editorials
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Excuse-Makers At End Of Road!
By E. Elizabeth F. Hood
Rewritten from
The Michigan Chronicle
About 50 percent of Americans
vote in Presidential elections
and even less bother to go the
polls in other political races.
Makers of public policy have
puzzled over this voter apathy
; for many years.
Last July, the ABC news net
work decided to ask 2,530 adults
if changes in voting procedures
might increase the number
voting. Results of the ABC poll,
conducted from June 29 to July
13 and published in the New York
Times on September 25, indicat
ed that neither time nor sim
_plicity in voting had much to do
with the number of ballots cast.
The ABC poll challenged many
of the standard excuses for fail
ure to’ vote: difficulty in get
ting registered; polls aren’t open
long enough; more people would
vote if polls were open Sundays
and holidays. It found that 41
percent of the non-voters admit
ted to “not getting around to it.”
— In short, regardless of the re- _
gistration process and the time
set for voting, non-voters were
not sufficiently moved to put
forth any type of effort. They had
written themselves out as per
sons who believed in their own
power to make a difference in
government.
Depressing as they are, the
results of the ABC poll might be
useful in planning ways to in
crease voter turnout. Amount of
education beyond high school
emerged as a strong, determin
ing factor in voting behavior.
Only 19 percent of those least
likely to vote had been to col
lege. Among tfie 10 percent most
likely to vote, 49 percent had
some college education. What
ever their occupation, then, per-.
sons who had attended college
were more likely to vote than
make excuses for not voting.
—VnterL Turnout —
Family influence also make a
difference in voting habits.
Among the most likely to vote, 60
percent said their parents voted
in every Presidential election.
Thirty-two percent of the least
likely to vote recalled their
parents as faithful voters.
Attitudes toward the political
system was also a factor in the
choice of voting over non-voting.
The most-likely-to-vote group ex
pressed beliefs in voting as a
means of strengthening demo
cracy. On the contrary, the least
likely to vote tended to view
themselves as insignificant and
made such statements as, ‘‘I
don’t think public officials care
much what people like me
think.”
Whether or not more people
made a real difference in the
thinking of those most likely to
vote. Eighty percent agreed
strongly with statements about
the importance ot voting to this
country. The majority of this
group also had more faith in
their abilities to sway the think
ing of politicians. They believed
that what they thought counted.
Persons least likely to vote were
more inclined to doubt the value
of voting to the country. Fur
ther, more members of this
group persisted in thinking that
politicians had little or no re
spect for their opinions and at
titudes.
Worth And Power
Since the ABC poll identifies
the conditions favorable to in
creasing voter participation, it
offers long-range solutions to low
turnouts at thev pohs -by blacks
and other minorities. Being born
into families with strong voting
traditions is, at best, a chance
benefit. Going to college is an
other change, highly determined
by family income and the cha
racteristics of relatives and
friends. Possessing a sense of
personal worth and power is
related to the chance of growing
up among those who encourage
thinking about oneself in these
terms: “I am somebody, I do
' count, people have to listen to
what I am saying.”
^The present economic crisis in
which two million American
men, women and children roam
the streets and roads without
homes, and another ten and one
half million are looking for jobs,
allows no time to wait for favor
able voting conditions. No ex
cuses areacceptable. Every eli
gible voter must register and
vote to end the “extremism” of
the present rulers in Washing
ton. The face of the unfairness in
government must motivate the
apathetic voter to action.
Blindness to the extremism of
the Reagan Administration is no
longer an excuse to stay away
from the polls. Those who will
challenge the President in 1984
speak truth bluntly: the govern
ment has passed over $7 billion
in tax savings to oil companies
but dares to speak of taking
unemployment benefits..
LEADERSHIP IN THE,
BLACK COMMUNITY/
i
j COOPERATION I
AnttenA
HU
=< - - ■ . _ • ,
** ' *-- .
Hacks 3ic*Jd Hawe Boycotted Mandi
To Hie Editor: J|
One question, before I
begin: Can food stamps
mail a post card? Just as
food stamps ane inade
quate in utilizing our postal
system, so are over-util
ized, self-defeating tactics,
such as the recent March
on Washington, inadequate
in solving problems in
Black America. »
The focus of black poli
tics has shiftid from
circus-type proteit events,
reckless rhetoric, symbolic
politics, and demagoguery,
to electoral politics. Clear
ly, the civil rights leader
ship has made another po
litical blunder; based on
their ignorance of political
realities. Will the civil
rights leadership ever be
come politically mature?
The 1983 March on Wash
ington did more for the
promotion of SCLC and
PUSH-like groups than it
will for the black under
class. I had to laugh at the
hypocricy prevalent
throughout the entire 1983
March on Washington. One
example sticks in my
mind: the civil rights lead
ers who so articulately ad
vocate the concerns of the
poor, drove onto the How
ard University campus, the
day before the March, in
chauffeur-driven limou
sines to participate in the
SCLC convention. If these
so-called black leaders
were so "grjfcs-roots,” why
the limousines?
