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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (April 18, 2012)
Opinion/Classifieds We Want Vick-Type Justice for Trayvon I n 2007 it was discovered that Michael Vick, an African American football player in the NFL, was participating in organ- ized dog fighting. As a result, peo- ple from all over the nation were in an uproar. Members from diverse communities rallied together to express their disgust, moral out- rage and call for action. The pro- testors were passionate and relentless. Communities of people, from all over the nation used all their resources, including the media, to pressure the government and the NFL. There was no rest until the justice they were calling for was served. This level of sus- tained intensity and passion was something that we had rarely seen before and have not seen since. Vick served 21 months in prison as a result of their efforts. Although Michael Vick eventually returned to football, the outrage from the fan base and Atlanta community influenced the Atlanta Falcon own- ership to trade him to another team. We want Michael Vick type jus- tice for Trayvon Martin. Trayvon Martin was a 17-year-old kid who was shot and killed on February 27, while walking in his own neighborhood by George Zimmer- man, a neighborhood watch cap- tain. Zimmerman shot and killed this unarmed teen after labeling him “suspicious.” As it turns out, Trayvon Martin was doing nothing but walking to the store for a snack. It is clear that Zimmerman engaged in racial profiling to label this young Black man as a threat— and Zimmerman’s suspicions ulti- mately led him to take the adolescent’s life. What is more astounding is that Zimmerman was questioned by the police and released. It appears they merely Seven Things You Can Do as a White Ally E LIZABETH P ARKER AND A NDRAÉ L. B ROWN , P H D took him at his word without any attempt at a thorough investigation into the loss of this young life clearly not deemed to be worth the effort. While we are calling for justice in this particular instance, we know that this is bigger than George Zimmerman. We know that this is bigger than the Sanford police. This is about who we are as a nation. This is about all people across communities and races tak- Be loud- We need to show that many of us don’t support violence and hatred. We can not be quiet when injustice itself becomes loud. We need to be louder than injustice. We need to show that people who believe in equality and justice are a powerful force. We need to understand that when we stay quiet we are supporting the status quo. We are allowing the injustice to remain. Use your social media- There have been many powerful clips, songs, and articles written about We know that this is bigger than the Sanford police. This is about who we are as a nation ing a stance against racism. I know in my heart that this is not all of us. I know there are many people of all races that know that what happened to Trayvon Martin, and countless others like him, is wrong. I know that there are many of us that see past the tactics used to distract us. Past the propaganda used to keep us apart. I know there are many white people who are asking themselves, “What I can I do to change this? What can I do to support people who are living this injustice? How can I show that I am a white ally?” Trayvon Martin and other tragedies. Post these on your face- book/blogs/ twitter etc. to let the people in your life know where you stand. Educate those around you the dangers of racial profiling. Create your own forms of social protest- Use your art, writ- ing, poetry, music, etc... to bring attention to this and other tragedies. Many people from the African American communities have already done so. White allies need to also contribute to the movement in this way. We can use our creativity and passions to show our solidarity. Know your history- It is impor- tant to understand this country’s bloody history to understand where we are today—as painful as it might be. The Trayvon Martin tragedy is part of a violent legacy that has been perpetuated against Black men in this country. This is not an isolated incident. It is con- nected to this country’s racist practices towards Black men specifically and towards people of color, in general. It is directly linked to a history lynching and the long lasting legacy of Jim Crow. We need to understand this in order to change this. Talk with your friends and family face to face- Educate oth- ers on why this is important to you. Interrupt racism when you hear it. Help those