Page 12
November 14, 2018
O PINION
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Ripped Away by Evil, Cruel Racism
A brutal slaying
30 years ago
(Editor’s note: U.S.
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.,
presenting the following
testimony before Congress
to mark this week’s 30th
anniversary of the murder
of black immigrant Mulugeta Seraw by
racist skinheads in Portland.)
b y u.s. s en . r on W yDen
Mr. President. This November, my
hometown of Portland marks a somber
occasion: The 30th anniversary of the
murder of Mulugeta Seraw, a 28-year-
old Ethiopian college student, by racist
skinheads.
This horrific case galvanized the
city, as well as the state of Oregon, to
stand up to hate crimes and acts of vio-
lence by the neo-Nazi movement in the
Pacific Northwest.
While this brutal slaying happened
30 years ago, it remains fresh in the
minds of many who lived through that
time and for people who still experi-
ence discrimination and hate today.
Mulugeta’s path to our country mir-
rors those of so many others who came
to America. He came to the Unit-
ed States seeking an education.
A college student in Portland, he
worked multiple jobs and remit-
ted money to Ethiopia to support
his son, Henock.
Mulugeta, like many immi-
grants who come to America,
was simply seeking opportunity. His
family and friends describe him as
a kind, hard-working man. He had
friends and family whom he supported
and loved. All this was ripped away by
evil, cruel racism.
As a result of the cruelty done to
Mulugeta, community members, civ-
il rights lawyers, judges, elected of-
ficials, and nonprofits came together
and demanded justice be served. They
succeeded. The case attracted nation-
al attention, and thanks in part to the
great effort of the Southern Poverty
Law Center, the White Aryan Resis-
tance and its leaders who were behind
this heinous crime were bankrupted
and jailed.
While no prison sentence could bring
back Mulugeta, Oregonians stood and
stand in solidarity with Mulugeta and
his family and friends to make clear we
will not let hate crimes and violence
take over our communities.
We have to remain vigilant, and we
have to continue the fight. We must
recognize our own troubling present
in Oregon, which unfortunately has
an awful history as a home for white
supremacists, because to not know our
own history dooms us.
In the years since Mulugeta’s death,
there have been horrific acts of racially
charged violence in Oregon.
In May of 2017, a self-proclaimed
white nationalist verbally attacked two
women who were riding Portland’s
MAX light rail. One of these two wom-
en was wearing a hijab. The perpetrator
stabbed three men who defended the
women against the racist and Islam-
ophobic rant, killing two of them.
There have been horrific racist acts
throughout the Nation. The march and
murder in Charlottesville is another
clear example of how these white su-
premacist ideals and concepts continue
to draw breath in our country.
Like Oregonians speaking out in
remembrance of Mulugeta Seraw, we
must all speak out against hate. It has
no place in our country, including in
our White House.
This year, as we remember the 30th
anniversary of the murder of Muluge-
ta Seraw and 50th anniversary of Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination,
I would like to acknowledge the many
organizations in Oregon that fight for
peace and justice every day on behalf
of marginalized communities.
I would like to especially acknowl-
edge members of these communities
who are resilient and strong. I stand
with them today and every day.
Oregonians will come together to
remember and celebrate the life of Mu-
lugeta Seraw during a 30th year com-
memoration conference organized by
the Urban League of Portland. I am
honored to add to this remembrance
with this Congressional Record.
May Mulugeta and his story never
be forgotten, and may we remember,
learn, and change.
Democrat Ron Wyden represents Or-
egon in the U.S. Senate.
Ready for a New, Less Toxic Style of Politics
Changing the way
Congress works
J ill r iCharDson
With the election
over and a new Con-
gress ready to be
sworn in this Janu-
ary, I’m ready for a
new, less toxic style
of politics.
Journalist McKay Coppins traces
the toxic politics of today back to Newt
Gingrich in the 1990s. Gingrich, he
said, pioneered “strategic obstruction-
ism.”
Here’s what that means: Let’s say
a bill was very popular with voters.
Once upon a time, both parties might
have compromised and passed the bill
through Congress. Gingrich put a stop
to that.
According to Gingrich’s logic, the
Democrats who controlled Congress
in those days would get credit for any
bills that passed. If Republicans helped
Democrats pass those bills, voters
would be satisfied with the Democrat-
ic-controlled Congress. Republicans
who supported even a popular bill
wouldn’t get credit for it.
Under Gingrich, Republicans would
by
oppose popular legislation they pre-
viously might have supported. Then
Republicans would point a finger at
the Democratic leadership and accuse
Congress of doing nothing.
They’d tell the voters that Demo-
crats won’t fix your problems so you
need to elect Republicans. Never
mind that Republicans caused the ob-
struction in the first place.
This worked. It still works.
That was Republican Senate leader
anger. Fear and anger draw you in like
a magnet. Fear and anger motivate
people to watch more TV, click more
links, and donate and volunteer more
to campaigns. That doesn’t make them
healthy or constructive.
There are a few other theories why
Congress doesn’t work anymore.
One worth noting is the elimination
of “earmarks.” In the past, Congress
could persuade members to compro-
mise on a bill by including earmarks:
As a citizen, the poisonous rhetoric
is painful to listen to. Watching the news
hurts. Some politicians are openly spewing
hate speech. Hypocrisy is rampant and
nobody cares.
Mitch McConnell’s strategy through-
out the Obama presidency: Don’t pass
anything, then blame the lack of action
on Obama.
Here’s the thing: While this strat-
egy is effective at winning elections,
it’s not an effective way of governing.
It serves none of us when our leaders
can’t get anything done.
Since the 1990s, we’ve lived through
political rhetoric that stokes fear and
provisions in the bill allocating money
to one or another member’s district.
In exchange for voting for a bill he or
she didn’t completely love, the repre-
sentative would get funding to repair
a bridge in his or her district or some-
thing like that.
In 2010, Congressional Republicans
initiated a ban on earmarks. In 2011,
Obama promised to veto any bill con-
taining earmarks. They were decried
as a form of corruption. However, they
served to grease the wheels of democ-
racy.
As a citizen, the poisonous rhetoric
is painful to listen to. Watching the
news hurts. Some politicians are open-
ly spewing hate speech. Hypocrisy is
rampant and nobody cares.
I’m all for politicians taking moral-
ly principled stands on behalf of their
constituents. They’re supposed to do
that.
What they aren’t supposed to do is
focus on what will get them elected or
keep them in office at the expense of
what they must do to govern.
If both sides could agree on a bill
that would benefit the American peo-
ple, especially one most Americans
support, they shouldn’t obstruct it just
to score political points.
We’ll have a new Congress taking
office in a few months, and then the
next presidential race will begin to heat
up. As voters, we should no longer re-
ward hate speech and obstructionism
that come at the expense of good gov-
ernance.
OtherWords columnist Jill Richard-
son is pursuing a PhD in sociology at
the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
She lives in San Diego. Distributed by
OtherWords.org.