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The Augusta News-Review - July 5, 1973 -
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J • by Al Irby
A REFLECTION OF THE MOOD OF OUR NATION, WILL
THE “WATERGATE GETHSEMANE” BE A NATIONAL
THERAPY THAT WILL LEAD US INTO A NEW AND MORE
SUBLIME ETHICAL AND MORAL AWARENESS?
Sin is dangerous, a small amount has away of entrapping one,
it also will bedome a boomerang. Blacks heretofore have been the
epitome of an old fallacious cliche that states in substance that
“If you will lie, you will steal”. In this country there has
developed an abominable dichotomy in the system of justice. If
you re poor or black and were charged with a crime, you will
have to doubly strive to prove your innocence.
Providence is bringing to light all of these built-in myths and
half-truths. The scourge of Watergate seems to be proving, that
there is a moral equalizer. It has shown that the rich, the
educated and the powerful are super liars and hypocrites. Many
rational persons the world over have seriously wondered, why a
hgihlyintelligent nation like Germany would tolerate a boss liar
and supermaniac like Hitler to lead them down the road of
eternal ignominy; such as murdering 6,000,000 innocent Jews,
and endoctrinating them with the pseudo-hogwash sophistry, that
they were a superior people.
The same question rises in the minds of decent people about
Watergate. How could men of the calibre of former
Attorney-General John Mitchell, Maurice Stans, John
Ehrlichman, H.R. Haldeman nd John Dean, among others allow
themselves to stoop to such debase acts.
We hear so much talk of the far-left in regard to national
security, and it must be admitted, that it is reckless; but the real
danger, obviously lies in the far-right, who hide behind the
coat-tail of respectable conservatism. They are highly educated,
have vast sources of wealth in their possessions.
The murders of the Kennedys, Dr. King and the cowardly
shooting of Governor Wallace, were these really isolated cases?
“IF THE PURPOSE IS MERELY TO KEEP WATERGATE IN
Historical perspective, well and good, there is a
CERTAIN SIDEBAR INTEREST IN HE SCANDALS AND
CAMPAIGNS OF GRANT, CLEVELAND, WILSON, AND
HARDING. NEITHER IS ANY HARM DONE BY MAK.NG HTE
POINT THAT WATERGATE, UNLIKE OTHER SCHANDALS,
DID NOT INVOLVE THE THEFT OF PUBLIC FUNDS OR THE
BRIBERY OF PUBLIC OFFICIALS. BUT AFTER THESE
RITUAL INCANTATIONS HAVE BEEN MADE, WE ARE LEFT
WITH WATERGATE STILL THERE. THiS UGLINESS
CANNOT BE EXORCISED BY EXHUMING SOME MARY JO.”
1 have great admiration for real conservatives, I guess, because I
retain a good bit of that philosophy myself. My question inpoint
is an article by James J. Kilpatrick, the noted syndicated
columnist, Mr. Kilpatrick belittles certain of his colleagues for
trying to play-down the Watergate episode.
The famed columnist points out that it is true that Truman,
Roosevelt, Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson all had their
scandals and blunders. All of these fine men had their own
trouble, because the presidency is too large for one man to police
a hugh bureaucratic complex.
Mr. Kilpatrick crossed bat with another arch-conservative, Bill
Buckley, editor of The National Review. Mr. Buckley jumped on
his Catholic counterpart Senator Edward Kennedy, and brought
to the surface, the infamous “Chappaquiddick” affair. But Mr.
Kilpatrick shot down all of these unessentials and stuck by his
guns, by saying: “These other events may be relevant, but they
are not material. Let us stick to the point. Let me try to
summerize what is meant by “Watergate”. The charge is that
persons highly placed in he Committee for the Reelection of the
President early in 1972 embarked upon a patently criminal plan
for gathering political intelligence; that the plan included
burglarizing and bugging the offices of the Democratic National
Committee; that former Attorney General John Mitchell knew of
the plan and approved it, that once the burglars were caught, the
President’s closest aides conspired to cover up the affair; that the
cover-up included acts of perjury and bribery, all intended to
obstruct justice; and finally, that the President of the United
States knew enough of what was going on to have exposed it long
ago.”
A SEARCHER OF TRUTH-That is the reaction of a real
conservative, who thinks straight and objective; and is willing
always to search for truth, irrespective of who and where that
search will lead.
THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT IN ITS DENVER
RULING GAVE A PREVIEW OF ITS LEGAL PROFILE THAT
SHALL BE EXPECTED IN NORTHERN SCHOOL SYSTEMS.
THIS DECISION WHICH WAS SENT BACK TO A LOWER
COURT MARKED ITS FIRST SCHOOL-DESEGREGATION
DECISION INVOLVING A MAJOR CITY OUTSIDE THE
SOUTH.
