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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 3, 2005)
^ '^ o rtla n h (©bsemer E mbracing D iversity Page A4 August 3, 2005 Opinion articles do not necessarily reflect or represent the views of The Portland Observer O pinion Democracy Under Threat Patriot Act renewal is not justified history that civil rights groups have been subject to such invasive ac The First Amendment tions. During the black liberation of the U.S. Constitution movement, the FB I's Counter Intel promises Americans free ligence Program (Cointelpro) fo dom of speech and the cused its energy on investigating right to assemble peace and disrupting the activities of or fu lly and sp e a k out ganizations that were considered against the government ‘radical.’ Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and its actions. and the Southern Christian Leader- Over the years, these shipConference.the Black Panther Party, rights have been threatened, all in the Malcolm X, Elijah Muhammad and the interest of national security. Under the Nation of Islam were all heavily moni guise o f ‘protecting’ the American pub lic, the FBI has routinely investigated tored. Cointelpro’s sole purpose was to dis those that dare to criticize the policies of credit these powerful voices, stilling the the American government, even though movement and maintaining the status quo. they aren’t accused of any crime. This Thankfully, they were not successful. monitoring not only fails to protect the Though many of the groups, the Black American people, it also undermines our Panther Party especially, were destabi- basic rights to organize and participate in lized by the FB I's ef- the democratic process. W e m u s t r a i s e o u r forts’ the messas e Pre- In the shadow o f the Sept. 11 terrorist at- . vailed. Let’s hope that tacks, Congress rushed C o l l e c t i v e V O IC C S Cl 11 Cl rig h te o u sn e ss tri- by J udge G reg M a i his into law the Patriot Act. Among the act’s provi- sions are the expansion W h y N o t N u m b e r One? America is behind in child care by M arian W right E delman The U.S. likes to be number one in most things and we boast about being the leaderofthe free world. Why then are we so con tent to lag behind many other less wealthy industrialized na tions in policies protecting chil dren? What does it tell us about what and who we value? Among industrialized coun tries, the United States ranks first in mili tary technology, military exports, defense spending, gross domestic product, in the number of millionaires and billionaires and in health technology. But we are ranked 12lh in living stan dards among our poorest one-fifth of chil dren, 13"’ in the gap between rich and poor children, 14th in efforts to lift children out of poverty 18lh in the percent of children in poverty, 22nd in low birth weight rates, and 25,h in infant mortality. The U.S. is next to last among donor nations in the proportion of GDP devoted to international aid to impover ished peoples, and next to last among 16 industrialized countries in the proportion of GDP devoted to income sup port for non-elderly families. We are at the very bottom among 16 industrialized countries in the proportion of children living in poverty after all income supports are counted, and last in protecting our children against gun vio lence. A ccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. children under age 15 are 9 times as likely to die in a firearm accident, 11 tim es as likely to com m it suicide with a gun, 12 tim es as likely to die from gunfire, and 16 times as likely to be m urdered with a gun, as children in 25 other industrialized coun tries combined. O f the 191 m em bers of the U nited N ations, the United States o f A m erica and Som alia (w hich has no legally con stituted governm ent) are the only two nations that have failed to ratify the U.N. C onvention on the Rights o f the Child. Black infant m ortality rates in our n ation's capital exceed those o f 55 na tions including the Baham as, Barbados, and Libya. Tw enty-six m ajor industrial ized countries provide paid parental leave; the United States is not one o f them. The United States is the only in dustrialized nation that does not provide guaranteed prenatal care for every preg nant woman. Marian Wright Edelman is founder and c h ie f ex ecu tive o fficer o f the Children's Defense Fund. Administrative Assistant, Council Office. $15.51 - $20.17 hourly. FT. Deadline: 8/15/05. Provides secretarial and administrative support to Metro Council and staff; provides back up to front counter. Assistant Curator - Condors, Oregon Zoo. $56,410 - $78,410, annually. FT. Deadline: 8/11/ 05. Assists in overseeing the daily activities of the Animal Care Section of the Living Collections Division primarily in the Jonsson Center for Wildlife Conservation and the Zoo’s Bird Section. Catering and Restaurant Manager, Oregon Zoo. $44,940 - $61,100, annually. FT. Deadline: 8/9/05. Plans, organizes and oversees catered event activities; assists with the management of the food services outlets. School Resource Specialist, Solid Waste & Recycling Department. $42,079 - $56,338 annually. FT. Deadline: 8/16/05. Performs public outreach and planning activities including providing technical recycling program assistance to schools (K-12), and developing and imple menting waste reduction education activities for children and families. Secretary, Planning Department. $12.41 - $16.59/hour. FT. Deadline: 8/11/05. Performs clerical, receptionist and secretarial duties to support department staff and office operations. To access the complete job announcement and required application materials, visit our website at www.metro-region.org/jobs or pick up a complete packet at Metro Human Resources, 600 NE Grand Ave., Portland. M ETRO AA/EEO Employer The City of Portland is Seeking Proposals From Professional Trainers d e m n n rl th e g o v e r n m e n t b a la n c e o f terrorism laws to in- . , c » at a time when the na- t h e n e e d f o r n a t i o n a l tion was stiii reeling from clude “domestic terror s e c u r ity w ith th e the terro r,st attacks, ism, ” subjecting politi Congress was percep- cal organizations to sur n e e d f o r i n d i v i d u a l tive enough not to ex veillance and accusa- fo n s ol criminal activ- Cr e e ( Jo m a n e ] j u s t i c e . tend the law too far into the future. Key provi lty. The law also autho- J J sions of the Act expire rizes secret searches, gives