around you understand that we are all hurt when human life is devalued. We all suffer when we deny others their humanity. Attend functions put on in your community- If it is a prima- rily African American function, practice your listening skills. Understand that you might have to prove that you are a safe person to talk to. Don’t minimize the impact that race has on people’s lived experience. Don’t minimize or compare experiences. Talk from your heart. Listen with your entirety. Contact local, state and feder- al government- Twenty-four states have Stand Your Ground Laws including Oregon. This law allows for the use of deadly force if threatened in both public and private spaces. Once this defense is taken it is up to the prosecution to prove that death was not ima- mate for the defendant. In other self-defense laws, you can still be found guilty if you could have walked away but choose not to. In some states, including Oregon, “the duty to retreat” is not required. What this means is that you have a right to kill someone if you feel threatened, even if there are other options available to you at the time. In Trayvon’s case, Zimmerman felt threatened by a Black kid walking alone in his neighborhood. He is claiming this was enough reason to kill him. We cannot allow laws that protect racist crimes to remain. Demand a change. In 2007 we saw what a group of outraged and relentless people could accomplish with Michael Vick. We want to see that now. We need to show our resilience and our resistance to this type of injus- tice. We have seen the power of white people using their voice to seek justice. We want to see the same type of passion and commit- ment in this case. Read the rest online at www.theskanner.com Bids/Classifieds To place your ad, email STEPHENS CREEK CROSSING PHASE III Subcontractor Information Meetings Thursday, April 19, 2012, 4:00 - 6:00 PM Location: OAME, 4134 N. Vancouver Ave, Portland or Wednesday, May 2, 2012, 4:00 - 6:00 PM Location: Hillsdale Community Church, 6948 Southwest Capitol Highway, Portland Subcontractor Technical Training Sessions Home Forward has engaged Probity Builders to offer subcontractor technical training sessions during the Phase III bid period on the following dates: May 8th, 15th, 22nd & 29th from 1:30 - 4:30 PM Location: OAME, 4134 N. Vancouver Ave, Portland Project Background: Stephens Creek Crossing, formerly known as Hillsdale Terrace, includes the demolition of existing buildings, site work and utili- ties and the construction of 122 new housing units along with a community and child development cen- ter. The project is being developed by Home For- ward. The third and final phase of bidding is anticipated to be due June 2012 and includes landscape, site concrete, buildings and MEP. POSITION: PAYROLL SUPERVISOR (RECRUITMENT EXTENDED) Approx. Monthly Salary $5,281 – $7,052 Deadline: 4:30 pm, 05/07/12 Position: The Senior Accounting Supervisor in the Accounting Division of the Bureau of Financial Services is responsible for supervising assigned payroll process- ing, accounting functions, and related activities within the City's central Accounting Division. Please visit our web- site at: http://www.portlandoregon.gov/jobs or contact Jarvez Hall, Sr. HR Analyst, (503) 823-5738. The City of Portland is An Equal Opportunity Employer SUB-BIDS REQUESTED Oregon State University Wilson Hall Window Replacement and Wall Repair Bid Date: April 24, 2012 Bid Time: 2:00 pm (541) 726 8081 (541) 741 0896 Fax P.O. Box 7867, Eugene, Or 97401 OR CCB# 189837 CCB # 46071 We are an equal opportunity employer and encour- age sub-bids from Section 3, minority, women, dis- advantaged, and emerging small business enterprises. We are an equal opportunity employer and request sub bids from all interested firms including disad- vantaged, minority, women, disabled veterans and emerging small business enterprises. 4-18-12 FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME FACULTY 4-18-12 JOHN HYLAND CONST., INC. 1530 SW Taylor Street, Portland, OR 97205 Tel. (503) 228-7177 Fax (503) 224-3638 advertising@theskanner.com 4-18-12 National College of Nat- ural Medicine seeks to fill this full-time and part- time, teaching positions in our Naturopathic Med- icine, Classical Chinese Medicine and Integrative Medicine Research starting in summer 2012. Duties are primarily teaching and curriculum development. Full job descriptions and appli- cation details can be found at www.ncnm.edu. Closes 5/18/12 EOE 4-18-12 GET NOTICED ! Call Today for Advertising Rates 503-285-5555 April 18, 2012 The Seattle Skanner Page 3