The high Court held that racially inspired school board’s
policies, even if they directly affect only part of a
metropolitan-area school system, may infect the entire and they
must desegreate root and branch.
If it’s proved that a school board deliberately segregate
students in a substantial portion of the system, the High Court
said, it creates a presumption that other segregated schools within
the system also resulted from the school board’s actions. And
unless school authorities can prove otherwise, the Supreme Court
ruled, a court may legitimately find the entire system unlawful
and order it desegregated.
Justice William Brennan wrote the majority decision, which
was joined by Justices William O. Douglas, Potter Stewart,
Thurgood Marshall and Harry Blackman. Chief Justice Warren
Burger didn’t join in the opinion, but concurred in he result.
Justice Lewis Powell concurred in a strong remand to the Denver
board to a lower court for further proceedings, but on different
grouds than the majority. Justice William Rehnquist was the only
outright dissenter.
The Denver case was brought by a group of Black and Spanish
parents, who charged that the board had created segregated
schools throughout the system through such techniques as
“manipulation” of attendance zones, school-site selection and a
neighborhood school policy.
PARK HILL, A TOTAL GHETTO COMMUNITY, AND THE
CRUX OF THE CONTENTION-The High Court held that the
school board should show proof that Park Hill was treated
separately from the rest of the system. The Supreme Court said
VOTE
Page 4
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I PLACES I
PHILIP WARING
This June has been a Gold Letter Period for me. On Sunday,
June 24 the local Urban League honored me with a farewell
reception which was followed later in the week by one from the
United Fund Executives Council. The Sunday affair brought in
my brother Lou from San Francisco, my brother Andrew and his
wife, Nellie, from Augusta and nine Urban League executives and
staffers from four Eastern states. Thank to my relatives the
Buchanans and Richardsons in Augusta, and the Warings in
Boston and Cleveland for their personal messages. And thanks so
much to the many Augusta friends for their telegrams, cards,
phone calls and messages. I love you all very much! Special credit
must go to my local Urban League staff associates.
We still have a long w u ys towards equality like other
Americans. May I share two very meaningful editorials from the
Amsterdam News. One has to do with the National Newspaper
Publishers Association and I am glad to note the participation and
attendance of our NEWS-REVIEW publisher Mallory Millender
at its recent Texas conference. This kind of association with
editors and publishers with two hundred fellow professionals
from other cities around the nation keeps our Augusta
publication in the first-class, big league status.
MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITY
The National Newspaper Publishers Association did their
homework prior to their 33rd annual convention in Houston,
Texas last week. And when the homework was done they called
on Pete Roselle, the head of the National Football League, to
take the witness stand.
The Black publishers told Roselle something that Roselle
already knew, but moe than that, they told him it was time for
him to do something about it.
The Black publishers indicated that 60 percent of the
professional basketball players in this country are Black, and 40
percent of the NFL’s professional football stars are Black and 38
percent of the active baseball players in the major leagues are
Black.
Os the 38 professional basketball teams, the 26 professional
football teams, and the 24 national major baseball teams, there
are only four Black men employed as head field leaders. These
four Blacks are found as head coaches in professional basketball
but no Blacks hold positions as managers in baseball and no
Blacks hold positions as head coaches in football.
Very few Blacks hold assistant jobs in nay of the big
professional organizations and one professional team employs a
Black man in a top front office position.
Roselle did a lot of listening and very little talking. He
indicated that in spite of the lack of Blacks in these positions, it
could not be traced to racial discrimination, because the
competition is so fierc that no team is willing to risk loss of a
game because of racial discrimination. But we believe that
management has an affirmative responsibility to seek out and
upgrade Blacks to management positions. It is unthinkable that a
team which depends so heavily on Black stars to win games and
to draw people to the box offices cannot find a place for the
abilities of these same Black men in the front office of
management when they retire from the game.
The Amsterdam News commends the Black newspaper
publishers for this stand, and as a member of the organization, we
gladly accept our role as being one of the watch dogs to help
correct this inequity in major league sports.
AID FROM WiTHIN
If there is anyone who doubts the importance and need of
strengthening the economic interest of Black people in our
democratic society, that doubt should have been dispelled a few
days ago, with the release of he report showing hte performance
of Black financial institutions in helping Black people to pull
themselves up by their boot straps.
For example, the report shows that in 1971 white banks in this
nation hud assets totaling S7OO billion, while the assets of Black
banks was only S6OO million..
The wide span between S7OO billion and S6OO million is so
great that , at first blush , one might suggest that in such a irch
country Black banks might not be needed, nad that they are so
far behind in total assets that they might as well give up in the
fight.
