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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (March 23, 2022)
March 23, 2022 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 No Problem Seeing the Threat Black Americans and the attacks on democracy By Ben Jealous Anti-democratic authoritarianism is on the rise–both around the world and here at home. Sometimes it is easier to recog- nize overseas. That’s especially true at moments like this when Vladimir Putin’s military is killing civilians in Ukraine to feed his ambitions for greater power and is crushing any effort at dissent or truth-telling in his native Russia. Americans don’t often recognize au- thoritarianism at home because they don’t want to. They believe the U.S. is so excep- tional that the checks and balances built into our system will protect our democratic values. That smug assurance was shaken by the Capitol Insurrection and the all-out effort by former President Trump to stay in power after the voters sent him packing. Black Americans have never had a prob- lem seeing the threat. After all, we were formally denied our place in democratic government for most of the country’s first century. And in some parts of the country, we were violently locked out of real access to democracy—and to opportunity—for most of its second century. AU.S.’s third century, we see access to voting being rolled back. We see mecha- nisms being put in place for the party in power to steal elections if they don’t like the outcome. And we see corrupt census figures and abusive gerrymandering being used to deny Black people the level of ac- cess to political power that we deserve. We’ve seen this all before. Specifically, Black newspapers have seen it all before. In 1942, the federal government was rallying Americans to support the cause of democracy in World War II, which the U.S. formally entered at the end of 1941. One Black man called out the glaring contrast being our country’s stated ideals and the reality of life for Black people who faced prejudice and discrimination even in the military. James Thompson wrote a let- ter to the Pittsburgh Courier, which was the largest-circulation Black newspaper at the time. The paper titled the letter, “Should I Sacrifice to Live Half American?” “Would it be demanding too much to demand full citizenship rights in ex- change for the sacrificing of my life?” he wrote. “Is the kind of America I know worth defending?” The Courier turned Thompson’s letter into a public campaign that other Black papers embraced. They adopted the allies’ “V for Victory” slogan with a call for a double victory over the enemies of de- mocracy at home and abroad. The Dou- ble V Campaign urged Black Americans to fight “not merely for the salvation of America, not merely to secure the same degree of democracy for Black Americans that white Americans have long enjoyed, but to establish precedent for a world- Letter to the Editor Fireworks Ban for Safety Ben Jealous wide principle of free association among men of all races, creeds and colors. That’s the black man’s stake.” That is still our stake. It is still our fight. It’s no surprise to us that the same far- right media figures excusing Vladimir Pu- tin’s brutality have also excused or actively promoted Donald Trump’s Big Lie about the election—and used that Big Lie to jus- tify new assaults on Black Americans’ ac- cess to democracy. Back in 1942, James Thompson wrote that he was “willing to die for the Amer- ica I know will someday become a real- ity.” That is the kind of remarkable faith that motivated and sustained the civil rights movement after the war. It is the same kind of faith and determination we must find to defend American democracy and our place in it. Ben Jealous serves as president of Peo- ple for the American Way and Professor of the Practice in the Africana Studies De- partment at the University of Pennsylvania where he teaches leadership. The Portland City Council this month unanimously passed a ban on the personal use and sale of fireworks. The driving factor for developing and passing this policy was the safety of Portlanders. In recent years, the West Coast in particular has witnessed increasingly frequent and se- vere wild fires. Here in Oregon we remember the devastating firework caused burn that start- ed on the Eagle Creek trail in 2017. Then last summer we witnessed climate catastrophe, as extreme heat and draught brought devastating wildfires to Portland and throughout Oregon. In response, we issued a temporary ban on the personal use and sale of fireworks and the results spoke for themselves: In 2021 we re- duced firework caused fires by 66% during the fire season and 83% on the Fourth of July compared to 2020 when no ban was in place. While I was fortunate enough to avoid combat when I served in the Navy, I know that many veterans and others that experience Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) have long spoken out about the harmful effects loud explosions from fireworks cause. And if you or someone you know owns a pet, you certain- ty are aware of how upsetting fireworks are to our furry companions. At the end of the day, this ban is for the safety of our community as we adapt to the unfortunate realities of climate change. I also want to be clear that this ban does not prohibit professional, licensed firework displays like what we are accustomed to watching on the waterfront each Fourth of July. I appreciate the support from my col- leagues and the leadership from Portland Fire & Rescue Chief Sarah Boone to make this happen. I take the danger caused by fireworks to our community as well as our brave fire- fighters very seriously. We must adapt during a climate emergency. Jo Ann Hardesty, Portland City Commissioner SUB-BIDS REQUESTED Portland International Airport Parking Garages P1 & P2 Modifications This project is located at Port- land International Airport in Portland, OR. Project Scope: Modifications and reconditing of vacated rental car spaces in existing short-term parking garage (P1) levels 1 and 2, and long- term parking garage (P2) lev- el 1. Project is subject to pre- vailing wage, small business enterprise program (SBE), and Apprentice program par- ticipation requirements. 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