Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 3 October 2003 — Page 8
PAGE A8
THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2003
EDITORIAL
There’s something for everyone at the Classic
BY SHANNON WILLIAMS Recorder Editor
Circle City Classic is oftlcially here. I’d like to welcome all visitors to Indianapolis and encourage everyone to participate in the various festivities that will be going on this weekend. This weekend, there’s something that all ages will be able to participate in including the Black College Fair, “The Tom Joyner Morning Show,” the Coaches Luncheon, the Gospel Explosion, the Comedy Jam...the list goes on and on. Then there’s the game. The game, obviously is the premier event for the weekend, and features two outstanding Black colleges. Jackson State and Florida A & M have a huge crowd following which only validates the tremendous ticket sales of this year’s
event.
Every year around Classic time I get ex-
tremely excited because it takes me back a few years to when I w r as in college.
This year, I’m particu-
larly excited because my
alma mater, Jackson
State, is participating in
the 20th year of this
wonderful annual event.
Before researching J-
State’s academic curriculum, I remember what initially drew me to the historic university. It was actually in 1990 when I was in the eighth grade. As a cheerleader, I was
selected to represent Forest Manor Junior
High School on a float in the Circle City' Classic Parade. For my participation, I was given two tickets to the game. I don’t recall what school Jackson State was playing that year, but I knew after my high school tenure that I’d go to
Jackson State.
Of course, when I got older and began researching colleges, I was drawn by what J-State had to offer. But, it was not just a fascination I had with Jackson State on that cold fall day back in 1990 that lead me to Mississippi. It had a lot to do with what they offer academically. My point of strolling down memory lane like that is to bring attention to the impact that the Classic has on youth. I feel it’s very important to support Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and the exposure that Circle City Classic gives to kids by bringing in Black colleges is phe-
nomenal.
It’s very easy for everyone to be excited about the Battle of the Bands, the parade and even the sport. But the ultimate goal is to get our children to attend college, to get their minds thinking and preparing for their educational goals. I commend Rev. Charles Williams for having the foresight to initiate something like this in our city 20 years ago. I appreciate all the volunteers and workers who make Classic such a success year after year. And I support the underlining factor in this w hole event. I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable weekend, and I look forward to Jackson State pulverizing FAM-U.
"The
exposure
that Circle City Classic gives to kids by bringing
in Black colleges is
phenomenal”
INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER DIRECTORY
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JUST TULIN' IT County Clerk Sadler, YMC A’s Lineweaver’s disdain and disregard of Indy
By AMOS BROWN III It’s about the continued arrogance of Marion County Clerk Doris Anne Sadler and YMC A President/CEO Norris Lineweaver. Sadler got caught trying to ram a grossly illegal ballot down voters’ throats, while doing nothing to create an effective, systematic media awareness effort to educate Indianapolis voters about this November’s new ballot layout and voting system. Lineweaver’s ham-handed, haughty, tactless, boneheaded handling of the Fall Creek YMCA situation has opened new fissures between the YMCAand our African-Ameri-can community that’ll take years to repair. Last week, the YMCA ran a full-page ad in The Indianapolis Recorder and Indiana Herald that was the most guiltridden, inaccurate, incompetent defense of a position by an Indianapolis institution I’ve seen in years. The YMCA’s “explanation" of the Fall Creek YMCA’s closing, was insulting, error-filled and raised more questions than ever about the YMCA’s incompetent stewardship of Fall Creek. When the decision was made to close Fall Creek, three top YMCA board members met with me to explain their decision. They didn’t reveal the information contained in last week's ad or share detailed financial information or the contents of the seven studies and consultants’ recommendations on Fall Creek’s viability conducted between 1989 and 1999, all of which were cited in the ad. The ad raised new questions about the Fall Creek Ys deficit.
