European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 2, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 a. The stars and stripes column Flora Lewis s too narrow View i the heroes Welcome Given Nelson Mandela in the United states should not mislead his colleagues . It is a tribute to a Man of great stamina courage and dignity and to a cause a but not just the cause of opposing apartheid. It is the cause of human rights of democracy of opposition to racism and repression. It was not coincidence that he was invited to Congress on the same basis As Poland a Lech Walesa and Czechoslovakia a Vaclav Havel symbols of the same cause in different latitudes and circumstances. That is Why it is impossible to ignore Mandela a explanation of his Praise for libyans Moa mar Gad Hay cubans Fidel Castro the plots Yasser Arafat. He might have something to say for each in his own country a terms that would be Mandela a right. But he chose to Honor them solely because they helped his african National Congress. Asked How he assessed their records on human rights Mandela said he did no to have time to look into the affairs of other countries and that it did no to concern  is not a double Standard it is the narrowest possible single Standard. On this basis there would be no Way to justify All the protests in the United states the sanctions mandated by Congress the Many efforts dedicated to helping South african Blacks get rid of apartheid. Americans Are not directly concerned with that faraway country unless that is they Are concerned with the principle of ending oppression and injustice. _ if the principle is not shared if there is no responsibility to assert human dignity except on ones own turf Why should americans be any More involved in judging South Africa than Mandela is in judging Libya s terrorism it is True there is evil and persecution in Many parts of the world and that americans done to spread their attention and condemnation evenly. There is an assortment of reasons concerning ethnic ties history and politics. Pressure on South Africa is a real example of moral Choice the culmination of a Long and often forgotten american Campaign against colonialism and inequality by Law. There were no material or strategic interests to be gained but . Opinion was stirred by the sheer indecency of the system and moved to let South Africa know. A Mandela has acknowledged that. With his Appeal not to relax sanctions he is saying that american opinion matters though he is going rather far in claiming the right of the Anc not Congress to decide when William f. Buckley or. Conditions for changing . Law have been met. There is remarkable Candor in his single minded focus on the Ancus stand including continued armed struggle and Likely nationalization of industries. He Isnit even pretending to owe the respect for victims elsewhere that he solicits for his compatriots. For that matter he has been disappointing since his release from prison in efforts to Calm the continuing murderous violence Between Anc supporters and followers of chief but Elezi in Natal. A he had been in Contact with the Zulu Leader before his release and aides said there was reason to expect an agreement that would bring sufficient Black Unity for effective negotiations with the government. But Mandela has not used his legendary authority to bring his own people together in this Way. Instead he blames Pretoria for failing to put Down continued fighting in Natal. Now at 71, he stands at the end of Long personal suffering but the beginning of an enormous task of building new foundations for his people and his country americans Black and White know How hard that is. A Century and a Quarter after the abolition of slavery race remains a festering Issue often exploited. When leading Black politicians criticized rep. Gus savaged ill for an anti semitic primary Campaign he retorted a there ainu to but one kind of racism a that a White  widespread common cause was made by jews and Blacks in the civil rights campaigns a generation ago on the grounds that All bigotry All persecution is evil. It was effective in moving the society to change its Laws. But that cooperation has largely broken Down to everyone a loss. Mandela a unwillingness to see More than the Hopes of his own people in his crusade adds to the loss. Using the old a enemy of my enemy As the key test for finding allies cannot help his cause within South Africa and it does not enhance his stature outside however compelling his personality. It is because human rights Means just that human not some limited kind of human that he and his supporters have won such sympathy. Mandela should reconsider his basis for judgment so As not to erode the feeling that he understands Why he is a Herd. A now York times a provocative wis. School plan provokes Many watch Milwaukee if you Are interested in the evolution of private education. But be prepared to lose if you believe in educational Choice the situation does no to look Good though whatever happens in the courts it will be cited in the history of efforts to give a Choice to Public school bound youth. The genesis was a Bill ardently proposed in the Wisconsin legislature by state rep. Polly Williams. Its design is to provide parents with an alternative to sending their children to a designated Public school to learn or As is so in Many cases not to learn. The Williams Bill contained practically every known provision to guard against its being branded As racially discriminatory As a sop to the Middle class As elitist. As passed with the endorsement of gov. Tommy Thompson Here is what would happen. Beginning next september a student attending a private school would be give i a voucher in effect entitling that private school to 52,500. Now Here Are the qualifiers a any student applying to enter that private school would need to prove that a she came from a family whose income was not More that 175 percent of the . Poverty level. That Means for a family of four the Gross earnings of father and Mother cannot exceed $1,848 per month or $22,181 per annul. A to qualify for a role in the program the Public school would have to be non denominational. A the private school to which the student applies cannot charge that student More than the $2,500 that would be remitted by the City of Milwaukee. Never mind what other students had to pay. A if More students applied for acceptance into the private school than the school had vacancies the selection of the Lucky candidate would be done by random sampling. Now on the face of it this Experiment is an anaemic approximation of the full blooded voucher system. Compare it for instance with the . Bill which permits the Veteran to attend any accredited school a beyond that no questions asked. The sex Soldier could be a Rockefeller he could opt for a Catholic protestant or jewish College. Its his Choice. But in provocative As the Milwaukee plan is which anticipates a maximum enrolment in the private system of i percent of the Milwaukee student body it has now aroused the forces for the status quo. A lawsuit has been brought by the Wisconsin education association Council the states largest teachers Union by officials with ties to the National association for the advancement of coloured people the Wisconsin federation of teachers the Wisconsin Congress of parents and teachers the administrators and supervisors Council of Milwaukee and the Wisconsin association of school District administrators. Their complaint is As one would expect comprehensive. They charge that the Williams act is unconstitutional a violation of Wisconsin Law discriminatory heartless and if you can think of any other Legal moral biological or environmental opposition to the plan hurry and communicate this to Friebert finer to amp St. John attorneys for the petitioners. In a word the Williams people Are opposed by a the establishment. Saturday was the deadline for students desiring to go to a different school from the Public school they would otherwise go to file their applications. Six schools met an earlier deadline to Register their willingness to participate in the program. Now the petitioners for the nullification of the Law Are using every conceivable argument among them that the private schools Are not being required to meet All the criteria met by the Public schools for instance that All the teachers Are certified to teach in Wisconsin this is the educationists lobby for the continuation of those deadening teachers schools. Moreover the petitioners say How can the private schools provide the necessary help for handicapped students under recent Federal Law Public schools need to provide handicapped students with transportation audiological services psychological services occupational therapy physical therapy recreation medical services for diagnosis and evaluation counselling and guidance social work services Ana Parent counselling and training. Not every Little red Brick schoolhouse can do this. Granted. But then who is pushing for the program the unorganized poor and Urban minority parents. Who can possibly stand to profit from the Choice aspects of the Williams Bill Milwaukee ans who earn jointly in the Case of couples less than $22,000 per year. C Universal press Syndicate