Politics Of White Flight
A reported relatively small poll taken in a
single state, Michigan, where racial polari
zation is said to be pronounced, has sur
faced from the closet a skeleton that
Democratic Party officials would have
preferred to not talk about publicly.
The skeleton, in the form of a pollster’s
conclusion, says that many recent defectors
from the Democratic Party, nearly all of
them white people, are leaving because
they think that federal domestic programs
. - largely supported by Democrats - are
designed to favor benefiting blacks as
: opposed to whites.
The pollster claims that “Democratic
: defectors have very deeply felt racial
sentiment that are formative as to their
; views of government and the Democratic
• Party.” Stanley Greenberg, the pollster,
i reports too- that many of the defectors
; surveyed are believed to be blue collar
■ workers who have left the Democratic
Party only out of a feeling that govem
| ment is not doing enough for them, not for
(reasons of philosophical convictions.
The entire issue - white flight from the
national Democratic Party — is believed to
» be creating a dilemma for Democrats. The
j dilemma is even more pronounced when the
• fact is noted (hat blacks have been the
; Democratic Party’s most loyal constituen
• cy, and have expectantly sought to be duly
• rewarded.
* Ironically, but not surprisingly, the poll
; reportedly indicates it is not so much an
* anti-black feeling as it is that blacks just
; happen to be the group blocking blue collar
; white Americans from getting small busi
ness loans; job promotions blocked by
affirmative action programs and other go
1 vemment assistance.
* Finally, some state Democratic Party
chairmen have indicated that similar re
sults would be evident in their states with
the same survey. J
Mixed Signals?
Based on the reported aspects of the poll’s
findings, mixed sisals as to the full
meaning of the survey occur when some
factors are considered that may have
influenced the attitudes and responses of
those surveyed. For example, Michigan, a
major automobile producing state that has
■*.. feU the W*cttof competition ifrom fomign,
auto makers, has had senous unemploy
ment problems over the last decade.
Coupled with this is that self-pride has led
many such jobless auto workers to decline
federal assistance when it has been avail
able.
White people generally are more inclined
to decline government assistance for
reasons of pride and the psychological need
to believe that makes them somehow better
than black people. Blacks are no less a
people of pride and dignity; however,
because of years, hopefully all in the past, of
institutionalized racism and limited educa- -
tional opportunity, they have had to develop
coping and survival skills in order to
achieve any level of a quality of life. These
efforts have of necessity included utilizing
and taking advantage of federal govern
ment assistance programs.
Detroit, Michigan, one of the major cities
in the nation where affirmative action
among policemen and firemen aimed at
greater advancement for minorities and
women is quite controversial, undoubtedly
was in the minds too of those surveyed.
On the other hand, the Republic Party has
begun its long awaited effort to recruit
cross-over Democrats to their party. Iron
ically, one of the first Democrats they were
successful in recruiting was William Lucas,
Detroit area county executive. Lucas, a
black man and a former New York City
policeman and FBI agent, said the Demo
cratic leadership is out of touch with the
people.
Lucas, 57, is the manager of Wayne
County - the nation’s fourth largest county -
said, amid rumors that he’ll run for go
vernor next year against Gov. Jane Blan
chard, “Simply changing parties does not
automatically make me a candidate for
governor.”
Racial Feelings
After serving four terms as sheriff, Lucas
gained 77 percent of the general election
vote after winning twice as many votes as
his closest Democratic rival in the county
executive primary. If Mr. Lucas’ success
has any significance it sounds as if Michi
gan is not necessarily a state with overt
racial feelings of hostility towards blacks.
This too then might indicate that the
defection of white Democrats is not a racial
issue as such.
Finally, Americans, and particularly the
news media have a habit of assuming that
every conflict between whites and non
whites is necessarily a racial conflict and,
therefore,' hfve^ tended to interpret the
survey’s results as being within a racial
hostility situation.
Interestingly, too, since the nation’s
corporations have had to pay substantially
less taxes during the Reagan Administra
- tion and received many other benefits^ we
have to wonder who has benefited most
from the federal government.
The Democratic Party certainly needs to
rethink its philosophy and general party
policies, i During the Reagan sweep it
appeared that Democrats lacked a sense of
direction, were totally ineffective in dealing
with the blunt tactics of the likes of Jesse
Helms and in general had little to excite the
voters.'
