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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 15, 2004)
Page A4 a:i,i P o rtla n d (0bserucr celebrates MhMkK December 15, 2004 Opinion articles do not necessarily reflect or represent the views o f The Portland Observer O pinion Make a Kwanzaa Pledge for 2004 Protect our children from tobacco I) r . N atalie J ohnson T he w eek after C hristm as, A fri can-A m ericans begin celebrating a festival honoring faith, unity, h eri ta g e a n d v a lu e s . I t ’s c a lle d K w anzaa, w hich translates to “first fruits o f the harv est” in Sw ahili. O ne o f the principles o f Kwanzaa is purpose, o r nia. T his year, my purpose is devo ted to protecting o u r children. A nd as a physician, I see no threat greater than tobacco. B uilding and developing o u r co m m unity starts w ith children. They need o u r protection. I urge all O regonians - not ju st A frican A m ericans - to take up this cause o f shielding ourchildren from the extensive m arketing machine o f the tobacco industry. The industry by spends $ I (X) million a year advertis ing in O regon alone. It breaks my heart to know these ads are working. More th;ui one in four African Ameri cans sm oke in Oregon. T he tobacco industry is crafty with its m arketing tactics. It exploits them es o f liberation and success in its advertis ing, them es that strike a chord with y o u n g people. Pick up a w om en ’ s m a g a z in e and flip through the pages. The ads prom ote cigarette m akers as sponsors o f college ed u cation, the arts and w o m en 's sports. D on’t be fooled by these ads. They are trying to position the tobacco industry as an ally by using lan guage o f em pow erm ent. W e m ust rem em ber that cig a rette profits are generated by people becom ing addicted to nicotine. I treat can cer patients every day w ho spent much o f their lives under the influence o f tobacco addiction. Lung can cer may be the m ost p ain ful and unbearable disease o f all. Som etim es I w ish I could invite all started sm oking w ithout m uch thought to the consequences. We can save o u r young people today by rem inding them o f those co n se quences: Low birth-w eight babies; early sexual im potence; throat blad d er and cervical cancers; heart at tacks and strokes. A re there any If we act in unity to keep our children tobacco free, we can change lives. -D r. Natalie Johnson, Legacy CancerServIces medical director young people into the cancer w ard at the hospital. T hey w ould see the frail bodies o f people w hose d e pendence on tob acco now require th e ir d e p e n d e n c e on b reath in g tubes and medical technology. This is how sm oking em pow ered them. T hey w ere all young once. T hey benefits to sm oking that outw eigh the hazards? W e will never m atch the m edia m achine o f the cigarette co m p a nies. But these are our children and we are their m others. If we d o n 't have the w ill o r the courage to stop this m achine, w ho w ill? Our Party Values are Sound Democrats should articulate principles J udge G reg M athis In the w ake o f the N ovem ber elections, pundits, pollsters and politicos have all su g g e ste d th at the D em o cratic Party needs to change - it needs to m ove its “principles” m ore in line w ith those o f the “m ajority” voter. Sound bites about reli gious and m oral co nvictions ruling the m indset o f the A m erican public have throw n the party leadership into a tailspin. I d o n ’t think that the core principles o f the D em ocratic Party have ev er been in doubt. Indeed, it is the p arty ’s u n w illing by ness to m aintain these principles that ac co u n ts for the biggest problem w ithin the party and the c h ief issue the incom ing chairm an o f the party m ust address. D em ocrats have long been the party that strives for social and econom ic ju s tice. W hile other parties claim to be "right” re lig io u sly , th e D em o cratic N atio n al C o m m ittee's right hand has been the A f rican-A m erican church. D em ocrats m ust stay true to their base and th eir foundation. T here is no sense in attem pting to beat R epublicans at their ow n gam e. If voters have to choose b e tw een a R epublican and a R epublican- w annabe/D em ocrat they will choose the real thing. Instead, the gam e needs to have new rules; the gam e needs to have m ore p lay ers. T h ere are plenty o f voters the D N C can attract that are clo se to or m em bers o f its core audience. T he D N C does not need to change its m essage in o rd er to possibly attract conservative and inde pendent voters. There are plenty o f A m ericans w ho have been left behind educationally, with respect to health care and jo b opportunity. If these constituents are m inistered to and experi- Each year m ore than 6,000people in O regon die from tobacco-related diseases. T his is m ore than aids, drugs, c ar crashes, m urders and fires - com bined. You may not smoke. But chances are you know someone who does. Spread the love of Kwanzaa this year and do what you can to protect children from smoking. You have the power. And maybe this is your purpose. It takes courage to act. R osa Parks d id n ’t ju s t think about b e coming thesym bol o f theCivil Rights m ovem ent. She actually did it, by refusing to give up her seat and go to the back o f the bus. A nother K w anzaa value is unity, o r U moja. If w e act in unity to keep o u r children tobacco free, w e can change lives the sam e w ay R osa Parks changed society. It w ill take courage and a sense o f nia. Dr. N atalie Johnson is m edical d irecto r o f L egacy C ancer S e r vices. Democrats must stay true to their base and their foundation. There is no sense in attempting to beat Republicans at their own game. _________ I ence a DNC that responds to their needs, the DNC will experience a great surge in voters, supporters and its base. By being the party that stands for so cio econom ic justice and equality, and not blindly follow ing poll trends, the D N C will easily experience the rebirth it has long needed and anticipated. T he next chairm an o f the D N C should stand for principle. The party shouldclearly articulate principles. T hose principles, how ever, should fall in line with affordable health care, equal educational and jo b o pportunity and a reduction in poverty. By giving elbow g rease rather than lip service to the true ills o f o u r society, the D N C can, once again, becom e the party o f elected m ajority, rather than the silent one. Ju d g e G reg M athis is chairm an o f the R ainbow P U SH -E xcel B o a rd a n d a n a tio n a l b o a rd m em b er o f the Southern C hristian L eadership C onference. 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