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Page A4
1 JJnrtlanò COhseruer
October 18. 2006
O pinion
Opinion articles do not
necessarily reflect or represent the
views o f The Portland Observer
Political Censorship
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1RS suppresses
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Intimidating progressive voices in
this country — whether through wire
tapping or 1RS sanctions - will only
eliminate what little piece o f
democracy this nation has left.
Cutting and Running from Iraq?
Where’s the enlistments from
war’s proponents?
in J im H ightower
Kai I Rove's red-hot buzz phrase
tor this tail's election is "cut-and-
run Democrat."
It’s meant to be hurled with a
derisive sneer at anyone who dares
oppose George W's war of lies and
failure in Iraq. But wait - the obvi
ous response to this is that those in
the administration itself cut and ran
long ago.
When it comes to standing firm
in Iraq, who is actually standing
there? Not Mr. Bush's two daugh
ters or eight nieces and nephews.
•S'
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They're all of prime enlistment age,
but they chose to cut and run rather
than sign up for their Daddy's war.
Not the loved ones of Cheney,
Rummy, or any of the other ardent
warmongers in
Bush's top circle - they cut and
ran, too.
Then there's Congress. A recent
"New York Times" article practi
cally wailed that Sen. Max Baucus’
nephew had been killed in Iraq,
saying it "showed how death and
grief can invade the halls on Con
gress." Indeed, this young man's
death is horrible, as are those of the
2,700 other Americans who have
been sacrificed in this wretched
war. But while feeling the pain of
this one senator, let’s not forget
that Congress continues to throw
our young people, our public trea
sury, and our global reputation into
the wasteland of Iraq - yet, of 535
members of'Congress, only six have
close relatives whose lives have
been put at risk there. The loved
ones of the other 99 percent of
lawmakers have chosen not to take
a stand in Iraq.
The same is true of the right-
wing media hlatherers. the military
contractors that are profiting from
the war, the Wall Street financial
G reg M athis
Churches, social jus
tice organizations and
other nonprofits are pro
hibited under the law from
doing any political cam
paign work. If they break
the rules, the Internal Revenue Ser
vice can come in and snatch away
the organization's tax exempt sta
tus.
The law was first introduced in
1954 by then-Sen. Lyndon Johnson
who wanted to stop verbal attacks
against him by some nonprofit or
ganizations in his home state of
Texas. It seems the law is once
again being used to silence dis
senting political voices. The IRS
nization has been attacked for its
views. A fter Julian Bond, the
NAACP’s chairman, made
negative remarks about the
president in a speech at the
group's national conven
tion, the NA ACPrecei ved a
letter from the 1RS request
ing information related to
the speech. The NAACP,
the country's oldest civil
rightsorganization, refused tocom-
ply. That resistance was rewarded
in the courts. We can only hope All
Saints Church will also be victori
ous.
The Bush administration sup
ports conservative Christian orga
nizations through its "faith-based"
initiatives. Those very same groups
have a huge impact on the current
administration’s policy decisions -
issues such as stem cell research,
has once again gone after an orga
nization that dared to present a
view that contradicts those of the
conservative right that currently
runs this country. Is the 1RS ag
gressively seeking to make sure
nonprofits play by the rules or is
the organization a pawn in a master
plan that seeks to limit freedom of
expression?
All Saints Episcopal Church in
Pasadena, Calif, is the 1RS’ latest
target. A guest speaker at the
church made antiwar comments a
few days before the 2004 presiden
tial elections. Now the 1RS wants
the church to turn over documents
that relate to those remarks.
Believing the probe is politically
motivated, the church's leaders
voted tochallenge the 1RS in court.
By refusing, the church forces the
IRS to either drop the case or to ask
the Justice Department to take the
church to court.
The 1RS' investigation is a clear
act of political censorship. It is ap
parent that the current administra
tion wants to suppress voices that
oppose the war in Iraq and the Bush
administration at large.
This isn’t the first time an orga-
powers, and the other elites who
damned sure aren't volunteering
to have their kids become "boots
on the ground.”
To stop this war in its tracks,
require that all these cut-and-run-
ners be a part of it. If Bush's war is
not worth putting their families at
risk, it's not worth the risk of any
family.
Rep. Charles Rangel has a bill
that confronts the hypocrisy of
these cut-and-runners. To learn
about his Universal Service Act,
call 202-225-4365.
Jim Hightower is the best-sell
ing author o f "Thieves In High
Places: They've Stolen Our Coun
try Anil It's Time To Take It Back."
Get the Flu Shot,
Not the Flu.
abortion and gay rights are all
heavily influenced by the Christian
right. The president himself often
uses his faith to justify his actions.
And, when mobilizing voters for
the 2004 elections, the president’s
chief strategist relied heavily on
conservative churches and organi
zations to spread his "message."
Y et, the federal government now
wants tochallengea liberal church,
returning to that old dictum, saying
church and state should be sepa
rate. The hypocrisy is appalling.
The Justice Department should
begin its own investigation. One
that looksinto these IRSchallenges
to find out whether they actually
have a legal basis or are politically
motivated. Our government agen
cies cannot be used as political
pawns. Intimidating progressive
voices in this country - whether
through wire tapping or 1RS sanc
tions-w ill only eliminate what little
piece of democracy this nation has
left.
Judge Greg Mathis is national
vice president o f Rainbow PUSH
and a national board member of
the Southern Christian Leadership
Conference
Fight The Good Fight
T h an k s to the P ortland Freeman.
Observer’s Sarah Blount and Mark
Anyway, as that community re
Washington for capturing the lead builds and fight the good fight,
story in the Oct. 4 edition depicting along with the local authorities to
the goings on at the Longview resolve these events and rid their
House of Prayer for All Nations community of hate mongers, it is
church.
nice to know that this local newspa
I grew up in Longview and in that per cares enough to shed light on
neighborhood and attended that civil rights offenses no matter where
church from time totime. My grand they originate!
mother is the civil rights pioneer
Carl Washington
you mention in the article, Victoria
North Portland
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Settle with Foxworth
Mayor Tom Potter should not and privacy afforded to all U.S.
spend taxpayers money in "vigor citizens by the First and Fourteenth
ously” defending demotion of Po Amendments.
lice Chief Derrick Foxworth.
Foxworth does not have to even
Potter should negotiate an out- prove he was racially discriminated
of -court settlement since the pri- to be afforded his free speech rights.
vatee-mails to Foxworth's girlfriend
Shantu Shah
are protected forms of free speech
Southwest Portland
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