EDITORIALS & COMMENTS
Issues Beyond The Handgun
The senseless killing of two
young Charlotte uniformed
police officers within an eight
month period, and a 12-year old
girl before the second officer’s
burial, has created in our com
munity the all too familiar out
cry for stricter control in thelegal
purchase, possession and use of
handguns, sometimes called
“Saturday Night Specials.”
The reaction across the nation
to the increasing and indiscrim
inate use of handguns in the
taking of human life, assaults,
and robberies has ranged from
one city ordinance requiring
each household to possess a
firearm to another precedent
setting plan to ban the pos
session and sale of handguns.
This, too, has led to an outcry as
groups as philosophically dif
ferent as the National Rifle
Association and a homosexual
organization called Gays for
Guns, have banned together to
oppose proposed < -stricter .hand
gun control laws. .
These groups and other con
tinue to argue that the real issue
_is the control of the proliferation
of handguns in the posseSSion of
criminals, convicted felons, in
competent adults, and juveniles.
They argue that under any ban
on handguns these elements
would continue to retain con
cealed handguns while law-abid
ing citizens would be disarmed
and thus less able to protect and
defend themselves and their
property.
The arguments for and against
stricter gun control legislation
The arguments for and against
stricter gun control legislation
will undoubtedly continue for a
long time before a meaningful
solution is reached,. if ever.
Equal to, if not more important
than the issue of gun controls, is
the broader issue of the value we
place on human life and person
al property.
Why did it take the killing of
6ne police officer, much less two,
for a louder public outcry about
gun control? Why have not
public officials and citizens been
pressing for and supporting a
nanagun control bill such as
Mayor Eddie Knox supported as
a state senator in the early
1970s?
Why is it that John W.
Hinckley Jr., the man who shot
and attempted to kill President
Ronald Reagan, was found not
guilty by reason of insanity and
may walk the streets as a free
man again? Why is it that the
man who killed Robert Kennedy
may be paroled next year? Why
is it that Charles Manson, the
man responsible for the killing of
six people at a Hollywood house
party, may be paroled next
year? Why is it that people in
North Carolina sentenced to life
in prison usually for taking a
human life are imprisoned for an
average of only 13.8 years? Why
does a 17-year-old Charlotte
youth get shot to death playing
with a rifle with a friend?
Ameen Kareem Abdullah, the
man convicted of murdering a
Charlotte police officer Edmond
Cannon, 26, by shooting him five
times, may be eligible for parol
after 41 years in prison? Iron
ically, with a history of arrests, a
. New Jersey paroleofficer said of
Abdullah that he had been given
every opportunity. He showed no
progress and what he was doing
10-12 years ago he’s still doing
today. Yet, in 41 years or less
Abdullah may get still another
opportunity by being eligible for
release from prison. Officer
Cannon, his opportunities are no
more.
Richard E. Watson, the man
accused of killing police officer
Ernest Coleman, 31, and Otto
Withers, the man accused of
shooting and killing 12-year-old
Roberta Hartsoe, both have
prior criminal records. Withers
was-involved in the killings of
another person some years ago.
We have made mention of
these men because each used a
handgun to take a human life.
Yet, out criminal justice (?)
system appears to not indicate a
high value for human life be
cause each of these convicted or
accused killers may be free
again to possibly kill someone
else.
Candidates Of Quality
Much has been said in the
media about blacks being the top
vote*getters in the recent Demo
cratic primary election. On the
state level there’s considerable
talk about the strong possibility
that Durham lawyer H. M.
“Mickey” Michaux inay become
the first black congressional can
didate in North Carolina in 80
years.
However, while we should be
joyous over these trappings of
victory, let us not forget that
they are just that, trappings..
The real political victories, if
they come, will follow the
general elections in November.
Equally, if not more import
ant than the first place finishes
of Bob Walton (County Commis
sioner) and Phil Berry (State
House), and the first time politi
cal victories of Jim Polk and Jim
Richardson, are two important
facts. First, the relatively high
black voter turnout may 4»*-a
positive indication that black
voter apathy is on the decline.