In 1998, the deficit had been cut to $195,356, but it ballooned 140 percent the next year to $468,636; remaining at roughly that level for three years. How was Fall Creek able to sharply reduce their deficit in 1997 and 1998? What happened afterwards that caused the debt to spiral out of control? In September 2000, a United Way task force examined the issues regarding the Fall Creek YMCA, but Lineweaver ignored their recommendations. The task force said that “money issues shouldn’t drive the decision to close Fall Creek”; that the YMCA “must confront the perception that the Fall Creek YMCA ‘belongs’ to.the African-Ameri-can community” and “must seriously consider the implications of closing the Fall Creek branch or losing a physical presence that serves Center Township.” Lineweaver and the YMCA refused this column’s suggestions to place information about the rich history and legacy of the Fall Creek and Senate Avenue YMCAs on the Metropolitan’s Web site. And the YMCA’s leadership has refused to create a plan to insure at least 40 percent minority participation in the design, management and construction of the new Fall Creek/Senate/Pike YMCA. I still feel that the Fall Creek YMCA can’t be viable, long-term, at its current location, if it must depend solely on patronage from our African-American community. But frankly, I don’t believe all the YMCA’s rationale and reasoning as to why Fall Creek must be closed for good. Those fighting to save Fall Creek must be given a reasonable opportunity to create a business plan to try and operate it independent of Norris Lineweaver’s control. The wrecked credibility of Norris Lineweaver and the YMCA system with African Americans is equal to the wrecked credibility of President George W. Bush with African Americans. President Bush is doing nothing to repair
his shattered credibility with Blacks. The Indianapolis YMCA system is seemingly doing nothing to repair their shattered credibility with us. ***** Now to County Clerk Sadler and her illegal November ballot. For decades, Indiana’s political parties could represent themselves on paper ballots with symbols - “eagles” for Republicans, “roosters” for Democrats, “Lady Liberty” for Libertarians. However, Sadler and her GOP puppets on the Marion County Election Board chose to break state law by adding words to their symbol. The words local Republicans chose to designate their candidates for City-County Council is “The A Team.” This phrase just happens to legally belong to Steven J. Cannell who created “The A Team” along with other funky TV classics “The Rockford Files,”“Baretta,”“21 Jump Street” and “Hunter.” Isn’t it great that Marion County Republicans want to be associated with a TV show that glorified those who blew up buildings, machine gunned enemies, crashed cars, drove monster trucks and wore lots of flashy gold necklaces and jewelry? Which Republican council candidate gets to act like Mr. T - “I pity the fool who votes Democratic?” - Jim Bradford? Issac Randolph? Curt Coonrod? Sean Frick? Use of “The A Team” phrase is patently illegal and must be thrown out. On the issue of the layout of the November paper ballot used in the optical scanner voting machines, Democrats’ complaints are correct, but they misplayed the public relations battle. Democrats should have stressed not that the current ballot is confusing, but why didn’t Sadler and Republicans design the new ballots in a manner Marion County voters are used to? The three columns on the new ballot should have had Republi-
can candidates in one column, Democrats in another, Libertarians in the third. Simple. But because Clerk Sadler believes her job is to run local elections in the most partisan, biased manner possible; to operate in darkness, not Hght; to perform electoral malpractice not competence, we face a court battle that again demonstrates that Sadler and her Mr. T-acting Republican counterparts want to run roughshod over Indianapolis voters’ rights. What I’m hearing in the streets I n a whirlwind hour, new Indiana University President Dr. Adam Herbert did something his predecessors, including Miles BrandandTom Ehrlich never did, speak directly to Indiana’s largest African-American community through its media. Dr. Herbert appeared on our WDNI-TV/Channel 65 television program and made brief appearances on WTLC-FM106.7’s “Guy Black Show” and WTLCAMl310’s “The Bottom Line.” In each interview, Herbert said he wants to encourage more African Americans to attend IU and that IU should appeal to “all Hoosiers.” On our TV program, Herbert said he’s examining IU’s use of minority-owned businesses and that “the normal processes” must be followed in the situation with Dr. John Stansfield, the IU/ Bloomington professor replaced as chair of the African-American Studies Department. During his media tour, Herbert’s engaging and open personality won converts to his efforts. The more he gets out and meets people, the more hell earn converts and support for IU. See ‘ya next week! Amos Brown’s opinions are not necessarily those of The Indianapolis Recorder. You can con tact him at (317)221-0915 or e-mail him at [email protected].
