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Editorials & Comments Making Christmas Real! Nearly 2,000 years into the past, God sent His greatest gift to mankind. As a forerunner to this, the Greatest Event in human history, God commis sioned an angel to tell the trou bled and sinful world, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11). “Suddenly,” THE LIVING ' BIBLE tells us. “the angel was joined by a vast host of others - the armies of heaven-praising God: ‘glory to God in the highest heaven,’ they sang, ‘and peace on earth for all pleasing him’,” (Luke 2:13, 14). We must, how ever, note that there has been no “peace on earth” because nei ther the ancient masses living w'hen Christ was born nor mo dern man has fully accepted the real meaning and significance of Christ’s birth, and thus em braced a real Christmas. The ancient masses, to paraphrase one Biblical scholar, did not desire to be saved from sin, their iniquities or vices, nor did they intend to love their enemies or receive a Savior. They wanted to be saved from political oppres sion and economic incon venience and they wanted a strong king who would crush their Roman enemies. The fact is in spite of the prophecies pro claiming the coming of Christ, ancient man was so preoccupied with his sins and vices that he rejected the Savior from the very beginning. Luke (2:6,7) says "and she gave birth to her first child, a son...and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn.” In effect, these riotous living people turned away from~ Jesus. Modern man appears to be no different, no better or any more committed to making Christmas real than was his ancestors from Biblical times because many of us also have rejected the Christ. Writer Sydney Harris has elo quently expressed this view in an often reprinted article where he asks the question, “If there • should be, on Christmas night, a second coming, would there not be soon a second crucifixion? And this time, not by the Romans ...but by those who proudly call themselves Christians?” Harris asks further, would we not “at tack” the Christ, “castigate Him ...denounce Him...despise and reject Him” because preaching and actions might be “threaten ing to our ways of life?” Way Of Life The way of life we are refer ring to is reflected in the ab sence of true brotherhood and human rights among men. The Christ himself cautioned man about this when he said, “If anyone s^ys ‘I love God’ and hates his brother, he is a liar” Cl John 4:20) and “Inasmuch as you did it to the leastoftfiese,my brethren, you did it unto Me,” (Matthew 25:40). Jesus’ words have so much more meaning at Christmas time when we are so eloquently talking about brotherhood and “peace on earth” when in fact on the holy ground where Jesus taught and preached there is hatred among men, death, kill ing, hunger and violent crime in the streets. Therefore, while the Christ mas season is one that unites families, friends and neighbors for warm, affectionate brief periods of togetherness, forgive ness and thankfulness, we won der is it all real or just a meaningless ritual. We wonder about the realness of Christmas because we allow hunger to exist, we have a heated passion for war, we put politics ahead of principle, we lie and cheat and we abuse our fellow man at every opportunity. Acts Of Violence Evidence of our failing is seen in the many acts of violence and crime in the streets of America, in our inability to say “I love you,” and in our hell-bent pas sion for glorifying all that is evil, immoral and wrong. The Holy Bible warned us of such way ward living by saying, “...and the earth was filled with vio lence” (Genesis 6:11). Worst yet, we act as if this Bible verse is a self-fulfilling prophesy that we must live by. Not only does the news media clearly inform us of crime and violent behavior, movies and television glamorize and glorify rape, murder, rob bery and the like on the assump tion that it is entertainment and, more significantly, because too many people appear to have an appetite for violence, crime and the exploitation of their fellow man. * - Therefore, in this Christmas season as merchants exploit the fuller meaning of Christ’s birth, and we eagerly respond, let us pause at some point in the hustle and bustle of it all to ask, what can I do in my own way to help make Christmas real again? A kind word or thought to or about someone you think you dislike, expressions of encouragement to a child, some act — no matter how small - to reduce someone’s hunger, acts of love and bro therhood, and prayer for thanks giving and forgiveness, these are the symbols of a real Christmas. Thus, as we experience the joy and good tidings of another Christmas, let us begin anew to embrace the courage of true brotherhood, peace on earth and good will toward men and in so doing contribute to making Christmas real again. THE CHARLOTTE POST Second Class Postage No. 965500 "THE PEOPLE’S NEWSPAPER” Established 1918 Published Every Thursday by Tht Charlotte Post Publishing Co., Inc. Subscription Rate $15.60 per year Send All3579’s'io: 1524 West Blvd., Charlotte, N.C. 28208 Telephone <704)376-0496 _ Circulation 7,151_ 101 Years of continuous Service Bill Johnson Editor, Publisher Bernard Reeves General Manager FranFarrer Advertising Director Dannette GaitherOffice Manager Second Class Postage No. 965500 Paid At Charlotte. North Carolina I’nder 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. 2icm S. Michigan \ve. i:, vv. I.'.th Sr. Suite im < hicaxn. III. MNilH New York. New York. lOO'.Mi ( ollHIlPt .