Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 31 January 2003 — Page 8

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THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER

FRIDAY, JANUARY 31, 2003

EDITORIAL

Childhood obesity a growing concern Recently there has been a tremendous problem with child obesity. It’s all over the news, but what can be done to correct this situation? A lot of people have their own opinions as to why so many children are obese. B w*luams N Personally, I put a lot of the blame on Editor parents. I know it seems as if I have a major problem with parents, and I do if they don’t take the lives of their children seriously. Not taking a child’s life seriously to me is seeing that your child is overweight, yet not doing anything to improve the situation. I was raised by a single mother, so I totally understand how difficult it can be working a full-time job and raising children, but parents have got to take the time to deal with health issues. There has been a 50 percent increase in the number of children who are obese over the last 10 years. As a result, these children are at risk for high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease. These children are generally under the age of 13, yet many of them suffer from the same diseases that adults three-times their age do. It seems as if the youth of today have totally forgotten how to physically entertain themselves. What happened to wanting to go outside and play, rather than stay in the house? I can remember the days, even if there was a house full of toys, kids would want to be outside where they could run around playing and enjoying the sun. And even if kids wanted to stay in the house, more often then not, a parent would intervene and tell the child to go outside. Now kids are television and video game junkies, which causes them to move about less, which in turn reduces their amount of exercise, which eventually leads to a build-up in fat, which can lead to obesity. But these kids are only doing what their parents are allowing them to do. If parents take time to evaluate situations and stop allowing these children to sit around the house staring at a television screen, maybe some things can be done to improve the situation. Another problem that I see is fast food. Now, I’m not saying that it’s the restaurant’s fault that these children are overweight, I’m saying that some parents rely on fast food restaurants to provide their children with a balanced meal and that’s just not going to happen. Parents need to take more of an initiative in their child’s health and stop ignoring the problem or warning signs. Allowing children to eat themselves to death is child abuse. The government needs to assume more of an active role in ensuring that children are being properly cared for. If that means removing that child from the home, then so be it. Because right now the problem is entirely too common and a lesson needs to be taught. I’ve seen these talk shows where parents have their overweight children on and the majority of the crowd is laughing hysterically or saying “how cute.” What type of world are we living in where our children are put on display and laughed at by adults or thought of as being “cute” because they are excessively overweight? That's why at some point these parents should be held accountable for their overweight kids. Parenting is a hard job; I understand how challenging and frustrating things can be. I also understand how parents try to do all they can to make sure their children are happy and satisfied. But there needs to he a distinction between « being an effective parent, and trying to beyour child’s friend. Once more parents realize that, there will be more healthier and respectful children in the world.

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Despite media hype Blacks,

not Hispanics, are still ‘numero uno’

Several media organizations hyperventilated last week over the release of the first post2000 Census national population estimates. An Associated Press story, picked up by WISH-TV/Channel 8 and national TV networks, breathlessly reported that Hispanics now outnumbered Blacks. Unfortunately, that conclusion isn’t factually accurate. Hispanics are an ethnic group; not a race. The Office of Management and Budget, arbiter of the federal government’s “official” definitions of race and ethnicity, defines Hispanics or Latinos as: “a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race (italics added).” So, Hispanics can be white, Black, Asian, even American Indian. (Parenthetically, the government’s definition of Black or African-American is “a person having origins in any of the Black racial groups of

Africa.”)

