Newspapers / The Charlotte post. / Aug. 29, 1985, edition 1 / Page 2
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— 1 Opportunities: Not Guarantees! Muehhastxxm saidandwritteu about the American dream, or more appropriately the question: "What is the American promise?” That promise is not guarantees, but rather are opportunities. It was in this context that we have noted in each of the past three weeks the need for black Ameri cans to stop pressuring and relying on white-owned corporate contributions and government programs to guarantee sup port for black high education, civil rights organizations, new business ventures and job commitments. We have stressed in these weeks too that the underlying reason for the guarantees or hand-out mentality has been in larger measure a result of the high percentage of broken black families, that is, one parent families usually headed by a female. Since it is the family that provides the individual with his-her basic behavior patterns, at titudes, life-long values, code of ethics, and general philosophy of life, a fractured family will leave an emerging adult with considerably less than the full measure of these inner tools for coping with life’s problems and challenges. It is the strength, or lack of it, of the black family that we find the root causes of low educational values and attainment; little or no commitment to the work ethic and American capitalism, both of which require commitments to opportunities, not guaran tees; limited interest in' the American political system, unless a black face is on n the ballot for the presumed expectation of guarantees of some kind; disrespect i for persons and property as seen in the high —gate_jrf_ja3me_againat__Qthers. especially other blacks, and the thief and-or de struction of their property; and the too often failure to support black-owned businesses when they are available and competitive. We find too that the fractured or one parent family is often the result of fathers abandoning the wife and children because of limited job opportunities quite often related realistically to racism in the job market combined with black women’s assumptions that such jobless black men - are due little respect. This is the result of a complicated web of husband and wife who themselves lack the inner tools to seek opportunities and not guarantees by sur cumbing to racism instead of embracing it as a challenge to overcome in the quest for greater opportunities. The fact is, if one black man can overcome the obstacles of racism and job discrimination, and many of them do, many more could with an “I can do” attitude and a belief in viewing pro blems as new challenges and new op portunities. For example, better educational prepara tion and family stability are strong forces in reducing the obstacle of racism to more and better job opportunities. Without making educational opportunities for oneself no law or ordinance can assure you even the op portunity to seek a job much less guarantee a job. Thus, it will be only when blade Ameri cans begin to seek in greater numbers opportunities instead of guarantees, that real equality will become a meaningful reality. Year 2000 And Beyond! as America approaches the year 2000 and beyond, growing interest is occurring in what we as a nation will be like at that time. George Gallop suggests in his book Fore- , cast 2000, “I approach the field of prog nostication with great trepidation - be cause one can’t really know what the future holds.” In the nationwide No. 1 bestseller, Megatrends Ten New Directions Trans forming Our Lives, John Naisbitt tells us, “The most reliable way to anticipate the future is by understanding the present.” The August 1965 special issue of EBONY htagaxine is titled “Blacks And The Future* Where Will We Be In The Year 2000?” ' Within the context of Naisbitt’s viewpoint, EBONY notes that some optimists believe that by the year 2000 everything will have changed for the better for blacks with racism as we know it today having ceased to be a consideration of any merit by anyon^ ? ■ Others, however, insist, as is already present, that American styled racism will simply become even more sophisticated by the year 2000 with black continuing to be blocked out of mainstream America. | In the area of black sexuality, Ph.D. sociologist Robert Staples writes that a number of social forces will contribute to maintaining the permissive character of black sexual attitudes into the year 2000. Among these forces will be the role re ; versa Is of blade men and women. By the year 2000, Dr. Staples states black women will be substantially ahead of black men in educational and occupational attainment. Therefore, black women will not have to marry a man to order to attain a decent standard of living. This means marriage partners may be selected as much for sex appeal as for their socioeconomic status. While we agree with Dr. Staples’ assess ment based on current trends; we would add that it sounds like new And continuing problems for gaining stability with the black family Athicturdtj * >*• -'-■■■ k Not too surprisingly, the EBONY article , focuses largely on the question of racism to the year 2000. Our response to that is as we have commented in the above editorial, don’t look for guarantees and make pro blems, lode for new challenges and op portunities. What’s On Your Mind? Letters to the editor must include your signature and address, both of which may or may not be used per your request. Please limit letters to 500 words. Letters should be addressed to: Editor, The Charlotte Post, P. O. Box 8M44. Charlotte. N.C. 28220. BLACKS HAVE AL WAYS BEEN CON CERNED ABOUT CRIME, BUT HESITATED TO CRUSADE BECAUSE - OF THE NBWliAE HEANIND OF CRIME IN ; THE STREET AND LAW AND ORDER, SAID gj ANDREW BARRETT, , EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR \ OF THE CHICAGO \ N.AACP" 1 *OUT THE SITUATION IS SO BAD NOW THAT ** ACTION IS THE ONLY « THUG LEFT.0 A, i The Flip Side Of Social Security In 1935 President Roose velt signed the Social Se curity Act - an Act that dramatically' changed the quality of. life for America’s senior citizens. The Act grew out of the need for this country to pull out of the pit of economic depression and release its senior citizens from the wolves of poverty and starvation. Sixty-five percent of America’s senior citizens lived in abject po verty then. Today, about 14 percent of all senior citizens live in poverty ; a number still too high. However, without So cial Security millions of America’s elderly would be beggars r rattling cups on “beautifully landscaped” streets.