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
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