? WeDITORIA
Wand opinio n&
"We cannot know where ^
? we are going if we do not
know where we have been."
| by Bruce Barton, ^
COUNTY'S "NEW" t
SCHOOL DISTRICT PLAN IS i
RACISM IN REVERSE, 1
AS I SEE IT i
As many of you know the 1
Robeson County Board of j
Education has tentatively ap- i
proved a "new" proposal i
redisricting the county pro- I
vince which would assure
folks in the Clyburn Pines
Country Club areas a seat on
the board of education, if
things go according to plans.
The tentative plan would
combine the Clyburn area
(formerly in the LumbertOn
School system) and the Raft
Swamp and Burnt Swamp
areas (formerly in foe fourth
dkutfk** TMs new dfctrift
NUMBER 10--would elect one
school board member.
Following the recent public
hearing (after the fact and
after the plan has been
favorably reported and tenta
tively accepted) Chairman
David Green suggested "we
have a cooling off period." So
it looks like the on coming
board members will have
some iraput. The problem is I
don't believe they will have
enough time to change the
plan appreciably. It seems to
have already been decided.
And the "cooling off" period
seems a mere ruse. It seems
just a matter of timing now.
But it ought not to be that
wav.
As I told you last week, die
committee that came up with
the plan la made up of two
lame ducks (one of whom
chaired the committee), two
board members who have
never faced the wrath of an
angry electorate and Green
who barely won his seat in his
last election. A lame duck is
one who Is serving out his
present term after being
defeated for re-election.
Even when double voting
was in force county school
board members were elected
county-wide. That's the way
this board ought to be elected
too. Electing school board
members by district is, as I
see it, un-American. It's a
civil rights dodge, an attempt
to placate the power brokers
among us. And I note that
minorities are always ham-.,
pered by the political devise.
The county school board
ought to abandon this de
mean lag and condescending
scheme and treat everyone
wm itfn *
:he same. We broke double
noting to assure equality, and
be absence of racial discri
mination. This scheme ef
fectively dilutes the Indian's
/ote, generally speaking, and
returns us to educational
:otton fields. We cannot work
toward total merger until we
clean up our own back yard.
Folks are saying that the
district plan cannot be un
done, even that die justice
department has already ap
proved it in principle. If so,
someone has broken the law.
The justice department
should not be contacted until
after the people have had
their say. You might note that
the plan was M tentatively
approved," then a public
hearing was called for. The
public hearing raised some
significant questions and this
scheme ought to be put on
hold until all questions are
answered. Dilution of any one
person's vote is an abomi
nation, a civil rights violation.
It is interesting to me that
when Indians assume the
mantel of responsibility or
power the rule makers begin
changing the rules. Right
now, if this plan passes
muster, you will be allowed to
vote for only that person who
lives in your district. You
ought to be allowed to vote on
all of then. If Robeson County
had oae system, instead of
five, you would hear little talk
of districts-no wayl
As it now stands, the
Indians are low man on the
totem pole again. It's a new
devise, even mote effective
than double voting. Even
without adding District Ten, it
is virtually impossible for an
Indian to be elected chairman
of the school board even
though Indian students at?
the majority populace in die
school system.
It locks to me like the school
board will eventually consist
of four Indians, four Whites
and three Blacks. That kind of
composition is not what we
broke double voting for. Indi
ans would be in the minority
Repetition is the key to the
Universe. And it's time for a
new slogan, a new call to
arms. THIS NEW DISTRICT
PLAN IS AS WRONG AS
TWO LEFT SHOES. This
"new" plan smacks of racism
in reverse. And the Indians
m will be the odd party out. We
have to be careful. History
has a way of repeating itself.
| TENTH ANNIVERSARY
PLANS UNDERWAY
Plans are underway for
i our tenth anniversary cele
bration. I hope you wfll share
i this special moment with us.
