European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 13, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes Friday september 13, 1985 columns & comments Mary Mcgrory Reagan a new Feam offensive know Noah no so when the Rev. Jerry Falwell called Bishop Des mond Tutu a  it seemed As if the Depths of offensive know nothing ism had at last been plumbed. Bui Prici Idun Reagan has gone his unofficial chaplain one belter by claiming in a radio interview that Segre gation in South Africa As we once knew ii in this country has been virtually eliminated. The Rev. Falwell s smear was too much even for the racists in his flock and he sent a Telegram to the Bishoping which he accused himself of an unfortunate Choice of  similarly after the president had made remark thai compares with Jerry Ford s hapless insistence that Poland was not under communist Domina Tion a flurry of clarification came from the while House press office. Falwell. Who purports to do the lord s work is plainly doing Ronald Reagan s. They both want to kill legis lation in Congress to impose economic sanctions and to rehabilitate the government of South Africa. With such Uphill work it is no wonder that they have been driven to their current excesses. They both see the current agony As a communist plot. Falwell warns of a red River of communism engulfing the country Reagan thinks we would be very innocent naive if we did t believe that the Sovi ets arc stirring up the pot and waiting in the wings for whatever advantage they can take the Reagan Falwell defense team is getting no help whatever from their clients in South Africa. They arc being routed on the Field of Public relations. South african president . Botha combines the Charm of a sheriff at Scenia with the Appeal of a Chicago Alderman who is losing a sewer contract. On the other Side is the Radiant committed Bishop Tutu and Winnie Mandela a woman of infinite sorrow and dignity for weeks the american people have been regaled by the sight of s uth african policemen wading Inlo crowds wielding whips recalling their use by overseers of slaves. Falwell. A Man of infinite brass is nol the least embarrassed by any parallel to slavery. In fact he invoked it in one of the Many speeches he has Given since he launched his squalid Campaign to make Mush of a moral Issue. We were 180 years As a nation before segregation was eliminated Here he said. Thank god the world was More Pulican with us Ihan we have been with South  it is True that the world was tolerant of slavery As a . Institution. But the country at last was nol and took arms to end it. The civil War is not an event for which americans Are grateful. Bishop Tutu has done More than any single person on the scene to Avert the civil War that sometimes seems inevitable if Black africans who id Spile Reagan s Rosy View cannot live where they want must carry pass books wherever they go and cannot vote arc to achieve their James Kilpatrick Hao ir4 Oor Owh Courm liberties. Far from claiming to represent inc people Tutu has humbly and pointedly noted that he is amazed that considering the situation they listen to him. The South african government and the Reagan Falwell team do not realize How Lucky they Are to have him. It is impossible to imagine what horrors would be occurring without his valiant principled presence. Perhaps Falwell and Reagan missed the pictures of the Bishop intervening at the risk of his life to save a Black Man who was being menaced by a crazed mob and warning that he would leave South Africa if Black men resorted to violence. Yet when Tutu declined to Allynd a meeting of religious leaders called by Botha the White House did not hesitate to express its disapproval. For Falwell s squalid assault on Tutu however there was a presiden tial Pardon. Reagan commended Falwell for his apology and explained his offence. The reverend he said was Only reporting what he had heard from South Afri cans not passing a pygmy s judgment on one of the nobler figures of our Lime. In making his apology Reagan s favorite divine explained that he had merely meant to say that Tutu was not speaking for the South africans any More than 1 speak for All  it was magnanimous of the Leader of the moral majority to suggest he docs not speak for All of us. What was most egregious about his smear was the suggestion that he was speaking for the South africans putting credentials acquired on a five and a half Day government tour against Bishop Tutu s lifetime scars. But what is most strange is that Reagan and Falwell both of whom have benefited so mightily from Public opinion experience have failed to impart any of it to their clients in South Africa. If they really want to succeed they should whisper to Pretoria thai arresting schoolchildren the new and repugnant tactic of the reformist government is hardly the Way to win friends and influence people in behalf of constructive  c 19fls Universal Pron Syndicate it s time for supreme court to take Zequa literally question Why was Wendy Wygan Laid off answer because she is White. Question was in constitutional answer we will find out this Winter. The Case of Wylam is. Board of Edu cation is one of two important cases in inc held of racial discrimination scheduled for argument before the supreme court in coming months. The other is firefighters local 93 is. City of Cleve land. In each instance the department of Justice is urging the High court to take Steps toward a color Bino Constitution. First the facts thirteen years ago the school Board of Jackson. Mich., established a new policy on layoffs. Prior to 1972, layoffs had been governed by strict seniority now a racial and ethnic Factor would be added. At no Lime will there be a greater percentage of minority person Nel Laid off than the current percentage of minority personnel employed at the time of the  the goal was to maintain a certain percentage of minority teachers. The Conse Quence was that when reduced enrol ments forced layoffs Wendy Wygant and nine other White teachers were discharge while Blacks with less seniority were retained. In Cleveland an association of Lack and hispanic firemen in 1980 brought a class action against the  half the City s population 46.9 percent was composed of minorities but Only 4.3 percent of firemen who had attained the rank of lieutenant were Minori ties. Over the Strong protest of the local firefighters Union the District court imposed what it called a consent decree giving preference in promotions for four years to Blacks and hispanics. In challenging the two plans of racial discrimination the Justice department i asking that the word equal in the 14th amendment be Given a literal interpretation. The amendment says that no stale May deny to any person within its Juris diction the equal Protection of the saws. In the department s View the amendment forbids All Legal distinction based on race or color Over the past 30 years the High court has refused to accept this color Blind View of the Constitution. It has approved racial balance busing in Public schools it has disapproved employment tests that were found to be culturally biased. The court has reversed verdicts returned by All White juries. It has sanctioned set asides of Federal construction funds for inc Benefit of minority contractors. Lately however the court has appeared to be having second thoughts. In june 1984, in a Case involving seniority rules within the Memphis fire depart ment the court held that judicial Relief should be confined Only to those who have been actual victims of illegal Dis  we May be approaching a turning Point at which broadly based plans of affirmative action no longer will win the court s approval. In any event that is the aim of the Justice department. In its Brief in the Case of the Jackson teachers the depart ment observes that there was no finding by the school Board the courts below or by anyone else that the retained Black teachers had themselves been victims of discrimination. There was Only a finding of societal Dis Crimin Ion against lacks in the past. Such a finding the department urges no longer should suffice. There should be some link Between wrongdoers and their victims but in the Jackson Case there is none. I violates not Only the Constitution but also our Basic moral vision to allow a person say of asian descent whose ancestors suffered discrimination in the Early history of California to attain for that reason a Concrete advantage Over petitioners in Jackson mich., in 1982." in asking the High court to put an end to any form of racial preference the government is going Back to a position that ironically was taken 30 years ago by Black schoolchildren in the landmark Cue of Brown is. Board of education. The petitioners then contended that the 14th amendment prohibits a stale from Mak ing racial distinctions in the exercise of governmental  with the two cases pending for argument in the coming term we May go full Circle. After three decades in which the courts have held that some Are More equal than others it is conceivable that the moment is at hand when equal will mean equal period. There is no constitutional right for any race to be preferred Justice William o. Douglas once declared. He had it exactly right. C 1985 Universal Prest Syndicate