Since persons answeringthe 2000 Census could choose as many “races” they felt they belonged to, there are two census counts for racial groups: specific “race alone” and specific “race in combination” with other races. This column, other researchers, The Indianapolis Recorder and other AfricanAmerican organizations has consistently used the “Black in combination” data to analyze Black population. This is com-

parable to how Black population was counted prior to 2000. With those explanations, here are the real facts on whether Hispanics outnumber Blacks; The 2000 Census counted 37,104,248 Blacks and 35,305,818 Hispanics. Since Hispanics can be of any race, 32,958,757 (93.3 percent) were white, 1,606,075 (4.5 percent) were Black. Of the 37-1 million Blacks counted in 2000,4.3 percent were Hispanics. In the Indianapolis metro area, 4.8 percent ofthe Hispanic population is Black; while just 0.9 percent of our Black community is of Hispanicorigin. As of July 2001, the Census Bureau estimates there were 37,741,270 Blacks and 36,972,219 Hispanics. Some 4.5 percent of the country’s nearly 37 million Hispanics are Black; 4.4 percent of the over 37-7 million Blacks are Hispanic. Today, there’s still more Blacks in America than Hispanics, though that will change in a couple of years. Unfortunately, Channel 8’s reporters didn’t want to hear the facts, so they conveniently edited out of an interview my comments that Blacks still

outnumbered Hispanics. 1 believe they did it because the facts run counter to Channel 8’s agenda of pushing their new H ispanic TV station. Channel 8 perpetuated the myth that there’re more Hispanics than Blacks, even though the New York Times, Washington Post, Philadelphia Inquirer,even the Indianapolis Star reported the confusion surrounding estimating population of Hispanics and racial groups (the Star’s accurate headline “Hispanics on brink of eclipsing Blacks”). Unfortunately, Channel 8 perpetuated the canard that Hispanics are the dominant minority; even though in Central Indiana Blacks outnumber Hispanics nearly six to one. What I'm hearing in the streets Decrying a lack of leadership in the African-American community, famed^scholar Dr. Cornel West held /ourt and class in a packed Clowes Hall last Friday night. Now a Princeton professor after Harvard’s president insulted the famed African-Ameri-can author and scholar, West spoke about the generation gap among Blacks “the worst I’ve ever seen.” West challenged Black leadership to reach out and engage young Blacks, “Our community is crying out for leadership, but our leaders aren’t delivering.” An advisor to Rev. Al Sharpton, who’s now running for the Democratic presidential nomination,

ECONOMIC SMIUS—& PLANS...

West said Sharpton’s entry into the campaign will cause issues of importance to African Americans to be heard. West’s appearance was part of the successful Celebration of Diversity lecture series, sponsored by the Mayor’s Office and Butler University. More than 2,000 jammed Clowes to hear this distinguished man of letters. ,. ***** “I want to work with people of all interests.” That’s one of the credos of Marion County TreasurerGreg Jordan, who’s running for the Republican nomination for mayor. Interviewed Monday on our new WDNI-TV/Channel 65 morning program, Jordan obliquely attacked Mayor Bart Peterson’s lack of “leadership,” promising he’d be a more effective leader. I asked Jordan, who attended last August’s town hall meeting about police excesses during Black Expo, why he didn’t speak out publicly about what he heard and saw. “I didn’t think about it,” said Jordan who admitted that he was “shocked at the stories he heard” that night.

Thanks to the Indiana Pacers for scheduling a game last election night because it gave WTLC/ AM 1310’s election night coverage, anchored by this columnist, a chance to shine. The fall Arbitron radio ratings confirmed that our election coverage topped all other stations and was the sixth highest rated radio program election night. Who says people won’t listen to local political coverage? ***** A surprisingly diverse crowd packed the state House chambers for the 2nd annual People’s Agenda, sponsored by WTHR/ Channel 13 and the Star. Star and WTH R officials were on hand and heard strong attacks on Gov. Frank O’Bannon’s plan to hijack tobacco settlement money for his increasingly doomed Energize Indiana plan. Hoosiers also criticized proposed education cuts and the increasingly high cost ofhealth care. Four African-American legislators were there listening and taking notes: State Sens. Billie Breaux and Earline Rogers and state Reps. Bill Crawford and Carolene Mays. See ‘ya next week. Amos Brown s opinions are not necessarily those of The Indianapolis Recorder. You can contact him at (317) 221-0915 or email him at [email protected].

