J une 22, 1994 • T he P ortland O bserver P age A4 Stop Oregon “3 Strikes And You’re Out” Initiatives The Oregonian reported in May that racism was documented in the Oregon courts. This bias will be increased if a num ber of anti-crim e initiatives pro­ posed for the Oregon November elec­ tion become law. There is national and statew ide institutionalized rac­ ism and anti-w orking class discrim i­ nation that targets people o f color and the poor at every step o f the justice system. This bias determ ines who is a rre ste d , the se rio u sn e ss o f the charges, the length o f the sentence, and who gets probation. For exam ple, the white Nazi skinhead murderers of Mulugetu Seraw were charged in state court, but Black youth charged with drug offenses are frequently tried in the more severe federal courts. Initiatives 1-47,51,54, and 55 will increase this bias. These bills increase mandatory sentences, try 1 - year olds and up as adults, m andate life in prison for 3 violations o f “ most vio­ lent” crim es, like m urder or robbery, and perm it governm ent and private sector workers, many making union wages, to be replaced by unpaid con­ vict labor. These proposals are part of the nghtw ing strategy to scapegoat the poor and people of color forcnm e and violence in U.S. society. The rightwing is selling apoisonous anti-crime pack­ age nationally and locally by claim ­ ing these laws will protect the com ­ munity from murderers and rapists. Genuine public concern is being ma­ nipulated by rightwingers like Repre­ sentative BobTiem an. He is an initia­ tor of most o f these proposals and is also proposing legislation to cut pub­ lic employees retirement benefits. He is part o f a national drive to replace decent wages, and union protections with low-wages and part-time work. This helps big business at the expense o f most workers who are left with fewer and worse jobs, unemployment insurance, and welfare. These m ea­ sures will increase injustice and there­ fore crim e and imprisonment. More prisons will not increase public safety. Imprisonment doesn’t work when it is not logical or fair. (The justice system punishes crime that is caused by lack o f opportunity experienced by the poor and people of color or locks people up because they are poor and/or o f color.) The US imprisons a greater share of our population than any other na­ tion, but this does not reduce crime. The over-representation of people of color in prisons and among those who receive the death penalty is a national crime and outrage. A great propor­ tion o f federal prisoners are convicted for low-level drug offenses, with no record o f violence. Youth, adults of color, and im­ migrants are routinely targeted and arrested by police. You can be charged with a crim e if you are Black, young and shopping at the Lloyd Center Mall, if you are Hispanic and walking down the street, if you are homeless and on the street, or if you are “dressed like a gang m ember” or hang out with gang m em ­ bers. This is outrageous. Shopping at the malls, being in a gang, or being The Say No To Drugs Founda­ tion is a non-profit organization that sponsors a Rac ing Team to encourage youth to make a com m itm ent to re­ main drug free. Dr. de Boer o f Palm Desert, California, is the founder of the SNTDF and the driver of the Say No To Drugs race car that will com ­ pete in the Dodge/Shelby Pro Series at Portland International Raceway on Friday, June 24. Known by kids as Dr. D, he is the reigning US AC Form ula Russell Champion and the Form ula Alpine Pro Series Cham pion and cur­ rently ranks fourth in the cham pion­ ship points standings for the Dodge/ Shelby Pro Series. The Say No To Drugs Race Car will be on display in the Dodge/Shelby Pro Series exhibit area at Portland International Raceway on Saturday and Sunday, June 25-26 for viewing signatures. F o r fu rth e r in fo rm a tio n on the S N T D F , ca ll the fo u n d a tio n o f ­ fice a t (6 1 9 ) 3 4 0 -4 6 1 7 o r th e p u b ­ lic re la tio n s o ffic e at (3 10) 30 5 - and charging them with a crim e if their child uses a weapon. This will destroy many families, the lives of youths, and hurt single mothers the most. These measures must be stopped. Please do n ’t sign 1-47, 51, 54, 55 initiative petitions and work against them. Demand that our elected repre­ sentatives, the Juvenile Justice De­ partm ents and all agencies serving children, reject these negative pro­ p o sa ls. W e need ju stic e , n o t a rightwing scam that weakens our con­ stitutional rights and gives money to prisons and programs that criminalize youth, the poor and people o f color. It will impoverish us all. W e should spend our money to raise the minimum wage improve our public schools, create union-protected jobs with safe, humane working con­ ditions for everyone. Our tax dollars should provide free, quality 24 hour child care, free universal health care, well-funded and staffed neighborhood recreational program s, and human and social service agencies. And that’s just for starters. Demand that the corporations give back the millions they got from Measure 5, and that corporate taxes be increased to fund the services we all need and have a right to. Big business gets a free ride with tax loopholes, tax givebacks, and by pay­ ing inadequate wages, while our soci­ ety crumbles. L et’s not fall for the rightwing line o f blaming the vic- tim s-people o f color, workers, union members, women, the poor, and im­ migrants. It is time to hold account­ able those who run this