Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / May 23, 1985, edition 1 / Page 2
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We Must Continue The Struggle Given the problems of crimeTTttiemploy ment, illiteracy and poverty, the crucial question of progress in the Black communi ty focuses on: How do we come together as a community to get our fair share of resources to lessen the burden of these problems? The Post believes that public opinion is stronger than any political institution. We feel, therefore, that organization, activism, and participation are the forces that in fluence constructive change and are rooted in the. fundamental laws of democracy. Government is, after all, organized opinion. It was the hammer of public opinion that educated America about the wrongs of racial segregation and discrimination. If no one attended Martin Luther King Jr.’s March on Washington, then perhaps the course of civil rights would have taken a different and more difficult road. Of course, knowing who to express your views to is as important as the act itself. In other words, don’t blame the piano player if your food at a restaurant is lousy. Thus, you should acquaint yourself with all of your elected officials, as well as unelected com munity officials who know the proper chan nels to use. The second step is to identify issues which you can focus and organize your efforts around (poorly lighted streets, run-down buildings, child care, crime, etc.). The last course of action is to develop a coordinated strategy to call or 'write responsible of ficials to inform them about your collective views. Petitions with each individual’s name and address and a cover letter citing the particular problem are useful ways to get action. Remember that it’s important to make your voice heard. The decisions that will be made in the arena of politics will affect not only your future...but the future of your children as well. ,/ We must also remember the labors of our ancestors as they struggled and died to uphold many of the civil liberties we enjoy today. If for no other reason, in their name, we must continue the struggle, to speak out* to participate...and get involved. A Meaningful Challenge newrmen from The Michigan Chronicle Graduates both at the college and high school level across the lands have been exhorted by commencement speakers of both sexes and all sizes, shapes and colors across the land during the past few weeks to go forth and face the challenges of the future, whatever they may be. Few of the many who accepted the challenge to address graduating classes had more to say more effectively than Wade H. McCree Jr., the former. U.S. Solicitor General, who is now the Lewis M. Symes professor of law at the University of Michigan. McCree, in an address to the graduates at Northern Michigan University, admit ted that th^ commencement speaker is usually a frightful bore for whom the graduating student “must struggle' to mus ter up a final surge of tolerance to sit politely through the exhortation, until, at last, he is free to engage in the bitter sweet activity of leave-taking.” Hig speech, however, contained many gems of wisdom that should be taken to heart by every young person who looks forward to . making his or her way into the next century. McCree spoke of the need of a new ethic that is in tune with the economic reality of our time. “We noed,” he told the students, "a pattern of living that will Justify distribution of goods and services to persons who need them, and that will eliminate the guilt that leisure im plies.” He suggested that the ethic of extolling work and decrying leisure was the product of an economy of scarcity. “It served this nation well when the labor of all people was needed to produce goods and services that were re quired,” he said. He further suggested that to day’s technology has “freed us from drudgery” and at both ends of the economic ‘ ‘Unskilled tabor is not needed sndlEelir-— fluent don’t have to work to be able to pur Sgg g00d of life,” McCree con tends. Since there isn’t a consensus about a style of life for such a society, our economic systems has become glutted and it falters. People with leisure, for want of socially ap proved ways to spend it, suffer a loss of per sonal satisfaction and many turn to drugs and cults to find personal relevance.” McCree’s observation have been made by suggestion that there is need for the establishment of a new code of ethics must make sense to those who continue to be puzzl ed by the diminution of morality that has ap peared to impact virtually very segment of our society. McCree urges that America must ‘‘come of age* in facing the new realities. There must be more time for creativity, personal relation ships, a better husbanding of our resources and a greater appreciation of our environ ment. He suggests that a new ethic “won’t be created overnight” but will evolve out of ex perience as the Puritan ethic did. M<wt thoughtful persons will agree with Mc Cree s observation about the need for new ethics. Recently, while memorializing a war that ended 40 years ago, bat obviously con tinue* to be with us, the world saw the chose* leaders of two of the world’s most powerful nal tions square off in a bit of sword rattling that certainly frightened