Page 2 The Skanner June 22, 2016
®
Challenging People to Shape
a Better Future Now
Opinion
Bernie Foster
Founder/Publisher
NNPA Journalism Scholars are Breaking the News
Bobbie Dore Foster
Executive Editor
T
Jerry Foster
Advertising Manager
Christen McCurdy
News Editor
Patricia Irvin
Graphic Designer
Arashi Young
Reporter
Monica J. Foster
Seattle Oice Coordinator
Susan Fried
Photographer
2015
MERIT
AWARDS
WINNER
The Skanner has received 20 NNPA awards since 1998
The Skanner Newspaper, es-
tablished in October 1975, is a
weekly publication, published
every Wednesday by IMM Publi-
cations Inc.
415 N. Killingsworth St.
P.O. Box 5455
Portland, OR 97228
Telephone (503) 285-5555
Fax: (503) 285-2900
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www.TheSkanner.com
The Skanner is a member of the
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Association and West Coast Black
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All photos submitted become
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BE A PART
OF THE
CONVERSATION
#SkNews
oday, we are exposed
to 10-minute news seg-
ments six times per
hour in a 24-hour news
cycle on television and the
radio. Twitter, Facebook and
other social media platforms
are now used for instanta-
neous news, commentary,
and the sharing of perspec-
tives by hundreds of millions
of people throughout the
world.
Yet Black-owned newspa-
pers in the United States re-
main in high demand even
amidst the growing digital
age of communications and
multimedia news services.
Social media compliments
and extends the reach of the
Black Press.
Thanks to Chevrolet, the
Discover The Unexpected
(DTU) NNPA Journalism Fel-
lows Program is giving un-
dergraduate student scholars
from the Howard University
School of Communications
the opportunity to “Break
News” in Detroit, Chicago,
Washington, DC, and in At-
lanta. Tatyana Hopkins, Sid-
nee King, Briahnna Brown,
McKenzie Marshall, Bran-
di Montgomery, Brelaun
Douglas, Victoria Jones, and
Rushawn Walters are all now
working with NNPA member
newspapers in the aforemen-
tioned markets.
On the ground and in the
streets, these gited and tal-
Benjamin F.
Chavis, Jr.
NNPA
President
and CEO
ented young journalists are
helping not only to bridge
generations concerning vital
news coverage, but they are
also using multiple media
platforms to help reach new
readers across the nation and
global community. As more
young readers are now con-
“
eates informed opinions.
For more than 189 years,
the Black Press in America
has represented the best in
presenting the facts, news,
struggles and triumphs of Af-
rican American life and em-
powerment. The baton is now
being passed to a generation
of journalists and publishers
who are equally fearless, cou-
rageous, and articulate.
We are proud of the oppor-
tunity and the engagement
that the DTU program is of-
fering to the NNPA family and
community of publishers and
media owners throughout the
tiges of slavery, racism, injus-
tice, and inequality. The Black
Press is, today, the most capa-
ble and responsible vehicle to
continue to strive toward ful-
illing the goal of racial, social
and economic equality.
President Obama stated,
“Juneteenth is a time to re-
commit ourselves to the work
that remains undone. We
remember that even in the
darkest hours, there is cause
to hope for tomorrow’s light.
Today, no matter our race,
religion, gender, or sexual
orientation, we recommit
ourselves to working to free
These gited and talented young journalists are helping
not only to bridge generations concerning vital news
coverage, but they are also using multiple media plat-
forms to help reach new readers
suming their news, sports
coverage, and cultural aspi-
ration via the Black Press, the
future sustainability of Black-
owned newspapers is further
assured.
The point here is that the
printed Black Press in Amer-
ica is content rich and there-
fore is invaluable in today’s
context of national and inter-
national content distribution.
There is a substantive difer-
ence between sensationalism
to get media attention and
good journalism that renders
objective facts and that delin-
nation. Already some of our
NNPA Fellows’ news entries
have made the front pages of
our newspapers. In addition,
the published stories by the
NNPA Fellows have signii-
cantly increased the NNPA’s
media impressions via social
media.
It should be noted here that
President Barack Obama on
the occasion of the White
House observance of the 2016
Juneteenth Celebration com-
mented on the importance
of continuing the struggle
against all the lingering ves-
modern-day slaves around
the world and to honoring
in our own time the eforts
of those who fought so hard
to steer our country truer to
our highest ideals.”