Bush should attack alumni preference programs

By GEORGE E. CURRY If George W. Bush really wants to challenge a “quota” program, he should stop assaulting the University of Michigan and take on the most pervasive preference program in the country — those that give special consideration to the sons and daughters of alumni. Bush knows all about these programs because that’s how he got into Yale University. His widely reported SAT scores of 566 on the verbal section and 640 on the math portion were not high enough to get him into an Ivy League school. But because his father had attended Yale, that opened the door for him. As a contributor notes in an anthology I edited titled, “The Affirmative Action Debate,” far more whites have entered the gatesofthe 10 mostelite American universities through alumni preference — or legacy programs — than the combined numbers of all African Americans and Latinos entering through affirmative action. Yet, neither Bush nor his right-wing ideologues attack tii is class based preference program. Why should George W. Bush get extra |>oints for beinga blueblood? That very question is being asked at Bush’s alma mater. A

headline in the Yale Herald two years ago declared: “True bluebloods shouldn’t get royal treatment.” It observed, “The reality today is striking: Those whose parents were affiliated with Yale College or one of the graduate schools were admitted to the class of2004 at a rate of 29 8 percent. Over the past lOyears, the admittance rate for those families who were Yaleaffiliated varied to well above 30 percent. “In contrast, Yale’s combined acceptance rate for all students last year was a mere 16.2 percent — and this was dnusually high. Are students with family connections really twice as qualified to attend Yale?" The same can be asked of other universities. As The Wall Street Journal reported recently,“Harvard accepts 40 percent of legacy applicants, compared with an 11 percent overall acceptance rate. Princeton took 35 percent ofalumni children who applied last year and 11 percent of overall applicants. The University of Pennsylvania accepts 41 percent oflegacy applicants, compared to 21 percent overall. At Notre Dame, about 23 percent of all students are children ofgraduates." Are the legacy students smarter? Not judging by thcirSAT scores. Although 11arvardofficials say legacy students score jusl two points below the overall average

on the SAT, one year that gap was 35 points. Alumni preference programs penalize students for not coming from wealthy or highly educated families. Where’s the fairness in giving extra points to students who’ve had extra advantages all of their lives? In the case ofalumni preference programs, it’s not about fairness. It’s about money. University officials openly acknowledge that they are eager to enroll legacy students because that tends to help them with alumni donations. legacy students are not the only ones who go unchallenged while anti-affirmative action groups gear up for two University of Michigan cases that will be argued before the Supreme Court on April 1. Even the undergraduate affirmative action program at Michigan, which is being challenged along with the law school program that does not use a point system, awards extra points for in the admission process based on other factors. For example, just as people of color can be awarded 20 points because of their historical exclusion, socio-eeonomieally disadvantaged students, regardless of their race, can also receive 20 points (no student can get points foreach). Athletes being recruited on scholarship also receive 20 points. Applicants living in the Upper Peninsula are given 16

points. And it doesn’t stop there. Extra points are awarded to men who go into nursing and women who major in engineering. Of all of these programs that award extra points, the only one being challenged in court is the one crafted to increase the presence of underrepresented people of color on campus. As successful as the University of Michigan has been in diversifying its campus, it’s not likely to be confused with a United Negro College Fund institution. Of 38,000studentsenrolled, 8.1 percent are African Americans. Bush got into Yale easier than Blacks get into Michigan. Speaking of his private school days, Bush wrote in his autobiography, “A Charge to Keep,” with Karen Hughes: “I was a solid student hut not a top student. I did well in the courses I liked, such as history, math, and Spanish, and not so well in others, such as English. When I met with the dean to discuss different college options, I told him I would like to go to Yale. Many in my family had gone there... The dean tactfully suggested that I might think of other universities as well...” Bush didn’t have to do that. I le could ride on his family name. (ieorge E. Curry is editor-in chief of the NNPA News Servu and BlaekPressUSA.com.

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