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Show A 15-Ye- Struggle for Justice ar The foil Like Tribune, Tuesday, January H, 1 986 All King Holiday Is a Day for All of Us By Ronald Walters The Baltimore Sun The holiday to commemorate the Ideals and life work of Martin Luther King Jr. evolved slowly, not only through congres-aiona- l activities but also through actions by unions, educators, politicians and others around the country, often led by the Martin Luther King Center for Social Change. introRep. John Conyers Jr., duced the first bill for a holiday four days after Dr. Kings death and pursued it diligently through a tortuous legislative course (or the next fifteen years. Other key legislative supporters were Walter E. Fauntroy, D-C., and Katie Hall, the former representative from Indiana who now serves on the national commission for the King holiday. I, like others, braved the bitter cold on the Washington Monument grounds in recent rallies because we understood clearly, as did the initiators, that in the equally chilly climate which had seized the government, nothing short of a national mobilization would draw attention to the goal. By the end of 1980, the bill was short of passage by five votes in the House, leading its managers to feel that some new and dramatic element was needed to secure final a conclusion drawn from past enpassage counters with other civil rights measures. A tremendous galvanizing force arrived with the extensive commitment by Stevie Wonder. His "Happy Birthday recording popularized the cause, and his provision of other resources greatly assisted the lobbying campaign on Capitol Hill. In the end, these elements, together with the national "King Week" festivities sponsored by the King Center, proved to be decisive in developing the mobilization which secured final passage of D H R. 3706 in 1984. Analyzing the progress of this bill, one could see that it's success resides not only in the growing political power of black elected as it most certainly does officials but also in the still viable strategy of popular mobilization. In fact, the logic of effective or of politics for any similarlyblack politics -situated should numerical minority attempt to combine the power of elected officials with the power of community activism. This conclusion is persuasive not only for the King Holiday bill, but for the equally popular "Free South Africa Movement" which pushed the Act of 1985 to the forefront of the 1985 Congressional legislative agenda. But it is also obvious that in both cases, the cost to the administration of going along was considered minimal. Despite President Reagans initial opposition to the King Holiday bill, for example, he was led to sign it, despite strong opposition from some of his Senate supporters, such as Strom Thurmond, who argued that the holiday would Dr. Walter a la profeaaor of political at Howard Ualveralty. acl-eac- e cost the Government $22 million in overtime. Mr. Reagan, no doubt, saw a relatively inexpensive way to counter the strong sentiment within the growing national mobilization that his administration was anti-civrights and perhaps even racist. But even if Sen. Thurmond was right, the King Holiday did not violate basic Republican philosophy by giving away the financial resources of the government, and the beneficiaries would be more universal than just blacks. Should Mr. Reagan have finally opposed the bill, it would have been construed as oppostion to the idea of a holiday for King, and thus aligned the White House with the sentiments of those who had opposed it for the most perverse reasons. The bill presented the president with the opportunity to indulge in some civil rights symbolism, while other politicians, including some presidential aspirants in Congress, likewise sought to balance their legislative scorecards. The marvel of such a bill, then, coming in the midst of a conservative political alignment was the fortuitous fit of the politics of black leaders and the administration and their respective congressional supporters. Nevertheless, assuming the best of mo il Jack W. Germond and Jules Witcover Views Reagans Acid-Ra- in Are No Longer All Wet . Chicago Tribune Service The joint report of a task force on acid rain, prog posing a $5 billion cleanup of industries ever a five-yeperiod, has received a relatively cool reception at the White House, where President Reagan called it an important step forward, but made no promises on spending the federal share. With the hot breath of the n requirement on the neck of the new federal budget, the outlook for funding of the proposal seems glum. Still, if nothing else the report ought finally to disabuse the president of another of his doggedly held misconceptions and oblige him to face another of the realities that seems to have eluded him. In the 1980 presidential campaign, candidate Ronald Reagan claimed that the volcanic Mount St. Helens caused more air pollution in a few months than automobiles in 10 years, that growing and decaying vegetation" caused most air pollution, that anyway it had been substantially controlled, and in fact some noxious materials in the air might be beneficial to tubercular patients." Breezes from the Santa Barbara Channel off an oil slick at the turn of the century, he said on another occasion, purified the air and prevented the spread of infectious diseases. Such comments led to the single best crowd sign