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Editorials & Comments ( What The Others Are Saying INo More Than Expected Rewritten From The Carolinian When the issue is Communism versus Nazism and Ku Klux Klanism in a trial with an all-white jury as was the case in the current Greensboro mur ders, the decision of innocent or not guilty as charged was no more than expected. But for the state to have a million-dollar cost seems un called for as, no doubt, the first few days of deliberation of the jury, after being charged by the judge were spent in reviewing again the mountains of evidence and film footage. Spending money in this fashion calls for another look at how we utilize taxpayers’ money in the legal system. The attorneys, because of the nuances of American racial, so cial and political relations, spent weeks waging a public relations campaign to persuade the jury, instead of tackling legal ques tions as the profession in times past would have called for. It is becoming more and more apparent that juries - in the final analysis - are going to reflect the biases of the peer group from which they come. Of course, this was the intent of the designers of the jury and legal system. But when a jury just considers the interests of those who do not come from its company, history is proving time and time again that justice will go wanting. The issues in the case should never have been between dif ferent ideologies. That is not the purpose of our legal system. Those issues belong in the poli tical arena. Communism, which many wish to call a “bad word,” should not have been on trial, but rather individuals who happened by chance to be members of the Communist Worker’s Party (CWP) a legitimate and recog nized form of free speech in American society. To seek to hush (or kill) this expression is only a foretaste of some future effort to quiet the Southern Christian Leadership Confer ence or the NAACP’s Benjamin UaaItc We all understand the signifi cance of the Nazi Party and the Ku Klux Klan. The outcries from black spokesmen following the Greens boro verdict attest to the serious ness of the impact they are having and probably will con tinue to have on the society. One has to notice statements by one Nazi party member that the acquittal marked a “great victory for white America...we can beat the system on their own grown. That jury’s decision re presents the wishes of the people of North Carolina.” Many of us could have and did predict the outcome of the trial. If then, Black America’s well being is becoming so tenuous, it p&ystojookto other approaches in addition to legal redress to continue the struggle against bigotry, racism and oppression. These additional avenues we must consider in a new, more serious and strategiclight in-' elude the wise use of our dollars, votes, politicans, media influ ence, and expertise, businesses, higher education institutions, churches, youth and the inter national forums. The Greensboro verdict has even greater significance when one realizes that it reflects a school of thought in this country that one group of people should not enjoy the best that life may offer while another group has every and the sole right to a fulfilled life, or that the lives of one group of human beings is more valuable than another. To use a peer group justice system to determine who is worth more or should enjoy more of life is a farce. We urge responsible citizens to coldly evaluate what has taken place in Greensboro; determine what influence each can bring to bear upon the many and varied resources and institutions with which we come into contact daily, and aet to blunt the trend we are all seeing across the country to turn ba''1' the clock to some bygone era when “we didn’t know that there was a racial problem.” uuirage Some were shocked, others saddened; but most, outraged, at the “non-decision” in the Klan Nazi trial. I say “non-decision” because a not guilty verdict for those six hoodlums was in effect no verdict at all. Some will contend that the technical legal aspects of the case were the determining fac tors in the non-decision. They will cite the failure of the CWP witnesses to testify against the Klan; the non-appearance of the federal government agent who allegedly “set-up” the Klan and Nazis; and the unprecedented (in a case of this importance) decision to let the jury go home during deliberations. Granted, these are valid observations - points which will be commented on for decades to come. But unfortunately for North Carolina and America, the average Black, brown and red men don’t see it that way. They do not give a damn about this legal tactic or that legal tech nicality. All they know is what they see; and what they see is the “same old-same old...” a perpetuation of America’s racist two-tier system of injustice!!! To the oppressed elements in this society, the Greensboro debacle is added to an ever growing list of “deja vu” scenarios. They have seen it all before...Names, dates, and faces change, but the verdicts are almost always the same. t - Nazi Leader Harold Holds News Conference In N.C., To j ]ise Acquittal Six Kkmsmen Nazis With Five Communists. ) f Covington Called To Secede And For A Nation For Whites Only. Blacks Have Been Awakened-.? NAPFE President White Assails Greensboro Killings In a speech in Greens boro, N.C. this past week end, Robert L. White, Pre sident of the National Al liance of Postal and Fe deral Employees, de clared that “if the present verdict surrounding the Greensboro killings goes unchallenged perhaps we will find that the next group that might be attacked may be NAACP members or some black church group on a picnic.” White’s remarks came in an address to the Bennett College faculty, students and friends at the College’s Annual Thanksgiving Ves per Service. The head of this, country’s oldest and largest independent black led industrial union took the opportunity to discuss the implications of the 1980 election results and to out line some of the major challenges facing Black America. "In my judgement, the