^ ' ^ o r t l a n ò (JObseruer B l a c k
Page A4
H is to r y
M o n th
February 7, 2007
O pinion
Opinion articles do not
necessarily reflect or represent the
views o f The Portland Observer
America’s Cradle-to-Prison Pipeline
A scourge of epidemic proportions
M arian W right E delman
Suppose that over the next decade, a
quarter of all the children bom in New
York. North Carolina. Texas. Colorado.
Ohio and Pennsylvania were infected by
a virulent new strain o f polioor tuberculo­
sis sometime during their youth.
Clearly, our response to a health crisis
affecting a combined population of 80
million people would be to mobilize the
nation's vast public health resources.
Medical labs would operate around the
clock to develop new vaccines.
Unfortunately, an infection akin to this
hypothetical tragedy is actually coursing
through Black and Latino communities
across the nation. I'm not referring to a
virus such as HIV-AIDS or a hazardous
b a c te riu m . I'm ta lk in g ab o u t the
criminalization of prior and minority chil­
by
dren whoenter America's "Cradle to Prison
Pipeline.”
T ogether, African A m ericans and
Latinos comprise a segment of the U.S.
population equal to the six above states.
Like the victims of a crippling or w asting
disease, once draw n into the prison pipe­
line, tens of thousands of young people
have the opportunity to live happy, pro-
duetive lives stolen from them, not by
festering microbes, but by years spent
behind bars.
The Children's Defense Fund has stud­
ied the grim pathology of the "Cradle to
Prison Pipeline” and its devastating im­
pact on our nation’s poor children and
teens. The pipeline is made upof a complex
array of social and economic factors as
well as political choices that converge to
reduce the odds that poor children, espe-
cially poor minority children, will grow up
to become productive adults.
These factors include disparities in
access to health and mental health care,
underperforming schools, broken child
lion, criminalized youngsters return to
communities that are ill equipped to posi­
tively reintegrate them. Outcast and un­
employed, they become the teachers and
role models for a new crop of youngsters
Disparate treatment based
on income and race plays a
role at virtually every
decision point in the clogged
American system o f justice.
welfare and juvenile justice systems, and
a toxic youth culture that praises pimps
and glorifies violence.
Hardened by long terms of incarcera-
pushed onto the street comers of America's
socially and econom ically depressed
neighborhoods.
This cycle o f re-infection makes the
A n A fr ic a n A m e r ic a n P resid en t?
Obama has things in his
favor, but also faces obstacles
Although Barack Obama is dif­
ferent from previous African-Ameri­
can presidential candidates, it is stil I
unclear if most Americans are ready
to elect a black president, say two
Duke University political scientists.
Last month, U.S. Sen. Barack
Obama took his first step into the
2(X)8 presidential race by opening
an exploratory committee to raise
money and begin building acampaign.
Kerry Haynie, an associate profes­
sor of political science who teaches a
class on African-American politics, said
Obama represents the latest iteration
of "new black politicians.”
“Unlike his most recent predeces­
sors, Rev. Al Sharpton and Rev. Jesse
Jackson, Obama does not have roots in
the Civil Rights movement, he doesn’t
rely on the black church as his base of
support, and he sees himself more as a
His most important strengths are
his charisma, his innocence and
what appears to be an ability to
bridge racial and partisan divides.
- Kerry Haynie, Duke University political scientist.
problem-solver than an agitator or an
activist. He is attempting to transcend
race and party identification," Haynie
said.
Haynie and fellow Duke political
scientist Paula McClain say Obama
has many things working in his favor,
but also faces great obstacles.
"His most important strengths are
his charisma, his innocence and what
appears to be an ability to bridge racial
and partisan divides,” Haynie said.
’JlnrHanb CDbseruer Established 1970
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"His lack of national and international
political experience and his untested
ability to raise large sums of campaign
cash are his most important weak-
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E ditor
nesses.
McClain, a professor of political
science and public policy, noted that
Obama currently has "rock star” status
within the Democratic Party.
Unlike black presidential candi­
dates Shirley Chisholm in 1972 and
Jesse Jackson in 1984 and 1988,
Obam a “is running as an insider to
the D em ocratic Party. C hisholm 's
candidacy was clearly not welcomed
and presents himself as wil ling to listen
toother points o f view. This ability will
make him appear less strident than some
of his competitors.”
