Pat-eA4 Cl’1 O pinion Obama has Already Made History in the south under Jim Crow laws, which denied him that right. Moreover, there have been mo­ ments in my life when I have con­ sidered running for public office. And w ho knows, I still may. This year I am attentive to the race for the office of the President o f the United States unlike any time in history. With the first African American nominated as the candidate for a major political party, no matter what outcome, I believe America has turned a com er as it relates to the is­ sue o f race and the nation’s highest office. Yet, there is still much that needs to be done. Moreover, I am aware that I must continue doing my part by writing let­ ters to the editor, and contacting my state and national lawmakers. W hat leads me to vote? It is my constitutional right. I implore you to let your voice be heard by doing the same. Vote! in B entley de B ardelaben As a black man, 1 understand that my having my right to vote has com e at a very high price. Many o f my ancestors, directly and indirectly, were d enied, harassed and even murdered to secure the right to vote. Thus, I take my civic duty to be en­ gaged in the process o f equal access to the government of, by and for the people, seriously. As a teenager, 1 recall how my mom participated in our community as a citi­ zen. She canvassed our neighborhood with leaflets, served on boards and served as a poll worker. Currently at age 69, she is still active. I realize that my political awareness was formed by my m other’s modeling, teaching and her sharing stories re­ garding the plight of our family from Alabama. I still get chills reflecting on the first time that I registered to vote and then voted, especially when I think on how my great uncle was murdered October 29. 2008 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. voting ¡s the only course of Action Let your voice be heard ffibserUCr Campaign transcends race by J udge G reg M atiiis Sen. Barack O bam a broke new ground when he becam e the first A frican A m erican m ajo r-p arty presidential candidate. T he historical significance o f his candidacy has given hope to voters young and old and in­ spired an interest in the political process for millions o f Am ericans from all walks o f life. But O b am a’s cam paign tra n ­ scends race. His efforts to m obilize and energize voters have, literally and figu­ ratively, changed the face o f politics. The O bam a cam paign raised a reeord $150 m illion in September. Overall, the S en ato r and w o u ld -b e p resid en t has raised an unprecedented $600 million. This num ber almost equals the com bined am ount G eorge Bush and John Kerry raised during the 2004 presidential cam ­ paign. For years, p olitical fundraising fo­ cused on expensive dinners that catered to the elite. The crow ds at these shindigs w ere highly educated, w ell-connected Bentley deBardelaben is Minister for Communication in Justice Minis­ tries for the United Church o f Christ. RMMMMNM and, to be blunt mostly white. O bam a took a different ap ­ proach to fundraising. A ccord­ ing to his cam paign, the aver­ age donation for their record- breaking Septem ber was under $100. He has not relied on a small contingent o f w ealthy donors to fund his efforts. Indeed, the cam paign has several high-level, high profile donors. But it’s those contributions from the av ­ erag e A m erican - stu d en ts, retirees, single mothers - that have fed O bam a’s coffers. More than three-m illion donors have contributed to the cam paign, many o f them giving ju st $10 or $15. Most o f the cam paign’s donations are made via the internet, another tool that O bam a has used to his advantage. W hile he is certainly not the first can ­ d id a te to e m b ra c e th e in te rn e t as a fundraising m echanism , O b am a’s ap ­ proach - sending regular em ails to sub­ scribers, debunking rum ors spread by his co m p etitio n , uploading first look cam paign videos, announcing his V P choice - has certainly changed the game. Much o f the funds O bam a has raised has been sp en t on ad v e rtisin g . A nd though he has invested heavily in tradi­ tional m edia - television and radio ads - O bam a has, once again, stepped outside o f the box, buying ads in video gam es and on the sidelines at sporting events. This untraditional approach to ad spend­ ing has reached voters w ho have, in the past, been overlooked. T h e e le c tio n is le ss th an a w eek aw ay. A nd, if the p olls can be tru sted , it seem s that O b a m a ’s inn o v atio n has paid off. H e ’s leading his o p p o n en t in several key states and is p ick in g up new u n d ecid ed voters everyday. It ap ­ pears that A m erica is set to elect its first black p resident. W hile the election is far from over and your support is critical during this final stretch, one thing is certain: Years from now, presidential candidates hoping to follow in his footsteps, will borrow from the O bam a playbook and hope that some o f his strategic brilliance rubs o ff on them. Judge Greg Mathis is vice president o f Rainbow PUSH and a board member o f the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Obama for America ‘A bright day will come!’ J une P otter A costa T here are only days re­ m aining before one o f the m ost im portant elections in our history. I believe that Sen. Barack Obama is the m ost charism atic and supe­ rior candidate for president in many generations! I’ve been volunteering at O bam a h e a d q u a rte rs in so u th e ast P o rt­ land. T he level o f enthusiasm is p h en o m en a l, both in the a tm o ­ sphere o f the office as well as the telephone responses. I remember how delighted and ex­ cited I was when the Civil Rights m o v e m en t b egan in e a rn e st so many decades ago. African A m eri­ cans were fighting back, refusing to to le r a te th e in s u lts an d putdow ns! So, too, I sense that same attitude among so many white people today; by now happy to support O bam a, a black man of superior intelligence and achievement. I never envisioned the joyful acceptance of a black presidential candidate, so soon! 1 thought perhaps, 70 or 80 years in the future a black candidate might be reluctantly supported. So I am th rilled that O bam a is here and now! In the campaign office and among us, there is a marvelous cam arade­ rie. We smile at each spontaneously. We are bonded by mutual devotion to a new political messiah! Consider this quote from a speech that O bam a m ade in 2004, when D em ocrats so hoped that positive change would com e with the last presidential election. "The people will rise up in Novem­ ber - and out o f this long political darkness, a bright day will come!” It will com e to pass! I do believe! June Potter Acosta is a regular contributor to the Portland Ob­ server. Caring hands in your time of need Portland Observer Endorsements 503-281-4891/ \ Nov. 4 General Election • U.S. President: Barack Obama Complete: Traditional Burial Package W/ Casket & Cemetery Gravespace * Creamations Available* About Pre-arrangements! ARE YOU FEELING EMPTY FROM THE LOSS OF*A LOVED ONE? IS r r HARD TO GO FORWARD AFTER EXPERIENCING THE DEATH OF A FAMILY MEMBER. DIVORCE OR FACING TERMINAL ILLNESS? WELL YOU ARE NOT ALONE! MANY PEOPLE LIKE YOU ARE EXPERIENCING THE AFFECTS OF GRIEF. Learn how to understand and g e t a handle on GRIEF from a fa ith perspective. WHEN: lO AM-Saturday, Nov 01,2008 W here: Allen Temple CME Church 4236 NE Eight Ave Portland OR 97211 Phone: (503) 287-0261 for more information Sponsored By: Allen Tem ple CME Church Cox and Cox Funeral Home r T M , NE Rodney, Portland Oregon 97212 ty , ^rzzzz^r • Measure 54: Yes • Measure 60: No A llow s 18-year-old voters in school board elections. U nfair to teachers. • Measure 55: Yes • Measure 61: No Allows legislators tofinish term in original district after redistricting. W ay too costly. D oesn’t address root cause o f crime. • Measure 56: Yes • Measure 62: No Elim inatesdouble-m ajority election requirem ent Takes away money from schools. • Measure 57: No • Measure 63: No D oesn’t address root cause o f crim e. Costly, but better alternative to M easure 61. Sacrifices safety in building perm it process. • Measure 58: No Lim its political rights o f public em ployees. U nw ise m andate on bilingual education. • Measure 59: No Dr. Leory Haynes • U.S. Senator: Jeff Merkley Unlim ited federal tax deduction w ould reduce state budget by $ 1.2 billion. • Measure 64: No • Measure 65: No Limits rights o f political parties to nom inate candidates. 1st Time Homebuyers Now is a great time to buy! Why rent when you can own? The US Government is offering a $7,500 tax credit to 1st l ime home buyers. I his won't be available forever so, act quickly to take advantage. INVEST IN YOUR FUTURE. Pastor's Willie X. Hurst II & P e g g ie R. Hurst "Bringing Out The Victory In You' 2 Corinthians 4:7 ( all Today 503,890.1181 John R. Paris Sunday Service - Sunday's @12:00pm Mid-week Service - Wednesday's @ 7:00pm BroLct/Realtor 7200 SE Sunnybraok i‘"i i—tbr* B nh.c /**• o * 1 4 *int*»** M the ¡trfiigtrt*, Mftr ‘nnfond Mfttape ban KEULER WILLIAMS , P M A R MU i r o f K e allo'i □ MLS â C ell 503.890.1181 ÌPHris(ÉLk»,M>m 1560 NE 172nd Ave. Portland, OR 97230 (O ff o f 1 7 2 nd a n d H a ls e y )