outcome of the November 4,1980 elections...displayed a larger degree of covert racial discrimination throughout America than most Americans, black or white, would be willing to admit still existed,” said White. The Union Leader called for black unity stating that black people cannot afford “the luxury of broad dif ferences of opinions, ideo logies or actions.” White also had the follow ing to say: -“The effort to register every Black in America, must be continued; but this can only be achieved through a coordinated ef fort involving every seg ment of the black com munity. -“Black America must understand and we must • make others understand that with youth unemploy ment in the black com munity reaching levels of 50 percent, we arc talking not only about saving our selves, but also about sav ing this country. - -‘‘The Republican Party must be made to under stand what the negative implication of an under class is to the very exist ence of this country. -“In 1981 Congress will have to extend the Voting Rights Act of 1965 which brought about the registra tion of some 3 million black people in the South. It . is-’toot too early 'for us to now start organizing... throughout the nation in support of the extension of this Act. The fact that in 1981 state legislatures will reapportion congressional districts, increases the ur gency of the need for such action. -“The loss of even one black college is too great a sacrifice because the ma jority of blacks graduating from college, still do from black colleges. -“The fight between the Senate and U.S. Depart ment of Justice regarding busing is a new day chap ter of the age old fight beLween the separate branches of government. I firmly believe the Supreme Court will review this action and determine in favor of the Department of Justice. We must not let this temporary defeat hold us back in our fight for the empowerment of black people. -“The National Alliance, as does all who cherish freedom, deplores the si tuation which still exists in Namibia and South Africa ...(and the National Alli ance condemns)...the il legal regime in Namibia and the apartheid policy of South Africa. -•‘Black people must have hope...and the con viction to act even in the face of apparent set backs.’’ USD A Increases Assistance U; A CUVKtP'rrxKT »ri_ frnm KnmA loot voor onH ic • ••■wostiv AVJl A 1IV. U S. Department of Agri culture will increase the level of assistance it pro vides in donated foods and cash to nutrition programs for the elderly during fiscal year 1981 from 43 to 47.25 cents per meal. As sistant Secretary of Agri culture Carol Tucker Fore man said this week. “This will be a 9.87 per cent cost-of-living increase in donated foods and cash assistance USDA provides to federally funded elderly nutrition programs," Fore man Jsaid. The adjustment reflects the rise in the consumer nriro inHnv fnr frwvt aiuoir mandated by law. The new level of assistance applies to all meals served from October 1 to September 30, 1981. Nutrition programs for the elderly are run by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under Title III of the Older Americans Act, with USDA donating food or providing cash in lieu of food to states taking part in these pro grams. In addition, begin ning this year, Indian tri bal organizations operating elderly nutrition programs will receive a comparable level of assistance in do nated'foods or cash under 'rut. trv • i__« ——— Bv Vernon E. Jordan. Jr. TO - BE EQUAL Shaping Government’s Role f j One of President-elect Reagan’s prime campaign themes was a calf to “get £ government off our backs.” Like most £ campaign rhetoric that may not survive the J realities of governing, but some concrete I. proposals to trim the federal role may be serious. If so, they’ll rightfully face vigor our opposition from people concerned with civil rights and economic justice. 1 One prime example of a smaller role for • Washington is the plan, reportedly favored . • by Mr. Reagan, to transfer federal welfare : • and education programs to state control, along with the federal funds to pay for them. - If implemented, such a plan would be disastrous. The record of the states in this ;. area ranges from fair to awful. State . welfare allotments have so lagged behind . inflation that the real income of many . recipients was halved in the 1970s.' Block grants have had a spotty history of . accomplishment in housing and otfcrl A areas. Turning federal programs in welfare . and education into block grant programs for • states to administer would result in even • worse conditions, since many state govern- • ments have demonstrated unrelieved hostility to poor people and minorities. It’s too often forgotten that many such .; programs became federal responsibilities because the states defaulted in their obligations to their own citizens. “States . rights” was a cover phrase for blatant discrimination and deprivation of minority , ■ interests ana oiacK civil rights. Today, some of the states with the weakest tax effort provide the lowest welfare payments of per-pupil school investments. To turn our vital federal .*• programs to the tender mercies of such backward states would be an irresponsible forfeiture of federal responsibilities. The odd thing about the proposal is that it is not a conservative one. If the Reagan administration wants to come up with ij constructive conservative solutions to national problems, welfare provides a - perfect testing ground. A truly conservative solution to welfare would be one that put more cash into the hands of the poor, reduce the red tape And s • bureaucracy that has such power over pior < t people’s lives, and grants to poor people the *•' same freedom of choice and responsibilities • enjoyed by others. So a truly conservative solution points to a refundable income tax as a replacement for •. - welfare. Prominent conservatives have , • endorsed such a plan, which would auto matically ensure that all people have minimum income levels and maximum freedom. Many federal education programs are • ~ federal only in the sense