TO THE EDITOR
RACE ASSUMES GUILT
The color of prison would not change
simply if more Caucasians were stopped. As
traffic stops in and of themselves do not indi-
cate criminality, the only cause and effect re-
lationship between prison and traffic stops is
if you’re a felon with a warrant out for your
arrest. Disproportionality is used as evidence
for all kinds of discrimination, whether pro-
filing or drug related prison sentencing.
When Nancy Reagan suggested for
American children to “Just Say No,” 80 per-
cent of illegal drug users were white men
who made in excess of $50,000 (7 percent
were white women, 13 percent minorities), a
demographic tradition documented as fact
since 1886, the days of over-the-counter
heroin in cough syrup. These are not the peo-
ple going to prison, even though their drug
use is illegal.
Using Portland as an example: In a private
conversation with then Lt. Charles Moose, I
asked about the typical drug buyer in north-
east Portland: “White guy in a Lexus, from
Beaverton. Comes to the ‘hood, buys crack.”
He acknowledged they had numerous trans-
actions on videotape. Who gets arrested? The
black drug dealers, even though the police
have probable cause to stop and arrest both
the black drug dealer and the white crack
buyer in the Lexus.
Rush Limbaugh had illegal and saleable
quantities of prescription opiates. Will he do
time? No. Is his experience typical for the
majority of illegal drug users, white men?
Yes. They do the crime, they won’t do the
time, and not because they have good
lawyers. They’re deemed innocent even
when guilty.
Mark Harris
Eugene
PROFILING ARABS
Thanks for your article regarding racial
profiling (cover story, 10/16). According to
the Amnesty International newsletter, “Since
the Sept. 11 attacks, whole new categories of
Americans are experiencing similar treat-
ment. And PATRIOT Act provisions permit-
ting enhanced surveillance, tighter immigra-
tion controls, reporting of suspicious activi-
ties, and sometimes-secret detention have
given such run-ins with the police decidedly
ominous implications.”
It’s so sad that no one is daring to mention
racial profiling of the Arab/Muslim commu-
nity. I’ve been harassed, followed and
stopped by the EPD. On Oct. 4, I was fol-
lowed and stopped by the police. The reason
for stopping me was: He thought I was drunk!
Then on Nov. 2, I was followed by the police
in my way home. The police followed me
with no headlights on but only dim lights.
The third time was on Nov. 9, when the sher-
iff was following me so closely.
“These kinds of intimidation, harassment
and profiling must stop. Young people are
both impacted by racial profiling and called
to act to stop it,” says the newsletter.
Read
about
it
at
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/
Nadia Sindi
Eugene
LOCAL DEAN TEAM
I appreciated your 12/11 front cover arti-
cle on the Corvallis Dean supporters.
However, I wondered why your reporter did
not cover the Eugene Dean campaign. A con-
tingency of local Dean supporters was pres-
ent at the Harlow Road overpass the morning
of the Civil War football game, waving plac-
ards and signs, with a favorable response
from motorists.
The local Lane County for Dean group, of
which I am a member, has been active since
early spring, and has its monthly meeting
(Meetup) on the first Wednesday of each
BY DAN CAROL
One Less Dictator
A little spin on the big catch.
A
s I write this, I am still a few hours away from seeing saturation Saddam cover-
age on TV. That’s because (grrr …) I am stuck on an airplane — so all I know is
what I just heard from the folks talking in the row in front of me.
My independent reaction is simple: Woo-hoo! Saddam’s arrest means a little less
evil in the world, and in this 400th generation of “civilized humanity” any trend that
ends a little evil and pain for average people is a pretty decent baby step.
What ripples will this latest global media pulse create? Who knows. I am just glad
that this sad chapter is over and something new can be written.
As a calming device, if what I am saying (that I am happy we snagged Saddam)
angers you, I would offer this Christmas reading list. First, check out Stewart Brand’s
The Clock of the Long Now, which takes a wonderfully long view of humans past and
future in the world. With that 10,000-year view in hand, you can then read, in doses,
The Idiot’s Guide to the Crusades. Because it is good that we just ended another idiot-
ic reign over there. And that’s good even if it makes the Bush people and Fox News
gloat for a while.
