Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 27 October 1990 — Page 2
PAGE A2
THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27,1990
Single parents need more support from employers
Notes from a father BY CHARLES BLAIR
For the better part of ten years I lived in a world usually occupied by women. I was a single parent. It is widely known that most single parents are female and many are poor or working poor. That’s an abstract way of saying that most single parents barely have enough money to do anything. Since single parenting has become a female
ghetto, very few men in positions of authority and power have much sensitivity relative to the problems facing they face. Legislature, schools, businesses, agencies, organizations, all make largely token efforts toward addressing the needs of this growing population simply because men generally don’t think much about parenting.
Not only do men abandon fami* lies literally, they also abandon them practically, by not thinking through the rotes that impact single parent families as they make decisions in die work place and beyond. In the best of all possible worlds, it takes at least two people just to perform the basic duties associated with parenting. It is very hard work. You’ve seen mothers walking down the street with groceries and children in their arms, literally struggling with the weight, or you pass them waiting at bus stops in the winter, white they tty to keep everybody warm and safe. You won't see many of them at parent teachers meetings nor will you see many of them with time off from work if a kid gets sick. The old timers think that if you have kids, you should be home taking care of
Read Between The Lines
Marion County ProsecutorStephen Goldsmith’s willingness to finally submit evidence of four police action shootings to a special and regular grand jury is nauseating. He’s doing this obviously because this is an election year that Republicans see as critical to retain control of some key offices. At this time it is politically necessary to appease black voters. Goldsmith and other Republicans may be using (and yes, I said using) the clergy and other black leadership to get to voters, as well. As long as he’s on the good side of black clergy or black leadership, of course he can speak in our churches and at our special events. If we don’t know, we should know that in all four cases, police will be cleared. And if they’re not, I’ll eat this column. That’s right. I’ll eat it. But I doubt that I’ll have to. All we have to do is look and see what has happened over the decades to know what will happen in the future — unless the system of review is changed. Consider this: It is the prosecutor who determines what evidence is presented to a grand jury or if a case is presented at all Goldsmith has consistently refused to submit police action shootings because he has to name a target (or at least that’s what he has told me and members of the clergy iveviously). He hasn’t wanted to name a target, because the target would be police and he hasn’t wanted to upset police. Suddenly, he’s had a change of heart. Was it due to some pressure by the clergy? I doubt it Now consider this: Why did it take Goldsmith six years to submit evidence of the Pedro M. Sanchez shooting to a grand jury? Why wouldn’t he have submittal the Valcnda Heithcckcr case to a grand jury when it happened? Why was the Michael Taylor case excluded? Goldsmith said he hasn’t turned the cases over to the regular grand jury because lime was needed to allow the U.S. Justice Department to review the cases. Come on Goldie, give us credit for having a little smarts. If memory serves me, the Justice Department investigations were completed long ago. News of the review of these cases were released Tuesday after Superior
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BETWEEN theBlines
By EUNICE TROTTER Editor-in-Chief
Court Judge Patricia J. Gifford approved petition for a special grand jury submitted last month by Goldsmith and Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis. The petition specifically sought a special grand jury review of the Leonard R. Bameu Jr. shooting. Ministers asked for a special grand jury because they believe other investigations have not been fair or thorough. But the panel of judges headed by Gifford also agreed to lode at alleged fraud in the Center Township trustee’s office.
Goldsmith simply “decided” that the other three cases would be reviewed and that review would come from the regular grand jury, which is comprised of everyday citizens, but under the control of the prosecutor's office. In addition to the Heithecker and Sanchez cases, the regular grand jury will review the Wayne Tom case, which involves an 18-year-old who was killed by an Indianapolis policewoman in the winter of 1988. According to police reports, Tom was chased and caught, fought wife fee policewoman and was then shot He was not armed. In the Heithecker case, Marion County sheriffs deputies went to fee woman’sapartment in December 1988 and shot her eight times after she allegedly lunged at them wife a knife. Sanchez was killed in February 198S by a sheriffs deputy after a struggle. He was unarmed. For fee sake of not sounding like a pessimist (because I tend to be typically optimistic), I will take a wait-and-see posture. But you truly know and I know how these investigations will conclude next year — months after the election is over. And if you think differently. Obviously you’re missing fee fine print between the lines.
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them. Many women work, take care of kids and head a household by themselves. Many men work and ignore everythingelse and dim create problems for the single parents that work for them. Parenting cannot be seen as a woman’s domain when everything is telling us that we all need to be concerned with how children are raised. Men and women in this country have to develop a creative agenda for parenting, given the realities that face us, namely more A more single parents, and more and more poor working single parents. The problems that face
these lonely people are problems that engulfour welfare system, our workplaces, our prisons, our schools and our tax structure. Is H too much to assume that we can create work schedules and educational schedules for example, that make it possible for single parents to become better parents. Is it too much to ask that men in positionsofauthority begin to think through ways to make better parenting possible, by giving people the opportunity to do the things that every parent must do. Flexibility is not complicated, it’s just that some people don’t
undemand die true costs associated with inflexibility. As it relates to single parenting and attempting to be a decent parent, the costs of having inflexible workplaces and institutions has become intoleraNe. It appears that the problems exhibited by some of our young people began with small things, like not having enough time to spend with a child, or not being able to afford a babysitter and a trip across town to see a teacher. We can begin a journey in a more positive direction by starting to make it possible for single parents to do a few small things.
Fighting the war on drugs and drop-outs Lt. Commander Montel Williams was in Indianapolis this week as part of Pepsi-Cola’s Heartland Tour, which is waging a war on drugs, gang violence and drop-outs. Williams, a 15-year veteran of the UJL Navy, chose to become a soldier in the war that’s being fought on the streets of the nation. While Williams was in the city, the Emmy Award-winning talk show host spoke to students at , Arlington High School atad at John Marshall Jiinior High School. He also delivered a presentation to Pepsi-Cola employees. (Recorder photo by Bill Rasdell)
DAN HEISER CLERK OF SUPREME COURT VOTE N0VEMEBR 6th!
Not New To The Neighborhood
INVOLVED: As President Of Habitat For Humanity of Greater Indianapolis, Dan Has Been Directly Involved In Providing Housing For Heedy Families In Haughville And Lawrence EXPERIENCE: •Over The Past Four Years, Dan Has Saved TheTaxpayers Over One Million Dollars
This Year Dan Is Working On The Child Abuse Registry And Reporting Study Committee To Help Prefect Our CbUdren From The Horror Of Abuse