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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 26, 2011)
2-l’r ^o rtlan h (Obstruer Page 20 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 Cleaning Service Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Residential & Commercial Services Minimum Service CHG. $45.00 A sm all distance/travel charge m ay be applied CARPET CLEANING 2 Cleaning Areas or more $30.00 Each Area Pre-Spray Traffic Areas (Includes: 1 small Hallway) 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: $25.00 Minimum Area/Oriental Rugs ( Wool): $40.00Minimum 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 Throw Pillows (With Other Services): $5.00 M ADDITIONAL SERVICES • Area & Oriental Rug Cleaning • Auto/Boat/RV Cleaning • Deodorizing & Pet Odor Treatment = v • Spot & Stain Removal Service • Scotchguard Protection • Mindf Water Damage Services SEE CURRENT FLYER FOR ADDITIONAL PRICES & SERVICES Call for Appointment (503) 281-3949 October 26, 2011 Intervening in Africa is Smart Security Move Obama responds to acts of genocide J udge G reg M athis President Obama, taking a much different approach to Afri can unrest than his predeces sors, recently sent a small team of armed forces into central Af rica to aide in the fight against the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), a militant group that has been waging war against the offi cial Ugandan government and local resi dents for over 20 years. U.S. troops were also dispatched to South Sudan, the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic o f Congo, where the LRA is believed to have set up camps. The total number of troops sent to Africa is small but the decision to send them is a bold statement by the president. In the past, the U.S. government turned by a blind eye to wars on the African continent, pean nation of Croatia, which was fighting letting citizens fall victim to a variety of war for its independence from Yugoslavia. crimes and human rights violations. Though any loss of life should be mourned, By getting involved in Uganda, it would be negligent to not point out that Obama is showing the world that Croatia only suffered a fraction of the the U.S. is indeed concerned with casualties that Rwanda did. Yet, Croatia what happens in Africa and that, as received assistance from the U.S. and many long as our nation is able, we will not observers were left wondering if the U.S. tolerate campaigns of murder, rape even cared about the continent of Africa. and genocide against innocent To be sure, Obama's attention to Africa people. is a smart security move for our nation. Perhaps by sending troops to Uganda, Making sure unrest doesn't boil over, espe President Obama hopes to avoid a repeat of cially with uprisings in nearby parts of the the 1994 tragedies in Rwanda. In that year, world becoming more frequent, protects over the course of 100 days, over half a America's political interests. million people were killed. The mass mur However, it also shows that, at least with ders were the culmination of decades long this president, Africa will finally get the tension between two of the nation's largest same support that Europe has received for ethnic groups. The U.S., under former Presi generations. dent Clinton, never officially sent troops to Greg Mathis is a longtime advocate Rwanda during this time. for equal justice. His life story’ o f a street By contrast, the U.S. did provide military youth who rose from jail to judge has support during this same period to the Euro provided hope to millions. Honoring Dr. King by Fighting for Jobs Standing up in the struggle for justice M arc H. M orial The spirit of Dr. M artin Luther King Jr. was resur rected this month in W ashing ton, D.C. The new M artin Luther King Memorial, a pow erful, granite symbol of Dr. King’s dream of equal oppor tunity and racial reconciliation, was offi cially dedicated on Oct. 16 before a crowd of thousands on the National Mall. In his keynote speech, President Obama reminded the audience and the nation that even though, “We have a right to savor the slow, but certain progress” Dr. King made possible, “Our work. Dr. King’s work, is not com plete.” The President called upon the nation to “draw from the strength of those earlier struggles,” to confront the crises of unem ployment, poverty, inequality and division that still plague us today. A day earlier, I served as co-chair of a rally and March for Jobs and Justice that was organized by Rev. A1 Sharpton’s Na by (ri?e Jlnrtlanb (Dhseruer tional Action Network. Thousands of citi We should not forget that Dr. King was zens and dozens of civil rights, human rights, assassinated in 1968 while leading non and labor leaders joined us in a call for violent demonstrations to secure dignity concrete action during a march from the and living wages for black sanitation work Washington Monument to the new ers in Memphis. He was also planning a King Memorial. new nationwide campaign for jobs and We marched for the 14 million opportunity that would involve citizen pro Americans who remain out of work. tests in cities and rural districts across the We m arched for a jo b s bill. We country and culminate with another historic marched in solidarity with citizens who march on Washington. feel left out by corporate interests, let Like the nation’s founders, Dr. King down by their political leaders and left understood the power of “We, the people” behind by the econom ic recovery. We to build a more perfect union. He relied on m arched for w orker rig h ts...fo r voter groups like the National Urban League, rights...for equal justice under the law. SCLC and the NAACP to mobilize, orga And we marched to the beat of a constant nize and empower the foot soldiers of the refrain: “What do we want? Jobs! When movement. And he inspired us to press on do we want it?” Now!” in the face of barriers and setbacks. The common thread tying together the Dr. King’s life has been a guiding light in march and memorial dedication is the re- my own career in public service. While I am emergence today of the same kind of bold, proud of the new memorial on the National grassroots action that Dr. King so coura Mall, I can think of no better way to honor geously used in his fight for civil rights and his legacy than to stand with groups like the economic justice. National Action Network and millions of With overall unemployment at 9.1 per Americans in the on-going struggle for jobs cent and the African American rate at 16 and justice. percent, it is time for the rising voices of the Marc H. Morial is president and chief people — from Wall Street to W ashington - executive officer o f the National Urban - to be heard. League. Established 1970 USPS 959-680 ________________________________ 47 47 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Portland, OR 97211 Charles H. Washington EDiTOR.Michael L eig h to n D istr ibu tio n M anager : M ark W ashington C reative D ir ector : P aul N e u feld t E ditor -I n -C h ief , P ublisher : The Portland Observer welcomes freelance submissions. Manuscripts and photographs should be clearly labeled and w ill be returned i f accompanied by a self addressed envelope. A ll created design display ads become the sole property o f the newspaper and cannot be used in other publications or personal usage without the written consent o f the general manager, unless the client has purchased the composition o f such ad. © 2(M)K THE PORTLAND OBSERVER A L L RIGHTS RESERVED, REPRODUCTION IN W HOLE OR IN PART W ITHOUT PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED. 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