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The Augusta News-Review September 29, 1984
Mallory K. MillertderEditor-Publisher
Paul Walker Assistant to the Publisher
Georgene Hatcher-Seabrook General Manager
Rev. R.E. Donaldsoißefigion Editor
Mrs. Geneva Y. Gibson Church Coordinator
Charles Beale Jenkins County Correspondent
Mrs. Fannie Johnson Aiken County Correspondent
Mrs. Clara WestMcDuffie County Correspondent
Mrs. ileen Buchanan Fashion & Beauty Editor
Linda Starks Andrews Columnist
Roosevelt Green Columnist
Al IrbyColumnist
Philip Waring Columnist
Marva Stewart Columnist
George Bailey....,Sports Writer
Carl McCoyEditorial Cartoonist
Oiando Hamlett Photographer
Roscoe Williams Photographer
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On Black issues
544 reasons to march
to ballot box
CHAROLOTTE, NC Black
people have 544 reasons to march to
the ballot box in large numbers on
Election Day November 6, said Dr.
Joseph E. Lowery, president of the
Southern Christian Leadership Con
ference, at the civil rights
organization’s recent convention.
There are 544 black candidates
running for office around the cour
nty,” Lowery siad. “If we go
fishing, we will betray our past, con
fuse our present and threaten our
future.”
In a fiery speech at capacity-filled
University Park Baptist Church,
Lowery offered advice to Democratic
Presidential candidate Walter Mon
dale.
“If Mondale is wise he will convin
ce us that while we’re voting, we
ought to vote for him,” Lowery said.
“He needs to convince us he’s gonna
give us jobs, he’s going to eliminate
at-large elections, he’s going to give
health care to the poor.”
An assault on affirmative action
programs, high Black unemployment
and need for peac were among other
issues Lowery dealt with in his 40-
minute speech.
In the wake of dull employment,
the controversy over affirmative ac
tion will give way, he said. “In the
meantime, affirmative action is
essential to remedy the inequalities
that beset us,” he said. “Inequities
can only be eliminated through inten
tional and intense efforts.”
He blamed the government for
high unemployment among Blacks
Walking With Dignity
Beauty Pageants irrelevant?
by Al Irby
When the strains of “She’s Our
Miss America” fluttered over the
airwaves from Atlantic City, the
latest winner of this archetypal sg
call beauty - w - i * -iBS
pageant will be
wearing not
only a crown, a
but a burden
restoring a
some of the
past luster to a
contest tar- wP *„
nished by the biggest con
troversy in its 64-year-old history.
The resignation ten weeks ago
by Vanessa Williams, the first
Black Miss America, over con
troversial made photos of her
published in Penthouse magazine
rocked the tradition-bound
pageant and shocked observers
worldwide.
Some critics including many
angered over the betrayal of the
conservative ‘Miss America’
reputation, condemned Miss
Williams’ action.
Conversely, feminists, such as
Susan Brownmiller, attacked both
Penthouse publisher Bob Guccione
and pageant officials as being ex
ploitative of women. In the wake
of such charges Miss Williams
photographer many observers
have been left speculating as to
the future of beauty contests.
Have such pageants, from the
‘starchy’ Miss America, to such
openly commercial ventures as
and other minorities.
“Blacks, Hispanics and women
are not behind because they choose
to be there,” he said. “Government
policy for generations kept us on the
bottom of the totem pole.”
Nothing that opponents to afir
mative action argue that quotas and
set asides are unconstitutional and
must be eliminated, Lowery said the
statements were misleading, and
designed to weaken Black people’s
resistance to the attack on affirmative
action.
“The courts have used quotas.
They have used quotas to address
severe cases of discrimination and
then only for temporary periods,” he
said. “You and I must never be
misled by the vicious but
sophisticated propaganda designed to
weaken our insistence on affirmative
action.”
Lowery said the war in Nicaragua
between the Sandinistas and the
government is not a conflict for the
U.S. to get involved. Regarding
reports of human rights violations in
Nigeria, Lowery said he had wired
the government there to permit a
delegation of Black leaders to visit
the prisoners.
Speaking about economic justice
for Black people, Lowery said civil
rights veterans agreed with President
Reagan about turning tothe private
sector.
“I’m ready to turn to the private
sector,” he said. “I’m ready to sup-
See Reasons, Page 3
Miss Hawaiian Topic Inter
national, become anachronisms
under women’s professional
aspirations today?
Or do they remain a legitimate
promotional gadgit, not only for
pageant sponsors, but for women
themselves?
With more controversial
photographs of Miss Williams,
who is working on a TV drama in
Los Angeles, expected in future
Penthouse issues; and lewd pic
tures of current contestants,
already in the hands of ‘Girlie
Books’ publishers in a case a
owner of these pictures is the
current winner. Sympathizers and
critics alike say that pageants and
their contestants are coming under
renewed scrutiny.