*>-111200 (212) IK0-I220 \ /rEUEF”~ ^ CHECKS A OPENS fi AT-fAH rWWBBWM I r \ They Would Rather Have Jobs, Mr. President! Tony Brown's Journal Nationally Syndicated Commercial Television Series Tony Brown j Desegregated Ignorance A “Waste” "She must be white," my friend said about The Washington Host writer, Leslie Berger 1 "I wouldn't bet on it,” I replied. At one time, you could distinguish a white racist idea as belonging to a white racist. No longer. Although the equality of races was never achieved. —the desegregation of ignor-~ a nee has certainly become a reality. A black columnist-front organization-sponsored teacher, tucked away safe ly from the economic hor rors of black reality at an Ivy League university, rants incessantly in his "disinformation" columns about the fight to save black colleges as a return to separate, but equal. A black writer for a weekly newspaper in South Carolina laughed himself silly at the movement to save black colleges. “Save them? Save them from what?" he wanted to know. The threat of losing them, he added, was more of a figment of Tony Brown's imagination than reality. Of course, there is the now infamous statement made by a leading Negro integrationist Kenneth Clark: “Black colleges per petuate inferior academic standards for black stu dents and award Jim Crow degrees that do not meet the standards of the aver age traditionally white col leges." What all of the afore mentioned have in common is a lack of knowledge of the facts, and, perhaps, some prejudice towards Ihe issue. Successfully, in Iheir minds they have con fused survival with oppres sion. They were joined recent ly by another colleague in misinformation: Leslie Berger. Under the guise of a "TV Preview," this Washington Post writer de livered a political diatribe on separate, but equal. The object of the attack was a very fine film, pro duced by Dewart, Inc. for WDVM-TV, the local Wash ington, D.C., CBS affiliate. Called "A Mind Is....,” Carol Randolph skillfully escorted the ideas of ex cellence and Dride on At lanta's Black college cam puses. One of the media's most committed and consistent black journalists, Ran dolph, was at her best, interviewing educators and students on black college campuses. As any normal person, who knows what outstanding scholarship is Laking place there, would expect, the students appre ciated their colleges. One Morehouse (Martin Luther King's alma mater) student turned down the opportunity to go to a num ber of white schools. He saw that "the opportunity was at Morehouse so I grabbed it.” He pointed with pride to the "spiritual thing at Morehouse” — meaning at home with his people and tradition. But Leslie Bergen saw these as abnormal be havior traits, calling the entire program "a short sighted glance at the status of higher education for blacks." We know what Berger really wanted A shuffling, confused black student, wishing to be with the white people where his chances of never finishing college would be seven out of ten. The Washington Post writer is clearly disturbed that none of the students feel inferior because they are with other blacks or accepting of the white_ racist notion that ~being with other blacks in a black institution is segregation: “...no one raises the ques tion of a return to segre gation." No one did because black colleges are not segregated colleges. Blacks attend by choice and whites consti tute about 30 percent of their faculties. White peo ple could stop black col leges from being black by simply enrolling. Black colleges remain black only because whites do not - and will not - attend them because they don't want to be with black people. But^ Berger wants to blame, the black students for wanting an education (seven out of 10 will grad uate from black colleges, including the athletes) and selecting the best institu tions in this country to do so. The 110 black colleges graduate more blacks each year than 3,200 white col leges. ..“Tony Brown's Journ al," the national television series, will move to public television (PBS) on Febru ary 6. 19X2. Watch this newspaper for details and check with your local pu blic television station. Rev. John Perkins— Walk Your Talk Kev. Perkins Challenge To Black Church In this decade of the 80 s, I sense a greater need than ever to fulfill the church’s responsibility to provide leadership, educa tion and spiritual guidance for self-deter mination within the black community. The large-scale cutbacks made by the new conservative administrative leave the black community with no other altern ative but to begin the process of liberating our own people from the social and econo mic oppression that binds them. This is where the church comes in. I’m challenged by this new, golden op- 4 portunity but the sensible question is whether or not the black church has the leadership, the incentive and the technical knowledge to be the sole institution in which leadership can emerge that is relevant to wholistic Christmas Community develop ment. The type of leadership we need is leadership that will address the sin and immorality that is corrupting the black ' community and our society as a whole. In West Jacltson, the black community where I live, many people are in a state of rebellion. That is apparent in the robberies, murder and rapes. It is apparent in both the number of illegitimate births and high school dropouts. They are not just people in rebellion against the laws of man, but they are people in rebellion against the laws of God. So my plea is for the church to re structure itself in a way that it can effectively and vigorously address these problems. The church must become more of a teaching institution. We must re-establish Sunday School. We must re-establish the pertinent message that goes forth on Sun day morning. That message must be the key to what we want to see happen in the black community. It is a message that must reflect the goals and the objectives of the people. me cnurcn must not release itself from the responsibility to provide both the leadership and the vision to solve the problems that exist in its community. The vision must be one of mobilizing people to help solve their own problems. We must enact this vision through the pastor, who becomes sensitive to the community’s needs, and through the Sunday School Superintendent, who is responsible for edu cating our young people in the church. ' This, however, does not relinquish the family from its key role of educating young ^ people. I realize that today, many black and white families are led by women. This situation, in part, presents the church with the need to educate the young people in our congregation about the institution of mar riage. We must teach our young men and