society-big business and governm ent leaders. Business and governm ent leaders control the wealth we have made and the money we pay in taxes, and they are responsible to see that we get the benefit o f that wealth. No more tax breaks for corporations. No more higher taxes, dead-end jobs and pris­ ons for us and our children. A d rie n n e W e lle r, R a d ic a l Women 1819 NW Everett, #201, Port­ land, OR 97209 (503) 228-3090 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Kids Sign On Say No To Drugs Race Car C hildren are invited to sign their name on the N orthw est Dodge D eal­ ers Say No To Drugs Race Car as part o f their com m itm ent to remain drug free, and meet driver Dr. James de Boer and members o f the race team. Dr. de Boer and the Say No To Drugs Race Car will be at D ick’s Country Dodge (767 SW Baseline, Hillsboro, 503-640-1050) on Tuesday, June 21 and at V ancouver Dodge (1015 NE 78th Street, Vancouver, W A, 206- 574-1131) on W ednesday, June 22 from 10am - 8pm both days. D r de Boer will be with the car from noon - 2pm and 4 - 6pm both days. Children and adults will have an opportunity to view autographs from well-known personalities who have already signed the Say No To Drugs Race Car, including Michael Andretti, Em erson Fitipaldi, Richard Petty and form er Beatle and racing enthusiast G eorge Harrison. They may also re­ ceive a team ribbon and becom e an official member o f the SNTD Race Team by making a donation to the foundation (suggested am ount SI). friends with gang members, is not illegal. It is our constitutional right to assembly and free association. One of the “violent felonies” listed in the Oregon “3 strikes and you’re out” Initiative #51 is “conspiracy to com m it these crim es.” This can apply to anyone, and it will be used to crim inalize youth o f color and gang members. You w on’t have to do any­ thing illegal or even be present at a crime to be charged with conspiracy. The O regon Juvenile Justice D epartment is, unfortunately, not fol­ lowing their m ission which is to “guide” and “ nurture” youth and “pre­ vent their entry into the adult justice system ” Instead they are falling into line with this national trend to blame all o f the U.S. social problems on our children. They are considering pro­ posals to remand youth as adults, build bootcamps, harness children with fingerprinting and photographic records when charged, and make par­ ents “responsible” by requiring them to pay the costs o f jail and the courts when their children get into trouble ÇhxbfwoM bßlafrm rnl New & uspd books on Business, Music, & African-American Studies /ß ij filter . One o ía d íin d tP ■ drente ties ,dldi-'dnn>iic M atlin fifiuthefr J b in g /ß lr d . 1005 W est B u rn sid e S treet fifa e V ^ U a tte o /fa r k te o t (5 0 3 ) 2 8 8 - 5 2 5 6 228-4651 0401. PEGGY JOSEPH - Officer Travel Consultant (503) 288-9590 EW dventure TRAVEL SERVICE Preparing a Generation oi Thinkers T hanks to L D o tter y o lla r s oseburg’s Eastwood Elementary . /o r f ib / n e r R School has all the appearances of your everyday elementary school. Store 503-331-1718 3415 NE Broadway Portland, OR 97212 You'll find the standard play equip­ ment and bicycle racks. You’ll also see fields for a recess full of tag. baseball, and soccer. What sets Eastwood apart Portland Public Schools Serves Free Lunches Some 4,900 youngsters will re­ ceive free lunches and snacks this sum m er at 43 Portland-area youth centers and parks in a federally funded Sum m er Food Service Program that begins Ju n e2 0 an d runs through Aug. 18. Portland School District’s cen­ tral kitchen will produce daily meals for students under age 19 participat­ ing in educational enrichm ent pro­ gram s, recreation and craft program s and field trips. M e a ls, sp o n so red by th e U .S. D e p a rtm e n t o f A g ric u l­ tu re , a re p ro v id e d to all c h ild re n p a r tic ip a tin g in th e p ro g ra m s lis te d on the a tta c h e d p a g e . S p e ­ c ific in fo rm a tio n on site lo c a tio n s is a v a ila b le from the P o rtlan d Park B u re a u o r c a llin g th e s c h o o l d is tr ic t’s N u tritio n S e rv ic e s D e ­ p a rtm e n t, 3 3 1 -3 3 6 6 . from most schools is their outdoor Man Charged In Murder H a rry James V illa I I I , a 19-year-old North Portland man, has been arrested and charged with murder in con­ nection with the A pril 29 shooting of Corey Denail Taylor, which occurred at Northeast Cleveland and Beech Street. H o m ic id e detectives M ichael Hefley and Tom Nelson arrested V illa. The suspect is listed as a gang affiliate. Taylor died after being shot m ultiple times as he stood with a group of people on the street. Detectives be­ lieve that the homicide was in retaliation for the Octo­ ber 1993 m urder of gang affiliate John Sweet. Arrests have been made in connec­ tion with that homicide. classroom and fish hatchery located along the 40 acres of Deer Creek that runs through the school’s property. Students at Eastwood are learning for more than the three R’s of reading, ’riting, and ’rithmetic. As part of the watershed enhancement program funded by Littery dollars, fifth-grade teacher Dan Tilson is providing stu­ dents with an understanding of nature that no book can teach. To Dan Tilson, he sees the project as part of the changing face of educa­ tion: “People are starting to realize that what we are doing right now is not going to work for the cen tu ry .. . . OREGON We need to prepare a generation of thinkers." lottery It loes Good Thii