European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 9, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Bradley sounding Wake up Call on race by Dan Fesperman the Baltimore Sun Bill Bradley would like to know the last time you sat Down with someone o another race and talked bluntly about race relations. Chances Are the answer is never and if that a so then Bradley thinks you Are part of the problem. Bradley is an Ivy league White male in the . Senate and lately he has talked a lot about race. To some political consultants a White politician barging around on such an explosive Issue might As Well play hopscotch in a minefield. And it s not As though Bradley ., has a particularly Large bloc of Black voters to woo in his Home state. New Jersey is 13 percent Black roughly the National average. What then is he up to simple he says. He is sounding a Wake up Call to his country warning that even though race influences every major Domestic political debate of our time a from crime to education to the Economy to the supreme court a it remains cloaked in code words and timid silence or else is cynically exploited by the Slick appeals of political advertising. This he says leaves the Blunt talk to the extremists Black and White whose Seething messages Only make things worse. Bradley s response is to propose that everybody Start speaking up in straightforward language a or be prepared for the consequences when the hatred boils Over. Or As he put it recently Quot the More americans Are honest about the level of distrust they hold for each other the easier it will be to get beyond those  As for Well off Whites like himself who might dismiss All this As irrelevant in their own comfortable lives Bradley has some advice Quot by the year 2000, Only 57 percent of people entering the work Force will be native born Whites. White americans have to understand that their children s Standard of living is inextricably bound to the future of millions of non White  Bradley last touched on the Issue oct. 15 in his speech opposing the supreme court nomination of Clarence Thomas. He decried As cynical dishonesty president Bush s disavowal of race As a selection Factor though he said he was heartened by the Candor of judge Thomas late in the game defense against the Black stereotypes of what he called a a High tech  but Bradley s most expansive remarks on the subject sen. Bill Bradley  E will never understand the problems of our cities. Until a White person can Point out the epidemic of minority illegitimacy drug addiction and homicides without being charged a  sen. Bill Bradley came in two speeches in july when he set Down the themes that he intends to repeat As Long As people will listen. The first speech to his colleagues on the Senate floor was an open letter to Bush in which Bradley challenged the president to Quot Tell us How you have worked through the Issue of race in your own life. Quot i done to mean speech writer abstractions about Equality or Liberty but your own life experiences. When did you realize there was a difference Between the lives of Black people and the lives of White people in America where did you Ever experience or see discrimination How did you feel what did you do a but he also scolded the rest of the nation Whites and Blacks blowing straight into the minefield by saying Quot we will never Lead the world by example of our living values if we can t eradicate the reservation mentality Many Whites hold about cities. We will never understand the problems of our cities a the factories closed the housing filled with rats the hospitals losing doctors the schools pockmarked with Bullet holes the Middle class moved away a until a White person can Point out the epidemic of minority illegitimacy drug addiction and homicides without being charged a  having called on Bush to Bare his conscience on the Issue Bradley Felt that he should do so and six Days later he told a National press club audience of his own life with its beginnings in a Small Missouri town on the Mississippi River where schools were not integrated until he was in the ninth Grade. But it was not until after College in the Early 1970s, that he got his education on race As a Forward for the new York kicks professional basketball team. Quot i wish i had $100 for every time in the last 20 years that someone a usually a White person a asked me what it was like to play on the kicks and travel with my teammates i d ask what do you mean. ,. You mean that most of them were Black that i was living in a kind of Black world a Quot a Well yes they d finally  it was he said Quot one of the most enlightening experiences of my  besides learning about Friendship team camaraderie and the strength of each teammates individuality he also Learned plenty about race. A i better understand distrust and suspicion Quot he said. Quot i understand the meaning of certain looks and certain codes. I understand what it is to be in racial situations for which you have no Frame of reference. I understand the tension of always being on guard of never totally relaxing. I understand the pain of racial arrogance directed my Way. I understand the loneliness of being White in a Black world. And i understand How much i will never know about what it is to be Black in  Bradley says that even though he has seen backsliding on race relations in recent years be believes americans Are yearning to move Forward again. And he Hopes to keep encouraging them to find the Way. Talk alone he realizes will not be enough. Quot after i gave these speeches people said Well Are you Ever going to talk about it again As if i had exhausted everything i know and feel a he says. Quot what one should do is recognize that you never finish learning about this. You re never finished. Quot if America is an Experiment we re Only As Good As we Are at that moment. And whether we re going to continue Down a Road of dialogue and Healing or whether we re going to lurch Back into the dark recess is Ofa past dominated by hatred and insensitivity is up to  action Lin International License available downtown for a while now i have scan a commercial about International Drivers licenses on an. The commercial instructs you to Contact your vehicle registration office for further informal Ion that is not the Case in my Community. I went to my vehicle registration Ollice with my documents they knew nothing about International Drivers licenses and sent me to the Driver s testing office they were Only Able to provide a nirm with which to go to City Hall that requires one to inquest leave during Normal business hums. It would be Nice it you could gel some More reliable guidance out so that people Are not misled about the process necessary in order to get an International Driver s License Renee m. Russell Aschaffenbur Germany Barbara j. Hep Worthi Public affairs specialist he Usa eur replies you Are Correct in saying that the an commercial is Page 16 b the stars and stripes misleading since registration stations will not always be a Good source of information on obtaining International driving permits. We have requested that this commercial be removed and replaced with a commercial that provides More detail about the requirements. A . Forces personnel must possess an International driving permit in addition to a valid Usa eur Driver s License when driving through certain european countries. The Usa eur registry of motor vehicles strongly recommends that . Forces personnel obtain an International driving permit before driving a vehicle anywhere outside of Germany. This will ensure that divers Are property licensed in any situation a International driving permits Are required by the following countries Austria Egypt Greece Israel. Jordon. Spain and Turkey. Personnel in Possession of a valid National Drivers License . Valid stateside licensed not need an International driving permit for Denmark License must have photograph attache the Noth lands Luxembourg and Norway. A International driving permits May be obtained from the local German courthouse landsat same where the individual is stationed. Individuals must present an application torm available from the landsat same valid Usa eur Pov privately owned vehicle Driver s License a passport size photo a valid . Passport civilians and family members Only and the appropriate  driving permits obtained in Europe Are valid for three years from the Date of Issue or upon expiration of an individuals Usa eur Driver s License whichever comes first. They Are not however valid in the country where they were issued. A it is important to remember that an International driving permit does not replace the Usa eur Driver s License which All . Forces personnel must have in order to drive either a Usa eur or German registered  to write us readers action line is the readers Quot court of last resort striving to answer some of the questions about life overseas in a military environment or questions about policies and guidelines when other avenues for answers Are not readily available. If you have a question and Don t know where to turn for the answer write to readers action line co the stars and stripes Apo 09211-4211. Ail letters must be signed and preference Wilt be Given to those seeking information of general interest to our readers. Saturday. November 9, 1991