Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / March 3, 1994, edition 1 / Page 13
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FORUM Balancing the Budget at African- American Children's Expense Act now before congress cuts children out of the budget! On Feb. 22. the Senate will begin \oting on the balanced budget amendment. The amendment proposes to reduce a S223 billion annual deficit to zero in five \ ears Responsible deficit reduction and government responsibility* are A ery important to us all. However, this plan would cripple our economs and dev astate children and families in need. The across- the -border reduction of fed eral tunds would prevent needed investments in proven programs serving low -income children and their families. for the 4.4 million poor black children in America toda\ . the passage ot this amendment uould decrease their chances of escaping poverty during their access to qualits heahj? and child care. With the passage of the amend ment * " Health care reform effort could fail! If the amendment passes, deficit reduction would eat up ever> dollar of health care savings: nothing would he available to assure that all Americans are insured. This would mean that the I 4 million black children who were uninsured in 1992 would have a lit tle chance of receiving the quality health care necessary for their physical and educational development Eveaif some forms of "health care reform" were to pass in 1994. the funds would not be there to provide care to mil lions of children and families living in blighted urban and rural communi ties. , ^ ? I nemployment would increase! As federal funds are cut. jobs would disappear. Studies show thai, if a balanced budget amendment took effect in 1995. there would be 3.4 million fewer jobs available, and the unemploy: ment rate would reach 8.4 percent. In the black community, where unem ployment rate would reach 8.4 percent. In the black community, where unemployment reached a staggering rate of 14.1 percent in the aftermath of ' the 1990-1991 recession, further job cuts could have a dramatic impact. With nearly half of all black children living in poverty, we cannot permit policies which w ill negatively impact the opportunities of black families io become law. J Tax loopholes would be saved while programs serving middle and low income families would be slashed! Because the amendment sets up new tougher congressional toting rultts. which would make programs cuts easier than tax increases, it would lock in unfair tax loopholes and "tax expendi tures"that subsidize luxuries such as vacation homes. The gap between the very rich and the very poor would continue to grow. Millions of families struggle just to pay the rent would be worse off. while the government would continue to subsidize not only the first, but also the second homes of - w ealthy Americans." " * ^ _ The amendment would sabotage programs that help families work! It would cut the resources necessary to lift families out of poverty and give vulnerable children the means to grow up healthy and ready to learn. Child care. Head Start. WIC. food stamps, employment and training programs. ? and Medicaid, which are essential for moving families to self-sufficiency. would be starved for funding. The amendments would make it easier to cut children's programs than to raise revenues. It puts our children ai tremen dous risk! ' ' Call your senator and representatives and tell them to vote in. r >t the budget amendments. They will be in your state from Feb. 12-21 during the CHILD WATCH By MIRIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN congressional recess period. Look in your phone book for ;? local oifice where you can call them or call the Children's Defense F und, at 202-662 3599. for their local office phone numbers. On Feb. 22. call sour senators in Washington. D.C., to tell them once again to vote against the balance bud get amendment,. The Capitol switchboard number is 202-224-3121. We can not allow this threat to our nation's health securit> and children become national policy. (Marian Wright Edelman is president of the Children's Defense Fund, a national voice for children and a leader of the Mack Community Crusade for Children) For the^ast 34 Years, the United States Has Embargoed All Trade to Cuba' !o Americans the little veHpw school bus is a symbol for children and education. It is a sign of the future and at the same time brings back fond memories of childhood trips from. home to school. ? l ast summer the little .yellow school bus became a different kind of wmbol when the Pastors for T*e ace led a caravan of 95 trucks and cars and three yellov* school busses across the United States/S/lexican border along : r I CIVIL RIGHTS JOURNAL & '?A " By BERNICE POWELL JACKSON ? I ' *? with MM I ions of humanitarian aid tor the people of Cuba. Pastors for Pi.uce. and arm of the Inierreligious Foundation for Community Organization, had collected this aid.