Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 23 January 2004 — Page 7

FRIDAY, JANUARY 23, 2004

THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER (

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CAN ANY DEMOCRAT BEAT THE PRESIDENT ON NATIONAL SECURITY...?

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Different political planets

By BILL FLETCHER JR.

NNPA

HMHMM As we enter the 2004 elec- ^ ave * (,un< l myself mysti- ^ ^ a com ' 1 mentary happened to come across.^ Earlier this month, I read a commentary in the Washington Post (“Black Votes—No GOP Fantasy,” by Jonetta Rose Barras) suggesting that the Democratic Party needed to stop taking the Black vote for granted (true!), needed to take the Republican Party’s alleged overture towards African Americans seriously (true, again!), and stop practicing left-wing politics (Huh???). Did she say left-wing politics? Are we talking about the same Democratic Party? Are we talking about the same party, many of whose members in Congress voted to support the Bush administration’s illegal war of aggression against Iraq? The same Democratic Party whose former leader - President Bill Clinton - initiated adraconian repeal ofwelfare, the impact of which has been felt with quite a sting in state after state by people w'ho can least afford to feel that pain? The same Democratic Party, many of whose leaders and members were willing to let former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney from Georgia dry on a vine when she was vilified by right-wing attack dogs upon her questioning the intent of the administration following ,9/11? None of this sounds particularly left wing to me. What it has consistently sounded like has been the caving in by leading Democrats in the face ofa conservative assault on social justice and human needs over the last 30 years. Moments like these I ask, particularly after reading such a commentary’ by an intelligent author, can we both be on the same planet? Well, yes, we are on the same planet but we stand in very different relationship to life in the brave new world of 21st century global capi-

talism.

There is one portion of the placet, for which many commentators write, that has a small portion of the global population living very well. This portion of the planet is gaining more and more wealth, travels frequently, lives in guarded and gated communities, sends itschildren toexpensive private schools, has little or no need fbr public services, and avoids paying its fair share in taxes. This portion of planet Earth sees its interests largely wrapped up in the success of the multi-national corporations, financial speculation, and to a great extent has concluded the hell with the consequences, social, economic, environmental or otherwise. There is another section of the planet on which I stand, This section may seem familiar to most readers. It is the section that has watched good jobs disappear; declining public services as rightwing, anti-tax legislation and initiatives are passed in state legislatures; greater levels of incarceration of people of color frequently for the same or alleged crimes of whites; a loss of hope in public education as class sizes increase

while resources are withheld and manipulated in order to shift those same resources to the benefit of private schools. This is the same portion of the planet that in other countries witnesses the astronomical growth of HIV/AIDS and insufficient urgency in addressing it by the nations of the global North, most especially by our alleged compassionate administration. This is the same portion of the planet that is'* regularly blackmailed by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund into following policies that help the wealthy and crush those who are not. It is the same portion of the planet that has become the garbage dump or landfill for the waste accumulated in the global North. So, when I read columns such as the one by Barras, I can only wonder how and w’hy we see things so differently. Fundamentally, it seems to come down to which facts one believes to be important, and which facts can be disregarded. One might feel comfortable disregarding the fact that African Americans suffered disproportionately in the last several years by the loss of manufacturing jobs, instead paying attention to those few individual African Americans who have proven to be successful in the business

world.

One might feel comfortable disregarding the fact that Black and other voters were swindled out of the November 2000 election through the manipulation of voter rolls and the use of police intimidation, instead paying attention to the rhetoric of those individual Blacks in the upper echelon of the Republican Party w’ho proclaim that there is a place for Black America in that den. I don’t know whether these are the facts that Barras and others believ e to be important or not important, but I think that it is fair to say that there is a growing difference of opinion both within and without Black America over the direction of this country and the future of this planet that is challenging old alliances and agreements and asking us, once again, to address the most important question of real politics: Who are our friends? Who are our enemies? To figure out the answer to this question, one must decide upon which portion of the planet one stands, which facts are important, and which political leaders (and parties) have the vision to address the scope and scale of the problems facing the vast majority of the world’s (and the U.S.A.’s) peoples. With all due respect, after pondering these questions, I think it unlikely that one can conclude that the Democratic Party has been too far to the left or insufficiently mainstream. Bill Fletcher Jr. is president of TransAfrica Forum, a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit educational and organizing center formed to raise awareness in the United States about issues facing the nations and peoples of Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America. I le also is co-chair ofthe anti-w’ar coalition, United for Peace and

Justice

(www.unitedforpeace.org). He can be reached at bfletcher (Hransafricaforum.org.

