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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (April 14, 2004)
Page A4 (Eljp ■JJortlanò ©bserüer April 14. 2004 O pinion rhe Portland Observer Opinion articles do not necessarily reflect or represent the views o f The Portland Observer E DiI T O K C » E 4 ■I N - C H I E f , P U » L I S H E » Charles H. Washington T i v e D i » e c t o t Paul Neufeldt ___________ LISPS 959-680__________ E Established 1970 d it o » Of u c t Michael Leighton 4 7 4 7 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., D is n iiir r io s 8 t » n 11 Mark Washington Portland. OR 97211 M anage » Kathy Linder R e p o k t e k Jaymee R. Cuti P osthastck : Send address changes to Portland Observer P0 Box 3 1 3 7 , Portland, OR 97208 P erio d ical Postage paid In Portland, OR > Subscriptions are $ 6 0 .0 0 p ery e n r 5 0 3-2880033 • FAX503-288-0015 • EMAIL: nçws@[XMândobserver.comsubscriDtion@Dortlandobserver.com ad5@portlanck)bserver.com V Â Î- Hu- 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 PORTLAND OBSERVER ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, REPRODUCTION IN W HOLEOR IN PART W ITHOUT PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED. 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. Shields for Northeast Portland Missed opportunity for minority candidates The following is a Portland Observer editorial: Two candidates are running for election in the May Demo cratic Primary to represent north and northeast Portland in House District 43. O ur endorsem ent goes go Chip Shields who has worked in northeast Portland for the past five years as executive director of Better People, an organization dedicated to job training and living wage jobs for form er inmates. Shields has a record of work ing with local residents, includ ing African Americans, to make ■««er . ■> • J. • ■ i ',. - A I L ., * V Tl C I IV Id y b G it S h o u ld b e * Before you reach fo r th a t w e e d and fee d , please consider this: insecticides and herbicides can harm people and pets. Rain can w ash chemicals o ff yo u r law n and into storm drains and streams. This pollutes th e w a te r th a t people and fish dep en d on. The good n ew s— it's easy to have a b ea u tifu l law n w ith o u t w ee d and feed. • Build h e a lth y soil • Use organic fertilizers or com post on yo u r law n • W a te r d eep ly b u t in fre q u e n tly F IS H • A erate, th atch , and reseed w ith a N o rth w est grass Buy organic this year! Bring in this ad for 20% o ff organic lawn product or native plant. Gresham Flat Creek Garden Center 503-663-4101 Portland Portland Nursery 503-788-9000 Ridgefield, WA Bird's English Garden & Nursery Tigard The Gardener's Choice, Inc. 503-684-2727 360-887-3270 West Linn Bosky Dell Natives 503-638-5945 For in fo rm atio n a b o u t a chem ical-free law n , visit w w w .c le a n r iv e r s a n d s t r e a m s .o r g or call 503-234-3000 Portland M e tro or 36 0-397-6118 ext. 4345 in W ash ing to n. The Regional Coalition for Clean Rivers and Streams: Cities o f Gresham, Portland and Vancouver, Clean River Partners o f Clackamas County, Clean Water Services, Clark County, M ultnomah County and Metro. Disclaimer: The RCCRS does not make any warranty, expressed or implied, or assume any legal liability or responsibility for products purchased w ith this offer. 1 offer per customer. Offer expires June 30, 2004 OD 0410 \ p **AII classes are free of charge! , AAHC African American Health Coalition, Inc. / Y \ ' V Presents for your health, v Wellness Within REACH Activity Calendar A e r o b ic ? Mallory Ave. Christian Church Pilates M att Dishman Hon, Wed, In , 6-7am, Pierce • S;30-6;20pm, Granville • 6:30-7:30pm , Nickerson Hon, 12:15-1 :l5pm , Jenkins Humboldt Elementary Stretchine/Body Sculpting Tue, Thu, 6-7pm, Keller (Class courtesy of Hitt Dishman) Low Impact Aerobics Daniel’s Memorial Church Tue, Thu, 7-8am, Lois Tue, 7:15-8:15pm, Granville Walking Group Peninsula Park W ater Aerobics ( C o n t a c t A A H C ) Salvation Army M att Dishman Sat, 12:30pm, Woods African Dance M att Dishman Tue. Thu. 9-1 Oam, Hasan Sat, 1 0 -I I am, Addo Yoga W ild Oats Market Body Conditioning W ild Oats Market Tue, Thu, 7:3O-8:3Opm, O’Rourke our communities stronger and improve the lives of people fac ing poverty and discrimination. He has a record of success in sponsoring a ballot measure to increase the minimum wage and supported M ultnom ah C ounty’s temporary income tax to stop the drastic budget cuts to our schools and social services. He has won the en dorsement of many local mi nority leaders. Still, we see this race as a missed opportunity for north and northeast Portland because Shields and his opponent Tina Kotek are so new to the district. Both have resided in northeast Portland for less than three years. Missing is the candidate who has lived here for a significant amount of time, working on be half of the minority populations that make House District 43 the most diverse in the state. Where was the recruitment of candi dates by African-American lead ers and the Democratic Party? We like Shields and think both candidates have the po tential to do a great jo b of representing m inority inter-4 ests, but they need season ing to really get to know us. ■NMHMMHMMMMIMMHMHMMaHMMNMMMIMaMniMB Fog of Deception and Secrecy B y R ep . B ennie G. T hompson As a member of the Con gressional Black Caucus, 1 lis tened with great interest to the testimony of National Security Advisor Dr. Condoleezza Rice