CdMlS cl CUM) So You Think You've Got It Made! by Hoyle H. Martin, Sr. Poet Editorial Writer In 1963, the little known newly elected governor of Alabama seized a share of the national political spot light when he said in his inaugural address, "Segregation now! Segre gation tomorrow! Segregation for - ever! " In demonstrating support for his words six months later, the governor literally stood in the school house door to block two black students from entering the University of Alabama. Now 18 years later, and after an unprecedented three terms as gov ernor and four presidental cam paigns rooted in racist rhetoric, Governor George Wallace says, "I will admit and can understand now that the things that the federal government forced upon us, such as doing away with segregated eating places...has turned out for the best." Before you are lulled into thinking that the Civil Rights, Equal Opport unity and Voting Eights Acts of the past 14 years,* and the change in thinking that George Wallace's words represent, mean that blacks have it made and the struggle for justice and equality is no longer necessary, you are sadly mistaken. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall reminded us that the quest for justice and equality is a continu ing process when he told a Howard University audience recently, "We have not got it made. In fact, while society in general has come a long way from where it used to be, the gaps between blacks and whites have widened." Justice Marshall's words are evi denced in actions taken by the high tribunal on which he sits. We are referring here to the Supreme Court's vague decision in the Allan Bakke alleged "reverse discriminat ion" case and their decision to review a similar case wherein a white man successfully sued his employer for selecting blacks with less seniority for a training pro gram. Vernon E. Jordan too has remind ed us that we don't have it made. He said recently that a "new threat" to Affirmative Action programs comes from a new definition of the term "minority" that substantially deludes the special help blacks have in the past received from the public sector. These observations should be enough to remind us that the quest for justice and equality is an on-go ing process. Thus, the gains blacks have made can be easily lost if we are lulled into a false sense of security in the belief that we've got it made. The struggle for your rights and my rights continues. Join our daily army for equality. The Need To Be Responsible Literally millions of words have been written to describe America's greatest tragedy, the so-called Jones ville mass suicide in which over 900 members of the Peoples [Temple religious cult drank Kool Aid laced with cyanide at the com mand oftheir leader, "Father" Jim Jones. " ironically, wnile the People's Temple leadership was primarily white, much of its philosophical foundation and about 75 percent of its membership is or was black. Jones had studied the theological views and practices oÇ the late Father Divine and other blaclf mini ster-evangelists before founding the Peoples Temple. A confirmed supporter of social ism, and" racial equality, Jones believed that the communal. Jife, which was being practiced and expanded throughout his Temple's establishments was an attempt to carry out the mandates of the New Testament. He relied heavily upon the Book of Acts 2:4*46 to explain his underlying beliefs. Tliese verses read, "And all that believed were together, and had all things com mon; and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord ; in the tempTe, and breaking bread from house Jo house, did eat their 'meat with gladness and singleness of heart..." In practice, for one female mem ber in San Francisco, this resulted in giving her $1,000 salary per month as a programmer to the Temple in exchange for a shared room, meals, and a $2 weekly allowance. Further more, if additional clothings were needed or extra lunch money to treat a prospective temple member, such funds had to be requested a week early. In addition, Jones apparently used this passage of scripture to justify public beatjrtgs.'oê Téniple members for the slightest infraction erf rules; the confiscating of all personal property including real estate and social security checks; the required signing of documents such as stating you'd molested your own children to show your loyalty to Jones <(the documents were then used as black mall to birol· the signer the Temple) ; the relinquishing of autho rity over your own children; spying and reporting on others ; and requir ing all members to do anything Jones told them to do, including pm/Ήη» guirirfp HHIIb, the killinfl of others and actual suicide. The Peoples Temple and Germany of the 1930s each represent people who did not want to assume a responsibility for their own actions nor make any decisions for them selves, thus the emergence of para noid leaders, unpredictable conse quences and the loss of personal freedom. I ItVTime The Black Community Did Something About It! Social Security Benefits First Five Months Of Disability People.who apply for social security disability benefits are often surprised and disappoin ted when they .are told there is ' a 5*month^waiting period be fore disability benefits can begin. "It shouldn't take 5 months to tell if I'm disabled," is a typic5T reaction. Inmost cases it doesn't take that long to make the medical vocational determination of disability. Rather, the 5 month waiting period reflects the purpose of the social secu —rity disability program which is to insure workers and their families against the loss of income caused by a long term Deriod of disability. UNDER SOCIAL security, disability means inability to do any -substantial work be cause of a physical or mental impalHf^tfMfcui Xqç at least a year or will result in death. This is different from some other programs, like veterans benefits, that pay for partial disabilities, or from some State-administered pro , grams that provide for tempo rary disabilities. Most people who become ill or suffer disabling conditions —recover m less than 5 months. Others who may take a little longer have a condition that is unlikely to last a year and is therefore not a long-term dis ability. People who suffer short term disabling conditions often rely on personal inoome and resources such as private insurance or savings to tide them over. Such State admini stered programs as workers' compensation insurance and unemployment insurance as well as veterans benefits may also be available. WHEN A person's condition is so severe as to extend beyond the protection provid ed by such programs, then social security disability in surance can be most helpful. Most people who receive soc ial security disability benefits continue to do so for the rest of their lives, or until the benefits shift to retirement benefits at age 65. People who do attempt to return to work in spite of their condition are permitted a trial work period up to 9 months to enable them to determine if they can perform substantial gainful work on a ι regular basis. The waiting period is mea sured from the onset of the disability, not from the date of the application, so that in _ many casas à person who applies for benefits after the 5-month waiting period only has to wait the time it takes to jargceee his or her claim. \Jrâ*oactive benefits may be |ώία for up to 12 months preceding the month you apply. . ,·,··