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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 14, 2018)
Page 2 The Skanner February 14, 2018 ® Challenging People to Shape a Better Future Now Opinion Bernie Foster Founder/Publisher Celebrating Diversity at PCC-Cascade Campus Bobbie Dore Foster Executive Editor J Jerry Foster Advertising Manager Christen McCurdy News Editor Patricia Irvin Graphic Designer Monica J. Foster Seattle Office Coordinator Susan Fried Photographer 2017 MERIT AWARD WINNER 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 ust recently, here at the Cascade Campus of Port- land Community College, a group of people saw fit over the winter holiday to come onto our campus and leave behind an assortment of anti-Semitic and white-su- premacist posters, fliers, and stickers. The current political climate, it seems, has embold- ened some racists and bigots to come out of the shadows and impose their views on others. It is safe to say, I think, that we are experiencing a peri- od of profound transition in American life. At no time since the Civil Rights Era have we witnessed such a sustained and insistent questioning of the existing power structure in our nation. Movements like Black Lives Matter have repeatedly shown — some- times in excruciating detail — the yawning gulf between how communities of color and the white community experience the criminal jus- tice system. The Occupy Wall Street movement laid bare the corrosive effect that extreme concentration of wealth has Dr. Karin Edwards President, PCC - Cascade Campus on our social fabric. And more recently, a procession of women has come forward to declare “Time’s up!” and hold powerful men accountable for their misdeeds. Yet even as all these move- ments have unfolded, we are seeing a pushback, an uptick in the sort of public racism and sexism we have worked so long to put behind us. Nonetheless, our quest for so- cial justice will not wane. This is why I am proud to say that at the Cascade Cam- pus, we take this responsi- bility very seriously. We are consciously, deliberately, and unapologetically commit- ted to making our campus a warm and welcoming place for everyone who chooses to study or work here, and to make ourselves a beacon of free thought and discourse for our community. And this is why there is no room at our campus, or in our communi- ty, for the kind of racist and bigoted propaganda that was distributed here over the hol- idays. Over the past couple of years, we have endeavored to develop a road map — the Cas- “ It is safe to say, I think, that we are experienc- ing a period of profound transition in American life cade Inclusion Plan — to take our campus to where we want it to be. Using critical race theory as our guidepost, we are intentionally working to reshape our campus culture into something better, more enlightened, and more com- passionate. A key component of this effort lies in examin- ing, challenging, and decon- structing privilege. I’ll be the first to tell you — this effort has made some people pretty uncomfort- able. When your life has been shaped by the privilege you enjoy, even an attempt to sim- ply question that privilege — let alone dismantle it — can feel like a personal attack. But to this I say — you’ve got to lean into that discomfort, be- cause what’s on the other side is worth it. We’re not perfect at the Cascade Campus. We haven’t found the silver bullet that will transform us into a mod- el of enlightenment for the world. But I can promise you this: if you choose to enroll here and begin shaping your future, you will find a place that welcomes you no matter your background; that af- firms your worth as a human being; that is actively work- ing to remove the barriers that divide us; that is part of the greater effort to move hu- manity forward. And if all the haters have to push back with some tired old posters and stickers — I’d say we’re already winning. info@theskanner.com www.TheSkanner.com The Skanner is a member of the National Newspaper Pub lishers Association and West Coast Black Pub lishers Association. All photos submitted become the property of The Skanner. We are not re spon sible for lost or damaged photos either solicited or unsolicited. ©2018 The Skanner. All rights re served. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission prohibited. Local News Pacific NW News World News Opinions Jobs, Bids Entertainment Community Calendar BLACK HISTORY MONTH Special Edition FEBRUARY 21: “Pioneers in STEM” Euphemia Lofton Haynes, first African-American woman to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics in 1943 Trump’s Parade Plan a Waste of Money Why President Donald Trump really wants an elaborate military parade N ow “45” wants a parade. He wants it in Novem- ber, probably before the mid-term elections. Some see it as move to mo- bilize his base and stroke his own ego; others actually believe that he wants to cele- brate and honor members of the military. It’s been report- ed that he wants the parade, because he saw a parade in Paris on Bastille Day. If he went to the zoo, would he want zebras and tigers roam- ing the lawn at 1600 Pennsyl- vania Avenue next? The last parade we had in Washington was in 1991, when we “won” the Gulf War. That parade cost $14 million ($21 million in today’s dollars), and drew 800,000 people. Given 45’s propensity for wanting the biggest and “the huuuug- est,” he’d probably want to spend twice what George H.W. Bush spent in 1991. That $42 million represents less than a millionth of one per- cent of the nearly $500 billion federal budget increase that the Senate proposed in bipar- tisan legislation on February 7. I am among the many who will look askance at the possi- ble cost of a parade. There are lots of things we could do with $42 million, like job creation, small Pell grant increases, or even more amenities for our armed forces. But in the scheme of things, some will argue that $42 million is not Julianne Malveaux NNPA Columnist that much money; they might suggest that a parade is more about symbolism than any- thing else. What does a show of mil- itary might signal in these “ So, why do we need to show off? Because 45 is a show- off, a blow- hard, and an Electoral Col- lege-selected buffoon times? There has been no significant military victory, nothing to celebrate, except 45’s already-inflated ego. France’s Bastille Day parade is a response to the fact that France had been invaded twice, most devastatingly by the Germans in World War II. Their parade is as much a show of military might as it is of European unity. These days, troops from several countries, including Germa- ny and the United States, par- ticipate in the parade. Some carry the flag of the European Union, even though the EU has no military. Would 45’s parade include other coun- tries, or is this exhibition just about “us”? Instead of the show of unity that Bastille Day parade rep- resents, 45’s parade will like- ly be a reflection of his brag- gadocio. His button is bigger, so is his parade, and so is the U.S. military. The president’s parade sounds like a show of muscle, but to what end? Even the inhabitant of the world’s smallest country must know that the U.S. has the world’s “greatest” military. So, why do we need to show off? Because 45 is a show-off, a blowhard, and an Electoral College-se- lected buffoon. Meanwhile, consider the impact a parade might have on the District of Columbia, the used-to-be majority Black city that is mostly occupied by Democrats. How will the streets survive huge tanks rolling down Pennsylvania Avenue, and who will pay for repairs? How extensive will this parade be, and will it hap- pen on the weekend or a week- day? What will it mean for workers, transportation, and the District’s infrastructure? The president could care less about any of it. He passed the hot potato of the parade to the Secretary of Defense, and now General Jim Mattis and his team are stuck with the task. Both Democrats and Republicans have verbalized opposition to the parade, and they are likely to be labeled “treasonous” by 45, since anyone who disagrees with him, or fails to clap (or bow) when he speaks is obviously a traitor. He is behaving like a despot like his rival, North Korea’s “Supreme Leader” Kim Jong-un. While 45 finds it convenient to idolize the military and in- sist that the rest of us do so, as well, he didn’t find it conve- nient to serve in the military. He was excused from military service during the Vietnam era, because he had flat feet or bone spurs or something like that. More than likely, he was excused from military ser- vice, because his family had money. The president wants a pa- rade to celebrate the military and glorify our country’s mil- itary might. Next he will want to have someone crown him king. Yes, it is a good thing he doesn’t go to the zoo, be- cause we might end up with a menagerie in the backyard at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Julianne Malveaux is an au- thor, economist and founder of Economic Education. Follow Dr. Malveaux on Twitter @ drjlastword.