before the 9/11 Commission. Her testimony cast a fog of deception over the search for truth. An obvious example of this deception took place on Aug. 6, 2001. Dr. Rice testified that a memo stating that Osama bin Laden was “determined to at tack within the United States” was discounted by Bush Ad ministration officials because it was not a warning. President Bush, Dr. Rice and others in the Administration knew that bin Laden posed a threat to our homeland, but did not act in the best interest of national security. Clearly, the Rep. Bennie G. Thompson Bush Administration failed to take serious the threat of terror ism. Dr. Rice testified that prior to 9/11, al-Qaeda cells inside the United States were not cause for the Administration to be con cerned. Tragically, 3,000 lives were lost before the Adminis tration took the al-Qaeda threat - seriously. The families who lost loved ones on 9/11 are now learning what went wrong, how it went wrong and how 9/11 could have been prevented. However, I fear that Dr. R ice’s testim ony is just an other example o f the “smoke and m irrors” leadership that is the Bush A dm inistration. I hope and pray that the 9/11 Comm ission is able to break through the inconsistencies put forward by Dr. Rice and the Bush Adm inistration. 1 hope and pray that the 9/11 Com mission is able break through the fog of deception and se crecy and to bring transpar ency and truth to the Am eri can people. . Congressman Bennie G. Th ompson is from Mississippi. M att Dishman betters te the <3LAiter Take Back our Children Weight Mgnt./Conditioning U. of Portland Indoor Track Sat. 9:30- 10:30am, Nickerson Daniers Memorial Church. 1234 NE Killingsworth (12th 4 Killingsworth) Humboldt Elementary, 4915 N Gantenbem Mallory Avenue Christian Church (Gym), 126 NE Alberta Matt Dishman, 77 NE Knott Peninsula Park. 700 N Portland Salvation Army. 5325 N Williams U. of Portland Indoor Track, 500 N Willamette Wild Oats Market. 3535 NE 15th " ‘ Must be 21 or older to participate. Please contact AAHC before showing up to the first class and for more information at 503-413-1850 or kdempsey@aahc-portland.org. Please receive approval from your doctor before beginning exercise class. A"} is L l F | •*■«•»< »"«< ethnic A pproach«* to Community H ealth A Program ol the African American Haalth Coalition, Inc Sponsored by the Centers tor Disease Control end Prevention (CDC) [ ' •'<fù ’ , / y M < t» N . A ' 4x3 Contact AAHC a t 5 0 3 -4 1 3 -1 8 5 0 or visit our web site at wwwaahc-portland.org Our community was in turmoil with senseless acts of gun violence even before Kendra James and James Jahad Perez’s lives were taken. 1 hear the phrase, take back our streets. Well take back and reclaim our children. The streets are fine: it’s the blood of our children upon them that pollutes them. What pollutes us is our mental ity, caused by the oppression of inequality, hopelessness and hap piness. Stress and anger festers within us like an open sore that has no time to heal before it’s opened again. For nearly two decades there’s been one death after an other. Now adding insult to injury we are pained by police officers killing our young black men and women. I have heard the cries of many mothers. I have cried with them; and one day I cried at the plight of losing my own son. During the rally and calls for justice, no one spoke about our greatest asset and in vestment - our children. No parent should outlive their child, yet many Advertise with diversity in iLl 1 ^lartlauiv ©hsvruei* Call 503-288-(X)33 ads@portlandob server.com are facing this devastation as they try to cope with the ever-present and resounding “why?” Whether the gunfire comes from a police officer or from one of our own race, speak out! Life is sacred and once taken cannot be given back. The taking of life is irrevers ible. Yet for the loved ones left behind, the pain continues until we ourselves have departed. I say no more blood of our chil dren. It is the responsibility of all of us to stop the gang wars and to pray for the removal of corruption within the police department. At this crucial time, let us give Chief Foxworth a chance to do all that is within his means to insure justice. Ju stice has alw ays com e at a price and has been ev er so slow. Yet we did not get this far w ith out d ifficu lty , patience, and e n durance. C hange m ust and will com e, hopefully w ithout more b lo o d sh e d . 1 will never forget the mother’s words o f the first gang killing when she said “It is my child today, it’ll be yours tom orrow .” Let us press on that this shall not be. Save the children! Thelm a Stone African-American Candidates Regarding last week’s coverage by the Portland Observer on the city commissioner debate spon sored by the African American Chamber: As you may know, there are seven candidates running for the Portland City Commissioner #1 position. Two of these candidates, including myself, happen to be African Americans. It is really dis appointing, depressing and dis heartening when the African Ameri can Chamber sponsors a city com missioner debate and snubs all the black city commissioner candi dates! As a longtime community activ ist, I'm really disappointed in the chamber’s lack of support. If I were a white city commissioner candi date, I would seriously question the credibility of that organization in the black community! White people don't have to kill off black people if they can get a "black organization” to do it for them! Wake up brothas and smell the racism! J e rry Watson