The Oklahoma Eagle (Tulsa, Okla.), Vol. 82, No. 22, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 22, 2003 Page: 4 of 12
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I
EDITORIAL
A4 PH E OKLAHOMA EAGLE Thursday May 22. 2003
OPINION
Instead of rushing to
EDITORIALS
OPINION
Affirmative Action and black patriotism
goals that the Republicans set
that sent you there, when it
we are fixated on the war, Bush:
ists now?
the first encounter with Saddam
OPINION
Without a paddle
FROM THE EDITOR
Approval of Black
Officers1 Consent
US Needs to End
Dependence Upon
Middle East Oil
l dward L. Goodwin Jr. and James O. Goodwin
Co-Publishers
Eddie L. Madison, Jr.
Editor Emeritus
climb back under the rock that
she had emerged from prior to
writing about "Jimmy's World."
not affect me the same way.
Maybe I've matured over the
past two decades. At least, I
titioning justices not to damage
their future.
these students who had come
from all over the nation because
it seemed from their speeches
Do we realize that many
libraries across the nation will
chases? Do we realize that be-
cause many states are cutting
Medicaid dollars, seniors are
losing access to prescription
are
alize that as more Americans
lose jobs, they lose health care
and that we all pay for those
crease in state spending with-
out explaining why- increased
to colorize this sordid chapter.
On CNN's "Reliable Sources,"
Howard Kurtz, media colum-
nist for the "Washington Post,"
asked, Blair is an African-
lous crowd in the White 1 louse
It looks as if they are using the
the war has taken over the
newspaper headlines, television
networks and the radio talk
For example, Bob Herbert
of the New York Times wrote a
to pay for the $150 million
deficits facing state govern-
ments.
But there are things we
can and must do Here are a
few ideas:
• Call your state legislator
• Join religious folks com-
mitted to ending poverty at
the Call to Renewal Pentecost
2003 mobilization in Washing-
ton, D.C. June 9-11. l or more
information go to www.call-
torenewal.com
• Pray that our nation will
change its priorities and work
to end poverty and wage
peace.
More tax cuts are not the
answer. We need immediate
nation. We need more invest-
ment in public education and
percent;
• proposes a $28 billion re-
duction over 10 years in veter-
ans health benefits;
• under-funds the educa-
tion program, leave No Child
Behind," by $9 billion
And on and on
This merely adds to the
charging before the Supreme
Court that diversity in higher
education has not been shown
to be in the compelling state in-
by editors eager for this ambi-
tious black journalist to suc-
ceed."
Referring to his conserva-
BykiMMri
Guest Contributor
lyfiMuLCvry
NNPA Editor-In-Chief
By ternice Poweil JackSMi
Guest Contributor
W ^Haljotna Qraglc
"IVp make America better when we aid our people."
1.1 GOODWIN SR (1902-1978), Publisher. 1936-1978
studv journalism would be un-
fairly tainted by Cooke's action.
The recent resignation of
Jayson Blair from The New-
Michigan, thousands of stu-
dents, anchored by Howard
University, spent a
The recent terrorist attacks in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, point to the
urgency ot an end to U.S. dependency- on oil from that country but
from all of the Middle East. Our dependency on oil from Saudi Ara-
bia has been a factor in not facing up to problems in that country
that include involvement in terrorism.
Terrorism inside Saudi Arabia is not only a problem for for-
eigners living in that country but for the monarchy itself That has
finally been acknowledged after last weeks attack.
It has been to Saudi Arabia s advantage to make certain that it
was the largest supplier of oil to the United States, according to oil
traders, diplomats, and economists. The Saudis could make more
money selling oil to east Asia, but they have preferred to sell oil to
the United States at lower prices in order to retain their coveted role.
Die United States has only 3 percent of the w orld's known oil
re-senes, and as such, increased drilling will do little in the long nin
to decrease dependence on the Middle East.
September 11 should be an alarm bell that we need a balanced,
comprehensive energv policy that addresses things we don’t like to
do mandating more fuel-efficient vehicles, more- domestic oil and
gas drilling, becoming more energy efficient as a nation, according
to Bill Richardson, energy secretary under President Bill Clinton.
It follows, in turn, such a policy could give Washington more
leeway in its relations with Saudi Arabia, treeing it to press for a re-
duction in official corruption or for taking direct action against rad-
ical Islamic groups.
