European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 9, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday july 9, 1991 the stars and stripes a Page 5naacp examining Thomas with care Houston up a the National association for the advancement of coloured people will scrutinize the nomination of judge Clarence Thomas to the supreme court Long and hard before deciding whether to support or oppose it the groups executive director says. Benjamin Hooks in his keynote address opening the groups 82nd annual convention also said sunday that the 1991 civil rights act must pass and that the a act will hold hearings in five . Cities on police brutality. A the a act still is standing firmly grounded on its Bedrock principles fiercely dedicated to the creation of Aji America that has been cleansed forever of the stain of racism discrimination and denial a Hooks said. Hooks said the a act will not be stampeded into making a decision on the Thomas nomination promising to study Thomas work As chairman of the equal employment Opportunity commission under president Reagan and As a judge on the . Court of appeals in. The nations capital. A this is a matter of greatest importance and we will proceed with All deliberate Speed. We Are now in the process of examining judge Thomas record with great care in order to arrive at a position a Hooks said. Thomas has been nominated by president Bush to succeed the retiring Thurgood Marshall. Marshall a former a act lawyer appointed by president Lyndon Johnson in 1967 As the first Black on the supreme court has been a minority Liberal voice on the conservative court in recent years. Hooks said that to earn the a acpt a endorsement Marshall a successor Viust be Black and reflect his judicial philosophy. Thomas is a rags to riches Black conservative who opposes Many policies favored by Blacks and other minorities particularly affirmative action. Hooks said the a act will not be influenced by such organizations As the National organization for women which opposes the Thomas nomination. A we make our own decisions and March to the beat of a different drummer a Hooks said. On another matter Hooks said the a act will continue to lobby for the civil rights Bill despite Bush s opposition. A i am appealing to president Bush to Rise above Petty politics and political chicanery and agree to sign the civil rights Bill of 1991,�?� he said. A if our nation could Call upon its Young men and women of color to go to the persian Gulf to  vital interests of America against the tyrannical regime of Saddam Hussein then How can we now say to these same Young people that it is All right to serve your nation in the dying place with Equality of Opportunity but to deny you that same Equality of Opportunity in the workplace a Hooks said the a act will hold the police brutality hearings in los Angeles St. Louis Miami Boston and Houston because they Are a Cross Section of America. A what we saw in the beating of Rodney King in los Angeles could have been replicated in any Village town or City in America if a television camera could be at the right place at the right time a Hooks said. A police brutality still is All too prevalent in this  by Ilyamin Hook Wilder issues second apology in five Days from wire reports for the second time in less than a week Virginia gov. L. Douglas Wilder issued an apology sunday and acknowledged that such incidents could damage his credibility As a potential candidate for president. Appearing on no cd a meet the press Wilder conceded that reporters had been misled by his repeated statements that he had nothing to do with a Short lived state police investigation into his political rival sen. Charles s. Robb a a. Last wednesday Wilder also apologized for an interview in which he questioned a How much allegiance supreme court nominee Clarence Thomas might have to the Pope because Thomas is a roman Catholic and is expected to oppose abortion. The governor said that when he denied several weeks ago that he knew anything about any investigation he was denying Only that he had ordered an investigation into Robby a private life. In fact Wilder said he had asked an aide to determine what the Virginia state police were doing about reports that some of Robby a aides had threatened people who were talking to reporters about rumours of the senators drug use and womanizing. To draw that Fine a distinction Wilder said sunday had led to a misunderstanding. A that totally is misleading a the governor said. A to the extent that they were misled i do it now 1  despite his problems Wilder said he still is weighing a run for National office. He apparently has postponed his self imposed deadline of Midsummer for making a decision. He said he would decide a before the Summers Over whether to shut Down his presidential exploratory committee or to run for a spot on the 1992 democratic ticket. University of Virginia political scientist Larry j. Sabato said Wilder a need to rms pc two apologies in five Days a suggests he a not ready for prime  a