February 6, 2013
The
Portland Observer
Black History Month
Page 21
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Obama’s Battle Hymn of the Republic
Made me proud
to be an
American
ment. He sounded determined to
do so m e th in g ab o u t c lim ate
change, the growing divide between
the very rich and the rest of us,
reforming our broken immi­
gration system, and reinforc­
ing voting rights.
And he tied it together un­
der one phrase: "Preserving
our individual freedom ulti­
mately requires collective action."
After three decades of being fed
the lie that government isn't the
solution but rather the problem, it
was a gust of fresh air to hear a
president sound like an unapolo-
getic liberal.
That theme was struck immedi­
ately when the Brooklyn Taber­
nacle Choir started things off with
arousing rendition of "Battle Hymn
of the Republic," the anthem of the
Union forces during the Civil War.
I can only imagine how that sounded
to the southern Republicans, who
have done their best to thwart
Obama's leadership at every turn.
It was as if he said: "We not only
won the damn election, we won the
damn war. It’s about time you got
used to it."
Was it a conciliatory speech?
O f course not. He tried that once,
D onald K aul
T he P ortland
O bserver
by
I don't think Presi­
dent Barack Obama gave a good
inaugural address this time, I think
it was a great one.
He began with the principles of
freedom and equality that inform
our founding document, the Dec­
laration of Independence, and fol­
lowed our journey through the
many struggles we've undertaken
to make those principles manifest
— Seneca Falls, Selma, Stonewall.
Obama made glancing reference
to Abraham Lincoln's second inau­
gural address, as well as Martin
Luther King’s speech on the other
end of the Mall more than 40 years
ago, and echoed John F. Kennedy's
words of resolve.
He em b ra ce d F ra n k lin D.
Roosevelt's idea of government as
an engine of progress and paid hom­
age to the women's movement and
its continuing fight for equal treat­
WHHNNHMNM
remember? All he got for it from
the Republicans was implacable
hostility, unyielding obstruction­
ism, and insults.
This speech, elegant in its phras­
ing and majestic in its arc, planted
Obama's battle flag on the Capitol
steps. Up until now, the Republi-
the end of the era of Ronald Reagan. eign country.
God, I hope so. Conservatives have
For all his posturing, it was
raised Reagan to mythical status, Reagan who sold the Republicans
endowing him with virtues he would on the idea that it was OK to have a
not have claimed for himself.
big government, so long as you
I was in Washington during the didn't pay for it.
first Reagan inauguration and it was
Since then, they seem to have
quite a spectacle. Every limousine realized that you can only work
that scam for so long, so conser­
vatives now want to cut govern­
ment, particularly as it pertains
to the poor, the young, and the
old, all the while m aintaining the
privileges granted to the rich and
powerful.
They're having a tough time sell­
ing that formula. That's what the
election was about. W e'll see
whether Obama can make good on
the implicit promises of his speech
or whether the congressional prox­
ies of the oligarchs who own our
society can hold him off.
The election in 2014 will help
answer that question.
As for myself, I had a great time
hearing Obama's speech. It made
cans haven't shown much respect up and down the East Coast was me proud to be an American. I love
for our president. They have made commandeered for the event. You this country. For all of its flaws and
it clear that they think he's a push­ saw them everywhere, disgorging warts and unfulfilled promises, I
over. They might be having second ladies in fur coats and men in wouldn't be a citizen of any other.
thoughts.
formalwear. I felt as though I were
OtherWords columnist Donald
Some have said that this marks witnessing a coronation in a for­ Kaul lives in Ann Arbor, Mich.
■ ------------------- -----------------
After three decades of being
fed the lie that government
isn't the solution but rather
the problem, it was a gust of
fresh air to hear a president
sound like an unapologetic
liberal.
I
HNWI
BHN
NW
Creating a Pathway to Economic Justice
Invest in career
and technical
education
by
B rad A vakian
Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr. dedicated his
life to economic and
social justice. Today,
we celebrate his legacy of service
not just against the most insidious
forms of discrimination, but also
as a pioneer in the fight to recog­
nize the dignity of all labor.
In his last Southern Christian
Leadership Conference address,
Dr. King noted that “the prob­
lem s o f housing and education,
instead of preceding the elim i­
nation of poverty, will them selves
be affected if poverty is first
abolished. The poor transform ed
into purchasers will do a great
deal on their own to alter
housing d ecay .... The dig­
nity o f the individual will
flourish when the decisions
concerning his life are in his
own hands, when he has the
m ean s to seek se lf-im p ro v e ­
m ent.”
Today, m ore O regonians en­
jo y greater access to econom ic
o p p o r tu n ity b e c a u s e o f D r.
K ing’s work, yet too m any w ork­
ers still face unlaw ful discrim i­
nation, lower wages and barriers
to em ploym ent and housing.
JJartlanh (Observer
P u blisher :
Established 1970
Mark Washington
As a form er civil rights attor­
ney in private practice - and to ­
day, as O regon’s Labor C om m is­
sioner enforcing the state’s civil
rights laws - I ’ve worked to ag­
gressively protect the rights o f
Oregon workers.
But breaking the barriers o f
discrim ination alone will not end
the cycle o f poverty. W e must
build a foundation o f true equal­
ity in which all O regonians enjoy
access to a quality education and
living wage job.
Oregon can provide greater op­
portunity for students and young
people by investing in career and
technical education in our middle
schools and high schools. In fact,
thé greatest investm ent we can
USPS 959-680
make to create a vibrant, more
ju st econom y for the next gen­
eration o f leaders is to ensure
that Oregonians throughout the
state enjoy access to 21st C en­
tury shop classes.
E m ployers co n sisten tly tell
me that their workforce needs
are not being met because they
c an ’t find workers with the ap­
plicable skills. We need to re­
verse the disinvestm ent in the
sh o p c la s s e s and v o c a tio n a l
training that were once a staple
in Oregon public schools.
With smart, cost-effective in­
vestments in Oregon’s workforce,
we can not only prepare students
for the jobs of tomorrow, but also
help employers looking to fill well-
paying - but difficult to fill— po­
sitions today.
Dr. King believed that one o f
life’s most urgent and persistent
questions was: “W hat are you do­
ing for others?”
As a state, we should ask our­
selves what we are doing for O r­
egon students and workers and
recom m it ourselves to investing
in a more equitable and prosper­
ous future.
R estoring m o d ern ized shop
classes and practical applications
of classroom learning can create a
pathway to economic justice and
opportunity for Oregon students
and communities.
Brad Avakian is Oregon La­
bor and Industries Commissioner.
47 47 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Portland, OR 97211
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