Newspaper Page Text
The Augusta News-Review - September 13, 1973
■Walking | |
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■Dignity
1] by Al Irby 1
SAUDI ARABIA, THE MOST RESPONSIBLE ARABIC
NATION, IS DISTURBED WITH THE UNITED STATES’
RELATIONS WITH ISRAEL, SHEIKH YAMANI WARNED
PRESIDENT NIXON WHEN HE VISITED THE UNITED
STATES AS REPRESENTATIVE OF KING FAISAL. SOME
AMERICANS ARE BECOMING LESS SANGUINE. THEY
REALIZE THAT KING FAISAL IS A CAUTIOUS MAN, NOT
ONE TO ISSUE IDLE THREATS. IT WAS A RADICAL MOVE
TO COMPLAIN SO STRONGLY, TO HIS PAST FRIENDS.
Sheikh Yamani acting as a special courier for his aging king,
told Mr. Nixon that “King Faisal’s patience limit has been
reached.” The Saudis, a self-contained people imbued with desert
cautions, never act or react hastily. As late as last December, they
were saying they would never “use oil as a weapon against the
West” and the radical Arab states, such as Libya and Iraq.
When Sheikh Yamani delivered his message to American oil
men, the reactions were first disbelief, then anger, because Saudi
Arabia has the world’s greatest, and yet unmeasured oil reserves
in the world.
BEAM IN OTHERS EYES-American can dish it out, but they
can’t take it; they called Saudi’s action “blackmail”, yet it’s
common in the free enterprise nations to use their resources
always to reward those that are friendly, and renege on those that
will not dance to their tunes.
Sheikh Yamani advanced many alternatives to Mr. Nixon, but
always Israel would emerge as the “Joker”. Then it was clear,
after many interviews, why an increase in production is not
desirable at this time. From a series of high-level ministerial
interviews, it was made plain that the Saudis are not satisfied,
because the United States has not done anything to modify what
the Saudis consider its pro-Israel policies since the warning Saudi
gave the West last spring.
So far, the Saudis refuse to up their production from the
present 18 million barrels per day to 25 million barrels requested
by Washington. Yet we increase air armament to Israel, both in
quality and quantity. The Saudi Petroleum Council is still
pondering the American request, but sources close to Sheif
Ahmed Zaki Yamani, the handsome minister of Petroleum, there
is zero chance of America getting its wish.
The young Sheikh is a colorful young Potentate with a short
goatee, looking much like some of our far-out modish dressers
here in America. He said: “The countdown has begun on an
important energy issue, on whether to increase our production at
the request of the United States” and the results almost surely
promise to be catastrophic for the United States, unless we
change our approach to the Israelic-Arab problem.
Many people are appalled at the gall of the United States in
asking the main oil-producing Arab state to furnish more oil to
the United States, so it can build air-craft for Israel, so they can
kill more Arabs. Elaborating on this crazy subject, the Minister of
Saudi’s foreign affairs, Omar Saqqaf made this logical statement:
“Our view is that no one can resolve the Middle East crisis but
America. If America thinks that we will guarantee it the oil, then
we are not of the same opinion. There is a limit to our patience.
We are not fighting the United States, but we want them to stand
up to their responsibility.”
THE PRESIDENT SPOKE-The other day President Nixon
said, “We are not pro-lsrael, nor pro-Arab,” But we send more of
the best air-craf to Israel. It seems as if Mr. Nixon is forever
inheriting problems, that other people started, but never the less
he is the President, and these problems are his to solve. Big oil is
pressuring him to be more even-handed with the Arabs; not
because their cause is moral, but just because certain Arab
countries have oil.
This powerful interest is saying quietyly, “force Israel to return
the land she grabbed up in the six-days “Zoom-In”. But that
powerful guy, King Faisal Ibn Abdul Aiz Al Saud of Saudi
Arabia, in particular has unmeasured oil reserves. The object is to
reduce Israel’s passion for expansion, as Arabs often phrase the
Middle East problem.
Belive it or not, but some low-keyed actions are already at
work. Several new studies of the Mid-East region are getting the
ears of Dr. Kissinger and State Department’s senior Middle-East
expert, Assistant Secretary Joseph Sisco. Mr Sisco has just made a
special trip to Jerusalem, seeking ways to get negotiations stated.