women the role of each parent in family growth and development, based upon Biblical principles. The values that are instilled in our children now will determine their positive or negative contribution to society. Those values must focus oh the family and the community. The book of Genesis reveals that the earth belongs to God but man is to subdue it and have dominion over it. Man is to use Godrs resources for the good of all humanity. Based upon this, what we must also do is teach dominion. We must teach our children the skills to gain economic power and then the responsibility to utilize that power effectively. f rom Lapitol Hat UJNITA Considered Puppet For White Supermacist Control? tllllCUM ly. TldUI^Un Special To The Post . .Jonas Savimbi, the lead er of the Angolan guerrilla force. UNITA which is sup ported by apartheid South Africa, can be considered a puppet for continued white supremacist control of An gola His recent visit here was upon the invitation of the conservative Heritage -Foundation. Kven though the Administration denies being involved in Mr Savimbi s visit, he was granted a visa by the State Department He did meet with top State Department officials, including one with Secretary Haig, and two with Assistant Secretary of African Affairs. Chester Crocker and Under Secre tary of State Mr Stoes sel While the State De partment is not releasing any information on these talks, other than to say that the United States considers UNITA as legitimate, and that all Cubans and others forces must leave Angola before a political solution can be reached. Mr. Sa vimbi informed the Depart ment that he is committed to a political solution and that he wants to become the head of the Angolan • Alfreda I.. .Madison •government. While the State Department says it will talk with all forces, members of the present established Angolan go vernment have not been invited here and only Chester Crocker had a scant talk with them on one of his visits to Africa The Keagan Administra tion has made it clear that it supports governments and Cuba supports guerril las. but its .Savimbi actions counteracts that position Although the Administra tion says it is not suppor ing L'.NITA, the Savimbi guerrilla movement is given encouragement, especially when President Keagan told the Wall Street Journal in May, 1980. that he would give arms to Savimbi and UNITA. At present the Clark Ad mendment prevents that but the Administration is pushing hard lor its repeal. The Clark Amendment is a result of the CIA's support of Savimbis UNITA durtng the Angolan civil war It is highly significant that Sa vimbi's visit came at the time the House of Repre sentatives was planning to take up repeal of the Clark Amendment The guerrilla leader made several visits to Capitol Hill and met with several members of both Houses Yet it is reported that he did not discuss repeal of the amendment with anyone The Congressional Black Caucus issued the following statement “The Reagan Administration's meeting with Angola guerrilla lead er Jonas Savimbi risks alienating the increasingly economically and strate gically important nations of Africa. The Caucus finds it appalling that officials of the Administration met with Savimbi. while it has on numerous occasions re fused to meet with officials of legitimate recognized governments, the refusal to * meet wim r oreign Minister of Grerfada, Whiteman during his visit being a prime example." The Caucus criticized the United States for failure to recognize the Angolan go vernment when the nearly total international com munity, just about all of the African countries except South Africa and Zaire, the NATO countries and the U N. consider the present Angolan government as the established government of that country. The Black Caucus condemns the Ad ministration's continued rebuff of Angola, its over tures for better relations with South Africa and its failure to speak out against South Africa's invasion of Angola, and its meeting with Savimbi as an appall ing appeasement policy with racism. Several black organiza tions held a joint press conference to protest Sa vimbi's visit The panelists said that U.S. support of UNITA serves to further ally this country with South Africa in its efforts to de stabilize Angola, without ever being able to get control of it. Reasons for retaining the vsicsi rv miicnumcm die. 1. Lifting the ban on CIA activity in Angola would identify the United States with apartheid South Afri can government, badly damaging relations with all the independent African nations The CIA colla borated with South Africa in its invasion of Angola in 1975. 2 Repeal of the amend ment would seriously un dermine the United .Na tions and four western countries and the United States effort to resolve the Nambian question 3. UNITA is an insurgent group that has the military and financial backing of South Africa It is not a viable party and is only active in two of Angola s sixteen provinces. 4 Repeal of the amend ment would not lead to withdrawal or reduction of Cuban troops, but would only increase them Senior Angola officials have made it known that once the South African raids cease and the Namibian problem is resolved, Cuban presence will decline 5. U S. intervention in Angola would isolate it from NATO allies and da a mage the position of Ame rican companies operating there. The Administration is using its communist hy steria for supporting Sa vimbi because he empha sizes that he is anti-com munist However, history has shown that white co lonialism and neo-colonial ism will not win in Africa. Its attempt will only delay black control and cause a lot of bloodshed but win, never. In choosing Savimbi under the pretense of st» ping communism, the A ministration is in the posi tion of making choices for the victims of the most inhumane form of govern ment the world has ever known It is telling them that apartheid is better lhan communism. What about the democratic prin ciple which says those who are governed have the right to choose their form of government? m
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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