- including food, medicine, wheelchairs. Bibles, bicycles. soap, toothbrushes and computers from churches and organization across the I nrted States to be'ffiven to the people of Cuba through the Martin I uther King. Jr Memorial -Center in Havana. The busses themselves were to go to .1 program tor mentalls impaired persons and to church youth groups in Cuba. :For the past-34 years, the United States has embargoed all trade to Cuba, including food and humanitarian supplies. Thus. Cuban hospitals cannot purchase prescription medicines from U.S. companies and Cuban churches and other Humanitarian organizations cannot receive relief. Food itself is a scarce commodity to most Cubans, while we in this nation still grow more than we eat. " - Pastors for Peace decided to challenge what they believed was an unjust law. Thus began their caravans, collecting relief in cities across the nation and culminating in a border crossing last summer en route to Havana. But U.S. customs officials were unhapp> with this attempt at circumnaviga tion and w hile they allowed across two of the school busses, they forced the caravanners to carry across much of the aid by hand and confiscated the third little yellow school bus. The Rev. Lucius Walker, founder of Pastors for Peace, and 13 others who wertron strike. They stayed aboard the seized school bus in l0() pius degree weather, surviving onl\ on water and jutces brought to then by tnany supporters until the Federal government relented and allowed the school bus to cross the border. That bus is nou in Havana at the Ebenezer Baptist Church. Members of the religious communit\ are not alone in their belief that the Cuba embargo is unjust to the eleven million Cubans who suffer from widespread shortages of food, medicine and fuel. Congressman Charles Rtingcl of New York has introduced legislation into ttie House of Represen tatives (HR2229) calling for an end of the trade embargo with Vict Nam. Ranged points out that U.S. companies are losing S6 billion every ^ear 4hat they are not allowed to do business w ith Cuba. "This bill addresses not only the humanitarian issues that we all care about, but also the vital issue of free trade." said Range), adding, "It's ridiculous to deny U.S. companies the opportunity. ..because a small interest group wants to starve the Cuban peo pie into submission." "A hearing is scheduled on the bill b\ the House Ways and Means Committee on March 1 5th. Meanwhile, the Pastors for Peace is beginning its third ciiravan which is scheduled toxross the Laredo border on March 9th with 145 tons of aid. Already two tons of relief supplies have crossed the U.S. /Canada border bound tor the caravan, despite the passage of a 1992 bill which makes it a violation to transport goods destined for Cuba across' U.S. territory. It * ^ not clear win customs officials allowed the group to cross the border, although there are some indications that the Clinton Administration ma\ be recon sidering the embargo. In early March, watch the newspaper and television io; new of the U.S. -Cuba Friend-shipment Caravan, which will include contingents not only from the" United States and Canada, but also from Mexico, I-.ngland. Sweden and Germany. There will be over 100 vehicles and 10 little yellow school busses. Pastors for Peace asks those who believe that people in Cuba should have food, medicine, wheelchairs and othet humanitarian aid to' write or call the White House, the State Department and the U.S. Depart ment of the Treasury (of which the Customs is an agency > during that time. _ And if you're interested in supporting Congressman Rau^ \ legislation, let your congressperson know. The right to food and to medicine is a fundamental human right. Huu ? long can the U.S. go on denying this? ; ? 0 (Bernice Powell Jackson is Executive Director for the I tiited Church of Christ commision for Racial Justice, i - ; 'There Are Parallels Between Anti-Semitism and the Exploitation of Racism' Last November. Khalid Abdul Muhammad, National Spokesman for the Nation ol Islam, delivered a speech at Kean College in New Jersey, i >\ er three hours, he presented an analysis which was hlatantly anti-Semitic- - .nut 1 1 1 lei! w 1 1 h hatred. ? ? Muhammad declared that Jews were "the blood suckers of the black nation : thai Jews "have our entertainers in their hip pocket" and "our ath letes in the palm ot their hand." Muhammad stated that Jews "call yourself Keubenstein. Goldstein. Silverstejn because you (have) been stealing rubies and gold and silver all over the earth." He even revived the controversial statement ot Louis Farrakhan of a decade ago. that Adolf Hitler was "w it kedk great." The Holocaust w as attributed to the role of Jews, w ho had "undermined the sen fabric of (German) societs." As the text of this speech was circulated, largely by the Anti-Defama tion League. conservative Jewish* leaders and journalists used the issue not to toildemn t^'~mik^rrV~:rnr1 th.? Vittnn of Ul.im \tncan- American leaders and officials as well who had any relationship with the Muslim community. Rosenthal of the New York Times, for exam ple. pompous!) and falsely asserted that "w ith few exceptions, black politi cal and intellectual leadership has kept silent about. ..the surge of anti-Semi tism and anti-Semitic propaganda among blacks, particularly among young and more educated blacks." Rosenthal attacked Chavis of the NAACP. the ( ^niire.vsuuiol Black Caucus and Jesse Jackson for establishing a dialogue with Farrakhan. insisting that black mainstream leaders "are willing to ally themselves with the salesman for a new Hnlnnnrn " In irrf'ni weeks virtn Tiny even African-American national figure has criticized or denounced the ami-Semitic slurs and sentiments of the Jewish community and Afrjcan \merieans. characterized previous!) by differences over affirmative action and Israel's relationship with the former apartheid government of South Africa, has become even wrnse. . - Let u? separate the issue wftich^iTeT^rCariFiiK ^rou/inp pnlitirnl ? controversy. As much as 1 reject and oppose' the political perspective of Muhamrhad. he had a right to speak at Kean College, or any other public institution. If Patrick Buchanan, Newt Gingrich, and David Duke have a legal right Jo spew their respective political poisons, and to advance an unconditional program of oppression for black people. Muhammad must be permitted that same freedom. To extend the