But anyone who has that type of thinking should read the next
paragraph of the study. The report reveals that white banks, with
assets of over S7OO billion, only granted $l5O million in business
loans to Black people.
Meanwhile the hand full of Black banks, with assets of only
S6OO million, granted S6O million in Business loans to Black
people.
This means that while Black banks had less than one percent of
the total bank assets in the nation, they granted nearly 33 percent
of the total business loans made to Black people.
These figures speak for themselves when it comes to checking
out the need of minority groups to create, maintain and support
their own economic institutions.
the written record in the case so far indicates that Park Hill isn’t a
separate part. The Court contended that because of treatment of
this section, makes the entire system a dual, and segregated
system.
BLACK OMNIBUS
I would recommend that my readers, listen to “Black
Omnibus” every Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. on Channel 6. This
is a predominantly black program, that educates as well as
entertains. Newspapers as well as radio and television should
basically educate, as wellas entertain. It is better to know what’s
happening up at Paine and Augusta Colleges, than to know who
was caught with somebody’s else’s wife or husband.
THE AUGUSTA NEWS-REVIEW
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY
Mallory K. Millender Editor and Publisher
Mailing Address: Box 953 Augusta, Gt. Phone 722-4555
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Jwr-- —MM aS *
I Speaking |;
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Roosevelt Greea, Jr. i#:
InMMmMMMiMmi
It may be helpful to comment on a number of issues this week.
Writing a column helps me to try even harder to stay abreast of
current events. There are many issues that must be viewed from a
Black as well as the usual white perspective. Color blindness with
regard to any issue results in a one-sided assessment.
Governor Jimmy Carter is to be commended for the
appointment of Blacks to some key positions in state
government. The most notable appointment is that of Atlanta
insurance excutive, Jessie Hill,Jr. to the University System Board
of Regents. The Board of Regents governs the University of
Georgia and other state colleges and universities. Black
representation is vital for that body and Brother Hill is a good
man for the job.
Evangelist Billy Graham, spiritual advisor to the president,
expressed disappointment about the lack of Black attendance at
his recent Atlanta “Crusade” for Christ. The Reverends Ralph D.
Abernathy and Hosea Williams protested Graham s appearance in
Atlanta in an effective manner. Blacks apparently are wise to
Graham but a few Atlanta Black ministers and “leaders”
supported the crusade. The advocate of castration for rapists just
does not have any significant appeal to Blacks who are already
psychologically castrated. The evangelist should conduct a
crusade in the White House for the amoral President and other
hard core sinners. Instead of singing Shall We Gather at the River,
it would be helpful to sing “Shall We Gather at the Watergate”
with a chorus of “Yield Not to Police State Temptations”.
Whatever happened to the massive Augusta “boy hunt” for
Brother Lendell Hunter? Is Hunter still alive? What is the status
of this law and order goose chase aside from the large scale
buying of guns by projecting white citizens? Who will answer or is
this issue “blowing in the wind”?
A shoot-out occurred in Atlanta last week as a result of the
continuing oppression of Black Muslim newspaper sellers by the
Atlanta Police Department. One policeman was killed and several
persons were injured in the melee. This is only one in a series of
police-Muslim confrontations designed obviously to harass the
Black organization and stop it from selling newspapers that
document the evils of white Amerikka. Any non-white controlled
organization is subject to extermination by white racist police
organizations.
The F. 8.1., C.1.A., and Army Intelligence are carrying on a
massive campaign to destroy all Black so-called militant
organizations. The law and order without justice zealots serve as
judge, jury, and executioner of so-called Black and white radicals,
and organizations. The strong conservative lunatic fr9nge wraps
up in American flags and shuffle to the music of white racism
with a violent Wagnerian beat that super-patriot Amerikkans
orchestrate.
The Muslims may be wiped out unless the rest of us demand
constitutional protection for them as well as the rest of us. If
they come for the Muslims in the morning, they will come for the
rest of us in he evening.
A matter of serious concern is the role of the communications
media in Amerikka. It must be recognized that all white daily
newspapers in this country do not begin to represent the views of
non-whites to any worthwhile degree. The newspapers in the
South and West are worse than those in the East and North. To
get a balanced view of the news, Blacks and whites must buy
newspapers from usch cities as New York, Los Angeles and
Washington, D.C., as well as Black newspapers. Nearly all of the
Southern white newspapers take a conservative stance in news
reporting and editing.
The death of the ate Ralph McGill left the Atlanta newspapers
with an escapte to conservatism and the control of the so-called
establishment. Those papers used to take the lead in Georgia with
regard to an alledged liberal stance in race relations. They are now
reactionary except for a frequent “lashing at Lieutenant
Governor Lester G. Maddox. Georgia is now without any
adequate white newspaper leadership. The Great Speckled Bird
newspaper in Atlanta is the only white newspaper in this state
worth reading. Even the comic strips in most of the papers have
become soun ding boards for right wing super patriotic law and
order protangonists.