But McClain and Haynie, who are
the co-directors o f the Center for the
Study of Race, Ethnicity, and Gender
in the Social Sciences at Duke, both
question the likelihood that Obama
will succeed in the race.
"Obama has had a meteoric and
somewhat unfettered rise,” McClain
said. “Unlike his potential competi­
tors, he has not experienced the ‘rough-
and-tumble’ politics that is character­
istic o f presidential politics.
"Second. Obama faces the major
issue that still clouds much of Ameri­
can politics today - race and how it
plays out in the political arena," said
McClain, whose research includes ra­
cial minority group politics. “Since the
1940s, when pollsters began asking the
question, the majority o f Americans
have said that they would vote for a
He has not experienced
the 'rough-and-tumble'
politics that is character­
istic of presidential politics.
P ublic R e la tio n s :
-Paula McClain, Duke University political scientist
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within the m ainstream o f the party
and Jackson’s bid resulted from frus­
trations with the party’s attention to
issues o f concern to black A m eri­
cans. O b am a's status will attract
money, professional cam paign staff
and media attention, all essential to
running a strong and com petitive
cam paign," M cClain said.
McClain added that Obama, “while
liberal in his leanings, is perceived as
black (Negro) for president. Yet, we
know this is no, the reality and what
people say to a pollster about their
potential support for a black candidate
often is not what is reflected in the
voting booth.”
McClain said she believes Obama
“stands a good shot at being the Demo­
cratic nominee to president. O f course.
Hillary Clinton is the biggest obstacle
he faces.”
SEASONS
Decadenze,
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continued
on page A5
Poppies Up,
Bush Down
Demand basic competence
by J im
H ightower
Here's some big news on the
agricultural front-this year's crop
has reached the highest level
ever, with an increase of 49 per­
cent over last year's production!
Unfortunately, we're not talk­
ing about American com, but the
opium crop in Afghanistan.
You remember Afghanistan, don't you? That’s
where Osama bin Laden was supposed to be head­
quartered, so our military pounded his Taliban back­
ers shortly after 9/11. Even though the Bushites failed
to get Osama either "dead or alive." we were told that
they had conquered Afghanistan, ousted the Taliban,
put a new leader in place, and set that country on an
inexorable path to democracy. Mission accomplished!
But wait - Afghanistan has now turned as messy as
Iraq. The Taliban is both resurgent and insurgent, Mr.
Bush's handpicked leader can't travel outside of the
capitol of his own country, and the poppy fields -
which sustain the Taliban with millions of drug traf­
ficking dollars - are flourishing again. Despite the fact
that poppy eradication has been a centerpiece of
Afghanistan policy, costing us taxpayers millions,
there was a 59 percent hike in the acreage devoted to
poppies last year. "You can say it's out of control,’'
said the head of the U.N. office on drugs. Indeed, the
White House itself has expressed alarm that Afghani­
stan is in danger o f becoming a full-fledged narcotics
state.
After Bush & Company have spent $88.2 billion of
our money and los, American lives there, the one clear
result is not a shining monument to democracy and
peace - but a country a, war with itself, largely ruled
by warlords and religious extremists, while currently
supplying 92 percent o f the world's opium crop.
The Bush policies have been a failure. It’s time to
stop blindly following bad leaders and demand basic
competence in the global effort to stop terrorists.
Jim Hightower is the best-selling author o f
"Thieves In High Places: They've Stolen Our Country
And It's Time To Take It Back. "
INVESTING
IN YOU
M A R K E T
SATURDAY & SUNDAY
"Cradle to Prison Pipeline" one o f the most
damaging health problems in America to­
day.
A major factor in determining whether
a child enters the prison pipeline is
access to health and mental health care.
C urrently, more than nine million chil­
dren in A m erica are w ithout health in­
surance. Unlike children in more afflu­
ent com m unities, few institutions are
available to intervene and address the
health problem s o f children from low-
income fam ilies. Few public schools
have the resources to recognize health
issues such as attention deficit/hyper-
activity disorder, post-traum atic stress
disorder or dyslexia and to provide chil­
dren with counseling and therapy, for
exam ple. The behavior o f children with
these problem s is more often perceived
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