Newspapers / The Carolinian (Raleigh, N.C.) / Nov. 16, 1978, edition 1 / Page 4
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V v- THE CAROLINIAN—THURS.. NOVEMBER 16.1978—PAGE 4 EDITORIAL VIEWPOINT Congratulations. Sheriff Baker Congratulations, Sheriff-elect John Haywood Baker, Jr., and your fine staff. It is with pardonable pride that we salute a fellow black in his astute campaign for the public trust he now assumes in one of the most responsible offices in Wake County. The campaign was executed in such a manner that President Jim my Carter, Governor Jim Hunt, Jr., and U.S. Senator Robert B. Morgan (D-N.C.) and others of like calibre among whites saw fit not only to en dorse Mr. Baker, but to campaign in his behalf. So it seemed fitting that the whites who helped vote Baker in saw to it that the Governor’s choice for sheriff was honored. History was made by the Governor, along with the electing of a black sheriff for the first time, as we have no record where a N.C. Governor has aided in the election of a black sheriff We commend the Governor for the en dorsement he made of Judge Richard C. Erwin to the N.C. Ap peals Court as well as for the part he played in behalf of Sheriff Baker. 'Ihat Sheriff Baker is in good com pany goes without saying as birds of a feather flock together. And should advice be needed, he is in a strategic position, through his able association, to get it. There is no doubt Wake County has chosen well its new sheriff and we foresee benefits the county may expect in the years ahead in the decision it has made in selecting John Haywood Baker, Jr. its sheriff. Churches Need Better Programs For the Elderly As our life span increases, our churches find that the percentage of aged members increases. But too many churches fail to meet the real needs of this growing part of the membership. “The most creative and best-de signed program in the world will not succeed if it is not attuned to the real needs of the individual involved,” once said Dr. Sue Saxton, .9 professor of Aging Studies at a southern university. More still, the elderly cannot be involved in social and spiritual programs provided by religious groups in a creative way if they are worrying about physical nee^ or personal security. Some of the needs of the aging are: 1. Physical needs — food, health and fre^om from pain. 2. Safety and security — adequate bousing and freedom from worry about criminal attack and invasion. 3. Affiliation — a sense of belonging to the larger community. 4. Self esteem — a need to feel respected as a person and useful to the community. 5. Self actualization — the achievement of "being all that you can be.” Different churches may attack the problem of helping their aged members in a variety of ways. 1. By “bird-dogging” the government leaders and agencies tliat are responsible for health care for the aging and increasing contact with hospitals and nursing homes — “it does make a difference in the care an individual receives from someone who shows an interest.” 2. By offering person-to-person financial and legal aid in the form of guidance. Many members would rather talk to a church member about their problems than to go to a stranger. 3. By providing continuous contact with homebound members, with attention to such details as help with minor home repairs and upkeep. 4. By making certain that the elderly have transportation for necessary shopping trips and medical appointments, as well as church services and weekday programs. 5. By training lay visitors to spot signs of unintentional drug abuse or malnutrition. 6. By providing more counselling specifically designed to deal with fears about illness and death. 7. By increasing opportunities for the homebound and other elderly persons to participate in Bible study and by providing tape-recordings of sermons and other messages designed to keep the homebound in touch with the church community. 8. By keeping abreast of all community resources available and knowing how to use them for the benefit of older persons. One church instituted what it called the “Hi-Neighbors” program, which provided retirees with a myriad of activities every Wednesday. Organized and coordinated by the group themselves, the program ranges from classes in physical fitness, tell ringing and vocal music, to courses in history, Bible study and politics. The handicraft program produces items — such as the highly prized handmade quilt — that area sold in annual bazaar benefitting many people. But we hope that no church will have a sad program like one we witnessed in a church that had a meals program. Immediately after the meal, the individuals held a prayer meeting that seemed like a funeral. This would depress most anybody. Most churches can do tetter than this. Another Look at the Death Penalty Often we have heard that the death penalty is not a