Secondly, and most importantly
we are not just- talking about
black candidates for political
office, we are talking about
candidates for office of high
quality and commitment who
just happen to be black.
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From Capitol Hill
Reagan Ignoring Nation’s Most Precious Commodity?
Alfreda I.. Madison
Special To The Post
While the Reagan Ad
ministration and Congress
are giving vent to their
Soviet phobia with a goal of
military superiority under
the guise of protectionism,
they need to answer the
question; protecting
whom'7 Certainly not the
elderly because their
health care and living are
cut to a “maybe mere
existence." Surely they are
ignoring the nation's most
precious commodity; the
youth of the nation whose
education opportunities are
in jeopardy and their un
employment is running
from whites at 20 percent to
minorities around 50 per
cent and in some cities as
high as 75 percent
Because of the recent
budget, without giving any
consideration to the high
unemployment, has cut all
areas of the funds that
related to jobs, job training
and unemployment com
pensation, all below the ’80
fiscal level which had a six
percent unemployment and
a $9 billion budget to the '83
level of 9.5 percent and
unemployment and $4 bil
lion, Rev Leon Sullivan,
NEEDED NOW....UNITED COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP
WE MUST PREVENT
OUR OWN CHILDREN
FROM TURNING INTO
JUNKIES WHO PREY
ON THEIR OWN
PEOPLE. WE CAN—
PREVENT THAT.
Tony Brown’s Comments
Kennedy Fools Some Of The People
“You can fool some of the
people some of the time,
but you can’t fool all of the
people all of the time,” my
music teacher at all-Black
Garnet High School in
Charleston, W. Va., always
reminded us.
Senator Ted Kennedy (D
Mass. >, the trumped-up
White libe'ral, made it real
at the 73rd annual conven
tion of the NAACP ’in
Boston. He,was prolific in
his denunciation of favors
for the rich and racial bi
gotry. It was sheer hypo
crisy.
i reject tneir cruel and
unfair theory of govern
-ment of the rich, by ihe_
rich, and for the rich.” Did
this pious little rich boy
every reject any of the
privileges of wealth?
He cheated on his exams
at Harvard and was ex
pelled, only to be elected to
■office by his family's often
questioned wealth. And
when he was elected to the
U.S. Senate, he had no prior
job experience in any field.
If a poor white or any
black had played his role at
Chappaquiddick Island, he
would be doing life in
prison. Even when running
for president, he fumbled
over the sordid aspects of
the party and the death of
*Mary Jo Kopechne on July
18, 1969. “Irrational and
indefensible and inexplic
able,” he called his actions.
You might also use that
definition to describe
racism-or his mother’s be
havior in-a-Paris fashion
salon when she refused, on
two occasions, to judge a
dress if a black model wore
it. A personal friend of
mine wears Mrs. Ken
nedy’s racial scorn for life.
Kennedy, however, pre
ferred to push his demo
goguery in front of the
NAACP by diverting atten
lion to a proven scape
goat. “Bigotry is not the
message of Jesus Christ...
In reality. Bob Jones Uni
versity is nothing more
than Jim Crow Univers
ity...,” he said, “and tax
exemptions must not be
granted for racial preju
dice in segregated schools
or colleges.”
In another instance, a
black Kennedy campaign
worker and her husband
found themselves, along
with the black maid and
butler, the only Afros at a
Kennedy soiree.
in a oriel 15-minute
speech at the NAACP con
vention, Kennedy was in
terrupted- 3&-thnes by ap
plause. There is not one
Afro-American man or
woman who could have
come close to his record in
front of that black au
dience, And that's a shame.
It’s really more telling
than anything else. This
disciple of tired, out dated
politics who has never
sponsored a successful bill
in Congress with a more
than questionable ethical
background, has success
fully superimposed himself
as the leader of black
people’s rights.
His solo voice-over, with
the black singing chorus to
“We Shall Overcome," was
a disgraceful display "dr
poor taste by the Chappa
quiddick Kid, described
once as “a playboy, mil
lionaire, womanizer with
wife whose emotional pro
blems, are due to his moral
weaknesses.”