those who recaB the devastation oithat war. After listening to the speeches at Bitburg, Germany, and from Red Square in Moscow, it causes many to wonder if that great war has* really ended. This nation was split in two over the President’s actions in Germany. There is Uttle quef^ion that the moral issues involved will be debated for years to come. McCree suggests that it is the young people of today who will be responsible for shaping tha new ethic and urged that youth alone should not stand in the way of their assuming leadership. It is a greed that this nation must took to our young graduates to revitalize our pohtical process, to save and correct our aomeatic Institutions and to gee to the survival of our planet. T*-— .. - — The Charlotte Post North Carolina’s Fastest Growing Weekly 704-376-0496 "The People’s Newspaper’ -i--T' 1 -- 106 Years Of Continuous Service Sill Johnson Editor, Pub. Sernat d Reeves Gen. Mgr. Fran Bradley Adv. Mgr. Dannette Gaither Of. Mgr. Published Every Thursday By The Charlotte Post Publishing Company, Inc. Main Office: 1531S. Camden Road Charlotte, N.C. 28203 Second Gass 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-$17.78 Payable In Advance From Capitol Hill ®—Mary Aid Greatly Increased In Nicaragua By Alfreds L. Madison Special To The Post The Reagan Administration sees Central America as a zone of East West confrontation, with a com plete disregard for the economic struggles in the region. The United States is escalating Its military in volveraent in every nation in Centra] America and it is also becoming more involved in the Internal con flicts. The primary purpose of this Ad ministration is to intimidate, un dermine and overthrow Nicaragua's Sandinista Government. In Central America, the United States is increasing covert aid to the contras, increasing military grants, loans and weapons deliveries, direct role in combat operations; U.S. military people; the duration and scope of military exercises and deployments; intelligence gathering and training activities The Ad ministration is using Honduras as its Central American military center. It Is building potential facilities for combat use by American forces, stationing troops there, permanent ly, conducting military exercises and seeking new permanent naval and land bases there These are not justified by the level of Soviet and Cuban military involvement in Central America. United States military aid has greatly increased in Nicaragua since the overthrow of the Somota regime which was put into power and supported by the U.S The Rea gan Administration is deepening military relation* with Costa Rica and Beliie- trying to get them more involved in an anti-Nicaragua mi litary coalition The Center for Defense Informa tion has published a study showing Alfreds facts on the U.S. military involve ment in Central America. It states that this Administration is increas ing its combat operations in that region It is reported that the CIA has supervised the mining of Ni caraguan harbors; CIA pilots have flown supplies from El Salvador Into Nicaragua to Salvadoran troops; American advisors have accom panied Salvadoran pilots on train ing missions which have made bombing runs and U.S. helicopters and pilots have transported Hondu ran troops on anti-guerrilla opera tions. In facilitating military build-up in Central America, the U S. is build tng air fields, radar sites, storage depots roads, housing in combat activities in El Salvador and Ni caragua The Pentagon noted, Forward storage of munitions such as iron bombs and rocket* will significantly enhance the U S Air Force’s tactical air contingency capabilities throughout Central America.” Since the laoos, the United States has been militarily* involved in Central America. It has had Lg*PEB6_m)3T QRGAmZB Americans Occasionally Stricken With Disease Of Simple Mindedness xn a country built on freedom Americans are occa sionally strickened with the disease of simple mindedness. Americans pride themselves on free and unrestricted ex change, housing, education and travel. But are often quick to call a lifestyle or personal Kiference wrong. Such an ue being gay parenting. As recently as the spring of 1M4 a gay couple wanted to become foster parents. In the words of society “they lead a good, clean life,” both are gainfully employed, religious ly involved and community oriented. The men sought rWligious counselling' from their respective leaders. After careful and etiled investiga tions by the state’s Social Ser vice Department, three weeks ago the couple was given two boys, ages two and three. The children were from abusive homes and found this foster home to be secure, caring, lov ing and patient. All went well until local paper caught wind of the in formation. The peace of that home and neighborhood was destroyed through stories about the “family.” The reporter questioned the ability of the couple to rear children without inflicting personal preferences rtpoiv them. Thus __ Sabrina because of the press the children were removed from that “fit home.” The question being: should the element of homosexuality be a factor of consideration of those gay and lesbian couples seeking foster children or children for adoption? State Legislators have never debated over it and the com munity