It’s hypocricy for pageants to
call themselves American in
stitutions of (feminine) rectitude
and propriety. This column labels
pageants and Penthouse magazine
as “kissing cousins.” Connaught
Matshner, of the Washington
based Pro-Family Coalition, when
asked about the relevancy of
pageants, said, “even 25 years ago,
a so-called beauty pageant was just
as unwholesome as it is today.”
This statement is not surprising,
that the pageant officials disagree.
“Feminists are entitled to their
opinion,” says Albert Marks,
longtime executive producer of the
Auiviivd r<i fc eant. We’re a
handy piece to be against, but
nobody twists the arms of those
80,000 women even year. They
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Civil Rights Journal
White House controls courthouse
by Charles E. Cobb
Another myth has now bit the
dust. From grade school on up we
are taught that the 3 branches of
government the executive,
legislative, and
judicial IU
form a um<pi< [B
J * ■
balances.
Each branch is
supposedly
protected from undue influence by
the other branches.
Not so, says a respected journal,
Congressional Quarterly. In fact,
reports Congressional Quarterly,
the federal judiciary is profoundly
affected by the administration in
power.
At the highest level, the Supreme
Court is now dominated 7 to 2 by
Republican presidential appoin
tees. That court reversed 2 out of 3
lower court decisions this past
term.
Why so many reversals?
Because the majority of lower
courts are presided over by
Democratic appointees and their
interpretation of the law tends to
be much more liberal than the con
servative-controlled Supreme
Court.
Supreme Court reversals this
year set back affirmative action
gains of the past 20 years, effec
tively watered down the Clean Air
Act and stripped away citizen
protection against illegally ob
tained evidence, to name but a few
effects.
The powerful U.S. Court of
know what they want.”
But promoters of the Miss
Universe Pageant, including Miss
USA and Miss Teen USA, are less
sanguine. “Sure, (The Williams
controversy) affected pageants,”
says Kerry Glasser, vice-pesident
of Miss Universe, Inc., a division
of Gulf Western Industries. Any
type of negative press isn’t helpful.
There is enough skepticism to
begin with. You don’t want to
jeopardize your relationship with
your sponsor.”
Indeed, it is the ring of the cash
register even for such nonprofit
operations as the Miss America
pageant that many insist is pivotal
to the continued success of con
tests. While some promotional
campaigns featuring Miss
Williams, including the Kei’og and
Gillette Companies, were scrubbed
as a result of the controversy, most
sponsors have remained loyal to
the pageant.
Pageants, most certainly, will
tighten up on eligibility
requirements and stiffen
background checks on contestants.
The Williams’ saga will certainly
affect pageants, but it will affect
them prior to production.
Everybody is taking a long hard
look into future contestants in all
pageants, both local and
nationally.
Talented and beautiful young
women who have their pretty eyes
on the rainbow’s pot of gold, had
first better control their morals.
Appeals for the District of Colum
bia is a prime target of these rever
sals.
Long known as guardians of
citizen rights, the DC Appeals
Court had every one of the 8
decisions reviewed by the Supreme
Court last year knocked down.
Seven of the 11 judges who sit on
that bench are Democratic appoin
tees.
The same holds true for the
western district’s 9th U.S. Circuit
Court of Appeals. Sixteen 8f the
23 judges on that bench are
Democrats. The Supreme Court
reversed 23 of that court’s
reviewed decisions last year.
Clearly, the Supreme court now
sees itself as the last bastion of
conservatism in the judicial
system. That bastion could
become even more dangerous.
In terms of the Supreme court,
five justices will turn 80 before the
end of the next presidential term.
It is predicted that at least 3 or 4 of
these justices will retire and be
replaced by the new ad
ministration.
A look at
backroom
racism
by Charles W. Faulkner
Let’s look at some interesting in
formation. Washington, DC has
often been referred to as
“chocolate city” by Blacks
because of its appearance: Ap
proximately 70 percent of its
residents are Black; public schools
are 90 percent Black; the mayor is
Black; and, 90 percent of the City
Council is Black.
The city council, several years
ago, passed legislation allowing the
construction of a multi-million
dollar convention center. There
were to be thousands of new jobs
for city residents. Well, it didn’t
quite work out that way. Few
Blacks obtained jobs and the
unemployment rate in the District
is going up, up, up.
Much of the equipment used in
the Center was manufactured in,
get this, South Africa. Secret
meetings are held with white ven
dors and businesses that plan to
use the Center. White businesses
from outside of DC get first crack
at profitable contracts to provide
lighting, entertainment, sound
systems and other necessities.
Blacks seldon find out about
these contracts until they have
been awarded to white businesses.
Remember, this is “chocolate
city” and the convention center
was built with the tax dollars of
residents, most of whom are
Black.
These secret meetings with white
vendors who live outside of the
District seem to be the most
disturbing of all factors. This is
backroom racism. Carried out in
secrecy.
A similar situation developed in
Atlantic City where owners of the
new gambling casinos promised to
bring thousands of new jobs to
Atlantic City if they were given city
approval to build the casinos.
