-- 4
The Price For A Principle
• % 9
Last week we suggested that President
Reagan’s decision to challenge Libyan
leader Col. Maumma Qaddafl’s "line of
death’’ by sending warships into the Gulf of
Sidra might lead to the loss'of human life.
While Qaddafl duties guilt, and the
Reagan administration believes him, Some
one' or gfoup planted a Bomb'on a TWA jet
airliner that killed four Americans. A gfoup
called the Arab Revolutionary Cells claims
responsibility for the bombing. A Cells’
spokesman told the Associated Press in
Beirut that the bombing was in retaliation
for "American arfogance” in the Gulf'of
Sidra last week.
Obviously, we will never kdow for sure,
but it appears that Mr. Reagan’s ill-timed
move into the Gulf of Sidra based'on.the
e'of a 12-mile territorial waters
fOpposed to Qaddafl’s 100 miles, Is
going to test American lives needlessly. We
can only hope that Mr. Reagan will retreat
; : from his war mentality, particularly In an
area'of the tforld that has flo strategic
military value to America.
Likewise, while Mr. Reagan is pressuring
it Congress to pfovide $100 million in aid to the
rebel Contras 'opposing the Nicaraguan
government, a local missionary just return
ing from the war torn nation'offers aflother
story. The Rev. Jake Golden, a Methodist
minister, has just returned ffom a nine
, rAonth tour'of Nicargua.
Golden says Nicaragua is a pdor nation of
three million ptople, half‘of which are
children. Mosf of the ptople live in poverty,
.they are victims’of injustice and terrified by
their nation’s civil war. Most tragically,
Rev. Golden reports that the U.S.-backed
> Contras killed a Swiss Christian and four
r females he was attempting to help. He adds
that the Contras have brutalized many
innocent Women and children.
> If these reports are true, the Reagan
administration needs to rethink its aid plans
and reassess who America should be
helping. To do less might result in needless
bloodshed and loss' ofUfe.
a threat tity And A threat Mayor
weexena, e special television snow
focusedon black mayors in America. These
mayors from Kenneth Gibion in Newark,
.; • sNJ, to Tom Bradley in Loe Angeles to many
mayors in small, rural towns in the deep
South. Likewise, the problems, needs, Con
cerns and effectiveness'of these men and *
Women were aired. Any "observer Would
have been proud”of Mayor Gantt’s appear
ance, his articulate manner and the excel
lent image he projected Tor the City'of
Charlotte.
Likewise, tdo, in the current issue'of
- Ebony magazine is a very interesting and
very positive article about Mayor Gantt.
Again, his leadership style and perception
indicate a man'of gbod character, honesty
and humility. Thfough it all what bomefout
ls^a good mayor who leads a great city •
■ y "' ** . *'v y. *s^
Kids Crying Out Fen* Discipline
;vr liurc univereuy s oasKeioau leam leu
one game short of grinning the NCAA
championship. Nevertheless, the No. 1
ranked Blue Devils had Won 21 straight
before losing the championship and Com
pleted the'overall sealon with a 37-3 record.
Furthermore,vthe 37 victories represent, the
idost games ever Won by an NCAA team in a
single sealon.
While these sports achievements are to be -
applauded intheir'own right. Duke had an
even greater victory that will surpass the
" Mrdwjs.'ws
. another sports flgurd or personality. to place
in perspecti we those greater victories‘of
,Duke. The loveable John WCoten, wno
Coached UCLA basketball teams to 10
national championships InJiiS last 12 years
of Coaching, was qOoted in the Christian
Science Monitor as saying: ‘‘..,1 can tell you
for a fact that today's kids are crying'out
for discipline, and irtoet'of the tlme jhey
aren't getting it...at home or ffom... their
• teachers. And until we give them the pfoper
standards to live by, we will Continue to be a
nation whose young plople will be in axsTout
of trouble.”