(See page 9 in this issue).
wll celebrate tea years of
continuous publication on
January 20.19S3. This wll be
the biggest issue we have
fever printed, complete with
K history, pictures, and com
X memorative ads. TMs issue
Csfl W a collector's Mam.
? celebration, an eitravngansa
ft on January 22, a sight to
J| rein amber as we recall ten
yean of publishing Tk* Cms
tea Mm Veto*. We wf]
have details in upcoming
issues at The Cavatea kadtaa
Voice.
Vaka is publishing my book to
commemorate our Ten Years
of publication, or as we like to
put it, a Decade of Service.
The book, expected back
from the printers by the night
of our celebration, is entitled
BRUCE BARTON'S BEST
OF...AS I SEE IT!, a com
pilstion of the best of the
columns that have appeared
over the last ten years. I think
you'll like it. Honest! The
book sells for $7.95 plus .32c
tax for a total of S8.23. We
are, of course, accepting
orders new.
I hope that you will join us
as we celebrate ten years, a
decade of service. It has been
an exciting experience and 1
am looking forward to it.
THE
CAROLINA
INDIAN
VOICE
CLASSIFIED
AD RATES
$2.00 FIRST
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lOg FOR EACH
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521-2626
mrtumt
In ancient Greece, wom
en counted their age from
the date on which they were
married, not the day they
were born. They were say
ing, in effect, that real
life does not begin until
marriage.
? ? *
Although wedding anni
versaries these days may not
signify the beginning of life,
they're still important ro
mantic milestones. Holi
days, especially Christmas,
are another season for ro
mance. It's a time when
lovers remember each other
with special gifts. Many may
find the words of a lovely
song on their lips as they
shop for that special gift
this holiday season. It's
George Gershwin's " Em
braces ble You," the theme
song that's synonymous with
a favorite of romantics ev
erywhere, the fragrance of
Tabu. This haunting Oriental
scent by Dana appeals to
women of any age...and to
the special men in their
Uvea, as well. It's a fragrance
that has stood the test of
time and romance.
see
A love affair that might
have changed the course of
history...that's what hap
pened in the winter of
1777-78 when the British
could have attacked George
Washington's depleted army
at Valley Forge. The British
commander, General WiUiam
Howe, was distracted by hia
romance with a lady in
Philadelphia and delayed his
attack until too late.
"SeH-controi is at the root c
-St nirgaasm " f mussol tseuls
W vVrllmSa w*mrw
j- ? '< ? / ' f ?
THE CAKOUNA
INDIAN VOICE
P.o. em 1075
PsMhrshs, nc 28372
U.S. PS. #978380 1
Published each Thursday
Established 1973
;econd class postage
PAID AT PEMBROKE,NC
; ^
Subscription Rates:
Ml Tear hil-* w *
Jr
? OUT OP STATE ^
UHtwTo
Prisoner Claims
?'4?
He Is Not Guilty
v "? f
Your name It Smith. Flub
in? lights and a shrill una
pierce your absent thought,
M you follow the highway
home on a Saturday after
noon- They aren't hurrying
P*?. they must want you to
pull over to the side, which
you do while searching back
for a stop sign, some light you
might have missed. Before
you can begin to step out of
your 1980 Ford car to discover
your apparent blunder, a rush
of lawmen are pointing threa
tening shotguns, shiny revol
vers directly at you from
seemingly a hundred direc
tions. As you're slammed
against the car, handcuffed/
and ordered to "Shut up, Mr.
Smith," little do you know
that your troubles have just
only begun.
Later, during the trial to
follow the arresting officer
convincingly details your cer
tain guilt to^a jury. He
mentions, "I didn't give him
time to say anything because I
wasn't interested in what he
had to say at the time." You
do not have a criminal record,
you've never been in any
trouble with the law, and right
now-you truly are innocent.
