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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 3, 2003)
September 03, 2003 Page A4 O pinion The Portland Observer Opinion'articles do not necessarily reflect or represent the views o f The Portland Observer E S USPS 9 5 9 6 8 0 T Established 1970 A 4 7 4 7 NE M a rtin L u th e r King, Jr. Blvd., F F P ortland, OR 9 7 2 1 1 ] » - i s -C h i e f . P c » l ie h C hurles H. W ashington d it o e C » r e a t iv e O E d it o i M f f ic e i n i c i i Kathy Linder M ich a el Leighton fí i s r 1 1 1 i m i s M e n M ark W ashington The Portland Observer welcomes freelance submissions. Manuscripts and photographs should be clearly labeled and will be returned if accompanied by a self addressed envelope All created design display ads become the sole property o f the newspaper and cannot be used in other publications or personal usage w ithout the written consent o f the general manager, unless the client has purchased the composition of such ad. © 1996 THE PORTLAND OBSERVER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED,REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR INPART WITHOUT PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED. l) I » E c T o » P aul N eufeldt a c e » N e t » o t e e Ja ym ee R. C uti P ostmaster : Send address changes to Portland Observer PO Box 3 1 3 7 , Portland, OR 9 7 2 0 8 _________ P e rio d ic a l Postage paid In P o rtla n d , OR i S u b scriptio n s are $ 6 0 .0 0 p e ry e a r__________ 5 0 3 -2 8 8 0 0 3 3 • FAX5 0 3 -2 8 8 0 0 1 5 • EMAIL: news@portlandobserver.com subscnption@portlandobserver.com ads@portlandobserver.com 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. Struggle Against Disparities Continue We must push for Am erica’s full potential and true greatness M arking the 4(7hA nniversary o f the historic M arch on W ashing ton. U.S. Rep. E lijah E. Cum m ings, D-M d., ch a ir o f the C ongressional B lack Caucus, relea sed the f o l low ing statem ent: A s M a rtin L u th e r K in g Jr. d ream ed , w e h av e m ade g reat progress as a nation since that hot sum m er day in 1963 when hundreds o f thousands o f people gathered on the national m all, here in W ash ington, to dem and justice and equal ity for all. In 1963, w e w ere a very different country. At that tim e, there w ere only five A frican A m erican m em bers o fth e U nited States C ongress. T oday, there are 39 A frican A m eri can m en and w om en w ho are mem - bersofC ongress. In the early 1960s, ju s t4 p e rc e n to f A frican Am ericans earned a college degree. Today, four tim es as m any A frican A m eri cans have earned a college degree and that num ber continues to rise. Lastly, in 1963, qne-third o f all A f rican A m erican w om en w orked in other people’s homes for low wages. Today, a substantial num ber o f A f rican American women work as law yers. professors, doctors, managers and other professional workers. Indeed, w e have m ade trem en dous gains - gains not only for African Americans, but forall Ameri cans. By ex panding opportunity access forall o f its citizens, America has becom e a m odel o f dem ocracy for the rest o f the w orld. A m erica’s progress, w hile posi tive, m ust not render its citizenry content w ith the w ay things are today. W e m ust continue to push this country until it realizes its full potential and true greatness We w ill n ever be able to pursue h appi ness if inequality denies us the enjoym ent o fth e liberty we fought so hard for. To those w ho ask, ‘W hen will you be satisfied?’ 1 respond by T h an k y o u ag ain fo r h elp in g to sp read th e w o rd ab o u t W rite A ro u n d P o rtlan d . W e lo o k fo r w ard to c o n tin u in g o u r re la tio n ship w ith T h e Portland O b serv er an d the co m m u n itie s it serv es. Liza Halley WRAP Executive Director COMMUNITY HEALTH FORUM SEPT. 4 th , 2003, Thurs., 6:00 -8:00 pm KEY BANK COMMUNITY ROOM 5330 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Racism And The Impact On Your Health Presented By C orliss M cK eever A F R IC A N A M E R IC A N H EAL TH C O A LITIO N • Beverages, vegetable and fruits served • Registration available for I'1 “Wellness Within Reach Walk" • African American Health Coalition, Sat. Sept. 6lh, 8:00 am. • Obi Hill o f Reflections Mirror Image Bookstore will display books available on health and wellness. 