The role of Black newspapers and the Black news media is
gaining increasing importance. Communications shape our lives
more than most of us imagine. Marshall McCluhan’s book entitled
“The Media is the Massage”, is very worthwhile reading as it
documents this fact. A steady diet of conservative and racist slant
of the news will cause a nutritional deficit in one’s mind. Anemia
with he possibility of starvation sets in and one’s humanity soon
dies as a result. The reading of Black newspapers and magazines
restores vitality and balance.
The black news media has a primary responsibility to inform
Black and white readers about the Black perspective on issues.
Such media should offer more than the police blotter indicating
who shot who and narrow minded gossip. Crime should not be
the main focus of any newspaper for there are many vital issues
that need focusing on, and the emphasis on crime plays into
hwite stereotyping of the Black community. Many whites are
eager to believe that Black communities are cess pools of crime
and violence. Black newspapers and magazines must be
committed to Black liberation struggles and not be captives to
white leaders and advertisements. Thank God for the
News-Review.
The issues discussed now merit our concern and commitment.
The question before us all is what are we going to do about our
present situation. We can learn to live together or die like fools.
Harambee!!
MR. & MRS. HOME OWNER
Do you employ a cook, cleaning woman or other
domestic worker in your home for one or more
days per week? If so, you are paying them more
than fifty dollars per quarter in wages, and you
should be withholding and paying Social Security
contributions for them. Your failure to do this
denies your employee his right to receive Social
Security benefits for themselves and their
dependents in later years. We urge you to obey the
law and help us to improve human relations in the
Augusta Area.
...Human Relations Commission
TOBE
EQUAL 1
—”—
Vemt»lLJ<*dM, Jr. Jy K
A MATTER OF PRIORITIES
Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev did what nothing else has been
able to do for weeks -- he bumped Watergate off the front pages.
Now that we know it can be done, it gives heart to those of us
who feel that, important as Watergate is, it should not be allowed
to obscure the larger issues of domestic social policy that have an
immediate, direct impact on every single person in the country.
In the past few weeks several important things have occurred
that point up the mistaken federal domestic policies and the need
for re-ordered priorities.
One was the meeting of the nation’s mayors in San Francisco.
The mayors, including officials of both parties, complained
bitterly that special revenue sharing only shared problems, not
solutions, with the cities.
Nearly all said that they would lose resources because the
present federally-administered programs in health, housing and
manpower pumped more money into their cities than the
proposed special revenue sharing would. It’s hard enough trying
to cope with the special problems of the cities now, the mayors
said, but it will be worse after federally-funded programs end.
A second notable event was the release of a survey by the
Federal Revenue Sharing Office of how funds already given cities
under general revenue sharing were spent. Over five billions out of
a projected 30 billion has already been sent to local governments.’
The federal report documented what many have suspected all
along. The money has been used to reduce taxes and to build golf
courses and tennis courts. Social services for the poor and the
aged ranked last among the priorities of the local governments --
only eight percent mentioned it as a top priority. So what
justification can be made for confidence in local ability to deal
with national social goals?
Another recent event buried by Watergate publicity was a
special Senate hearing on the budget, called to put a spotlight on
the proposed end of important federal social service social service
programs.
I went to Washington to testify before this Committee and
among the things I pointed out was a special little secret too long
kept from the American people. You may recall that a while back
two writers, Richard Scammon and Ben Wattenberg, made a
well-publicized charge that black leaders were keeping significant
black progress a big secret. Well, it seems that white leadership is
keeping an even bigger secret - that the social service programs
have benefited whites far more than they have blacks.
Just consider: The majority of welfare recipients are white;
two out of three families that got housing under the now-frozen
235 subsidy program were white; two out of three trainees in the
federal manpower development program are white; three out of
four On-the-Job Training program participants are white; four out
of five people employed in the Public Employment Program are
white.
These are all programs that are either frozen or due for cuts or
for transfer to local, and less effective, control. The silent white
majority may be reluctant tc help people and may tolerate the
death of these programs because they think they are for blacks,
but the big secret today is that these programs have primarily
benefited whites and whites will be hit hardest by the budget’s
reversal of priorities.
Congress will have to fill the vacuum created by Watergate and
there are some small signs that it may do so. t passed, by
overwhelming majorities, entensions of some federal health
programs slated for extinction. These may still be sabotaged by
executive impoundment and by bureaucrat’s failure to administer
the programs properly but it shows that faith in Congress is not
misplaced. There seems nowhere else to turn these days.
AUGUSTA FLOWER
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Member F.T.D.
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