They say you were involved in
a bank robbery at about 10:00
a.m., nearly a hundred miles
from where you were arrested
at 2:40 p.m. Through all of
your worst fears and disbe
liefs, you hang on to the
American assurance that in
courts, guilty men go to jail,
innocent ones are found
innocent. Not necessarily so.
It seems like the trial is
going along alright. Now,
over the weekend, the past
several weeks of jail flash
past; a continuing nightmare,
the beginning of a scar that
will never fade away. Would
anyone ever know about the
decisions you have been fori>1
ed to make? You know your
life will never be the same?
when you finally foil into a
light sleep, there is only one
guarantee-that you will awa
ken to again be stunned that
this is not all a tenible dream.
Your family's house has been
burned to the ground. Your
wife and children are home
less; they absolutely don't
know what to think about your
arrest, these impossible char
* ? ?
ges, this scary tnai wnere
prosecutors and law officers
are so certain about your
guilt. There is no way for
them to know now that you
have been sternly warned the
day after the fire: If you
testify, you'll never see them
again. Period. All you know is
that there was a person
driving a "switch car" who is
not on trail-and you have
been assured that this person
was you.
Your family wasn't able to
raise money for a good
'awyer, but the attorney who
as appointed to represent
yi i seems to be doing alright.
He doesn't stand up pud
objtct like the others, he
doesi.'* ask yto u questions like
the tal.-r one does with the
man tic say went into the
bank-toe >ne whom has been
convicted of bank robbery
before, and a lot of other
crimes, but then again, they
haven't said much about you.
The jury must be hearing
what you are hearing. There's
no doubt that the others have
been under investigation for a
long, long time-snd the in
vestigators had no knowledge
-of where you lived; this
"switch car" is described as a
"...75. 76. 77 Dodge Dart."
and you were driving a 198C
Ford Fairmont, the bank they
keep speaking of was robbed
at 10:10 a.m. and you want to
get up and say where you
were then-surelv that is
enough to end the nightmare.
Then, as you glance back at
your family sitting behind
you, the decision to remain
quiet again tikes oyer, and
the nightman goes on...
The trial is over. On<
lawyer says that his elever
year old son could have
defended you better. The
try to calm your wtft am
*! family; they tell them they're
very very sorry that you had k
* be involved in this trial--the;
e didn't think that you had beet
guilty horn the beginning.
None of that matters fit' aO
now. The jury his said that
you are gyilty and that alone
aeems to be the final say.
There will be no appeal bond,
and you, Mr. Smith, are going
to tpend many many cold
months? in prison.
This has happened. There
are just a very few instances
where the wheels of justice
fail to turn-and this time,
John D. Locklear has been
caught in the turastyle. Law is
to a large extent a game. Any
lawyeFWHT vouch for thisfect.
If a lawyer plays by the rules
and plans a careful strategy,
he can either win, or preserve
errors in such a way as to win
on appeal. Primarily due to
Locklear's refusal to testify,
his lawyer was unable to
effectively assist him and plan
such a strategy. He will never
know if he has saved his
family's various lives. HE
does know that his wife has
divorced him, he has nearly
lost touch with his children
and other family members,
that he has been in jail and
prison (hundreds and hun
dreds of miles from home) for
over 27 months, and that he
has still a minimum of 21
more months to go. He has
tried everything--to no avail.
While it later turned out that
perhaps his greatest issue on
appeal should have seen
ineffective counsel, the same
lawyer at the trial was assign
ed to his appeal, and he
certainly didn't cover that
issue. *? ,
Immediately prior to sen
tencing, the Judge said that
he didn't know who was guilty
and who wasn't. The govern
ment failed to bring up at trial
the fact that tire prints had
been made of the "switch
,fcar" ao4 that, they didn't
match the prints of the car &
which thO.'government ??<d
Locklear used as the "switch
car"-the c|r iu,Awhich he was
arrested.
