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Editorials & Comments : Conservatives Versus liberals ; Americans have long prided ; themselves on the workings of the two-party political system. Within that context, they have also prided themselves on the historical development and role of the so-called Republican and Democratic parties. Yet, as little as it may have been observed, we recently wit nessed another stunning exam ple of two-party politics that did not reflect the two traditional parties. We are referring to the events of last week whieh led to Congress giving President Rea gan his most significant legfe^ lative victory. This victory was in the House of Representatives approval of the Reagan budget for 1982 by a 253_to 176 vote. Significantly, Democrats - es pecially Southern and Western Democrats - joined conservative Republicans to give Mr. Reagan ,his victory. Of the House’s 241 Democrats, 63 voted with all 190 Republicans to assure Reagan’s win. This pattern of liberal De mocrats and liberal Republicans is not new on the American scene; however, Speaker of the House, Top O’Neill, made the liberal vs. conservative issue even more clear cut when he warnea members of the House just before the final vote, that if the Reagan supported budget were approved a “fundamental change” would occur in the U.S. government. In very dramatic tones O’Neill said, “You will meat-ax the programs that made America great.” In this he was referring to the social programs arising from Roosevelt’s “New Deal,” Kennedy’s “New Frontier” and Johnson’s “Great Society.” Sensing the mood ot the country, or at least the Reagan thunder in Washington, nearly 2,000 demonstrations - mostly blacks and Hispanics - marched in front of the capitol building to shout their displeasure. Many of them_said, “The nation’s poor mourn the loss of educational opportunities for their children, the loss of employment for their youth, the loss of civil and human rights....and the loss of dignity for the nation’s poor and disadvantaged.” In essence, the Reagan budget will hurt small business, further depress the standard of living of the elderly, and further frus trate many moderate and low income families as they suffer while awaiting the presumed benefits of the “trick down” theory. We truly hope our assumptions arp wrong, for if they are not, blacks and other largely poor may be in for a difficult four years or longer. Schools And Trust Recent announcements that School SuperintendenPJajPRo binson wants a policy to allow tinannnnnpnri r.oarrh student lockers and student automobiles in search of drugs, weapons and other unauthorized items, should be a cause for parents Pa nd student concern. Reportedly, Dr. Robinson wants to deny a student the right to drive and park his or her car on the school parking lot if they don’t sign a waiver to allow unannounced searchers. Fur thermore, he wants to use the argument that since the lockers are school property, school of ficials should have free access to their content. --- We find it very difficult to support such a policy in our schools. It has a tone of distrust, it brands all students as dis honest and it will create in our schools a sense of fear, hostility, anxiety and bitterness. More significantly, it will establish in the minds of our youth a set ot values and beliefs that are foreign to the practices of free dom, democracy and trust -worthiness. Also, such police powers prac ticed by our schools has to cause one to wonder Just what is happening in our schools. Are students less honest, have teach —er& lost contact with-students, is there no longer open communi cation between the parents and —the schools? These are questions that need to be answered before any kind of police action powers are given to school personnel. If, however, there axe students who have parents who allow drinking, the smoking of pot and so on, and they cannot do without these items during the school day, then the schools should feel free to dismiss the student permanently from the school. On the other hand, to issue a blanket policy of police or search aitd find is tu brand and imply that all students are not to be trusted. This simply seems not to be the best way to run our schools. A renewal of honor systepis supported by dedicated teach ers, caring parents and alert administrators seems to us to be the mix of needs to off-set the need of making our school police search camps. We sincerely be lieve that if teachers, parents, students and administrators " develop a plan for working, to gether for a common good we won’t need Dr. Robinson’s pro posed policy. Let’s make what we potentially have, a working reality. THE CHARLOTTE POST . Second Class Postage No. 965500 THE PEOPLE’S NEWSPAPER” Established 1918 Published Everyt Thursday by The Charlotte Post Publishing Co., Inc. 1524 West Blvd., Charlotte, N.C. 28208 Telephone <704) 376-0496 Circulation 9,200 _ 63 Years of Continuous Service _ Bill Johnson . Editor, Publisher Bernard Reeves.General Manager Fran Farrer .Advertising Director Wayne Long.Circulation Manager Dannette Gaither.Office Manager Second Class Postage No. 965500 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 i submitted become the property of the POST and will not be returned. National Advertising Representative Amalgamated Publishers, Inc. 2400 S. Michigan Ave. « W. 45th Si.. Suite 1403 C hicago, III. 60616 New York. N.Y. 10036 _('alumft 5-0200(2j2> 489-1220 « . I A Heritage To Be Proud Of V£ M/ST GIVE OUR CHILDREN A SENSE OF PRIDE IN BEING BLACK. THE GLORY OF OUR PAST , AND THE DIGNITY OF OUR PRESENT MUST LEAD THE NAY TO THE POKER OF OUR FUTURE? AM* CLAYTONPOWELL NCBAC To Look At Impact Of Budget Cuts On Blacks The—impact ot -budget cuts on black older Ame ricans will be closely scru tinized during the 11th An nual Conference of the Na tional Caucus and Center on Black Aged, Inc. NCBA). ■'Hie conference, sched uled for May 26-29, at the International Inn in Wash ington, D.C., is the nation’s -major fnmm for examining