of the year, affixed to a tree: Chop Me Down Before I Kill Again. Reagan finally got away from such daffy observations, but his skepticism remained. Two years ago, when a White House panel on acid rain issued a report that should have swept that skepticism aside, Reagan continued to insist that acid rain, even if manmade, was no big deal as a threat to rivers, lakes and fish. The head of the Environmental Protection Agency at that time, William Ruckelshaus, hailed what he called a significant change in administration thinking, but added that the president didnt believe there was enough information to warrant spending the kind of money Ruckelshaus proposed to meet the problem. One memorable demonstration of this conviction was a briefing by then budget director David Stockman in which he argued that the plan being proposed would cost at least $6,000 per pound of fish saved. Also, Stockman was said to have proposed his own solution: Keep the prevailing winds the way into Canada. theyre going WASHINGTON coal-burnin- ar deficit-reductio- s Then, however, came Reagans meeting in Quebec with Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, who put him on the spot with a very public plea for help in last March coping with pollution floating over Canada g from plants in the American Northeast and Midwest. The joint study just released was the result, and with Mulroney h lookscheduled to come here in ing for action, it is going to be mighty hard for Reagan to finesse it. It is in this context that the comment of former Secretary of Transportation Drew Lewis, Reagans special representative to deal with the Canadians on acid rain, was as important as the recommendations themselves. We cant keep studying this thing to death, Lewis said, clearly indicating his view that the time has come to take action against the air pollution from plants that eventually falls to earth as acid rain. That comment appears to be a clear signal that Reagan realizes he can no longer fall back on denying that the problem exists, or that sufficient evidence hasnt been or maybe the mounted. The obstacle now is money, what with convenient alibi putting a stranglehold on new spending, especially since Reagan vowl to preserve a 3 percent growth in defense outlays. There seems little doubt that Reagan would simply toss an acid-rai- n program into the ashcan along with other entities he considers expendable, such as Amtrak and the Small Business Administration, if it were not for the Canadian factor. The budget director, James Miller, and Secretary of Energy John Herrington are known to oppose any serious spending to cope with acid rain. The likelihood, therefore, is that before Mulroney gets here Reagan will ask Congress for some money to combat acid rain knowing that if it is cut out on Capitol Hill, he can tell the Canadian premier it was the fault of those other guys. At least, it seems fairly safe to say, there will be no more talk about how air pollution may be good for you, or that its not so bad. tives on all sides, there is a connection between the politics which brought the holiday for Martin Luther King, Jr. into existence and that which will make it successful. The holiday for Martin Luther King, Jr., provides an unexpected, and perhaps Inadvertent, annual opportunity for the nation to reflect cii the extent to which Dr. Kings concept of the beloved community" is consistent with national goals, and to seriously consider the means of the implementation of that concept. For example, we could reflect upon the fact that America has an economy that is undeniably the strongest in the world, and a war machine second to none, but that the government is following economic policies which intensify racial and economic divisions. We also might gain vital perspective from a comparison of the national will to find the building blocks of matter and reconstruct the human gene, explore the heavens and unlock the mysteries of the origin of the universe, while lacking the will to provide equal access to resources in order to maximize human growth and development for all. Just as important, we could challenge our leaders, and world leaders, to give more than pro forma attention to the vital question of peace at times in between summit meetings. The underlying implication of this vision is that the nation will have a structured opportunity to use the legacy of Martin King, to reconsider the "politics of social change" as the national means to a better, more inclusive society. If it happens that black people, having come from the depths of slavery, have become the cutting edge of the social conscience of America, then so much the better that one of their gifts is a Martin Luther King, Jr. to stir that conscience so that the hope of a better America might be kept alive. Moreover, the reason that the politics of change has universal meaning for the disadvantaged is that the theoretical basis of Dr. King's motivation is universal. For those who have read him and those who will it is possible to encounter the diverse ideas i world. mid-Marc- coal-burni- Gramm-Rudman-Hollin- Senator Soaper Buying a book on how to get rich from a salesman falls in the same catas purchasing hair restorer from a egory bald barber. door-to-do- The Public Forum Tribune Readers Opinions Monsons Reminder Although there are healthy controversies womens isin Utah about many sues" (ERA, abortion, etc.), there is one principle not controversial here: the fairness of equal pay for equal work. Utah women and men of both parties overwhelmingly favor pay equity in the work place. So why do all three of Utahs congressmen vote against the bill that mandates a bipartisan study of the federal pay system to determine if it discriminates on the basis of sex, race or national origin? With virtually all Democrats and many Republicans voting for it, the bill passed easily (259 to 162). Again, the proposed laws only effect is to study the problem. Is our congressional delegation fearful of the results of such a study? All three congressmen apparently need a friendly reminder, but David Monsons need is most shocking. His constituency, perhaps more obviously than those in the northern and southern counties, strongly backs the y principle. Heres Mr. Monsons reminder: The people in his district support pay equity and feel that studying the problem can only have positive results. We are watching him and looking forward to November, 1986. JANET C. GRAHAM are as physically fit as they have ever been. Skinny people are not as City dwellers productive as persons. When did you last see a cover girl or boy change a flat tire without assistance? Thin people are often more hyperactive, nervous, gossipy and uncoordinated than normal persons Skinny people are ill more often because they practice poor nutrition and live in a perpetual state of near starvation. Any "fitness" programs, conducted by businesses, will automatically show a false positive result. This is because the employees actually are responding to the employ- v "politics have had a liberating influence upon the course of human history. Americans should not fear this opportunity, but in the debates about how to observe this holiday should be guided, not only by what Martin would be doing that day, but by how it would have affected America. His struggle for justice is the only way to understand the social unity inherent in the politics of blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans, the poor, farmers, women, the handicapped the majority of Americans. It is a politics which should ultimately come to signify no class or race, only the best intentions for this country, its people, and others around the coal-burnin- Well -- Contoured Letter h of Mahatma Ghandi, Thomas Jefferson and, of course, Jesus Christ, among others, whose T jfflAKg MhIFAT Wf L0K OKI h mp W pay-equit- i Martin Luther King ers care and concern, and not especially to the program itself. A nice employer could raise productivity by his or her attitude of kindness alone. RANDY LIVINGSTON Forum Rules Public Forum letters must be submitted exclusively to The Tribune and bear writers full name, signature and address. Names must be printed on political letters but may be withheld for good reason on others. Writers are limited to one letter every 10 days. Preference will be given to short, typewritten (double spaced) letters permitting use of the writers true name. All letters are subject to condensation. Mail to the Public Forum, The Salt Lake Tribune, P.O. Box 867, Salt Lake City, Utah 84110. Its Come Around Remember the alleged wrongdoing by County Treasurer Art Monson, for which he was acquitted? County Attorney Ted Cannon made quite a spectacle with his zealous pursuit, crying, law and order! and claiming (not very convincingly) that his actions were not politically motivated. Well, heres a bit of wisdom for Mr. Cannon: "What goes around comes around. WILLIAM MARSHALL Secretary Libertarian Party of Utah Like Desert Sculpture In spite of criticism by columnists of The Tribune and others, we like the sculpture Mr. Momen has erected on the western "outskirts of Saft Lake City" (at least 100 miles from Salt Lake City). It adds to the beauty of the desert and gives us something to look forward to as we travel on a lonely and sleepy highway to Wendover. Utahns should feel honored an artist from Sweden would personally finance such a monument in our state. It adds more to the environment than the beer cans and bottles strewn along the highway and a lot of other eyesores closer to Salt Lake City. We dont think Bob Ottum is speaking for the majority of us who frequently travel west on Interstate 80. GORDON and ELAINE BERGENER Tooele Private Provincialism Barbara Cummings Dane (Forum, Jan. 7) is offended by Pioneer Memorial Theatre's choice of scripts. There is no reason why Utah audiences should be denied exposure to critically ac- claimed and contemporary drama, particularly if it is performed with taste and artistic intelligence. The plays listed by Ms. Dane ( Amadeus , Candide, and Chorus Line) are hardly avant-garde- ! They are solid, mainstream choices when introduced into seasons so traditional that they might otherwise be called downright stodgy (e g. The Tempest, Our Town and The Importance of Being Earnest this year, for heavens sake!). A reasonably secure regional theater, particularly one affiliated with a university, it should not only be allowed to take risks should be expected to take them. If language alone suffices to make a play risky in Utah, so be it. The alternative is to remove from con- sideration almost the entire contemporary repertory and to deeply impoverish the relatively lively artistic life of this community. Surely few of us warn our state to pay such an exorbitant public price for Ms. Dane's private provincialism. CHRISTINE SHARER ; |