks of pettiness and littleness; in short, .
see that these months are freed from all the
past.... -
“Into each day put 12 parts faith, li of
patience, 10 of courage, nine of work, eight
of hope!, seven of loyalty, six of liberality,
’ five of kindness, four of rest, three of
prayer, two of meditation, and one well
selected resolution. To this add a dash of
fun, a sprinkle of play, and a heaping cupful
of good humor:
“POUr into the whole mixture love and
kindness, and mix with a vim. Cook tho
roughly with fervent heart, garnish with
smiles and a sprig of joy, then serve with
quietness, unselfishness, and cheerfulness,
and A Happy New Year is certainty.”
From a human standpoint, front an ‘*iam
my brother’s keeper” viewpoint, this is an
appropriate recipe for happiness in 1985 or
any other year from which we can gain
much . However, this recipe is and of
itself not achievable by individuals. What is
missing or what is needed is a sprinkling of
the infinite wisdom of Jesus Christ. Think
for a moment and you realize that each New
Year is preceded by a celebration Of the
birth of Jesus Christ - Almighty God who
came to this earth in human form So that we
might have the opportunity to witness the
birth of each new year.
Happy health, happy peace of mind,
Happy New Year to you and yours in 1985.
Apartheid? Why Not More Oppositio
ine movement Dy American blacks and
many white “liberals” against the white
South African government’s apartheid
policies - racial segregation and the com
plete denial of voting rights to blacks *- was
enhanced by unexpected support from 35
conservative Republican members of
Congress. The focus of this protest has been
on demonstrations in front of the South
African Embassy in Washington, D.C.
Public opinion in America appears to
have shifted from one of South Africa's
' racist policies not being right to a stronger
feeling that they are outright wrong. The
demonstrations at the S.A. Embassy begun
on November 21, 1984, have been given
credit for this population shift.
However, considering the conservative
drift of America, leaders of the demon
strations and, indeed the general American
black leadership, has been getting strong
criticism from the conservative press.
Journalists such as William F. Buckley and
Joseph Sobran have alleged that black
Americans are only opposed to the op
pression of blacks if the oppressors are
white : as in the case of South Africa.
However, in other parts of Africa - Nigeria,
Hutu in Burunda, Uganda under Idi Amin
and other places literally.thousands have
died due to oppression by black leaders or
starvation in part due to Corrupt govern
ment officials, again black. This has oc
curred over a 20-year period without a
single person on a picket line in front of
embassies protesting.
Patrick Buchanan-goes so far as to say
that “South Africa is being targeted be
cause it is an island of the West.” That is, a
non-communist nation. The point here is to
taint and thus discredit the protests against
South Africa as a communist conspiracy.
Obviously this latter allegation is the figure
of Buchanan’s imagination and nothing
more.
V THE GOVERNMENT WILL MOT PROTECT US AMO
IF THE POLICE CAMNOT, IT FOLLOWS THAT SLACK
CITIZENS MUST PROTECT THEMSELVES? h
*UE CANNOT WAIT UNTIL :
DISCRIMINATION ENDS
BEFORE WE RID OUR,
COMMUNITIES OF CRIME.
WE CAN NO LONGER
EXCUSE CRIME BECAUSE
OF SOCIETY!? INEQUITIES,.
U^^TAND MENACED BY
OUR OWN KITH ANOHIN.
YTIS INCONCEIVABLE
TOJNgJHAT WE WHO HAVE
PREVAILED IN SPITE OF
THE BARBARISM OF WHITE
PEOPLE SHOULD, IN THE '
LAST QUARTER OF THE
CENTURY, STAND AS
MUTE SPECTATORS
TO OUR DOOM?
OROE COOM6S AM
h.yjhmine
Resolution:
Sabrina’s Scope column will
return next week.
*; By Elizabeth Hood
.> j. Special To The Poet
Reviewing the gone-for
ever 12 months and resolving
to do better in the New Year,
traditional mental exercises
produce double side effects.