criticizes it without detailed knowledge. Sexual preference should not be an issue in parenting. Just because a male or female choses a member of the same sex as an intimate partner does not mean that a child can not be exposed to an open »lndedli|fislyle. Contrary to lengthy occupations of Nicaragua and Panama, and has worked very closely with military authorities who have dominated Central American politics. The Reagan Administra tion while being obsessed with Soviet-Cuban involvement in the re gion, believes the problems can be solved militarily, and It has em phasized the Grenada invasion as its determination to use muscle power in the hemisphere. The Center for Defense Informa tion (CDI) states, "There is no threat to the U,S. in Central Ame rica which justifies extreme uses of force. There is nothing of political, economic or military value worth the price of intervention, loss of life, hundreds of millions if not billions of dollars, hostility from most Latin American nations, and international condemnation." » With the exception of former British colony Belize, the U.S. has always been the greater supplier of military to Central America Re cently, the Soviet Union has become Nicaragua’s supplier U.S. mili tary aid in the region in 1981 and 1983 has exceeded die three previous decades. This aid is provided through grants and loans All of this comes out of the pockets of the American taxpayers. Reagan is pro posing that the Central American loans be made at the low interest rate of five percent This Administration has a huge military build up in Honduras, and it has aircraft carriers in the Carib bean coast of Central America. Maneuvers and exercises are con ducted in Honduras, which closely resemble the maneuvers that were conducted near Grenada, about two years before the invasion of that country, which was predicted by the I late Maurice Bishop, «nrf was denied by the Reagan Administra tion. Ortega, the leader of the Nicaraguan Sandista government, insists that the United States is preparing to invade Nicaragua. His tory gives merit to this belief. CDI says that Reagan maintains that Nicaragua is a Soviet-Cuban surrogate; that is exporting arms to other Central American countries and is perhaps planning to invade other countries in the region. So viet military presence in Nicara gua is not large nor Its influence significant. Soviets have, practical ly, no enthusiasm for getting heavily involved in that region This Administration has misled Congress about its military ope rations in Central America. Con gress was not told about the use of money that was appropriated, to be used for equipping and training military personnel Mining of the Nicaragua harbor was kept a secret by the CIA. CD1 gives new approaches for U.8. Central American relations. It states that if this country continues to use military solutions to the conflict in the region, practically all governments in the region will be come hostile end distant to the U.S. Even though the governments may be radical, there Is no evidence that they will be anti-American or pro Soviet The policy of this country should promote economic coopera tion and prosperity. This nation should form a voluntary economic federation modeled after the Euro pean Economic Community, with respect for national sovereignty and non interference In internal poli tical affairs. This should be a federation of all North and Central American nations. accepted opinion some children from heterosexual parents are often disillusioned about the diversity of society. They can be taught prejudices in all forms, physically or mentally abused or complete ly segregated from the con cept of a loving family. The dark ages of homosex uality are giving way to an enlightened age. Society is fin . ding out that the majority of gays and lesbians are not "sick” but people seeking self fulfillment and happiness. That homosexuality is not a disease but a chosen way of life — personal life. Homosex uality does not alter the quest for creature comforts or the quesH for suburban materialism. It is something the mind and body choses to make oneself happy. Why does society have such a problem with gay or lesbian parenting? Remember this is the society that gives rapist, murderers and thieves “a se cond change." It allows the courts to place children back into the hands of abusive parents. A society that does not view child molestation as a felony if it’s a parent doing the damage. A socity that has pro blem accepting gay or lesbian parenting but finds it okay that a father does not support his children — by slapplngliim on the back of the hand and say ing “Don’t do that again." A society that views all abortion as wrong regardless of the physical, emotional and economic ramafications that an unwanted birth may cause. No one plans to grow up to sexually, physically or emo tionally abuse their children. Women do not plan to be raped or developed physical condi tions hindering giving birth. And Just that way children do not plan to become homosex som®stg inside of them that says “This wffl make me happy and fulfill my needs.”
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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May 23, 1985, edition 1
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