Page 2 The Skanner July 20, 2016
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2016
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Opinion
Black Lives vs. All Lives and Blue Lives: Why are non-Blacks
threatened by the Black Lives Matter Movement?
T
he recent police murders
of Alton Sterling and
Philando Castile and the
protests that followed
have reignited the conversa-
tion around the social justice
movement, Black Lives Mat-
ter. Black Lives Matter, the so-
cial justice movement created
in 2012 ater the murder of
Trayvon Martin and the ac-
quittal of his killer sent shock
waves through the Black
community, is a movement
that has stood against racial
oppression and the dehuman-
ization of Blacks in America
“
Tai Harden-
Moore, J.D.
Guest
Columnist
nearly as much attention as
the movement itself. In re-
sponse to Black Lives Matter
non-marginalized
groups
have responded with their
own movements, includ-
ing:“All Lives Matter,” and, af-
ever, it is not simply the term
“Black” in Black Lives Matter
that has those who oppress
Blacks in America concerned
and in many cases outraged.
The true concern surround-
ing Black Lives Matter stems
from the strength that Black
Americans will gain against
institutional racism when we
unite. The Black Lives Mat-
ter movement is giving Black
people a united voice in our
ight for our human rights. As
Assata Shakur said, “It is our
duty to ight for our freedom,
it is our duty to win. We must
The idea of Blacks breaking loose from the chains of
systematic and institutional racism is a threat to our
oppressors because collectively we are powerful, and it
is that power that has truly sparked the fear and back-
lash against Black Lives Matter
by uniting Black people in
an efort to ight against the
deprivation of our human
rights.
While Black Lives Matter is
a powerful movement bring-
ing attention to the issues that
face Black people nationwide,
the term “Black” in “Black
Lives Matter” has garnered
ter the recent police shootings
in Dallas, “Blue Lives Matter”
— both attemptsto deempha-
size the importance of the
Black Lives Matter movement
and bolster the unfounded
claims that Black Lives Mat-
ter is inherently exclusion-
ary and therefore divisive,
invalid, or terroristic. How-
love each other and support
each other. We have nothing
to lose but our chains.” The
idea of Blacks breaking loose
from the chains of systematic
and institutional racism is a
threat to our oppressors be-
cause collectively we are pow-
erful, and it is that power that
has truly sparked the fear and
backlash against Black Lives
Matter. As Huey P. Newton
said, “`There’s no reason for
the establishment to fear me.
But it has every right to fear
the people collectively — I
am one with the people”. The
strength that comes from the
Black Lives Matter movement
is threat to the oppression, de-
humanization, and inequality
that Blacks face in Ameri-
ca. The word Black does not
undermine the movement.
Any person or group that at-
tempts to lessen the strength
and power of the movement
by placing “All” or “Blue” in
place of “Black” is a part of the
oppressive society that Black
Lives Matter is determined to
change.
Tai Harden-Moore is a grad-
uate of Florida A&M Uni-
versity College of Law. Mrs.
Harden-Moore has extensive
experience advocating to bring
attention to the issues that
most negatively afect Afri-
can-Americans. Since being di-
agnosed with breast cancer at
age 31, Mrs. Harden-Moore has
dedicated her voice, time, and
eforts to raising breast aware-
ness in the African American
community through numerous
community outreaches and
speaking engagements.
www.TheSkanner.com
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End to Homelessness Starts at Wapato
H
ow many readers would
want to live in a dwell-
ing with sewer lies?
How about electrical
wiring that smolders and
emits a noxious odor? Seismi-
cally unsound? No ire sprin-
kler system? No kitchen and
inadequate toilet facilities?
On one of the most danger-
ous intersection in Portland?
A building considered by the
County as “the lowest rated
building in the entire inven-
tory of County facilities”?
No? At that building on July
7, County Chair, Deborah
Kafoury told a standing-room
only assembly she chose the
Hansen Building, with these
safety concerns and a cost of
$140,000 for minor repairs, as
a place good enough to house
Portland’s homeless.
Multnomah County has a
better option at the Wapato
facility, but Chair Kafoury
steadfastly looks for ways to
eliminate that site, saying,
the location is too far away
from downtown or Gresham,
or that would cost $145,000
to make minor changes.” I do
not believe her reasons are
insurmountable. Wapato is a
pristine, unused facility built
in 2004 to the highest stan-
dards of safety. Wapato’s nat-
ural surroundings enhance a
Harriet
Heisey
Guest
Columnist
seismically sound building;
ADA compliant; free of lead
contamination and sewer
lies; with modern comfort
“
exercise space and even a dog
kennel for resident pets.
Wapato’s structure in a job-
rich location, with over 115
companies within easy walk-
ing, biking, or bus distance,
has the potential to end the cy-
cle of homelessness. Tri-Met’s
Rivergate bus #11 serves Wap-
ato and connects to MAX at
the Expo Center. Entry-level
to family-wage jobs, with ben-
eits, are currently advertised
on A-board signs throughout
purpose and Transition Proj-
ects, the proposed operator
of the County’s facility, is a
non-proit organization. Al-
ternatively, the County could
staf some or all of Wapato
with County employees.
Critics allege a stigma at-
taches to the building even
though never utilized as a
correctional facility. Look
at the success of McMenam-
in’s Edgeield (former Mult-
nomah County Poor Farm)
Built as a self-contained, full-service facility in a cam-
pus environment, Wapato provides 525 beds, adequate
shower/toilet facilities, a commercial kitchen, laundry,
and dining hall
systems. It can ofer dorms
to separate men, women, cou-
ples and teens.
Built as a self-contained,
full-service facility in a cam-
pus environment, Wapato
provides 525 beds, adequate
shower/toilet facilities, a
commercial kitchen, laundry,
and dining hall. Generous
open spaces provide options
for education and job train-
ing. There is also space for
drug/alcohol treatment and
medical care. It is beautifully
landscaped with public art,
the neighborhood, many of-
fering job training. What bet-
ter location for a population
that wants to work and needs
a chance?
Critics claim this use isn’t
compliant with Wapato’s i-
nancing. According to Mult-
nomah County’s 2014 Request
for Interest for the Acqui-
sition and Repurposing of
the Facility, penalties exist if
Wapato is used for private
purposes prior to bond re-
payment. Housing the home-
less is a public, not private
and planned redevelopment
of the Troutdale Jail as a hotel
to see the fallacy of this argu-
ment.
Unlike the Hansen Build-
ing, (12240 N.E. Glisan Street)
Wapato ofers the County an
opportunity to break the cy-
cle of homelessness with on-
site health and employment
services in a safe environ-
ment. Why warehouse the
homeless in an unsafe build-
ing when the County can safe-
ly get them to self-suiciency
at Wapato?