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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.
NEW S E A S O N S
O rd e r y o u r
-Midau Meats
jo in u s fo r a ta s tin g
S a tu rd a y & S u n d a y
1 1 :0 0 a m - 5 :0 0 p m
h o m e m a d e h a m • O r e g o n g r o w n s ta n d in g
rib r o a s t • w ild - c a u g h t s a lm o n • O r e g o n
g ro w n
la m b • fr e e - r a n g e tu r k e y • lo c a lly
c a u g h t c ra b
The frieruMiasi- store in town.
E A S Y
&
C O N C O R D IA
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P o r t la n d O R 9 7 2 1 1
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S H O P
S T A T IO N
C o r n e ll & N E 6 1 s t A v e
H ills b o r o O R 9 7 1 2 4
503 648 6968
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L O C A L L Y
R A L E IG H
O W N E D
H IL L S
7 3 0 0 S W B e a v e r t o n - H ills d a le
P o r t la n d O R 9 7 2 2 5
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O P E R A T E D
SELLW OOD
SEVEN CORNERS
1214 SE T a com a
P o r t la n d O R 9 7 2 0 2
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