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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (May 18, 2011)
Page A8 ®*i* $Jnrtlanò (Dbseruer May 18, 2011 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. New Prices Effective May 1,2010 Martin WlHDS o VC ha H se . fu tooR0<xo, CLOUDS OF Cleaning suspicion in A lgiers ; RAINING B ombs JH LIBYA, MAIL. OF BULLETS 'lH S Y R tM STORfA OF PROTESTS \N AMMAN • HOT T empers flares - 'vn yF/AFN , COLP H&prs PR©/Aivin& ibi OMAN i partly , SUNNI m BAHRAIN ♦ sniA wfe-Twe. VAN'lN SAUvi arabi ' a Service Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Residential & Commercial Services Minimum Service CHG $45.00 A sm all distance/travel charge m ay he applied ARAB SPRÎHG- O T Æ R . NEWS : CARPET CLEANING 2 Cleaning Areas or more $30.00 Each Area Pre-Spray Traffic Areas (Includes: I sm all H allw ay) 1 Cleaning Area (only) $40.00 Includes Pre-Spray Traffic Area (Hallway Extra) Stairs (12-16 stairs - With Other Services): $25.00 Area/Oriental Rugs: $25.00Minimum Area/Oriental Rugs (Wool): $40.00 Minimum Heavily Soiled Area: Additional $10.00 each area (Requiring Extensive Pre-Spraying) UPHOLSTERY CLEANING Sofa: $69.00 Loveseat: $49.00 Sectional: $ 109 - $ 139 Chair or Recliner $25 - $49 t/i9 Throw Pillows (With Other Services): $5.00 % ADDITIONAL SERVICES • Area & Oriental Rug Cleaning • Auto/Boat/RV Cleaning • Deodorizing & Pet -"x Odor Treatment • Spot & Stain Removal Service • Scotchguard Protection • Minor Water Damage Services SEE CURRENT FLYER FOR ADDITIONAL PRICES & SERVICES Call for Appointment (503) 281-3949 Celebrating bin Laden’s Killing and Death Felt Wrong Violence never represents greatness I B rian J. T r a it m a n M y reaction to new s o f the successful targeted assassination o f al-Q aida founder and m ost w anted terrorist O sam a bin Laden w as u n like m any A m erican s’. C elebrating killing and death felt w rong, and to w itness m y fellow citizens cheering ju b ila n tly and chanting nationalist slogans w ith jo y and pride was d is heartening. Instead o f reveling in m ore milita- rism a n d m u rd e r, o u r e n e rg ie s should be devoted to bringing hom e the roughly 150,000 A m erican sol diers still deployed in A fghanistan and Iraq and in h a rm ’s w ay every m inute o f every day. N ational unity sh o u ld n ’t be bom o f and driven by acts o f aggression; it should be shaped and inspired by individual and co llectiv e co m p as sion and an altruistic d esire to ad v o cate fo r and alleviate the suffering o f the tens o f m illions o f civilians around the w orld, esp ecially the by children, w ho live in conflict zones “to d a y ’s ach iev em en t is a testa and engage in a daily struggle to m ent to the greatness o f o u r co u n avoid the inhum anity and try .” indiscrim inate brutality o f By w hat m easure, Mr. President, oppression and war. does violence and killing serve to T he ju b ila tio n that has m ake any nation great? T hese a c b e e n e x h ib ite d b y o u r tions represent not ‘g re a tn ess’ but c o u n try ’s m ainstream m e shallow ness and desperation. dia, politicians and public in W hen will o u r leaders learn that the w ake o f bin L aden’s slay the answ er to violence is not m ore ing is clear and disturbing violence? W hen will they learn that When will our leaders learn that the answer to violence is not more violence? When will they learn that the would-be bin Ladens o f the world are best neutralized through mechanisms that promote democracy, freedom and human rights. Ì viable m eans by w hich to achieve ju stic e and restore and m aintain o rd er and harm ony? W hen will the aggressive and vengeful thinking and behavior end? H undreds o f thousands o f lives w ere lost and m ore than a trillion dollars spent in pursuit o f bin Laden and his relatively sm all contingent o f follow ers under the guise o f the so-called “w ar on terro r.” W ill it end now ? A las, I doubt it very m uch. I don ’ t mourn the dem ise o f Osam a bin Laden; I ’m relieved he can no longer hurt people and engender m ass su fferin g . I am , h o w ev er, troubled by the m essage that c el e b r a tin g b lo o d s h e d s e n d s o u r young people and future g en era tions; I am saddened by the m issed opportunity that this incident o f fered o ur nation to engage in a seri evidence o f a revenge-m inded c u l the w ould-be bin L a d e n ’s o f the ture, one that unfortunately c o n tin w orld are best neutralized through ues to resort to failed retributive m echanism s that prom ote d em oc o u s and lo n g o v e rd u e d ialo g u e m easures to solve problem s. racy, freedom and hum an rights, i.e., about the m any costs o f violence In doing so o ur society ignores international law enforcem ent, h u and the ethical and strategic utility the underlying causes o f violence, m anitarian aid and assistance, uni o f restorative and transitional ju s such as poverty, thus inhibiting ju st versal prim ary education (p articu tice and nonviolent intervention as and sustainable solutions from be larly fo r w om en and girls), social m ethods to prevent future violence ing considered and im plem ented. services, and nonviolence training. and atrocities, including terrorism . In his rem arks to the nation on the W hen w ill state-sponsored re Brian J. Trautman isaU.S.Army M ay 1 announcem ent o f bin L ad en ’s prisals and w ar no lo n g er appeal to veteran and peace educator and d e a th , P r e s id e n t O b a m a s a id , o ur leaders as m orally right o r as activist.