Arab leaders are seeking a policy presumably that would
prompt American political and economic thrust to get
concessions from Israel. It might be a case of cutting back of
United States’ arms, unless Israel acquiesces, and gives back all the
land they conquered. There must be political movements in favor
of the Arabs in America. Many of the big nations in Europe are
subtlety in favor of the Arabs.
The rash of terror violences are self-defeating, and will drive
many of their potential friends away; such as happen to American
Blacks in the late 60s. With the Arabs big pile of loot, and an
established shrewed diplomacy are what is needed to build
support. America’s veto of a United Nation Security Council
resolution on the Mideast has caused many Arabs to conclude
that the United STates ignores their cause and interests.
Washington contended that the resolution was one-sided and
anti-Israel.
France and Great Britain voted in favor of the Arabs. Already
some Senators are concerned about a potential sellout of Israel
our trusted friend. Most of Israel’s supporters are found in the
Democratic Party, yet Jews in the United States forsook that
party in droves in the 1972 election.
Republican big money is getting tired of Israel’s arrogant
action. Quite naturally these global money mangers want the
Arabs soothed, bacause of the huge energy wealth of some rich
Arabic nations. It’s a fact that Persian Gulf nations hold the
energy destiny of Capitalistic supremacy. The unique position of
Persian Gulf oil producers, and Saudi Arabia in particular, have
been conceded by John Love, director of President Nixon’s
Office ot Energy Policy. He said that big import increases are our
only hope for our industralized chance to keep rolling.
THE AUGUSTA NEWS-REVIEW
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY
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Page 4
j •■•••• • • • •
| ■wL.) Speaking |
i I From
Athens 1
$He 1' /H Rv i
Roosevelt Green, Jr. g#
The current moral crisis and dilemna in this country has made
President Richard Milhouse Nixon and his cohorts the “fall guys”
of the Nation. A moral dilemna has existed in this cuntry every
since the lying and hypocritical liberty and freedom loving
“freedom for Whites only” founding fathers stole this country
from the Indian American and enslaved the Black man and
woman.
I am convinced that Mr. Nixon is the major scapegoat for the
evils of Amerikka. The Amerikka Press has assumed the saintly
role of moral savior of this country when this same press employs
an insignificant number of minority employees. Also, this same
press is very racist and sexist in news reporting and advertising.
If the truth of the matter is really recognized no one in this
country is able to “cast the first stone.” The beam in all of our
eyes keeps us from plucking the mote out of anyone else’s eyes.
All have truly sinned and fallen short of righteousness and
democracy. The point to be dealt with now is the question the
late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. raised in terms of “Where do
we go from here-Chaos or Community?.” All of us need to do
some self-examination and determine how the ideals of this
country can be realized. We may discover that a complete
restructuring of our society is necessary not for success but
simple survival.
A good program for survival must be, first of all, a recognition
that from the beginning of this country the monoply of wealth
and power in the hands of a few has set us up for the evil dog eat
dog capitalistic system we now have. The use of Christanity, the
major religious influence in the Western hemisphere, to develop a
Protestant ethic that is continously oppressing the “have nots” in
fermenting hostility toward the poor is frankly unforgiveable.
We must develop an economic system in which the tax paying
burden for running this country must be shared by all. Presently,
low and middle income groups are the only ones sharing the tax
burden that is necessary for the kind of society that we profess to
desire. The failure of the rich to pay income taxes and their
control through wealth of our political and economic systems
makes Watergate a minor preview of the future.
Secondly, it is necessary for all first basic institutions in this
country to undergo a process of reeducation and resocialization.
The fire institutions are the family, education, economics, the
government or political system and religion. All of these
institutions must undergo normative reeducation or the sound
teaching of a value system void of exploitation, hatred and stupid
prejudice.
We must begin to recognize that the Watergate conspiracy and
other abuses of power and leadership are only symptomatic of
the real problems previously mentioned that are troubling our
country. To deal only with the symptoms of a sick society means
that the disease that is the root of the problem will go untreated.
To make matters worse, the disease that plagues the soul and
body of this country is a fatal one.
