October 17, 2001
Page A4
Opinion articles do not necessarily reflect or represent the views
o/'(£lfc|Jnrtlanit (Observer
An Open Letter To
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(Observer
USPS 959-680
Established 1970
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Charles H. Washington
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Larry J. Jackson, Sr.
B
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anager
Gary Ann Taylor
A sst . P ublisher
Michael Leighton
C on
E
d it o r
Joy Ramos
C
r e a t iv e
D
ir e c t o r
Paul Neufeldt
4 7 4 7 NE Martin Luther King,
Jr. Blvd.
Portland, OR 97211
503-288-0033
Fax 503-288-0015
e-mail
rewsrsbcrOandobsener.com
sitscnption@porOanJobsener.com
ads@borOandobsener.com
P ostmaster :
As members of the Oregon
Commission on Black Affairs in
Oregon, we would like to ex
press our profound sorrow
about the loss of life and about
the immeasurable pain caused
by the events in New York, NY,
Washington. DC and Pennsyl
vania. Our thoughts and our
prayers are with those w ho have
lost loved ones, those who sur
vived with injuries and our griev
ing nation as a whole. Our deep
est appreciation goes to the
emergency workers, law en
forcement persons and volun
teers of all races, ethnic groups
and faiths, many of whom risked
and lost their own lives in their
efforts to save others.
We strongly condemn the
horrific acts o f Septem ber 11
2001 and we are shocked,
deeply saddened and appalled
at the hate and cruelty o f these
acts. In the greater interest of
healing and peace for our state
and nation, we would like to
appeal to the general public to
ex ercise caution w hen e x
pressing understandable an
ger and frustration about the
attacks, even if and when it
becom es clear who was re
sponsible for the attacks.
B la m in g an d a tta c k in g
people simply because of their
appearance, their national or
ethnic origin, or their religion
are not the acts of a just people.
U njustified acts o f racial and
religious discrim ination and
bigotry will do nothing to re
store justice and bring peace
to those who have suffered. It
simply will continue the vi
cious cycle o f injustice and
violence. As a C om m ission,
we fear esp e cially for the
safety o f M uslim s, those o f
M iddle Eastern heritage, and
especially the children. We
hope that adults o f all faiths
and races w ill be positive role
m odels for our children and
the world in these very diffi
cult times.
This is a tim e for all people
regardless o f race, ethnicity
or faith to stand together and
look out for each other, not a
tim e to cause fu rth er fear,
pain and hatred against spe
cific groups o f people, many
of whom have arrived at these
shores to seek refuge from
violence like we saw perpe
trated on S eptem ber 11.
The Oregon Commission on
Black Affairs encourages all Or
egonians to remember that we
are all the children of immi
grants and that we must stand
together during these turbulent
times and resist the urge to
strike at those who may appear
different or worship in a differ
ent manner.
On S eptem ber 11, 2001,
Christians, Muslims, Jews. Hin
dus, Sikhs, people o f all races
and ethnic groups, and nation
als from over thirty different
nations died in the terrorist at
tacks.
Let’s be mindful of the great
words of an American known
throughout the world. "The ul
timate measure of a man or
woman is not where they stand
in moments of comfort and con
venience, but where they stand
in times of challenge and con
troversy,” — Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr., minister and recipient
of the Nobel Peace Prize.
If there was ever a time for
all Oregonians to be understand
ing and tolerant, it is now. We
encourage all Oregonians and
residents in our state to do so.
SOMEBODY OUGHT TO SAY SOMETHING
J
uv L ama K. B ass
When Faced With Adversity
Some o f the lessons we
learn in life are told to us in an
anecdote: a short story with an
instructive purpose. Recently,
someone shared an anecdote
with me, which infuses knowl
edge and wisdom with a moral
truth; where lessons are ex
emplified by the human expe
rience.
In light of current events,
where w e’ve been shocked by
devastating realities, awakened
to the purpose of life and the
irrevocable ending of it, many
of us look for ways to sustain
and regain strength w hile hold
ing onto hope. In that venue,
I’d like to share the following
with you by Eric Mansfield:
POTATOES,EGGS
ANDCOFFEEBEANS
Once upon a time a daugh
ter complained to her father
that her life was miserable and
that she didn't know how she
was going to make it. She was
tired of fighting and struggling
all the time. It seemed just as
one problem was solved, an
other one soon followed.
Her father, a chef, took
her to the kitchen. He filled
three pots w ith w a te r and
placed each on a high fire.
Once the three pots began to
boil, he placed potatoes in one
pot, eggs in the second pot,
and ground coffee beans in
the third pot. He then let them
sit and boil, w ithout saying a
word to his daughter.
The daughter, moaned and
impatiently waited, wondering
what he was doing. After 20
minutes he turned o ff the burn
ers. He took the potatoes out of
the pot and placed them in a
bowl. He pulled the eggs out
and placed them in a bowl. He
then ladled the coffee out and
placed it in a cup. Tuming to her
he asked, “Daughter, what do
you see?”
"Potatoes, eggs, and coffee,”
she hastily replied.
“Look closer”, he said, “and
touch the potatoes.” She did
and noted that they were soft.
He then asked her to take an
egg and break it. After pulling
off the shell, she observed the
hard-boiled egg.
Finally, he asked her to sip
the co ffee. Its rich arom a
brought a smile to her face.
Jenna Mason-Steinberg, parent
* o fm a < z o
Childcare Center
Ages:
6 weeks to 6 years
H o u rs : 6:30 am to 6 pm
Fees:
Based on a sliding scale according to your income,
and starting as lo w as $40Q/month (full-tim e only)
Your child will enjoy. . . An individualized curriculum designed to develop age-
approoriate social, motor, language and emotional skills D Organized daily recreation in
our on-site gymnasium, padded playground and fenced ball field □ Swimming lessons
taught by certified instructors in our heated pool D Monthly field trips
The Oregon Commission
on Black Affairs.
Salem, Oregon, USA
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»
“Father, what does all this
mean?” she asked.
He then explained that the
potatoes, the eggs and co f
fee beans had each faced the
same adversity— the boiling
water. H ow ever, each one
reacted differently. The po
tato w ent in strong, hard,
and unrelenting, but in boil
ing w ater it becam e soft and
weak. The egg was fragile,
with the thin outer shell pro
tecting its liquid interior until
it was put in the boiling w a
ter. Then the inside o f the
egg becam e hard. However,
the ground coffee beans were
unique. A fter they were ex
posed to the boiling water,
they changed the w ater and
created som ething new.
“Which are you?” he asked
his daughter. “When adver
sity knocks on your door, how
do you respond? Are you a
potato, an egg, or a coffee
bean?
In life , th in g s h a p p e n
around us, things happen to
us, but the only thing that
truly m atters is what hap
pens within us.
'The staff is so loving and interested in each
child that it’s like leaving them with fam ily.'
Send address
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