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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (June 17, 2015)
June 17, 2015 Page 7 Opinion articles do not necessarily represent the views of the Portland Observer. We welcome reader essays, photos and story ideas. Submit to news@portlandobserver.com. O PINION Healthy Parks, Healthy Portland and Clean Air Hooray for smoke-free parks, spaces M IDGE P URCELL We know that physical activity can produce long- WHUP KHDOWK EHQH¿WV and prevent chronic diseases, the lead- ing cause of death and disability in the United States. It also, relieves stress, counters obesity, and increases your longevity. Most of us need to exercise more. Maintaining a physical ac- tivity routine of 30 minutes daily of exercise for adults, and 60 minutes daily for chil- dren can result in better phys- ical and mental health. You may want to check out Port- land Parks and Recreation for BY all the different recreational activities they offer. Also, congratulations to Portland Parks and Recre- ation for now becoming a smoke-free environment throughout the en- tire park system! The policy takes effect on July 1 and aligns with Portland Parks and Recreation’s focus on “Healthy Parks, Healthy Portland.” It requires all park areas and events to be free of smoke and tobacco in any form in- cluding products such as cigarettes, cigarillos, cigars, clove cigarette, e-cigarettes, nicotine vaporizers, nicotine liquids, hookahs, pipes, chew, snuff, smokeless tobacco, kreteks and marijuana. African Americans have particularly high rates of smoking-related chronic dis- ease. The Centers for Dis- ease Control and Prevention warns the dangers of the use of e-cigarettes as studies have found carcinogens and toxins in e-cigarettes. Creating healthy and safe environments protects Port- land residents and visitors, especially children, and pro- tects parks and natural areas from the potential risk of ¿UHVDQGHQYLURQPHQWDOKDUP caused by littering of ciga- rette butts and other tobac- co-related waste. This policy also supports individuals who are trying to quit smoking or tobacco use or have already quit. It reduc- es children and youth expo- sure to smoking and tobacco use, which not only protects their health, but also helps discourage them from starting DKDELWWKDWLVGLI¿FXOWWRTXLW The leading cause of pre- ventable death in Oregon is still tobacco-related diseas- es which costs Multnomah County $223 million dollars each year in medical care, and $196 million dollars in lost productivity. Multnomah County recent- ly awarded a three-year grant to increase the number of African Americans with ac- FHVV WR WREDFFRQLFRWLQHIUHH environments, among other things. One of three methods is to increase the number of outdoor settings implement- ing new or expanded tobacco DQGRUQLFRWLQHIUHHSROLFLHV Called the Racial and Eth- nic Approaches to Commu- nity Health, the grant was is- sued as a way to create policy, systems, and environmental changes affecting the health of the county’s African Amer- LFDQ%ODFNFRPPXQLW\LQSDU- ticular, through both nutrition and tobacco policies to change the environment. These poli- cies span the life-course and reach infants, youth, pregnant women, adults, and elders. As Portland Parks Com- missioner Amanda Fritz said, “expanding Portland Parks and Recreation existing to- bacco-free policy across the entire system sends a consis- tent message. It helps create a healthy and safe environment within all of Portland Parks and Recreation -- especially the children and youth.” Port- land Parks and Recreation offers a variety of fun activ- ities, listed on their website (check out summer free for all events) and includes ame- nities such as public trans- portation through TriMet, re- strooms, signs, and parking. Midge Purcell is director of advocacy and public policy for the Urban League of Portland. (GXFDWLRQ5HIRUP7KH(TXLW\DQG([FHOOHQFH3URMHFW Confronting the obstacles to college degrees M ARC H. M ORIAL All across the coun- try, people are gather- ing to observe an an- nual academic rite of SDVVDJHJUDGXDWLRQ In a scene that will be played out count- less times during this season of celebration, family and friends will dutifully take their seats LQDXGLWRULXPVDQGRSHQ¿HOGV around the nation and proud- ly look on as their loved ones walk across stages to receive their diplomas or degrees and, ¿QDOO\ WXUQ WKH WDVVHO RQ WKHLU graduation caps. This tradition holds much PRUH VLJQL¿FDQFH WKDQ LWV SUL- mary function as the formal recognition of a student’s ac- ademic achievement. It is also ¿UPO\ URRWHG LQ RXU$PHULFDQ belief that education—particu- larly higher education—is the key to greater opportunity and the chance to live the American BY dream. The era when a high school diploma was enough to climb the ladder into America’s mid- dle class is long gone. In to- day’s increasingly high-tech society, it is a college education, or degree, that has become the min- imum requirement for that climb up our nation’s social and economic op- portunity ladders. Access to college, therefore, can- not remain a privilege afforded to a few when it has become a prerequisite to achieve greater success by the many. In recognition of this endur- ing state of academic affairs, the National Urban League is spearheading the “Equity and Excellence Project.” The proj- ect—which has six areas of academic focus tightly related to our organization’s mission, including common core stan- dards and improved access to high-quality curricula and effective teachers—has also made college attainment, and most importantly, completion one of its priorities. Right now, there is much to celebrate in our country when it comes to academic achieve- ment in African-American and Latino communities. To- day, we enjoy the highest high school graduation rates in his- tory. More students of color are in college and dropout rates are at historic lows. But more work lies ahead. Despite the fact that more blacks and Hispanics are get- ting a college education than ever before, there is a gap in postsecondary attainment. In 2013, about 15 percent of Hispanics had a bachelor’s degree or higher, degree at- tainment was at 20 percent for African Americans and 40 percent for whites, according to recent Pew Research Cen- ter analysis. When a young man or wom- an is denied access to opportu- nity through education, we all lose. That potential graduate loses a well-known and well- worn path to individual suc- cess. College Board research demonstrated that people with bachelor degrees earned over $21,000 more than high school graduates. People with some college and no postsecondary degree earned 14 percent more than high school graduates who worked full time. When young people are not obtaining postsecondary de- grees, our nation suffers from the loss of their talent, their in- creased tax revenues, their civ- ic engagement and more. As was often quoted by President John F. Kennedy, “a rising tide lifts all boats.” We need to rethink our funding of grants, we need to take a se- rious look at our student loan system, we—as a nation— need to confront head on all the obstacles to equity in access to quality postsecondary educa- tion. The return on our invest- ment of the time, effort and money necessary to increase college attainment and com- pletion, would be a compet- itive American workforce, a stronger economy and thriving communities. Marc H. Morial is president DQG FKLHI H[HFXWLYH RI¿FHU RI the National Urban League. The Law Offices of Patrick John Sweeney, P.C. Patrick John Sweeney Attorney at Law 1549 SE Ladd Portland, Oregon Portland: Hillsoboro: Facsimile: Email: (503) 244-2080 (503) 244-2081 (503) 244-2084 Sweeney@PDXLawyer.com