deterrent to crime. In the first place, we never thought it was. We have always considered the death penalty simply punishment for committing crime. But let us look at some other arguments ngainst the death penalty. Take this argument: Capital punishment is racially unjust. “From 1930 to 1965, 53 percent of those executed in the United States were black, although blacks comprised only 10 percent of the population. To us, this is not a logical argument. The argument b^ the question. Are the condemned on death row there because of their blackness or because of their guilf! At one period in our history, there were more murders in the Hell’s Kitchen section of New York City, a predominantly white area, than on the exclusive residential section of Park Avenue. Poverty breeds crimes of violence, not blackness. Relative affluence may breed, perhaps, the embezzler or the defrauder. Crimes of violence — the ghetto crimes — carry stiffer penalties than crimes against property alone, for the simple reason that in any civilized society the crime which takes, injures or threatens human life is regarded as more reprehensible than ^ crime which takes or threatens only property. The solution, therefore, to the difficult problems caused by ghetto poverty — black or white — does not seem to lie in adjusting the criminal code, including the death penalty. The question of liie death penalty may not be the simplistic one of deciding whether convicted murderers shall live or die, but of deciding just who shall do the dying. We Must Warn People Against Alcoholism From what we know about alcoholism, the public must face reality and cease sugarcoating the fact of alcohol addiction among youth. It has become a national disgrace. After having observed the immeasurable social misery stemming from horrendous alcoholism among youth, in conjunction with observing the shriveled moral conduct and base outlook of our young people as a consequence, have we not had enough compromise on the issue? It is granite stupidity for adults to continue to maintain a veneer of apathy, remain dispassionate and continue to weakly yield to teeni BIBLE THOUGHT The Psalms of David rang witb praise to Jefaovaht the God of Israel. As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday season, thanks be to God who giveth us the victory; victory over poverty, sickness, pain and suffering, and finally, over ourselves to keep us from cheating, lying, stealing and being selfish. A DARK POINT OF VIEW BY “BILL** MOSES THE BLEAK SEASON We are now in that season of the year between Halloween and Christmas when the weather produces more cheerless, dreary days than any other Ume of the year. There are hinU of the winter to come in the tempertature; the balmness of the fall has just about disai^>eared; the trees are rapidly becoming bare of leaves; the rains are silent and depressing. In iib^ we are in what I call the bleak season of the year. Exce^ for the hiatus of Thanksgiving and the anticipation of the Christinas season, which helps soothe the dreariness of the days, our psyches are cm Ih" Mnwn’ side. November is void of holidays except for Thanksgiving. However, there is one slight picK-up on the Autumn scene • The first Tuesday in November * Gen^l Election Day • when Americans go to the polls and things can get very exciting or very bland f<»' a day. We have vague thoughts about "what shall I get for Aunt Sarah tnr Christmas." but very little else to wipe out the di^riness of the weather. n Perhapb it is good that two of the most wonderful holidays of the year occur during this bleak season. The spirit of joy and happiness they arouse is further heightened by contrast with the weather. The picture of the horse drawn vehicle carrying us "overtheriverand through the woods" to grandmother's house, is not always a snowy scene. For many the travel may be dismal and depressing until we reach the warmth of grandmother’s house. So, 1o(4l up and be merry for these bleak days too shall pass. UN AFFAIRS IMPERIALRHETORIC BY LAURA PARKS At British tory party conferences, old imperial rhetoric Ixiefly drowned out voices of reason during heated debete over Britain’s role in Rhodesia and Southern Africa. Racious voices of the old establishment demanded British support for the governments of lanSmith in Rhodesia and Botha in^th Africa. All last week, the tory imperialists and the British tory pres was beating the drums in support of the Smith mision to Washington, suggsUng that Smith was about to accomplish some kind of miracle and change the attitudes of the Carter ad- ministrationand its policy towards the Rhodesian regime. By mid-week it was clear that the Smith mision could never have succeeded. At this point the tory die-hards decided to mount a last-ditch fight at their party’s annual Brighton conference, the last (me to be held before