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May 12,1999
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T hank Y ou F or R eading
r .i
'• !
W't
America: A Nation In Denial
B i R on D aniels
he tragic assau lt on the Col
u m b in e H ig h S c h o o l in
L ittleton, C olorado by two
hate filled students has sent
w a v e s th r o u g h o u t th is n a tio n .
T w elve students and a teach er were
gunned dow n by tw o m em bers o f a
clique o f disgruntled and alienated
teenagers called the “ T ren ch Coat
M afia." Then the killers com m itted
suicide. The terrible toll from this
violent assault w as fifteen dead,
sc o re s w o u n d e d a n d h u n d re d s
scarred, som e perhaps perm anently,
by the psychological trau m a o f b e­
ing unw illing w itnesses to an u n ­
thinkable act o f hum an rage. This
u n co n scio n ab le act d id not take
place in one o f A m erica’s desolate
inner-city ghettos, o r in a barren
barrio or w retched reservation, this
T
deliberate crim e against hum anity
was com m itted in the “ safe" and
“ secure” environm ent o f an affluent
suburban neighborhood.
T h erefo re, th e q u e s tio n tro u ­
b lin g th e w ell h e a le d c itiz e n s o f
shock
L ittle to n a n d m u c h o f m id d le
A m erica, is h o w c o u ld th is tra g ­
edy
ta k e
p la c e
in “ o u r "
n e ig h b o rh o o d !s)? A fte r all, the
resid en ts o f th e L ittle to n s o f th is
co u n try , fled th e in n e r-c itie s s e e k ­
ing the co m fo rt, q u ie tu d e an d se ­
cu rity o f su b u rb ia. B u t h ere in lies
the key to u n d e rsta n d in g w h y such
a trag ed y c o u ld s h a tte r th e illu sio n
o f sa fe ty /se c u rity for th e p ro s p e r­
ous su b u rb an h av e n s in th is n a­
tion. T h ere is no h id in g p la c e from
the ills an d in ju stic e s o f th is n a ­
tion. A m ericas ste a d fa s t re fu sa l to
face and o w n up to the m an y m a la ­
dies w h ich p la g u e th is so c iety ,
A m e ric a ’s d e n ia l o f its sic k n ess
an d sins is le ad in g to fatal c o n s e ­
q u en c es lik e th e h ein o u s sla u g h te r
in L ittleto n .
A m erica is in d en ial ab o u t the
p ro cliv ity fo r v io le n ce in g rain ed in
the cu ltu re o f th is natio n and the
co rro siv e effec ts o f v io len ce on
civ il society. T he U nited S tates is
aw ash in guns - little guns, m edium
sized guns, big guns, au to m atic,
sem i-au to m atic guns. In the nam e
o f the co n stitu tio n ally g u aran teed
“ rig h t to b ear a rm s,” o rd in ary c iti­
zen s, in clu d in g y o u n g peo p le, are
sto rin g arse n als an d w alk in g and
r id in g th r o u g h th e s tr e e ts o f
A m erica p ack in g p o ten t “p ie c e s.”
guns, som e o f w h ich are only suited
for w arfare. A m erica has the h ig h ­
est p er cap ita rate o f d eath s from
guns o f any o f th e in d u strial d e­
m o cracies in the w orld.
The Truth is Out
interview ed, a sen io r m arketing ex ­
ecu
tiv e fo ra reco rd co m p an y , said,
P resident , N ational U rban L eague
"ev ery b lack m an is ex p o sed to
these k in d s o f in d e cen cies.”
he tru th ab o u t w h at far too
I t’s n o t o n ly b la c k m en , o f
m any A fric an A m eric an s
course,
as testim ony g iven by black
an d H isp a n ic A m e ric a n s
and H ispanic m en and w om en at a
endure from the sm all but significant
special h earin g o f the N ew Jersey
num ber o f police officers w ho are a
state le g isla tu re’s B lack and L atino
disgrace to their uniform s is pouring
C aucus has un d ersco red .
forth now across the country.
P olice practices w hich encour­
In N ew Jersey, G o v ern o r C h ris­
age
racial profiling m ust be rooted
tine T odd W hitm an and h er A tto r­
out.
The cost o f the pain and hum ili­
ney G eneral said th at a new study
ation,
and the threat to the safety o f
proves that “racial p ro filin g " by
law-abiding
citizens it causes is more
N ew Jersey state tro o p ers has re ­
than
people
o f color should have to
su lted in th eir sto p p in g a w ild ly
b
ear—
an
d
m
ore than a nation d ed i­
d isp ro p o rtio n ate n u m b er o f black
cated
to
equality
should tolerate.
an d H isp a n ic m o to ris ts on the
T
he
m
eetin
g
s
held
by the Police
sta te ’s highw ays. T he n u m b ers are
E x e c u tiv e R e s e a rc h F o ru m in
astonishing: B lacks m ade up 27
W a s h in g to n in v o lv in g p o lic e
p erc en t o f those sto p p ed , H ispanic
c h ie fs , r e p re s e n ta tiv e s o f c iv il
A m erican s, 7 p ercen t, an d w hites,
rights an d civil lib erties groups,
59 percent.
and A tto rn ey G en eral Janet Reno
B ut 53 p ercen t o f those w hose
cars w ere search ed w ere black and
24 p ercen t w ere H ispanic. O nly 21
p ercen t o f those w hose cars w ere
B y H ugh B. P rice
T
an d h er aid es are a sign that som e
progressive m ovem ent is occurring.
