Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current, September 29, 1999, Page 2, Image 2

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    Page A2
¡Elje ffortlanh ©h e l'ruer
September 29, 1999
WORLD NEWS
Fed Ex Makes A Special
Delivery To Janus Y
Programs
Dragging Defendant
Sentenced To Die
Bi C. BRYSOX H L'LL
© T h i A s so c ia t e d P ress
B R Y A N , T e x a s (S e p t. 2 3 ) - A
w h ite s u p r e m a c is t w a s s e n te n c e d
to d a y to d ie b y le th a l in je c tio n
fo r d ra g g in g a b la c k m a n to h is
d e a th o n a ru ra l ro a d .
L a w re n c e R u s s e ll B re w e r is
th e s e c o n d m a n to g e t th e d e a th
p e n a lty fo r th e J u n e 7 , 1 9 9 8 , k i l l ­
in g o f J a m e s B y rd
J r ., w h o w a s c h a in e d
to th e b u m p e r o f a
p ic k u p tr u c k a n d
d r a g g e d f o r th r e e
m ile s a lo n g a b u m p y c o u n try ro a d
h in d h e r so n in th e c o u rtro o m ,
d a b b e d h e r e y e w ith a tissu e .
B r e w e r ’s a tto r n e y , D o u g
B a rlo w , s a id h is c lie n t " h a d r e ­
s ig n e d h im s e l f to t h i s .”
" H e s a id to m e , ' I ’ll b e all
r i g h t , ” ’ B a rlo w sa id .
A b o u t a n h o u r in to th e ir ta lk s
to d a y , ju r o r s a s k e d to se e p h o to s
o f B r e w e r ’s ta tto o s , w h ic h in c lu d e
a b u rn in g c ro s s , S S lig h tn in g b o lts
a n d sh o u ld g e t a life te rm .
T h e p r o s e c u tio n c o n te n d e d
B re w e r w as th e ra c is t id e o lo g u e
w h o ta u g h t K in g a n d B e rry h is
v ie w s , an d th a t h is p o s itio n as
" E x a l te d C y c lo p s ” in a ra c is t
g ro u p s h o w e d th e d e p th o f h is
c o m m itm e n t to ra c ism .
B y rd , a fo rm e r v a c u u m c le a n e r
s a le s m a n , w a s a b d u c te d e a rly o n
Ju n e 7 , 1 9 9 8 , a n d ta k e n to a r e ­
m o te a re a n o rth e a s t
''The degree o f pain they were willing to
inflict on this man is an indication o f the
degree o f racial commitment,
n o r th e a s t o f J a s p e r.
B y r d ’s s is te r , M a ry V e r r e tt,
sa id h e r fa m ily w a s re lie v e d .
" H e h a d h is d a y in c o u r t ,”
sh e s a id . " T h e ju r o r s s a id w h a t
w e w a n t to sa y to h i m . ”
B re w e r, 3 2 , jo in s J o h n W ill­
ia m K in g , c o n v ic te d in F e b ru a r y ,
o n d e a th ro w . A th ird w h ite s u ­
p r e m a c is t, 2 4 - y e a r - o ld S h a w n
A lle n B e rry , w ill b e tr ie d n e x t
m o n th .
T h e B ra z o s C o u n ty ju r y th a t
c o n v ic te d B re w e r o n M o n d a y d e ­
lib e r a te d fo r 14 h o u rs W e d n e s ­
d a y a n d to d a y b e f o r e d e c id in g o n
a p u n is h m e n t.
S ta te D is t r ic t J u d g e M o n te
L a w lis s p r o n o u n c e d th e s e n te n c e
as B r e w e r ’s m o th e r, s e a te d b e ­
a n d K u K lu x K ia n s y m b o ls. T h ey
a ls o w a n te d a p h o to o f B re w e r
w ith h is fa m ily .
T h e ju r y on W e d n e sd a y re ­
v ie w e d s o m e o f B r e w e r ’s le tte rs
a n d a p o r tio n o f h is te s tim o n y th a t
d e s c r ib e d e v e n ts im m e d ia te ly p re ­
c e d in g B y r d ’s d e a th .
In h i s c l o s i n g a r g u m e n t
W e d n e s d a y , J a s p e r C o u n ty D is­
tric t A tto rn e y G u y Ja m e s G ra y said
th e fa c ts o f th e s la y in g s h o w e d
B re w e r is a c o n tin u in g d a n g e r an d
s h o u ld b e c o n d e m n e d .
