Apartheid. USA 1988

February 19, 1988:

A New York Times / WCBS-TV poll taken among 1 147 New York City adults has shown that overall 64 percent said the race relations in Manhatten were ‘generally bad.’ Only 25 percent replied, they were ‘generally good.’ The survey showed sharply different perceptions between whites and blacks of how the police and the courts treated different races. Among blacks, 69 percent said ‘the police generally favors one race over the other.’ Only 20 percent said the police ‘generally treat both whites and blacks fairly.’ Among whites, 37 percent said the police generally favoured one race over the other and 44 percent said both races were fairly treated. Of the blacks who said they saw favoritism in the City, nearly all said it was towards whites. Whites who saw favoritism also said slightly less than a 3 to 1 margin, that it was towards whites.^220.

220. The New York Times, from a report by Richard J Meislin

[p. 174]

Candidates for the presidency of the United States use a basic framework for their campaign speeches. The Times published excerpts on all candidates. Here follow some passages of the standard campaign speech by the Reverend Jesse Jackson:

‘I come from a tradition of those who march in solidarity for jobs and peace and justice. In the 60's we marched for civil rights. In the 80's we march for workers' rights. In the 60's we marched to end racial violence. Today we march to end economic violence. Workers of America must have a right to a job and get paid, with security, for the work they do. The American worker is not asking for welfare. He is asking for a fair share - not for charity but for parity. There's something wrong when corporate owners make exorbitant profits while workers lose their jobs, and then get golden parachutes and land in tall grass while workers are put on skate-boards without ball-bearings. On October 19 the stock market crashed, 600 000 family farmers crashed. Auto-workers crashed. Steelworkers crashed. Shipbuilders crashed. Homebuilders crashed. The Equal Rights Administration crashed. Parity for women crashed. Scholarships for our youths crashed. Day care, too, has crashed. Head-start crashed... It's not right to invest in paper and wealth and not in people and industry.’

‘The workers must unite across lines and race, sex and religion, and find your solidarity in your predicament, your need for a job, and to get paid when you work. It's not enough to be against scabs. You must be against scab conditions wherein slave labor abroad and cheap labor at home is attempting to take your job. If the scab had had a job, the scab wouldn't have taken your job. The scab is your neighbor. This scheme is to run neighbor against neighbor, and worker against worker, and male against female, and black against white... We're caught between cheap labor at home and slave labor abroad, in South Korea, Taiwan and South Africa. The workers of the world must unite because slave labor anywhere is a threat to organized labor everywhere.’

[p. 175]

‘Workers, it's time for a change. Stop drugs from flowing in, and stop jobs from flowing out. It's time for a change. Stop closing down American farms and importing the food. It's time for a change. Stop destroying oil tankers in the Persian Gulf and shutting oil wells in Texas. It's time for a change. Give the working men and women a break. It's time for a change. Are you tired of Reagan? I want to be your President. It's time for a change. My friends, let's fight together. If I can win - all this talk about Jesse Jackson can't win - whoever gets the most votes can win. If I can win, any American can become President.’^221.

221. The New York Times, from a Jesse Jackson standard campaign speech