- '■ Since its birth, Social Se curity has been controver sial. Opponents of the plan called it a copy from the Communist Manifesto. Re gardless of the controver sy, Social Security is im portant and vital to the pride, well-being and dignity of al most 37 million who receive about $450 each month - annual cost of more than $15 billion. There are critics who believe die entire program should be thrown out the window: forgetting that one i '■f ■ •• ■ '? day they may need Social Security for simple survival. Of course, the program was birthed from the world of politics and it is getting expensive. However, it is not,, a dole far the government. Social Security is funded by matching contributions from the 122 million workers and their employers and also covers approximately 95 per cent of all jobs. "i, ... < Elderly people with large incomes do not need Social Security. Workers who earn less, pay a larger percentage of their incomes than large wage earners. And if the money is privately invested, the money can earn more money. In addition to THE CHARLOTTE POST North Carolina'* Fastest Growing v; ? ^70447MMM l«V«s Of Continuous Service BUI Johnson Editor, Pub. Bernard Reeves Geu. Mgr. Fraa Farrer-Bradley Adv. Mgr. Daaaette Gaither Office Mgr. Published Every , Thursday by The Charlotte Peet MalnOm^’1^*’ 1831S Camden Rood Charlotte, NC. 28303 ■■■■■a■ ■ a. ■■ ■' Second Claes Postage Paid at Charlotte I DSPS No. MUM I POSTMASTER Chartotte Part er Says: Difficult Challenges ay snerman n. Miller Special To The Poet I sensed a paradigmatic shift underway in the man ner in which North Caro lina’s white civic leaders view blade Americans’ lead ership capability while at tending The Charlotte Post’s “Churchworker of the Year” banquet in late July. D. O. Martin, a white North Carolina civic lead er, seized upon this oppor tunny 10 reveai some pre viously held ill-natured white American perceptions and offer hope for black Ameri can socioeconomic parity. He contended that whites previously viewed blacks in two unworthy manners. Martin says blacks were ex pected to only handle black issues or they were tokens. As I listened to Martin’s forthright revelations, I an xiously awaited his com ments on the current think ing in white America. Mar tin claimed that mainstream ‘ America recognises that the black American experience is an American asset. He said, “There may be some thing special In blacks’ ex perience that uniquely qua lifies blacks to lead in the mainstream/’ p I asked Martin to explain his assertion. He gushed - •• ’ * * - ■■ mmmam S£S^%5t&£ he it black. Because he has special sensitivity for others.” Although Martin highlight ed many positive aspects of black leadership in our con versation, I was not con vinced that I had captured the real essence of his mes sage. In recounting our dis cussion and Martin’s speech, I have come to realise that Martin had proclaimed that white America has recog nized that blacks possess unique skills for managing in crisis situations. Martin em phasized this special trait when he called attention to the fact that black leaders like Charlotte’s Mayor Har vey Gantt an0 U S. Repre sentative William Gary were men who possess special abi lities to make difficult de cisions when crises abound. I found myself trying to locate the path that blacks must follow that leads to a positive image of their lead ership abilities in the eyes of mainstream America. A1964 Harvard Business Review article poses a plausible ra tionale that seems very valid today. This article sug gests that mainstream man agers believe that Macks must do something extraor dinary to achieve a positive image. Dr. Garda W. Bow man, in his article entitled, “What Helps or Harms Promotability,” reports on this mainstream manage ment belief. He writes, “...our respon dents believe that a Negro would have to prove himself by overcoming difficult chal lenges.” I have personally been In volved in a case where a black gained peer accep tance in the economic main stream by handling a dif- f ficult assignment. As I think about other blacks getting an opportunity to demonstrate their skills, I am plagued with the troublesome ques I tion, “What white manager is going to. risk his career to afford a black person a chance to demonstrate his or her capabilities in the midst of a crisis?*’ Former Delaware go vernor Pierre duPont-W blazed some trails in Dela an&n black Delawareans to main controlled the Delaware State Senate and they did not appear to relish governor duPont’s attempting to alter Delaware’s and America’s malevolent perception of s black Americans' mental re sources. Therefore, I found myself interceding between a black Republican Public Service Commission nominee and a white Demo cratic Delaware State Sena tor to gain Senate confirma tion for this black chap to have membership on Dela ware’s Public Service Com mission. This black chap’s appoint ment had been floating around for months prior to my involvement. Since the white state senator repre sented my district, we were the phenomenon, more elder ly live longer and the birth rate of younger generations is leveling off. Thus, fewer people will be supporting more people in the future. Tor example, in 1950, 16 workers paid into the fund for each Social Security be neficiary. Studies show that by the year 2090 a mere tw two workers will support each beneficiary. Adjustments are and will be needed. The flip side of Social Security presents a less than . perfect picture. As it is well known, Social Security begun as a retirement supplement paid from taxes invested by wpripsr*, In 1938 Social Se curity benefits paid were ex panded to supplement those who had not earned the be nefits. By the time 1956 rolled around, Congress enacted Social Security Disability - which has no relationship to retirement and has become abused. , *' ; > In 1970 workers contribut ed a maximum of $374.40 - $748.80 total including the employers’ contribution. To $5,383.60 annually with employers’ tions and is incline. The viewers of the Social fits program advocate tern in which workers fund their own “sod through mai tory individual stems. 8 Mm who need and rely on Sodal Security Disability Pro grams - does the govegk ment turn them into tSt streets? y • s senior and disabled zens do not want to financial burdens on families These people to retain this and other f of r_ their self-worth and pride Yes, there will always be some abusers of any public and private system pro grams - but the few mux not be allowed to destroy the peace of mind for the rainy. Just as there are people abusing the Social Security programs, there are people over the age of 65 cofiri buting greatly to tl* econo my as workers. Before the government starts hacking away at senior and disabled benefits, m*ybd it should stop and take a look at the public welfare system. That’s where the fat should be trimmed. The welfare sys tem makes it too easy to turn from being an asset to this country to being a liability
Aug. 29, 1985, edition 1
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