It is therefore our conclusion that de
fections from the Democratic Party is an
issue of economics, not racism. However,
with the growing loss of many family farms,
bank failures and an import-export policy
that is costing too many American jobs,
there will probably be a swing back to the
Democratic Party in the 1965 off-year
elections. -—
A HERITAGE TO BE PBOUD OF
- - ■
*HE MUST GIVE OUR CHILDREN
A SENSE OF PRIDE IN BEING
BLACK. THE GLORY OF OUR PAST
AMD THE DIGNITY OF OUR PRESENT I
MUST LEAD THE NAY TO THE
POKER'OF‘OURFUTURE?
ACKfl CLAYTON
mfc- '■
Controversy Surrounds Contraceptions
This week marks the 25th
birthday of the birth control
pill. However, controversy
and questions still surround
this form of contraception.
The pill is the third most
widely used form of contra
ception in the United States,
but much concern of its
safety prompts some women
to risk conception by re
sorting to some less effective
means of birth control.
Approximately 8.5 million
to 10 million American
women use the pill. The pill
has given women the ability
to control their reproductive
lives and is believed pri
mary in the quest for real1
equality. The- use of the pill
allows women to choose
when a child will be cony
ceived and when it will not;
thus no longer being slaves to
their reproductive organs.
Controversy has become
the primary adjective for the
pill: problem being that re
ports are still conflicting.
In the. late 1970s studies
commented that the pill pro
tects women against inferti
lity caused by sexually
transmitted infections. On
the flip side doctors recently
stated that women who take
the pill had two to three
times the risk of becoming
infertile in comparison to no
pill users. .. ;
Cancer is another source of
concent. Studies in the 1970a
linked several types of can
cer to the pill. The 1980s
reversed the studies. Today’s
belief suggest the pill pro
tects against endometrial
(lining of the uterus) and
ovarian cancer and does not
attribute to breast cancer.
What about heart disease?
Doctors now see a risk of
heart disease linked to wo
men over 35 who smoke and
take the pin. Whereas stu
dies in the 1970s linked heart
disease as a risk to all wo
men who take the [dll.
Another interesting fact is
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From Capitol Hill
The Ball Is In President Ronald Reagan’s Court
By Alfreds L. Madison
Special To The Post
Marianne Mele Hall, President
Reagan’s appointed chairman of the
Copyright Royalty Tribunal, said In
the Senate Judiciary committee
questionnaire and in papers filed in
the District of Columbia Superior
Court in 1982, that she co-authored
the Book, “Foundations of Sand.’’
The book says, “American blacks
insist on preserving their Jungle
freedoms, their women, their avoid
ance of personal responsibility, and
their abhorrence of the work ethnic.
Blacks have inherited a different set
of aptitudes, values, mores, goals
and lifestyles over a period of 10,000
years When you displace the Jungle
freedom-types Into the Scotland
type environment which is Ameri
ca.”
The books also says that social
scientists "put blacks on welfare so
they can continue their Jungle free
doms of leisure time and subsidized
procreation.” These are racists
statements of the worst kind, being
said in the eighties, when one had
hoped that this type of overt racism
had disappeared.
Presidential appointments are
usually investigated by the FBI - all
aspects of their lives are investi
gated. Questions are: Did Marianne
tell them that she co-authored
"Foundations of Sands?” If so. did
the FBI examine the contents of the
book? If so, did they feel that the
statements of racism qualified her
for the 170,000 position that she now
holds? What information did the FBI
and the White House personnel give
the Senate Judiciary Committee for
Senate confirmation purposes? Is
the Judiciary Committee negligent
in not examining the book? Doesn’t
this require the Senate Judiciary to
take a good Investigatory look at Mr.
Alfreds
Jt.t k* . tV^
Reagan’s appointments before con
firming them?
Marianne Meie Hall now says that
she only edited the book. Yet, her
name is one of the three names that
are on the book’s cover.
The Congressional Black Caucus
immediately called a press confe
rence to denounce Ms. Hall’s actiom
and called for her Immediate re
moval from office. CBC Chairman
Mikey Leland stated, "...the mere
admission of association with a pu
blication Including statements re
pugnant as those in ‘Founda
tions of Sand’ is a significant In
dictment of the judgment of a public
official and we believe constitutes
grounds for Ms. Hall’s Immediate
removal."
The Caucus introduced the Sense
of the House Resolution condemning
the continued insensitivity of the
Reagan Administration in Its rela
tionships with minorities of various
groups. Leland spoke of appoint
ments to the Education Department
who expressed a complete sensitivi
ty to the handicapped, which
blamed these people for their un
fortunate conditions, disregard for
L; *’ m ' '
Jewish people in going to Bitberg,
blacks, and that with this presi
dential trend, be will, likely, accord
the same treatment to Hispanics,
Asians and the poor. The Resolu
tion says that Marianne Hall's con
nection with the book demonstrates
that she is morally unfit for the
position of Copyright Royalty Tri
bunal. It states, “Resolved, that it to
the sense of the House of Repre
sentatives that the President should
immediately remove Marianne
Mele Hall from the Copyright
Royalty Tribunal.”
