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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (March 19, 2003)
Page A4 (Clje ^Jortlanò (ßbaertier March 19. 2003 O pinion rhe Portland Observer Opinion articles do not necessarily reflect or represent the views o f The Portland Observer E u i t i n - i n -C h i t r .P u t l i s, h i. . Charles H. Washington C t m i H t D I I K c Paul Neufeldt T O I USPS 9 5 9 -6 8 0 Established 1970 4 7 4 7 NE M a rtin L u the r King, Jr. Blvd., Portland. OR 9 7 2 1 1 E II I T o * Michael Leighton D is til lilllis M IH lC t I Mark Washington A is u in r t E d it o i Wyruie Dyer W 11 t k i , P h i i n u i t r David Plechl H u The Portland Observer-Oregon’s Oldest Multicultural Publication—is a member of the National Newspaper Association—Founded in 1885, and The National Advertising Repre sentative Amalgamated Publishers. Inc, New York, NY, and The West Coast Black Publishers Association • Serving Portland and Vancouver. Posnussrea: Send address changes to Portland Observer PO Box 3137, Portland, OB 97208 Periodical Postage paid In Portland, OR i Subscriptions are $60.00 per year 5 0 3 2 8 8 - 0 0 3 3 • FAX5 0 3 -2 8 8 -0 0 1 5 • EMAIL The Portland Observer welcomes freelance submissions. Manuscripts and photographs should be clearly labeled and will be relumed if accompanied by a self addressed envelope. All created design display ads become the sole property of the newspaper and cannot be used in other publications or personal usage without the written consent of the general manager, unless the client has purchased the composition of such ad. © 1996 THE PORTLAND OBSERVER ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PARI WITHOUT PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED. ' subscnDtion@Dortlandobsefver. c o m , Support Children of Deployed Military A longtim e supporter o f Boy s & Girls C lubs, Secretary of state C olin Powell, has called on the organization to sup port the children of deployed m ilitary personnel. Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland M etro politan Area has answered the urgent re quest by announcing it will keep the doors open for all kids in the community as a safe haven in this difficult time. As chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Powell oversaw Operation Desert Storm in the 1991 Persian Gulf War. At that time, the Boys & Girls Club partnership with the U.S. military began, with local clubs providing memberships and special programming to Secretary o f State Colin Powell 17,00()children of deployed Reservists and National Guard members. sponsibility to serve all youth, particularly from Since then, the organization has formed formal m ilitary fam ilies, at this critical time. Secretary partnerships with military Youth Centers on more Powell believes, that club program s allow young than 350 military bases worldwide, serving some people to overcom e the fiercest obstacles. This is 400,000 young people. why he has taken the tim e, despite trem endous Secretary Powell rightly points out that the responsibilities, to urge us to reach children of clubs have a trem endous opportunity and re- deployed m ilitary personnel. 0 It ’s often easier to pick out the vehicle . . . than the financing! For an answ er you can trust, .^rirrrte^ y ° ur credit union help! Serving all who live, work, worship or attend school ■ ______ “ \A/I I I / \ M F I I F Federal Credit Union in the Portland communities o f Arbor Lodge. Boise. Bridgeton. Buckman north ol'S.E Hawthorne. Cathedral Park, China Town. Concordia west o f N.E. 33"' Avenue. Concordia University, Downtown Portland, East Columbia, Goose Hollow. Humboldt. Irvington west o f N.E. 17th Avenue, Kerns, K ing west o f N.E. 24th Avenue. Laurelhurst west o f N E 32nd Avenue, Northwest Portland, Northwest 2151 N.W. Front Avenue Portland Orpaon Q720Q ' y (503) 299 45 39 Industrial Portland, O ld Town, Overlook, Pearl District, Piedmont, Portland Community College-Cascade Campus. Portland State University, Portsmouth, Sabin west o f N.E. 24th Avenue, St. Johns, Sullivan s Gulch west o f N.E. 20th Avenue, (888) 900 8559 Sunnyside weS( of N.E. 20th Avenue. University o f Portland. University Park, www.willamettefcu.com ,, ,... ,, Vernon, and Woodlawn War Would Violate International Law Minority nations have no right to dictate to the rest of the world bungled the lead-in to war. Compare his father's war coalition with the son's, or with the unified world support that the U.S. en by R ev . J esse L. J ackson S r . joyed after 9/11. W hat we have now is not even a They could not meet in London, or Madrid, or coalition of the coerced, but a coalition of the dimin Lisbon, because the protests would have been too ished — a Gang of Four, operating out-of-sync with massive. They did not want to come to Washington, the U.N., in direct opposition to world popular opin D.C., because that would be interpreted back home ion and in total defiance of the people’s desires in as kissing George W. Bush’s ring. So the Gang of their own nations. Four gathered on an island in the Azores, to make The myopic focus on Iraq contrasts starkly with their plans to circumvent the United Nations, over the ignoring of Iran (70 million people, compared to ride world opinion and violate international law. Iraq ’ s 22jni Ilion); allows North Korea to continue to Voices that were at best silent to democracy in threaten its neighbors with nuclear weapons; has Selma and South Africa and voices that were op allowed the Middle East situation to continue to posed to democracy in Florida, announced their deteriorate; and is about to turn into the biggest heartfelt desire to launch a pre-emptive