* ’ T h e d e g re e o f p a in th e y w e re
w illin g to in f lic t o n th is m a n is an
in d ic a tio n o f th e d e g re e o f ra c ia l
c o m m itm e n t,” G ra y said .
A d e fe n s e a tto rn e y a rg u e d th a t
B re w e r, a c o n v ic te d b u rg la r, h ad
n o h is to ry o f v io le n c e in p ris o n
o f Ja s p e r.
H is a n k le s w e re
h a rn e s s e d w ith a 24
1 /2 - f o o t lo g g in g
c h a in to th e b u m p e r o f a p ic k u p
tru c k a n d h e w a s d ra g g e d fo r
th re e m ile s .
H is b a tte re d to r s o , m in u s h is
h e a d , n e c k an d an a rm , w as
d u m p e d b e tw e e n a b la c k c h u r c h
a n d c e m e te ry w h e re it w a s fo u n d
a few h o u rs a fte r d a y lig h t.
T h e c i r c u m s t a n c e s o f th e
c rim e p ro v o k e d n a tio n a l o u tra g e .
In a ja ilh o u s e n o te to K in g la s t
y e a r w h ile b o th w e re u n d e r a r ­
re s t, B re w e r a p p e a re d p r o u d o f
w h a t th e y h a d d o n e .
" I d o b e lie v e w e a re b ig g e r
s ta rs , o r s h o u ld I sa y h e ro o f th e
d a y , th a n w h a t w e e v e r e x ­
p e c te d ,” B r e w e r w ro te .
T h e c a s e w a s m o v e d to B ry a n ,
a b o u t 150 m ile s w e s t o f J a s p e r,
b e c a u s e o f p r e tr ia l p u b lic ity .
Woman Settles Case Over
Stillborn Baby for $100,000
9 -2 4 - 9 9 M c M i n n v i l l e , o r e .
(A P ) - A w o m a n w h o g a v e b ir th
to a s t il l- b o r n c h il d a n d f ile d a
w ro n g f u l d e a th s u i t a g a in s t a h o s ­
p ita l a n d a n e m e r g e n c y ro o m p h y ­
s ic ia n h a s s e t tl e d o u t o f c o u rt.
S h e s a id sh e w a s u n a w a r e s h e w a s
p re g n a n t.
O n th e first d a y o f trial T u esd ay ,
K
0 0 ,0 0 0
K aren
aren R
R ich
ich m
m o o n n d d settled
settled for
for $ $ 1 100,000
from
from the
the p p h h y y sic
sic ia
ia n n an
an d d a a g g re
re e e d d to
to
d ro p th e W illam ette V alley M edical
C e n te r from the suit.
The
case
s te m m e d
fro m
R ich m o n d ’s 1996 b irth to a b a b y b o m
dead in a breech position in her home.
R ichm ond, w ho w as 18 at the time,
said she w as n o t aw are she w as preg ­
nant w h en she b eg an experiencing
m ed ical pro b lem s an d sou g h t treat­
m en t the ev en in g befo
re giving birth.
before
oinn.
’’It
w
a
s
fa
n
ta
s
tic
th
sh e e c c o o u u ld ld
"It w a s fa n ta stic th a a t t sh
C h i l d r e n a t t h e J a n u s Y o u t h P r o g r a m s i te
in N o r t h e a s t P o r t l a n d r e c i e v e d b a r r e l s f u ll
o f s c h o o l s u p p lie s c o u rte s y o f F e d E x e m ­
p l o y e e s j u s t in t i m e t o h it t h e b o o k s a g a i n
th is f a ll. F e d E x e m p l o y e e s ’ d o n a t i o n th i s
m o n th w ill p r o v id e 9 5 a d d itio n a l c h ild re n
w ith s u p p l i e s t h e y n e e d , p r o v i d i n g s u p p l i e s
to 1 5 0 k i d s a t t h i s U n i t e d W a y - f u n d e d
agency.
U n ite d W a y C a m p a ig n M a n a g e r S a ra i
S t. J u l i e n s a i d t h e d o n a t i o n f r o m F e d E x
c a m e in r e s p o n s e t o e m p l o y e e s ' i m p r e s ­
s i o n o f f a c i l i t y f o l l o w i n g a v i s i t in A u g u s t .