For those blacks who
need a white leader-and
there are a lot of them -
they should find one better
than Kennedy.
The 35 applause inter
ruptions should have come,
intead, for Earl Graves,
who always specializes in
“common sense The pub
lisher of “Black Enter
prise” magazine, warned
the blacks that, "We must
learn to be more depend
ent on ourselves, econo
mically and politically. We
know by now that as black
Americans we cannot de
pend solely on government. —
We cannot depend on any
one or anything outside
ourselves to provide real
economic opportunity and
justice.
‘When we look at the
way things are today, we
realize that we have been
standing in the same
station waiting for econo
mic opportunity, watching
-train after -train pass—us
by,” he said. /
A 35 applause .interrup
tion would also/have been
more meaningful if direct
ed to Joseph E. Madison,
the NAACP Director of
Voter Education: “Before
it’s over, we will know we
are not going to find our
strength in the Republi
cans, we are not going to
find our strength in the
Democrats, and we won’t
even find it in Independ
ents. We will find our
strength in each other.”
"Tony Brown's Journal,"
the television series, can be
seen on publich television
- Saturdays on Channel 42 at
H p.m. It can also be seen on
Channel 5ti, Sundays at 6:30
p.m. Please consult
listings.
Free
Blood Pressure
Screening Set
Free blood pressure
screening will be held at
Burger King on Beatties
Ford Road from 10 a m.
until 2 p.m. July 10.
For more information
call 919-399-0345.
Alfrrda L. Madison
Chairman of Opportunities
Industrialization Center, is
launching an emergency
program, called “Hire One
Youth Campaign.’’ Rev,
Sullivan says that he has
traveled across this coun
try for the past three
months and has found that
youth unemployment is
greater than it was before
the riots. He stated that
these young people seem
hopeless They’ve told him
that no one seems to care
about them. The nation has
turned its back on them
Rev Sullivan says the city
ghettoes are explosive and
that something must be
done now He said that the
Miami riot was an unem
ployment cause.
This movement calls
upon every one of the 13
million businesses in this
country, every church, all
fraternal and other organ
izations and every member
of Congress to hire at least
one disadvantaged youth
now.
This bi-partisan congres
sional support asks the
Congress members to take
the strong initiative in
getting action from busi
nesses and organizations
among their constituen
oi— If this project suc
ceeds, it will renew hope in
the young people that the
country does care about
them.
Rev. Sullivan was joined
at the press conference,
where many young people
filled the Rayburn Building
caucus room, by several
members of Congress.
They were representatives
Jack Kemp who heads the
Republican Assembly,
William Gray, Vice Chair
man of Congressional
Black Caucus, Walter
Fauntroy. Caucus Chair
man, Robert Garcia, His
panic Congressional Cau
cus and several others.
Congressman Gray cited
the groundswell of Demo
cratic congressmen sup
port who were unable to
attend the press confer
ence. They included James
Wright, Majority pdader,
Carl Perkins, Chairman of
House Education and
Labor Committee and Au
gustus Hawkins, Chairman
of Subcommittee on Em
ployment Opportunities.
Jack Kemp gave the Re
publican roll call, which
included House Minority
leader Bob Michel, Con
servative Hai Daub, mo
derate Tom Evans and Bud
Hillis, who introduced a
youth Career Intern Bill for
OIC in the 97th Congress
Also present at the press
conference were Jeffrey
Joseph of U.S. Chamber of
Commerce and Dr, Calvin
Rolark of United Way and
Black Media, Inc. who
heartily endorses the "Hire
One Youth Campaign ”
Representative Jack
Kemp, a Presidential
aspirant, and one of the
authors of the Urban
Enterprise Zone, stated
that he has called upon all
businesses and chambers
of commerce in his New
York district to comply
with the project. He said
that when we give youth
jobs, we will bring (town
the social and economic
problems. Yet, there seems •
igrr—rgglly Rev. John Perkins*
WALK 4
Your J
TALK m
Rev. Perkins
When Love Takes Hold
Second in a series
The next Sunday I went back to the
mission and the teacher was expounding
Romans 6:23, “The wages of sin is death.”