Leaving only essential personnel" in Saudi Arabia will protect
thi»se Americans still living and working in that country. However,
it w ill not solve the overall problem. Once dependency on Saudi oil
can be terminated, all Americans can leave-especially if terrorist
acts continue.
Most observ-ers attributed the attacks in Saudi Arabia to Osama
bin Laden s Al Qaeda network.
them. They are up
without a
to fend for themselves. The
Congress is not much better,
allocating a paltry $20 million gressperson calling on them to
thus far in budget negotiations increase- aid to states A sample-
letter for this is also at
www.ucctake-action.org You
can also go to wN~h.stopbu-
doetdisaster.com to contact
your legislators. Stories of how
budget cuts will impact your
family and your community
and ask for an appointment are especially important
with him/her or their staff
budget person. Find out for
yourself what is being cut in
your state. Then organize, or-
ganize, organize. If schools are
being cut, organize parents. If
libraries are- being cut, organ-
ize your neighbors. If seniors
are being cut, organize your
church or temple- or mosque.
• Call the Children s De-
fense Fund at 202-662-3671 to
find out how you can partici-
pate in their Stand for Chil- jobs, not future ones, in this
dren Week-end on June 1 or
their Capitol Hill Wednesday
in Washington Stroller Parade higher education We need
on June 11. Or visit their web-
site at
fense.orc.
• Write a letter to the edi-
tor of your local newspaper
about the state budget crisis. If It's up to you and me.
health care for all Americans,
www.dlildrensde- We need to help the states, not
allow them to sink into an
ocean of red ink. These are our
real national security issues.
a charade, a cover for wealthy
interests who, as a result ot
Bush's actions, will be set up in
the Middle East on oil wealth tor
years to come.
I have had to answer the
questions from journalists ask-
ing why blacks don't supjtort
courageous article recently enti- the war as much as whites
understanding that they had to they are full Americans because tied, "Casualties at Home,
take the baton and continue the they have been faced with the which made the point. So, while
struggle to achieve serial justice hard evidence that while we al-
that was begun by their ances- ways have been willing to fight
tors. and die for this country—and to
Yet, somehow as much of
the mediacovers this perfect
fiscal storm facing state gov-
being called upon to emments, they fail to tell the
do even more with less money full story. Instead of interview-
in their coffers. Do we realize ing governors, they are inter-
that while school-age popula- viewing chamber of commerce
tions are growing rapidly in presidents about tax cuts. Or,
many states, 20 states already headlines highlight the in-
have cut K-12 funding this
year? Do we realize that de-
spite evidence that classroom corrections costs, increased
size is a key to learning, class- costs for states due to the shift-
sizes will inevitably ing of Medicare patients to
Medicaid (from the federal
budget to shared budgets),
and increases in education
budgets due to larger school
all but told the governors, Re- you need a sample letter, go to
publican and Democrat alike, www.ucctakeaction.org.
• Send an e-mail or letter
to your Senator and Con-
Decree Is Applauded
Fhe Oklahoma Eagle applauds approval of a settlement in the
lawsuit between the Black Officers' Coalition and the City of Tulsa.
In a 122-page order, U.S. District Judge Sven Erick Holmes
wrote that the agreement was "wise, fair, and fully supported by
law He called the nine years of the lawsuit as "divisive", adding
that the agreement was in the best interest of the city and the com-
munity at large.
Holmes disputed claims by the Fraternal Order of Police that
the settlement violated the union's collective bargaining agreement
with the city. He said the settlement did not infringe upon the con-
tractual rights of the union.
I'he judge added that the FOP had been given many opportu-
nities to present objections and had been afforded all legal processes
to do so.
Louis Bullock, attorney for the BOC, expressed hope that the
police union would participate in the consent decree. Meanwhile,
K)P officials announced plans to take the case the 10th U.S. Circuit
Court of Appeals.
The Oklahoma Ea#le had long viewed settlement of the black of-
ficers' case as a major factor in improving police-community rela-
tions in the city The newspaper t<x>k a leadership role in forming a
multi-racial coalition, supporting then candidate Bill LaFortune,
with the hope that as mayor, he would take positive action in the
settlement of the nine-year-old case.
Dispatch," she told me, The
problem, George, is that you're*
not golden and I am not a box
Sadly, Jayson, the golden
one*, has tarnished his reputa-
tion. That should be seen as his
downfall, not a result ot proving
opportunities to previously ex-
cluded African-Americans
The opinions of our guest columnists do not neces-
sarily reflect the views of this newspaper, its advertisers
or its staff. Submissions may be edited for considera-
tions of space, clarity or liability.