that the money •»? comes from Washington. They provide local • - school districts with funds for extra educa - * tional effort in areas with large numbers ol -; poor children, who need extra help. The experience of such programs sug- * ' gests that better targeting and more innova * tion is what is needed, not turning over . * 3 blank checks to local school authorities who * J fail to educate poor children. Removing -I federal authority just invites misuse of * funds and shifts of teachers and programs THE CHARLOTTE POST Second Class Postage No. 965500 “THE PEOPLE S NEWSPAPER" Established 1918 . Published Every Thursday by The Charlotte Post Publishing Co„ Inc. 1524 West Blvd., Charlotte, N.C. 28208 Telephone < 704 )37*-049« Circulation 9.200 62 Years of Continuous Service Bill Johnson...Editor, Publisher Bernard Reeves...General Manager Second Class Postage No. 96550 Paid At Charlotte, N.C. under the Act of March 3,1878 Member National Newspaper Publishers Association North Carolina Black Publishers Association Deadline for all news copy and photos is 5 p.m. Monday. All photos and copy submitted become the property of the POST and will not be returned. National Advertising Representative Amalgamated Publishers, Inc. 2100 8. Michigan Ave. 45 W. '^th 84.. Suite 1493 Chicago. III. (0018 New York, N.Y. 10030 Calumet 5-0200 <2I2> 489-1220 • From Capitol Hill - SCLC Emphasis Will Focus On Crises Facing Blacks Alfreds L. Madison Special To The Post The Southern Christian Leadership Conference held the first of a series of eight meetings in Washing ton. The others will be held in various sections of the oountry. Rev. Lowery, Pre sident of S<^C, says this conference will evaluate domestic and national po licies. k Emphasis will focus on the crisis facing blacks and the poor both at home and around the world. Minor ities are suffering from high unemployment, un deremployment, victii’ni of police brutality, upsurge of Ku Klux Klan and the so phisticated brutal attacks made by some members of congress on civil rights gains. Blacks must also meet the insensitivity of the Moral Majority. The foreign policy will be concerned with the crises in Latin America, Africa and the Middle East and it will impact upon the Afri can refugee problems Rev. Lowery said that after the civil rights gains of the sixties, Blacks some Alfred* L. Madison what shifted into neutral gear, but now Blacks must reassess all of the issues that affect Blacks and the' poor; actions must be taken, not only to prevent a turning back of the clock oti civil rights gains but fur ther gains must be made until Blacks become first class American citizens SCLC will wfait until after President-Elect Reagan takes office, monitor his appointments and analyze his State of the Union mes sage. Rev. Lowery mpde it very clear that SCLC is- a part of a coalition and that Black* will not get bogged down in the, paralysis of analysis but an adequate analysis of the complexity of the issues. He stated that this coa lition is non-partisan, but a coalition of consciousness. In response to a question about a probable loss of Jewish and some white support of the sixties - especially since Jews are against affirmative action, Rev. Lowery stated that sorfte Jewish leaders and some white leaders are not in favor of affirmative action but that he feels there is a great reservoir of good will in the country that still favors measures that promote fairness, just ice, rights, and progress for minorities and the poor. He cited the recent election which found only 52 percent of the registered voters participating, and that Mr. Regan got only 27 percent of those, in an indication that there is a large ma jority of the population that has remained silent. The SCLC President said that the apparent tough issues lacing minorities have the potential of solid arity of all Black groups, of Spanish-speaking citizens, Indians and all poor people. Representatiye Fauntroy stated that the initiatives taken by minorities will certainly give aid to the Congressional Black Cau cus in their work for in creasing employment for Blacks, because jobs for Blacks require efforts by the private sector and sav ing the CETA programs. Dr. Lowery said the nucleus for these seminars arose immediately after their return from the Mid East byt because of our domestic problems, it was put off until now so that the two policies could be tied together. He stated that Blacks are disappointed by the inertia of the presept Justice Department over Klan brutality against Bldcks. He stated that a new Justice Department can't possibly do worse. Dr. Lowery said that it may be necessary for some direct action, such as: massive presence in Wash ington, on the Executive and Legislative branches Of government, economic withdrawals, other non-vio lent methods. He stated that Blacks have never received gains willingly from those reluctant powers, but that Blacks have had to wrestle their gains, by arousing a moral consciousness among the people of the nation. The tone of these leaders was one of deep concern over the very conservative leanings of the nations leaders. However, even though, as Rev, Lowery said President-Elect Res ' gan did send an unhapp •' • signal to the Blacks wil • • his endorsement of the amendment which pr< vents the Justice Depar ment from bringin^auits i I -r school busing cans; ths i} Blacks will wait and s« I f until Reagan gets into o [ '.v fice and see where h > - places his priorities H ; ; said Mr. Reagan says ths * i * he is the President of all < > :« the people So he hopes h » - will take actions which wi meet the needs of all of th • people. Most Recipients Would!-; like To Get Off Welfare i; ~ ■■via* a age 1 very small percentage," Chapin said "A good per centage cannot find jobs." When recipients do find jobs the total amount of aid per month decreases or is completely cut off A woman with a child may get married, but she can still receive aid for the child. The funds will be decreased because she is
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