Page A4 3>lje Jlortlanò ®bgerucr O pinion Opinion articles do not necessarily reflect or represent the views o f The Portland Observer The Portland Observer E D I T O I -I n -C H i e r . P C itu n te u il is h c k Charles H. Washington D il s a o ! Paul Neufeldt USPS 9 5 9 -6 8 0 I lf m E d it o i Established 1970 Michael Leighton 4 7 4 7 NE M artin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Portland, OR 9 7 2 1 1 December 24. 2003 D is M a s a u f » Mark Washington R i s iiit io s • i M id t o i l Kathy Linder k r o r t r r Jasmee R. Cuti P ostmaster : Send address changes to Portland Observer P0 Box 3 1 3 7 , Portland, OR 97208 Periodical Postage paid In Portland, OR ■ Subscriptions are $ 6 0 .0 0 per year 5 0 3 -2 8 8 -0 0 3 3 • FAX5 0 3 -2 8 3 0 0 1 5 • EMAIL: I subscriDtion^Dortlandobserver.com ads@oortlandobserver.com 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 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 KIRTLAND OBSERVER ALL RIG H TS RESERVED, REPRO D U CTIO N IN W HOLE O R IN PART W IT H O U T PERM ISSIO N IS PR O H IB ITED . The Portland O bserver-O regon’s Oldest Multicultural Publication--» a member of the National Newspaper A ssociation-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. 'VHstx-A • «K'vWlW A H A *n r HOLIDAYS Our Travelodge is centrally located near the Portland Convention Center. A c c o m m o d a tio n s in c lu d e 4 3 q u a lity, clea n , q u it g u e s t ro o m s w ith k in g / q u e e n b e d s a va ila b le. W e o ffe r o u r g u e st a c o n tin e n ta l b re a k fa st, g u e st lau n d ry an d a m p le p a rk in g fo r y o u r c o n v e n ie n c e an d an in d o o r steam sa u n a fo r y o u r e n jo y ­ m ent. W e h a v e S a te llite TV, o u r ra tes a re rea so n a b le, w e o ffe r s p e c ia l d is c o u n ts to se n io r c itiz e n s a n d h o n o r A A A d isco u n ts. N o n -sm o k in g an d h a n d ic a p ro o m s are av a ila b le to o u r g u est u p o n req u est. a 1■5® Tra rcjc)dge •z 1506 N E 2 nd A ve . P o r tla n d , O R 9 7 2 3 2 (5(13) 2 3 1 -7 6 6 5 by B en D ib / M inuteman M edia 1 0 5 6 5 @ h o te l.c e n d a n t.c o m The Holidays are coming, so come enjoy a nice quiet evening at Travelodge Portland Convention location. Based on availability. Must mention this ad at time of reservation. Good th ru ¡.4.04 Our Growing Health Crisis for Kids Advertise with diversity in i _______ - • - » ....— —- .1. — 503-413-1850. Please receive approval from your doctor before beginning exercise class. African American Health Coalition, Inc. 2800 N Vancouver Ave . Suite 100 • Portland OR 97227 • Phone. 503-413-1850 E-mail kdempsey@aahc-portland org • Web www aahc-porlland org Congress treats majority black city unfairly by U.S. R ep . E i . eanor H olmes N orton done unequal treatm ent for any A m ericans, especially Americans who fight our wars and pay their taxes. To inform the country of their undemocratic predicament, the Dis­ trict will hold its own first-in-the- nation primary on Jan. 13. The vote will dem onstrate to the world the untold story that stains our dem oc­ racy— that residents o f the nation’s capital are A m erica’s last second- class citizens and to ask for the help they need. D.C. is a majority black city, but all w ho live there are equally un­ equal. The Congressional Black Caucus and our congressional al­ lies have endorsed the No Taxation W ithout R epresentation Act to give D.C. residents equal represen­ tation in Congress. E-mail or phone your Senators and Representatives. Tell them you will be watching to see if they sign on to cosponsor the bill to assure dem ocracy at home first. A fter4()yearsofcivil rights laws, are A m ericans throughout our country equal? The answer m ay surprise you. Some Americans stand out as far less equal than others. Surprisingly, these Americans live closest to the seat o f American democracy. They are the citizens o f the D istrict o f Colum bia, our nation’s capital. Polls show that m ost A m eri­ cans think D.C. residents have are fighting and dying in the w ars the sam e rights as o th er A m eri­ in Iraq and A fghanistan as they cans. H ow ever, the citizens w ho have in every w ar our nation has live in the n a tio n 's capital have fought, beginning with the R evo­ no senators and th eir house rep­ lutionary W ar — the one fought resen tativ e cannot cast a vote for to elim in ate taxation w ithout rep­ them on the floor o f C ongress. re sen tatio n . Y et, D.C. residents pay m ore than The frustration o f living with any state except C onnecticut in unequal rights is especially cruel U.S. Rep. Eleanor Holmes the taxes they pay to support our when few Americans even know Norton is from Washington, D.C. governm ent. about it. D.C. residents are certain and is a member o f the Congres­ At this mom ent, D.C. residents that Americans would never con­ sional Black Caucus.