Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / March 17, 1983, edition 1 / Page 4
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Zpi Winston-Salem Ctir*oqicle ^ffv NdubUt Egcmonyc Ernest H. Pitt (klkLuk' Allfn Johnson Robert Eltor V*" EUin? L. Pitt % .... \ .. . .. (Hh>i \/w"w*? ' **?? %*.. ? % ? -4K . ^ i n?%% U4K*? Prostitutes And Priorities The Winston-Salem Police Department has mounted an undercover operation in the Liberty-Patterson area. The objective: to arrest prostitutes who solicit customers amid the old, largely abandoned apartment buildings in that deteriorating community. Eight men and 40 women were arrested last week on prostitution-related charges, which, we suppose, bears testimony to the effectiveness of the operation. Still, while we by no means condone prostitution, we wonder if our police haven't confused their priorities. 11 ri^L ? - rv iin crime as prevalent and often devastating in the black community as it is, why spend so much time, energy and money arresting prostitutes when so many other, more serious types of lawlessness continue to breed fear? Public Safety Chairman Vivian Burke shares some of our skepticism, noting that, while she would like to see prostitution eliminated in that area, "we have crime in this city that needs,more attention than prostitution." ?Armed robbery and drugs are among those other crimes, Mrs. Burke said. The drug problem has, in fact, reached epidemic proportions among our youth, if we are to believe reports from an undercover policeman who has mingled with students in our public schools. M*v piviui^ poiiiicu vy mc Lrime isox bcorc" on Page 3 also reflects problems with housebreakings, larceny and burglaries as well. We applaud the efforts of our police whenever they mount an offensive against crime in our neighborhoods, but in this era of strained municipal budgets during which so many other manifestations of crime threaten our well-being and peace of mind, we believe prostitutes and their clients can wait. Your Letters ? The more earth-shaking events of each week are recounted on Page One. The more heartwarming, amusing, bizarre and entertaining ones are recounted in our letters section. Take, for instance the ? a writer obviously of the femait gend#* nominated an eligible gentleman for our Bachelor of the Week feature. "Since his taped interview with WXII-TV a few weeks ago," the young lady wrote, "1 and the other ladies would like to know the real man behind the facade...and the fact that he drives a De Lorean." Sorry, ladies. Though the man may drive a De Loreaa^we don't draft people for "Bachelor of the Week." They have to volunteer. ? Speaking of bachelors of the week, the wife of one bachelor called to inform us that the man was very married with three children. That's u/h^n u/p fnnnri ; ?... . w < ? " V IXSWtAlM lb IIWWWddAi Jf IU spell out in the guidelines of the feature that you must be legally single to be featured, not "separated or getting ready to get a divorce or having an argument with your spouse." ? a writer named Lelia Dolby wrote The Letter Read Round the World - or at least around Winston-Salem ~ last year. It seems Miss Dolby wasn't all that thrilled about an editorial we wrote welcoming black writer Maya Angelou back to the South and said so in no uncertain terms. What ensued we could never have predicted. A veritable avalanche of letters followed, most of them defending Ms. Angelou and roundly criticizing Ms. Dolby. There were phone calls, too, mostly of the nasty variety, chastising the Chronicle for having the gall to print Miss Dolby's letter. One lady hung up as we tried to explain that we don't censor letters simply because we don't agree with them ? just as she had censored us when she hung up before we could fully explain our stance. The letters continued for two months until they finally trickled into a third month. One of the final letters that we received, fittingly enough, was from Ms. Angelou, thanking us for allowing both sides to be heard.. The letters have flowed during the past year and a half at a steady pace and continue to address just about every subject imaginable. Whether they're critical or complimentary, we love to get them and probably get just as much of a kick out of them as you do. Letters, we believe, are the heart of anv aood editorial ..page. They also, we would like to think, provide a sign that we might be nudging you - sometimes gently, sometimes not to think about the issues, and to act. About Letters The Chronicle welcomes letters to the editor as well as guest columns. Letters should be typed or neatly printed and concise in length. They should also include the full name, address and phone number of the writer. Letters should be addressed to Chronicle Letters, Winston-Salem Chronicle, P.O. Box 3154, Winston-Salem, N.C. 27102. The Chronicle reserves the right to edit letters for brevity and good taste and asks readers to remember that letters published within our pages do not necessarily reflect our views. \ x_ _ __ GOOD News, Sic- Loots t economic erfawm, towa i Aicmay s\e? most of i TO *r?e ORop IW OlL_Pf?