They indeed brought 30,000 new
jobs to Atlantic City but
theyalso brought their own em
ployees with them. So the casinos
Equally frightening, as a result
of recent congressional action, the
next president will also be in a
position to select 24 additional ap
peals court judges.
Civil rights, capital punishment,
protection of the environment
matters of life and death will all
be affected by our decision in
November.
As the Congressional Quarterly
noted: “If (Regan) is re-elected,
he will be able to tip the balance on
the appeals courts as he has on the
Supreme Court.”
The long-term reprecussions of a
controlled federal judiciary are
inestimable. And let us keep in
mind that the judges selected by
our next president will serve for
life. They will not leave the bench
when he leaves office.
As conservative political com
mentator James J. Kilpatrick
stated in a recent column, “Who
names the judges shapes the law.”
We rarely agree with Mr.
Kilpatrick, but in this instance we
are taking his words very, very
seriously.
make millions of dollars annually
while the dilapidated city crumbles
around them. The shady, shakey
white mayor was recently replaced
by a Black mayor as the result of a
recall petition.
The problematic point here is
that the blatant racism which
Blacks confront out in the public
daily is merely a fraction of the
racism which imposes itself into
the lives of every Black person
everywhere.
The secret meetings between
powerful whites who establish the
laws that regulate the kind of life
that Black people live is the biggest
racial influence in America. The
fact that you are making less
money than whites, that you can’t
afford to get a decent job or
education is no accident.
Often you never hear about it.
But you wonder, nevertheless, why
things simply get worse and worse
and worse. Why you get poorer
and poorer and poorer; and why
whites get all of the good jobs.
And much as it troubles me to
it, many Blacks who are aware of
these horrendous activities keep
their mouths shut so as not to
jeopardize their own livelihood.
These are the Blacks who are hired
by the whites who control the
powerful dollar bill.
Black people who stand up and
put their necks on the chopping
block when this brutal racial
discrimination takes place are the
beloved sacrificial lambs. They are
one of the reasons that Blacks get
any jobs at all. The Black voters in
Atlantic City should be proud of
their recall petition that replaced a
manipulative white mayor, who
played up to big casino
businessmen, with a competent,
honest Black mayor.
There is a little bit of Atlantic
City in each Black person. Ban
ding together and fighting in force
as a team seems to be the only
solution to covert as well as overt
American racism.
To Be Equal
Balanced
budget
amendment
by John E. Jacob
Thirty two states have sent
petitions to Congress calling for a
national Constitutional Conven
tion that would I
pass a new
amendment ot ,
the U.S. Con- 4|B
stitution man- 1 i
dating a balan- ■ c,
ced federal
budget.
If only two more states pass such
a petition and if some of those
that have already passed meet
court challenges then a con
stitutional Convention must be
called.
That would be a monumental
mistake.
There are two major dangers in
a Constitutional Convention. The
first is. that a balanced budget
amendment might pass; the second
that the Convention could become
a runaway affair, rewriting the
present Constitution that has ser
ved us well.
The prospect of a runaway Con
vention is dismissed by some ex
perts who say that if the Conven
tion is dismissed by some experts
wuv say mat it the Convention is
called for the purpose of con
sidering a balanced budget amen
dment it can’t go farther afield.
But other experts cite the
original Constitutional Conven
tion of 1787, which was just sup
posed to improve the existing Ar
ticles of Confederation but threw
that document out and wrote the
present Constitution, instead.
The fear is that not only would
single-issue extremists dominate a
new Convention, writing new
amendments banning abortion and
busing and instituting school
prayer, but that existing Bill of
Rights protections would be
diluted, placing traditional
freedoms in jeopardy.
That’s not so far-fetched, since
the polarizing, so-called “social
issues” palvanize the energies of
the far right.
So a new Constitutional Con
vention would be playing with fire
and that holds even if it limits
itself to a balanced budget amen
dment. For however worthy a goal
balancing the budget may be it
can’t reasonably be a con
stitutional requirement. To make
it one is bad government and bad
economics.
It is impossible to balance the
budget in the near future without
chopping social, security,
Medicare, and a healthy chunk of
the armed forces. Another way
would be a massive tax increase
that could spark a major
Depression. That’s why neither
candidate is promising more than
to bring the deficits down over a
period of several years.
And virtually all economists
agree that there are times when
governments should run deficits.
A government budget can’t be
compared to a family budget and
the simplistic approach of the
balanced budgeteers could be fatal
to the economy.
Even if they do get a balanced
budget amendment through, it will
have to be full of loopholes to be
workable. If that happens, then
the Constitution just becomes a
waste basket for thetorical
flourishes to economic theories no
one believes in instead of being a
sound, basic law of the land.
It is important to remember that
the balanced budget movement is
not a response to the massive
federal deficits of the last few years
it started in the mid-seventies
when deficits were relatively low.
And its basic thrust is not to con
trol deficits so much as it is to
lower taxes.
Americans are among the least
taxed people in the world but the
way the tax reducers carry on you
would think we were among the
highest. Higher taxes are
inevitable to help cut those deficits,
if not to provide the full range of
necessary goverment services.
Vote