All of us, Black and White, rich and poor, male and female
must begin immediately to cure this sick and insane society. The
pointing of fingers at each other, assuming self righteous stances,
flag waving, inflaming and useless rhetoric and slogans will not
solve “our” problem.
The economic and political conditions of this country at the
moment makes it ripe for a violent revolution. This revolution
will not be between the Black and the White but between the rich
and super-rich versus the rest of us. It will be between the have
and have nots or more explicitly, between the hungry and those
who are overweight not only with food but with wealth gained at
the expense of our increasingly frustrated loud majority.
Again, the answer is Chaos or Community or Life or Suicide.
The answer is not “blowing in the wind” but work on our hearts
and minds. Wat are we or you going to do about it?
HARAMBEE!!!
' LETTERS TO
THE DRAFT IS NOT OVER!
Dear Editor:
Several weeks ago the News-Review carried an article by the
Director of the Selective Service of the State of Georgia,
explaining the present situation of the Selective Service System.
This was not an inaccurate article - the draft call had been at zero
for several months before Congress allowed presidential induction
authority to runout on June 30,1973.
But that does not mean that the draft has ended. The Selective
Service System remains intact - failure to register for the draft,
failure to inform the Selective Service of a change of address or
occupation remains a federal offense for all men between the ages
of 18 & 35, which can result in a five year jail sentence and a
SIO,OOO fine, or both.
The president still has the authority to order for induction into
the military anyone under the age of 35 who has received a draft
deferment at any time in the past but was not inducted. That is
presidential induction authority which has no automatic
termination date.
The only way to guarantee that no one is drafted anymore is to
repeal the Selective Service Act and there is legislation before
Congress to do just that:
Senate Resolution No. 54 - By Sen. Mark Hatfield of Oregon
House Resolution No. 382 - By Rep. Spark Matsunag of Hawaii
2 Questions to think about:
m3OB, (1) Why do we have a peace-time draft. Historically
speaking this is a very recent phenomenon but we have come to
accept it without question. Nixon promised in ‘6B - after Vietnam
he would eliminate Selective Service completely and change to an
all volunteer army.
(2) Why do some of us question with such abhorrence the lack
of civil liberties that insists that a segment of the South African
population carry a pass card, but we don’t question the very
similar insistence that a segment of our population submit
themselves to registration and carry a draft card?
Walter Collins, organizer of National Black Draft Counsellors,
who was sentenced to 5 years and $2,000 fine by a racially
illegally constituted draft board said “Draft is genocide in the
Black community because it very clearly takes the best, the most
articulate, the most useful Black men. It’s the people who clearly
might be of use in terms of the liberation struggle of Black
people, who they drafted.
Now that there is such a big push to sell ROTC programs in
high schools, now that all the stories say the draft is over, now
that heavy recruiting is being done by the military in Black
communities, - regardless of what choices you make, or feel
compelled to make because of the economics involved, - at least
be aware that there are choices - learn the facts, do not be
deceived. It’s your life!
Sincerely in Peace
Margie Rece
DRAFT and MILITARY COUNSELLOR
3021 Fox Spring Road
Augusta, Georgoa 30904
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I PLACES W I
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GOOD REPORTS ON LANEY/WALKER BLVD. CONTINUES
I am informed by Editor Mai Millender that good and positive
returns on the Laney/Walker Blvd, proposal still continues
throughout the Augusta Community. And I am both humble and
most grateful for the many nice letters, phone calls and warm
compliments on the Laney/Walker Blvd, proposal. (Remember
mine was a suggestion, a proposal, wherein the community must
lay same on table, evaluate and hopefully take action.) It was also
good to note the excellent coverage given on August 30th by he
Augusta Communications media which included: the
NEWS-REVIEW (Mai Millender worked very hard while ill to put
the first feature story together), then there were feature stories in
the Augusta Chronicle and Herald, radio station WBBQ and
WRDW Channel 12.
ADDITION IDEAS ADVANCED TO FURTHER BLACK IMAGE
In addition to the Laney/Walker blvd. proposal I would like to
respectfully add two additional suggestions: (1) That some type
of museum be established which would show the contributions
made by Negroes in the growth of the Augusta area and the state
of Georgia and (2) that efforts be started within the Black
Community to organize a city-wide committee which would
highlight “Blacks Who Helped Build Augusta”.