\C l\BOUT 07 Ittfc k BB A (jood ide By TONY BROWN Syndicated Columnist The question has been asked in media headlines over and over again: "Will Blacks Riot This Year?" They already have ? at the ballot boxes in Chicago's mayoral contest. ^staggering blow to Democrats national- JjH running candidate for the Democratic nnmindrlnn ? v ? i v ia i v i I Harold Washington's upset victory . in the primary elec- Blown tion should guarantee him the job as the first black mayor of ChicagoKaxjl- a ty founded by Jean Baptiste D^SaoTe, another black man. But in between those two historic pointsr^t-has been a political hell for black life in that city on Jhe lake. Washington's ^announcement to break up the old Democratic machine will redress some of the institutional Slavery, but his warning to^andidaTe Mondale might give modern meaning to the magnificent show of black selfhpln of TmacHoii Cak n ?k ?" -vjmu; ? ? w. "Mr. Mondale has some explaining to do," Washington promised, "some serious explaining." Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that Washington, the single black candidate in the It Certainly By MANNING MARABLE Guest Columnist Many Americans recognize that next year's presidential race will be more than a referendum on Reaganism. Properly understood, Reaganism represents an attempt by the corporations to accelerate capital accumulation at the expense of workers and an effort to reduce permanently the levels of social services and public programs at the expense of unprecedented arms buildup. In short, the basic tenor of our debate with the right must be cast into three slogans: jobs, peace and freedom. In this regard, members of the Congressional Black Caucus have taken the lead in defining the pressing concerns which affect blacks, Latinos, poor and working-class people. John Conyers of Detroit is developing perhaps the most progressive full-employment bill in U.S? nisiory. barren Mitchell of Baltimore has taken the lead in denouncing Reagan's economic austerity programs. And Washington, D.C.'s Walter Fauntroy was even arrested SAV& GONTfttlteD OOMTBOL Of i I tea NOW IteW I INFlXHOi ID Mt*\T IPtOVWEHT _/ IS kfe Hvs is we \ni fcS BEOU&ttT S I6CESSIDW ^ B\ jf J M |wy / j| I? a About To < Democratic primary, was referring to Mondale's needless and arrogant meddling in Chicago politics by opposing him and supporting Richard M. Daley, heir-apparent to the old Daley machine. Another so-called liberal, Sen. Ted Kennedy, supported the other whitecandidate. Mondale blamed his racist behavior on a political debt owed to Daley, but carefully ignored the fact that Washington and his district workers produced a 93 percent vote for the 1976 Democratic ticket of Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale. Mondale, at last aware that he has behaved with "interracial-racism," ? reserved, of course, for white liberals (if a conservative white had behaved in the same manner, it would be simply labeled "white racism") is now busy asking for speaking engagements at black colleges for this r. spring's commencement exercises and., pnoning members of the Congressional Black Caucus, asking them to help him out of this jam. But how can they? Without betraying their power base and ethically rejecting what they stand for, how can they interpret his behavior as anything other than racist? They can't. Which is why Charles Rangel, New York's black congressman, is reported as saying: "1 told him (Mondale) that he should be calling Washington." He added, "It was insanity for him to get involved in that primary." And Mondale, Rangel admitted, naa called wasmngton. "He said he's > Shouldn't h last year in a public demonstration against the dumping of toxic waste in a rural^black North Carolina county. The problem before us, therefore, is making sure that these questions of i _i r..ii i? v jups va iuu-cmpioymcni economy;, peace (reductions in both conventional and nuclear weapons) and freedom (affirmative-action legislation, a restoration of human services, etc.) become part of the presidential debate. As I see matters, there are only two ways to begin this process. One strategy would involve running a progressive flack candidate for the Democratic Party nomination in a select group of 10 to 12 states. ? The states should have either sizeable blocs of black, Latino and trade union voters, or a tradition of political liberalism (for example, New York, Massachusetts, Michigan, II linois, Pennsylvania, California and Washington, D.C.). The goal of this strategy would not be to win the nomination, of course, but to force the frontrunner, Mondale, to the left. Whomever emerges as the Democratic party's alternative to KNOCKS SWIM DECONTROL m mn wetiee ? ee mms gomgto Hwe WH&avjfr/ ft m V J \_ -A ?11- YIHO OelHey THINK IMH?)1we KEGKS?VI7/ ^ if., l! Go Bad been calling him but he said Washington won't return his calls," Rangel said. Why should he? ? ? ? ? I? a ? * m iiv ^vuuwai gallic in /\mcnca is now a new one. Any time blacks assert themselves, whites adjust. It doesn't matter whether it's at the ballot box or in Jim Crow public