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The Portland Observer-Oregon’s Oldest Multicultural Publication-is a member o f 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.
Support Affirmative Action
Equal
opportunity in
education is
essential for
minority progress
The Supreme Court is
presently reviewing two
cases challenging affir­
mative action programs
at the University o f Michi­
gan.
The chairs o f the Tri-
Caucus, com prised o f
three Congressional mi­
nority caucuses repre­
senting well over a hundred m em ­
bers o f the U.S. Congress, issued
the follow ing statement o f support
fo r the continued existence o f p oli­
cies that work to increase diver­
sity on college campuses and in
the workplace:
“We cannot overstate the far-
reaching ram ifications that the
Court’s decision could have on ev­
ery aspect o f our lives. Right now,
the nation’s elementary and second­
ary schools have grown more segre­
gated in recent years, not less. Col­
lege is often the first place that stu­
dents o f different races and ethnic
backgrounds learn from one another.
Such interaction is central to the
functioning o f a diverse society,”
said C o n g ressm an E lijah E. Affirmative action is an important
Cummings (D-MD), Chair o f the tool in our goal towards a society
Congressional Black Caucus.
that recognizes individualson merit
“For decades, affirmative action rather than the circumstances o f
has made notable strides towards their birth,” Congressman Wusaid.
rectifying over a century o f active
“We hope that the honorable
and passive discrimination at our Justices who have vowed to serve
colleges and universities. But to­ the best interests o fth e American
day, we hold our breath and wait for public will see beyond the political
a decision that could halt the rhetoric o f the moment. The future
g e n e ra tio n s
of
Americans should
not be condemned
to fight the same
battles for equality
as their predeces­
- US Rep. Elijah E. Cum m ings on the
so rs,” C o n g ress­
Suprem e Court
m an R o d rig u e z
said.
“A great deal is
progress we have made,” said Con- at stake in these Supreme Court
gressm anCiroD. Rodriguez, Chair cases. With the nation still strug­
ofthe Congressional HispanicCau- gling toward the ideal o f equal op­
cus.
portunity, now is not the time for
“Many Asian Pacific Americans, the branch o f government charged
particularly the children o f immi­ with ensuring justice for all to turn
grants and refugees, deserve a sec­ the clock back 40 years. We in the
ond chance in life. The Michigan Tri-Caucus are committed to ensur­
case has grave implications for ing every single person in this
these, and many other students, country is afforded the right to re­
who start school with language and alize the American Dream,” Con­
cultural disadvantages,” said Con­ gressman Cummings said.
gressman David Wu, Chair o f the
The H o n o ra b le E lija h E.
Congressional Asian Pacific Ameri­ Cummings represents M aryland's
can Caucus.
Seventh Congressional District in
“We are strong believers in the the United States House o f Repre­
power o f public education to im­ sentatives and serves as Chair o f
prove the lives o f individuals and the Congressional Black Caucus
ameliorate the injustices ofhistory. in the 108th Congress
Now is not the time
to turn the clock back
40 years.
Don’t Blame the Peace Movement
Added costs to
city are a result o f
the war, not those
who are against it
B y W illiam S eaman
I am filled with sorrow and deeply
shocked by the violent loss o f life
and grievous injuries that the US
war on Iraq has already brought
upon the world. I unequivocally
reaffirm the Portland Peaceful Re­
sponse Coalition’s opposition to
this criminal, unjust and immoral
war.
I also strongly affirm the rights
and the moral imperative o f every
person o f conscience to be pro­
testing this war, and condemn in
the clearest terms those who would
silence those protests either by
calling for heavy-handed law en­
forcement or by threats o f repres­
sive, unconstitutional legislation.
The PPRC recognizes and de­
cries the costs associated with the
greatly increased police functions
implemented by the City o f Port-
land, but I am deeply troubled by this country.
those who would use the costs
The costs o f this war were a
associated with the additional po­ c e n tra l fo cu s o f th e peace
lice activity to blame the peace movement’soppositiontothe Bush
movement for the shortfalls in our Administration’s policy on Iraq.
city, county, state and federal bud­ Our call was to funding education,
gets.
not war. The PPRC supports a fully
funded human services budget, not
billions o f dollars to send Ameri­
cans to kill and to die in the des­
serts o f the Middle East.
Blaming the peace movement
for the defunding o f needed hu­
man services reveals the profound
hypocrisy o f those who support
financing this horrifying cataclysm
o f death and suffering.
As Martin Luther King, Jr.said
with such terri fying prescience, “A
nation that continues year after
year to spend more money on mili­
tary defense rather than on pro­
grams o f social uplift is approach­
ing spiritual death.”
- M a rtin LutherKingJr.
William Seaman represents the
Portland Peaceful Response Coa­
This war now has the official lition. The PPRC is responsible
price tag o f over $70 billion, $70 fo r organizing several anti-war
billion that must be financed on the demonstrations in downtown Port­
backs o f the working poor, the un­ land. For more information on the
employed, and the middle class of PPRC, email wseaman@attbi.
