I
As the JOU TVKdrsws to a close, we can .
reflect on some events of the past 12 months
and ask ourselves, ate these signs of the
times? The question is valid because
increasingly, historians tell us, events of the
present tad the future are often a mirror
reflexion of the past. As ItpHan Re
naissance author Nlccolo Machiavelli
(1469-1527) wrote, **...whoever wishes to
foresee the future must consult thepast; for
human events ever resemble those of
pdimhng times.”, World War I was mir
rored in World War fl and the Korean War
was mirrored in the Vietnam War.
History demonstrates also'that current
and future events are often in stark contrast
to the past. For example, after years and
years of deficit spending at the national
level, the Gramm-Kudman-Hollings* ba
; lanced-budget bill was signed into law by
President Reagan. Annual reductions in the
deficit are expected to occur until fiscal
year 1991 when the first balanced budget is
expected.
summed it up well fa-stfing that Rockv is'
“loud, stupid, nasty, brutish and abort”
- Women’s groups blasted the films’ macho
ism. Vietnam War veterans oppose Rambo
because of his war psychosis. Psychologists
and other behavioral scientists have ex
pressed concern about the romanticising of
violence in both film series and die as
sumption that war is fun and the “good
guy” never gets hurt or lulled and never
loses.
The flip side of this historic mirror is that
the masses of people are hungry for a new
American hero, even fictional, to offeet
* some of their perceived tarnished" image
that somehow we Americans are not die
best in everything now. This is most evident
by the fact that Rambo 11 and Rocky IV had
record ticket sales for their initial six
' day viewings by moviegoers. Behind this is >
the fact that Stallone’s films appeal to the
frustrated typical American who, for what
ever reason, feels left out of the system, has &
,. a poor self-image, is considered a loser by
his or her own standards Wad needs g
something real or unreal to bolster his or 1
her ego.
not Out Out Grit
For many years, big John Wayne, like
: Stallone, little acting skill and few good
movie story plots, but nevertheless rugged
and unconventional in getting justice for the
-little guy. Wayne’s hero image was height
superman fashion that he was going to
wood, the unconventional^p who broke
Any law or procedure in the pursuit of
criminals. Eastwood even had President
Reagan telling foes, “go ahead, make my
No ooe, however, has probably project
ed the hero image as well ai Sylvester '
Stallone, again because of the mirrorsoftbe
past. Thefact of having lost the Korean War t
r-iss^ssifftesg^Sg
fantasy of RaaH^^real^ amithwto btot
asthey
MIAs ■ • ‘ * ****
Ro^W,"doa”ked” irt
dam, is for many Americans World Wgr n.
As Stallone, as Rocky, witnesses his friend
and former sparring partner beisjg killed in
the hoping ring by a big Russigit fighter,
Rocky then prepares to do battle with this
physiciUy pouch bigger foe. In the boxing
ring, Rocky is bfcaten badly before he
regroups and emerges as the winner. This, i
too, was the pattern of America’s war in the •
Pacific Ocean against Japanese in World
War II, America initially lost many
battles, while budding a massive military
machine that was used to help America
win the war.
I Letfi Work A Safe Community
Tne Christmas season is
hnedf the most popular times
of the year when people think
about their fellow human
beings. It is a time when men
and women reassess the
meanings of peace, goodwill
and friendship.
Peace on earth, peace of
mind and soul and peace in
being begin to take top
priority positions. The earth
is tormented with the con
stant threat of war and with
war in certain areas. Men
question each other’s right to
inhabit or have a country to
call his own. Basic human
rights that have been denied
for hundreds of years con
tinue to resurface and
caupe tension. The peace that
exists in the mind and soul is
not solid due to the exter
nal unrest. It, too, takes a
much needed temporary
rest. Unfortunately, it is only
temporary.
Somehow once man
not only in asUteafflux7but
on a road to destruction.
Shall this earth see another
fall of the human empire?
