European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 1, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse Patja in columns the stars and stripes wednesday. October 1.1986 reflecting on America s poor by Andy Rooney last year in september i was driving through one of the poorest sections of new York City thinking How unpleasant it was. There was garbage every where. Unemployed Young men who looked unemployable were hanging around the broken Down Steps in front of the deteriorating Browm tone houses doing nothing. A Light changed to red in front of me and As 1 pulled to a Slop i locked the car doors from inside. Across the Street two men approached a third stand ing in a doorway. There was an Exchange among hem but the Light turned the Man in the car behind me blew his Horn and i moved on. I assumed i d seen a drug Purchase i wondered whose car radio the buyers had stolen or whose House they d broken into to get the Money to buy drugs. 1 was t in a court of Law. I was t even speaking my thoughts to anyone. Silting alone in the car i could think All the prejudiced thoughts i wanted to in the privacy of my own brain scum i thought to myself. Al the nest Light a boy about 17 approached me with a dirty wet sponge on the end of a Slick. He was going to make a gesture toward washing my wind shield in the Hope i d give him some change. This is a common practice in new York City where traffic piles up coming on or off a Bridge or Highway. Young boys always Black congregate there with their pails of soapy water. It s a sophisticated form of blackmail. When one of these kids comes toward your car there s an implied threat. They Seldom do any better than make a mess of your Windshield so almost no one really welcomes them. If you Don t respond with at least a Quarter they often dab your Windshield with one Quick stroke leaving a dirty smear for you to clean off yourself. If you wave them off As they approach your car the Cle or ones often say hey Man it better than bin out there Scalin some Drivers Are angered others shrug and pay up a few feet the kids Are at least showing a kind of ambitious Enterprise that the ones buying drug or Silling on the front Steps doing nothing Day after Day Are not. Fortunately on this Day the Light changed before the boy with the dirty sponge could get to my wind shield. I held my hand out the window with a Quarter in it for him and drove off with mixed feelings. Giving someone a Quarter always seems like a contempt Ible thing to do. Does a Quarter absolve me of any responsibility for his condition do i have any responsibility Al the next Light i was still contemplating poverty. If you have enough Money yourself it s easy to get thinking it s their own fault. I was thinking a Little of that when i had to Stop a third time for b Light. A simply dressed Black woman stood on the curb hold ing a boy about 7 and a Girt 8 by the hands. She glanced directly through my Windshield to engage my eyes. The woman wanted to assure herself that i had seen her before she crossed in front of the car with her Small children. Each of the two kids had on a new pair of sneak ers. They looked nervous but eager. Under their arms were Little paper briefcases which i decided contained new pencils Eraser and a ruler the Mother had bought for the children at the ten cent store. The woman was obviously taking her two children to their first Day of school for the new year. Every negative thought i d been having about the area disappeared from my mind. I was touched by the Loving concern of this Mother for her children. She could have been any Mother anywhere in the world Rich or poor Black or while she wanted her children to feel comfortable and protected going to school that first Day. She was apprehensive for them bul determined that they be educated. When the Light turned 1 pulled away embarrassed at the prejudiced thoughts i d had about the people living in this poor area. C Tribuno Media sort los the gospel truth on candidates by Art Buchwald the last time i talked to god about politics was six years ago. I interviewed him concerning an endorsement the moral majority claimed he had Given to Ronald Reagan. Al that time god told me he did not endorse political candidates who were running for High office. He told me if i endorsed anyone i would t be the reason 1 got in touch with him last week was that the Rev. Pat Robertson said he was throwing his hat in the presidential ring in accordance with god s wishes any truth to thai i asked god i categorically deny it. I never ask anyone to run for president of the United states. When it comes to the White House it s every Man or woman for him then Why would Rev. Robertson say that you wished he would run people say Many funny things when they re run Ning for political office god May be a big Issue in 1988, with everyone claiming they Are closer to me than their opponents. The Rev. Robertson is obviously trying to lie up the god vote Early but it could backfire on him particularly when i Don t show up Al any of his fund raising is Robertson going for the Money so Early it seems thai Way god said "1 have nothing against him doing it As Long As he leaves me out of it. If there is anything that bugs me in is when some body Asa my Nam to raise political i am sympathetic Wilh the Way you feel god 1 said. Have you told Robertson to Knock it off i be tried to. But every Lime 1 Call he asks me to go on his to show. I Don i do television talk shows. If i appeared on the 700 club program it would be the same As giving an endorsement. It s ridiculous for anyone to think i am for Robertson when there Are so Many other god fearing people running for the in what party both How can i choose Between George Bush Bob Dole Howard Baker Jack Kemp Mario Cuomo Gary Hart and Joe Biden All who have asked me to answer their prayers do you have any problem Wilh a fundamentalist preacher in the Oval office i do if every time he does something he says god made me do it " you know what 1 think you should Tell Robertson exactly How you feet before it gels out of what should i Tell him put Oul a statement Fiat you Are not giving Pat Robertson your political Blessing because you look Down kindly on All political creature great and Small running for president of the United states. And fur ther state that you would not allow your name to get mixed up in american politics because it would meat up the greatest country in the it sounds Good to me god said. If that does t do in i la Send a Bolt of lightning Down on his Campaign Headquarters. 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