T h e y a d m ire d th e w o rk a t J a n u s Y o u th
P r o g r a m s , s h e s a id , a n d d e c id e d to le n d a h a n d .
“T h is w a s s p o n ta n e o u s r e a c tio n to ta k in g a
to u r a t th e a g e n c y ,” S t. J u lie n sa id . “ T h e y ju s t
w a n te d to h e lp o u t.”
U n ite d W a y f u n d s 1 5 0 h e a lth a n d h u m a n
p ro g r a m s th a t s tr e n g th e n f a m ilie s , in v e s t in
p o s itiv e e x p e r ie n c e s fo r c h ild re n a n d y o u th ,
e n h a n c e s e n io r in d e p e n d e n c e a n d m e e t e m e r ­
g e n c y n e e d s in M u ltn o m a h , C la c k a m a s a n d
W a s h in g to n c o u n tie s in O r e g o n a n d C la r k
C o u n ty in W a s h in g to n .
DELTA SIGS
GO DRY AT
U OFO
T he b ro th ers o f th e D e lta S ig m a
Phi are m ak in g the m o s t o f sobriety.
T he U n iv ersity o f O re g o n fratern ity
elected to go dry a y e a ra g o . T h ey are
the first - an d o n ly - fratern ity on
cam p u s to go dry. T h e b ro th e rs are
still allo w ed to d rin k - ju s t not in the
n o t k n o w sh e w as p r e g n a n t,” sa id
a tto rn e y M a rk L a w re n c e . “ It w a s
fa n ta stic th a t sh e c o u ld b e in a h o s-
p ita l in la b o r, a n d n o t h a v e it b e
house.
S om e w ondered i f th e m ove w ould
kill p o p u larity , b u t the D elta S igs
rep o rt th e y ’re th riv in g . M em b ersh ip
is u p from 30 to 45 and they are
rem odeling the third flo o ro fth e house
J p b u ild n in e new ro o m s. T h e house
d ia g n o s e d . “ It w a s fa n ta s tic th a t
th e b a b y c o u ld c o m e o u t o f h e r
b o d y a n d sh e n o t b e a b le to c o m -
p re h e n d it. U ltim a te ly , t h a t’s w h y a
s e ttle m e n t is a p p ro p r ia te ,” h e said ,
h ad the b e st g rad e p o in t av erag e
am o n g cam p u s d u rin g w in ter and
sp rin g term s. In fact, the b ro th ers
w on the n ational fra te rn ity ’s P yra-
m id o f E x cellen ce aw ard for b ein g
S U B S C R IB E
St(C (Jo rtliin ii tflb aeru cr can be sent directly to your home fo r only 560.00 per year.
Please fill out, enclose check or money order, and mail to:
S U B S C R IP T IO N S
(E b e ^ o r t l a n b ( ® b s e r u c r
P. 0 . BOX 3 1 3 7 • PORTLAND, OREGON 9 7 2 0 8
NAME:.
ADDRESS:
C in , STATE, ZIP CODE:
papafturptuff
T A K E N B A K E P IZ Z A
L a w re n c e sa id R ic h m o n d fe lt o ne o f the n atio n s to p chapters,
L a w re n c e s a .u
.......... — .......... r - r
v
in
v in d d ic ic a a te te d d . .
¡S ^
H
Poor Families Are Getting Poorer
«
B y M arian W right E delman
The goal o f the Children’s Defense
Fund is to end welfare as w e know it by
ending poverty as w e know it. So far the
1996 “welfare reform " law is not doing
this.
T w o studies released on A ugust 22,
the third anniversary o f the welfare law.
show ed som e alarming but not unex­
pected findings. During the first full year
o f tire welfare law. thousands o f children
fellintoextremepoverty. Despiteaboom-
ing econom y and rising em p lo y m en t the
incom e o f som e o f the nation’s poorest
families dropped due to even greater
losses o f food stam ps and cash assis­
1. i
_
dren on an income already far below the
poverty line? Im agine trying to raise
healthy successful children on less than
$6,401 a year - o r $ 123 a week— today.
C ould you do it? It is no w onder to m e
that children in extrem e poverty are the
ones at greatest risk o f stunted growth
and lasting educational disadvantage.
