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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 23, 2015)
September 23, 2015 Page 7 O PINION 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. The Challenges of US and Cuba Relations A new time and moment for SHDFHPDNHUV BY A NGEL L. R IVERA -A GOSTO ,Q &XEDQ 6SDQ- LVK MDUJRQ WKHUH LV D SKUDVH WKH\ use to make bad WKLQJV RU KDSSHQ- ings go away. For H[DPSOH LI LQ WKH middle of the night SHRSOHOLVWHQWRWKH song of the owl, considered an ominous bird by farmers, they would say without hesitation, ³6RODYD\D´ $OVR ZKHQ SDVV- ing a funeral, they would say “Solavaya” to chase away the death. , VXVSHFW WKDW VRPHWKLQJ bad stayed behind on Dec. 17, 2014, when President Obama VDLGWKH86IRUHLJQSROLF\WR Cuba had been “a failure.” I want to think that a new time has started for the relations be- tween the two countries. I recently attended a meet- ing in Cuba. I sat with Cubans and we shared our best wishes for the future. They also raised some real TXHVWLRQV7KH ¿UVW RQH LV ,I WKHUH LV an ending to our KLVWRULFSROLFLHVUH- garding Cuba, what is it that we would be starting? ,WLVDOPRVWLPSRVVLEOHWRWKLQN that the United States would JLYH XS LWV SROLF\ FRQFHUQLQJ Cuba entirely. Cuba has always ranked high on the list of for- HLJQ SROLF\ FRQFHUQV IRU WKH United States. $QRWKHUTXHVWLRQUDLVHGZDV Are we talking about a change of tactics, but same strategy as always? The truth is that Cuba UHVLVWHGDQDJJUHVVLYH86SRO- icy for more than 40 years with no concessions. That was an extraordinary show of external strength. Nonetheless, it is said that the strength of any country to deal with international relations is measured by internal forces. The internal reality of Cuba is one where it has demonstrated its ability to sustain a survival- ist economy, but it takes more WKDQWKDWWRGHYHORSDFRXQWU\ A third challenge arises from WKH JHRSROLWLFDO ¿HOG RI /DWLQ America. The recent “Bolivar- LDQFRQVFLHQFH´GHYHORSHGE\ Hugo Chavez and some other Latin American leaders, was GHPRQVWUDWHG LQ WKHLU ¿UP GH- sire to include Cuba in any KHPLVSKHULF VXPPLW 7KDW combined with U.N. votes against Cuban blockade, has SXVKHG WKH 8QLWHG 6WDWHV WR UHHYDOXDWH LWV SRVLWLRQV LQ WKH face of a more united continent. There is still a fourth chal- OHQJH7KHPDMRULW\RIWKHSHR- SOHLQWKH8QLWHG6WDWHVGRQRW want to maintain the blockade. &KXUFKHV KDYH SOD\HG D IXQ- damental role on changing the ZD\ WKH $PHULFDQ SHRSOH VHH Cuba. (YHQ XQOLNHO\ VXSSRUWHUV LQ 86 SROLWLFV DUH VD\LQJ WKDW WKHEORFNDGHKDVLPSDFWHGWKH United States more than Cuba. Numbers talk –– estimates of the sanctions’ annual cost to the U.S. economy range from $1.2 to $3.6 billion, according to the U.S. Chamber of Com- merce. The idea of lifting the block- DGHLVFRPSOLFDWHGIURPD&X- EDQ SHUVSHFWLYH WRR ,W FDQ seem threatening, as the glo- EDOL]HG FDSLWDOLVW HFRQRP\ would rush into the island the ZD\ D ³%D\ RI 3LJV´ JURXS RI invading soldiers couldn’t. What will it mean for the val- ues and achievements of Cu- ban revolution? This is an excellent moment IRUDOOSHDFHPDNHUVWRVD\³6R- ODYD\D´ WR DOO EDG LQÀXHQFHV IURP WKH SDVW DQG WR ZRUN RQ IULHQGO\DQGMXVWUHODWLRQVZLWK our brothers and sisters in &XED ,W LV WLPH WKDW 86 SRO- icymakers remember Jesus’ teachings to “love God with all your heart ... and your neighbor DV \RXUVHOYHV´ 0DUN 31) Angel L. Rivera-Agosto is the Latin America and the Ca- ribbean area executive for Jus- tice Ministries in the United Church of Christ. A Movement One Year after #MikeBrown )RUVRPHSROLFH DQGSROLWLFLDQV UHVSRQVHKDVQRW matured N ICOLE L EE $QWLFLSDWLRQ IRU the commemora- tion of the one- year anniversary of the killing of Mike Brown Jr. by then-Ferguson Po- OLFH 2I¿FHU 'DUUHQ:LOVRQ ZDV KLJK Clergy community and civil leaders, gathered to remember “Mike-Mike”’s OLIHGHDWKDQGDIWHUPDWKWKDWVSDUNHG a movement. While Mike Brown’s death unfor- tunately was not wholly unique, the UHVSRQVH IURP WKH FRPPXQLW\ ZDV Community members stayed in the VWUHHW SXEOLFO\ SURWHVWLQJ DQG QHY- HU ZHQW KRPH 2SHQ GH¿DQFH ODVWHG KXQGUHGV RI GD\V (YHQ DIWHU WKH SR- lice brought out dogs and tear gas, the community refused to back down. These acts of civil disobedience in- VSLUHG SHRSOH DURXQG WKH FRXQWU\ WR defy the initial storyline of “looters” DQG³ULRWHUV´DQGWRORRNWRWKHGHHSHU LVVXHVDWSOD\LQ)HUJXVRQ 7KLVDQQLYHUVDU\ZDVPHWZLWKSUR- BY WHVWVDQGUHQHZHGFDOOVIRUMXVWLFHEXW it was also greeted by music, concerts, SUD\HU YLJLOV DQG VWUDWHJ\ VHVVLRQV While the goals remained steadfast among demonstrators and concerned IRONVWKHUHZDVGLYHUVLW\LQDSSURDFK and tactics. Activists, artists and religious OHDGHUV ZHUH UHWURVSHFWLYH ZLWK D OH k keen eye toward all that still must b be won. The future of a movement ZDVLQWKHKDQGVRIQRWMXVW)HUJX- Z s son but the nation and as a move- PHQW LW PXVW EH SUHSDUHG WR DFW P locally and nationally. lo <HWWKHUHVSRQVHRIWKHSROLFHDQG VRPH SROLWLFLDQV LQ 6W /RXLV &RXQW\ has not maturated. Once again, vehi- cles and armament reminiscent of war scenes, rolled onto West Florrisant in Ferguson. On the anniversary of Mike Brown’s death while a concert headlined by Talib Kweli and Common rocked the QLJKWLQ)HUJXVRQWKHSROLFHRUGHUHG DJURXSRISURWHVWHUVWRGLVSHUVH0R- ments later, they teargassed the very SDWK WKH SROLFH RUGHUHG SURWHVWHUV WR WDNH $ \HDUROG JLUO ZDV SXW LQ KDQGFXIIV $ KDQGLFDSSHG YHWHUDQ was maced and tackled to the ground. Armed white vigilantes roamed the streets of Ferguson while once again EODFN SURWHVWHUV IRXQG WKHPVHOYHV SXEOLFHQHP\ 7KH QH[W GD\ SURWHVWHUV WRRN WR Highway 70 shutting it down for 15 minutes. Those demonstrators who were nearly run over by an angry driver were charged with assault. Demonstrators and onlookers were DUUHVWHG PDQ\ NHSW LQ KDQGFXIIV IRU XSWRKRXUV These actions are merely a mani- IHVWDWLRQ RI WKH GHHSHU VWUXFWXUDO LV- sues that remain in St. Louis County. The entrenched system, never im- SURYHGE\WKHFLYLOULJKWVPRYHPHQW FRQWLQXHVWR¿JKWUHIRUPDQGSXQLVK those calling for it. 6W /RXLV &RXQW\¶V PXQLFLSDOLWLHV had a banner year in terms of arrests DQG¿QHVFROOHFWHGIURPLWVUHVLGHQWV )HUJXVRQKDVUHMHFWHGWKH¿UVWGUDIWRI WKH FRQVHQW GHFUHH SUHVHQWHG E\ WKH 'HSDUWPHQWRI-XVWLFHLQRUGHUWRDPH- OLRUDWHLWVUDFLVWSROLFLQJSUDFWLFHV In an equally brazen move, the county executive for St. Louis Coun- W\ KDV GHFLGHG WR SXUVXH FULPLQDO FKDUJHV DJDLQVW SURWHVWHUV 7KHVH charges go as far back as last August DQG RXU FDVHV WKDW WKH VWDWH SURVHFX- WRU DQG WKH PXQLFLSDOLWLHV FKRVH QRW WRSXUVXH I think of the ways in which St. Louis County continues to defy con- ventional wisdom treating its own citizens as enemy combatants every time I hear criticism of the tactics of Black Lives Matter activists. From colleagues to comment sections, there is a constant refrain citing tac- WLFV RYHU VXEVWDQFH &ULWLTXHV RI SR- litical targets over the terror black communities are facing calls to ques- WLRQRXUSULRULWLHVDVDQDWLRQ One year out, I think the tactics of GLVUXSWLRQ FRXSOHG ZLWK VWURQJ SRO- icy recommendations that quickly evolved into reform is the only way to manifest that black lives matter. The Butcher’s Bill is growing with so many dead black men and women at the hands of law enforcement it is GLI¿FXOWWRNHHSWUDFNRIWKHKDVKWDJV If a 12-year-old in handcuffs or in a body bag is not enough to shake the HQWLUH FRXQWU\ IURP LWV FRPSODFHQW VOXPEHUSHUKDSVLWLVQRWVRH[WUHPH WKDWSHRSOHFRQWLQXHWRXWLOL]HWDFWLFV that bring them face-to-face with mil- LWDU\ YHKLFOHV DQG GLVDSSURYDO IURP SROLWLFDOSDUWLHV One year out, something must JLYH1RWMXVWLQ)HUJXVRQEXWLQWKH hearts, minds, and actions of Amer- LFDQV HYHU\ZKHUH 7KH WUXWK PDQ\ RI XV VLPSO\ FDQ¶W JR KRPH KRSLQJ WKDWWKHSURWHVWVZLOODEDWHDQGWKLQJV will go back to normal. Many of us DUH¿JKWLQJWKLVV\VWHPOLNHRXUOLYHV GHSHQGRQLW%HFDXVHIRUVRPHRIXV they do. Nicole Lee is the co-founder of the Black Movement Law Project and the immediate past president of TransA- frica.