Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current, October 22, 2008, Page 5, Image 5

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

    il!e^4ortlanù © bseruer
October 22. 2008
PageA5
O pinion
McCain is Panicking
Repeating a lie
doesn’t make it true
by M aude
H urd ,
We appreciate that Senator M cCain's ef­
fort to stir up the Republican base by at­
tacking a com m unity organization working
to increase public participation
in our dem ocratic process. H ow­
ever, these attacks reflect an in­
creasingly panicked candidate.
The Sen. M cCain we saw in
last w eek’s debate is very differ­
ent than the Sen. M cCain who
stood shoulder to shoulder with
ACORN at a Feb. 20,2006 immi-
•
■ -
gration reform event.
It is clear for us to see that John M cC ain
w as fo r A C O R N before he w as against
A C O R N ; he w as for reform before he was
ag ainst reform ; and he w as a m averick be­
fore he b ecam e erratic.
W hat is really going here is that Sen.
M cCain and his allies are part o f a coordi­
nated effo rt to engage in
w hat appears to be an un­
precedented effort to sup­
press v o te r tu rn o u t. R e­
peating a lie doesn't make it
true, and the M cCain cam ­
paign has resorted to the
w orst type o f deceptions in
It is ACORN that has reported alm ost all
o f the issues regarding voter registration
cards.
Invalid voter registration cards do not
constitute voter fraud. Even Republican
National Com m ittee General Counsel Sean
C aim cross has recently acknow ledged he
is not aw are o f a single im proper vote cast
as a result o f bad cards subm it­
ted in the course o f an organized
voter registration effort.
A C O R N hired 13,000 field
w orkers to re g iste r peo p le to
vote. In any en d eav o r o f this
size, som e people will engaged
in i n a p p r o p r ia te c o n d u c t.
A C O R N has a zero to leran ce
policy and term in ated any field
w orkers caught engag in g in q u estio n ab le
activity.
At the end o f the day, as ACORN is pay­
ing these people to reg ister voters, it is
ACORN that is defrauded.
What is really going here is that Sen.
McCain and his allies are part o f a
coordinated effort to engage in what
appears to he an unprecedented effort to
suppress voter turnout.
y.
regards to ACORN.
The Facts: ACORN has helped 1.3 million
citizens from all parties and all walks o f life
apply for voter registration.
In m ost states, ACORN is required by law
to turn in every voter registration card - even
in cases w here the cards are not valid.
by
M arc M oriai .
In the last few weeks,
I h av e u n d e rta k e n an
aggressive cam paign di­
rected at the nation's fi­
nancial leaders to dispel
the dangerous and grow ­
ing m yth that m inority
borrow ers are prim arily respon­
sible for our cou n try 's current
econom ic crisis.
In le tte rs to T re a s u ry S e c ­
r e t a r y H e n r y P a u ls o n a n d
F e d e ra l R e s e rv e C h a ir m a n ,
B e n ja m in B e rn a n k e , I h av e
a sk e d th a t th e y b o th p u b lic ly
re fu te c la im s by som e c o n s e r­
v a tiv e p u n d its and p o litic ia n s
th a t m o s t o f th e d e f a u lte d
su b p rim e lo a n s at th e ro o t o f
th e c ris is w ere m ad e to A fr i­
c a n A m e r ic a n s , H is p a n ic s
an d o th e r s o - c a lle d " u n p r o ­
d u c tiv e b o rro w e rs."
As the New York Times recently
pointed out, while subprime loans
deeply penetrated low-income and
minority groups, a new study sug­
gests that more upper-income bor­
rowers and more whites took out
such loans than any other groups.
It is becom ing clearer every­
day that a large num ber o f people
w ho en d e d up w ith sub p rim e
loans could have qualified for a
p rim e loan. T h a t's w here the
abuse lies.
In the face o f these facts, we
have heard conservatives - from
Fox N ew s co m m entator, N eil
C a v u to to A B C N ew s
analyst G eorge W ill to
W ashington Post colum ­
n is t
C h a rle s
K ra u th a m m er say that
governm ent efforts to in­
crease ho m eo w n ersh ip
"p u t p e o p le in h o m es
they could not afford" and are
"at the root o f our current calam ­
ity "
Rep. M ichele B achm an, R-
Minn., added weight to this myth
Rakeem (Rocco) A. Washington
Attorney at Law
— From Your Loving Family
Maude Hurd is ACORN’s national presi­
dent.
Don’t Blame Minorities
Ugly scapegoating shifts blame
Congratulations
co u n try . In stead o f h av in g a
healthy debate on w hat must be
d o n e to c u rb too m uch Wall
Street greed and too little Wash­
ington oversight, too many are
willing to waste precious time and
energy blam ing the victims.
Second, history provides too
many lessons about the conse­
quences o f singling out only cer­
tain segments o f the population
as culprits for a country's woes.
On the basis of hearsay, rumors
and misinformation, seeds o f divi­
sion are being sown all across the
Seeds o f division are being sown all
across the U. S. in a volatile political
environment where Americans are
terrified by the economic situation.
w hen she quoted an Investor's U. S. in a volatile political environ­
Business Daily article from the ment where Americans are terrified
flo o r o f th e H o u se th a t sa id by the economic situation.
That is why I have called on
banks made loans "on the basis
b o th S e c re ta ry P a u lso n an d
o f race and little else."