The guilt trips and failures
stack up beside a clean slate
of promises and new commit
ments. For Blacks, the' old
year-in-review offers Some
clear suggestions for making
resolutions ' with real
potential for charting a
better life for the group as a
whole.
• The r national political
scene acted out in 1984 spoktf
powerfully to Blacks. One of
its clearest messages was
that sex differences in Voting
behavior were less important
than race, earning power and
stable family life,
Results of votijDg patterns
gathered from a New York
CBS News Poll (New York
Times, Dec! 16) showed
clearly that the majority of
married men and women of
all age groups, tended to
favor Ronald Reagan's
platform because they felt it
addressed issues close to
their own values and
lifestyles. They wanted to
Sabrina Johnson
«deal with how to educate
.their children, means of
providing medical care for
family members and decent
housing at affordable costs.
The “marriage gap’r as a
factor in YOttpg is critical to
the future' of young Blacks
because it focuses upon the
reality of the attitudes and
values supported by White,
middle America. This group
tends to view the Democratic
Party as a political force
encouraging dependence
upon federally-funded Social
programs. In their thinking,
the poor, single women, and
members of the gay
community benefit ;)rtost
from these provisions. The
high percentage of peor,
single-parent Black families
reinforces the narrow
perspective held by White
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President Reag t Is
By Alfreds L. Madison ,v ,,
Special To The Post
Tunica, Mississippi, is a prime
example that President Reagan’s
New Federalism won't work. It Is
only a revival of theold states rights
policy.
The National Association of
Health Services (NAHS) charges
that Tunica, Mississippi, has re
ceived more than a million dollars in
federal money for neighborhood
development but it hasn’t spent one
< dime in the worst area of town. The
population of Tunica is 9,644 of which
7,060 are Mack. The median income
for a black family la less than half
that of blacks nationwide, and is
scarcely more than a third the
income level of the average U.8.
resident. The AFDC Program of
$31.44 is the lowest In the country.
Nearly all black residents of the
town of Tunica live on Monroe Alley,
. known as Sugar Ditch Alley. Clus
/ tered in this alley are fifty some
dilapidated homes These are load
ed behind the solid brick struc
tures of the town’s downtown
businesses. The Main Street mer
chant# collect between $35 and $66
per month in rentals from these
tenants. Provisions and other mer
chandise are available to tenants if
their rent is current.
The average “Sugar Ditch” home
la the aize at a single-car garage, and
lacks electricity, aa well as indoor
running water and toilet facilities A
very few of these families have
access to outdoor "privies.’' There
for*, scores of families deposit raw
human waste products into "Sugar
Ditch," which is 90 feet by 10 feet It
has served this purpose for as long
as any town resident can remem
ber. ThW human waste contamin
ation cakSSS children to suffer from
Alfreds
persistent and perplexing fevers,
and other symptoms commonly
associated with types of parasitic
and bacteriological infections. The
most serious of disease symptoms
go undiagnosed, untreated and un
reported to local and state public
health officials Infant mortality
rate greatly outstrips that of any
U S. born babies.
The town of Tunica has received
1600,000 in federal funds and town
officials have indicated that they
have no plane to apply any of these
federal funds to rehabilitation of
Sugar Ditch housing or to alleviate
the health conditions The town’s
present plans call for using the
federal and other funds for beauti
fication of the downtown business
district. These plans Include erect
ing a barrier so that passersby
cannot see the poverty of “Sugar
Ditch Alley ”
Medical care is severely limited
for county residents, particularly for
black residents. There are three
general practitioners for the 10,000
citizens of the county (no special
ists). The area meets Health and
Human Service definition for a
medically underserved area. Due to
their extreme poverty, the state's
limitations of Medicaid program,
geography, and lingering racism,
blacks face a nearly impenetrable
wall of obstacles in attempting to
obtain medical and hospital servic
es. One of the physicians who treats
blacks maintains separate waiting
rooms for blacks and whites.
The 27-bed county-owned and
operated Tunica County Hospital
was constructed with federal funds
The awards totaled 9119.672. This
obliged the hospital to provide ser
vices to community residents on the
basis of their need for medical
services, without regard to race.
