Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / Dec. 20, 1984, edition 1 / Page 2
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Christmas And Its Many Faces! The Christmas season is a special time of year for most people for many different reasons - some good, some bad, and most probably in between. Shopping malls fill to satisfy the commercial zeal of consumers, churches extend themselves to offer spirj- ' tual needs and food for the down cast, >’• little children extend their fantasies about old Santa and parents help thenY alohg the “ way; -: V ’ -Christmas-Day-1984^like all Chi-int^nas_ Days, is filled with the reality and dreams^ of the extended family gathered around the Christmas dinner table in laughter ^ joy and * happiness. Yet, the essence of this; We nttst joyest of our holiday seasons throughout any given year, has many faces for many different people in many different situa tions. Fortunately, we hope and pray that for most people the face of Christmas is one of giving, receiving, feasting and merry making. Unfortunately, the joy of Christmas for most is too often best'seen and best appreciated as we realize from media reports that God has allowed us to avoid the calamities and misfortune Christmas faces for many others. The recent 2,000 deaths in Bhopal, Indian, from a poisonous gas vapor; a Chicago father who witnessed helplessly his wife and five children die in a house fire is one face of Christmas. Another face shows the joy of an 11 year old Char lottean shouting joyfully, “This is the best place I’ve ever stayed since I’ve been living,” upon moving into a new public housing apartment. Then, too, there is the sad Christmas face of the 25 year veteran textile worker in Kannapolis who, like many of her neigh bors, has (been advised that their last paycheck will be on December 31 because the plant is closing its doors. These workers will then join others without jobs, and some without Hope as they exhaust the last unemployment insurance check. It is within this face of Christinas that a five year old in Detroit says her only wish for Christmas is for Santa to give her six months un employed father a job. On a broader scale, the face of Christmas in a nationwide poll, Santas in many department stores are hearing more and more small children expressing a similar wish - a job for their dads would be a first on their lists ahead of new toys for themselves. _ The faces of Christmas include lower gasoUnja prices for travelers this holiday seasoh and pledges from some business flrms-to provide inortey and ulliei lesourc-— v os to provide heat and warmth in many homes throughout the Piedmont area. There are shoppers and shoplifters, there are wars and rumors of wars, and there is freedom to embrace Christmas or reject it or even curse it as these too are among the many faces of Christmas.’' There are company Christmas parties for some and the choice of private, peaceful prayer at home or at church for others and there is the death of old hatreds and the rebirth of lost loves in these many faces of Christmas. Thus, within these many faces of Christ mas, people appear to show a mixed sense of hope and despair as Christmas Day 1984 approaches. Yet, author Hal Lindsay writes, “...man can live about 40 days without food, about three days without water, about eight minutes without air...but only about one second without hope.” Mr. Lindsay’s words are supported by Bible scripture. In Job 5:16,11:18 we read, “...the poor hath hope...and (they) shall be secure because of their hope.” Therefore, as we wish for you and your loved ones A MERRY CHRISTMAS and a PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR, we remind you of the importance of the need for hope, hope for tomorrow and hope for the distant future regardless of the current faces of the fleeting moments'of the Christmas in your life. To that end wp pray that God will begin or continue to shower his blessings upon you in this holiday season. West Charlotte Not In 2005 Plan? In unveiling a four-month study of hous ing, employment and population trends that hopes to provide data for policy develop ment for a 2005 Plan, Dr. Albert Stuart, a UNCC geographer and consultant, forecasts that Charlotte Will be quite different from what we have as 1984 draws to a close. Dr. Stuart predicts that by the year 2005 Charlotte will have abandoned its family oriented suburban, mostly single-family detached housing lifestyle. In its place we will create a regional metropolis dominated by condominiums and apartments located in east, northeast and southwest Charlotte occupied mostly by single and divorced people. • ' Coupled with this, Dr. Stuart predicts that Charlotte by the year 2005 Will be an “office-oriented, white-collar, information ■’? processing economy..'