Coach WOoden's Words appear to have
been personified by the character and
attitude “ofDuke’s basketball team this
year. In point of fact, Duke's four starting
semors-David Henderion, Jay Bllas, Mark
Alarie, and Johnny Dawkins-will graduate
with their class thia spring. As Mg.time
NCAA basketball goes, this-is In itself a
major and unusual victory. In , point 'of
character, The Charlotte Observer sports
Columnist Ron Green stated in eloquent
' Words a (Mil tribute to the Duke basketball
team and Coach Mike Krzyxewski. Already
qOoted In Some newspapers, it Is well Worth
stating again how that the ertotlon'of the
NCAA Final Four has passed and we can
y think, hopefully, in taertous tsrpks the full
‘ ^^^Wmtl^be^Scld'tSnf to? “oUsge
athletics at this troubled time iTchSe
should win the championship. Gdod kids
; who stay out of trouble, go to dais, Work
hard, Conduct themselves well In public and
can play (basketball).
"This Duke team represents all . that is
gdod in sports at this (or any'others level.
All the administrators who are trying to
legislate Bdoka back into tnd shabby
behavior out of Collegiate athletics don’t
have to Concern themaelvee with this
teem."
Ifonically, the charaotef of the professio
nal football team that has Its home In
Dallas, host city for the NCAA champion- '
ship game, hat led to that team, the Dallas
Cowboys, being called "America's Teem."
, ! -i|
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Miller Savu
Socioeconomic Progress Made Through Coalitions
By Jherman N. Miller
. Special To The Poet
When 1 examine the im
pact of the Mid-East crisis on
ethnic gfoups in America, 1
Conclude that it is impeding
black America’s upward
Mobility. I see a major Mid
East campaign currently
under way, in the United
States, that is being fought
by black mercenaries who
are emotionally finessed into
trading Mack America’s
ftodoeCoflomic progress for
Illusionary verioMous
rhetoric.
1 came to realize the do
mestic impact'of the Mid
East war whilst talking with
Roke Lieberman at Beth
Emeth Synagogue 'of Wil
mington, DE. I asked him
why a chasm exists between
the black and Jewish Com
munities.
”1 don’t Mow. If I had an
answer, I vOould be a wise
man. It has always
befuddled me.”
Lieberman’* Comment
suggests that the obdurate
developers'of the ill-natured
strategy that underpins tMs
black-Jewish chasm have
masked their intentions well.
Nevertheless, I got fome
insight 'on their hidden
agenda by viewing the black
Jewish chasm as an'outfall
Sherman
of tho Arab-Israeli war.
Carl 9on Clauaewitz, the
great war philosopher, In his
Kook, "On War,r offer, a
human nature scenario that I
believe is one‘of the fOof
causes of the current black
JewlsH chasm.
"An act'of violence which
anyone Commits upon us by
order of hie superior, win
excite in us a desire to
retaliate and be revenged on
him, SOoner than ‘on the
superior power at whose
Command the act was done,"
writes Claueewitx.
During my visit, Beth
Emeth Congregation was
seeking ways to bridge the
chasm with the black Com
munity. As I listened to their
special guest discuss the
activities of Minister Louis
Farrakhan, it was clear that
Farrakhan is a repugnant
• • '(’’t "/iV
j r•’^1 : • £ - y v . 7:J®'W
wi1 n
You Gan Prevent It. Thkfa What We Can Do Now.
Flowen Have Become Year-Round Staple On Shopping Lists
By Sabrina Johnson
Special To Hie Post
The'old fashion flofion'of
sending flowers' only for spe-.
dal 'occasions is passing.
There' once was a time when
after Valentine’s Day flower
sales dropped sharply. No
(flore. Flowers have become
a year round staple 'on
shopping lists; special'occa
sions are hot the' only reaflon
for buying a Bouquet. Just
being Is. People are buying
flowers'on the way home
from Work'or to Work'or to
cheer up an'otherwise grey r
day. • 't4>: ■ .■<*
^Business forr dealers ln<
floral products has bios-*
iomed In the past few years.7
In the U.S., retail salefof cut
flowers has increased from
$2.9 billion In 1962 to $3.7
billion In 1995. The long dis
tance delivery network,
FTD, has been growing
annually by 10 percent “or
(flora, reaching $851 million
In 1985.
In today's moving Society
the Idea'of buying flowers Is
becoming as Common as
buying bread and is flo (flora
of an extravagance. Custom
ers are picking up freeh cut
flowers while doing their
Sabring"
•flopping. Often they do flot
kflow the name* of the
flowers btit do kflow flow they
“Wok in their perspective*
place. Consumers are buying
flowers to deflorate living
spaces, brighten offices,
cheer up pals ‘or Just be
cause It's fun and nice to do.