law enforcement officers the right on Dec. 31. President Bush has already to monitor phone and Internet usage and urged Congress to renew the bill, saying allows them to access personal records, it doesn’t violate Americans rights, but all with little supervision from the courts protects them. Too often in this country’s and without any proof that a crime has history, the government has attempted to silence the voices of individuals and or been committed. Under the Act, the FBI has investi ganizations committed to ensuring all gated several civil rights and antiwar pro Americans are respected members of this test groups, including the American Civil society. We must raise our collective Liberties Union. In its files, the FBI has voices in protest and demand the govern nearly 1,200 pages o f information on the ment balance the need for national secu ACLU, a leading critic of President Bush rity with the need for individual freedom and his war on terror. The ACLU is a and justice. Judge Greg Mathis is chairman o f the nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that has worked to defend the rights of people Rainbow PUSH-Excel Board and a na tional board member o f the Southern i across the country for over 80 years. This is not the first time in this nation’s Christian Leadership Conference. Strengthen Asbestos Protections Complacent public not aware of dangers by Y ugen F ardan R ash ad As Portland’s summer heats up a flick of the air conditioner brings cool relief. Stepping from the shower you reach for the hair dryer. You rumble through a humid attic to find a dust- covered photo album for visiting relatives. Not thinking that any of these activities may increase your exposure to asbestos. Contact with this fiber can cause lung cancer, asthma, and mesothe lioma, a deadly asbestos-related disease. And routine contact is exactly the issue at hand. Asbestos is found in any num ber of commonly used household items, and construction of houses and buildings from tile floors to ceilings, roofing materials, and in sulation used in attics and walls. Extreme warning should be exer cised for home remodeling, and public buildings and businesses scheduled for retrofit or demolition as dus, is release into the atmo sphere. Because the disease is latent, meaning a gestation period of up to 20 years typically follows illness, most people diagnosed discover they have a disease only years later. And now the U.S. Senate wants to pass a bill that, among other prob lems with the legislation, fails to make asbestos illegal in the United States. One of the things SB 852 does is take the burden off the court system. What it doesn't do is pro vide protections to industry work ers and consumers. The bill allows companies to pay into a trust fund ($140 billion) in the form of a tax. Victims will be compensated from the fund and avoid court cases. But opponents wonder what happens when the money runs out, and how will the bill affect cases currently being tried? One advocacy group believes bureaucracy will complicate m at ters because paying compensation from a trust fund is compromised as money runs out. Judy A rndt's husband was di agnosed with a lung cancer consis tent with asbestos exposure and died in 1999. Chris Hilsenback worked in the shipyards of Port land during the 1960s. Arndt says the right to a jury trial makes all the difference, a right that will disap pear under SB 852. What about the housewives and sons and daugh ters that washed dirty laundry of factory, dock and shipyard work ers exposed to the fiber? ^lortlanb (Dbscrucr Established 1970 USPS 959-680 __________________________________ In Oregon, between 1948 and 1993 approximately 164,040tonsof asbestos was shipped to 11 sites from Libby, Mont. From 1979 to 2001 838 people in Oregon have died from mesothelioma or asbes- tosis. National numbers of fatali ties from this period range from 5,000 to 10,(XX). A study by the RANDgroupestimates 2,500people are diagnosed with asbestosis each year in the US. If SB 852 is to pass revisions are disparately needed regarding the amount of the trust fund, medical criterion, and consum er/w orker protections. Most o f all, ban as bestos use. Make no mistake this is a very complicated document. But going to an air-conditioned pubic build ing, drying your hair, or searching your attic for a family loom isn’t. Oregon Action encourages citi zens to contact the offices o f Sena tors Gordon Smith at 503-326-7525 and Ron Wyden a, 503-326-3386 to make a prudent decision informed by what is best for all Oregonians. Vote noon SB 852. Yugen Fardan Rashad is a field representative fo r Oregon Action, a local non-profit group dedicated to economic and social justice. Send address changes to Portland Observer, P 0 Box 3 1 3 7 , Portland, OR 9 7 2 0 8 4747 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Portland, OR 97211 The City of Portland is seeking proposal from professional training firms or individuals to design and implement a Citywide Employee Development Program targeted to managers and supervisors. Tasks include curriculum development, training delivery, and program evaluation for approximately 700 City of Portland employees. The anticipated cost for the services is $150,000. Proposals are due by August 2 6 ,2 0 0 5 ,4:00pm. To review RFP No. BHR005 go to the City of Portland Bureau of Purchases website, www.portlandonline.com/omf/Durchases. Please direct your ques tions to Lynda Lewis, Project Manager (503) 823-4140, llewis@ci.portland.or.us. Minority, women and emerging small businesses are encouraged to submit proposals. umphs once again. Though the Patriot Act was signed into law E ditor -I n -C hief , P ublisher : Charles H. Subscriptions are $ 6 0 .0 0 per year Washington EoiTOR.Michael L eighton 503-2««-003J FAX 5OJ-28R-OOI5 news@Dortlandobserver.com subscription@portlandobserver, com ads@portlandobserver.com classifieds @Dortlandobserver, com R epórter : Katherine Blackmore D istribution M anager : M ark W ashington C reative D irector : Paul N eufeldt O efice M anager : K athy Linder The Portland Observer welcomes freelance submissions. Manuscripts and photographs should he clearly labeled and will be returned if accompanied by a self addressed envelope All created design display ads become the sole property o f Ihe 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 THF. PORTLAND OBSERVER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 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