Britain’s mandatory general elections sometime in 1979. First they demanded that Smith be invited to Britain and accorded the sme courtsis that be received in the United States, then they demanded settlement, then s the last resort, they accused the Rusians and the Cubans for causing most, if not all, the troubls of Africa. As one outraged tory stalwart put it, "They are cutting otir throats in Africa while Callaghan and Carter sit and smile." Wiser beads at the party conference tried to introduce logic and reason into the debate over Africa but itao(» became obvious that imptMiant elements in the tory party were not about to surrender Soutbon Africa to the Africans witbMt some kind of a conference floor. Hie UhIcs were duly outraged again when it was reported ot them that the United Nations censured the U.S. for having given Smith and his party visas to visit the U.S.A. At this point the United Nations was described asa "wild bunch. ” Away fitHn the Brighton conference but echoing its deeply rooted anti-black African sentiments and its Oxford-accented racism was Enoch Powell. Mr. Powell was, in fact, in West Ger’ many giving an interview to his favorite West German weekly magazine, Der Spiegel, in which be said that Britain’s blacks and browns were aliens and would always remain atiens. It has been a long time since Enoch Powell has spoken, typically attacking Britain’s minority peculation and the county’s immigration 'aws. His speech drew discreet applause from the tory faithful and favorable commoits from West Germany’s neo-nazi and conser vative elements. Mr. Powell has been described as the f 4abUshment'8racist,thoughhewoukldenythl5andtakerefuge behind bis well cultivated image of a gentleman and classical scholar. During the economic debate, former prime minister Edward Heath rocked party unity with his spewfa in support of labor Prime Minister Callaghan’s plans to keep British wage set tlements within a five percent limit. The interesting point be made in suppmt of his argument was that if the price of British goods were allowed to rise because of inflationary pressures caused by steep wage increases, then British made goods could be priced out of Third World markets. This is to ny knowledge the first time that a major Western political leader has publicly admitted that Third World markets have become crucially important for several industrial nations, including Britain. Mr. Heath, who negotiated Britain’s entry into the Europen common market, fears Third World market penetration fnnn Japan and West Germany Both Germany and Japan are carefully cultivating their black African friends with future (xtiTitsin mi^. The truth of this thesis appealed to the (L'ninant elements within the party's business sector, who wm in the eiJ and after some severe floor fights, able to hold off the die-hards and suc cessfully urge moderation in their policies on most of the terns under ctmsideraUon by the conference. It is worthwhile to note that in Europe no majoi ix^Ural cem- ference takes place where Africa and the Hiird World Ju not play an important part in the deliberations. WHAT OTHER EDITORS SAY >■ If- THE LEVEL OF FEAR iS....SH0CKING drinking, which has resulted in a mass poisoning of our youth and a sickening of the national body. Alcohol usage among teenagers must not be tolerated as necespry evil m our society. American citizenry must be fired by concern, and not make themselves accomplices in the slow prostitution of our future, which lies in the coming generation. The so-called right to even “limited” alcohol usage among youth recedes before the duty to preserve a decent America and prevent the further degeneration and social deterioration of our society. ON THE NATIONAL SCENE News of the defeat of Republican Sen. Edward Brooke of Massachusetts was one of the m(H% disappointing results of Tuesday’s Section. The charismatic and lone black member of the United States Senate was pushed out of office by his 37-year-old Oeroocralic challenger, whose campaign was boosted by generous per sonal appearances from F^ideot Carter and Sen. Ed ward Kennedy. Of course, otbo’ factors con tributed to the senator’s loss. AMhh f A Ik ttm ■mil tr IS UP TO US. BLACKS WHO CAPE ABOUT THE BLACK FUTURE, TO IMPOSE omxR uHEK Mneaisr TO MY. AND WE HAVE TOPO 11EOB OUR LIVES HAVE AlUAYS BEEN WORTH LESS THAH WHITE ONES IH THEEYEf Of OURCOUHTRY, AHO OUR COUNTRY OOES NOTREAUY CARE ABOUT THE CHAOS IH OUR HEmeOR- HOOOSASLONOASTHAT ANARCHY OOES HOT SHU OYER THE LINES OFOEHAR- CAnON. WEHAVE TOOOrr BECAUSE WE CANNOT ASH OUR OLD PEOPLE TO SPEND THERESTOF TNEK LIVES RAssm throuona OAUNTIET OFHUeeeRS. ODDS AND ENDS BY JAMES AUGUSTUS SHEPARD BAKER WON—BLACKS LOST A strange headline? NOI It is a true statement of what went on in Wake County Novembtf 7, election day. John Baka*, Jr., the black candidate for ab^f of Wake