.where the gap between the rich and poor will be greater than it is now.” It is interesting, if not disturbing, to note that the forecast growth will not include northwest Charlotte where most of our black and a high percentage of our poorer citizens live. Let us hope that such fore casting does not alter any public policy .. plans and interest in .Uie further develop ment and improvement in the Beatties Ford Road residential and commercial area.' BE A PART OF THE NEW AWARENESS — — ■■ ■ ■ ■ ■ — ■ —,. _. - ■ BLACK BUSINESS MEN AND POLITICIANS suburbia — SHOMP BE tNCTHE FOREFRONT OF LONG PAUSE PUNNING FOP IT IS ONLT TMPC ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL CLOUT THAT ETHNIC GROUPS HATE BEEN ABLE TO _ MOVE UP THROUGH SOCIETY. . M MKHIOVI cmoHCLB ^ w\ BAH-HUMBUG To Holiday Season! Bah-humbug to the holi day season. Feeling a bit blue, broke, or just sick of it: what can one do: Be happy! Why? Because. Be happy that you are not the sales associate in the retail stores. Hats off to those wonderful people who can smile and be helpful when 50 people are demanding per sonal attention at one time. Be happy that you are not the letter carrier delivering those heavy packages and millions of holiday cards. The people working in the United States postal system are doing their very best to move holiday cheer and well wishes across the miles. Do not yell if a very special card - or package arrives after the holiday - perhaps it was mailed late! Be happy you are not the j Christinas tree sales as sociate. Remember he or she, must insure that each tree' purchased is just right for each home. Also remember that he'or she is standing out in the cold and damp nur turing trees and wreathes. Be happy you are not the market owner having to in sure stocks of turkeys, hams, beef and fan vegetables. Es pecially if what the consum er wants is not there, chaos Sabrina Johnson begins. Be thankful you are not the hundreds of people who lost thousands of loved ones in the Union Carbide accident. Bhopal, India, will soon re turn to normal lifestyles but life will never be the same. The after effects are bla tantly death but the future effects are unknown. Be thankful for the gifts of Baby Fae and William Shroeder. Baby Fae’s short life has given doctors and scientists more knowledge into heart transplants includ ing animal into human. Wil liam Shroeder’s artificial heart lets the world know that the machine-computer age has a purpose other than to drive folks crazy. Be thankful and happy for all the people who make America what it is: the best The Charlotte Post North Carolina’s Fastest Growing Weekly 704-376-0496 “The People’s Newspaper’ 106 Years Of Continuous Service £&Johns0n Editor, Pub. Bernat d Reeves Gen. Mgr. Fran Bradley Adv. Mgr. Dannette Gaither Of. Mgr. Published Every Thursday By The Charlotte Post Publishing Company, Inc. Main Office: 1531 S. Camden Road Charlotte, N.C. 28203 Second Class Postage Paid at Charlotte Member, National Newspaper Publishers’ Association North Carolina Black Publishers Association National Advertising Representative: Amalgamated Publishers, ---Inc. One Year ) Subscription Rate One Year $17.76 Payable In Advance 1 From Capitol Hilt Free South African Movement h Tfcr ’Uy Expanding By Alfred* L. Madison Special To The Peat The daily picketing of the South African Embassy, which is gaining momentum, is for the purpose of educating people, nationally and in ternationally, about South Africa’s apartheid system and also to bring pressure on the South African go vernment for complete eradication of the inhumane apartheid govern ment, and to force the Reagan ad ministration to abandon Its South African policy of constructive en gagement. Blacks in South Africa live under several brutal conditions. They must carry passbooks at all times. The laws prevent the Black South Afri CBIl workeis hunt earning the same ■ wages as whites. Blacks who live in the little barren carved out home lands have to leave their homes to wors ior u»e wnues. mis situation causes a separation of the men from their families for many months. Wives are not allowed to live with these men during their period of work. Blacks in South Africa are not allowed to protest. In the early part of October, 1984, the 21st battalion of the South African Defense Force was sent into the black town of Seweto. October 2, 1964, troops again conducted search er m foUT BUCK wun whips ffoveur ber IS, 1984, a large number of troops raided another black town. On November 5-6, one million South African blacks, predominant ly made up of industrial workers staged a two^lay strike in South Africa to protest the' apartheid sys tem and a host of grievances stem ming from apartheid. This was a coalition of 30 unions, community and student organizations. The United Nations and the vast Alfreds majority of member states have been unequivocal in their opposition to apartheid and repression in South Afttfid The U.N. has passed nu merwia resolution* hnth in TETTCr curity Council and the General As sembly demanding fundamental changes in South Africa. Most re cently U.N. Security Council reso lution 566 was passed condemning South Africa’s apartheid.Of the 15 members, 14 voted for condemn ation with only the United States abstaining. Reason given by Am bassador Kirkpatrick for the ab stention was that there were ex cesses in the language of the resolu tion. Apartheid conditions have wor sened under the Reagan adminis iUM.trm.Hii. tnaaye ment” policy. His administration has expanded South African and U.S. attaches, increased honorary consulates, lifted restrictions on military exports to South Africa, increased nuclear cooperations, trained SouOrAfrtcmt Coast Guard, increased Intematipnal Monetary Funds to South Africa, and there has been an increase in loans of U.S. banks to South Africa. Bishop Tutu, of the South Afrl * •; v J: ‘ can Angelican church, a Nobel Prize winner for peace, says, "The Reagan administration’s policy on constructive engagement has given a bad name to democracy. Con structive engagement is an abomin ation, an unmitigated disaster. For the United States to collaborate with apartheid, is tantamount to con doning the internal policies of Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin.” The Free South African Move ment, which was planned and insti tuted by Randall Robinson, Exe cutive Director of Trgnsafrica, an