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lanuary 10, 2007
2007 s p e c i a l e d itio n
Page A4
Opinion articles do not
necessarily reflect or represent the
views o f The Portland Observer
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DEFINITION OF INSANITY: TO KEEP DOING THE SAME THING AND EXPECT DIFFERENT RESULTS
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Police Misconduct
In the last six months, Portland police have once again attacked a
mentally ill person. Your Dee. 20 account of Sir J. Millage, a 15-year-old
African American autistic boy, who was tasered made me sick to my
stomach.
Portland police officers stated that the reason Millage was stopped
was because he didn’t have a shirt or shoes on in the middle the night.
As far as I see it, no law was broken. With the many cold nights that we
have had, why didn't it cross Portland officer Andrew Griggs' mind that
Millage may have been a person who suffers a mental disability?
I fee! that Millage who has the mind of a 2-year-old and can hardly
talk was probably more afraid of Portland P.D. officers not knowing what
to do or how to defend himself.
Officer Griggs said that Millage was holding a large tan item,
“possibly" a large piece of metal, and that M illage's fixed gaze led him
to shoot the kid with the tazer. Not once did the officer state that Millage
tried to attack him or any other officers. As far as a fixed gaze, I myself
would have a fixed gaze if officers were standing in front of me with a
tazer pointing at me.
The police stated that they interpreted Millage's cries as anger rather
than pain. And that he refused to roll onto his stomach. Remember this
African American youth had the mind of a 2-year-old. This was probably
the most pain he had ever encountered in his life. M illage's cries would
be more of a child who couldn’t understand to roll on his stomach at the
time he was being tazered. With the kid being tazered a number of times
why would Officer Michael Chapman beat him with his baton?
The Portland Police Department needs to be accountable for what
happened. All the churches across Portland need to stand and support
Pastor Mary Overstreet Smith, M illage's great grandmother. The
churches need to get involved in the community like they used to in the
70s. Not only the African American organizations, but all organizations
fighting for people’s rights need to support Pastor Smith.
The mental health organizations also need to teach Portland P.D. to
know and understand when they are dealing with a person who might
have a mental disability.
Sir J. Millage was brutally tazered and beaten by the real gang in blue.
Power to the peope.
Gary Clay Sr.
Northeast Portland
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James Brown Electrified a Generation
He reminded us to rejoice in our heritage
by M arc
H. M orial
The career and life of the
"Hardest Working Man in Show
Business" ended on Christmas
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Day. But James Brown’s spirit lives.
Brown electrified a generation, an
entertainer with so prolific a body
of work and so distinctive a genre
of style that entertainers for more
than four decades have either bor­
rowed from or have been inspired
by.
From the time he first took the
stage in the 1950s, James Brown,
proved to be a cultural tourde force
- his own man with his own vision
and immense pride in his heritage.
In his art, he embraced the blues,
gospel and R&B of his musical pre­
decessors in forging a musical des­
tiny that defied convention and
was completely his own. He was
the consummate showman.
The tributes following his death
proved the perfect
encore for a life that
was at times difficult
and painful but nev­
ertheless important
and exciting. Only
the "G odfather of
Soul" himself could
make such a dramatic
and riveting exit in
death.
Brown em erged
the Every Man in the
black com m unity,
where he forged his strongest
bonds. He set aside convention
and remained true to himself - warts
and all. With hits like "Please,
Please, Please", "Papa'sGot a Brand
New Bag" and "I Got You (I Feel
Good)," he made an indelible im­
print on American culture.
During the Civil Rights Move­
ment of the 1960s, he emerged as an
icon of black culture - reminding us
to rejoice in our heritage and shout
out in pride for ourselves.
He showed us that we didn't
need to conform to the expecta­
tions of mainstream America to take
a rightful place in society. He made
us realize that we are as entitled to
the rights and privileges of U.S.
citizenship as anyone else.
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In 1968, Brown's "Say It Loud:
I'm Black and I'm Proud" unified
and energized the African Ameri­
can community in our period of
mourning over the death of Rev.
Martin Luther King Jr., who had
been assassinated five months ear­
lier. It became one of the most popu­
lar black power anthems of the
1960s and also struck a chord with
mainstream America, getting to# 10
on the Top 10 charts.
Through songs like "I Don't
Want Nobody To Give Me Noth­
ing (Open Up The Door, I’ll Get It
Myself) that chronicled the chal­
lenges faced by blacks in the United
States at the time. Brown made his
activism known in real and straight­
forward ways.
Despite his penchant for
colorful garb and larger-than-
life persona, he was hardly a
flash in the pan or a one-hit
wonder. He continued to
persevere in the music industry
up until his last days.
In addition to being the godfa­ and funk. And his unforgettable
ther of various genres of music and stew o f blues, gospel and R&B,
dance moves, you could say he u n c o n v e n tio n a l rh y th m s and
was the godfather o f economic captivating life shows spaw ned a
empowerment and equal opportu­ wide range of new musical genres.
He was not only the "Godfather
nity.
While Brown had a different im­ of Soul" - but the godfather of disco,
pact than Ray Charles or Sam Cooke funk, hip-hop — the list goes on.
At the various celebrations of
on mainstream Americans, he surely
struck a nerve am ong African his life - at the Apollo Theater, in
his hometown in Georgia and else­
Americans.
With 60 songs in the Billboard where, James Brown left this world
Top 10 R&B chart, he racked up just the way he led his life - a con­
more hits than any other artist. His summate showman and courageous
success on the Top 10 Pop chart visionary. He leaves an enduring
was not as great - less than a dozen legacy that will remain forever
hits - not enough to put him in the etched in our memories.
Marc H. Morial is president and
top 25 artists, something that be­
fuddles music criticsgiven Brown's chief executive officer o f the Na­
ability to get on the charts for more tional Urban League
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than four decades.
Despite his penchant for color­
ful garb and larger-than-life per­
sona, he was hardly a flash in the
pan or a one-hit wonder. He contin­
ued to persevere in the music in­
dustry up until his last days.
W here he had his greatest im ­
pact was with the countless art­
ists he inspired. Brown shines
through in the work o f his suc­
cessors - from the guitar licks of
Prince to the dance moves of
Michael Jackson. He mesmerized
Rolling Stones' frontm an Mick
Jagger in the 1960s concert film
"The T.A .M .I. Show" who built
much o f his own stage persona
around Brown's signature style.
Rappers have borrow ed his beats