Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (July 30, 2014)
July 30. 2014 ï lje $ïortla«ô (Obstruer Page 7 Opinion articles do not necessarily represent the views of the Portland Observer. W? welcome reader essays, photos and story ideas. Submit to news@portlandobserver.com. Stop the Attacks on Immigrant Children Q m c L» V I I am shocked and deeply dismayed C arlton F agan “But Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of Heaven,” Matthew 19:14. As little children come across our southern border seeking safety from the violence and depravations of their home countries, I am shocked and deeply dismayed at the re sponse of some in the media. “Deport them by the thousands” (Laura Ingraham). “I ’m telling you your safety is at risk and you are in danger.” (Judge Jeanine). “They could be members of gangs for all we know.” (Steve Doocy). by These same pundits nnnrlits are often the i home countries . . . . the fort them, and teach them. The last by their to avoid first ones to claim that “America is responsibility of caring for them, thing we should do is shout at them are refugees fleeing violence and terrorism in third world countries. a Christian country”. How should we react? We should frighten them, and turn them away’ The next thing we should do is And I never thought I would see look at this as a blessing. Yes, a We should act like compassion the day when a U. S. Congressman blessing. The opportunity to save ate Americans, not bullies. I am ut- make our best efforts to identify the would stand up on the floor of the 50,000 children from a life of pov- terly shocked at the inhuman dis- children, determine whether they House of Representative and sug erty, starvation, and untold depra- plays on television of people shout- have parents or families who can care for them and, if they do, return gest that we treat small children as them to their families. an “invading force” and authorize Given the circumstances, I doubt military force against them. (Texas there are many o f them who have a Rep. Louis Gohmert). (Laura Ingraham); family who can care for them. For These are children - alone, hun those who have no families to care gry, and afraid - that they are talking for them, we should build a commu about. What kind of people turn (Judge Jeanine); nity for them, educate them, care for their backs on a lost child? them, and make them available for How did these children get here adoption. and why are they here? I don’t know What we should never do is turn the answer but common sense tells (Steve Doocy) our backs to helpless children or me that they most likely did not walk send them back to third world coun the thousand miles from El Salvador vation has been placed, literally, at ing and screaming epithets at small tries to face lives of poverty and and Guatemala through Mexico in a our door. children. We should hold in con depravation. vast exodus to America. What should we do? The first tempt those in the media and gov What would Jesus do? They are probably the orphans thing we should do is take them in, ernment who seek to demagogue a Carlton Fagan is a trial lawyer, and street children of those coun feed, them, and clothe them. We humanitarian crisis for their own writer, and activist from Jackson tries that have been displaced here should give them medical care, com- political purposes. These children ville, Fla. Deport them by the thousands” “I ’m telling you your safety is at risk and you are in danger. ” “They could be members o f gangs for all we know. ” I Giving Back to Our Venerable Institutions No free riders, please egon - every Native American, performers with the free riders’ lack as well as they have? Do we hon make our community stronger. every Hispanic, every Asian, every of contribution. estly believe that without the work The biggest thing we can do is to African American, and every immi In our small African American o f the Albina Ministerial Alliance give our money and our time, our grant - has benefited tremendously community, we risk becoming a for Justice and Police Reform that wisdom and expertise, and, above by M arcus C . and directly as these organizations population o f free riders. We get the victims and families of several of all, our grateful hearts to entities M undy address inequity. jobs at companies that wouldn’t those harmed or killed by the Port The lives o f that have worked long and quietly Further, and make no mistake, previously hire us, we buy homes land Police Department would have and hard so that we might have a our A frica n the successes of the LGBTQ com where we were previously redlined, received redress? A m erican n o n better life. munity would not have been pos we frequent hospitals and busi Do we honestly believe that with profit entities are The power of the collective is sible, without the precedent setting nesses that before refused us ser out the PAALF raising sand that strong. The Montgomery Bus Boy in jeopardy. tactics, strategies and legislation vice, and our children attend school anybody would have stopped the cott showed that determination, a We have relied upon the toil, (i.e., the “roadmap”) that has been anywhere we wish or can afford. development of the lot at the sym good plan, and an entire community’s innovation, and countless good the cornerstone of the civil rights The problem is we don’t rou bolic community intersection of works of venerable institutions like movement. You are welcome, all. cooperation could end unfair prac tinely give back to the very institu Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard the Urban League of Portland and tices and open opportunities. As Eveiy black man, woman or child tions that helped us bear this fruit. and Alberta Street? far as I know, there was no big grant Portland NAACP for years. Adding alive in Oregon can ascribe some We do not give to our own entities. No, we don’t honestly believe to their efforts are smart, issue-spe improved quality of life they are that funded their efforts. Rockefeller We have become falsely convinced any of that would have happened cific entities such as Portland Com afforded today to the efforts of these did not arrange all the rides for all the that “others” (corporate sponsors, without our representatives fight maids that had to get to work with munity Reinvestm ent Initiatives local organizations and the brave government entities, foundations, ing those battles for us, and having (housing), Self Enhancement, Inc. and brilliant individuals leading out a bus. The church where they etc.) will support our institutions; to represent their “race” at eveiy (education and youth mentoring) them. met every night was not peopled therefore we need not continue to meeting they attend in addition to w ith c o rp o rate sp o n so rs w ho and the Albina Ministerial Alliance Every black Intel engineer, black do so. being organizational leaders, strat bought a table, but with the people (social justice/police reform); and Nike executive, black lawyer, black T he m ajo rity co m m u n ity egists, operations managers, com that had everything at stake; Black even more recently, the bold and doctor, black Jefferson student or watches, waits, and declares “If they munity activists, fundraisers in chief, people. energetic Portland African Ameri black Lincoln student or black Caitlin won’t support their own institu and black folks living in a Portland No, the power of the collective can Leadership Forum which has Gabel student, every black Irvington tions, then why should we continue that maintains the patina of pro won the day, true self determina stepped up to lead on issues rang homeowner, every black cop or fire to do so?” Our own community gressiveness but the reality of a city tion. A population that wanted ing from community development man: all of us, whether bom and watches as well, but too often it that wishes African Americans change sacrificed for their goals. to forging new activists in the cru raised in Oregon or not, has ben waits for someone else to step in. would just go gently into that good They didn’t wait for someone else cible o f their Leadership Academy. efited. We owe a debt that must be Every one of color has an obliga night. to pay the freight. They paid the But each of these organizations paid. tion to support organizations whose So what can we do? and many more community-focused price themselves to ride the bus So why are these organizations purpose it is to serve our commu- We can support our African where they wanted. They were not groups in our region struggle to in peril? We are experiencing a nity. American-led and focused organi free riders. survive. Some may die because of nightmarish manifestation of the Do we honestly believe that with zations that show positive out the loss of funding. Others face a “free rider problem.” A free rider African American Oregonians, out the tireless organizing efforts of comes. slow collapse of services until they refers to one who benefits from re save our institutions, and in so do groups like the Urban League that We can accept that not every ing, you save yourself. Give. For us. become shells of the former dyna sources, goods, or services without le g isla tio n a d d re ssin g our entity needs to continue to exist, mos. By us. Right now. Give. No more paying for the cost of the benefit. A com m unity’s needs would have not even our own. We need to ac free riders. For some, this process has al free rider benefits from the sacrifice passed? Do we honestly believe tively ferret out those bad organiza ready begun. And yet, ironically, of others. Worse, free riders lower Marcus C. Mundy is a Portland that without the work of SEI, the tions that suck resources away from consultant and form er president o f every single person of color in Or- the morale and performance of high children they serve would be doing the verifiably good institutions that the Urban League o f Portland.
