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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 24, 2014)
2 street roots O c t 24, 2014 Having compassion can be hard work EDITORIAL S treet Roots endorces ballot measures liàœwrv.i _ Measure 86 would create funds for Oregonians «P pursuing post-secondary educations. It would also allow the state to borrow money for a scholarship fund for ..„ V , Oregonians pursuing college or career training. This measure is an essential step in maintaining a healthy society that believes in giving its own citizens the skills they need to thrive in today’s modern world. Vote yes on M easure 86. Israel Bayer is the executive director o f Street Roots. You can reach him a t israel@streetroots. org or follow him on Twitter @israelbayer. Measure 88 upholds four-year driver’s card for , those who cannot prove legal presence in the United States. Oregonians can’t wait for the national immigration reform. This measure would give all working Oregonians the same access to driving privileges. Not to mention it goes a long way in supporting people experiencing poverty to have the necessary identification to access a home. Vote yes on M easure 88. Measure 91 would legalize recreational marijuana use. Street Roots has long advocated for the legalization of marijuana. For Street Roots, it’s simple, Legalizing marijuana will help deter the targeting of poor people when it comes to minor drug offenses. Not to and were influenced by Genny Nelson and Sisters - Saint Adre Bessette, JOIN, Right 2 Dream Too, Dignity Village, to name a few. Thousands of people experiencing poverty and those who have dedicated their lives to the work carry out these philosophies and are tied to a larger historical movement, | regardless if they know it or n o t The idea of offering hospitality in the form of compassion and love, regardless of the situation is something that runs very deep in the experiences we have and of those that came before us. These ideas and philosophies were bom out the Catholic Worker movement and the work of Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin in the 1930s and 40s. They were influenced by the work of those before them dating back to the Civil War and before. The great agitator and organizer Utah Phillips once said, “The long memory is the most radical idea in this country. It is the loss of that long memory which deprives our people of that connective flow of thoughts and events that clarifies our vision, not of where we’re going, blit where we want to go.” Together, we are a part of something bigger and working towards a better tomorrow. That includes you, that includes me, that includes all of us embracing something more. Something that gives people that opportunity to be successful, regardless of their circumstance. That means offering hospitality and compassion without judgement. It means accepting non-violence as a way of life. It means embracing love. One of my first mentors on the streets was the great Genny Nelson, co-founder of Sisters Of The Road. Genny has mentored dozens of organizers, agitators, policy makers, writers and artists over the years. Her life’s work has a footprint on both Portland politics and how we work with ^people experiencing By Israel Bayer homelessness. Genny once told me, “Israel, offering compassion without judgment is one of the most challenging things you’ll ever do when working with the poor. Keeping at it day after day, week after week, and maintaining that compassion will be the hardest The only way to find the space to carry on is to practice non-violence and to believe in love.” At the time, I was an angry young man. I had grown up in industrial middle-America where violence was often times a w:ay of life. The idea of accepting non-violence Was hew to me. Offering unconditional love to complete strangers was challenging. Street Roots is built on the premise of meeting people experiencing poverty where they are a t It’s not easy. Poverty is cruel and inhumane, it’s violent and irrational. Regardless o f people’s circumstances or experiences — individuals and families can find a home at places like Street Roots and Sisters Of The Road. Saying that, it’s not just Street Roots. There are a lot of social service agencies in Portland that believe in these basic premises DIRECTOR'S DESK mention that it will bring a multi-billion dollar industry out of the shadows. That means more money for schools and treatment programs. The time is now. Vote yes on M easure 91. 0 Measure 92 would mandate labeling of food that R o o m W ith a V ie w ” contains genetically modified organisms in Oregon. by Dan Newth It’s hard to believe that in 2014 we are still left guessing what ingredients are in the food we consume. Voting to . Mars laid heavy in the western sky the hour before dawn. support genetically modified labeling in Oregon is a no brainer. Vote yes on M easure 92. Moonlit white buffalo stampede onto shore, wrecking themselves on rock spending themselves in sand. Measure 26-159 is a bond measure that would allow the city to continue support of Portland Parks. The measure is not expected to increase tax rates because Such are the moments of life. the new bond authorization would replace the 1994 parks bond, which will be paid off in 2015. This measure would continue to maintain one of the best park systems in the United States. Vote yes on M easure 26-159 to support Portland Parks. It’s n win-win for Portlanders. Oupmission Staff Beard uf Blrectors Venders Street Roots creates income opportunities for people experiencing homelessness and p o v e rty ^ Executive Director Israel Bayer Bruce Anderson (Chairman), Michael Anderson (Vice- chairman), Heather Stadick (Treas.), Eddy Barbosa (Sec.), Rich Rodgers, Brad Taylor; Leo Rhodes, Nora Coon, Street Roots vendors buy the newspapers for 25 cents each and sell them fo r $1, keeping the 75 cents in profit for themselves, in order to keep the cost low to prodi newspaper and other media hat are . catalysts for individual and social change: Street Roots po lish e s every two weeks, launching . on Fridays, and is available exclusively through o u r' street vendors or by subscription. W e are proud members of the International Network o f Street Papers. Managing Editor Joanne Zuhi . . joanne@streetroots.org ' . Vendor Coordinator Cole Merkel cole@slTeetroots.ofg Operations Director Sarah Seecroft Program Assistant Grace Badik, Jesuit Volunteer, grace@streetroots.org Development Director Sarah Cloud Development Assistant Ann-Derrick Gai I lot Street Roots 211 NW Davis St. Portland, OR 97209 503-228-5657 Fax:503-227-3117 streetroots.org news.streetroots.org Reporters: Emily Green, Jake Thomas, Alex f t Zielinski, Nathan Gilles, Sue Zalokar, Ann-Derrick Galliot Photographers Kristina W right, Christopher Onstott, Adrienne Burkett, Diego Diaz Darren Alexander, Am ber Bielman - - Volunteers Jan Bayer, Elizabeth Tierney, Rob Shryock, Ann- ' ' Derrick Gaillot, Stacey Heath, Vinnie Kinsella, M ichelle Breslau, Paula Cracas, John Barker, M ary Locke, Lucas Manfield, Jessie Carver, Cherie Vedal, Sam Bouman, Isaac Hastings Hauss, Emily Green, Tom Ray, Sarah Hansell, Alana Kansaku-Sarmiento, Kyle Craven, Audrey Benison, Crystal Elinksi Street Roots Rose City Resource Street Roots publishes the Rose City Resource, a comprehensive booklet of services for people experiencing homelessness and poverty. To inquire about getting guides, call 503-228-5657. Resources are online at www.rosecityresource.org. 7 5 c goes directly to the vendor w ho sold you the paper l l l l l ! goes toward printing costs Vendor orientations are at 1 p.m. every Monday, W ednesday and Friday at the Street Roots office.