Repreeontative Don Edwards,
Chairman of the Houae Judiciary
Committee Subcommittee od Civil
and Constitutional Law, and M
congressmen wrote the President a
letter, calling for Ms. Hall's remov
al. Edwards stated at the prees
conference that by the end of the
day he expected to have 900 sign
ers of the letter. Edwards said that
he to appalled at the book, “Black
Americans want to continue their
Jungle freedoms of leisure time and
subsidised procreation. The only
jungles American blacks have
known are the Jungles of slavery, of
separate but unequal education, of
segregated Job opportunities, of un *
fair housing. "
Representative Howard Wolpe
said, "Ms. Hall’s own acknowledge
ment she was the editor of the book
that espouses views that are so ugly
and to racist that surely no Ameri
can President would want to be
associated with such views, even for
a moment."
Representative Vic Patio, Chair
man of the Legislative Branch of the
House Appropriations Committee,
which oversees the Copyright Office,
said, "Ms. Hall has. for money,
helped in the writing of s book that
conveys the most scurrilous, back
ward and bigoted ideas against all
black Americans. However, this Is
not an Issue for black Americana
only. Men and women of good will,
black as well as white, must speak
out against such views whenever
and wherever they rise.”
Representative Minetta said that
Marianne Hall should resign before
the day is over. He said her in
volvement with this piece of hate
literature and disowns it are the
actions of one who is unwilling to
accept responsibility for her actions.
Senator Mathias, Chairman of the
Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on
Patent, Trademark and Copyright,
has asksd far the White House and
FBI files on Marianne Male Hall be
made available to his committee for
investigation. The Senator has sent
President Reagan a letter asking
that he request her resignation. Mr.
Mathias gave the President three
reasons for her resignation: Ms
Hall's name appears on “Founda
tion of Sand” as co-author - her
denial, Judged from the fact that she
dedicated her contribution to her
parents and daughter following com
pletion of the book, Ms. Hall agreed
to serve on the board of a corpora
tion established to receive the pro
ceeds from the sale of the book, the
text of this book expounds the doc
trine that certain Americans are
racially inferior to others.
Vice President Bush said during
the campaign that this Administra
tion will not tolerate racism whe
ther it it frpm Louis Farrakhan or
the Ku Klux Klan. While Mr Bush
could not be reached by telephone,
his office stated that he had not
commented on Marianne Male
Hall’s racist statements
that per 100,000 women
taking the pill for one year,
there will be approximately
five pill-related deaths,
compared to the 10 deaths
related to childbirth per
100,000.
Women also underestimate
the effectiveness of the pill.
Nearly half of the women
studied incorrectly guessed
that from five to 20 preg
nancies occur for every 100
pill users. The actual rate is
one percent to four percent
per 100 women, making the
pill the most effective con
traceptive with a 90 percent
efficiency rate. The next ef
fective methods are the IUD
and diaphram. 'Sterilization
is another effective method
and, of course, the only 100
percent effective method is
abstinence.
Thanks to the pill more
women are in the workforce,
and more are climbing the
corporate ladder. This con
cept has become an impor
tant factor in the lives of the
female baby boomer genera
tion; it has allowed them the
choice of when to conceive
and when not. The philoso
phy of yuppies is spreading -
build a profitable and suc
cessful life, then consider
having children.
Also thanks to the pill,
married women are having
fewer “unwanted” babies in
contrast to their parents who
conceived sooner than
planned. Due to this fact the
proportion of unwanted
babies fell from 14 percent of
births to married women in
1973 to 10 percent in 1962. The
conclusion being that the per
centage of “wanted” babies
increased from 86 percent to
90 percent. Thus, because of
the pill, fewer families are
feeling the economic and
emotional stress of un
planned births.
wnai a worn uie ieen preg
nancy rate? Ia it possible
that if contraceptive services
(especially advocates of the
pill) made contraceptives
more available to teens with
out parental notice - would
the rate decline? Can the pill
be e viable answer by
making it an ingredient in
orange juice?
Happy 25th birthday, pill!
You are a quarter of a cen
tury old and have conquered
over half of the female po
pulation in the United States.
That goes to show that a
woman can do anything
“she” sets her mind to do!
Let the bells ring that wo
men do not have to be
mothers if they do not want
to be. Finally, women have
been freed from the master
reproductive organs.