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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 8, 2012)
Portland Observer Blsck H ¡Story Month Februaiy 8,2012 Pa8e 9 ________________ O pinion Christie Distorts Civil Rights History B ut G ov. C hris C hristie o f N ew Jersey m ay have topped them all w hen he declared, “ People w ould have b een happy to have a referen dum on civil rights rath er than fight ing and dying in the streets in the S o u th .” T he G o v ern o r’s statem ent w as m ade in the context o f his proposal that the issue o f sam e-sex m ar riage in N ew Jersey be settled by a v o ter referendum . B ut his w ords am ounted to an insult to g enerations o f m en and w om en w ho put their lives on the line fo r equal rights. T hey also ignore the fact that the sole p u r pose o f any civil rights struggle is to gain rights fo r m inority citizens that the m ajority has historically and co n sisten tly denied. T h e nonsense o f C h ristie’s state Governor insults generations who put their lives on the line by M arc H. M orial In recent w eeks, o u tr a g e o u s s t a t e m ents targeted at m i nority citizens have c o m e o u t o f th e m ouths o f a num ber o f conservative p o li ticians - everything fro m the a sse rtio n th at A frica n A m ericans p refer food stam ps over pay checks to the claim that “black people” are using “other p eo p le’s m oney” to get ahead. m ent w as m ade all the m ore ap p ar ent by the fact that during the h ey day o f lynchings, poll taxes and “ separate but equal schools,” any referendum on voting rights and civil rights for A frican A m ericans w ould have ex clu d ed m any o f the very people seeking those rights. In fact it w as only because the m ajority for cen tu ries had first e n s la v e d , an d th e n d is c rim in a te d against, A frican A m ericans that it b ecam e n ecessary fo r p eople o f conscience to organize in protest ag ain st such tre a tm e n t. C h ristie should rem em b er that in the 18th C entury, it w as not a referendum but a revolution that form ed the U nited States o f A m erica. In the 19th century, it was not a referendum , but a civil w ar that ended slavery and unified our nation. A nd in the 20th century, it was not a refer endum , but a series o f non-violent civil rights struggles that defeated Jim C row and secured voting rights for w om en, A frican A m ericans and other disenfranchised minorities. S h eila O liver, N ew Jerse y ’s first A frican A m erican w om an A ssem bly Speaker, correctly saw C hristie’ s proposal to subm it sam e-sex m ar riage rights to the w him s o f voters as a shirking o f responsibility. She said, “T h e m ajor issues o f o u r tim e such as w om en's suffrage and civil rights w ere rightly decided legislatively. W e are elected by the people o f N ew Jersey to protect civil rights. W e do no t pass on such tough decisions." O liv e r a lso to o k is su e w ith C hristie’s characterization o f the ci vil rights struggle, adding, “G overnor, people w ere fighting and dying in the streets o f the South because the m ajority refused to grant m inorities equal rights by any m ethod. It took legislative action to bring ju stice to all A m ericans, ju st as legislative action is the right way to bring m ar riage equality to all New Jerseyans.” It is alm ost unthinkable that a sitting g o v ern o r w ould either be so uninform ed, so callous, to suggest that civil rights m ovem ents have not played a necessary and positive role in ensuring that the prom ise o f freedom , equality and dem ocracy is m ade real for every citizen. W e think G ov. C hristie ow es the people o f N ew Jersey and all A m eri cans a clear explanation. Marc H. Morial is president and chief executive officer o f the N a tional Urban League. ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ IIM iBBW ITW W i ftW 'il W bl H'HlfflUr fW liffff Deadly Force Policy: We’re All at Risk M arva D avis O n b e h alf o f the C am pbell fam ily, I am pleased to say that w e have settled the claim s relating to A aron's death for $ 1.2 million. W e will now propose to the probate court that a lion's share o f these funds be held in trust for A aron's children until they are adults. W e are told that this is the m ost m oney that the city's insurer has ev er paid out on a claim against the P ortland Police B ureau, although in truth it does not seem like enough for the losses w e have suffered. W e are grateful, how ever, that w e w ill not have to relive the events o f that aw ful tim e, and reopen those w ounds again. W e are also grateful for the support that w e have re ceived from family, friends and m em bers o f the com m unity w ho have supported us throughout. W e ta k e to h e a r t th a t o f f ic e r - in v o lv e d s h o o tin g s h a v e g o n e d o w n in P o r tla n d s in c e A a ro n w a s k ille d , a n d c h o o s e to b e lie v e th a t in s o m e m e a s u re , lo s in g h im h a s m a d e o u r c o m m u n ity sa