Governor Kernan looks to the future As we head into the first weeks of 2004,1 am filled with a great deal of hope and optimism about Indiana’s future, tempered with the reality of the challenges w e face. Despite the obstacles we may encounter, Indiana's best days are ahead of us, and I will do all I can to get us there. I understand that many families and businesses have been hit hard by the national recession. Raising a family or running a business is difficult enough without worrying about your job, the national economy, and rising health care costs. But I also believe that Hoosiers are hard to knock down, and quick to get up again. We have always been people of action. We will handle this challenge and opportunity in same manner, by working together to find solutions and by strivingto make Indianaan even better place to live, work, and raise a family. We have a strong foundation to build on. In each of the last two years, we worked together, in a bipartisan way with Republicans and Democrats, to provide tax relief for Hoosier families and businesses, to invest in economic development initiatives, and to improve standards and accountability in our schools. Now’ is the time to take the next step, to chart a new course, and to tackle today’s challenges. My top priority is to create jobs. To that end, I recently announced a new’ initiative, called Indiana© Work, that will use existing funds to train more workers, better assess their skills, and match them with availablejob opportunities. This initiative will assist workers and businesses alike in beating back the effects ofthe national recession. I will not stop looking for any way to create newjobs, grow our economy, and make life better for all Hoosiers. Good business sense dictates that better education leads to better jobs. So last week, I also announced the Early Learning Trust, an initiative that will redirect existing resources to provide voluntary full-day kindergarten to 20,000 Hoosier children this fall. I have identified the resources to build this initiative into the future, so that voluntarv’full-day kindergarten - something that has widespread bipartisan support - will be available to every Hoosier child by 2007. Early learning is a sound and necessary investment in our future.

There is much more to be done. I will work hard, I will work smart, and I will not stop developing new plans and new ideas—to create more jobs, to maximize opportunities for Indiana businesses, to be fiscally responsible, to protect our state’s most vulnerable citizens, and to bring positive change to how state government serves its customers. As I said in my first State of the State address, I cannot control what happened yesterday, but I can get from it lessons learned. My mission now’ is to take those lessons learned and w ork together toward solutions to make Indiana an even better place—where Hoosiers will have good paving jobs, where our children our safe and prepared to be successful, where all have access to a worldclass education, and where people will w’ant to live. We decide where we go from here. So let’s get to work. Inmate seeks alternative placement I am currently a convicted felon for selling drugs. I was an addict taking a desperate measures to support my habit. I received a harsh sentence of 30 years, 15 years on good time. I have been incarcerated for over 5 years now. My point is that the prisons are over-crowded, but there are many, as myself, who are qualified for alternative placement. I realize that my past conduct warranted my incarceration, which I am thankful for, because it saved my life. The purpose of the courts is to incarcerate an offender for the goals of reformation and rehabilitation. In the meaning of Indiana law, I have achieved both. My accomplishments and recommendations are excellent and numerous. Most of all, my logic, perspectives and coping-mecha-nisms in life as a whole are healthy now r . My issue is that Ufiave been accepted at several alternative placements, but the courts keep denying me based on mli past record. Before active addiction I was a middle-class medical professional wife and mother. I have proven that I am prepared to leave prison and be among that small percentage who will successfully utilize alternative placement. At the same time, the courts will have the opportunity to supervise my re-entry as a working member of society again. It is so overcrowded in here. I just want the opportunity to utilize the alternative programs that are available to me and people like me and YOUR VOICE

be one less expense and person in this over-crowded prison! Selena Turner Rockville Correctional