They advocate positions
in order to maintain their
positions in the civil rights
leadership. These civil
rights leaders have con
tinually advocated public
policy options which only
increase the dependency of
the black underclass on
government.
Why isn’t the energy,
time and effort which was
wasted, on the 1963 March
on Washington, channeled
into achieving obtainable
solutions to problems in.
black America? The or
ganizing efforts spent on
this March could be better
used organizing economic
initiatives that will provide
long-term financial stabili
ty in black America.
It seems irresponsible
for civil rights leaders to
advocate that our people
support a Democratic
agenda which calls for pu
blic policy measures that
severely penalize two
parent families with child
ren, consequently* having a
devastating impact on the
black family structure.
It seems irresponsible
for civil rights leaders to
try to make us believe wel
fare and other social pro
grams actually help our
community, when these li
beral orthodox programs
have created a perpetual
black American under
class.
It seems irresponsible
for the civil rights lead
ership to mindlessly bad
mouth President Reagan’s
policies while the facte in
dicate that the current
economic recovery, ac
cording to Charles McKee
in the Washington Times,
“has produced increased
auto sales and lower inter
est rates, not only allowing
unemployed black auto
workers and employees of
subsidiary industries to re
turn to work, but also has
allowed lower and middle
income blacks to purchase
automobiles and other
basic needs.”
Most of all, it seems ir
responsible to initiate
chants of “Run, Jesse,
Run,” when all logic and
reason indicates the chants
ought to be: “Think, Civil
Rights Leaders, Think.I”
Gordon W. Knox
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Jesse Helms Can’t Find Any Peace?
f Alfreds L. Madison
Special To The Post
“I’m not going to get any
black votes,” said Jesse
Helms, realizing that he is
just plain mean to blacks.
So he spewed out all the
venom he could muster up
against Dr. Martin Luther
King and the black move
ment for justice and equal
ity, in his opposition to the
King holiday.
Senator Helms talked
hours on the Senate floor
emphasizing that Dr. King
was really an advocate of
Soviet principles, and that
he wanted to start a revolu
tion in this country. He
stated that Dr. King’s pro
gram was conceived and
aided by men and women
who were not loyal to the
. United States, who were
striving for violent over
throw of the United States
Constitution.
Helms complained vigor
ously and vehemently that
the holiday should have
been discussed in the Sen
ate Judiciary Committee,
so he wanted the bill re
committed to the Judici
ary. He also stated that the
holiday would be very ex
pensive - somewhere be
tween U and >14 billion.
Jesse said from the be
ginning of King’s civil
rights activities until his
death he was influenced by
Communists. Helms said,
“King's patterns of as
sociations and activities
show that, at Ifeast, he had
no strong objection to Com
munism, that he appears to
Alfreds L. Madison
have welcomed collabora
tion with Communists and
that hia principal vihicle,
the Southern Chrtltian
Leadership Conference
(SCLC) was subject to in
fluence and manipulation
by Communists.” ae in
sisted thaF King spoke out
against the Vietnam War
because he was told to do so
by Levenson, a man whom
FBI investigations never
found that he was sc Com
munist. He even stated that
Levenson wrote some of
King’s speeches. If Leven
son wrote some of Dr.
King’s speeches, all one
can say is that he w^s “a
heck of a speech wtiter.”
The “I Have a Dream"
speech has had all America
ever since talking about the
American dream, even
Nixon and Reagan.
Jessa stated.that King's
stand against the Vietnam
War was against the na
tional security of this
country and that it favored
Vietnam Communists.
Someone needs to remind
the North Carolina Senator
that such an overwhelming
number of Americans was
against this war which left
50,000 American boys dead,
thousands maimed and
handicapped, besides in
nocent Vietnamese .dead,
their homelands devastat
ed, that Johnson refused to
run again for President and
Nixon had to pull Ame
ricans out of Vietnam; not
foregeting the guilt we feel
over the deplorable Viet
namese conditions, so we
are accepting large num
bers of them in this coun
try.
Helms said King dis
turbed the peace of the
states. The North Carolina
senator has absolutely no
respect for the Intelligence
of - blacks He evidences
that blacks would not have
known theVjlvere suffering
from the most hideous
forms of blatant discrim
ination if the Communists
had not told them so.
Senator Kennedy arose
on the floor and took on old
Jesse. He said that all il
lusions, suggestions,
charges of Dr. King's in
volvement with Commun
ist Party members were
disturbing and distressful,
“those charges were first
and most vigorously raised
by the arch-segregationists
bent on retaining racism. It
TSTftOTr betrs'brtheiae*
ditch stand against equal
justice who week to divert
as today on this legisla
tion." He stated that
Helms' statements were
not worthy of reply, so he
strongly extolled King’s
contributions to America /
and the necessity of com
memorating his birthday.