The A tto rn ey G en eral is rig h t to
u rge p o lice d ep artm en ts to co llec t
racial d ata on traffic stops. Som e
d ep artm en ts, such as the San D iego
p o lice force, h av e b eg u n to do this.
A lso, Rep. Jo h n C o n y ers, D-
M ich., is rig h t to re-in tro d u ce in
the C o n g ress leg islatio n req u irin g
the Ju stice D ep artm en t its e lf to
co llec t data on traffic sto p s by lo ­
cal police. T he A tto rn ey G en eral
sh o u ld su p p o rt it, as she d id last
year. T he effo rt to red u ce the te n ­
sion and d istru st— y es, ju s tifie d —
co m m u n ities o f co lo r h av e learned
to have for the p o lice d eserv es it.
This is not being “anti-police.”
Blacks and Hispanics need no lectures
on the value o f police protection.
T h a t w a s m a d e a p p a r e n t—
ag ain — in tragic fashion ea rlier this
m onth w hen O range, N .J. P olice
searched w ere w hite.
The study also found that 62 per­
cent o f those the state police arrested
w ere black and33 percent were white.
The percent o f H ispanics arrested
w as less than six percent.
T h at rep o rt w as released one
day after state o fficials indicted
tw o N ew Jersey state tro o p ers for
falsifying d o cu m en ts to m ake it
ap p ear th at som e o f the b lack m o­
T he P ortland O bserver
torists they had sto p p ed w ere white.
A s she has in the p ast, G o v ern o r
W hitm an co n d em n ed racial p ro fil­
ing, w hich she described as a “prob­
lem that is m ore com plex and subtle
fice and the health clinic in North
than w e first rea lize d ," and said the
Portland. The pattern is well estab­
state w o u ld take b o th im m ediate
lished and deeply entrenched through­
an d lo n g -term step s to elim in ate it.
out the County. The Commission may
W e ap p lau d her pledge.
find this expedient, but it's a shortcut
A nd w e ag ree w ith the R everend
that will fail in the long run. Despite
R e g in a ld Ja ck so n , h ead o f T he
appearances, no real decision is being
B lack M in isters C o u n cil o f N ew
madetoday. Today’s“hearing” merely
Jersey , that now “co m es the hard
formalizes a decision made long ago.
and d ifficu lt p art, an d that is the
As one neighbor recently put it, "this
p ro cess o f en ding racial p ro filin g .”
reminds me too much o f what it was
L est anyone th in k otherw ise, it
like to grow up as a child in Hamburg,
isn ’t ju st hip h o p -clad dudes w ho
Germany, during the 1930’s under
are su b jected to this.
Hitler”. One o f history’s biggest les­
A n article th is w eek in C rain ’s
sons is that citizens must refuse to
N ew Y ork B u sin ess recounted the
participate in a dishonorable and ne­
ex p erien ces o f ab o u t tw enty black
farious system; and they must refuse
b u sin ess ex ecu tiv es w h o ’d been
to trample and destroy the tenets o f a
sto p p ed and q u estio n e d by police
free and democratic society. That les­
w h ile w alking in th eir suburban
son s h o u ld b e a p p lie d to th e
n eig h b o rh o o d s or pu lled o ver by
Com m ission’s imperial rule and to­
p o lic e w h ile d riv in g th eir late-
talitarian practices.
m odel cars in the city or suburbs.
As for the Bybee Lake, this is only
“N o m atter w hat level o f suc­
the beginning o f a long, protracted
cess you ’ ve ach iev ed ," one o f those
battle. This is a battle to save the envi­
ronment and to preserve it for the wild­
life and for future generations o f urban
further betrayal o f the public trust, the
dwellers, especially those who cannot
Commission
now wants to add a drug
get to the mountains or coast. This is
and
alcohol
rehabilitation
facility plus
also a battle to prevent the Port o f
a
mental
health
facility
at
the Bybee
Portland from reaping profits at the
Lake
site,
again
without
mcamngftil
expense o f the environment and the
public involvement. Fortunately, our
livability o f our communities. The
constitution provides a system o f checks
County has foolishly chosen a long,
and balances that gives citizens re­
bumpy road to site this jail complex at
course to the courts ( fair and impartial )
Bybee Lake There are many other
and the ballot box. The Commission
sites where you would have broken
leaves as no alternatives. That is the
ground by now. Unfortunately, when
civics lesson w e’ve learned from the
the Bybee I^ake Jail site is ultimately
Commission. So, please don’t bother
defeated, as it most certainly will be,
to ask good, honest, and conscientioas
the County will be left holding the bag,
citizens to participate any more in these
and then what? Y ou’ 11 have only your­
sham hearings and committees. W e’ll
selves to blame. Citizens have bent
see you in court and we hope to see you
over backwards to advise and assist the
out
o f office, hopefully very soon.
