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J a n u a ry 26, 2000
(Fije ^lortUnù ÛObseruer
H Opinion
State rights over human rights C hurches
still
burning, hatred still
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STAFF
E
d it o r
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in
h ie f
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P u b l is h e r
Charles H. Washington
E d
i T o it
Larry J. Jackson, Sr.
B
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Articles do not
necessarily reflect or
represent the views of
(Elje JJortlauh OObaeruer
B eksh
t
P owell J a < rson
African Americans have had to be at
least bi-cultural and bi-lingual since
o u r very e a rlie st d ay s on this
continent. W.E.B. DuBois, the African
A m erican sch o lar referred this
“tw oness” in his writings at the
beginning ofthe20lh century. In order
to survive in a hostile environment
we have had to leam how to "read"
between the lines” and to translate
the code words, which seemed being
on the surface, but meant life and
sometimes death in everyday life.
Those who misread or ignored the
true meaning o f words had shots ring
through their homes at night or were
found hanging on a tree. It was just
that serious.
So when an African American hears
George W. Bush or John McClain talk
about "states’ rights” when it comes
to the controversy around the state
flag of South Carolina, our antennas
go up and our code-reading books
come out. The term states’ rights was
used by racist governors o f the South
to oppose desegregation o f schools
and public facilities throughout the
1950’s and 60’s. They claimed that
states had the right to determine
whether blacks could be educated
with whites or whether we could sit
down on a bus or at a lunch counter.
It was code language for white
supremacy as usual. It was code
language then and it is code language
now.
And when white South Carolinians
argue that using the confederate flag
as the state flag is just a way o f
h o n o rin g th e ir h e rita g e , we
understand that it is just as much
about honoring those days when
blacks were enslaved as it is about
honoring those who fought in the
Civil War. For we know very well
what the meaning o f the confederate
flag was then and what it means now.
Just as troubling as the code
language used by both o f these
Republican candidates the waffling
by Senator McCain on this issue.
“First you say you do and then you
don’t” might work for song lyrics, but
it doesn’t work in presidential politics.
Coupled with the fact that his South
Carolina office shares space with the
Southern Heritage Association, a
vocal proponent for saving the
confederate flag, McCain’s words and
actions tell African Americans not
Letter to the Editor
anager
Gary Ann Taylor
C
opy
E
d it o r
Joy Ramos
C
r e a t iv e
D
ir e c t o r
Shawn Strahan
4747 NE Martin Luther King,
Jr. Blvd.
Portland, OR 97211
503-288-0033
Fax 503-288-0015
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I am writing on behalf o f the Northeast Coalition o f Neighborhoods. We are
surprised, concerned and distressed over the recent actions o f the Portland
Police Bureau about the Safeway Store located on Martin Luther King Jr.
Boulevard & Ainsworth Street.
The Portland Police Bureau has recommended to the Bureau o f Licenses that
Safeway’s application to renew their OLCC package store license for the MLK
store be Denied. The denial is based on the fact that the store has failed police
decoy stings. We have learned that the Bureau o f Licenses supports this
recommendation.
Officials from Safeway have maintained an open and ongoing dialogue with
the Northeast community about this issue over the past year. We are aware
that the loss o f Safeway’s OLCC package store license may, in all probability,
result in the closure o f the store.
You and 1 both know that if a new licensee were applying for a package store
license in this neighborhood, the Police would have attended one (or more) of
our neighborhood meetings to ask us our opinion. The police would have
wanted to know if we would be opposed to having another package store in
this area. Where was the Police Department when they made the decision to I"
oppose the renewal o f Safeway’s license? No one from the City o f Portland ’
asked us how we felt - and we are the ones who depend and rely on Safeway!
There are no other major grocers within miles o f this store - each o f the other
grocers abandoned our community years ago. If the Portland Police and the
Portland Bureau o f Licenses are intent on closing our Safeway, what other
grocer would even consider replacing them?
We are approximately 30,000 strong. We live in, and many o f us work in, the
area this store serves. What about our opinions, our thoughts, our input? It
seems no one from the City cared enough to ask. And, that is not right.
This store is not perceived by our neighborhood as a problem; we don’t
believe this store intentionally sells alcohol to minors. We know the management ,
of this store, the employees and we appreciate the manner in which they
continue to approach this issue.
Mayor Katz, our neighborhood has been encouraging Safeway to remodel
our store - not close it.
Do you have any idea o f the impact the closure o f our Safeway would have
on this community? Let me tell you, it would be devastation.
Neighbors without cars, those who walk to the store, would have an
immediate and serious problem. The Seniors who rely on this store would be
severely impacted. There are many o f us who rely on the pharmacy at this store.