Politically, my take on this event is simple. The chances of an October surprise
scenario (where Bush captures Saddam Hussein or Osama bin Laden in mid-October
2004 and wins in a landslide) just dropped by 50 percent. Let me tell you this: All the
people walking around the L.A. airport, with eyes down and averted, still look afraid
when I get off the plane. Suicide terrorism has reached the streets of Moscow too. We
know the election will be close and ugly — no matter what happens in the news.
B
ack here in Oregon, another divisive topic seems to be looming on the political
horizon with talk of Ralph Nader forming an exploratory committee to run for
president for the third time. Speaking from my “anyone but Lieberman” politi-
cal position, I do not think the third time will be the charm for Ralph Nader.
4 DECEMBER 18, 2003
month. In November, Oregon Secretary Of
State Bill Bradbury was our speaker, and in
December, ex-Governor Barbara Roberts.
both are supporters of Dean. Our attendance
varies from 130 to 140 people. Our Jan. 7
Meetup is at Monroe Middle School, off
Coburg Road, at 7 pm, to which all are wel-
come.
I believe that Gov. Dean is our best hope
for a regime change. In addition to his consis-
tent opposition to the Iraq War from the start
and through the Bush “victory” days of last
April, he has demonstrated the organizational
and finance-raising skills needed to beat the
Bush money machine in 2004. He has at-
tracted large numbers of voters who have not
voted or not been involved in campaigns pre-
viously. Other candidates, such as Dennis
Kucinich, may have the more idealistic goals
that many of us aspire to, but Kucinich has
not been able to register over 3 percent in any
state or national poll. I want a candidate who
has demonstrated the ability to defeat Bush.
Among his many proposals to take back
our country from the extreme religious right,
Dean has a universal health plan, has the sup-
port of the largest two national labor unions,
would fire John Ashcroft, and would appoint
competent and balanced Supreme Court jus-
tices. If we really want to get rid of the Bush-
Cheney-Rumsfeld-Ashcroft coterie, I believe
that Dean provides our only chance to ac-
He will certainly not beat George Bush in a general
election; however, I don’t think people should beat up on
Nader or Greens. We’re advising Democrats and progres-
sives to approach the Nader presidential run in the fol-
lowing fashion: Show respect for Greens and the princi-
pled positions they have on issues like clean elections
reform that drive their activities, and frustration with
the system. They deserve the respect. The fact is there’s
a fairly big gulf between a lot of Green state parties and
Ralph Nader on how to build the Green Party, whether it’s via
another presidential run by Nader, or with a more focused ground-up, state level, win-
local-election strategy following the success of New York’s Working Families Party
(www.workingfamiliesparty.org).
There’s a ton of ways for Greens, progressives, and Democrats to work together
on important state and local issues, and that’s where people should focus their mutual
respect. (Personally, in a state like Oregon, I think the passage of a fusion initiative to
allow cross-endorsements by multiple political parties of the same candidate is still a
great idea for growing Green/environmental voter power in the long run without act-
ing as a “spoiler.” Unlike instant runoff voting, this issue would get a little of Ron
Wyden’s attention.)
As for the Nader run itself, I think most people get that this is not a swell idea, but
the negative attention we focus in his direction will, I think, have an opposite “jujitsu”
effect and actually strengthen him.
R
ather than talking about Nader though, which seems like negative déjà vu,
what’s more exciting is talking about some new, youthful energy coming into
the political system. The Oregon Bus Project (www.secretplan.org) is organizing
in Lane County, more meetings are planned in January, and I’m hoping they shoot for
the moon. I’m sure EW will have more information about their activities in future issues.
These folks have fun and do the work. So don’t forget to get on the bus.
Lastly, I guess I’ll be back at this next year. Until then, I wish all a peaceful holiday
season.
Dan Carol is a Democratic political strategist and a founding partner of CTSG (www.ctsg.com), a progressive
consulting firm based in Eugene and Washington, D.C.