Yet, Tunics Hospital has followed a
pattern of racial discrimination, in
direct violation of several federal
laws. Some examples of discrimin
ation are as follows: a black male
who was allergic to a newly paint
ed room, was forced to leave the
hospital, although there were other
available rooms. A black male who
was bleeding profusely from a bullet
wmAd, was turned away from the
hospital, because he had neither
health insurance nor the ability to
pay for the service. He was directed
to go to the Memphis hospital, but
Tunica Hospital officiate failed to
provide ambulance travel for him,
so the man had to spend the night at
home in great pain and continuous
bleeding The next day neighbors
were able to get him to die Mem
phis, Tn , hospital. Because of the
delay in getting medical treatment
with only a bandaid provided fay
Tunica Hospital, the man suffers
lasting disability in his leg. A black
woman who was about to deliver a
baby was turned away from Tunica,
despite the fact that she was in
obvious pain. She delivered, im
mediately, upon arriving at the
Memphis hospital. The delivery was
with accomplishments. A minor who
was obviously in labor with a letter
from local welfare authorities con
firming her eligibility fir Medicaid,
was turned away because she was
told that she had to pay $450
preadmission deposit. The girl,
accompanied by her mother, con
tacted the local welfare director who
telephoned the hospital and the girl
was admitted. The doctor requested
an ambulance immediately sit 10:30
for s black woman who was
seriously ill, the ambulance arrived
at 12:30, even though the hospital
was only a half mile away. No
explanation was given for the late
ness of the ambulance. The woman
was pronounced dead upon arrival
at the hospital.
There is need for an indepth and
on-site investigation to determine
whether the hospital’s operations
and practicss are in line with the
dictates of federal laws. If the hos
pital is found to be in non-com
pliance with the applicable federal
laws, Congress should continue
oversight of the hospital to erwure
that the letter and the spirit of
federal laws are being adhered to.
Mayors have a perfect right to
complain about President Reagan’s
New Federalism, because it gives
states the right to use federal funk
In any manner they desire. Strict
guidelines must be set up and ri
gorously enforced in all of the Mock
grant categories.
Winter (lames
YWCA Winter Term classes be
gin January 7 and will run through
March 17. Interested persons can '
register at either the Uptown or
Part Road Center.
iamuies struggling to
survive on .modest incomes.
This iiarfow perspective
too often reflects a blindness
to Forces working against
stable family life «mnng
Blacks. It does not see poor,
unemployed teenage Blacks
becoming poor,
unemployed adults requiring
social benefits for continued
existence. Neither does it
acknowledge the powerful
strain poverty exerts on
marriag^L and child-rearing
in a society granting every
adult the option of separation
or divorce.
Regardless of the
nearsighted opinions of
White middle America,,
Black individuals and
organizations have seen their
power as a political force. At
the same time, they now
have enough information/ to
make clearer judgments
about their major opponents.
That is, the higher the
income, the more conser
vative people are likely to
become because they sense
themselves as having more
to conserve. By this
reasoning, political
candidates will be judged on
what they offer tdwarfis
maintaining voter, interests
and gains.
Because there is more than
enough evidence to link
economic success in the U,S.
with two-parent families,
Blacks need to resolve in 1985
to strengthen Black family
life. The strengthening
process begins with
educating Black children to
become effective workers
and to value family life as a
source of both physical and'
social survival.
Effective workers develop
from the type of teadhii* id
home and school which
stresses early focus upoif
career goals, setting high
performance standard*,
developing Skilte in time
management, adjustment to i
competition in the work
place, accepting responsibili
ty, taking iolti|tive and
building respectable track
records. v %
Young Black adults
characterized as effective
workers will have much to
conserve. White demands*
assistance for the legs
fortunate among their grotto,
they are likely to continue
conserving their gains,
passing them on from one
generation to another.
In recounting (he blessings
experienced during the past
year and j in assessing
individual Shortcomings for
that period^' Blacks should
resolve to reduce the
deadening effects of perhaps
their more serious problem —
poor Black families passing
bleak Ufe chances to
children.