Reckoning ahead for a bad situation in Iraq
By JESSE L. JACKSON SR. Asserting America’s stature as the world’s only superpower, President Bush took us into Iraq without the support 1ElK9V of critical allies or the United Nations. Now, as the president seeks a staggering $87 billion as a down payment for next year in 1 raq and Afghanistan, this country faces the reckoning for that decision. With the largest wave of kids in our public schools since the baby boom, school budgets are being cut across the country. With college education essential for the new economy, college costs are soaring out of the reach of more and more Americans. The low-cost housing shortage is reaching crisis proportions. The recent blackout reflects the investment deficit in America’s infrastructure - everything from sewers to mass transit to the electric grid. Our unsustainable $500 billion annual trade deficit measures the flight of U.S. jobs to cheap labor markets abroad. Companies are having a harder time affording insurance for retirees and for the families of their own workers. And the federal budget is already running a record deficit slated to exceed $500 billion next year alone. This is a rich country. We can afford the $150 billion thatwe’ve sunk into Iraq in the last two years - but is this really the best use of scarce resources? President Bush says that Iraq is now the “central front” in the war on terrorism - but that is only because our invasion hits made it such. Last week, the president admitted that he’s had “no evidence” of any involvement by Iraq in the terror assaults of Sept. 11.1 raq is now a magnet for America haters because our troops are exposed there, occupying a country the size of California with fewer than 200,000 soldiers. The president’s men would like to stifle any debate about Iraq. It doesn’t matter that we can’t find any weapons of mass destruction. Doesn’t matter that Saddam had nothing to do will) Sept. II and was loathed by Osama bin Laden. Doesn't matter that 11 ussein’s military posed no significant threat after a decade of defeat and embargo. Doesn’t matter that our allies aren’t around to share the burden and the
costs. It’s too late. We went in on our own, and we’re there now. We can’t cut and run, as Vice President Dick Cheney warned. Most of us agree with that. You can’t create a mess and then walk away. But if Vietnam taught our generation anything, it is that you can end up squandering precious lives and resources in a lost cause. The Bushmen now warn that if we don’t succeed in Iraq, the entire region will be destabilized. Worse, well end up fighting emboldened terrorists on these shores. But as the warnings of the Homeland Security Department tell us, we’re already fighting terrorists on these shores. And a long, bloody occupation of Iraq may be far more destabilizing across the Islamic world than a rapid exit may be. Bush belatedly is trying to get our allies and the United Nations he previously scorned as “irrelevant” to share the burden. Thus far, however, he seems unwilling to transfer authority. Well call the shots, he says, you just help provide the troops and the dough. Not surprisingly, the rest of the world isn’t leaping up to take that offer. Even the Saudis next door seem reluctant to help pick up the bill in Iraq. With American soldiers getting killed at the rate of one a day, and the United States spending more than a billion a week in Iraq, the president would be well advised to figure out a rapid transfer of power - first to the U.N. in order to bring in allies and share the load
and soon to the Iraqis. This won’t be easy. Even if the U.N. takes responsibility, well still have to supply the bulk of the troops and the resources. And most observers rightly fear that once Iraqis take over, the civil war that has been on hold is likely to break out. National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice accuses those who express doubts about democracy in Iraq of harboring a racial bias akin to those who said that African Americans weren’t ready for the vote in this country. But African Americans weren’t looking to secede, and weren’t split by bitter ethnic and religious divisions. The Kurds want independence and the Shiites have good reason to hate the Sunni minority that dominated under Saddam Hussein. And Iraq’s neighbors - Turkey, Iran, Syria, and Saudi Arabia - are likely to fan the flames of discord. The president would like Americans to believe that invading Iraq was needed to defend America from terror. I raq’s people should be pleased that we rid them of a brutal dictatorship, but otherwise, we’ve made a bad situation worse. Thousands of soldiers are exposed. Billions are being spent. The unpopular occupation is providing new recruits for the terrorists. And the withdrawal, whenever it comes, is likely to leave this critical region more unstable than ever. Jesse L. Jackson Sr. is founder and president of the Chicago-based Rainbow/Push Coalition.
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