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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (May 6, 2015)
Page 6 May 6, 2015 New Prices Effective May 1, 2014 Martin Cleaning Service Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Residential & Commercial Services Minimum Service CHG. $45.00 $VPDOOGLVWDQFHWUDYHO charge may be applied CARPET CLEANING 2 Cleaning Areas or more $30.00 Each Area 3UH6SUD\7UDI¿F$UHDV (Includes: 1 small Hallway) 1 Cleaning Area (only) $40.00 ,QFOXGHV3UH6SUD\7UDI¿F$UHD (Hallway Extra) Stairs (12-16 stairs - With Other Services) Area/Oriental Rugs $25.00 Minimum Area/Oriental Rugs (Wool) $40.00 Minimum Heavily Soiled Area Additional $10.00 each area (Requiring Extensive Pre-Spraying) UPHOLSTERY CLEANING 6RID /RYHVHDW 6HFWLRQDO &KDLURU5HFOLQHU $25 - $49 Throw Pillows (With Other Services) ADDITIONAL SERVICES • Area & Oriental Rug Cleaning $XWR%RDW59&OHDQLQJ • Deodorizing & Pet 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 O PINION A State of Emergency for Police Reform Shaping a more just system of justice M ARC H. M ORIAL A tragic déjà vu is playing out in commu- nities all across Amer- ica, particularly in the growingly skeptical streets of black and brown neigh- borhoods. Once again, our nation is forced to grapple with fresh accounts of police misconduct in its deadliest incarnation. Once again, the vic- tims are unarmed black men and the perpetrators are the very pub- lic servants charged with keeping them—in fact, all of us—safe; it seems only the states and the cir- cumstances change. On April 4, Walter Scott was driving a Mercedes-Benz with a busted taillight through North &KDUOHVWRQ6&2I¿FHU0LFKH- al Slager pulled Scott over. Said to be in fear of being arrested, the 50-year-old ran away from the car. A cellphone video shows 2I¿FHU 6ODJHU FKDVLQJ 6FRWW DQG shooting at him with his stun gun, when that failed to stop him, he XVHGKLVJXQWR¿UHHLJKWVKRWVDW Scott’s back, killing him on the BY scene. Weeks later, in a west Balti- more neighborhood, witnesses used cellphone video to capture parts of Freddie Gray’s ar- rest. Police say the 25-year- old was arrested after mak- ing eye contact with the police and then running away. Gray can be heard screaming in pain as he’s being dragged into a police van. While the mystery of what happened in the van has yet to be solved, we do know that his en- counter with the police left him with serious spinal cord injuries. He died of those injuries a week later. This unjust treatment of our nation’s citizens by law enforce- PHQW RI¿FLDOV VZRUQ WR GLVSHQVH justice should stir, if not shock, our collective conscious. These heavy-handed, sometimes fatal, police tactics should inspire out- cry from all corners of our coun- try—and the world. But we can’t leave our frus- WUDWLRQV²DQG RXU ¿JKW²DW WKH doorstep of outrage. Our chal- lenge is to make the Scotts and Grays of this nation the rarest of exceptions, not the fatal rule. Anger has its place, but it is in action—strategic, comprehensive action—that we will begin to at- tack the cancer of police miscon- duct. In light of the most recent deaths, and our nation’s desper- ate need for solutions during this state of emergency that calls for action, and an action plan, I want to reintroduce the Na- tional Urban League’s 10-Point Justice Plan for police reform and accountability calling for widespread use of body cameras and dashboard cameras; the im- plementation of a 21st Century community policing model; the review and revision of police use of deadly force policies and the comprehensive retraining of all SROLFHRI¿FHUV The other points of the plan support a comprehensive review and strengthening of police hir- ing standards; the appointment of special prosecutors to Investigate police misconduct; mandatory, uniform FBI reporting and an audit of lethal force incidents in- volving all law enforcement; the creation and audit of a national database of citizen complaints against police; the revision of national police accreditation sys- tem for mandatory use by law enforcement to be eligible for federal funds; and a nationwide FRPSUHKHQVLYH DQWLUDFLDO SUR¿O- ing law. The rage that has spilled out onto so many of our streets since the shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., last year makes it clear that the is- sue of police-involved killings is one that will not be easily swept under a rug of unawareness and indifference. When we, as a na- tion, address the problem of po- OLFH RI¿FHUV