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O pinion
Opinion articles do not
necessarily reflect or represent the
views o f The Portland Observer
Removed from the Mainstrain
by
J udge G keg M athis
Ten years ago, the federal gov
ernment committed itself to lifting
women out of poverty and reduc
ing the number of families depen
dent on welfare. Over $50 bi 11 ion in
public and private funds have been
invested in programs designed to
prepare low-income women for sus
tainable employment.
While this push to reform the
public welfare system drew criti
cism - much of it deserved - many
poor women appear to be doing
better than they were a decade ago.
The same cannot be said for black
men. While the nation was focused
on uplifting poor women, brothers
fell behind.
W e’re familiar with the troubles
that plague our men - lack of jobs.
lure of the street life, a prison indus
trial complex dedicated to feeding
on our youth - but, according to a
recently released report, black men
are worse off than we previously
thought. The study revealed that
half of all black men living in the
inner city fail to finish high school.
Dropping out, more often than not,
leads to prison - among dropouts
in their late 20s, 34-percent have
spent time in prison. By their mid-
30s, 60-percent of black men who
dropped out of high school have
served time.
The study goes on to list other
heartbreaking facts - record-set-
ting incarceration and high unem
ployment rates, low high school
completion numbers andeven lower
college graduation figures... the list
March 29. 2006
Don't abandon black men
streets. It’s a dangerous cycle.
This country must begin to in
vest in black men, the same way it
invested in low-income women. If
black men are to thrive, the govern
ment must put more money towards
educating our men, rather than in
carcerating them.
Lawmakers must support train
ing programs - job and life skills
training - that will provide our men
with the tools they need to become
productive
citizens. Inner city high
many sisters are raising their chil
schools
should
develop retention
dren alone and, as more black
women realize their "American programs that specifically target
dream" by graduating from college at-risk teens; keeping our boys in
and becoming homeowners, the gap school is the first step to curbing
between our men and our women these disturbing trends. Commu
will only widen. With fewer posi nity organizations should provide
tive male role models to look up to, after-school tutoring and mentoring
our boys will fall victim to the and actively recruit troubled teens
While the nation
was focused on
uplifting poor
women, brothers
fell behind.
goes on and on.
Despite the progress made by
other segments of American soci
ety, black women included, the black
male reality has become more and
more removed from the reality of
mainstream America. This discon
nect only serves to damage our
already fragile communities: too
to sign-up. Additionally, the crimi
nal justice system that appears to
destroy black men must be reformed.
As African-Americans, we have
a duty to our people; when one
o f us is doing w ell, we m ust
reach back and help another.
We m ust begin to take personal
responsibility for the men in our
lives and en sure they stay on
the right track. I t’s going to
take a lot o f w ork to bring black
men back to w here they need -
and d eserv e - to be. But, if we
fully com m it o u rselv es to the
task, we can lift our brothers up.
Judge Greg Mathis is national
vice president o f Rainbow PUSH
and a national board member o f
the Southern Christian Leadership
Conference.
Successful Lives Depend on All the Facts
‘Abstinence
until marriage’
not enough
by
A nn L. H anson
Today in our country and else
where around the world, many
battles are being waged. There are
battles over terrorism, poverty, im
perialism, human rights - the list
goes on and on. Many fail to rec
ognize a battle over what type of
sexuality education should be
taught in public schools. This is
sue has been around for years - but
its importance has never been
greater.
It is important to differentiate
between what we mean by “per
sonal values” (often rooted in one's
eral funds, a program
needs to follow very re
strictive guidelines as to
what can be taught. In
formation about contra
ception focuses on fail
ure rates. No informa
tion can be shared about
sexual orientation.
As much as many
adults would like to think differ
ently, many youth are engaging in
sexual activities that result in unin
tended pregnancies and sexually
transmitted diseases. Reputable
studies show that children receiv
ing comprehensive sexuality edu
cation - including abstinence - are
far more likely to protect themselves
from negative consequences when
they become sexually active. And
their attitudes about sexuality will
be far more positive than those who
Adults clinging to a just
■ W f j say no ’ sexuality education
may be putting their
B w r l children at risk.
\
deeply held religious beliefs) and gious or a non-religious group -
"moral values” or “societal values” taught as universal truth. Instead,
that most people share like hon commonly held values we hold as a
esty, responsibility, human dignity, society (honesty, responsibility,
selfworth, human dignity, and com
and compassion.
In a family setting, personal passion) do seem appropriate for
sexual values should be taught. incorporation into public school
However, it is not healthy in our sexuality education.