African lobbyist and Representative Walter Fauntroy, has mushroomed its picketing into an increasing and expanding event Picket lines are being formed around South Afri can consulates in New York, Bos ton, Salt Lake City. Phoenix, New Orleans, Seattle, Cleveland, Los Angeles and Mobile. Among the picketers are prominent political leaden, labor leaden, entertain er*, athlete* and bustnesa people ( Robinson says he expects the ex pansion to be carried out in foreign countries, by the International Con federation of Free Trade Unions Huge numbers of college students from many colleges are taking part In the 'tost. . Whife thy r.aaaan administration tries to present the picture (Sal HTT unmoved by thr •^•tratiOns, for the first time since he lw« b**n President, he had Chaster Crocke. to brief the White House press on his South African policy. Crocker said tha President has consistently said that apartheid is repugnant. Yet. he has never made that known to the American people. He said that there is a process of change underway in South Africa For examples of this, - ■m. he cited that education has im proved. He did not mention that South Africa spends $96 to educate blacks while it spends $785 for whites. Crocker said that the recent South African Constitution which granted miniscule political rights to the two million mixed citizens and denying all political rights to the 24 million blacks, who are not allowed to vote or have any part in the political process, as progress. He made some slight indication that they are doing something but he refused to say what it is. He was asked why is it that the administra tion gets on camera and speaks out abOOt repressive treatments in other countries, then why not kboiit SdUOi Africa? Why didn’t he appear on camera in that press briefing? He said that he would defer that ques tion to those who own the space. Sam Donaldson reminded him<,d»t the American people owned die space. A most unusual and most gratify- ~ ing movement is a latter to the South African ambassador from 35 Congress conservative members. They expressed their concern about South Africa's government's slow movement toward real human reforms. They said, "We want you to know that we are prepared to pur sue policy changes relativa to South .‘.'•-lea's relationships with the United States if the situation does ndl^mprova.” it appears that if Reagan does not change his constructive engagement policy, only he and the State De partment wilft* left holding the bag with it. nation in the world. The ho liday season is not and was not built on material items. Material items should only be pprt of the scenario. Fa mily, friends, tradition, to getherness and worship are the staples of the season. These things are the ‘‘glit ter.” Even if the material things are not as one may want - remember that having one’s health, physical facul ties, and freedom are the most important things in life, gifts merely are decora tions. Finally, please remember the sick, shut-in, hungry, and pool1, and those loved ones mortal or not. Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year! Hderiy And Oikm Special To The Port For most North Carolinians the holiday season is a time for love and sharing with family and friends. Many older citizens are not so fortunate. They no longer have a family or a home. Instead they live in nursing homes and rest homes across the state. Nursing home administrators say today’s patients are older and more disabled than ever before. Most are not able to leave nursing facilities for a Christmas with family, even if they have a family close by. . j “December. January and Febru ary are lonely months,” said Anne — Hutchinson, administrator of the Louisburg Nursing Home. “Our residents could use some of the Christmas cheer then.” Ernest Messer, assistant secre tary of the Division of Aging, en couraged North Carolinians to share a little of their time during the holiday season with those who are confined to nursing homes and rest homes across the state. "Older people with no relative* close by are so appreciative of time and atten tion,’' he said. St_— • a A . a * nuiwi^l nuiirc am rwi nome professionals agree. To Hutchinson, the saddest person of all is the one who has no family. She remembers an elderly lady, now dead, who one year received gifts from the win ing home staff but refused to open them. "She wouldn’t open them because she said the gifts could not be hers since she had no living relatives," Hutchinson explained. -Mftdlyn .Jamison, activity dirt»fe_ tw it KnflUwuud Manor hr RaMgh, encouraged citizens to visit nursing W homes and rest homes, and to get actively involved with residents. "One church group gives manicures during the holidays,'’ she said. "The residents love this special attention. They need a hands-on project, not Just- to be surrounded by a large group of people/” ", Knoll wood has a Christmas party for which many groups donate gifts, Jamison said. She suggested that persons who wish to give gifts to residents of facilities in their anas donate lap robes, white knee hose for fncn srirt women, runtrtise for -wheel chairs, stamps sad stationary. Since many resident* ate on special diets, gift* of food should be limited, she said. “TV most important thing, though, is to t*k« a little time out of your schedule to pay a vftft,” Messer said. "Bring an older paraon into your life, and you will see that you benefit from the experience as much as he or she does."
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Dec. 20, 1984, edition 1
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