A p ril 9. 2008 Page A4 Opinion articles do not necessarily represent the views o f the Portland Observer. We welcome reader essays, photos and story ideas. Submit to news@portlandobserver.com. O pinion Demand Freedom for Mumia Abu-Jamal What Would 4 multiracial group gathers in downtown Portland on March 28 to support imprisoned black radical journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal. Philadelphia policem an, gained by J ordan «) S ardo In a cruel blow to justice on racist ju ry selection, coercion of March 27, a three-judge panel o f w itnesses and violation o f Mumia's the 3rd II.S. Circuit Court o f A p­ constitutional rights. The panel's long-aw aited deci­ peals rejected the appeal by politi­ cal prisoner and black radical jo u r­ sion also said that if the prosecu­ nalist Mumia A bu-Jam al for a new tion w ishes to reinstate the death penalty against A bu-Jam al, which trial. The panel upheld M um ia's false w as o ver-turned by a previous 1982 conviction for the m urder o f a judge, it m ust hold a new jury hear- by ing, which could reconsider only M um ia's sentencing, not his co n ­ viction. The only sentencing op­ tions are the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility o f parole. The voices o f all o f M umia's supporters need to be lifted im m e­ diately to protest this appalling decision! The ruling ignores a record of racist bias in this case that is now more than 25 years long. M umia has been out-spoken against po­ lice m isconduct and on behalf of African A m ericans and all the o p p resse d sin c e his te en a g e years as a m em ber o f the Black Panther Party. It is becau se he is a lead er w ith in teg rity and p rin cip les that he b ecam e a targ et o f the system . A nd w e can n o t afford to let that system silence M um ia as it has silen ced to o m any o f o u r m ilitan t m ovem ent leaders in the past! W hat civil rights activists do now is crucial. Robert Bryan, M umia's head attorney, says that he will appeal the new decision, which included a strong dissent by one m em ber o f the three-judge panel in M um ia's favor. It is time to shake the system to dem and freedom for M u m i a ! Dem onstrations were held on March 28 around the country to insist o n a n e w trial. Indow ntow n Portland, M um ia supporters gath­ ered in the cold to publicize the injustice o f the ruling and re-new visibility to M um ia’s case. N a­ tional demonstrations will take place on April 19 in San Francisco and April 26 in Philadelphia. For more inform ation and news updates, visit freem um ia.com and freemumia.cfrg. T o get involved locally, contact the Freedom So­ cialist Party at 503-240-4462. Jordano Sardo is the Portland organizer fo r the Freedom Social­ ist Party. NEW SEASONS M AR KET AT A R B O R L O D G E / •• • Martin Think? 40 years after his assassination by D arryi . R. M atthews , S r . If Dr. King w e re h e re , alive not ju st in spirit, I won­ d e r: W hat w ould Martin th in k ? W hat would he think about what we have becom e since the founding o f the C ivil R ights M ovem ent he headed? W hat w ould M artin think about w hat we have done with the baton (the legacy) he passed on to u s? Can we truly say that we have so m any issu es. He w as c o n ­ cern ed that the m o v em en t w as losing gro u n d . He w as con cern ed b ecau se a m y riad o f voices w ere r a is i n g q u e s t i o n s a b o u t h e m eth o d o f n o n -v io len ce that he practiced . P eo p le w ere upset b e­ c a u s e it a p p e a r e d th a t little p ro g ress w as b ein g m ade. A nd, at the sam e tim e, liv es w ere being lost for the sake o f an unrealized freed o m and eq u ality . It has often been said that God speaks through His people...and; one has to believe that on many occasions G od sent m essages to and through M artin Luther King Jr. Inour lifetime, we will likely never fully know the legacy and the true value o f Martin Luther King Jr. H ow ever, as the nation pauses to We cannot hope fo r another Martin. We must all become like Martin. answered thecall to uplift the down trodden with our tim e, talent and treasure when there is clearly still an urgent need? W hat w ould he think o f the high profile, publicity seeking pretend­ ers who have no plan and no clear o b jectiv es o th e r than to ex to rt money from corporate America, delivering no results o f real conse­ q u en ce? W hat would Martin think about the reluctance or refusal o f our youth to take full advantage o f the ed u catio n al o p p o rtu n ities from which their forbearers were legally excluded? We have young people who are looking for and in desperate need o f role m odels...instead they are given the pressures o f striving to have more and doing less. In the days b efo re his d eath — B rother King w as w restlin g w ith recognize Brother King on the 40lh anniversary o f his assassination, we m ust believe as King, that we people o f faith, have been called by a mighty G od to continue to do his work. Brother King would w ant us to expand o u rfo cu sfro m C iv il Rights to Silver Rights; to becom e more financially literate and economically em pow ered. He w ould not want us to trade old m asters for pagans. Possessions can be taken in the blink o f an eye ...ju st ask the folks in New O rleans. Many great men and women have gone on before us and no, one of th e m s o u g h t g r e a tn e s s . B ut, through their tireless w orks great­ ness was earned because they put self last and others first. Henry Ward Beecher said. “G reatness lies not in being strong, but in the right use o f stren g th .” Cl!f ijflnrtlanh (fobw cutr Established 1970 USPS 959-680 _______________________________ - / Me are a recto r pkarmauf. » \Ne fill p r e s c r ip tio n s — in c lu d in g a n tib io tic s , h ig h b lo o d p r e s s u r e m e d ic a tio n s , a n ti- d e p r e s s a n ts , b irth c o n tro l, a n d m o re . F j *' ✓ 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 w h o h a v e th e tim e to s h a re in fo r m a tio n . ✓ 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 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 r e q u e s te d . 4747 NE Martin Luther king. Jr. Blvd., Portland. OR 97211 EniTOK-iM-CHier. P u m is h / r : Charles ft'. 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