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Page 12 November 21, 2018 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. Children Succeeding Against the Odds It’s time to hear and help them m AriAn W right e DelmAn After two years of divisive, hateful rhetoric from the high- est levels of government, the profoundly inhumane treatment of immigrant families, and the placing of corporate profits ahead of the basic needs of children—the poorest age group in America—the results of Novem- ber’s election instilled in many that most precious resource: hope. Change began sweeping across our country with the election results, bring- ing a new, diverse set of faces into the halls of Congress, governors’ mansions and statehouses. With them comes a new opportunity to improve the odds for chil- dren. by We look to the two years ahead with more hope and determination that incum- bent and new leaders alike will commit to common sense, fiscal- ly responsible and compassionate policies to help end child poverty and inequality in America. Every child deserves health care and food, schools that are equitably funded, and protection from relentless gun violence. Every child needs a level play- ing field and an end to the Cradle-to-Prison Pipeline crisis. But it is not our political leaders that give me the most hope—it is our coura- geous and resilient young people. I was reminded of that yesterday as the Chil- dren’s Defense Fund honored five Wash- ington, D.C. metro-area high school students at our annual Beat the Odds cel- ebration. The Beat the Odds program identifies and rewards young people who have over- come tremendous adversity, demonstrated academic excellence and are giving back to their communities. By providing them college scholarships, leadership skills and more, the program supports these astound- ing youths—who too many people would write off—to become the next generation of effective servant leaders. Because of CDF’s Beat the Odds pro- gram hundreds of young people who have persevered and overcome profound fami- ly challenges, homelessness, parental in- carceration, drug and alcohol addiction, neglect and abuse, or gun violence have been able to attend college and become outstanding adults. They are doctors and lawyers, teachers and Peace Corps volun- teers, and responsible parents. They are living proof that no one should ever give up on a child. These amazing young people have beat- en formidable odds stacked against them, challenging our notions of what is possi- ble and inspiring us all to persevere despite setbacks. But the truth is, our children should not have to struggle so hard to beat the odds. You and I and our political leaders must improve and even the odds for children, es- pecially children of color and those living in poverty. Across our country children are crying out for us to protect them from hun- ger and homelessness, abuse and neglect, and gun violence and bigotry. It’s time to hear and help them. If the challenge seems too great or our political system seems too broken, just re- member the example set by brave young people across our nation and commit to fight for their future and countless others like them. Marian Wright Edelman is President of the Children’s Defense Fund. 2018 Midterms: Hardly a Sigh of Relief The issues that won’t go away r obert c. K oehler How much real change manifested itself in the 2018 midterms? How deeply does the outcome reflect the American soul? Apparently, about 113 million Ameri- cans, basically half the electorate, felt com- pelled to vote in the midterms, revved up either by intense opposition to or support for Donald Trump. This is a lot more than usual for a non-presidential election, but still fairly pathetic for “the world’s greatest democracy.” How much closer did we move to be- coming a nation able and willing to focus on the real issues that threaten the planet? Some progressives determined to change the game were among those who gained office in this election, which is something worth celebrating — but hardly reason to heave a sigh of relief. Most of the issues that truly matter, that require a fundamental shift in American politics, remain rawly unaddressed and unacknowl- edged. They were essentially invisible in the mainstream election coverage, which, as usual, presented it as a horse race for the entertainment of Spectator America, not the creation of the future. The issues that won’t go away include: A. Militarism, endless war, unconscio- nable military spending, nuclear weapons. This was utterly off the table in the mid- terms. As Chris Hedges pointed out, some 85 percent of Senate Dems voted for this year’s $716 billion military spending bill, indicating a “unity” of surrender to mili- tary-industrialism. We no longer glorify our wars, we ignore them. And even pro- gressive candidates seldom declare an in- by tent to challenge the culture of war. Is there any political traction whatsoev- er for the antiwar movement? I fear there hasn’t been for four and a half decades — since the defeat of George McGovern. B. Climate change, environmental catastrophe. This is not unrelated to the issue of war, since the world’s militar- ies are by far the biggest polluters. While environmental sanity is at least something that can be addressed politically, the ur- gency of global warming hardly has po- litical traction. And, as a headline on Vox summed things up regarding the midterms: “Fossil fuel money crushed clean energy ballot initiatives across the country.” self-declared socialists are getting elected. Medicare for all and publicly funded col- lege tuition are gaining political traction. The 99 percent have a voice. But of course the rich still have almost all the power; for the most part, this means that their self-in- terest rules. D. Guns, violence, mass murder, a cul- ture of violence. This issue still carves a deep gouge across the American elector- ate. Mass murders keep occurring. Should we get serious about gun control or should teachers and rabbis be armed? There is no real dialogue across the divide. We still live in a culture that worships violence. Just as we will not, as a nation, consider demilitarizing, neither will we disarm. And Most of the issues that truly matter, that require a fundamental shift in American politics, remain rawly unaddressed and unacknowledged. C. Poverty, inequality. “In the wealth- iest country in the history of the world,” writes Maria Svart, national director of Democratic Socialists of America, “many of us live in quiet desperation. Farmers are committing suicide, and so are taxi drivers in New York City. That’s why in the bat- tle for the soul of our country, we must win.” Capitalism is still sacrosanct and Donald Trump, the alleged working class populist, cuts the taxes of the rich and is, as Hedges notes, an “embarrassing tool of the kleptocrats.” But socialism is no lon- ger a taboo word in American politics and war keeps coming home. E. Militarized police, police shootings and racism. The antidote emerges in con- cepts such as community policing and re- storative justice — security that involves connecting with and understanding others, even those we dislike and distrust. This transformation is taking place across the whole planet, quietly, and for the most part beyond the world of politics. From my point of view, it’s one of the biggest sourc- es of hope — it’s the cultural path beyond the worship and glorification of violence. F. The prison-industrial complex. The United States has the largest prison sys- tem in the world (and it’s becoming in- creasingly privatized), with 2.3 million people — mostly impoverished people of color — behind bars. Our prison system is a regrouping of Jim Crow America, which can’t stand having a country without sec- ond-class and tenth-class citizens. But here’s some good news from this year’s midterms: “Florida restored voting rights to more than 1 million people with felony records, which amounts to the biggest en- franchisement since the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the women’s suffrage move- ment,” Vox reports. G. Immigrant scapegoating, hatred and fear. Because our unwinnable, endless wars can no longer serve the function of unifying the country, Trump has turned to immigrants — in particular, that “invading caravan” of desperate, shoeless Central Americans — as the Other he needs to rev his base and get the vote out. However, the Trump adminis- tration’s treatment of immigrants, including the cruel separation of parents and children, has shocked and enraged much of the coun- try, putting the country’s long-standing pol- icy of cruel indifference to global suffering (and of course one of its leading creators as well) into the national spotlight like never before. H. Voter suppression, gerrymandering, hacking. Ah, democracy, a nuisance to the powerful, a system to be gamed! If the voting can’t be controlled, my God, Re- publicans could lose. Witness Georgia and North Dakota, where bureaucratic twists deprived African-American and Native American citizens of their right to vote in large enough numbers to skewer election results. Robert Koehler, syndicated by PeaceV- oice, is a Chicago award-winning journal- ist and editor.
