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O pinion
August 2, 2006
Opinion articles do not
necessarily reflect or represent the
views o f The Portland Observer
Mideast Ceasefire Would Promote Peace
E d it o r
Publishers Association
( ^ d e b i i l i O li] 4 C \ v c r s i t l f
Aggression
breeds more
aggression
As violence continues to es­
calate in Lebanon and Israel,
national and international church
bodies have lifted up their voices
in a unified call for restraint of
violence, for ceasefire and for
the use of a diplomatic process.
The Ecumenical M inistriesof
Oregon Board o f Directors en­
dorsed the following statement
o f the N ational C ouncil of
“ L if e ' s m o s t u r g e n t q u e s t io n is :
W h a t a r e you d o in g fo r o t h e r s ?”
C h u rch es USA and C hurch
W orld Service on the current
violence in the M iddle East:
We hear Jesus’ lament in the
cries o f the Israelis, Palestin­
ians, and Lebanese, the C hris­
tians, Jews, M uslims, and oth­
ers whose lives are threatened
by this u n en d in g v io len ce.
W here can this cycle o f ven­
geance, retribution and violence
lead?
W hen will all Israeli leaders
see that aggression only breeds
more aggression, and that secu­
rity cannot be achieved through
the oppression and humiliation
o f others?
When will all Palestinian lead­
ers understand that calls for ju s ­
tice dem and the doing o f justice,
and that suffering injustice does
not confer moral license to re­
spond with violence?
When will the United States
see that being an honest, effec­
tive broker for peace requires
fairness in our dealings with both
the Israelis and the Palestinians,
and now the Lebanese, and that
doing nothing to end the vio­
lence costs us dearly in spirit,
blood, treasure, and moral in­
tegrity?
W e call upon o u r ow n go v ­
ernm ent and all governm ents,
re co g n izin g the su cc ess o f
form er peace initiatives, to en ­
courage ag grieved parties to
engage in earnest negotiation,
and through the U nited N a­
tions to w ork with all c o n ­
cerned parties to ad d ress im ­
m ediate hum anitarian needs
and to resolve the long-term
¡ s u e s underlying the co n tin ­
ued violence:
We call upon all parties in the
Middle East to end the current
hostilities, to develop non-vio­
lent strategies for engagem ent,
and to work toward a just and
sustainable settlem ent o f the is­
sues that plague the region;
We call upon the religious
com m unities o f the region to
pray, teach and lead their people
in the ways o f peace, and upon
religious com m unities through­
out the world to walk with them
in so lid arity until peace is
achieved; and call upon its m em­
ber com m unions to pray for all
those who have suffered and
died as a result o f this violence,
and their families and com m uni­
ties, and to engage in hum ani­
tarian and advocacy actions for
peace.
Voting Act’s Powerful Message:
Martin Lather King Junior
as modem attempts to discourage
voting, are strong indications that
the protections are still needed, and
that there remains an element in our
society that does not want full par­
ticipation in elections.
by C harles S teele J r .
We had a situation where 181
The signing of the renewal of the
R
e
p u b lic a n s s u p p o rte d an
Voting Rights Act sends a power­
am
endm
ent that would have re­
ful message that outright disen­
stricted,
and possibly made it
franchising of minority voters will
impossible
for citizens who do
not be tolerated in our country.
not
speak
English
as their first
It would have been a
Fair and free
elections
B ecome a
P o r t l a n d F ir e f ig h t e r
Exam Date, November 1st, 2006
Accepting Applications Beginning of October
Call our 24-hour job hotline
at (503) 823-1343
or
Call our Recruitment Officer, AJ Jackson
at (503) 823-3811
or
Visit our website at www.portlandonline.com/fire
terrible stain on our de­
mocracy if the Congress
had not passed this leg­
islation, or if the presi­
dent had not signed it.
The legislation first
enacted during the civil
rights movement in 1965
outlaws poll taxes, lit­
eracy tests and other de­
plorable tactics that can
be used to prevent African Ameri­ language to get ballots. That dem ­
cans from voting. The law also re­ onstrates there are people w ant­
quires that states with a history of ing to play partisan politics with
past violations of voting rights - som ething so fundamental to our
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Geor­ dem ocracy as the right to vote.
Since the Voting Rights Act
gia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South
was
first enacted the Justice De­
Carolina, Texas and Virginia - re­
partment
has identified 200 inci­
ceive Justice Department approval
dents
in
Georgia
alone of officials
for changes in their procedures.
attem
pting
to
enact
voting prac­
The lengthy debate in Congress
tices
that
would
have
negatively
over provisions of the law, as well
im pacted black voters. In fact,
the state passed, and the depart­
ment approved, a law requiring
photo identification before vot­
ing in the state, but im plem enta­
tion has been blocked by the
courts.
