Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (June 1, 2001)
junal fTTT?TTnW3T3netus ■ ■ ■ Hi MBpHpPP M ilitary O ffensive School boord votes to uphold bon on recruiters by Jonathan Kipp lthough it took most of the night she put him on the spot about his position. She to come to a vote May 21, the encouraged onlookers to take a stand against all Portland Public Schools board discrimination, saying democracy has no chance unanimously approved what otherwise. many consider only a slight Despite Tinker’s call for unity, her words fell change to the district s ban on military recruiters. on at least some deaf ears; many African Amer The new policy will allow school personnel ican citizens followed the lead of Bemie Foster, to speak openly and distribute literature to stu publisher of The Skanner, in opposing the ban. dents about education and career opportunities Most stood quietly during her plea for support. in the military, which is not permitted under the Jackson was quick to disagree with Tinker. ban. The change also requires officials to inform “That’s not true,” he said. “If you ever give us a chance to prove this....” kids about the military’s policy on homosexuals. Schools will remain off-limits to military per But before the debate continued, Jackson cut sonnel, though, unless they are speaking to stu off the discussion, calling Tinker “rude.” When dents about a nonrecruitment issue. Board another demonstrator confronted him about his members Doug • Capps and Susan Hagmeier campaign promise to leave the ban in place, he wrote the proposal as a left the room, saying compromise between § he wouldn’t “tolerate ban supporters and those 2 rudeness.” who want it lifted. The ban was enacted efore the vote al in 1995 in response to the most all of the military’s anti-gay “don’t board members ac ask, don’t tell” policy and knowledged each the district’s new policy other for their produc eliminating discriminato tive working relation ry employers from the ships. Capps called halls of Portland’s public the compromise “the high schools. board working at its The meeting twice best.” He said the vote was interrupted by a would allow members coalition of demonstra to move on to other tors, including the Edu priorities. cation Crisis Team and Jackson wasn’t ban supporters. Scores of happy with the pro protesters carried signs posal. He reiterated and chanted, “We’re all that he “wants an fired up.” The crisis team equal playing field for has been demonstrating everyone.” against the school board But he eventually for months, often inter relented: “1 will hesi rupting the meetings. tantly support be The board has spent cause it does represent several months reconsid some improvements.” ering the military ban. Saxton, a Republican Some members were gubernatorial candi date and critic of the adamant about leaving the policy intact because, ban, called the vote among other things, they “a positive step in the right direction.” had too many pressing issues to deal with, in Afterward Ab cluding diminishing rams told Just Out the issue shouldn’t come funds. up again for many Co-chair and ban author Marc Abrams led years. He considered the fight to keep the the vote a victory. _r matter from coming to _ a Board member Derry T J Jackson went AVVUL Other ban sup after a yelling match became too hard to handle vote. He says the dis porters called it an trict’s own statistics indicate that the 10-year unnecessary compromise and accused the board decline in recruitment actually slowed after the of giving in. Military recruiters obviously were ban was in place and that recruitment has disturbed by the compromise, many grimacing improved overall since then. during the board’s closing comments. But others, including Derry Jackson and Ron Whatever closure the vote brought to either Saxton, lobbied the board to overturn the ban. side didn’t last long, though. Not more than 24 Jackson has been vocal for months about the hours after the meeting U.S. Reps. David Vitter, need for inner city students to have access to R-La., and Pete Sessions, R-Texas, attached an more education and career opportunities. amendment to a bill in Washington, D.C., that Bonnie Tinker, Love Makes a Family execu would deny all federal funds to schools or dis tive director and one of Jackson’s most vocal crit tricts that do not allow military recruiters on ics about the ban, affirmed her support for the cri their campuses. sis team’s efforts during a 55-minute break in the The motion passed by a 7-to-l margin. Tens meeting, when the board left the room because of of millions of dollars for Portland’s public schools could be at risk, Abrams said. jn the chaos. “We are with you, too,” she said. But after Jackson re-entered the room and started listening to the demonstrators, he and JONATHAN K ipp is a Just Out staff reporter who Tinker got embroiled in a yelling match when can be reached at jonathan@justout.com. m i ^Yulamette egon Camera ^Dailey ¿Advertisers Your Ad Here Everything Photographic We have a knowledgeable, friendly staff helping you find the riiiht camera, binoculars, or photographic accessories. A ‘family' owned and operated business since 1997. Call (503) 236-1253 For Special Ad Rates 582 SW Adams Avenue (541) 753*2653 Corvallis, OR 97333 www.oregoncamera.com p J S & îÆ / BREAK Boarding & Grooming for Dogs & Cats “In dividu al Love a n d A tten tion ” I 1 6 3 5 Hawthorne Ave N E 720 SW Wake Robin Ave 1 Salem , O R 9 7 3 0 1 (next to Pietro’s Pizza) Corvallis, O R 97330 (641) 757-9089 Lariy & Marlene McNeill H ( 5 0 3 ) 3 9 9 - 9 2 4 3 ■ AMERICAN HOME FUNDING SANFORD TREFETHEN Loan Officer 1567 Oak Street • Eugene, OR 97401 (541) 485-3000 13