A primary realon why
flowers are selling la that
they are fldw available In
flon-traditlonal places
meaning they are Sold in
many more places than the
traditional florist sflops.
Supermarkets are s Common
place flow to find and buy
flowers. Cincinnati-baaed
Kroger has put flower
sections In 60 percent "of its
symbol that Could excite
oeeiree of revenge. If I
Couple Farrakhan’a virulent
rhetoric with the large
crowds'* blackXturning'out
at his gatherings, then many
Jews, with X Holocaust
Indelibly etched ‘on their
minds, might be expeoted to
harbor dtadain for the blade
Community.
Tha auestlon that im
mediately Comes to mind la
why la a black-Jewish chasm
Important to a foreign
power? The answer to this
question seems to be embod
ied in Clausewltz’s teachings
on thsT objectives' of war. •
“War la never directed
Solely against matter; It ie
always at the same time
Sited against the intelli
force which ghree life to
matter."
The American-Jewiah lob
by is perceived by many to
do an excellent Job in pro
moting the interests'of the
State'of Israel. If a foreign
interest wanted to diminish
the lmpacf of this lobby, they
might seek to Counterpoee it
with another ethnic gfoupof
Comparable political clout.
Since Black America has sice
and growing political Influ
ence, anyone who captivates
the hearts and mipds'of this
Community with anti
Semitic rhetoric automatic
ally becomes a field marahal
in an anti-Jewlah ermy.
Clauaewltx‘offers another
Comment: “Truth alone la
but a weak riotlve'of action
with men, and hence there la
always a great difference be
tween knowing end action...1*
70 Percent
Continued From Page l A
Income for Mack children wee
If,MO compared with IS,NO for
wMtg children The average for
Sponiah children waa also much
^jAbout | oy^oSjrf Jlva Mack
* percent '3* them" inTamakT
famlliea. Other proportion wore
five porooM of white end II per
°^t£I|555CmUHETbs million
Mocha, 48 8 million whites, and 4.8
mUllon Mlspanlce under •*• ». The
proportlona^Jlvlng ^ln^ female
prwant varied widaly-41 percent for
blacks, 14 percent for wMtoa, and 84
percent for Hltoanlci
IMB/mal uirlafiniu mmA mew ^ _
re^.ThedeUeleo areaubjit to
1,351 stores. European style
flower markets are growing
in malls. These markets are .
usually centrally located in
the mall to that mail cus
tomers do dot have to pass r
through ddorato buy flowers,'*
but simply walk up to pick
and cKdose the bright Colored 2
posies.
i’" • r
The increased availability *
triggers impulse buying. So
much So mat 7-Eleven Is'
selling single, long stem
roses in its stores in South;
Florida. . i
T!*» f .^ "'i
volume,-.
flowers has given . ,
new type of flower store - -
called Stem or Bucket
shops: which let the custom
er be the florist. Each
variety of fresh cut flower is
put into a vase and the
customer is left to “create”
htforhe^own Bouquet.
In addition to the mass
merchandising “of^flowers, ~
florists are cultivating all
Consumers with special em
phasis on encouraging
Women to give flowers to '
men (adding to the tradi
tlonal man giving flowers to
women), “or men glvlhc .
flower* to men. Tiltvlifon *
Commercials such as the
55SaaR.SK:
that men like “or enjoy re- /
celving flowers.
’ ft ar. idk'wc'•
tic flower* are alio In
demand. They Contri
i an estimated 1240
Ion in sales during 1966.
_ - Netherlands if on? of the
nftost popular Sources, which
exports Some $100 million
teZ'&sstb&ti
many'others to the United
States. Columbia and Israel
are two large exporters.
The . Caribbean and Hawaii
•end such tropical strain* as
orchids, heliConia*, proteas,
and banana flowers. A
Aside from the economics
and business of It, flowsrs
still project the image of
special; regardless 'of the
day or occasion, they still
maintain a level of special
about them. Flowers can
bring a feeling of ley and
Continuance into the day. The
new reasons to buy flowers
are Wonderful but they are
still a fabulous way to
express and profess true love
and affection. If they did,
Would ftot florists and Con
sumers gb to the ends'of the
earth to get the perfect
flower?