places, black rebellion always works. In Chicago, although six percent of the white vote was race-free, 94 percent of it was race-directed to other whites. If 94 percent of blacks had noubeen smart enough to support another black, it would have been white-business-as-usual. And believe ?it?or?not,?Chicago-based?Jesse Jackson has tried to use Washington's victory to launch a presidential campaign. Jackson, who Washington has promised will not be a part of his administration, took his presidential (a black version) aspirations on the road to Philadelphia and, while appearing to work for the black candidate for mayor, Wilson Goode, was really laying the groundwork for his own run later this year as "Mr. Black President." "The newest thing is to simply vote black," Jackson exhorted. But Goode, sensing that his candidacy was secondary in Jackson's rhetoric, immediately called the statement "inappropriate, ill-timed and inconsistent with what we believe should happen." Goode is in good shape. He leads in a preference poll by 22 points and the proportion of blacks in Philadelphia Please see page 5 te Jackson Reagan ? whether Mondale, Glenn or any of the other lesser lights ? he n will not respond to the demands ofi the black freedom movement except in opctnrpc unlpcc Hp ic qK_ mmu witavvj^ nv ?O WU solutely forced to do so. This cannot be done unless a progressive black candidate goes into the convention with 300 to 400 delegate votes, and when no single white candidate has a majority of delegate votes. This also means, of course, that Mondale must be denied a firstballot victory at the convention. Unquestionably, the best qualified candidate for this strategy is Ronald V. Dellums. Since his election to Congress, Dellums has represented the most principled and progressive alternative available in American politics. His unique strength is his ability to relate to a diverse constituency: blacks, trade unionists, feminists, Latinos, environmentalists, peace activists, etc. A second choice, Georgia State Senator Julian Bond, has his own unique following within the civil rights community. Both are nationally-known, would have access (A tk* /1% nri tn IIimnArtonf IV VIIV 1UVUIO Va VI IV1VOUJ lUI^Vl ICUll Please see page 12 1 VMOto Tb KU6VE ?^ p 7 4 Chronicle Letters V ^ ^ Suppressed Feelings To The Editor: I've read with interest the many fine articles written about AfroAmerican ministers and I've found them to be truthful. Ministers know that we live in a democratic society where there are no absolute rulers. President Keagan can do nothins without the sanrfinn r?f the Congress. So should it be with our clergy. No decisions should be madewithout the agreement of the deacons and trustees. They are the Congress of the church. There is a pastor of a prominent church who never accompanies the bodies of deceased members to th< . cemetery. How can his membershi) ignore that? Is he allergic t< cemeteries or funeral processions? Somebody, please explain! r , Mrs. M.N. Tanner ^ ^ Winston-Salem P.S.: We need the Chronicle ~ (Through it) we can give vent to the many suppressed feelings we've held ! I J ? C 1 uisiuc ior years ana years. The Real Problem ?k ~ To The Editor: Your series of articles about the black church plus the November 1982 issue of The Crisis devoted solely to the black church were most enjoyable and informative. It's interesting that we have over 200 black churches in Winston-Salem. and the highest crime rate in the city is reported to be in black communities. Thus, whenever 1 read or hear of members of a church habitually criticizing what occurs in their chur-. ches, 1 recall the following written bv an anonymous author: ... , . . It Isn't'The Church *?fItVYo?i" If you want to have the kind of a church Like the kind of a church you like, You needn't slip your clothes in a grip And start on a long, long hike.;: You'll only find what you left behind, For there's nothing really new. It's a knock at yourself when you knock your church; It isn't the church ? it's YOU. When everything seems to be going wrong, And trouble seems everywhere brewing; When prayer meetings, young people's meetings and all, Seem simmering slowly ? * stewing, yust take a look at yourself and say, "What's the use of being blue?" Are you doing your "bit" to make things "hit?" It isn't the church ? it's YOU. U It's really strange sometimes, don't you know, That things go as well as they do, When we think of the little ? the ? very small mite ? We add to the work of the few. We sit, and stand round, and complain of what's done, And do very little but fuss. Are we bearing our share of the burdens to bear? It isn't the church ? it's US. r ^ ?? - - - * * oo, li you want to nave the kind of a church Like the kind of a church you - like, Put off your guile, and put on your smile, And hike, my brother, just hike, To the work at hand that has to be done ? Please see page 5 BOTH C* "NBA, j|j $3^
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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March 17, 1983, edition 1
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