right to speak only to those . w ith w hom we agree is a dangerous doctrine. "Freedom" is always and only to those w ho think differently. We must be honest about the root factors in the debate about Muham mad. Farrakhan and the charges of anti-Semitism in the black community There ls-anti^emitism among some African -Americans, as well as racism and prejudice among some Jews towards black people. But anti-Semitism has never been a mass movement among A frfcan- Americans, qnd no national black leader is calling for anything which approaches a "new Holo causts." . There are real tensions and disagreements, to be sure, which separate key elements of the Jewish community and African-Americans: The intoler ance arrd discrimination which Jews have fcxpenenced in this country never equaled the fierce oppression whirh Afrir?n- penplr uiffrrprl ? and continue to experience. There are parallels between the bigotry of anti Semitism and the exploitation of racism, but the two dynamics of discrimi nation are not identical. Jews as A ^group-are nliddle and upper class, while an ever-growing number of African-Americans are trapped in a cycle of poverty, unemployment, drugs and violence. To ?av simplistkalh ~th t? the two groups have identical interests is simply not true Bui n i . -^n ; ? I v ?to assert that Jews are "turning against Mack mterestv Con?iNteni!\ . even in the recent mayoral election in New York City . Jewish \nters a re ann>n$. the strongest white supporters for black candidates and i>sues. - Nothing can ever justify the articulation of hatred. llie colot oi preju dice transcends the barriers of black ar d white. The urea! streiMth of Hack ALONG THE COLOR LINE By~DR?MANNI NG MARABLE" freedom movement ? from Frederick Douglass to Martin Luther Kim: i been the realization that our struggle for equalits is for all human<t\ not* just for ourselves. When we surrender this moral and" e t hjcalp nn . u. . sacrifice our greatest weapon for democracy all people who e\pr. i 1 . . . ,:;n_ crimination. (Manning Marble is Professor of History and Political Sru ncc.and Director , Institute for Research in African- A merxcan Hindi eys . Culumbiq University.) A Justice System that Criminalizes Offenses Other Countries Punish Lightly' i . - Do 1 see the first glimmering of a new war on the poor shaping up? It seems unlikeK since we now have the first national Administration in .1 decade that's committed to more equitable national policies. And there's a greater understanding of the danger growing inequality poses to America's social stabilitN and economic future. But there's a lot of free-floating middle class insecurity out there that nun he channeled into repressive measures against people on the bottom of the ladder instead of on more productive measures to help everybody move up the ladder. And this is a congressional election year, with all the temptations that offers for political candidates to pla> on the fears of the voters and to seed TO BE EQUAL By JOHN E. JACOB scapegoats for their problems. A case in point is the new crime bill now gathering support in Con gress. By the time it gets to a vote, it may be loaded with repressive features that don't hinder crime and saddle us with a primitive, unworkable criminal justice system. Some aspects of the new . more punitive approach to crime could lead to an expensive prison-building spree that locks up people who don't belong in prison and keeps them there longer than necessary. We already have a criminal justice system that criminal izes offenses other countries punish lightly; imposes longer sentences that similar crimes draw in other countries, and operates in a wa> that is biased against young African American men. The end result is a system that doesn't deter crime and fails to rehabili tate offenders. Reforming the federal crime code makes sense, but not if it just encourages a war on poor young men. And welfare reform makes sense, too. but not if it just encourages a war on poor people. The Administration will propose a welfare reform measure that would force people to work after two years on the welfare rolls, something that sounds appealing but will require huge investments in child care and job creation if it is to work. The states arc jumping on the bandwagon, with reform pktn* that ar/~' even more obviously punitive. Virginia, for example, is considering welfare- changes that woui.i force recipients to work within a year of going on the, rolls, anil drop thorn alto gether after a second year, whether or not they have a pcipianeni That doesn't sound like reform to me ? it sounds like puni>hir.u: people for being poor. Welfare reform needs to encourage work and indepr-i .oiue but that requires the availability of child care, health care, job trail! Mg. job' an,! a panoply of social services to help people get on their feet. Anv so-called welfare reform plan -is to cuti*>st>,. not t<> help-pcopk_iiL need. Another sign of the start of a war on the poor is the crou ing callousness about the Hbmeless. Increasingly, the media are painting the homeless as a threatening force - to be repressed, instead of as unfortunate people who need affordable ing. jobs, health care, drug treatment and other sen ices ta-:! ua1 needs. So there's a growing trend to paint crime, welfare and hordes : - a> aspects of a growing underclass that threatens the middle class, inroad o: the inevitable results of a stagnant economy and a discriminator) sew icty. (John E Jacobs is President of National irban I.m^ne)
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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March 3, 1994, edition 1
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