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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 22, 2004)
Page A4 iijc September 22. 2004 ©bseruer Opinion articles do not necessarily reflect or represent the views of The Portland Observer O pinion Rallying Against Gun Violence Partisan politics got in way o f safety issue o f dangerous assault w eapons are J udge G reg M athis T he reality o f the assault ban now legal to sell and ow n. D istrict expiration is upon us. Legislators, o f C olum bia Police C h ief C harles police and concerned citizens all R am sey predicts that the ban ex p i did their part to try and extend the ration will add greater d an g er to ban. However, the current adm inis A m erican streets, hom es, citizens tration. in an effort to please their and police forces. As far as I know , bullets d o not right-w ing backers, let the ban ex differentiate betw een political p ar pire and imperiled the li vesot Ameri ties, so having m ore dangerous cans all over the country . T he R epublican-led C ongress guns on the streets m eans that dem onstrated by voice and action everyone, regardless o f political that they had no intention o f e x affiliation, faces more needless d an tending the ban - even as the vio ger. C itiz e n s, th e re fo re , are d o in g lent crim e rate increases. A verage citizens, how ever, have taken the so m eth in g ab o u t th is g ro ss e x lead where legislators have dropped am p le o f p o litic a l p a n d e rin g . In the ball. In cities all over the United bo th D etro it an d P h ila d e lp h ia , States, people are jo in in g together citizen s are h o ld in g a n ti-v io len ce c a m p a ig n s in atte m p ts to raise to rally against gun violence. D espite c o n se rv a tiv e p ro p a a w a r e n e s s a n d s ta n d u n ite d ganda to the contrary, violent crim e a g a in st the sco u rg e o f g u n v io is expected to rise now that 19 types lence. R ath er th an d e m o n izin g by y o u n g p eo p le as th e p ro b lem , th e se ra llie s e n c o u ra g e y o u n g p e o p le to be th e so lu tio n to re d u c in g v io len ce. It is chilling that ordinary citi zens are w illing to take the steps that o u r president refuses to enact. A s John Kerry stated w hile on the cam paign trail, "G eorge Bush made a choice. He chose his pow erful friends in the gun lobby over the police officers and the fam ilies he prom ised to p rotect.” In d eed , th e o rig in a l 1994 ban w as e n a c te d in resp o n se to the tren d o f th ese assa u lt w eap o n s b e in g u sed in g a n g , d ru g - and sp re e -re la te d k illin g s th ro u g h o u t the co u n try . E x te n d in g the ban w as n o t an issu e o f c o m p ro m is ing S ec o n d A m e n d m e n t rig h ts; it w as an e ffo rt to try and m ake the stre e ts a little sa fe r in lig h t o f an e v e r-in c re a s in g v io len t w orld. D esp ite w hat the e le c te d o ffi c ials say and do, av erag e citiz e n s have p ro v en th at they are u n w ill ing to sit by and not a d d ress gun A Shocking Turn Around o u r econc v io le n c e and crim e. T h e se rallies d e m o n stra te that ev< n th o u g h the a ssa u lt w eap o n s ban e x p iratio n w as a lost b attle, th ese citiz e n s are d e te rm in e d to w in th e w ar. G reg M athis is chairm an o f the R ainbow P U SH -E xcel B oard a n d a national b o a rd m em ber o f the S o u th e rn C h ris tia n L ea d e rsh ip C onference. .g is at stake local governm ents helps low -in can A m ericans. It is our considered The fo llo w in g is an open letter has the w orst record o f any presi a second term o f trickle dow n po li shared prosperity and not a con com e and A frican A m ericans in a opinion that the econom ic policies tinued grow th in inequality. c ie s c a n p ro d u c e s u s ta in a b le fr o m a group o f esteem ed African dent in the post W orld W ar II era in Letting som e o f President B ush’s big way. Support for states will help proposed by Sen. John Kerry will grow th. Even if it did, it w ould lead A m ericans, representing som e o f pursuing policies to create jobs. provide ag reaterch an ce o f creating C urrent tax cut policies have to g reater econom ic and social in tax cuts end, as is currently