European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 20, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Black churches get out the vote congregations courted by smart candidates by Arch Parsons the Baltimore Sun Olivia Burroughs is a grand Motherly 71, born in Virginia. She is proud sell assured and direct. When she saw her pastor on the Street one Day last tall she marched right up to him and said. Quot what Are we voting for next tuesday 1 Don t understand All this is ult Quot Quot Don t worry Quot replied the Rev Walter Fauntroy i ii explain it on  Quot this stuff Quot was a ballot initiative in Washington do to hold assault gun manufacturers liable for damage the weapons cause and Fauntroy was one of the 125 members of Washington s interdenominational ministers Alliance behind it. With a huge get out the vote Effort by the District of Columbia s Black churches and a 12 percent voter turnout Overall the initiative passed by a Large margin. Burroughs has been a member of Fauntroy a new Bethel Baptist Church for 25 years she is a nurses aide in its emergency care unit a teacher in its saturday Church school a Helper in its Kitchen and a Strong voice in its gospel choir. She also lives in its non profit housing development for people with Low or moderate incomes. And she is typical of the Black Church s voters Many of whom Are women Middle aged and older she a a registered Democrat and she always votes politics have been at the heart of the Black Church Ever since slavery when itinerant preacher politicians risked their lives to organize Quot invisible Quot churches at secret meetings on Southern plantations the tradition has continued into the 20th Century the top civil rights leaders in the 1960s were ministers and some of the Rev. Martin Luther King s lieutenants became elected officials among them the Rev Andrew Young Lormer mayor of Atlanta and the Rev John Lewis now rep Lewis a a. Today another of those lieutenants Jesse Jackson is an example hat the Black Church s role As an incubator of politicians is stronger than Ever however the base of the relationship is not the clergy but the congregations they form a Large Active voting bloc that gives political candidates Quot immediate weekly Access to More than 20 million people according to the right Rev John Hurst Adams a Bishop of the a m e Church and the founding chairman of the Congress of National Black churches. Most of that number comes from the two largest readers action Lin Why is a 29-Inch to not a 29-Inch to it a i writing in regard id cafes deceptive advertisement of its so called 29-Inch tvs or monitors not one of the tvs that they Are displaying is 29 inches measured Diagonal per  standards i measured each of tin so called 29-Inch models and each of them measured Only 27 inches i went to Robinson Barracks Exchange recently when the new Panasonic went on Sale hoping to upgrade my 27 Inch Toshiba with a 29-Inch to by the Way my Toshiba measured 27la inches when i bought it just before i came to Germany a Lew manufacturers clearly state their to is 27 inches. Cafes displays and Sells the same to As a 29-Inch i asked the sight and sound manager what size was the viewing screen of the new Panasonic Selling Lor $970 he stated it was a 29-Mch i asked him measure it he saw it was 27 inches measured Diagonal per  standards this does not justify a Price of $970 i asked where were the other 2 inches he slated measurements Are from the inside of the Case enclosure i Lind this ridiculous would anyone politics have been at the heart of the Black Church Ever since slavery when itinerant preacher politicians risked their lives to organize a a invisible churches at secret meetings on Southern plantations. The tradition has continued into the 20th Century. The top civil rights leaders in the t$00s were ministers and some of the Bev. Martin Luther King or a lieutenants became elected officials among them the Bev Andrew Young former mayor of Atlanta and the Rev. John Lewis a a. Denomination the 13.5 million baptists and the 3 6 million member a m e. Church which together make up More than half the country s Black population of 31 million. A University of Michigan study of the 1908 presidential election found a voter registration rate of 80 percent among Blacks of voting age who were regular churchgoers compared with a two thirds rate among the general population. Among registered voters 70 percent of Black churchgoers voted compared with 59 percent of the general electorate most of these votes a about 90 percent go to democrats. Now in the midst of another decisive year in american politics the nation s Black Church a he oldest largest wealthiest and most influential private institution in the Black Community a is again sexing its political muscle a in new Orleans an Alliance of Black ministers led a knowingly buy a 100-Inch tube with a 1 Inch viewing area for x dollars Samuel a. Luton Val Hingen Germany a sgt. Maj. Michel j. Bolduc he cafes Europe replies i can understand your confusion. For the past Lour years televisions manufactured in Japan have been advertised on the Diagonal measurement of the picture tube while televisions manufactured in the United states Are advertised based upon the Diagonal measurement of the picture screen. So a stateside 27-Inch television and a japanese 29-Inch television do indeed have approximately the same size viewing area the Panasonic Multi system television at the Robinson Barracks Exchange is japanese produced and has a 29-Inch Diagonal picture tube prices Are not Only based on the size of the screen or tube but also on the Quality of the picture and speakers As Well As the Power of the audio amplifier additionally Multi system televisions a which can decipher Many broadcast standards a will Cost More the United states Pacific countries and the american forces network in Europe use Hentsc Standard but if you want to enjoy local to programs other than those on voter turnout drive against the Louisiana gubernatorial Campaign of former Kun flux Klansman David Duke despite winning 55 percent of the White vote Duke was swamped when Black voters turned out in record numbers to give 96 percent of their support to his opponent a in Pennsylvania sen. Harris Wofford cited Philadelphia s Black vote As a decisive Factor in his improbable win Over former us attorney general Richard l. Thornburgh. Wofford courted that vote assiduously attending services Al a Black Church every sunday of the Campaign. The last such visit was a rally at the Bright Hope Baptist Church where the pastor Over a flock of 6,500 was also no stranger to politics the Rev. William h. Gray Iii who recently resigned irom Congress after becoming the first Black majority whip analysts agree that the Black Church could have a major Impact on the coming presidential Campaign. Now that Virginia gov. L. Douglas Wilder is out of the race each of the major democratic candidates is going after the Black vote. So far Arkansas gov. Bill Clinton is receiving the largest number of endorsements from Black political leaders. In the general election the churches importance will depend mostly on voter turnout on whether the Black electorate shows More enthusiasm for the democratic nominee than it did for Michael s. Dukakis in 1988 there s Little expectation however Given president Bush s record on civil rights that the Black vote will dip much below its 90 percent preference for democrats analysts say. With that in mind the candidates might do Well to heed the warning of Mary Frances Berry a member of the . Civil rights commission and a Black history scholar Quot every person who runs for office should know you have logo by the Black  along with the votes often come contributions. No one knows How much Black churchgoers give to campaigns but fund raising efforts organized with the help of the Black clergy tap into congregations that give More than $1 billion a year to their churches according to a 1989 study by the National research Council. On a recent sunday for example at the Bethel ame Church in Baltimore the Rev Jesse Jackson preached. After the service parishioners were urged to contribute Money for Jackson s National Rainbow coalition. In raising Money the churches must walk a Fine line along the constitutional separation of Church and state. Contributions to Campaign funds never come directly from a Church because that could violate the Church s tax exempt status but the financial links Are Clear enough either through special collections for candidates after Church services candidates use of Church. Membership Rolls for mailing lists or fund raising dinners arranged by Church affiliated organizations. An you la need a Multi system television that is compatible with european standards much of Europe employs one of several pal standards while France and Russia among others use scam. We do no have product information on Toshiba products because we done to carry Toshiba in our exchanges we can Only make an educated guess that the 27-Inch Toshiba to you bought stateside was a converted to the  Standard picture screen measurement by either the manufacturer or store where you made your Purchase to alleviate customer confusion. To write us readers action line is the readers Quot court of last resort Quot 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 unit 29480. Apo a 09211 All letters must be signed and preference will be Given to those seeking information of general interest to our readers Page 16 a the stars and stripes monday january 20, 1992