Please send comments to: Letters to the Editor, The
Oklahoma Eagle, P.O. Box 3267, Tulsa, OK 74101, or fax
them to (918) 582-8905.
To ensure proper handling of information, we ask
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address and telephone number.
"Separate But Equal"
Outlawed by Supreme
Court on May 17,1954
May 17th marked the 49th anniversary of Brown vs. the
Topeka, Kansas Bcxird of Education, the case that ended legal seg-
regation in the nation's public schools. The U.S. Supreme Court
handed down the historic decision ending the dix'tnne of "separate
but equal" on that date in 1954.
Parents in Topeka, aided by the local chapter of the National
Association for Colored People, sought to gain equal educational
opportunities for their children.
Equal education in Americas classrooms did not come
overnight after the NAACP, led by Thurgixxi Marshall, won the
case in the unanimous decision under Chief Justice Earl Warren.
Even cities like Boston, cradle of democracy, fought the decision.
After nearly 50 years, African American children are still not re-
ceiving quality education in some U.S. cities.
For awhile bussing was used to bring about integration in
classrwms Those who opposed court-ordered bussing referred to
this as forced bussing", conveniently overlooking that the courts
had so-ruled in these instances.
Oddly enough, some southern cities did a better job of com-
plying with the Supreme Court s ruling than cities in northern
United States, with Boston being a classic example.
Many politicians used the ruling to advance their political ca-
reers. Governor On al Faubus of Arkansas used school integration
at Little Rock's Central High School in 1957 to gain support from
segregationists. It took federal troops to guarantee the safety of the
Little R<xk Nine as they attended classes
Governor of Alabama George Wallace, then one of the chief
spokesmen tor school segregation, said: I draw the line in the dust
and toss the gauntlet before the feet of tyranny and I say segregation
now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever," in his inaugural
address January 14,1963.
In Brow n vs. the Board of Education, the Supreme Court ruled
that the separate but equal clause was unconstitutional because it
v iolateil the children's 14th Amendment rights by separating them
solely on the classification ot the color of their skin.
Chief lustice Warren delivered the court's opinion, stating that
segregated schools are not equal and cannot be made equal, and
hence they are deprived of the equal protection of the laws."
After Janet Cooke con- my black colleagues have, or to Instead of seeing Blair as
cocted a story about a non-exis- condemn him as the journalistic the liar that he is, some white
tent eight-year-old heroin
addict, an embarrassed "Wash-
ington Post" had to return a
Pulitzer Prize it had been
The New York Times plagiarism case
hope so. Instead of rushing to with Janet Cooke, Mike Bamide, American. Does that suggest
defend the 27-year-old rising Stephen Glass, Joe Me Ginness,
star at the Times," as many of Clifford Irving and their ilk.
my black colleagues have, or to Instead of seeing Blair
affirmative action angle." He power wants to help their carver
writes, "See what happens, they
facts, no one indicted all white taunt, when you treat a minority
journalists for their misdeeds or employee with kid gloves, pn>
porter that Janet Cooke should blamed it on white privilege. To moting him when he deserves to
be blunt, they were simply be fired."
thieves. Safire has it backwards. The
And so was Blair. He clearly only offenders to be treated with
My fear was that all those smart, stole numerous passages from kid gloves are white. Mean-
hard-working students who had <
room
grow over the next years as
thousands of teachers receive
pink slips and that right now
in Oklahoma teachers are act-
ing as janitors and, in Oregon populations and unfunded
children may face a cut-back mandates from the federal
school year? Do we realize that government.
inequities in school funding in This funding crisis is real!
Ohio, New Hampshire and This is not the little boy crying
Wyoming (all already under wolf. There are no magic rab-
court orders to assure ade- bits to pull out of state funding
quate funding of all schools) hats. The rainy day funds
will face even more funding amassed during the 1990's are
dilemmas? Do we realize that now gone. The President has
that, perhaps, in an effort to
bring him along that he was
held by the newspaper to a
lesser standard’"
One panelist, Seth Mnookin
of "Newsweek," answered, I
William Safire, the resident think it certainly suggests it. ..
conservative columnist for The
New York Times," wrote: "Ap-
parently this 27-year-old was
equivalent of the 'Unibomber,' journalists want to drag race
as some white journalists have, into this slimy picture.