issues concerning the black senior citizen. This year’s conference will feature a May 27 Con gressional Hearing in the Cannon House Office Build ing that Will hear testimony from black senior citizens, service providers and others involved with pro; grams affecting the elder ly. Dr. Delores Davis Wong, President of NCBA, says the hearing is neces sary because, “It is clear the President’s alleged eco nomic recovery program is not-in the best interest of senior citizens, especially black senior citizens. Among the programs that might be reduced as part of the Reagan Administration budget cuts are Social Se curity, Medicare, food stamps, housing assist ance, fuel assistance and Medicaid.” According to Davis Wong, “Cuts in the Food Stamp Program, for ex ample, would cause real hardship for a great num ber of black older Ame ricans. It is estimated that proposed food stamp cuts by the Reagan Administra tion would immediately take food stamps away from nearly a half million Americans. One out of eveey five-food stamp households has an elderly person. Many of these in dividuals are aged blacks who have only about 64 percent of the income of their white counterparts.” As part of its efforts to maintain federal programs for black older Americans, NCBA has formed coali tions with other groups to fight the proposed budget cuts that Davis-Wong says “would be tantamount to throwing many black older ~~Aiuei icons into poverty.”— The hearing, which will be convened by Represent ative Harold Ford (D-TN.), will give NCBA (and other groups and persons in volved in Black aging) an opportunity to speak directly to members of Congress who will make the final determination on the federal budget. Says Davis-Wong, “The hearing underscores the import ance of the concerns of the black older American among members of the House Select Committee on Aging and the Congression al Black Caucus. Although -there are members of Con gress who are running scared because of threats from those who would like to see the poor thrust into the front ranks as inflation fighters, this hearing will prove that our cause is still alive on Capitol Hill and in the halls of Congress.” The 1981 NCBA Annual Conference will examine recommendations that have already been for warded to the 1981 White House Conference on Aging. The proposals in clude findings of three Mini-Conferences on Aging conducted by NCBA in late -1980 and early 1QH1 in lanta, Detroit and Los An geles. The 1981 NCBA Con ference will also hear from Chairman of the Congres sional Black Caucus, D.C. Delegate Walter Fauntroy; White House Special As sistant Virginia Knauer; and Dr. Dorothy Height, President of the National Council of Negro Women. IiT addition, workshops will focus on subjects re lating to the black older American and political ad vocacy training to show conferees how to impact'on legislation at the local, state and federal levels. For more information on the 1981 NCBA Uth Annual Conference, contact Ben jamin Dudley, NCBA Com munications Director, 1424 K Street, N.W., Suite 500, Washington, D.C. 20005. Farmers’ Market Begins New Year cnariottetown Mall will begin the 1981 season Farmers Market on Fri day, May 15. This marks the fourth year that this extremely popular Farm ers Market has been located in 'Charlottetown MallTwoyears agor the Charlottetown Farmers Market became the largest, most successful Farmers Market in the state. ine nuge success ot tne Market has prompted a major change in the opera tion of the market. In an effort to avoid the parking conflict between regular mall customers and Farm ers Market customers, the Farmers Market will now be held on Tuesdays and Fridays from 3-9 p.m. In the past, the market was on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8 a m. to 1 p.m. —— By Gerald C. Horne, ESQ«^s Affirmative Action Affirmative Action And Hie World The Educational Testing Service (ETS) of Princeton, New Jersey, recently released a study confirming what some of us knew all along: there is a boorish ignorance about international issues in this country. ETS’ study concentrated on college stu dents but their findings can be generalized. _Their “test” of students’ “global under standing” showed that—fewer—than— IS percent of the seniors and 10 percent of other students got more than two-thirds of ^ the answers right. Even accounting for ^ ETS’ well-known methodological errors, these figures remain stunning. The knowledge of foreign languages is virtually non-existent except for certain minorities, e.g. Puerto Ricans and Chi canos. Only 7 percent of the students surveyed though they were sufficiently competent to understand a native speaker talking slowly and carefully. On the other hand, knowledge of foreign languages in countries like West Germany and the Soviet Union is quite prevalent. The effect on international economic relations - and ulti mately the domestic economy - should be obvious. l he Atro-American community has long had an interest in foreign affairs. The pre-Civil War Black State Conventions hailed the “age of revolution” symbolized in the fabled uprisings of 1848 in Europe. W.E.B. DuBois had along time interest in international affairs, as evidence 'by his knowledge of Germand and French, and his frequent traveling In the Far East and Africa. In fact, when he was unceremoni ously ousted from the NAACP in 1948, the ostensible issue was a dispute over in ternational human rights. Affirmative action advocates have long been aware that discrimination and its remedy Is not a question confined to the United States. In India, the so-called “un touchables” (harijans) are not only assured of a set-aside oi seats in the universities but in Parliament as well. In Africa itself, the Basaiva people (the so-called Bushmen) of Botswana because of their economically depressed condition have been responding to appeals by racist South Africa and has begun enlisting in their mercenary army in Namibia. Hence, the government of Bots wana has initiated “special measures” to overcome a