John D. Locklear prays with
all his might now that you will
review the enclosed motion,
Magistrate's Reccommenda
dons, and his objections to
those recommendations. The
motion was not prepared by a
lawyer-just a friend of John's
who has tried as hard and
diligently as possible to help
him. A friend who has been in
prison for many years? who
has never seen a case, having
known thousands of different
situations, where an individu
al is actually, truly Innocent,
except for this one. Everyone
says that there's "just no way
that they could be guilty, that
they have proof, that there
? was a terrible mistake, an
unbelievable injustice..." But
deep inside, there's simply no
doubt that they were rightly
found guilty. But not John D.
Locklear. His boss at the
Federal Correctional Institu
tion in Ashland, Kentucky,
Mr. John Gobel would, after
having John D. work closely
as his number one man for
over two years, and after
working here some twelve
years, firmly state that he has
never seen or heard of a case
where every fact and point
pointed more towards an
individual's innocence. Lock
lear's counselor (Warren Det
ty) has again and again tried
to help John find ways to
present the truth-in feeling,
i after more than 23 years In
the Bureau of Prisons, that
John truly is innocent.
John D. Locklear farther
I prays that you might take just
4 a few minutes?to call or
write to Attorney Michael E.
Lee. of Lee, Johnson and
Williams, P.O. Box 20027.
-Greensboro, 120. Mic
hael Lee rerpeaented a defen
dant who was clearly guilty,
knows exactly what happened
at trial, behind the scene, and
who felt stromrtv at the time
that John D. cochlear abso
lutely had to be innocent.
John's sister la eager to assist
providing any information
which might be helpful in
looking Into either Am case or
the preparation of a potential
article about John's plight:
MJi. PUS"F-l^u'urlTb^
llC 24352. (919) 276- 8831
' John D. Locklear contacted
m
several attorneys after tea
arrival te prison. They were
mu l~?Am lb llllMliMl In
wwri nww> aw ?wwbjuwi a?
turn to the Guilfcnl Native
Americas Association la
never answered. He aeat
sever*: ion* letters to Senator
evyvsw amsm awwwae ww^msws
Jeaae Helms, Congressman
Charles Hose, Congressman
Stephen Neal, and to Gover
nor James B. Heat. They all
returned courteous letters,
informing Jobs D. that they
would have their respective
staffs look into the matter
but they could do nothing
In Columbus, Ohio, the
mother of a young girl convic
ted at murder, has hired two
at Cleveland's finest attor
neys and investigator to
bring the truth of her daugh
ter's innocence to light. It
appears now that they will be
successful. Unfortunately,
John D. Locklear'a family
aren't in such a nice financial
position-they are not able to
hire those who would demand
justice in John's case.
The Magistrate has not
addressed the questions John
D. Locklear raised in his
motion. Perhaps the motion
was not prepared less than
correctly. The bottom line ?
fact seems to be that you.
the media, stand as John's
last and only chance. We
suppose truly guilty individu
als have often tried in many
different, seemingly consci
entious, convincing pleas of
?unjust prosecutions, of over
looked innocences, etc. Please
look into this case-you'll find
that there is truth to his story.
He is innocent.
One would think that where
a situation arose-where a
man who is in federal prison,
just might well be innocent,
that there would be a 'hear
ing' to insure that an innocent
man has not been imprisoned.
John's nightmare continues.
There is not too much more
that can be said at this point.
If you are interested in
looking into John's case fur
ther, to inquiring deeper into
the caseof John D. Locklear of
Rowland, NC, please call his
sister, or Michael Lee, or
write to John at the following
address:John D. Locklear,
teg. No. 117IX-OS7, Federal
-Correctional Institution, P.O.
Box 888, Ashland, Kentucky
41101.
A man has lost everything.
He has been placed in the
middle of a situation whicl
should not bd; which accord
ing to this Country's system
of jurisprudence, cannot hap
pen. Yet it does occasionally
happen, and unfortunately it
, has happened to John D.