We are not naive. We know that
disenfranchising of voters is still
taking place. What happened in
Florida in 2(MX) and Ohio in 2004 is
still fresh in our minds.
We are not naive. We
know that disen­
franchising o f voters is
still taking place.
But at least with the renewal of
the Voting Rights Act, we can again
say it is the official stance of this
nation that our elections are sup­
posed to be fair and free of ob­
stacles that can prevent people from
executing their constitutional right
to vote.
Charles Steele Jr. is p resident o f
the Southern Christian Leadership
Conference.
Serious Public Health Hazard
Everyone deserves protection from secondhand smoke
W e R espond
lowed, inhaling toxic fumes is an
No one should be required to unavoidable part of the job.
U.S. Surgeon General Richard
breathe unhealthy air as a condi­
Carmona
has released a compre­
tion of employment. Yet for the
hensive
new
report that definitively
35,000 Oregonians who work in
concludes
that
secondhand smoke
places where indoor smoking is al-
is a killer and must be addressed as
a serious hazard to public health.
Studies have shown that simply
breathing secondhand smoke for
as little as 30 minutes can cause
blood vessels to constrict and raise
the risk of heart attack or stroke.
Secondhand smoke is responsible
for lung cancer in non-smokers, for
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and
for respiratory illness and asthma
in children.
It isnow clearthateven minimal
exposure to secondhand smoke
should be avoided. Most of us have
a choice about that exposure. But
what about those who work six,
eight or even I O-hour shifts in bars
and restaurants where smoking is
^ W e fill p r e s c r ip tio n s — in c lu d in g a n tib io tic s ,
allowed?
h ig h b lo o d p r e s s u r e m e d ic a tio n s ,
Here in Oregon we arc working
a n ti- d e p re s s a n ts , b irth c o n tr o l, a n d m o re .
on many fronts to keep Oregonians
healthy. But when it comes to sec­
✓ W e h a v e k n o w le d g e a b le , frie n d ly p h a r m a c is ts
ondhand
smoke, we are not suc­
w h o h a v e th e tim e to s h a r e in fo r m a tio n .
ceeding. Secondhand smoke kills
an estimated 8(X)Oregon non-smok­
✓ O u r p r ic e s a re c o m p e titiv e . W e a c c e p t m o s t
ers
every year. There is a solution.
in s u r a n c e p la n s a n d a re a d d in g o th e r s a s
Oregonians
can decide to protect
re q u e s te d .
their friends and families from this
hazardous exposure.
| r W e s p e c ia liz e in c u s t o m c o m p o u n d in g
We can demand that all work­
M e e t y o u r P h a r m a c is t
places
become smokefree. By sim­
M e lm d a B u tle r
ply requiring that people step out­
side to have their cigarettes, we can
Y O U R L O C A L L Y O W N E D , N E IG H B O R H O O D P H A R M A C Y A T A R B O R L O D G E
protect the health of 35,000 work­
N IN T E R S T A T E A V E N U E & P O R T L A N D B L V D • 5 0 3 .4 6 7 .4 8 4 8
ing Oregonians. Such a simple ac­
w w w .n e w s e a s o n s m a r k e t.c o m • M O N - F R I 9 a m - 7 p m • S A T 9 a m - 6 p m • S U N 1 0 a m - 4 p m
by
D r , S usan A llan
Always Ready
Always There
SEASONS
M A R K E T
y&7 UJe are a re n te r pharmacy!
I
I
tion on behalfof public health, such
a little change that can improve the
health of so many.
Many communities across the
country have gone "smokefree" in
all worksites. Their businesses
have found that the change costs
them nothing and can even improve
their bottom line in a number of
ways, such as smaller insurance
premiums due to a lower risk of fires
and injuries, reduced cleaning and
maintenance costs and healthier
employees and higher productiv­
ity.
There are also benefits for em ­
ployees who smoke. Experience
shows that when a workplace goes
smokefree, employees who smoke
oftendeeidetoquit, improving their
health and that of their families.
This helps reduce future smoking
rates as well - when children and
teens are exposed to less smoking,
they are less likely to become smok­
ers themselves.
Currently more than 80 percent
of adult Oregonians do not smoke.
It is past time to take the next step
to reduce exposure to tobacco
smoke for Oregonians. Let's work
together to require that all work­
p la c e s becom e 100 p ercent
smokefree. After all, shouldn't ev­
eryone be able to breathe clean air
while they are on the job?
Susan A llan, M.D., J. D ., M. P. H.,
leads O regon's public health sy s­
tem a n d oversees p u b lic health
program s in the O regon D epart­
m ent o f H uman Services Public
Health Division.