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