Goodwill, the temporary
peace within and without,
manifests itself in giving. ~
Helping the homeless, hun
gry, and needy. Man’s level
of compassion greatly in
creases and he feels com
pelled to open his arms to
embrace and aid those in
need. Charities, neighbor
hood organizations, church
Sabrina Johnson
es, and civic organizations
begin in November to raise
food, money, clothing and
toys argifts far those in need.
The forgotten population sud
denly becomes important for
; & brfUPnBCTiieht.
' UtUity companies, mer
chants, private citizens and
the like who have said no in
the past, suddenly realize
that,
||
selves fl^y practice tem
porary goodwill. The media
thrives on the events in an
attempt to raise the con
sciousness of others into par
ticipation. Goodwill is some
thing that is supposed to be
done during Christmas but
is it not important for good
will to be part of the entire
year?
People not only need help
to make their Christmas be,
but need help in continuing
their existence throughout
Bill Johns* Editor. Pub
Bernard Reeves. Gen. Mgr.
Fran Farrer-llradtoy -Adr. Mgr.
Dannette Gaither \ Office Mgr.
-- ...X .. r
Published Every
' Thursday by
The Ckartotte Post
Publishing Company, Inc.
Main Office * i 1 \\
1531 S Camden Road
Charlotte. If.C. J8203
Second Clasd Postage
Paid at Charlotte
Member, National
Newspaper Publishers' ‘
>£4 Aaoeetatiea *
North Carolina
Black PaMtshers
AiMdatba
-X "X\'
National Advertising
Representative
Amalgamated Publishers, Inc
One Year
Subscription Rate
OneYear-»17.7«*
Payable fa Advance
" 1 ; ;
USPS NO. 9*5500
POSTMASTER
Send (fiangc of address U>:
Charlotte Post
1531S. Camden Rd.
Charlotte, N.C. 282*3
Muter Say9:
Pardon: The Ticket To Re-Enfranchisement
By Suffer man N. Miller
Special To The Pest
When I think about former
President Richard Nixon
being granted a pardon, I ask
. myself, "Was there a very
important symobolisra
buried under all of the emo
tionalism surrounding this
historic event?”
Several months ago a
middle-aged chap revealed
to me his plight in trying to
get a job of trust. He had
committed a felony ap
proximately 17 years ago.
This chap did finally get the
job but his comments left me
hankering to know what op
tions ex-offenders have to re
enfranchise themselves back
into the economic main
stream. I called upon Lt. *
Governor S. B. Woo, Chair
man of the Delaware State
Pardon Board, to offer me
some guidance. ^ >
Since Delaware is rapidly
evolving into a major bank
ing center, I sought Woo’s
feelings on how a person with
a police record may obtain a
job of trust. His response was
that these people can ask for
a pardon. However, Woo
made it clear that there will
be no whitewashing of past
misdeeds. Woo proclaimed,
"A pardon does not consti
tute innocence, nor does It
imply expungement of re
Sherman N. Miller
cord. The board has de
cided that person should no
longer be penalized by the
society. And therefore in no
employment situation can he
or she continue to be dis
criminated against.”
Nevertheless, thia per
^*90 still has a police record
and he or she must respond
to questions relating to ar
rests on Job applications.
Woo played down the signi
ficance of a person's pre
vious police record. He
asserted, ”1 sit on the Board
of Pardons and quite often
there will be individuals
coming in saying 'this 4
employer says if I only get a
pardon I will be employed.’
That Includes banks, securi
ty Jobs, as well as police Jobe,
not to mention others.”
Woo believes strongly that
pardons should not be
granted merely because a
*
"n“- • ■ r ■ ' * ••• -
person has not been in trou
ble for a number of years. He
declares, “1 believe it would
be proper for the Board of
Pardons to say, 'Look, you
come before us asking for
' mercy. We are sympathetic,
but have you hlso done
deeds to show that you have
shown mercy to your other
fellow beings? ”
I challenged Woo to say
whether he was imposing a
second penal sentence on the
ex-offenders. Woo retorted,
“Well, I wouldn’t view doing
good work for the society as a
penal term. That person
wants some extra favor from
the society and the society
says, ‘Well, you can have It.