Locklear.
Your help is desperately
needed?and will be forever
appreciated.
Most respectfully
and faithfully yours,
Writer charges
Equal Employment
Has no Meaning
^ -v ? _ . . ?:
To the Etfitor
What to the employ met
outlook for voton is the St.
Pub School System? Favor
state? Good? Maybe, If you do
your Job well, does that
guarantee job security? What
if you do your job well and
stand up for what to legally,
morally right In any job? Do
you still fed secure in your
job? Where are those teachers
who opposed the school ad
ministration a few years ago?
This school term two cafe
teria workers were fired. One
had been employed for five
years, the other for fifteen
years. Length of employment
and years of service to indica
tive of the fact that they must
have been good workers. The
question of why they were
fired to of all St. Pauls school
System employees should
address to themselves.
Examine the facts: the
letters received by these two'
?workers stated the cafeteria
was being reorganized, there
fore, their services were no
longer needed. However,
when apfflying for unemploy
ment benefits they learn the
reason given for their dismis
sal was "unsatisfactory
...rTrlr "
wont.
Reorganization of a de
partment (n .order to cut back
is often gieeessajy.'In these
unstable Economic conditions,
but does cut backs apply only
to Indianp and Blacks in the
St. Pauls jSchool System? The
lady who had worked for
fifteen years in the system is
Black, t^e other with five
years of service is Indian. Is
reorganization the reason
there are only a few Blacks
and no Indians employed in
the high school? Or could
investigation show they are
deemed "unsatisfactory wor
kers" by the administration?
The two cafeteria ex- em
ployees Requested at die time
of theirldismissal a' hearing
before tm: board of education.
As of toAy, no word has been
forthcoming on their request.
This Case has been placed
? I ?
before the Equal Employment
fnaniilasliia which has hud
parties.* At which tuns pun
time work, five hundred doO
?re, and a job next acfaoot
term were mentioned* f<y
there was an opening.
I don't believe it takes a
better-than-tverage aptitude
or a great deal of common
sense to realise that a grave
injustice has taken place. This
denotes that the St. Pauls
administration has a long way
to go before it can lay daim to
equal employment opportuni
ties. Beware of year job
security in the futnre. Formal
training, span of time in
employment, or laws which
protect the employee has no
meaning with the St. Pauls
School administration.
WJ. Keveia
St. Pauls
ISN'T THIS
A 'BewdifjuL
(Day, I
EXPECT SOMETHING
WONDERFUL
TO HAPPEN
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-:
ORDERS
L FOR
[Lr*
^THE BEST OF
by Brace Barton ?AS j SFP jjh
( 1 i !
?WXBBABIONtoe I II I
CABOUNAIQHAN VOKX Mwapapaa hae ceapBad lha beet ef MAS 1 SB
IT," Ito twi)ir.Bii
?All I Hi Mil |Mi|ir? i*tob iii.itonMwto^MMiO n leniab,bto
alwaye (to heaeet. ?
?Into af Btototyl ?Uto af Phfeet
1 ?Published by: I1m Caraiaa Mb* Vtoee, toe.
, <, P.O. B? 1075 1 ,
Pembroke, N.C. 28372 1
?A Latoa<i View a* *e Mnaatol w-M anaad ktoat
.................. .....
?CUP OUT COUPON AND SBND TO TUB CABOUNA INDIAN VOICE,
P.O. Ban 1075, PiMlnto, N.C 28372
1 ' * . , ?' i !
PLEASE SEND ME ? I D2 3D COPT OF "THE BEST OF AS ISKB IT."
9 'Enclosed yoa wil Had a check or aaooey order bn the amoato at 18^7
Far eacb copy requested.
W- ?
AMto?~ : ???
* 1 ?t ? : ? ? ? ? ; -
SUM ft-, Zip Cbte
1WTBAB80F TOIUCATION. Janelly?
decade af aarrioa.
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