Newspaper Page Text
October 25, 1984/The Maroon Tiger/Page 8A
The Maroon Tiger is published each month of the academic
semester by the Morehouse College Student Government
Association-Keith Andrew Perry, President. The Maroon Tiger
maintains an independent editorial policy aimed at providing
its readers with a broad spectrum of information and viewpoint
consistant with the black life-style. Editorial opinions expressed
are not necessarily those of the executives of the SGA, but
represent the efforts of the writer (s) to interpret current issues
on this campus and the environment around us. We believe all
advertising to be correct but cannot guarantee its accuracy or
be responsible for its outcome.
Editor-In-Chief Freddie Asinor
Executive Assistant Eric Nelson
Assistant Editor Eugene Maxwell, Jr.
Associate Editor(Photography) Johnny Crawford
Associate Editor(Editorial) Oscar Jerkins
Arts & Literary Editor Anthony Pinder
Political Editor Charles Carpenter
Business Affairs Editor Ezra Davidson
Asst. Business Affairs Editor Veronica Green
News Editor Gregory Powell
Sports Editor Robert Drummer
Copy Editor Avery Williams
Administrative Manager Torrence Stepteau
Circulation Co-Ordinator Travis Weddington
Staff Photographers Richard Cary, Melvin Willis,
James Scales, Emmanuel Payton, Michael Thierry
Staff Writers Raymond Henderson, Robert Bolton,
Philip Thomas, Mitchell Smith, Adam Smith,
Emaneul McGirt, Quinton Parker, Zawdie Jackson,
Tony Mobley, Chad Womack, Darly Wright,
Vernon Bridges, Lanity A. Brooker
Advisory Committee Charles N. Hawk, III, J.D.
Allen S. May, Jr. J.D.
Eileen Meredith, Ph.D.
Kay S. Perdue Ph.D.
Keith A. Perry, Esq.
The editorial office is 104 SGA Building, Morehouse College,
Atlanta, Georgia 30314 Phone: 404-681-2800, ext. 431.
EDITORIALS
APFILff TALIK
Here They C ome Again .
Internal Security
Last month the Internal Securi
ty Department at Morehouse
took a bite of our apple for not
being up to date with their own
operations. I would have
thought that the people in the
Security Department would have
realized the need for a safer
campus and deal with all
equitably. But we have found, to
our surprise, that some people in
this institution are left un
punished for traffic violations on
this campus. And in the tradition
of bureaucracy, no one, not even
the Officer in charge, would
provide any information on their
operation. "I can’t talk to the
press. Go talk to Jeff,” she ex
claimed.
I think it's about time that we
demand that these people ac
tually work. After the
Morehouse-Morris Brown foot
ball game on October 6, a dark
brown car was parked in
between Mays and White Halls
(not in a designated parking
space). This car sat in this un
authorized and unsafe parking
space for at least 24 hours
without a ticket, without a repri
mand and without, I am sure, any
fear whatsoever of being
I don’t see any reason and as a
matter of fact, any sense in
creating an ANIMAL FAR on this
campus. Our safety must be the
prime concern of the security
people that are paid to seek our
safety and welfare. Maybe the
Chief Of Campus Security, Jeff
Whatley, would want to answer
this incident. We pause for an
answer.
No Morehouse Men, Not One!
Men of Morehouse the time
for us to walk in the footsteps of
the great men who have built the
legacy of our fine institution is at
hand. Those who have gone
before us had to march in the
streets and endure all manner of
maltreatment in order to send a
message to this nation’s leaders.
A message of dissatisfaction with
an unjust and insensitive govern
ment. We don’t have to use the
tactics of the 60’s in order to
signal the present government.
We don’t have to worry about
the water hoses, the dogs and the
brutish use of billy clubs and
axehandles by the police. To
have our concerns addressed, all
we need do is take a few minutes
to drop by our respective polling
places and cast our votes for the
candidates of our choice. We
must remember it was just a few
short years ago that we could not
do this.
Many of us still feel that our
votes do not make a difference
We must dismiss this feeling by
asking ourselves a question.
What if the supporters of Harold
Washington, Maynard Jackson
and Andrew Young felt this way?
Every vote is important because
we live in a country where one
voice is not listened to, but many
are heard. In order for each
individual voice to be heard, we
must speak with one collective
voice. We must not let our
brothers speak by themselves in
vain.
Men of Morehouse, we must
lead the way for the rest. It is our
legacy to walk first. The time is
nearing and soon it will be too
late. In order for us to make a
change, we must take action and
that action is to vote on Nov. 6.
All of us who are registered to
vote must vote and those of us
who are not registered have
already cast our vote for Ronald
Reagan. Let there not be one
Morehouse man who will not
exercise his right and his respon
sibility to vote.
Get Out And Vote
ticketed or towed. When I
questioned the Officer on duty,
at about 6:00 p.m. on Sunday
October 7,1 was told that she had
not seen the car in question, and
she would not come out to see.
