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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 29, 2020)
January 29, 2020 Page 9 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. O PINION MCS Still in Business 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 and Hallway Rollbacks are Textbook Institutional Racism Environmental law attacks sow division l eslie d. g regory t om h. h astings Did Trump say out loud, “I’m going to gut the original environ- mental law of the US and it will affect everyone’s health nega- tively but the health of black and brown people the most?” Of course not. But that is ex- actly what is afoot with his inten- tion to roll back major portions of the 1969 germinal environ- mental law—the National Envi- ronmental Protection Act—the original law upon which all such important protections are built. The Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, Endangered Species Act, Resource Conservation and Re- covery Act—all these protec- tions, and more, of our public health will be weakened and, in some cases, rendered virtually moot, when Trump finishes. Big oil will profit. Huge cor- porations will skip previously required steps to pass assess- by and ments and protection measures, increasing profits for all manner of developers and increasing in- cidence of lung disease, heart disease and cancers associated with reckless release of toxic and hazardous material that speeds extraction, quickens construc- tion and jacks up mortalities. In- dustry benefits, people lose. It’s not like environmental laws are perfect, but they need improvement, not evisceration. According to a report in The Hill, the EPA found black Amer- icans are subjected to higher lev- els of air pollution than whites. Another study found that com- munities of color and low-in- come populations are dispropor- tionately exposed to chemical releases. Others have found that minority and low income com- munities were more likely to be near hazardous waste sites. Ad- vocates often collectively refer to these towns as environmental justice communities. So there is already a lethal bias against poor people and people of color in many respects—as if that means that middle-class white people are immune from these public health threats. It does not. But it does mean that insti- tutional racism will be claiming even more victims—little chil- dren, innocent of anything other than being African American or Latinx or Native American/Pa- cific Islander, will be statistical- ly more likely to suffer asthma, nascent heart damage and a wide range of chemically/toxically re- lated cancers. When a little girl whose par- ents can only afford housing near some project or facility that is releasing unhealthy atmo- spheric elements or polluting the local drinking water, when that child gets sick, that isn’t a sta- tistic, that is a little girl. Donald Trump should not be allowed to hurt her. From caging children to poi- soning them, this impeached guardian of corporate profits should not be permitted to get away with this and other crimes against humanity. Racism is not primarily, or even much, about an ignorant white person calling a black per- son the n-word, nor about Trump calling refugees “animals.” It is far more common, far more deadly, when it’s baked in the cake of our laws, our gover- nance, our education, our health- care system, and our economy. The hypocrisy of Trump la- beling other countries, even some of those with universal healthcare and decent environ- mental law enforcement, as “sh- -hole” while we descend to new lows ourselves, is truly abysmal. Our leadership in the world is being dragged down by one unfit to lead in any worthy sense. The diseases associated with proximity to toxicity are insid- ious, atypical in many cases, and deceptively chronic, all highly associated with resultant compromised self-concept, and other mental health risks. It is often hard to pinpoint a proven origin, but common sense epi- demiology shows it clearly. Of course, access to the health care required is negatively associ- ated with the populations most directly affected, thus exacer- bating all these causal and cor- relative factors. Our work, if we are serious about making America great, is to repair racial disparities, not worsen them. Please sign the MoveOn petition to fight institu- tional racism as a threat to public health and let your federal rep- resentative know that you care, that you oppose this attack on our basic environmental laws. Leslie Gregory is a certified physician assistant focusing on preventive cardiology and is executive director of Right to Health. Tom H. Hastings is PeaceVoice Director and on oc- casion an expert witness for the defense in court. Stairs (12-16 stairs - With Other Services) : $30.00 Heavily Soiled Area: $10.00 each area (Requiring Pre-Spray) Area/Oriental Rug Cleaning Regular Area Rugs $25.00 Minimum Wool Oriental Rugs $40.00 Minimum UPHOLSTERY CLEANING Sofa: $70.00 Loveseat: $50.00 Sectional: $110 - $140 Chair or Recliner: $25.00 - $50.00 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 Call for Appointment (503) 281-3949
