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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (May 21, 2003)
May 21, 2003 (Elje JInrtíanh (fibseruer Page A3 System Clears Officer continued from Front said he would like to see dramatic changes in police training, policies, administration and legislature so that relations between African Americans and the Portland Police can improve. "W e want justice and peace and an improvement in thequality oflife to come out o f this," Haynes said. "W e want to make sure Kendra James did not have to die in vain." State Sen. Margaret Carter also expressed her disappointment in the grandjury's findings by saying the results o f the incident were "to tally unacceptable" and “discon certing, to say the least.” Carter vowed to work from within the leg islature to change current laws on the use o f deadly force in Oregon. "This is as much a state issue as it is a local police issue,” she said. "The laws on the use o f deadly force are so broad that unless we What we want is fo r police to accept accountability when a mistake is made. It may have not been intentional, but a mistake was made. - Pastor le Roy Haynos narrow them were not going to see any changes.” Haynes said the community just wants to see the police admit when they do wrong. "W e realize that the overwhelm ing majority o f police officers are good and do their job well," he said. "But what we want is for police to accept accountability when a mis take is made. It may not have been intentional, but a mistake was made." Members o f Jam es’ family have indicated they plan to file a wrong ful death suit against the city. Saturday’s march and rally will start at noon at Alberta Park in northeast Portland and end at the North Skidmore Street 1-5 overpass where Jam es’waskilled. For more information, contact Pastor Robin Wisner at 503-287- 7377. W oodrow V. B roadnex (kneeling), jo in s o th e r m e m b e r s o f th e co m m u n ity organizing e v e n ts for th e annual J u n e te e n th freed o m celebration, sc h e d u le d for th e w e e k e n d o f Ju n e 2 0 -2 2 . Plans for Freedom Extravaganza Made Gordly Finds Moral Abyss In Salem African American leader calls for action to save community fabric Speaking on the Capitol steps at the Fund O regon’s Future rally. Sen. Avel Gordly described the cri sis that is gripping the state as a “moral crisis” and called on citizens to press legislators and the G over nor to resolve it during the current legislative session. “We as Oregonians are facing fiscal and economic challenges, we are all aware o f that. We now must ldlso facea moral challenge,"Gordly said. “What else besides a moral cri sis,” she said, “would cause us to allow our children to go hungry? What e ls e - besides a moral cri sis— could cause us to cut health care for 150,000 Oregonians? “What else— besides a moral crisis—could cause us to take away teachers, and music and art and libraries from our children and their schools? . "Are these [ not unforgiv- ‘ able tears in the fabric o f j our com m u- ; nity?” Gordly asked. S en . Avel Gordly The A fri can American lawmaker from northeast Portland quoted from an article recently pub lished in The New York Times which stated that the severe cuts being made in Oregon and other states “are eroding the nation’s basic defenses against ignorance, disease and des titution.” “O ur policies should put us in position to prevail over ignorance, disease and poverty. We are part o f what is still the richest nation on the face o f the earth, the richest nation in the history o f nations. Is this not a moral crisis?” she asked. Gordly cal led for a di fferent q ual- ity o f leadership this session, one that discards old ways o f doing things in favor o f a discussion to develop more stable sources o f revenue. She spoke o f the elected offi cials’ constitutional obligations to An extravaganza to celebrate freedom for A frican A m ericans w ith traditional festive activ i ties and entertainm ent will mark this y ea r’s Juneteenth celebra tion during the weekend o f June 20-22. A new partnership between Woodrow V. Broadnax, chief ex ecutive o f the Juneteenth