Just “Go talk to Jeff.” But less
than 15 minutes after my trip to
the Internal Security Office, the
car was removed from the
driveway to the parking lot
between Wheeler and White
Halls.
Our investigations revealed
that the car in question is
registered in the name of a
student whose relatives are peo
ple of authority in this College.
The car also has an unrestricted
parking stickerwhich makesitan
"untouchable”. This is nepotism
at its best.
Just a few weeks will bring the
general election in which, in
addition to a third of Congress,
we will choose our next Presi
dent. Herein, I wish to stress the
peculiar importance of this elec
tion in terms of its immediate
and long term ramifications for
the citizenry, the efforts of our
African-American forefathers in
securing our right to vote, and
our potential influence on
November 6th.
As African-Americans this
election looms particularly im
portant to us. We have much at
stake. We are staring headlong
into the prospect of another four
years of Republican right-wing,
reactionary, plutarchic, conser
vatism under the leadership of
Ronald Reagan. If he, by some
decidedly wicked turn of the
screw, wins re-election of
November 6th, we will have four
years of an administration run by
a President who has no,nor feels
any, accountability to those
voters who cast their ballots
against him; that has proven to
be insensitive to the especially
intricate needs of minorities in
this country; and that has con
sistently cowtowed to this
nation’s wealthy, to look forward
to. Additionally, the present
administration frowns on jobs
programs as well as industrial
revitalization, two areas which
typically hit African-Americans
very hard. The President’s posi
tion on poverty, housing, un
employment and multitudinous
other domestic programs spell
bad news for minorities, the
poor, and the aged.
Clearly more important than
even the short term detriment is
the long term one. The winner
on November 6th will have the
occasion to appoint not a few
key governmental officials. The
list includes the National Labor
Relations Board. Appointments
to the N.L.R.B. are significant
because it administers the
nation’s law relative to labor
relations. The N.L.R.B. is vested
with the power to safeguard
employee’s rights to organize,
their right to select represen
tatives via election, and to pre
vent and to remedy unfair labor
practices. The lion’s share of
N.L.R.B. cases involve middle
and lower class blue collar
workers—are as traditionally
inhabited by minorities.
Also, November 6th’s winner
can expect to make around a
hundred federal judicial ap
pointments. The ideological
slant of those individuals makes a
great deal of difference in how
law will be interpreted, and how
minorities are effected thereby.
During his tenure in office the
President has had 150 openings
to fill and thus far his selections
have included only two African-
Americans. In contrast, Jimmy
Carter appointed 38 African-
Americans. These lower courts
are the true workhorses of the
federal judicial hierarchy. They
don’t receive the attention that
the Supreme Court does, but
while the Supere Court hears
only about 185 cases yearly, the
inferior courts will hear in the
neighborhood of 30,000 per an
num.
However, the Supreme Court
is this nation’s court of last resort.
The final word regarding con-
situtionality comes from this
nation’s highest court. Hearing
less than 200 cases per session
those cases are without a doubt
the most constitutionally signifi
cant in the country. At present
the Court has five members who
are either 75 or older. It is quite
realistic that the next four years
could see as many as five new
justices. Since justices are ap
pointed for life, the effects of the
appointments will be felt for the
next two or three decades.
Voting is not only a right, it is a
responsibility. Scores of in
dividuals fought, suffered, and
died that we might have the
opportunity to participate in the
political process. We should not
take their blood lightly and
forfeit this enormous respon
sibility.
African-Americans cannot
truthfully feel that their vote is
worthless. More often than not
that perception gains impetus as
a result of undertakings by the
largely Republican owned media
and polling institutions. Both
entities are charged with repor
ting public opinion, but have
instead engaged in the shaping
of same. A closer look at public
opinion polls indicates why they
can be reasonably ignored.
Even the best and largest of
pools contacts only a few thou
sand of the over two million
Americans. Most conduct their
sampling during day hours when
the vast majority of the middle
class—who are historically
Democrats—is at work, leaving
only those who needn’t work—
historically Republicans—
available to the pollsters. When
was the last time that you were
called? Moreover, even the
wording of the questions asked
are skewed to favor a particular
position or a particular politi
cian. Additionally, polling error
factors such as: discrepancy
between word and deed;
changes of mind; lying, etc., are
(Continued on Page 10A)
Let’s Share
Once every year, moslems
travel to Mecca to pay homage to
Allah. Once every year,
Christians travel to the Holy Land
to have communion with God. In
our own homes, we meet other
members of our extended family
annually to discuss the progress
we are making.
In the same spirit, alumni
come here annually to
render account on how the
Morehouse training and tradi
tion have affected their lives. It
becomes a time of wine and
cheese: disco and ball but we
forget the sense and idea of
sharing with one another.
Like the Lady Liberty of New
York harbor, Morehouse
College needs a face-lift and we
will be winners if we share what
we make at the end of the day
with our Alma Mater. So while
we “get down” this homecom
ing and have the best “ball” of
our time, let’s not forget our dear
old Morehouse.