Learn more about the Dis-
cover The Unexpected (DTU)
program at http://www.nnpa.
org/dtu/ and use the hashtag
#DiscoverTheUnexpected on
Twitter and Instagram. Follow
us on Twitter @BlackPressU-
SA and @NNPA_BlackPress
and like our Facebook page at
NNPA Black Press.
McCain Foolishly Blames Obama for Massacre in Orlando
T
he cretin who took an
assault weapon into
Pulse, an Orlando night-
club, on “salsa night” is
beneath contempt. Was his
target the LBGTQ communi-
ty, Latinos, or simply human
beings? Ater all, it is some-
what reductive to simply de-
scribe Pulse as a “gay club.”
It catered to the LBGTQ com-
munities and allies. Some of
those who were massacred
were not gay. They just want-
ed to dance.
In the wake of the massa-
cre of 49 people, and the in-
jury of another 53, the net-
works have ofered sunup to
sundown coverage. Analy-
sis and opinions have been
more than plentiful. Some
of the most disgraceful com-
ments came from Senator
John McCain (R-Ariz.), who
blamed President Obama
for the massacre in Orlando.
To be sure the Senator quick-
ly retracted his words and
said that he “misspoke.” But
he started out by saying that
he held President Obama “di-
rectly responsible” for the
massacre in Florida. He ex-
plained that, because Presi-
dent Obama pulled U.S. troops
out of Iraq, he created the vac-
uum that ISIS formed to ill.
Florida’s Republican Gov-
ernor Rick Scott is another
Julianne
Malveaux
NNPA
Columnist
politician who has made un-
fortunately
inappropriate
statements. Delecting ques-
tions about assault weapons,
he says he prefers to talk
about eliminating ISIS. He
“
second amendment rights
to restrict their right to as-
sault weapons. One does not
need a automatic weapon and
thousands of rounds of am-
munition to protect oneself
or, for that matter, to “hunt.”
Whenever those NRA folks
start talking about hunting,
though, I really want to know
what (who) it is they want to
hunt. It is entirely appropri-
ate to restrict access to assault
weapons, but for some reason
rabid Republicans resist.
While it is appropriate to talk
about managing ISIS, it is also ap-
propriate to talk about the easy
access that anybody has to assault
weapons
behaves as if legislators have
only a one-track mind. While
it is appropriate to talk about
managing ISIS, it is also ap-
propriate to talk about the
easy access that anybody has
to assault weapons. If you are
on the no-ly list, the adage
goes, you ought to be on the
no-buy list. Not that it helps as
much as it should – there are
too many ways to buy guns,
ammunition, and body armor
legally and under the table.
It does not erode anyone’s
President Barack Obama
has had to take on the role of
Empathizer-in-Chief several
times during his presidency.
In the last year, he has had
to deal with the shootings at
Emanuel AME Church (June
2015, nine casualties), at the
Chattanooga Recruiting Cen-
ter (July 2015, 4 casualties),
Umpqua Community College
(October 2015, 10 casualties),
the San Bernardino Commu-
nity Center (December 2015,
14 casualties) — and now the
tragedy in Orlando. He has
been consistent in calling for
assault weapons bans -- and
his opponents have been con-
sistent in opposing such bans.
And they have been irrespon-
sible in their rhetoric of oppo-
sition.
Sen. John McCain stands at
the tip of the iceberg. Donald
Trump is worse. He has said
that our President is sympa-
thetic to ISIS terrorists. Like
McCain, he quickly suggest-
ed that President Obama has
some culpability in the Orlan-
do massacre.
What nonsense! Trump
should be ashamed, if he is
capable of such, for turning a
tragedy into political manipu-
lation. So should McCain.
In the wake of a tragedy,
our nation’s leaders ought to
follow our President’s lead-
ership in ofering empathy.
We ought also look at ways to
prevent further tragedy. Ban-
ning assault weapons is one
way to ofer some solutions,
and some Democrats have
attempted to deal with that,
despite resistance. Loose lips
are inappropriate in the wake
of this tragedy. Shame on you,
Donald Trump and John Mc-
Cain, for attempting to turn
tragedy to your political ad-
vantage with your foolish
words.