anyone who is proving to be Gaffe prone this Early its a warning signal of things to come a Sabato said. On Abc Wilder avoided mention of Thomas religion saying a that should not be a badge of  but he added that a i see nothing wrong with questioning him As to How he stands on. The governments right to interfere or should an individual have that right unfettered from  in the stars and stripes10 years ago july 9,1981 a leaders of the anti abortion movement said they would try to Block Sandra Day of Connors confirmation As a Justice of the supreme court on grounds that As a state senator in Arizona she a had a consistent and Strong pro abortion voting record.20 years ago july 9,1971 a the United states refused to withdraw its troops unconditionally from South Vietnam by the end of the year and proposed that a troop pullout and other Points in the communist peace plan be discussed a free from the Glare of publicity."30 years ago july 9,1961 a soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev announced a $3.5 billion increase in the soviet military budget for 1961 to meet what he called Western threats. The decision prompted . Officials to predict a Sharp review of America s military planning.40 years ago july 9,1951 a american cigarette consumption climbed to an All time High. Agriculture officials attributed the increase to jangled nerves a possibly related to the korean War a and higher incomes. Teachers overwhelmingly reject idea of National standardized tests Miami Beach Fla. A teachers on sunday resoundingly voted to oppose standardized National tests a goal sought by president Bush. The vote came during the annual meeting of the National education association. A we can to continue to fight the dropout rate and simultaneously Send our students a message that a single Day of testing will be the end goal to the school year a said Betty Kraemer of the new Jersey delegation which sponsored the testing Resolution. The teachers Union thinks the tests would be a contrary to the diverse interests and needs of children a according to the Resolution passed by delegates in an overwhelming voice vote. The presidents education policy advisory committee has proposed creating National standards and tests to measure student performance such standards would set the skills and knowledge to be Learned at various Ages and Grade Levels beginning at age 9. A a we re being forced into putting too much emphasis on standardized tests a said Michael Mckay an elementary schoolteacher from Bloomington Iii. A we wont be teaching them the skills they need to have a successful  delegates also shot Down a request from teachers opposed to abortion that would have ended Union policies that prevent them from distributing any pins and brochures they want at the convention. The Issue was raised by Christine Nowak a English teacher from Buffalo n.y., who is a member of the Nlay a respect for life caucus. Her group was prevented from distributing pins and pamphlets deemed offensive by la management. Caucuses May hand out their own materials even if they espouse views differ ing with the unions but they Are prohibited from distributing such materials from outside groups. The boy scouts of America was ordered to shut Down its Booth because the groups policies forbidding homosexual scout leaders run counter to the la policy against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Richard Nuanes the Nlay a manager of convention operations said the unions Board of directors liberalized exhibit rules at its May meeting. The new rules allow teacher caucuses to offer materials supporting positions that differ with the Nlay Sas Long As the groups produce them themselves. Nowak and other anti abortion teachers said they believe the Union is using the exhibit policy to stifle dissent especially on abortion. The la has been staunchly pro Choice on abortion for years. Jumpy Oregon ministers foil for Church Albany Ore. A three ministers praised the lord by getting a Little closer to him in a Parachute jump to celebrate completion of their new Church. Naturally they prayed before boarding the plane saturday. A lord you said in Isaiah that our spirits could soar like eagles. A we re claiming that today a intoned the Rev. Dan Ket chum senior pastor of the Church of the Nazarene in Albany about 60 Miles South of Portland. The Rev. Mike of Neill joked about wearing special undergarments in Case fear got the better of his bladder. A you know 1 had just been asking the lord to show me something i could do outside the Church a said the Rev. Karen Bull. A i never thought this would be  the jump was a gift from Church Mem Ber Ken Scofield an experienced jumper who parachuted at ground breaking ceremonies for the 54,000-Square-foot Church four years ago. Safely Back on the ground after saturdays jump Ketchum said Quot i Felt the wind of the spirit supporting me. What a ride. I had no sensation of movement in free fall. I Felt like i was just hanging  his sunday Sermon was billed flight from fright to Freedom