Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current, May 17, 2017, Image 8

Portland observer., May 17, 2017, Page Page 8, Image 8

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Newspaper Page TextPage 8 May 17, 2017 CAREERS EDUCATION New Prices Effective April 1, 2017 O PINION Martin Cleaning Service Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Residential & Commercial Services Minimum Service CHG. $50.00 A small distance/travel charge may be applied CARPET CLEANING 2 Cleaning Areas or more $30.00 each Area Pre-Spray Traffic Areas (Includes: 1 small Hallway) 1 Cleaning Area (only) $50.00 Includes Pre-Spray Traffic Area (Hallway Extra) Stairs (12-16 stairs - With Other Services) : $30.00 Area/Oriental Rugs: $25.00 Minimum Area/Oriental Rugs (Wool) : $40.00 Minimum Heavily Soiled Area: $10.00 each area (Requiring Extensive Pre-Spraying) UPHOLSTERY CLEANING Sofa: $69.00 Loveseat: $49.00 Sectional: $109 - $139 Chair or Recliner: $25.00 - $49.00 Throw Pillows (With Other Services) : $5.00 ADDITIONAL SERVICES • Auto/Boat/RV Cleaning • 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 American Justice Now Feels Laughable Attorney General shows distain for police reforms e bony s laughter -J ohnson Heard any good jokes lately? Desiree Fairooz did. But laughing at it got her thrown in jail. That’s right: Fairooz was just convicted for laughing during the confirmation hearing of now-Attorney General Jeff Ses- sions in January 2017. She’d attended the hearing, in her own words, to “oppose his ascent to the most powerful law enforce- ment position in the country.” From his vote against the 2013 renewal of the Violence Against Women Act to his openly hostile rhetoric towards immigrants, Sessions’ record is spattered with examples of efforts to dis- criminate against marginalized groups. So, when Senator Richard Shelby began his line of ques- tioning by praising Sessions for his “extensive record of treating by all Americans equally under the law,” Fairooz did what anyone who’s just heard a joke would do: She laughed. Fairooz was then ejected from the hearing room by Capitol Hill police, then jailed and processed. Stunningly, she was convicted of two counts of unlawful conduct on Capitol grounds. She faces a year in prison with the pos- sibility of additional fines and community service as well. Desiree Fairooz was right to laugh at the misplaced praise heaped upon Sessions. The former Al- abama senator’s civil rights re- cord is laughable. For proof, look no further than the decision from the Ses- sions-directed Department of Justice to forgo prosecuting the two police officers responsible for the death of Alton Sterling, an unarmed black man in Baton Rouge whom the officers pinned to the ground and shot to death last year. In the entirely false dichotomy between defending police officers and pursuing justice for the vic- tims of police violence, Sessions has maintained no illusions about which side he falls on. As a senator, Sessions partic- ipated in a hearing provocative- ly titled “The War on Police,” in which he chided the Obama administration for investigat- ing police misconduct. Sessions disdained such investigations as indicative of “an agenda that’s been a troubling issue for a num- ber of years.” As attorney general, Sessions announced in April that his De- partment of Justice would re- view all reform agreements the Obama administration made with local departments. He’d previously disparaged those civ- il rights reforms as “dangerous” for their tendency to “undermine respect for our police officers.” That decision signals that Ses- sions not only intends to under- mine existing reforms, but that he’s taken the first steps to make good on his professed interest in doing away with them altogeth- er. Now, it seems that the attor- ney general’s conception of “re- spect” for law enforcement ex- tends to empowering officers to commit violence with impunity as well. By not prosecuting the officers who killed Sterling, he’s sending a powerful message: Victims of police violence have no advocate in the Department of Justice. At best, the department now makes excuses for police mis- conduct. At worst, it seemingly encourages it. Alton Sterling didn’t end up pinned on his back of his own volition. Nor did he fire the stream of bullets that ultimate- ly ended his life. Sterling was wrestled to the ground and shot to death by a police officer for being a black man at the wrong place at the wrong time. Alton Sterling didn’t deserve to die — and he didn’t deserve to have his memory vandalized by this further injustice offered by the Department of Justice. The American justice appa- ratus has revealed that it’s more willing to prosecute laughter than murder. So, the next time Sessions attempts to tout his civ- il rights record, do what Desiree Fairooz did: laugh and resist. Ebony Slaughter-Johnson is a freelance writer whose work covers history, race and the criminalization of poverty. Dis- tributed by OtherWords.org.