503-288-9003 Sponsored by the African American Chamber of Commerce, Health and Awareness Committee, 503-244-5794. Walk The Path O f Health U.S. Rep. Elijah E. Cummings into an all-inclusive society. W e m ust not rest and w e m ust not be satisfied until the day com es w hen ‘ju stic e rolls dow n like w aters and righteousness like a m ighty stream. How Our War Leaders Dodged the Arm y C O V E R A G E SERVES US W E L L B ecause W rite A round Portland sh o p s, c o m m u n ity p o em s, c a rd is a sm all nonprofit organization, m a k in g an d b o o k b in d in g ev en ts. we rely on new spapers like The P a rtic ip a n ts at th e recen t b lo ck Portland O bserver to assist us in p arty at D aw so n Park a lso e n creating a com fortable environm ent jo y e d v is itin g o v e r 2 0 b o o th s for expression. fro m local a g e n c ie s and artisa n s O v er 200 p eo p le hav e p a rtic i a n d e n jo y e d liv e m usic by the pated in on e h o u r w ritin g w o rk D ro n ey T o n es. saying as long as o u r ch ild ren 's education is determ ined by the af fluence o f their neighborhood, I w ill never be satisfied. A s long as there exist disparities in the inci dence rates and treatm ent o f life threatening diseases, I will never be sa tisfie d . W e m u st not be tem pted to indulge in the ’ tranquil- izing drug o f gradualism ’ so long as people, the w orld over, continue to suffer the inhum anity o f poverty and hunger. W e m ust continue to advocate for the rapid evolution o f our nation D onald K adi . W ord has reached us that Presi den t-select Bush has becom e a military action figure. Yes folks. I’m not joking. G eorge Bush asG .I. Joe. W h o 'd a thunk it? I suppose the doll is m eant to com m em orate the 52 com bat m is sions T exas A ir N ational G uards man Bush flew in the Vietnam W ar, o r w ould have flow n had his outfit been sent to V ietnam (and had he not gone A .W .O .L. from his unit a b o u t tw o -th ird s o f th e w a y through his enlistm ent). It occurs to m e that the R epubli can Party has a great opportunity here to prom ote som e o f its other conservative heroes w ith a w hole line o f action dolls. I'm thinking o f a line called the "W hat Did Y ou Do In the W ar, D addy?” dolls. Like, for exam ple: The Ronald Reagan "R eady For M y C lose-up, Mr. D eM ille” doll, w ith the h e a d o f the G ipper on the body o f an A cad em y A w ard statuette to sym bolize his W orld W ar II service: m aking training film s for the arm y w hile living at hom e w ith his w ife, Jane W yman. The D aniel Q uayle "P raise the Lord and Pass the C arbon P aper” doll, depicting a soldier operatinga mimeograph machine. Quay le’sjob in the public inform ation d epart m ent o fth e Indiana National G uard w here he spent the V ietnam W ar, courtesy o f influential relatives. T he Dick C heney “ I’d Like to by H elp But I’m G oing to be on V aca tion that D ecade" doll, show ing the vice-president w ith a tennis racket, re m in d in g u s th at he say s he avoided service in Vietnam because he had “o th er priorities.” The G eorge W ill "I Fought For Y ou Like A T iger A m ong the H os tile B rits” doll, representing the prissy conservative colum nist in a scholar’s gow n redolent o f Ox ford, w here he spent the V ietnam War. T heT om DeLay A ffirmative Ac- I Mr. Wolfowitz’ world-view, in common with those o f so many o f his colleagues, has not been contaminated by military service. tion doll, show ing a white man on the ground with a black m an ’s foot rest ing on his neck, m eant to represent the House Majority Leader, who claim s he tried to enlist during the Vietnam W ar but that all the billets had been taken up by minorities. The W olfow itz o f A rabia doll, show ing the deputy defense secre tary in h is flo w in g ro b es and headscarf. W hen squeezed it w ould say “ W eapons o f M ass D estruc tion. W atch o ut!" Mr. W olfow itz’ w orld-view , in com m on w ith those o f so m any o f his colleagues, has not been contam inated by m ilitary service. A n d then th e r e ’s the S axby C ham bliss doll, featuring a m an in running shorts dum ping another man out o fa w heelchair. C ham bliss is the G eorgia senator w ho w on office by labeling his opponent. M ax C leland, soft on national secu rity. C leland lost both legs and an arm in V ietnam , w hile C ham bliss got a deferm ent due to bad knees. T hey m iraculously healed them selves as soon as the w ar w as over, how ever, and he is now a jogger. I hesitate to suggest a Rush L im baugh doll. R ush got a m edical deferm ent from V ietnam because o f anal cysts and, w o rth y as he is, I’m not sure how w e could depict that in good taste. A nd then, for a change o f pace, you could have a doll show ing a gaunt figure in a bleak cell. T hat, o f c o u r s e , w o u ld b e S e n . Jo h n M cC ain, a rare R epublican w ho did serve in V ietnam — as a real naval aviator. He w as shot dow n and spent years as a PO W , often suffer ing torture. T his w ould be the “ W ar Isn’t A s M uch Fun A s P oliticians M ake it Seem, Kids” doll. I'm n o t sure there’s a m arket for that but you can never tell. D o n a ld K aul recently retired as W ashington colum nist fo r the ’ 'Des M oines Register. " If It’s New or Informative, A frican A m erican H ea lth C oalition , Inc. You Probably Saw It In 1st Annual (Observer The P o rtla n d O b server is O regon s O ldest a n d L argest M u lti-C u ltu ra l Newspaper. The Portland Observer’s distribution of nearly 40,000 papers encom passes a w ide cro ss-section o f residential and state readership, as well as a large percentage o f the local business community. Become a part of our community. 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