Well, I understood what it meant to get
wages. But the Holy Spirit also showed me
that “the gift of God is eternal life.” That
morning at the invitation I went down to the
front of the church and asked Jesus Christ
into my life.
I began to attend Child Evangelism
workshops where Mr. Wayne Leitch was my
instructor. In the afternoons after work I
teach me the Word of God. When I worried
that I might get away from Jesus Christ,
Mr. Lietch taught me that I was Christ’s
and he was in me. It was like a burden rolled
off my shoulders.
I was saved, I knew it and could explain it
to other people. Now I could witness to
Christ and soon I was speaking at Christian
businessmen’s meetings, churches and
prison camps. In the evenings I taught Child
Evangelism classes arid on Saturday after
noons I conducted Bible classes for young
people in the community. Here were teen
agers such as rhud he^n, school dr»p ^nts.
with no skills. I became acutely aware of
the need to reach Black people with the
Gospel of Jesus Christ. That’s when God
began to deal with me. Even though I was
making it in California with a good job and a
nice home, he sent me back to Mississippi.
lathe year 1960 my wife, five children and
I drove back to our home farm. There I
picked cotton in the mornings and taught
Bible classes in the afternoons. My wife had
been a Christian as a little girl and had since
rededicated her life. God now gave her
skills in leading songs and making flannel
graphs.
After a few months God opened the door
in a remarkable way for me to go into 12
different public elementary -and high
schools on a monthly basis. I was able to tell
Bible stories to about ten thousand young
sters ever month. I still meet young people
who accepted Christ as their Savior through
those Bible stories in the public schools.
Next we began a Bible class in a lady’s
home near Mendenhall, Miss.; and when
her home couldn’t hold all the children we
started another. Eventually we got the idea
of establishing a Bible institute. I went back
to my friends in California for financial
help. We raised $3,000 for the institute and
the young people built it. God really blessed
that ministry with young people coming to
Jesus Christ as their Savior. The Voice of
Calvary Bible Institute formed the nucleus
of what was to come.
It became evident as time passed that our'
young people needed college training so that
they could come back to their community to
share the Gospel. But there was no eco
nomic base to support them. When they
came home for the summer there was
really nothing for them to do7 So we
organized a summer cooperative leadership
development program in which they could
work, teach Bible, do evangelistic activity
and earn the money to go back to school.
Next Week the conclusion of “Wnen Love
Takes Hold.”
to be a conflict in Kemp’s
and other Republicans’ -
actions who heartily en
dorsed this youth project
while voting for the G'O.P.
budget which cut jobs and
job training programs.
Then, too, many of these
congressmen are chairmen
of committees, and yet,
they have no minorities on
their committee staffs,
none of their office staff, or
if they do it’s just mere
tokenism. Naturally, the
minority congressmen are
not included in this dis
criminatory hiring group.
Representative Mervin
Dannally of Congressional
Black Caucus who antici
pated this problem a year
ago, has already gotten a
jump on the group by
getting a commitment
from the Aerospace In
dustry for $2 million for a
high-technology training
program spanning the next
decade.
A "Dear Colleague"
letter has been sent to all
435 members of the House
to join in the "Hire One
Disadvantaged Youth Pro
gram.” Representative
William Whitehurst of Vir
ginia informed us that he
has already complied by
hiring one black and two
white youths. This can be
the typical pattern for the
program’s hiring practice -
more whites than minor
ities, which can continue
the widening disparities.
Since the President has
emphasized that the pri
vate sector has a respons
ibility in employment, he is
being called upon to join in
this volunteerism. One
congressman who endorses
the program said that since
youth will be working for a
below minimum wage,
there is a great danger that
heads of homes will be
replaced by the youth.
Rev. Sullivan, while lead
ing this job initiative em
phasized strongly that this
does not relieve govern
ment of its jobs and job
training responsibility. He
said, "We must not sacri
fice our youth, the nation’s
future, on the altar of ba
lanced budget and anti
inflation policies.”