How about doing some extra
favors for your brothers and
sisters?”’
Although one may be
granted a pardon, there re
mains some potential for
discrimination because of
human fears and prejudices.
Therefore, Woo’s support
teas solicited for a change in
Delaware law so that job
application forms-may read,
“Have you ever been con
victed of a crime for which
you have not been par
doned?”
Woo responded, “I’m sym
pathetic to that suggestion
because, basically as I see it,
the less fortunate people -
' *. ‘ • /
the poor, the less educated
people - don’t even know
that such a thing as the
Board of Pardons exists. Of
tentimes only the affluent
people take advantage of the
Board of Pardons. By ask
ing this-a-way, it actually re
minds people there is this
avenue to which they could
- resort.”
Because recidivism is a
key concern, Woo was re
quested to offer hope to the
multiple . offenders who
wish to reform. Woo pro
posed, “If the guy has got
ten four or five records, we
make the pardon of the very
first record fairly easy. But it
gets harder and harder ... so
he can see that if he does well
he will receive a reward for
it.”
As I think about Lt,
Governor Woo’s public ser
vice proposal, I too am in
favbr of ex-offenders doing
public service work to be
come re-enfranchised in the
economic mainstream. How
ever, I think more effort
must be made to see that the
poor are made fully aware of
the pardon process
Free Blood Check
During the month of January,
Community Health Service* offer*
free Mood premure check* on
Wednesdays from 11-2 p.m. An
appointment'is necessary.
the year. Mao cannot live 365
days on I4 days of goodwill.
To offset the fall of Rome, the
rule and value at goodwill
may well need to bebome
part of living in* existing to
gether on this earth. "
Friendship, a most pecu
liar situation to man. It
seems no other animal has
such ;an ability to form
friendship to a meaning
somewhat definable than
man. Friendship in man or'
for man finds root in his
basic needs and ar? some-,
how intertwined in the need
for acceptance. , ,
r. < ' at . St* jLJfc-'J?
Today’s sophisticated man
has friends for differeht rea
sons. He bos friends be
cause of their positions, im
minent positions, la the
community, th* profession or
industry. Friends because
the friends know the right
people. Friends who share
few or many common in
terests. And friends of mu
tual respect and'
really not friends, neir re
lationships are oh a super
ficial level and melt away as
the immediate objective is
achieved.
The third type of friend
ship may Last a lifetime or
just a few happy years until
something happens to upset
the balance. This friendship
oftentimes cannot go the
extra mile or exist through
hardship.r ' ^
Friendship of mutual re
spect and compassion has
the “stuff that lasts.” T^e
respect and compassion
grow to unending bounds.
This friendship rarely takes
more than it giVes. It only
wants to manifest Itself into a
special loving relationship
that can incorporate every
thing from quiet simple
moments to public praise.
This relationship mak^ it
through time of profit and *
loss, wellness and ilbfiSs,
happy and sad. It questions
not why but how: How can '
help be given or hpW can I be
of help to you?
The friendship of mutual
respect and compassion
most difficult to develop
because man has become a
suspicious lot and trust
few.. Rome fell because of
lack of trust.
The state of affairs, peace,
goodwill and friendship are
not in such bleak"stater
However, if they continue to
slide down, wfll. pot man
experience a grtal demise of
himself and Ms society?
These affairs me enhanced
during the 14 to 21 days of ,
Christmas. Why oanndt they
continue .'the remainder of
the year? Tsoihany are hun
gry, cold, and lonely. Not
only now must man reach out
but always. Reaching out la
what made this nation so
great, shall not man con
tinue to reach out to attri
bute to its greatness? No on*
is holding him back accept -
himself.
Happy New Year!