How would these efforts operate? (1) The Laney/Walker Blvd,
is one proposal which should involve persons who live and work
on this street (or closely adjacent to it), (2) Plans for a museum -
I would suggest that it be placed within the Wallace Branch
Library auditorium which is on Laney/Walker Blvd, and would be
an enrichment to the proposed Tabemacle/Pilgrim Plaza area on
this thoroughfare. It could be a demonstration or on a more
permanent basis. It could contain physical objects and materials
such as a bust of Dr. Walker, Miss Laney, etc. pcitures of historic
occasions, churches, schools, The Stoney Medical Association,
winning football teams, outstanding civic leaders, a copy
of'Floyd’s Flowers” (how many persons remember this
wonderful literary work?) etc. And lastly, (3) A city-wide
committee of Black Augustans who would start immediately on
locating historical material which would be used in the broad
city-wide 1976 observance of the nation’s Becentennial in the
Augusta Community. This would be a wider and more
far-reaching effort than the museum or the Laney/Walker
proposals.
MANY PERSONS MUST ASSIST
All of these proposals call for wide and active participation by
many Black Augustans, especially native bom and long-time
residents. The latter group has often been accused, rightly or
wrongly, of not always carrying their won weight in civic
endeavors. In the Laney/Walker, museum and Bicentennial
proposals it is absolutely necessary that natives and long-time
residents become active, give service and leadership. If these
projects are to succeed it is these groups who must dig out and
locate historical materials on their forefathers and the
contributions they made as to “Blacks Who Helped Build
Augusta”.
DR. i.E. WASHINGTON WILL GIVE SERVICE
1 understand that an Ad Hoc Citizens Committee will soon be
organized to tackle the aforementioned proposals. Dr. I.E.
Washington will serve. This augurs well for success. Ike
Washington is an outstanding educator who has given dedicated
leadership to the Augusta Community during the past 45 years.
He knows its history. Then there are many others too. More in
another column.
PREPARE NOW FOR 1976 BICENTENNIAL OBSERVANCE
The current September 1973 edition of Readers Digest (pages
61-70) points out that in hundreds of local communities around
the nation people and groups are already making their own plans
for the forthcoming 1976 Bicentennial observance. The Federal
government has established a national body - The American
Revolution Bicentennial Commission (ARBC) and there are also
state and local commissions. (We are very fortunate to have Dr.
C.M. Richardson, Vice president of Paine College and an
emminent educator, who now serves on both the state and local
commissions). His contacts and leadership should be of great
resource to Augusta on this great event.
Now let’s continue with the Reader’s Digest article on
Bicentennial: The ARBC has three major thrusts. (!) “Heritage
‘76” - to honor the past history of our nation, (2) “Festival USA”
- which would look at and feature today’s present activities,
institutions and leaders, and (3) “Horizons ‘76” - designed to
look towards the future.
AUGUSTA BLACK COMMUNITY SHOULD GET BICENTENNIAI
HEADSTART
First, before getting off tract, let us accept the well established
fact that Blacks have been left out of American and Augusta
history. As result of our August 30 press conference on this
matter and the Laney/Walker Blvd, proposal hundreds, of Black
and white Augustans have expressed their approval on including
Blacks in our history. Let’s not get hung up on the Button
Gwinnett Street redesignation because this can be changed with
accomodation without the lost of Colonel Gwinnett’s memory as
a signer of the Declaration of Independence. We must insist,
however, that Black Augustans who have been fully left out of
the city’s history should have their main thoroughfare named after
two of its greatest leaders who helped build this city. It is very
important that we hold to his point. There are several whites who
will support this. As I pointed out in my August 30th column the
Laney/Walker Blvd, concept would accomodate (he Bicentennial
theme in terms of honoring the past, (many of our greatest
historical events and leaders are here - Miss Laney and the Dr.