If the very poorest families with chil­
dren are going to make it, they must have
help.Some parents needjobtraining.aloan
to fix their car, or other help securing jobs
that pay a living wage. Others need help
_____
T -.m for
.niibrzA
1 tx/in
o lv^lnw
n n p one-halfofthe
-h alf o fth e n o v poverty
e rtv
living
below
finding
and i ___
paying
quality kiij child care, JrOTi dren
line soared by nearly half a million in the
health care for themselves and their chil­
first year o f the welfare law alone?
dren, and food and financial assistance
Nearly lOmillionAmericanchildren
while they struggle to get ahead in the low-
zw aw s
wage labor m arket
Ih e simple fact is that too tew are
gettingwhattheyneed M aybe thisnation’s
leaders havestoppedcanngaboutthepoor-
est families among us. But what I cannot
understand is how anyone, anywhere, can
not care when 2,162 children are bom mto
poverty every day in A m erica How can
anyone not care that the num ber of chil­
hope?
I don’t understand that. I never have
iPEPPERON
■
i PIZZA
Valid through Oct. 1999
OPENING IN NOVEMBER
On 15th & Fremont!
41St & Fremont
71st & Fremont
503-281-6833
503-287-5520
and I never w ill
Fed Up With
tance.
In one o f the studies, C D F found that
the num ber o f children living in “extreme
BLAND
poverty” - defined b y C D F as income
below one-half o f the federal poverty
line, which means having less than $6,401
a year in incom e for a three-person fam ­
ily -jum ped to 1.8 million in 1997, up by
426,000 from the year before. This rise
w as directly linked to the weakening
protective role o f cash assistance and
foodstamps. (U nlikepreviously released
governm ent figures on extrem e child
poverty, C D F ’s figures took account o f
CHICKEN?
food stamps, as well as school lunches,
housing assistance, and taxes.)
In a separate study, the C enter on
B udget and Policy Pnorities concluded
that“toom uchem phasis has been placed
REST, RELAXATION AND REJUVEN ATIO N .
on caseload reduction and insufficient
attention paid to incom e and poverty
outcom es.”
The Center, a nonpartisan research
and policy institute in W ashington, DC,
found that while the average earnings
andoverall incomes oflow -incom e fami­
lies with children headed by females rose
They're all yours in our beautiful
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Midweek and weekend packages
a pampering massage. Relax in our
available. O n ly 1-1/2 hours from
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is
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substantially betw een 1993 and 1995 in
response to a grow ing U.S. econom y,
after the 1996 federal welfare law the
average incom es fell for the poorest 10
percent offem ale-headed families. Those
families saw their incomes plummet from
F o r r e s e r v a t io n s , c a l l 1 - 8 0 0 - 6 6 3 - 2 2 6 6 .
We've teamed up with Popeyes to spread the word
about flavor. And we mean FLAVOR! Popeyes own
NEW ORLEANS SPICY or LOUISIANA MILO
chicken is so packed with flavor, every bite is o
PARTY FOR YOUR M0U1H! That's every bite of every
way Popeyes serves it up... Chicken Boxes, Dinners,
Sandwiches, Wings and Strips. Not to mention the
taste-tempting side dishes and biscuits!
’ Yessir, you can COUNT ON POPEYES to deliver
flavorlul goodness, no matter how you love your
chicken. II you ore fired to death of that
_
bland chicken those other guys serve, come
on over to POPEYES. And help us in our mission to
SAVE THE WORLD FROM BLAND CHICKEN!’
MISSION
-R e d d & ZeKe
$5,587 in 1995 to $4,873 in 1997 - aloss
o f m ore than one-seventh o f their in­
come.
Im agine one-seventh o f your annual
incom e takenaw ay. C ould you m anage'’
C ould you m anage if you w ere already
live in poverty despite having someone
in the family w ho works. H ow can any­
one not care when millions o f poor chil­
dren in the richest nation on earth live in
hom es w ithout enough food, without
enough health care, and without enough
LAKu
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Springs
BRITISH COLUMBIA • C ANADA, VOM I KO • w w w .lia rr iiio n re .o r t.c o m
O TIR A TÎD BV HOSTMARK HOSHTALITY C.ROUf
L
i «mo rim omi »i FUWiMWiG »i'.nwums c un ut i
IS MIXED PIECES for 1 3 ."
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