XVLQJ GHDGO\ IRUFH particularly against people in communities of color, we know that we are saving lives—per- haps our own—and shaping a more just system of justice for all. :KHQ RI¿FHUV DUH KHOG DF- countable for using excessive force—as they have thankfully been held in the cases of Scott and Gray—we are encouraged and know that change is possible, but our work does not end there. To deliver on the promise of fair treatment by law enforce- ment for every American, we cit- izens, community stakeholders, policy-makers and politicians, must all commit to play our part for the long haul to right the his- toric wrong of the unequal treat- ment of people of color by police under the law. Marc H. Morial is president DQGFKLHIH[HFXWLYHRI¿FHURIWKH National Urban League. Mother’s Day and the Fight for Immigration Giving moms and their children hope C ECILIA V ELASCO This Mother’s Day, I can hug my mother tightly and celebrate with her. I’d like to thank our 40th presi- dent for that. 6HULRXVO\ $V D progressive young Latina from a working-class background, whose parents im- migrated to the United States from Mexico without papers, I’m actually thankful for something Ronald Reagan did. He signed into law legislation that’s allowed me to share this special day with my mom every year without the worry of it being our last one together. My parents legalized their sta- tus after Reagan signed the Immi- gration Reform and Control Act in 1986. They had green cards by the time I was born four years later and became citizens before I started kindergarten. BY That landmark law granted them the right to get driver’s li- censes, become homeowners, and vote in elections. This, in turn, empowered them to estab- lish their own businesses, make investments, and afford out-of-pocket payments for health insurance. These changes opened a new world of opportunity not just for them, but also for me and my brother. It gave us a worry-free and “normal” childhood that my friends with undocumented par- ents who arrived a few years later didn’t get. Unlike those friends and class- mates, I never had nightmares about my mom being taken away from me — or of coming home to ¿QGKHUDOUHDG\JRQH)RUSHRSOH I knew growing up, that wasn’t just a nightmare. It was reality. My worries were of the more VWHUHRW\SLFDO WHHQ YDULHW\ ZKDW to wear, how to do my makeup, and whether to swap my latest ce- lebrity crush for another one. My mom always drove me and my friends to the movies, to the mall, or anywhere we needed to go, no matter the distance. She reliably carpooled for years of softball and basketball games and supplied the team’s snacks. When I got my license at 17, I didn’t need to drive my parents to their jobs, doctors’ appointments, and my own school events to re- duce their risk of deportation. I would have gladly done it, but unlike my friends whose parents lack papers after living here for years, I didn’t need to. In short, I’m lucky that my parents were present throughout my childhood and adolescence. And I never had to worry that they wouldn’t be. This isn’t the case for 4.5 million children and young adults who live in fear of seeing their parents deported. President Barack Obama has tried to provide some relief to these undocumented parents and their citizen or permanent resident children. His program, known as DAPA, wouldn’t go as far as Reagan’s immigration reform. But by granting appli- cants a two-year renewable work permit and reprieve from depor- tation, it would provide them the ability to obtain driver’s licenses, credit cards, better paying jobs, and a shot at a more stable life. My friends whose parents qualify would no longer have to stay up late to make sure their parents got home safely. They wouldn’t have to worry that an unexpected police encounter or parking ticket could lead to the separation of their families. They could say goodbye to their parents before going to school knowing that they’ll be there when they get home. Over 60 percent of Americans support Obama’s effort to bring immigrants out of the shadows and give them a chance to ful- ly contribute to this country. But anti-immigrant forces have ¿OHGODZVXLWVWREORFNLWOHDYLQJ many hardworking American immigrants and their families in limbo. The courts have the power to break this impasse. This Mother’s Day, that would mean giving mil- lions of immigrant moms — and their children — plenty to cele- brate. Cecilia Velasco is the New Mexico Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies.