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Show 8 Moun tain| | west Minoinor rity Reporter & Sentinel, April 19, 1991 The Powell candidacy for 1992 the hardest of hardliners, President Ronald Reagan. Powell is articylate, knowledgeable, and would probably become an effective campaigner. | America’s devastating victory over Saddam Hussein in the Persian Gulf as the opening salvo in George Bush’s campaign to win re-election. Despite the domestic warfare unleashed by Bush — his inaction on the growing economic recession, unemployment rates higher than at any time in eight years — the Democrats have all but died as an effective political opposition. There’s even talk about the Democrats running a ‘‘symbolic’’ candidate for president in 1992, since it is obvious that Saddam Hussein will be projected as next year’s ‘‘Willie Horton.’’ Democratic candidates who voted against President Bush’s authority to initiate warfare will be smeared as vacillating dupes at best, or at worst, apologists for the ‘“But- cher of Baghdad.”’ Against this sorry background of militaristic rhetoric and _ pseudopatriotism has emerged a truly unusual subplot for presidential politics in 1992. For several weeks, the media has been filled with speculation concerning General Colin Powell, the black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and a chief architect in the Allied campaign’s victory. Opinion polis indicated that General Powell would be a more popular running mate with Bush &t the head of the ticket, than current vice president Dan Quayle. The former Indiana senator is widely perceived as a_ political weakling, adding nothing to Bush’s credentials within conservative Republican circles. By contrast, Powell presents the Republicans with several golden opportunities. First, as a military officer, Powell personifies the tough stance on national defense which Bush seeks to maintain. No one could doubt Powell’s loyalty to the Republican Party, secondly, since he had also served as national security advisor to ; Colin Powell But most decisively, Powell’s presence on the 1992 ticket as a Republican would probably guarantee conservative control over the White House for the next 20 years, notwithstanding a major depression or some future war. Since 1948, the ma- jority of white Americans have consistently voted for Republicans over Democrats as presidential candidates. In 1984, for example, 66 percent of all white voters supported Reagan over Mondale; four years later, Bush received 60 percent of the white popular vote. Even in close elections, such as Jimmy Carter’s presidential victory in 1976, more than one half of all whites voted for Republican candidate Gerald Ford. By contrast, African-Americans support Democratic presidential candidates over Republicans by a 10-to-one margin. Mexican-Americans and Puerto Ricans heavily favor Democrats as well, usually by a threeto-one margin. It is simple arithmetic to the Republicans. If only 20 percent of the black vote shifts to the Republican Party, it becomes impossible for Democrats to win the White House. Electoral behavior which is engrained over many decades doesn’t appear overnight. Even if the Democrats nominated for president a conser- didates not by race, but by their adherence to a progressive policy agenda which addresses their community’s interests and needs. Most blacks, when confronted in Congressional races between a black conservative candidate versus a white Democratic liberal, will consistently select the white candidate. Secondly, given the deep racism within the Republican Party’s right wing, a Powell candidacy for vice presidency would force. many to the sidelines. They would rather lose a general election than to have a black person only one heartbeat away from the Oval Office. Dr. Manning Marable is a professor of political science at the University of Col- orado. “Along the Color Line’ appears in over 190 newspapers internationally. Glaucoma is discriminatory ‘‘The public needs to know that glaucoma discriminates,’’ declares actor Harry Belafonte, emphasizing that African-Americans are four to five times more likely than others in the United States to develop the disease. In addition, blacks are six times more likely to go blind from it and can be stricken at an earlier age. Anyone at high risk, which also includes people of any race over 50 years old, those with diabetes, and those who have used a great deal of steroid medications, should have his prosecuting sexual abuse cases by Dawn House Center. Evidence indicated one girl Tribune Staff Writer had been abused by her father and five uncles, and her sibling also was abused, it’s alleged. The civil rights lawsuit contends The grandparents of two Ute Indian children have filed a $10 million class action federal lawsuit, claiming the tribe is not prosecuting sexual abuse cases on the Uintah-Ouray Reservation. that despite evidence of sexual abuse, the tribe ordered Ms. Slim to surrender the children for an unsupervised overnight visit with their parents the following year. | The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court, claims the tribe has failed to prosecute sexual abuse cases involving ‘‘approximately 20”’ Indian children living on the eastern Utah reservation. The plaintiffs detail a sexual abuse case dating to 1987, which was the focus of a similar suit filed in federal court two years ago. When DRUG ABUSE. is. LIFE ABUSE vative, southern white (such as Sam Nunn of Georgia or Lloyd Bentsen of Texas), they could not pull away sufficient numbers of white Republicans or independent voters to overcome the impact of African-Americans voting on Powell’s behalf. The political scenario above is unlikely for several reasons. Contrary to whites, the vast majority of African-American voters select can- through HUD, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Find out for yourself at a FREE seminar on HUD home buying. Don't give up the dream! Free Seminar on HUD Home Buying Date: Saturday, April 27, 1991 Time: 10:00 a.m. Centro Civico Mexicano Address: 155 South 600 West, Salt Lake City ® Seminar conducted in both Spanish and English @ Hear experts from HUD, Banking and Real Estate Companies -@ Talk to HUD home owners For more information call 524-5241 HUD #2 the children returned, they were reportedly sexually abused again. The children’s father was convicted in August 1988 of forcible sexual abuse of children and is carrying an eight-year term in federal prison. Their mother was given probation on. charges of obstructing justice. The lawsuit contends the convictions occurred months after the council had known about the incidents. Ms. Slim says that when she con- In the earlier lawsuit, U.S District Judge J. Thomas Greene remanded the case back to the Ute Tribal Council, saying the tribal court has been ““reconstituted’’ since the abuse occurred. Judge Greene said new leaders _ Should be given the opportunity to fronted tribal authorities, one official told her to “‘keep her mouth shut. She resolve the matter. was not only hurting the father, but Tribal attorneys acknowledged the two children had been sexually abus- the tribe as a whole.’’ And if she wouldn’t drop the matter, ‘‘the tribe would take the kids away from her.”’ The Ute Tribal Court also has harrassed the plaintiffs, Darrell and Colleen Gardner, and a court employee falsified an affidavit to remove the ed, but they argued federal courts can’t intervene because the Ute Tribe is a sovereign nation. **Numerous cases of abuse of Indian children exist on the reservation,’’ claims the latest lawsuit. ‘“The children from Ms. Slim’s home when they pressed their concerns, the lawsuit contends. Last June the Ute Tribal Court removed the children from the Slim home, against the wishes of the children, it’s alleged. Ute Tribe is being grossly negligent in dealing with the matters of one abuse.”’ Telephone calls to the Ute tribal of. fice in Roosevelt were unanswered eyes examined by an eye-care profes- ‘late Wednesday afternoon. The two children were placed in the sional at least once every two years. Belafonte is the national spokesman foster care of Ilona and Johnny Slim for the National Society to Prevent in March 1987 when Ms. Slim ncticed “‘behavioral problems.’’ One child Blindness. cut off the head. and arms of a friend’s Many people who thought they could never own a home have found a way Place: Suit claims Ute Tribe is not On March the children to another cutting off “‘her dad’s head and arms’’ because he had ‘‘hurt her privates.” Ms. Slim claims she Tepeatedly contacted tribal social services during the ensuing three months and’was told an investigation was ongoing, while officials “‘did nothing.”’ Poowegup, Ae <a <a <a <P A << were ss by Kwaki Person-Lynn, Ph.D. While many people in America lament over the Japanese buying up America and the perceived Japanese technological advantage, there is one fact the Japanese are not ready to reveal: that the first inhabitants of Japan were Afrikans, commonly referred to as ‘‘Negritos.’’ The Negritos are described as short people with dark skin and frizzly to curly hair. They have been found in the Philippines, Formosa, China, as well as other areas in the Far East. They are said to resemble the South Afrikan Bushman and the Australian Aborigines, a group of Afrikan people who migrated from Afrika hundreds of years ago. The oldest known inhabitants of Japan were called the Ainus. It is significant that Ainus tradition tells of the Kiropokguru, a group of people who occupied Japan before the Ainus, and described as short and dark. Skull findings show that their size resembles the Afrikans in Australia and those Afrikans found around the Nile River region in Central Afrika. Skulls have also been found on the islands of LiuKiu, .to the south of Japan. If.one were to investigate some of the oldest California historical photos, when the railroads, mines, and towns were being built, it would be an amazing experience to see how dark some of the Japanese workers were. Runoko Rashidi, in Nile Valley Civilizations, mentions a black military commander, Sakanouya Conetah. ee << Historian Wilford Social Services and division director Floyd Wyasket. Medical First Japanese > and Also named are Eldora Perank, a case worker for the Division of Tribal Meanwhile, Ms. Slim had the sex- <i the Irene Cuch, Maxine Natchees, Gary ual abuse diagnosis confirmed by docChildren’s family, lawsuit contends. The lawsuit names as defendants the Ute tribe, the estate of former tribal busiriéss committee chairman Lester Chapoose, and committee members doll, later confiding that she was really tors at Primary 11, the entire case was dismissed by Tribal Judge Katherine Jenks, the aunt of the minor childrea’s mother, effectively giving custody of black ss a a cD Tamuramaro, in the very early stages of Japanese history. Dr. Dheikh Anta Diop, in his African Origin of Civilization, men- tions an old and often quoted Japanese proverb about its elite warriors, ‘‘For a Samurai to be brave, he must have a bit of black blood.”’ NAACP ’91 convention in Houston ‘Each One Reach One’’ will be the theme of the NAACP’s 1991 annual convention to be held in Houston, Texas July 7-11 at the Houston Convention Center. It reflects the association’s efforts to . focus attention on the nation’s African-American youth and the need for more interaction between youth and adults. ‘“We as their elders must take a more active role in helping our young people grow into productive adulthood. This is one of the greatest challenges facing us today,’’ says NAACP executive director/CEO Dr. Benjamin L. Hooks. The five-day convention is expected to draw more than 20,000 people and will provide a forum for notables from the worlds of education, politics, and the arts to discuss issues of importance to the nation’s African-American communities. |