Asso ciation o f the Northwest, and do more than balance the budget. "It is our job to raise the revenue necessary to pay the expenses o f the state. We each swore an oath to do that job, and we cannot end this session until we have completed that job. All 90 legislators swore to up hold the Constitution all o f it in the service o f our state," she said. "In his final speech, the late Hubert Humphrey said “the moral test o f government is how it cares for those who are in the dawn of life thechildren; those whoare in continued front Front the twilight oflife the elderly; and, Today o f the 18 incarcerated those who are in the shadows of youth, only 9 are minorities. life— the ill, the handicapped. ’” “When you look at that statis “We are fai 1 ing that moral test tic you say, ‘Well, still 50 percent badly,” she said. are youth o f color,’" Stegmiller Gordly is. chief sponsor, with said. "But on the other hand, 61 Rep. Gary Hansen, o f House Bill minority kids aren’t sitting in de 3608, which would call for a sales tention anymore.” tax connected to the Streamlined T he d ep a rtm en t has in sti- Sales and Use Tax Agreement, a new system being implemented this i tu ted sev eral m easu res o v er past sev eral y ears that have year by 33 states and the Districted' b ro u g h t ab o u t the im p ro v in g Columbia. n u m b ers. T hey in clu d e the Gordly, called for Oregon citi use o f a sta n d ard iz ed risk a s zens to show up at the Capitol to let sessm en t tool th at id e n tifies their voices be heard on these rev youth who sh o u ld be held in enue proposals. LaVon Van o f Successful Choices was formed to help make the annual event a rousing success. A committee o f community resi dents, church leaders and others is contributing to the effort. There will be a ch ild ren ’s ca r nival provided by the Haworth Fam ily o f C arnivals; entertain ment for the whole family with R&B, Jazz, Blues and hip-hop; as well as a spiritual G ospel jubilee. The planners are adding a raffle to this year’s celebration with a pair o f grand prize round trip tickets anywhere in the United states and cash awards o f up to $900. Tickets will be sold for $5. For more information or to pur chase tickets for the drawing, call 503-887-8175. Gains Made in Color Blind Justice for Kids d e ten tio n , ju v e n ile s w ho can be safely released into the co m m unity and d aily co n fe re n ces w ith p ro sec u to rs, d efe n se a t to rn ey s and co m m u n ity ju s tic e staff. “Ju stic e has got to be fa ir,” S te g m ille r said . “ T h a t’s ju st plain an d sim p le .” M ost im portantly, S teg m iller said , is that the red u c tio n in m in o rity o v e r-re p re s e n ta tio n has not a ffec ted p u b lic safety . D eclines in the num ber o f in car cerated m in o rity y outh have a c tu ally c o in cid e d w ith u n p rec ed en ted red u c tio n s in ju v e n ile crim e and recidivism . Last year, local ju v en ile crim e dropped again, a trend that be gan seven years ago. Since 1997, ju v en ile crim inal referrals have declined 38 per cent in M ultnom ah County. O ver the past five years from 1997 to 2002, Multnomah County ju v en ile crim e has faljen in all m ajor categ o ries o f offenses. P e rs o n -to -p e rs o n c rim e s are dow n 30 percent, property of fenses w ere cut 42 percent, drug offenses declined 38 percent and w eapons offenses are dow n 55 percent. " T h a t’s ab so lu tely unheard o f,"S te g m iller said. SEASONS R Y B IT E R e lis h & C o n d im e n t T a s tin g S a tu rd a y & S u n d a y 1 1 :O O a m -5 :O O p m The- frbzndüzsf-sfen in Fnon. E A S Y & F U N TO S H O P L O C A L L Y O W N E D & O P E R A T E D C O N C O R D IA O R E N C O S T A T IO N R A L E IG H H IL L S N E 3 3 r d & K illin g s w o r t h P o r t la n d O R 9 7 2 1 1 503 288 3838 O p e n 8 a m -1 0 p m SELLW OO D N E 6 1 s t & C o r n e ll R d . H ills b o r o O R 9 7 1 2 4 5 0 3 .6 4 8 6 9 6 8 O p e n 8 a m -1 0 p m 7 3 0 0 S W B e a v e r t o n - H ills d a le H w y . P o r t la n d O R 9 7 2 2 5 5 0 3 .2 9 2 6 8 3 8 O pen 8 a m -9 p m 1214 SE T aco m a P o r tla n d O R 9 7 2 0 2 503 230 4949 O p e n 8 a m -1 0 p m