Facility

Thank you

I’d like to thank the voters of Pike Township for selecting me to serve as their City-County Councilor. I proudly acknowledge that I would not have won had a large number of African-Ameri-cans (some 20-25 percent of you) in Pike Township elected me, a firefighter and Black Republican to represent you. During the campaign there were several individuals whose support and encouragement allowed me to prevail and while I cannot thank evervone personally 1 do want to mention a few of them. There was Rev. Bishop Lambert Gates of Mt. Zion Apostolic Church with a sermon of “Peace in the middle of the Storm” and Rev. Landrum Shields of Covenant Community Church with his message, “A Failure to Communicate.” Each of these men of God gave me the words I needed to hear when I needed to hear it. Then there was my father, Rev. Isaac E. Randolph Sr. who never stopped sharing with me his fatherly advice and spiritual guidance. I’m proud to say that I accomplished my goal of successfully running the type of campaign that did not disrespect his name or dishonor his reputation. Finally there’s my lovely and patient wife Regina who, while I carried my message for a better city, she was earning my beautiful daughter Sydney Morgan. Now that the race is over the real work begins. Today we have neighbors out of work, schools under-funded and taxing without accountability. Whileour situation is critical it certainly isn’t hopeless. These problems can be solved with a focus on an aggressive and comprehensive economic development strategy and I will do just that. Like you, I love this city and I’m proud to raise my family here. I want my young daughters to marry, find good jobs and raise their families here some day as well. I’m committed to do whatever is necessary to make it more likely that one day my grandkids and yours can live around the corner, not across the country. It will be my privilege to represent Pike Township. Isaac E. Randolph Jr. City-County Councilor Pike Township District 1

WhaT did you do To celebraTe The birThday of MarTin LuTher King, Jr?

Rodney Stepp “I’m a musician, so I played the keyboard at a reception after an event that took place at Martin University. I also worked with Rev. Thomas L. Brown from Ebenezer Baptist Church.” Rodney Stepp

Tiffany Freeman

“I explained to my children who King was and what he did. I told them why they get a day off school because of him.” Tiffany Freeman

Nicole L. Thomas "I watched programs on TV about his life. I also talked with my family about what they thought his death and loss meant to this country.” Nicole L. Thomas

Why bother to come out now? This letter concerns Essie Mae Washington-YVilliams, the lady who recently appeared on the Tavis Smiley show and was referred to as “Strom Thurmond’s Black daughter” by CBS’s Dan Rather. This lady was only five years old when people at the courthouse in Marion, Indiana Ijmched those two Black teenage boys in 1930. So we can't be angry with her for saying nothing about that incident. But she met her father in 1941 when she was sixteen. Now, that raises some serious questions. She said nothing about the year 1948, when she was 23 years old and her father, as a candidate for president on the segregationist Dixiecrat (‘State’s Right) ticket, launched one of the most ferocious attacks on the then “Negro” of that time. She said nothing when our people were legally brutalized in the South, which ushered in the Civil Rights movement. One can only imagine what great pressure she could have taken off of Dr. Martin Luther King, and Black people in gen-

eral.

Her case sums up the problem with us Black folk: Too many of us are plagued by selfish “me-ism” and have in reality become lackeys. If this lady went through the turbulent 1950’s and 60’s with this bombshell and said nothing, then why bring it up now? How does her view of Senator Thurmond differ in any way from that of Trent Lott, who spoke in favor of Thurmond just last year? John D. Washington The Controversy over Mad Cow Disease: What's Really in Our Food? I don’t know at whom or why the cow is mad but we all should be angry with the greedy corporate food producers, governmental agencies and politicians whose duty and responsibility it is to protect us. However, they put our health and lives at risk for the sake of the might dollar. These food producers and politicians have no regard for human life and will do anything for hefty campaign contri- • butions and bigger profits. These people put additives, chemicals and carcinogens in our food that can send many to early graves, while others live their lives with chronic ailments and illnesses. The pesticides and insecticides that are being used to protect the fruit/vegetable crops from insects are killing the birds, causing mutations in wild life, and leaking ^ into the lakes and streams while killing fish. Because of this, people who have chosen not to eat meat and be vegetarians are still at risk for some ailments. Producers bleach and process natural minerals and vitamins out of the food and replace them with man-made artificial coloring, flavoring, and synthetic minerals. In 1973, there was a futuristic movie called Soylent Green. Charlton Heston and the late Edward G. Robinson played the main characters. In this film real foods like fruit, meat and vegetables were rare commodities and were available only to the powerful and wealthy. Heston portrayed a detective who finally discovered that the substances being eaten by the common people for food, called Soylent Green, w as the processed remains of dead people. But isn’t this actually what made the cow mad, being fed the contaminated remains of other animals? Anyway, I know this was just a movie and sounds pretty farfetched. But if w e knew how our food was processed we would really be shocked. EJlis Hutchinson