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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
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