Senator Kennedy lashed
out strongly against Pre
sident Reagan for not hav
ing been heard from on this
bill; that there has been
ample time for him to have
made a decision. Having
been flushed out by Ted,
the next day the news
paper reported that the
President will sign the bill
if it’s passed
Senator Strom Thur
mond stated that he feels it
is appropriate to have a
day memorializing Kingf
because of the many con
tributions blacks have
made to this country and
that he wjU vote for the
holiday. ~~
Of course Senator East,
Helms’ protege, objected
strongly to the King holi
day, because it would put
him on par with George
Washington, and it ignores
having a holiday for other
various ethnic, religious
and many other groups.
Senator Bob Dole is re
sponding to Helms’ ac
cusations that King wanted
a revolution saying, "In
America the home of the
brave land of the free, K
was segregation that was
radical, denial of opportun
-ity...ihat...was. .^evolution
ary." Dole admitted'that
Republicans may not get
many black votes, but com
memorating King’s birth
day should not be ham
See HELMS On Page 5
- WITH SABRINAJOHNSONBfEIS
HMr
Sabrina
Dream Versus Dreams
Republican Sen. Jesse Helms of North
Carolina made a complete turn around last
week on the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
national holiday issue. Initially Helms had
planned a one-week, one-man filibuster
against the bill; however, Senate Majority
Leader Howard H. Baker Jr. reminded
Helms that such a filibuster would delay the
vote on the tobacco bill.
The tobacco bill, if passed, would freeze
tobacco price supports and in time end the
lease and transfer of tobacco acreage. This
is a particular pressure point for Helms.
Baker met with Helms and bargained with
him to drop the filibuster, and in return, he
(Baker) would present the tobacco bill to
the Senate after debate on the King holiday
legislation on October 18 and vote on
October 19._
Technically speaking no deal had been
made between Baker and Helms. But
Helms did want the tobacco issue to be
brought up before the 10-day Columbus day
recess.
Tom Griscom, Baker’s press secretary,
stated that the delay by Helms would not
_block the passage of the holiday legislation,
which Hefrfis knew. --—
Whatever tactics Helms tried or may try
to shoot down the King holiday - he cannot --
the votes are there to pass the bill. Helms
contests the bill because he believes Dr.
King practiced “action-oriented marxism.”
Democratic Rep. Robin Britt said to the
press that Helms does not speak for North
Carolina. He went on to say that Helms’
comments on Dr. King “were not'made in
good faith, but represented charged rheto
ric calculated to divide not reconcile....”
Sen. Helms does realize that by opposing
the King legislation he has lost all hope of
acquiring black votes if he runs for re
election next year. Helms believes that he
faces reality in saying that blacks vote
Democratic down the line, so the black vote
does not matter to him.
Sen. Helms’ filibustering warned that
even in death, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr. deserves no honor. The Senate is on the
verge of passing the bill dedicating the third
Monday of January a new national holiday -
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day - and Jesse
Helms opposes the issue. Helms views Dr. ,
King as a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Non
sense!
Dr. King was a man who believed in
nonviolence and civil rights. Jesse Helms
believes in mint juleps, white linen suits -
the old white South - full of “Christian
values” and state-mandated prayers.
Helms contends that federal holidays are
occasions for “shared values.” But are not
• Dr. .King’s idealisms shared values? Mr.
Helms’ values include militaristic foreign
policy and self righteous stands against
women’s issues. Thank goodness Helms’
values are losing ground and Dr. King’s
gaining. Jesse Helms’ name has become
synonymous with racism and a divided
society. In fact Jesse Helms manages to
re-define racism everytime he opens his
mouth!
Many senators view Helms and his
comrades’ plots against a holiday honoring
Dr. King as dead weight. This vindictive,
narrow-minded bunch needs to be brought
into the 20th century through rebuttal,
symbolic and tangible. Now is the time to
celebrate those ideas that embrace a large
number - majority - of Americans whose
sincerity has been tested, time to celebrate
reconciliation and the efficacy of nonvio
lence. With adversaries like Jesse Helms it
is time to pay tribute to the courage and
dreams of men and women who have
learned to live together in peace and
harmony. Those men and women - black,
white, Hispanic or Oriental - who have
taken Dr. King’s ‘‘I Have a Dream” and ‘‘A
Long Way To Go” speeches to heart and
have made conscious efforts towards equal
ity and humanity.
While Jesse Helms’ dreams are stuck in a
ever, unfortunately, the Jesse Helms of the
world will always be and will never learn
nor change but progressive intelligent
minds can make them inanimate objects.
Volunteers Needed
Central Piedmont Com
munity College needs vo
lunteer instructor assist
ants for its Adult Basic
Literacy Education
(ABLE) center in Freedom
Mall.
The center provides an
opportunity for volunteers
to learn about computer
assisted instruction and to
gain experience in working
with adults using the Lau
bach tutoring method.
Volunteer training ses
sions will be from 1-5 p.m.
Saturday, October 29, at
the center, located beside
the N.C. License Plate
Bureau.
To volunteer, call Joce
lyn Dienst, 373-6715.