I've looked at this as simply the
failing of one individual who
awarded in 1981 for the bogus happens to be black,
story.
At the time, I was director
of the St. Louis Minority Jour-
nalism Workshop, a program
that local black journalists devel-
oped for high school students the Boston Globe" and Stephen
And I still remember what I told
a
American," who interviewed
me about Cooke.
Essentially, 1 told the re-
Inasmuch as these Sunday
talk shows continue to mostly
Until now, 1 have been con- parently this 27-year-old was present w hite journalists, even
tent to watch this one from the given too many second chances to answer questions about race,
sidelines. by editors eager for this ambi- 1'11 reply to them in this space
When it was discovered tious black journalist to sue- There are countless examples ot
that columnist Mike Bamicle of ceed." young, inexperienced reporters
~.....~ ' i Referring to his conserva- being fast-tracked to the top be-
Glass of the "New Republic" had five chums, Safire brings up "the cause someone in a position of
reporter from the "St Louis engaged in w-riting stories that
contained more fiction than
many states have already
raised tuition for higher edu-
cation and that a number of
Even while the U.S. Con- them are projecting cuts in
gress is voting for federal tax higher education budgets?
cuts despite the growing fed-
eral government debt and a
huge federal government be curtailing hours, laying off
deficit which still hasn't fac- staff and cutting back on pur-
tored in the total costs of the
recent war and its aftermath,
state governments are drown-
ing in debt, w’ith almost no at-
tempt by the feds to help drug plans and those cuts
a creek, imperiling health care for poor
paddle and, it children, pregnant mothers,
seems, with water -flooding the elderly and sick? Do we re-
into their little boat.
Yet, somehow most Amer-
icans don't seem to know - or
to care - that state govern- costs anyway?
ments are facing perhaps the
greatest crisis in our nation's
history at the same time that
they are
Hussein, Rodney King was
beaten into submission by mem-
bers of the Los Angeles Police war to accomplish many of the
The night before the U.S. Department. Just as this posed a
Supreme Court was to hear oral grand contradiction then, the under Ronald Reagan. So, while
arguments on whether to elimi- present circumstance poses one
nate affirmative action as prac- now. If you are black and in a
ticed by the University of foxhole in Iraq, how do you read
the actions of the government shows, the back pages of the
newspapers and the 10-second cynicism that blacks feel about
cold night takes the side of your enemy of news spots contain news of the the current administration You
outside the gates of the court pt*- progress at home? damage being done. You have to get the feeling that the war is all
The actions of George Bush listen and look carefully for it
in the Michigan Case is one but you can see that the domes-
I was exceedingly proud of powerful reason why the major- tic war that should be waged
ity of blacks do not support the here is real, and that it is con-
war, why many blacks do not tained in the budget being
engage as much as whites in passed in the Congress.
the next morning that they got it flag-waving, decal-wearing and
They seemed to represent a gen- chest-thumping exercises of
eration who had come of age in Americanism. They are not sure
Was Jayson Blair one ot these
people’ Apparently. But that has
nothing to do with race; those
slated for such treatment are
usually white
When I discussed this
"golden boy" phenomenon
years ago with I’am Myers, a
other sources without crediting while, Janet Cook has never had colleague at the St 1 ouis Post
given up their Saturdays to them and, according to a "New her career revived, and, I sus-
York Times' investigation, he pect, nor will Blair,
wrote about scenes, places and Unfortunately, Safire is not
events as though he was present the only white journalist trying
when, in fact, he wasn't. What
York Times for plagiarism did Blair did was a clear violation of
all cannons of journalism and, as
far as 1 am concerned, he can
climb under that crowded rock
Look at the attitude of the
Bush administration on the
Michigan case and hear the oral
• Is trying to get a $1.2 tril- argument of the solicitor general
lion tax cut passed for the rich
This moment was symbolic prove that we were worthy citi- that will deplete the federal
of others that we have been zens—this country was not al- treasury of an estimated $1.46
through before. In 1991 when ways willing to exhibit the full trillion over 10 years;
blacks also were sent to Iraq in measure of devotion to us. • proposes to cut funds for terest. Where are those joumal-
But this is an especially cal- depressed communities by 25
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The Oklahoma Eagle (Tulsa, Okla.), Vol. 82, No. 22, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 22, 2003, newspaper, May 22, 2003; Tulsa, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc1807810/m1/4/?q=music: accessed July 18, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.