Over the past ten years, our gov
democratic society to have the per
sonal sexual values of any one ernment has spent more than a bil
group - whether that group is one lion dollars funding “abstinence-
of the many variations of Christian only-until-m arriage” sexuality
ity, Judaism, Islam and other reli education. In order to receive fed
Blinded by the Tax ‘Kicker’
State revenue system
needs reform
by S en . A vel G ordi . y
O regon possesses many unique
qualities that are the envy of other states,
but the tax rebate program enacted in
1979 known as “the kicker" is not one of
them. Oregon remains the only state with
such a law on the books.
This law would be more appropriately
nam ed a fte r fu tility ’s n am esake
Sisyphus, who, blinded, spends eternity push
ing a massive boulder to the top of a mountain
only to have it tumble back to the bottom where
he must star, over again.
Oregon’s unique kicker law requires the state
economist to predict the future within a two
percent margin for error despite the fact that our
unique state revenue system is uniquely un
predictable. We are blind like Sisyphus.
Oregon’s revenue system is
the most volatile in the nation,
yet the kicker law requires the
state to estimate its future bud
get as if income tax revenue is
stable enough to be predicted
two years into the future. The
task— like Sisyphus’— is futile.
The kicker law does not re
liée, actual need, neither at the
time the prediction of tax rev
enues is made nor at the time the future arrives
and the real numbers become known. By then,
it is too late to adjust budgets.
The “carrot" that has made the kicker law
popular is the promise that taxpayers and cor
porations might receive a rebate if state rev
enues exceed Sisyphus' best guess by more
than two percent.
But those rebates cannot be predicted ei
ther, and the “stick” of budget uncertainty
haunts Oregon like— like Sisyphus' mountain,
unmovable in every sense of the word, impas
sive in the face of extraordinary human suffer
ing and in the face of opportunities to invest in
O regon's education continuum: Pre-Kinder
garten, K-12, community colleges and the uni
v e rsity system . T he e n tire sy stem is
underinvested.
I urge Oregonians to recognize the structural
barriers to stability and adequacy that O regon's
revenue system and the kicker law impose on
Oregon’seconomic potential and our children’s
futures. We need to work to reform and restruc
ture our revenue system so that it meets 21“
century needs.
Sen. Avel Gordly represents northeast and
southeast Portland in the Oregon Legislature.
have received education that often
is based on fear and shame.
How can we, as adults, model the
values of honesty, responsibility,
self worth, human dignity, and com
passion to children if we withhold
information they need in order to
make healthy decisions? Adults
clinging to a ‘just say no’ sexuality
education may be putting their chil
dren at risk.
What do our children want and
need? The book, Faith Matters,
edited by Rev. Steve Clapp, shares
the results of a study of almost
6,(XX) religious youth representing
a wide range of denominations.
Those youth who had received full
information on the prevention of
pregnancy and sexually transmit
ted disease were not any morelikely
or less likely than other youth to
have been sexually active - but
none of them reported pregnancy
or a sexually transmitted disease.
Those youth who did not re
ceive that inform ation were not
as fortunate. The youth in the
study were virtually unanim ous
in saying that they needed more
inform ation on sexuality and that
they yearned for adults in their
lives who could be more open
and honest with them.
As adults who lovechildren, let’s
listen to what they are telling us. It
makes a difference what type of
education they receive. Their lives
may literally depend on it.
Ann L. Hanson is minister fo r
children and fam ilies and human
sexual advocacy in the Witness fo r
Justice and Peace ministry fo r the
United Church o f Christ.
Censure First Step
It’s about time that somebody stepped up and said w hat's right. I,
is not about being popular or worrying about stepping on other
people's toes. It’s about sending a message to President Bush and his
supporters that it is not okay to break the law and continue working like
nothing happened.
A clear message must be sent. Censuring is the first step to sending
that message.
Nathan Wenk
Northwest Portland
War Doctrine Disaster
The Bush doctrine of pre-emptive wars has been a disaster in Iraq—
making America and the world less safe.
Instead of a public relations campaign, the presiden, needs to come
up with an exit strategy with a timeline to bring our troops home.
Unfortunately, U.S. troop presence helps fuel the insurgency. Iraq
will best be able to achieve stability when U.S. troops leave.
Congress has an important responsibility to stand up to the presi
dent and insist on an exit strategy. Unfortunately the Republicans
ninning Congress w on', stand up to Presiden, Bush.
Matthew Cox
Southeast Portland
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