legacy and reality of oppres sion, i.e., affirmative action. But such are not the sole affirmative action issues that occupy attention. It has become increasingly clear that the policy of President Reagan and Company have lHB and will lead to gutting foreign language programs in schools but as well as gargan tuan spending on the military and shipping of funds overseas to right-wing dictators will mean no Medicare-Medicaid, no food stamps, no Social Security, no jobs. Reagan’s embrance of apartheid South Africa is particularly unsetting. Though the present South African leadership were jailed during World War II because of their Nazi sympathies, Reagan inaccurately spoke of them as being “allies” with the U.S. in past wars. Reagan is pushing for repeal of the Clark Amendment in an attempt to collaborate directly with South Africa in the destablization of Angola - a land where, whether we know it or not, many of our ancestors came from. But it is the present United Nations debate on Namibia, that is occupying the rapt attention of the world, but has received little notice in this country. From (xipitol Hill Blacks Leading The Battle of The Budget Leaders Alfreds L. Madison Special To The Posl Even though President Reagan and the Republic ans have pulled out all the stops in trying to get the Administration’s complete budget passed in tact, many people appear to have doubts about it, re ducing inflation and un employment and increas ing the Growth National Product Senator Baker. Majority leader said, “We don't know that this will work but ttVwot lb a gamble " Citi zens did not elect these leaders to gamble with their welfare, but rather because they had been led to believe, through all the campaign rhetoric, that these elected officials pos sessed knowledge, expert ise and a genuine concern about the welfare of Americans The Administration, con gressional leaders and white news media, all have talked about onlv the Pre sident's budget and the first resolution to the bud get that came out of the House Budget committee. ■■ Alfreds I,. Madison chaired by Jim Jones None of the above have given any attention to the complete alternative bud ?et produced by the Congressional Black Cau cus. Yet, all who have the alternative budget ad mit that it makes more sense In improving the na tions economy than any budget that has come forth White media people have covered hearings "Where Caucus members have pre sented their budget before committees but while re porting on committee hear ings they leave out entirely the Black Caucus' present ation. A prominent report er who asked to remain anonymous said, “the es tablishment doesn’t want the public to know the Black Caucus' budget be cause it will make the white leaders look bad.” Amid all of the GOP Rea gan budget pushing and many of the Democrats “falling dead,” the Caucus members are stull staging courageously a strong fight for their alternative budget. Representative Walter Fauntroy appeared before the House Rules commit tee to seek support of a rule which would allow a floor debate and consideration of the Constructive Altern ative Budget Resolution de veloped by the eighteen black Congresspersons. "It is the only resolution that offers the members an op portunity to vote for a bal anced budget; it is a surplus. It encourages increased jobs and pro ductivity, improves our na tional security, and re lieves the people of a grow ing federal tax burden.” In comparison, Fauntroy said the Caucus budget creates $28.7 billion more in revenue than the House proposal and $50.3 billion more than the President’s budget in 1983. The Caucus budget has $4.75 billion less in outlays than the House budget and $7.95 billion less than the Reagan budget. All this is done while still maintaining realistic fund ing levels for the social programs. These human needs programs are financed through innova tive tax reforms. On April 30, Represent ative Augustus Hawkins will lead the floor debate on economic policy assump tions, responding to Pre sident Reagan's proposal package Mr Hawkins la bels the Reagan proposal a "design for disaster."' He will stress for the balanced growth remedies set forth in Humphrey-Hawkins Full Employment and Balanced Growth Act. Representative Hawkins will discuss the Reagan domestic program, cuts stock carries with it the regard for their nign post tive performance record, block grants which are passed to the states without any federal directives and the creating of more unem ployment through aband onment of America’s Na tional Manpower policy. He criticizes Reaganomics as a fragmented and disjoint ed proposal based on sim plistic economic assump tions. The Congressman says that the Reagan talk of reducing inflation through his budget propos al is without any found ation. It Js refuted by noted economists - the proposed budget cuts will have only a negligible effect on infla tion and in some cases might exacerbate it. The Reagan tax cut will not assist low and median in come families and will only contribute to a greater federal deficit. Mr. Hawkins says, "For a Presdient who has con tinually voiced his concern about federal waste, inef ficiency and mismange ment, I say there exists no more wasteful activity than deliberately throwing over a million people out of * work, no more inefficient process than cutting pro grams which deliver posi tive returns, and no more mismanaged situation than embracing a draconian economic policy which in the past has led to six national recessions. An economy which was badly limping under Carter is now in total disarray.” Taps Program & If you have epilepsy and are looking for a job, the Training and Placement Servica (TAPS) program may fie able to help you. TAP$ offers free job-seek „ ing Skills classes, career counSeling and placement services. Foj- more information, contact: Mary Niebur, Em tent Specialist, Epi Association of North flina., 1924 Vail Ave.,
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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