Our Safeway is an important part o f this neighborhood.
Think o f the message the closing o f this store will send to the developers that
you, the City and the neighborhood are talking to - to encourage them to build
new businesses in this community - “A national company closes its doors and
leaves the community because the City o f Portland decided to not renew their
OLCC license.”
Where is the problem? Who is Safeway causing problems for? If it’s not the
neighbors who live here, if it’s not the business owners and it’s Not the
employees who work at the store, who is Safeway hurting?
This situation leads me to a question. Have the police captured “real" minors
attempting to buy alcohol at Safeway - or any other retailer? I think you and
I both know the answer to that.
Mayor, the loss o f Safeway is a serious issue to this community. The fact that
the Police and the Bureau o f Licenses haven’t even talked to Safeway to see
what steps they’ve taken or what they’ve done to prevent sales to minors says 1
a lot in itself.
Members o f our community - who are shoppers and voters - would
encourage you and other members of the Portland City Council to attend one
o f our neighborhood meetings to hear firsthand our support for the renewal
o f Safeway’s license.
Sincerely,
Willie Brown, president, North^s* Coalition o f Neighborhoods Association
m ot her publications or personal usage without
only in South Carolina but across the
nation that he supports racist symbols
and those who would use them.
The fact o f the matter is that the
confederate flag was not adopted as
theofficial state flagofSouthCarolina
until acentury after theCivil War and
in the m idst o f the trem endous
stru g g le s o f th e c iv il rig h ts
movement. Similarly, the inclusion of
the confederate flag in the state flag
o f Georgia did not occur until the
1950’s. It was as much a reaction o f
those who were determined that the
status quo o f the old South would
remain as it was to honor the war
dead.
The fact o f the matter is that the
confederate flag is an archaic cultural
symbol ofwhite supremacy and black
oppression which should no longer
be a public symbol for the whole
society. That is true in South Carolina;
that is true in Georgia. We can’t go
into a new millennium carrying the
old cultural and racist baggage. If
Georgia and South Carolina really
want to be symbols o f the new South,
a placeofeconomic development and
domestic tranquility, then they must
put aside their old ways. South
Carolina has already lost $50 million
in c o n v e n tio n s, the lo n g -term
economic and moral impact will be
even greater.
Fifty thousand people marched in
South Carolina on Martin Luther
K ing's birthday to just that, the
largest march in the state’s history.
And it was an integrated march,
showing that white Americans agree
that the confederate flag must go.
Now it’s up to the leaders in South
Carolina - and the leaders o f the
Republican party, who say they want
to reach out to people o f color - to act.
Those o f us who know how to read
code word language are listening.
B y B ernice P owell . J ackson
eor T iie
P or eland O bserver
You can’t pick up your local newspaper and read about them any longer
or turn on your television set and see stories about them, but churches
in America are still burning. Churches are still being set on fire by arsonists
bent on terrorizing African Americans, and increasingly, Hispanics and
those who worship in multi-racial churches. These racist domestic terrorists
have focused on starting a racial holy war which they believe will happen
in 2000.
And if this January is like those in the past five years or so, while most
o f us are pausing to remember the legacy o f Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,
the racists will be setting fire to churches as their own personal protest
ofthe holiday. Indeed,in 1999 there were 9 such burnings within a week
o f the King holiday and in 1998 there were 14, according to the list o f the
National Coalition for Burned Churches. What a horrible irony that on the
birthday o f a man o f God, houses o f God are burned.
The National Coalition is a coalition o f burned church victims whose
places o f worship have been burned or firebombed. Its mission is to act
as an advocate for these churches and to provide technical assistance to
them as they try to re-build not only their church buildings, but the lives
o f the congregation.
At its recent conference in Texas, where large numbers o f church arsons
are now taking place, the National Coalition brought church leaders
together with government officials, volunteers who have helped in the re
building efforts and those who are working to stop the burnings o f
churches.
In spite o f all o f this, we still do not have a federal hate crimes bill. Once
again, it died in Congress last year and must be re-introduced in both the
House o f Representatives and the Senate in this new session.
Sadly for our nation, racism and hate seem to be following us into the new
century and the new millennium. Sadly for us, too, we keep treating it as
if w ejust ignore it, it will just go away. That treatment plan doesn’t work
for illnesses o f the body and it w on’t work for this illness o f the soul.
Meanwhile, I pray that no churches will bum and none o f our African
American institutions will be targeted. And 1 pray fora hate crimes bill and
not a racial holy war in this year in which we mark the 2,000,h birthday o f
Martin Luther King Jr., the Prince o f Peace and champion o f love.
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