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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 18, 2021)
August 18, 2021 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 Avalon Flowers 520 SW 3rd Ave., Portland, OR 97204 • 503-796-9250 A full service flower experience Cori Stewart-- Owner, Operator • Birthdays • Anniversaries • Funerals • Weddings Open: Mon.-Fri. 7:30am til 5:30pm Saturday 9am til 2pm. Website: avalonflowerspdx.com email: avalonflowers@msn.com We Offer Wire Services Providing Insurance and Financial Services Home Office, Bloomington, Illinois 61710 Ernest J. Hill, Jr. Agent The Right to Vote is Sacred Save democracy, pass ‘For the People Act’ l oretta s mith Time is running out: I urge Congress to pass Sen- ator Merkley’s S. 1, For the People Act 2021, before the upcoming August recess. The right to vote is sacred. The fundamental right of voter access for all Americans was made pos- sible by the Voting Rights Act of 1965, an historic step forward during the Johnson administration by 55 years ago. Black Americans had to fight, kick, scream, and die to get the same voting rights as white Americans all while concurrently fighting for equity in edu- cation, employment, and healthcare. Oregon itself is in- famous for egregious treatment towards its Black res- idents, including the 1844 Black Exclusion Act and its “Lash Law” provision, prohibiting Black indi- viduals, be they free or enslaved, from entering the territory and re- quiring the former enslaved who settled here to leave. Those who did not were flogged “not less than 20 stripes and no more than 39 stripes every six months until they left.” While we’ve made great strides on the path towards justice for all, we still have a lot of work to do to fulfill the ideals of our country’s founding. Our democracy is in grave dan- ger. Before our eyes, there is an all-out assault on voting rights in this country as state legislatures from coast to coast try to outdo one another in a game of who can restrict the most voters, with com- C ontinued on P age 11 The Vaccine, the Mask, and Our Children J ohn e. w arren First let us say the vaccine saves lives. The life of the per- son vaccinated and the lives of those they come in contact with. The low deaths, if not no deaths, of those vaccinated should be proof for the doubters. Second, masks save lives as evidenced by the statistical non spread among those wearing masks covering their mouth and nose. This is a scientific fact well documented. The combination of vaccines and masks save lives. The virus is not political, only its victims. This brings us to the issue of our children. All our children are victims without our intervention. We cannot give them a vaccine, but we can give them masks and we know the masks work against the virus. Question: Why put the chil- by dren at risk with our own personal issues? If the masks work and children are given the opportunity to understand why it’s nec- essary, then we save little lives and that’s more im- portant than party politics over the virus. Until the vaccine is approved for children, masks should be a re- quirement and the priority should be saving the lives of our children as well as ourselves. Finally, all elements of govern- ment, federal, state, county and local as well as businesses should require the vaccine and those who object have a right to file lawsuits to sell the issue. The lives of our children are more important than litigation. Let’s take the vaccine, wear the masks and live. Too many lives have already been lost due to foolishness over vaccines and masks. Let’s get real serious about the vaccine, the masks, and our children. John E. Warren is publisher of the San Diego Voice & Viewpoint 311 NE Killingsworth St, Portland, OR 97211 503 286 1103 Fax 503 286 1146 ernie.hill.h5mb@statefarm.com 24 Hour Good Neighbor Service R State Farm R $5.00 TEES CLUBS FAMILY REUNIONS SCHOOL CLUBS BUSINESSES SCREEN PRINTING 971-570-8214