In m y v ie w , th is b la ta n t Chairm an Bernanke to quell this
scapegoating is an ugly attem pt false and unnecessary tempest.
The National Urban League is
by the rich and pow erful to shift
the blame for this crisis from Wall also once again calling on the
Street and W ashington, w here it m ajor broadcast and cable TV
belongs, onto m iddle class fam i­ networks to increase racial diver­
lies on Main Street and Martin sity in their new sroom s as a way
Luther K ing Boulevard who are to prevent the dissem ination o f
most victimized by their excesses. this and other dangerous m yths
I have taken up this issue for by c e rta in co m m en tato rs and
several reasons. First, now more politicians.
Marc Moriai is president and
than ever, Am erica needs unity
chief
executive officer o f the Na­
and real solutions to fix the eco ­
tional
Urban League.
nomic mess that has engulfed our
Pastor's
Willie X. Hurst II
&
Peggie R. Hurst
"Bringing Out
The Victory In You"
2 Corinthians 4:7
Sunday Service - Sunday's @12:00pm
Mid-week Service - Wednesday's @ 7:00pm
1 5 6 0 NE 1 7 2 nd A v e . P o rtla n d , O R 9 7 2 3 0
(Off of 172nd and Halsey)
Pacific Northwest Region
32nd Annual Holy Convocation
CHURCH of GOD in CHRIST UNITED
Bishop
Artice L.
Wright
Entrenched Racial Divisions
Presiding Bishop,
Pacific N orthw est
Region
s quest doesn’t mean racial parity exists
rd
O bam a's candidacv
ployed," said Obam;
Obama.
R eed
candidacy didn’t
didn't rep-
rep­ are unem ployed,”
At the root o f the nation’s racial
W hether he wins
resent as much change for black
A m ericans as much as it repre­ disparity is economics. For all our
o r lo s e s , B a ra ck
O bam a's quest for
sented A m ericans an o p p o rtu ­ existence in America, blacks have
nity for atonem ent o f our racial been last and least on the misery
the U.S. Presidency
hurt African-Ameri­
p a st. T h e “c h a n g e ” B a ra ck index. American capitalism starts
can c a u s e s and e n a b le d e n ­ O b a m a re p re s e n ts is c o s tin g each child where its parents left
trenched racial divisions to con­ black descendents o f slaves as off. For descendents o f slaves,
tinue and W hite A m ericans to much as $8 trillion. O bam a o p ­ that capitalistic paradigm has been
claim that racial parity exists. The poses reparations, auguring that blatantly unfair.
Judging from w hat we have
gains that M alcolm and Martin g o v e rn m e n t ca n c o m b a t th e
made in their movements are be­ legacy o f slavery by im proving seen and heard, even if there is a
ing reversed on our watch under sc h o o ls, h e a lth c a re an d the President O bam a in the W hite
the guise that such was M L K 's econom y for all. “ I have said in House in 2009 Black A m ericans’
“dream". The presidential cam ­ the past - and I'll repeat again - struggle for equity will hardly
paign o f Barack O bam a has set that the best reparations we can have been met.
William Reed is a national
race relations back 20 years and provide are good schools in the
inner city and jobs for people who commentator.
cost blacks billions o f dollars.
The “dream " o f a black being
president o f the US has caused
NORTHWEST VOICE OF CHRIST COMMUNITY CHURCH
black Am ericans to throw good
B isho p H . L . H o d g e , P h .D .
sense to the wind. W hen O bam a
Paslor/Tteache r/Revi valist
becam e the presum ptive D em o­
"The Voice Speaks”
cratic presidential nominee, many
A frican-A m ericans cried saying
W o r s h ip S e rv ic e : Sunday 8:00 A M.
they never thought they would
S e m in a r: Bible Them es, W ednesdays 6:00 P.M.
liv e to se e su c h a day.
“
G
o
d
T
h
e
F
a
th
e r ,” “ G o d T h e S o n ," “ G o d T h e H o ly S p ir it "
O b a m a m a in a am o n g A fric an
A m ericans evolved into a taunt
Bishop Hodge and Congregation invite everyone
that - "If you are black you must
to join us at our appointment with Jesus.
vote for O bam a, it's your duty."
Black m edia and political com ­
We Reach, Teach. & Preach in Jesus’ Name!!!
mentators that warned O bam a's
candidacy suppressed the push
T o inquire about our Training Ministry
for racial equality were met with
call 5 0 3 8 6 3 - 6 5 4 5 or email: hodgehspks<fi>msn.com
outrage.
by W illiam
I
This Celebration will Commence October 18th with a Pre-Convocation
Musical and Continue October 22 through October 26, 2008
WORKSHOPS, WORSHIP. & PRAISE
Workshops 6:00-7:15 PM
Praise & Worship: 7:30 PM Nightly
Host Church: Emmanuel COGICU
Bishop A.L. Wright, Pastor
Bishop L. Tellis, Co-Pastor
48(X) N.E. 30th Avenue
Portland, Oregon 9 7211
General Invitation: TO ALL
Pastors, Supervisors, Missionaries Sainis
Pastors Please Join Us In This Holy Convocation As We
“Assemble Ourselves Together For Christ”
For More Information Contact:
Bishop Lamont Tellis, Co-Pastor
(503) 335-8772
Bishop H.E. Hodge, Ph.D
Executive Secretary
(503) 334-6239