il?v$Iortlanh © hseruer_______________________
Page A4
luiy so. 2008
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O pinion
We Need
Community
Schools
MERÍfyS W orst NÍGH17MRÉ HA'S G>/ ae T° PASS—
Uplifting local
neighborhoods
by J udge G reg
AM Avevi
Unfunny Cartoon
by
M arc M orial
I want to add iny voice to the growing
chorus o f Americans who were offended by
the unfunny cartoon that appeared on the July
21 cover o f The New Yorker magazine.
As has been w idely reported, the New
Yorker cover, in what they claim was
a sincere attempt at satire, depicted
caricatures o f Barack and Michelle
Obama fist-bumping in the Oval O f
fice, w ith Barack wearing M uslim
garb, M ichelle dressed like a 60s-era
machine-gun toting revolutionary, the
American flag burning in the fireplace
and a picture o f Osama Bin Laden on
the wall.
The cartoonist, Barry B litt and the New
Yorker editor, David Remnick, have defended
the cover as "satire meant to target distor
tions, misconceptions and prejudices about
Obama."
The Ohama campaign called it "tasteless
and offensive." I agree.
W ith more than 10 percent o f American
voters holding the false belief that Senator
Obama is actually a M uslim , or worse, that he
has sympathies for terrorists, now is not the
time, and the New Yorker front cover is not
the place to play games w ith this misconcep
tion.
As is so often the case w ith mainstream
assumptions that thrive in an airtight cultural
vacuum, the New Yorker assumed that be
cause its urbane, white readership, would
immediately get the "joke," everybody else
would too. How wrong they were.
Outrage at the insensitivity o f the cover is
raging across the wide swath o f America that
M athis
America needs to start thinking
differently about the services its
public schools provide. O f course schools must, first
and foremost, educate. And educate well. But, w ith
students spending nearly six hours each weekday in
school, there is a need and an opportunity for school
districts to provide additional services.
Over time, these services, i f they are w ell funded
and administered properly, can reduce crime in the
surrounding com m unity, improve the overall health
and well-being o f young people and, most importantly,
encourage student achievement.
Currently, students go to school and are instructed
by their teachers. They may eat breakfast at the
school and w ill definitely be provided lunch. Some
school districts in poor communities have a"traveling”
doctor and, possibly, a dentist who comes in once or
twice a year to b riefly examine students and then
sends recommendations fo r follow -up care home to
Playing games with a misconception
lives outside the universe o f Manhattan.
M illio n s o f Americans who have never
picked up a copy o f the New Yorker under
stand the unique nuances and potential pitfalls
o f a presidential campaign featuring the first
African American candidate who happens to
have a funny sounding name and a
seriously powerful and intelligent
black w ife. It is hard to believe that
a supposedly sophisticated and po
litica lly astute publication like the
New Yorker doesn't get it.
A substantial percentage o f white
Americans either bel ieve or want to
in this campaign. Senator Obama's opponent,
John McCain is being unambiguously hailed
at every turn as a courageous patriot who
spent five years in a POW camp during the
Vietnam War.
The New Yorker cover and its defensive
posture in the wake o f the widespread objec
tion to it, demonstrate, not only a disrespect
fo r the candidate, his w ife, and this most
important presidential campaign, but also the
need fo r more diverse and dissenting voices in
the editorial boardrooms o f American media.
I understand and applaud the important role
that humor and satire play in exposing the
The New Yorker assumed that
because its urbane, white
readership would immediately get
the "joke," everybody else would
too. How wrong they were.
believe the worst about Barack and M ichelle
as a smokescreen for other historically en
trenched fears.
For this small but significant subset o f
citizens, the cartoon cover confirms those
fears. The New Yorker's political and racial
tone deafness is especially troubling since the
issue o f patriotism has been front and center
It’s not your standard funeral home...
it’s the new standard in funeral homes.
RRY FAMILY
FUNERAL H O M
worst and promoting the best o f the American
experience. But let me be clear: It is in no
way satirical to suggest that M ichelle Obama
is unpatriotic. It is sim ply not amusing to infer
that somehow Barack Obama has affection
for a man who has killed 3,0(X) Americans.
Marc Morial is president and chief execu
tive officer o f the National Urban League.
their parents.
I f a student is especially troubled, a school social
worker, already overloaded w ith cases, is called in to
speak w ith them. Extras such as tutoring, reading
lessons, gymnastics classes, computer-based instruc
tion, are voluntary.
Most students are out o f school by 3 p.m. each day
and many o f their parents do not arrive home until well
after 5 p.pi. During this time, many o f our young
people hang out w ith friends, unsupervised, and are
introduced to the alcohol, drugs and gangs. They are
seduced by the street life and begin to suffer academi
cally.
‘
,
C om m unity schools provide poor, urban areas with
needed resources w hile keeping our kids o ff the street,
stimulating their minds and increasing their chances
for success. A t a com m unity school, students w ill
receive their instruction. But, also on site, w ill be a
health care professional and a counselor to deal with
issues as they arise. There w ill pre- and post-school
child care facilities. A fter school activities would be
varied and mandatory. Tutors would be on hand each
day to help students w ith their schoolwork. Some o f
the recreational offerings w ould be open to the public.
Students w ill spend their post-classroom hours in a
safe, productive, supervised setting and w ill leave the
school building just as their parents are arriving home.
The idea o f a com m unity school is not new. Some
version o f this idea has been around for decades.
W ith the national education system 's continuing
fa ilure and no signs o f im provem ent on the horizon,
com m unity schools are once again a hot topic, and
w ith good reason. C ritic s say the cost o f such
program m ing is too high. Perhaps the money that
has been spent on m o nitoring the N o C h ild L e ft
Behind A ct, a law that has turned our public school
system in a test m ill, could be diverted to create
these co m m unity schools, schools that not only
provide instruction but also anchor and u p lift the
areas in w hich students live.
Judge Greg Mathis is national vice president o f
Rainbow PUSH and a national board member o f
the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
More than the Military
The opinion piece "Running our Nation into the Ground" by Sherwood Ross (July 16 issue) is
anotherrant about the "military-industrial complex." But that isonly a small part o f the big picture.
Consider the "political-industrial complex." Its purpose is tocollect money from us in the form
o f taxes, fees and fines and distribute it into the pocketsofbig private business.
It can take many forms, like the crim inal justice-industrial complex, education-industrial
complex, military-industrial complex.pri son-industrial complex, public safety-industrial complex,
public works-industrial complex, transportation-industrial complex and on and on. There is
almost nolim it!
I f you wonder where your money went? Rememberthe "political-industrial complex."
John Sweeney
Southeast Portland -
In a business where things seemingly stay
the same, a change has taken place. A
change that may raise the bar on the
level of service a family can experience
from a funeral home.
T erry
You see, when we went into business we
aspired to be so far and away the best
that a new level of excellence was to be
created. We would like you to know that
we've achieved our goal.
2337 N
Williams Ave
(5 0 1) 2 4 9 - 1 7 8 8 • www.terryfamilyfuneralhiMne.com
Subscribe!503'2880033
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