Walker were buried here in front of the institutions they
founded), and the greatest concentration of our business firms,
schools, community facilities - Tabernacle, Pilgrim Life, Laney,
Johnson and Immaculate Conception schools, Paine College,
Wallace Library, Masonic Temple, Strother and Ervin homes for
the aged and other institutions are here. This thoroughfare is
where we can both look at our present accomplishments and plan
for the future. And let’s not forget the Hornsby Center area on
the eastern end of Laney/Walker Blvd. So you see my friends it is
extremely important that we get the Laney/Walker Blvd,
proprosal on its way with a strong base of support, teamwork and
understanding of what this is all about especially in terms of our
. GIVE TO THE
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pays! lAi CIUEGE FIH.
FRIEDMAN’S
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SIIMCB 1984
: ■ J
Creators of the Mearts Desire Diamond
818 BROAD ST. 812 BROAD ST.
DANIEL VILLAGE SOUTHGATE PLAZA
N. AUGUSTA PLAZA 127 LAURENS, AIKEN
TOBE
EQUAL / 4
"t
Verao" IL Jordan, Jr. F
HOME RULE FOR WASHINGTON, D.C.
Picture one of the great cities of the world, with three-quarters
of a million people, stadiums, museums, headquarters of national
organizations and businesses, a thriving community life, and a
national communications center.
Picture such a metropolis whose citizens do not have the right
to vote for their local officials, whose every local law has to be
approved by people who live elsewhere and whose main interests
lie elsewhere. Picture such a city, whose residents pay taxes but
cannot elect the officials who formulate those taxes.
It sounds like tyranny, doesn’t it? One would expect such a
situation to exist in a colony or in some dictatorship.
The city is Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States.
This nation, which won its independence nearly 200 years ago
under the banner of: “no taxation without representation,”
follows the same course with regard to its own citizens in its own
capital.
This is an intolerable situation, one that demands immediate
solution. All it takes is for home rule to be extended to the
citizens of Washington, D.C. All they are asking is the right to
elect their own mayor, now appointed by the President, and then
own city council, also now appointed. All they are asking is what
every single city, town and village in this country has.
Home rule for the District of Columbia is something so long
overdue and so obvious a right, that nearly everyone is in favor of
it. A national poll of D.C. residents shows 80 percent want home
rule.
The Senate overwhelmingly passed home rule legislation; by a
64-8 in 1971, and 69-17 in 1973. Both major political parties
have supported home rule in their national platforms, as has every
President since Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Congress serves as the city legislature. Local laws passed by he
District’s appointed council have to be passed by the Congress as
well. That means that a city ordiance on kite-flying has to pass
the local council, and then go through 28 separate legislative steps
in the Congress before it can become law. This is not only grossly
inefficient way to run a city, but an unbelievable waste of the
time of Congress, which ought to be dealing with matters of
national concern.
Apologists say that since the federal role in the city is so
pervasive, things ought to stay as they are. But if that logic were to
hold, then the 50 states ought to take over and run their 50 state
capitals in the same manner.
The district once had home rule, but in 1874 Congress
“temporarily” established direct control. The “temporary
control” became permanent, to the detriment of the capital’s
citizens.
It has resulted not only in their disenfranchisement, but also in
broken promises and inequities. Back in 1874, Congress promised
to pay half the costs of running the city, but in the past fifty
years, it has been a lot less than that. When you consider the
special costs to the city of such events as inaugurations, state
visits, etc., costs necessary to the running of a capital but paid for
by local citizens, it becomes clear that the District is placed under
burdens not shared by any other city in the country. Add to this
the many tax-exempt embassies and government buildings, and
you see how important it is for the government to pay its fair
share of the city’s costs.
I wonder what goes on in the minds of foreign visitors to the
capital of the nation that proclaims itself a democracy when they
learn that the residents of this big city cannot even vote for then
own mayor and council. And how do the District schools teach
civics lessons to children whose parents are disenfranchised and
pay taxes without adequate representation? If there is anything
all people can agree upon it is that fairness and equity demand
home rule for the District now.
wm
MURDER RATES
FOR DLACKS W CITY
S TIMES THAT FOR
WHITES,
66% tV HlffifEßS
COMMITTED BLACKS\
HILLING BLACKS.
fmn a s tudy by the n.
a
WHITEY COULD, FOR ALL INTENTS/!
AND PURPOSES PUT HIS GUNS
ALWAYS DEEN
adiTtohill OURSELVES defter
THAN HE CAN.
~ CLAYTON RILEY, LIBERATOR