“A nation that
continues to spend
more money on
military defense
rather than on
programs o f social
uplift is
approaching
spiritual death. ”
'Pfu the (Suditor
As the w ar and occupation o f
Iraq loom ahead o f us, let us
pledge to support our troops. Let
us honor their loyalty, courage
and sacrifice.
Let us protect them against the
horrors experienced by Vietnam
veterans, who came home psycho­
logically damaged, knowing that
virtually all Vietnamese opposed
the foreign invaders. How can our
troops be proud o f their service,
knowing that they are not welcomed
as liberators but are feared by a
hostile population?
Let us pledge to protect our sons
and daughters against the devas­
tating G ulf War syndrome, which
disabled 149,000 veterans, or 32
percent o f the G ulf W ar troops,
9,600 o f whom have since died ac­
cording to the Veterans Adminis­
tration. Depleted uranium in US
warheads, again being used in this
Iraq war, was largely responsible
for those injuries and deaths.
Let us pledge to support our
troops by seeking their safe return
with a swift, political solution to
this conflict.
Jam ie Partridge
Northeast Portland
EDITORIAL CART(M)N BY BEN DIB
Fighting the Good Fight
Michael Moore
deserves
applause for
speaking out
against Bush
B y M ichael C. T ucker
At the O scars Michael M oore,
w inner in the Best D ocum en­
tary category, expressed for a
g re a t m an y A m e ric a n s, his
growing terror - not over fur­
ther 9/11 -type horrors - but over
our governm ent beating “ fair­
ness” clean out o f the A m erican
psyche.
The whip this adm inistration
uses is the w eapon o f fear. It
comes wielded by a white-gloved
neo-conservative fist o f hypoc­
risy and corporate m anipula­
tion.
Patriotism cannot be drunk
from the bottle o f rhetoric our
c o rp o ra te c o n tro lle d m e d ia
pours dow n our throats every
tim e we tum on a new s broad­
cast. Such rhetoric has grown
from a culture o f total secrecy,
and is clearly polluted by greed.
The case o f this war, or w hat
might m ore rightly be called a
“slaughter", is but an example.
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I t’s n ot ab o u t p ro te c tin g the
people o f Iraq from the cruelty o f
their leader. It is not about w eap­
ons o f mass destruction or ter­
rorism .
No, this 200 billion dollartest-
osterone fantasy is about energy
and w ater and those w ho are
eager to control it. Earth-shakers
with bedroom ties to the oval
office plan on m aking incredible,
unfathom able sum s o f m oney -
o ff the backs o f dead soldiers.
P atrio tism is n ot som e sh o t­
gun w ielding red n eck p re a c h ­
ing to the ch o ir o f his fav o rite
rig h t w in g ra d io d em ag o g u e
ab o u t how u p set he is th at a kid
th o u san d s o f m iles aw ay burnt
an A m erican flag.
P atrio tism is a 6 1 -y ear-o ld
p ure w h ite estab lish m e n t ty p e
g ettin g arrested and ja ile d for
w earin g a T -sh irt w ith “G ive
P eace A C h a n c e ” , to an u p state
N ew Y ork m all food court w here
h e ’d m e e t o n c e a w ee k fo r
lu n ch w ith h is e q u a lly n o n ­
th reaten in g son.
Patriotism is M oore, clim bing
on his TV horse in a nation pro­
pagandized against criticizing this
fascist p resid en t, to rid e and
scream , “ D ictatorship is co m ­
ing! D ictatorship is com ing!”
The H ollyw ood audience gave
M oore a standing ovation. It’s
not easy cheering for freedom
w hen you can so easily now be
declared a “N on-com batant” and
carted o ff incognito to som e se­
cret jail.
People like M oore force us to
question our m orality.
W e dare not lose hope o f that
w hich m ade us a som ew hat w on­
derful nation. I d o n ’t ever w ant
to believe there is no one left in
this country to defend the A m eri­
can ideal. A fter all, w e are a
nation o f good people. We have
our quirks o f course, like slaugh­
tering the 20s labor population,
racism , and M cC arthyism , to
nam e a few. But w e usually do
find o u r w ays back o nto the
tarm ac o f honor.
So three cheers to you, Mr.
M oore. M ay you continue the
good fight. I'll root you on from
the sidelines, even if Patriot A ct
II labels m e a terrorist for doing
so. God bless you for speaking
up at th e O scars. G od b less
A m erica for sprouting som eone
truly brave w ho do esn ’t have to
put on a uniform to prove it. And
G od bless freedom - at least
w hile w e still have it.
M ichael C. Tucker is a Port­
la n d a re a w riter. H e can be
reached f o r fu rth e r com m ent at
m othertucker@ hotm ail.com . or.
b y w riting to this newspaper.
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