County, received 33,882 votes. Of that number, ap proximately 8,000were cast by black voters. There are 18,000 black re^trants b Wake County. There is no way to determine ac curately the mimber of blacks who voted on November 7. There are 6 precincts b Raided that are, together, at leut 99 percent black. Ninety percent of the 16,000 black registrants b Wake County live within these 6 Raleigh precincts. Yet, Baker received only 4,085 votes from them. There are three, possibly four, other Ralei^ precincts witb a more or less sizeable sprinkling of black voters, par ticularly b predoct 40. It may be realistic to say that b these precincts. Baker received 1,500 votes from blacks. Altogether, Baker picked iq> around 5.500 votes from his feQow Raleigh blacks. There are no heavy coocentratkBiarttidu^ fallowing Carter's leadership? Yes. we b the rural aieas of Wake County. The lai^^ sM^Hlyquesti<m the btelligence of the white towns, Cary, Garner, Apex, Zebulon, etc., North Carolina voters. formed voter knows that these corporations are only interested in making m(Hiey. They never give, they invest They were bvesUng b Helms’ campaign because they expected to receive. How many of these firms are retwesented here b this state by the Ellis law finn? We wonder how a candidate for office, a high office like a U. S. Senator, can beueve he is being honest when he engages a fund-raisa and agrees to split the proceeds of the funds raised on a 5(X'50 basis. Is Helms honest when he contributes half of the $7 million b cam paign funds to Richard V Greene, the Virginian who headed Helms' campaign drive? Wasn’t it apparent to all of those voters that Carter will te president for at least another two years, and that there is absolutely nothing that Helms can do to alter, change or dilute the Carttf program because the overwhelming maj<Rrtty of the Senate is Democratic and is llfNMR M pMBl S M most notably a scandalous divorce settlement, the details of which were brazenly and zealously reported by the medb. In his address to supporters after Sen. Brooke’s cimcessioa speech, newly elected Rep. Paul Tsongas spoke of the big shoes he would have to fill. That was no exaggeration. Brooke not only stood out because of his distinction as the only black, he stood out as an individual whose compassion for his fellow man was reflec ted b his voting record by the issues he supported and in troduced before his ctdleagucs. The American Conservative Union recently released the results of the organization’s ratings of U.S. Congressmen. Sen. Brooke made a dismal showing, which b itself attests to his value b Washingtom and the job be did for mintHilics and their causes. One good bit of news coming from the northeast was that Philadelphb voters will send Mayor Frank Rizzo packing af ter hit second term expires b January 1960. Rizzo, wbo was trying to for ce a City Charter change that would have allowed him to run (See OTHER EDITORS, P. 11) have very little to offer blacka, so very few blacks reside in these towns from a com psrative viewpoint It la interesting to note, that outsideof Ralei0), wUhithbai tratkiQ of blacks. Baker suceetded only 2 precincts; Holly Springs, where be received SIS votes, and Wake PonMi, 111 votes. Of these 984 votes, it might be safe to say that one half came from Mack voters. Outside of Holly Sprinp and Wake Forest, Baker poasbly received 1,500rural black voles. Getting back to Raleigh. It is possible, though not probable, that Baker picked up an additional 1,009 votes from blacks scatter^ b various po^ets within the city. There are several black voters living in the different apartment projects b West Raleigh, Niwth Hills, the Avent Ferry Road section. North Raleigh, (^Derlin and Method. Still, we feel that we have given a most liberal estimate ol the votes cast by blacks for John Baker. We believe that if we were compelled to anticept the 8,000 we have p^jected, we would not be able to do so. So we stick to our headline, Baker Woo—Bladu Lost. They lost the chance of a lifetime to job b this history-making event. The flrst black elected to the position of sheriff b Wake County < orb any other N. C. county) b over 100 years. If sudi an event does not stir blacks to vote, pray tell la what can, or wliat will? And more pakiculfluiy. Raleigh blacks. Baker is a Raleijps native. He has spent his en tire life b Ralei^, with the excef^ion of the fall and winter seasons of his professional football career. Baker has given all of his time, eoM^. bteliect and resources to working for the uplift and rehabilitation of Wake County youth. It was because of hit shining example of giving and helpbg those b need of his help, that the approximately 30,000 white voters cast their votes for him on Nov. 7. A GOOD NAME won this battle for Baker. WHO SAID VOTERS ARE INTELUGENT? Things are tightening up. Earning