PageAU
Ih*
February 25. 2009
L aw & J ustice
I
Honest Discussions on Race Urged
First black A.G. addresses issue
A tto rn ey G en eral E ric
Holder described the United
States Wednesday as a nation
of cowards on matters of race,
saying most Americans avoid
discussing awkward racial is­
sues.
In a speech to Justice De­
partment employees marking
Black History Month, Holder
said the workplace is largely
integrated but Americans still
self-segregate on the weekends
and in their private lives.
"T hough th is n atio n has
proudly thought of itself as an
ethnic melting pot, in things ra­
cial we have always been and 1
believe continue to be, in too
many ways, essentially a nation
o f co w ard s," sa id H older,
nation's first black attorney
general.
Race issues continue to be a
topic of political discussion,
Holder said, but "we, as aver­
age Americans, simply do not
talk enough with each other
about race."
Even when people mix at the
never been at ease with and,
given our nation's history, this workplace or afterwork social
is in some ways understand­ events. Holder argued, many
able," Holder said. "If we are to Americans in their free time are
make progress in this area, we still segregated inside what he
must feel comfortable enough called "ra c e -p ro te c te d c o ­
with one another and tolerant coons."
"S aturdays and Sundays,
enough of each other to have
I f we're going to ever make
progress, we're going to have
to have the guts, we have to
have the determination, to be
honest with each other.
He urged people of all races
to use Black History Month
as a chance for honest discus­
sion o f racial m atters, includ­
ing issues o f health care, edu­
cation, and economic dispari­
ties.
Race "is an issue we have
frank conversations about the
racial matters that continue to
divide us."
He told hundreds of Justice
D epartment employees gath­
ered for the event that they
have a special responsibility to
advance racial understanding.
America in the year 2009 does
not in some ways differ sig­
nificantly from the country
that existed almost 50 years
ago. This is truly sad," said
Holder.
As a presidential candidate
last year, Barack Obama gave a
Best Barbers in Town & Razor Line Cuts
5010 NE 9th Unit A
Portland Oregon 97221
503-284-2989
rig h ts a c tiv ist A1
S h arpton
ch an ted
"End racism now!" out­
sid e
the
p a re n t
company's skyscraper
in midtown Manhattan
and called for the jail­
ing
of
R u p ert
Murdoch, whose inter­
national m edia c o n ­
glomerate News Corp
owns the Post.
B ecause O bam a
promoted the $787 bil­
lion economic stimulus
that he signed into law
on Feb. 17, critics of the
cartoon interpreted the
New York S tate Senator Eric Adams stands in front o f the New York
Post building holding a cartoon th a t ran Feb. 1 8 in the Post. The
cartoon drew outrage from civil rights leaders and elected officials
who said it echoed racist stereotypes o f blacks as monkeys.
have to find someone else to
write the next stimulus bill."
Hundreds of demonstrators
Latinos March to
Protest Hiring Law
(A P) — Several hundred
L a tin o s an d s u p p o rte rs
m arched through St. Helens
to protest a Colum bia County
ordinance punishing em ploy­
ers for hiring illegal im m i­
grants.
The ballot measure passed
in November, but a judge has
put it on hold pending a legal
review after a challenge by so­
cial a c tiv ists and b u sin e ss
ow ners re p re se n te d by the
A m e ric a n C iv il L ib e r tie s
Union.
Y esenia S an c h e z , p re s i­
Platinum Fade
Eric H older
Chimp Cartoon Echoes Past
(AP) -- The New York Post is
apologizing for a cartoon that
c ritic s say lin k s P re sid e n t
Barack Obama to a raging chim­
panzee shot dead by police in
Connecticut. But the newspa­
per also says the image was ex­
ploited by its longtime antago­
nists.
After two days of protests,
the paper posted an editorial
on its Web site Thursday say­
ing the cartoon was meant to
m ock the federal econom ic
stimulus bill, but "to those who
were offended by the image, we
apologize."
The editorial also says some
people who have long-stand­
ing differences with the paper
saw the cartoon "as an oppor­
tunity for payback."
The drawing was published
Feb. 18. It shows a dead chimp,
with the caption reading: "They'll
landmark speech on race rela­ talking about race.
"If we're going to ever make
tions during the hotly -co n ­
tested Democratic primaries as progress, we're going to have
he tried to separate himself from to have the guts, we have to
the angry rhetoric of his then- have the determination, to be
pastor. Holder cited that speech honest with each other. It also
by Obama as part of the moti­ means we have to be able to
vation for his words, saying accept criticism where that is
Americans need to overcome justified," Holder told reporters
an ingrained inhibition against after the speech.
dent o f a new group, Latinos
U nited for a B etter Future,
said ra c ia l te n sio n s in the
county have soared since sig­
natures began to be gathered
for two ballot measures.
The second ballot specifi­
cally , re q u irin g b illb o a rd ­
siz e d sig n s on c o u n ty jo b
sites claiming "Legal Workers
Only," failed.
Latinos in the march said
the em ploym ent measure has
led to in su lts, in tim id atio n
and open discrim ination and
tension in schools.
rallied to boycott the paper,
branding it as racist.
Demonstrators led by civil
Hours o f operation:
M -F 9 am - 6 pin
Sat
8 am - 9 pm
Sun
11 a m - 6 pm
dead chimp as a refer.
ence t0 Obama, the first
b)ack y s pre ’i(jent
,,j
g u ess
,h ey
thought we were chimpanzees,"
Sharpton said. "They will find
out we are lions.”
X)pe/h -/-fouAe,
Educating children through Christ since 1891
At 5520 NE Killingsworth St. in Portland!
Michael Tillery
Broker
5O3.975.8OO4
FOR-. 3 year olds, 4 year olds, k-8,h
Grade students & their families
michael @bridgetownrealty.com
Please call me, your neighborhood
specialist, for any of your Real
Estate needs. My success is built
on a commitment to quality service
WHEN. Tuesday, March 10,2009,
7-8pm
And
Wednesday, March 11,2009,
8:30am-Ham
Take advantage o f this opportunity to see
Trinity Lutheran School in action!
BRIDGETOW N
F REALTY
□
Chiropractic Auto Injury Clinic, PC
Zchon R. Jones, DC
333 NE Russell St., #200, Portland, OR. 97212
(503) 284-7838
www.tnnityportland.org
503-2 8 8 -6 4 0 3
T erry F amily
2337 N. Williams Ave.
Portland, Or 97227
503-249-1788
We make the service personal,
You make the tribute personal.
Truly making a difference in the lives of
Auto Accident victims and Injured Workers for 16 years.
If you or someone you know has been in an accident,
call us so we can help you with your needs. (503) 284-7838
Every tim e w c a rra n g e a personalized fu neral service. wc take special pride g o ing
the e x tra mile W ith o u r o n line M em orial O bituary, now w c can d o even m ore
We are located on the
com er o f MLK and
Russell Street, on the
second floor above the
coffee shop.
Friends and fam ily can find out service inform ation, view photos, read obituary,
o rd e r flow ers an d leave personal m essages o f condolences from anyw here, anytim e
Sim ply go to o u r website.
www.terryfamilyfuneralhome.com
"Dedicated to providing excellent service
and superior care o f your loved one "
w
Park a it Area
JUNE
Russell
•200
•n
£
D w ight A. Terry
Oregon License ( 0 0 6 4 4
Amy S. Terry
Russell St
Oregon I ícense t'S-0395
r