County, all in good faith, but to no
Kevin
P. O ’Sullivan
avail. To add insult to injury, and as a
*****
I * t fjaç •
O ffic e r Jo y c e A. C a rn e g ie w as
g u n n ed dow n by a crim in al she w as
try in g to apprehend.
H er death b ro u g h t an o u tp o u r­
ing o f g rie f and trib u te n o t o nly
from o th er p olice o fficers, b u t from
m any peo p le in the p red o m in an tly
b lack n eig h b o rh o o d she p atro lled .
T h ey resp ected h er— b ec au se she.
sh o w ed that she resp ected them .
She sho w ed that she w as th ere to
p ro tec t and serve.
T hat is the resp o n sib ility o f the
police. I f law -ab id in g civ ilia n s are
to have resp ect for the law , that
m u st be the co d e o f co n d u c t all
p o lice o fficers p ractice, reg ard less
o f th e race, eth n icity or sk in co lo r
o f the L aw -ab id in g citizen s they
encounter.
A ny o th e r attitu d e p resen ts a
c lea r and p resen t d an g er to the civil
lib erties o f all, not ju s t a p articu la r
group, o f A m erican citizen s.
Yes! It's your time! You couldn't
have dreamed it better if youd
tried. You've learned th a t hard
w ork and long hours definitely
pay o ff and th a t getting ahead is
easier w h e n theres family behind
you. That's the w ay it is w ith
American Family Mutual Insurance.
Like you, w e understand its
consistent performance th a t builds
strong reputations. That's ju s t one
of m any reasons w h y year after
year; were awarded an A+ (Superior)
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ra tin g a u th o r ity , A M. Best.
Letter To The Editor
To: Multnomah County
Commissioners
RE: Testimony on the Bybee
Lake Jail “Hearing"
I see no reason to take time o ff from
work to participate in this board meet­
ing about the jail. It’s a waste o f my
time. Let m e explain why.
As you preside over this kangaroo
“hearing”, please be mindful that no
amount o f professional spin-doctonng
will repair the dam ageyou’ve caused to
the County Commission as a public
institution. Last September, the Com­
mission threw out all eight sites selected
by a Citizens Siting Advisory Commit­
tee (the SAC), and unilaterally chose a
completely new and smaller site at Bybee
Lake for the jail. By this action, the
County perverted, subverted and de­
stroyed the public involvementpiocess.
Eight months have now passed, and
the Com m ission has stubbornly re­
fused to look at any o f the numerous,
available and more suitable sites ofthis
size, in spite o f repeated urgings from
citizens and community groups. The
Com m ission also has adamantly re­
fused to hold a public hearing in the St.
Johns neighborhood, despite many re­
quests, including a resolution from the
C ounty's own citizen Involvement
Com mittee (sic). Further, the Com­
mission failed to reach out to include
numerous non-English speaking citi­
zens in St. Johns.
The public can only conclude that
the County’s “public involvement pro­
cess” is a sham - a shameful rubber
stam p to get “public approval” for the
County ’ s done deals. The litany o f the
C om m ission’s abuse o f the public
involvem ent process extends beyond
this jail. For example, the Com m is­
sion made a m ockery o f meaningful
public involvem ent for the parole of-
V io len ce fills the “ flicks” we
view for entertainm ent. Cartoons are
funny, but m any o f them are violent,
v ery violent. A nd, all one need do
today to w ork o f f a little frustration
is play your favorite video gam e
w here you can rack-up a ton o f kills
to salve y o u r em otions. A m erica is
in d enial ab o u t its v iolent nature.
A m erica is in d en ial ab o u t the
ex iste n ce an d d an g e r o f vio len ce
p ro n e, hate g ro u p s, m ilitias and
n e o -fa sc ist o rg an iz atio n s in this
co u n try . W hen the fed eral b u ilding
in O k lah o m a C ity w as d ecim ated
by a d e v a sta tin g b o m b b last leav ­
ing m assiv e h u m an carn ag e in its
w ak e, the w o rd w en t o ut to scour
the land for som e “ m id d le eastern
lo o k in g ” terrorists. T he terror b rew ­
ing from w ith in w as n o t s e lf ev i­
d en t to a n atio n w h ich is also in
d en ial ab o u t rac ism , sexism , anti-
S em itism and h o m ophobia.
Before you make y o u r move,
m ake o n e call a n d a h e lp fu l,
friendly agent w ill be delighted to
tell you more. Then go o u t there
and conquer
the w orld...
w e ll be right
behind you.
A merica M EAMÜI <£>
All Your Protection Under One Roof.
American F a m i, Mulua. insurance Company and its S u d a r la s . Madison. W, 53783-0001
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