a decent living is becoming more and more of a problem. Inflation and rising costs are sending cold shivers down the backs of millions of Americans, worried citizens, looking for relief. There are those here b North Carolina wbo are saying that the majority of the ooe-half toUlioo-plus who voted to return Jesse Helms to the U.S. Senate, did so because they were looking for relief, economic relief. It is said that because of Helms' lip service to the emme el economy b government, these misgiiidari N.C. voters allowed themselves to believetbat Helms could and would help them wUh^behy^ economic problems. ttriaid The shallow thinkirig and unsubsUntialed deductions of those who really believe b this Helms doctrine of obstruction cause us to seriously question the highly-touted in- telligence of the American white voter. A sim ple perusal of (b» many votes Helms cast b the U.S. Senate in the interest of, and for the protectioo of, the combines, the trusts, the moguls of business a**d the organized in dustrial complexes of this nation, shouk! be sufficient evidence for any btelli^t citizen that Helms cares only about the proq»erity and the expansion of the vested interests that Helms supports. A look at the list of corporations who con tributed to his uiqirecedeoted campaign fund should cause the veker to at least luMi himself why are so many big enterpri^ ail over this country giving money to a person running for office from North CaroUna? The nuMt unin- BLACKSMUFfCD CHAMCE Yes. it is a fhet, there are registered black voters in North Carolina (about W lYle constitute the balance of power in issue. Because of this fact, blacks [kssily have brought aboift the election of John Ingram to tbeU. S. Senate. That this is true, can be stteated to the factthatbthreeeasternNorthCsrolbacouD- tiaa, the black vote gave Ingram the me jortty. The question naturally ariaee, how come af ter haring lost so much throu^. and by. the negativism of Jesse Helms, tdacks would not be willing and ready to do all within their power to unseal him? The answer is: lack of leadership. The average black voter really doee not know, or appreciate, the value, and the power, of his vote. President L. B. Johnson believed that the Voting Rights Act that he put through Congress was the weapon that would equalize many t.hings for bbek Americana. Johnson was right about the power of the weapon. However, that weapon unused is, of course, powerleas. * When, and If, the day ever cornea b this state when the blai^ cl«^ will sti^ wasting so much of their constituents’ Ume b haring to listen to the fanfare about walking the golden streets of heaven, and pmnt their listeners to the worthwhilenees of pairing miNT attention to the statement of Christ, "I am come that ye aiig^)ikve a more abundant life,’’ black peovMIt have the type of leadership they so sorelyiMed. The average black voter is poliUcally igna*- ant. The average black r^istrant in Newtb Carolina baa a feeling that politics is f<r the white man only. The whites, naturally, want him to keep on feelbg that way. The bladi pastor reaches more blacks than any other medium. He should take it upon himself to enlighten the ignorance of his tock foUowers. The way out of darkness for all blacks Is the way of the ballot. Had the black voters of this state been righUy guided and motivated, John Ingram would have been the next U.S. Smtor from this state. Maybe, by the time the next major electioa rolls around, bladi pastors will hive awakened to their duUes and have their foUowMS ready to respond meaningfully and btelligenUy. We hope this will be the case. WHAT 18 THE REAL STORY BEHIND THE BROOKE DEFEAT? gena^ Edward W. Brooke, the Mily black —^'^ntbeU S. Senate, recenUy loet his bid iectioo for a third term as the Senator from Massachusetts, strange thing about his defeat for was wholly apart from the service as Senator. Those services, motivated by and through liberal thinking, had, duT^ his 12 years b the Senate won him the goodwill and admiraUon not only of his consUtuents, but also of his fellow senate tuembers. Sen. Brooke’s marital problems were supposedly the root of his downfall. Somewhere along the line, one gets the scent of a dead rat. One gets the impressiem that 8«Mne type of shenanigans were introduced so efIecUvely that the Brooke bid for reelection wasblodied. During the 1976 {uesidenUal campaign, the name of Edward Brooke as a Republican vice preskknUal candidate was beard. Is there any reason to suspect that his defeat for a third senatorial term was b any way connected with the desire to get him our of the way as a (Mesidentbl or vice presidential candidate? Oh, well! We are just wondering out loud.
The Carolinian (Raleigh, N.C.)
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Nov. 16, 1978, edition 1
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