military strike recruiting drive al Qaeda could ask for. to bring democracy to Iraq. President Bush said, “When the U.N. says some Some of us, though, still have our memories. We thing, it needs to mean it." We wonder how this rule remember Bush refusing to count every vote in applies to George W. Bush, who promised us “com Florida, and then telling African Americans to get passion” at home and “humility” abroad. We wonder over it. We remember confronting Britain on its how this standard will apply to Tony B lair, when he support for apartheid in South Africa. We remember goes back home to Great Britain and tries to explain confronting Portugal for its colony in Angola. We why there is no need for the second resolution he remember Franco ruling Spain, after overthrowing promised his party and his people. Spanish democracy with the help of . We also remember that the Repub Hitler and Mussolini. lican Party in the U.S., which George The rest of the world looks at this Bush heads, spent the entire decade Gang of Four and says to themselves, of the 1990s undercutting the U.N., let’s see: we are supposed to take attacking it, calling it weak and irrel dictation from the world’s current evant. President Bush cited Rwanda superpower and three of the biggest and Kosovo as U.N. failures— but we colonial powers in world history? don't remember his voice speaking This is just not credible. Africa, In up either time. We do remember that dia, Latin America and the rest o f the the U.S. refused to pay its dues, be world understand that "territorial cause Jesse Helms would not let us. integrity,” “reconstruction,” and A pre-emptive strike by this minor “democracy” have not always been ity elite focus group will violate intema- Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr. the top issues for these _____ tionallaw.lt will violate the four nations. The rest of U.S. Constitution. It will vio the world rem em bers late promises made to the that “power politics" and United Nations, to the world “oil" and "em pire” have and to the people of these been important to these four nations. It will violate nations in the past. human standards o f d e The spectacle at Fan cency and moral conduct. tasy Island was a minor A pre-emptive strike has ity group of nations (the been condemned as im U.S..Great Britain. Spain moral and wrong by the and Portugal) attempt Pope, by the Archbishop - Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr. ing to dictate totheU .N . of Canterbury, by the lead and to the people of the ers o f th e M e th o d ist world. There were veiled and not-so-veiled threats Church, by Bishop Tutu and by Nelson Mandela. and ultimatums, but there were no incentives for the George W. Bush told us during the campaign that rest of the world to change their minds. A mere 6 Jesus changed his heart. Well, would Jesus launch percent of the globe announced, in Tony Blair's an aggressive war, a war of “shock and awe” which revealing statement: "We will do what we believe to will kill thousands of Iraqi women and children? be in the best interests of the United Nations." The A pre-emptive strike would be a “war crime,” by hubris. The arrogance. definition. As columnist/activist Norman Solomon The U.N. decided that war was not yet justified. pointed out, last November more than 300 law profes The fact that Bush and his advisers disagree, and sors signed a statement that made the point that “the that Blair and Spain's leadership have trapped them international rule o f law is not a soft luxury to be selves in the same box, does not justify dictating to discarded whenever leaders find it convenient or the rest of the world. These four nations have no right popular to resort to savage violence.” under international law to decide what the U.N. Perhaps the leaders of the Gang of Four could should do. They have no right to launch an attack ponder these words from Supreme Court Justice Rob because they have failed to get their way through ert L. Jackson, who represented the U.S. at the arm-twisting and diplomacy. Nuremberg trials after World War II: “W e must make President Bush said that it is important for the clear to the Germans that the wrong for which their “U.N. to begin to get its ‘legs of responsibility' fallen leaders are on trial is not that they lost the war, back.” W hatever he thinks he meant by “legs of but that they started it.... No grievances or policies will responsibility," he has no right to cut the legs out justify resort to aggressive war. It is utterly renounced from under the United Nations, to attack it when he and condemned as an instrument of policy." cannot get his way. to announce that the U.N. only Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr. is a long time civil rights has meaning when it follows his lead. It is Bush’s “my leader and founder o f the National Rainhow/PUSH way or the highway" approach which even support Coalition, a multiracial, multi-issue, international ers of the coming attack believe has hopelessly membership organization. George W. Bush told us during the campaign that Jesus changed his heart. Well, would Jesus launch an aggressive war, a war o f “shock and awe ” which will kill thousands of Iraqi women and children? THE FOUR TOPS Friday & Saturday • March 2 1 & 22 Tickets • $25 to $40 LUAU WEEKEND "H O T L A V A PO LYN ESIAN SH O W Friday, Sunday & Monday • March 28, 30 & 3 1 Tickets • $10 M E N OF PARADISE M ALE REVUE Friday • March 28 Tickets • $10 It’s Better at the Beach! Tickets Now 60 Days in Advance, 800-992-TIXX • 888-MAIN ACT • 996-5825 Advertise with diversity in Jloritanb (Db sewer call 503.288.0033 or email: ads @ port I anti observer.com
