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February 24, 2016
Black History Month
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The
in
Week Review
Rent Control Passes House
A bill that addresses the housing affordability cri-
sis by boosting protections for renters was passed
by the Oregon House Tuesday and now heads to
the Senate. The proposal would bar landlords from
increasing rent during the irst year of month-to-
month tenancy. After a year, rent increases would
require a 90-day written notice. The bill would also
require 90-day notices on tenancy terminations, up
from the current 30-days.
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A 46-year-old man admitted to setting a southeast
Portland church on ire, along with a vacant house
across the street early Sunday morning. Crews re-
sponded to Eastside Free Methodist Church at 139th
Avenue and Stark Street just before 2 a.m. Jamie
Calderon is facing arson charges.
Mayor Charlie Hales is considering using some of
Portland’s downtown parking garages as campsites
for the homeless at night. Josh Alpert, the mayor’s
chief of staff, said the garages could also serve as
daytime storage for homeless campers who need a
place to store their tents.
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called “Charleston loophole,” where the suspected
gunman in the mass shooting at a black church in
Charleston, S.C. was able to purchase his weapon
after errors pushed his background check past a
three day window.
Guantanamo in Crosshairs
President Obama Tuesday proposed to “once and for
all” close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay,
Cuba “Keeping this facility open is contrary to our
values,” he said. “It undermines our standing in the
world. It is viewed as a stain on our broader record of
upholding the highest standards of rule of law.”
Gun Control Clears Hurdle
A compromise that would limit but still allow gun
sales when background checks take longer than 10
days cleared the Oregon House on Monday and
moves to the Senate. The bill seeks to close the so-
A mother who
threw her 6-year-
old autistic son
from the Yaqui-
na Bay Bridge in
Newport in 2014
will spend 25 years
in prison. Mere-
dith McCabe of
Seal Rock pleaded
guilty Tuesday in
connection to the
death of her son, London McCabe. Before she threw
her son off the bridge, she suffered a mental break-
down and spent time in a hospital.
Inside Ferguson
c ontinued froM f ront
on institutional racism, cultur-
al competence, implicit bias,
and other social justice issues.
The memoir details James’ ex-
periences working with Fergu-
son oficials and the Missouri
government immediately after
Michael Brown was shot and
killed.
James has irsthand experi-
ence with the criminal justice
system. His autobiography tells
about his roots growing up in
poverty, suffering as an abused
child, becoming a high school
drop-out, and inally escaping
life as a former gang member
and transforming himself into
an astute, educated communica-
tions professional.
He compares his rough and
impoverished background to
what many young men like Mi-
chael Brown face while growing
up in poverty and other oppres-
sive systems.
“Inside Ferguson” is his chill-
ing account of the hypocrisies of
Ferguson’s leadership and the
consequences he suffered when
he tried to do his job and dared
to become a voice for the voice-
less.
The mentalities displayed by
leadership in Missouri demon-
strated “how devalued black
people are in America,” he de-
scribes in a proile of the book.
“The leaders pretend to be con-
cerned about the issues impact-
ing the black community how-
ever, they refuse to listen to the
needs of the community or make
any signiicant changes. Rather
than acknowledge systemic rac-
ism exists and try to understand
why residents were offended by
their actions, the leaders often
defended their actions and de-
nied any wrongdoing.”
Inside Ferguson explores the
subsequent character assassina-
tion that occurred when James
pushed for real change.
“Ultimately, it’s my hope
that my book can help put the
focus back on what really mat-
ters: Why racial inequality and
discrimination is still a major
crisis in America today. In the
wake of Ferguson and similar
tragedies occurring nationally,
government oficials across the
country must examine the racist
laws and policies that foster an
environment in which the killing
of black men and women is ac-
ceptable,” he said.