European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 28, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A. A Ben Chavis followed by wife Martha and attorney Abbey Hairston arrives for hearing Over a act  their race cards before they fold a i f i May paraphrase England a Samuel Johnson who once called patriotism a the last Refuge of a scoundrel a racism is becoming the last Refuge of a Black Leader in trouble. Listen for example to rep. Walter Tucker a Calif. After he pleaded innocent monday to charges that he solicited and took bribes from a los Angeles businessman and hid the Money from the irs he accused prosecutors of unfairly targeting High profile african american men. A look at the list a Tucker told reporters on the front Steps of the Federal courthouse in los Angeles. A there was Marion Barry before me. There was o. J. Simpson before me. There was Mike Tyson and Mike Jackson you May As Well Call me Mike  his sentiments echoed almost exactly those of rep. Mel Reynolds d-ii1-, who was appearing in a Chicago Bond hearing that very Day on charges that include criminal sexual assault obstruction of Justice and child pornography. In an earlier news conference Reynolds a Rhodes scholar As a Young Man observed a if i were a White congressman with the same background would this investigation have happened i think  of i Dunno. A Rhodes scholarship is a great Honor but it does no to make you bulletproof. Just ask Bill Clinton. Reynolds charges sounded particularly ironic coming from him since he was elected As the highroad candidate Over former rep. Gus Savage whom Reynolds used to castigate quite justifiably for playing the race card Early and often. Chicagoan who had grown weary of racially divisive politics were delighted to hear Reynolds declare on his Victory night a this should Send a message to All elected officials Black and White that if you run on racial politics As your theme you will not be  times have changed. Even the Rev. Ben Chavis found a Way to blame a forces outside our Community for his firing As head of the a act by the organizations Board last weekend. He called the ejection a a a Lynching and filed suit against the organization. On Black entertainment television Slead Story program sunday i pressed him to identify the forces that had caused the nag pm a mostly Black Board to a a Lynch their Black executive director. Chavis named new Yorkus a jewish forum and a Washington based a Abraham Lincoln brigade a two groups hardly anyone has heard of. Not a very impressive Lynch mob. But Chavis certainly is not the first modern Black Man to holler a a Lynching when caught in a crack remember How judge Clarence Thomas accused his tormentors of a a High tech Lynching during his supreme court confirmation hearings Thomas used to criticize and ridicule Black leaders who played the race card too much a until he too  resist. It worked like a Charm. Thomas approval ratings among Africa americans shot up because of sympathy for a brother in trouble regardless of his politics. The late and legendary rep. Adam Clayton Powell d-n.y., said a acting like a White Many resulted in his being stripped of his 22 years of seniority and banned from the House of representatives in 1967 after his conviction for misusing Public funds. Considering the racial politics of that Era and the Fli siness of the charges against him he might have been right. That a the real problem with the racism defense. It May be getting devalued through overuse but you  hear it so often if it did no to still have a ring of truth to it. Chicago Tribune folding anger inside these letters Andy Rooney Etters i wish id write dear or mayor i read in the paper where you said you were going to eliminate a lot of desk jobs in the police Force and put More cops out on the Street. I have checked my records and you said the same thing in 1979,1983,1987,1992 and last october. A a. A. A a a a a a a or. James Weirton president first National Bank dear sin please ask the people who mail me my Bank statement to Stop putting a lot of junk in with it. My statement is important to me and should not be mixed in with junk mail. If you insist on sending me junk mail from the Bank Send it in a separate envelope clearly marked a junk mail a so i can throw it out without looking at it. A a a a a Quot a. A a a. A a a is. Mildred Mortin. Save the world society dear is. Mortin while i am in favor of the Aims of your organization and we Ould like to have it succeed i will be unable to attend your fund raising dinner at the Waldorf Astoria on dec. 25 because of a previous commitment. Please do not Reserve a table in my name for 10 at a Cost of $2,500 even though i under stand $100 of that amount is tax deductible a a a a a a a. A a a a chairman a a a a a College alumni Assn. Dear Dea Good Way to raise Money for the College would be for the fund raising office to Stop wasting it on Stamps asking me for More Money after in be already Given. I am Only going to give once a year if that and no number of requests expensive brochures or schedules of the football team will cause me to increase the amount. Dear congressman the crime Bill you voted for is the worst Bill in be Ever seen and in a glad you voted for it because at least its better than no crime Bill at All but not  a. V Quot a a a a a a. .����.��. A a a a i am opposed to the death penalty but in a glad it is in the Bill because those murderers deserve to die. The gruesome executions should be sent out Over Cable television and everyone in prison should have a to watch. V a a a a a. A a a a. A a a a a a a dear president Clinton. You re making it very difficult for me to be Happy i voted for  a a _ _ dear editor in the past year i have written five letters to you but the paper has not printed a single one. They were All More interesting than the letters you have used i think you arc prejudiced against me because i am a minority a a Normal average everyday a american. Dear editor Why did no to you run my angry letter about All the angry letters in be written that you Haven to run in your newspaper. Angrily Andy Rooney Tribune Media services Andy Rooney is a former stars and stripes reporter. A August 28.1994 sunday Page 9