fe r fro m th o se w e 'v e a rm e d w ith g u n s a n d e n tr u s te d w ith by th e c o m m u n ity 's s a fe ty . H ow ever, this needs to be said. D uring the case, o ur attorneys uncovered som e very troubling inform ation regarding o u r police policies and practices. First, w e are very disappointed w ith Police C h ief R eese's refusal to a d d la n g u a g e to th e P o lic e B ureau's use o f force policy req u ir ing in w riting that officers take a person's em otional upset o r m ental illness into co nsideration as a factor w hen m aking a decision to use force. T h ere is no good reason not to m ake this change. Second, C h ie f R eese assured the public in disciplining the officers involved that P olice B ureau policy required that before shooting to kill, the facts and circum stances m ust ju s tif y th e c o n c lu s io n th a t th e citizen's b eh av io r am ounts to an im m ediate threat to life. T he c h ie fs in v estig atio n c o n cluded that A aron C am pbell clearly did no t present such a d an g er to anyone. C om pare this w ith the fact that O fficers F rashour and L ew ton w ere going to call as w itnesses at trial 11 o f the trainers w ho teach our officers the rules. A ll o f th e se tra in e rs w e re to te s tif y u n d e r o a th th a t C h ie f Çorthmb ©hseruer Established 1970 USPS 959-680 ___________________________________ ■ 47 47 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Portland, OR 97211 Charles H. Washington E m roR .M ichael L e ig h to n D is t r ib u t io n M a n a g e r : M a r k W a s h in g to n C r e a tiv e D ir e c t o r : P a u l N e u fe ld t R ee se is w ro n g . T o m ak e th is w o rse , th e c ity w as re a d y to s tip u la te to th is te stim o n y . T h is d is c o n n e c t b e tw e e n w h at the P o lice B u re a u 's p o lic y is s u p p o se d to m ean an d w h at o ffic e rs are tra in e d to d o is d a n g e ro u s, an d p u ts us all at risk . A n d th ird , th e P o lice B u reau to o k the p o sitio n in d e fe n d in g this la w su it th a t th e c ity w as n o t re s p o n sib le fo r A a ro n 's d e a th , ev en th o u g h a d m ittin g the d e ath re su lte d fro m v io la tio n o f its ow n b u re a u 's p o lic ie s. T h e city argued that the officers d i d n 't n e e d to c o m p ly w ith P ortland's p o licies, but need only co m p ly w ith b ro ad er state statutes reg ard in g the use o f force. T hose statutes do not spell out that use o f d ead ly fo rce req u ires an im m ediate d a n g er to the life o f o thers as ju s ti fication. O u r city lead ers need to address this d u p licity and h o ld o u r p olice force to its ow n rules an d re g u la tio n s. A nd finally as a m other, I reg ret tably do not believe m y living sons are safe. T hat bond o f com m unity trust has been broken. I can n o t say to them that if there is a m ental health crisis ... “call the po lice.” W e have ask ed o ur attorneys to in dealing w ith em otionally upset or contact the U. S. D epartm ent o f Ju s m en tally ill citizens in crisis, and tice to report these findings. O ur help reduce the d an g er to the m ost hope is that the inform ation w ill be vulnerable am ong us. Marva Davis is the mother o f o f help during its on-going in v esti gation into the use o f deadly force Aaron Campbell. Stop the Violence k n o w s so m e th in g . P lease c o m e fo rw a rd a n d sto p this v ic io u s W h y are w e k illin g each o th er? W h a t m e ssa g e are w e g iv in g c y c le o f silen ce. W e, as a p e o p le, h a v e a lw ay s o u r y o u th ? W ill w e have any yo u th left if k n o w n th a t “ J u st U s” m e a n s th a t w e h a v e to stan d up fo r w e d o n ’t sto p it n o w ? H ow o u rse lv e s. T h e v io le n c e has to w o u ld you feel if it w as y o u r son? e n d , an d w e h a v e to en d it. T h e g reatest tool w e have is to Y o u r b ro th er? Y o u r co u sin ? H o w d o y o u tell th re e little sto p the silen ce. L.J. did not c h ild re n th a t th e ir fa th e r is n o t d eserv e to die and neither did the c o m in g h o m e a g ain , e v e r? co u n tless o th ers killed by g ang H o w d o w e as a c o m m u n ity violence and b lack against b lack k e e p o u r m o u th s sh u t an d a llo w crim e. H e lp m e, h e lp y o u rself, an d c o ld -b lo o d e d m u rd e re rs to c o n tin u e to w a lk th e stre ets lo o k in g fo r a n o th e r v ic tim ? T h e n e x t h e lp o u r c o m m u n ity , so all o f o u r k id s c an be safe again. O u r p e o p le hav e c o m e to o fa r tim e it c o u ld b e y o u r ch ild . W e n e ed y o u r h e lp g e ttin g ju s tic e fo r L .J. I f y o u k n o w a n y th in g a b o u t m y s o n ’s m u rd e r p le a se h e lp us. W e k n o w th a t th e c o m m u n ity to e n d u p as v ic tim s o f g e n o c id e. Lucy Mashia, devastated mother o f L. J. (Leonard James Irving Jr.) The Portland Observer welcomes freelance submissions. 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