set in the general bottom line for states, the c o u n try ’s m ost accom plished a period o f shared prosperity. and so this will keep states from legislation, and freeing those re failed to return us to past levels o f equality. econom ists: Dr. Marcus Alexis, Northwest being forced to contain their M ed Sim ply put, we find the econom ic so u rces to a d d ress th e c u rren t U nder P resid en t C linton, the em ploym ent and m ost disturbingly, ern University; Dr. Dick America, ic a id co sts, w hich is n o rm ally health insurance crisis faced by unem ploym ent rate and poverty not created the jo b s the p resid en t’s policies o f President Bush to have Georgetown University; Dr. Ber done by lim iting eligibility and thus A m erican w orkers w ould benefit le v e ls fo r A fric a n A m e ric a n s eco n o m ists ad v ised co u ld have failed, w ith no prom ise o f the p o li nard Anderson, Univ. o f Pennsyl access to health insurance. th e u n in s u r e d a n d th e reached record low s, and the em been done. R em oving tax in cen tiv es for vania; Dr. Charles Betsey, Howard u n d e rin s u re d , e s p e c ia lly The C ongressional B ud % Sen. Kerry s economic ploym ent rate and incom e o f A fri those in the A frican A m eri A m erican corporations to ship US University; Dr. Thomas Boston, ca n A m erican s reach ed reco rd get O ffice has reported that jo b s overseas will help keep jo b s in Georgia Tgyh; Dr. Cecelia Conrad, can com m unity. highs. T here w as shared econom ic the effect o f the incom e tax priorities and policies are more Investing heavily in the the U S, and this will definitely help Pomona College; Dr. William cuts has been to sh ift the prosperity. likely to help the economic well developm ent o f new fuel e f keep entry-level jo b s for m iddle Darity, Duke University and Univ. H ow ever, the last three years federal tax burden tow ard the ficiency technology for the class A m erica and A frican A m eri o f North Carolina— Chapel Hill; have seen a shocking turn around middle class, and aw ay from being o f all Americans, but Dr. Karl Gregory; Dr. Edward auto industry should help to cans. in the e co n o m ic w ell-b ein g o f those at the highest incom e Irons, Clark Atlanta University; B eing m ore supportive o f the keep A m erican m anufactur particularly African Americans. A m ericans, and especially o f A fri levels. T his includes shifting Dr. Julianne M alveaux; Dr. enforcem ent o f civil rights laws ing healthy, as w ell as our the burden o f taxes to fall can A m ericans. Patrick Mason, Florida State Uni m eans that the effects o f discrim i environm ent and w ould address cies restoring the econom ic w ell O n President B u sh ’s w atch, un heavily on A frican A m ericans. versity; Dr. Edward Montgomery, O ur an aly siso f President B u sh ’s being o f the nation, and especially that portion o f our trade deficit nation w ill not exacerbate the prob em ploym ent rates rose dramatically, Univ. o f Maryland; Dr. William lem s o f a weak labor market. b rought on by oil im ports. in f la t io n - a d j u s t e d in c o m e e c o n o m ic p o lic ie s sh o w th o se o f A frican A m ericans. Rodgers, HI, Rutgers University; Sen. K erry’s econom ic priorities Raising the m inim um w age will W e find very prom ising several fell, poverty rates have risen, as policies to ignore the effects o f Dr. Margaret Simms; Dr. William and policies are m ore likely to help help correct the wage deflation that w ell as the n u m b e r o f p eo p le grow ing federal deficits, grow ing o f the econom ic policies proposed Spriggs, formerly National Urban the eco nom ic w ell-being o f all has occurred under P resident B ush. w ithout em ploym ent-based health trade deficits and grow ing personal by Sen. John K erry. C ollectively, league; and Dr. James Stewart A m ericans, but particularly A fri- A iding the budgets o f state and insurance coverage. The president debt levels, m aking it unlikely that they provide a g reater chance for W ELLS FARGO The Next Stage From I to we. Wells Fargo free checking helps you keep your commitment...for richer. You've found the right life partner, now you need the right banking partner. 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