Opinion
Book Review: Rumours of Glory by Bruce Cockburn
“I honour nonviolence as a way of being, and as a political tactic, but I am not a pacifist. As we continue to watch the world’s greatest military powers plunder weaker states and people as an integral, almost pro forma method of planetary domination, it’s clear that a violent response to such injustice, and carnage,…
Healing the body and the mind of victims
“We can stitch them up, but we can’t make them well.” These heart-rending words came from Alicia Boccellari, Ph.D., director of the Trauma Recovery Center at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center, during a presentation at the first annual Oregon Justice Reinvestment Summit. Dr. Boccellari was expressing the frustration and hopelessness that…
Portland needs affordable housing: Let’s do it
Recently I visited Dignity Village to thank them for their advocacy work with Welcome Home. Dignity Village is a thriving, active and empowered community of tiny houses, veggie gardens and micro-enterprises. And yet most members hope for a more permanent home with simple things like indoor plumbing and a kitchen for making breakfast. The 20…
Director’s Desk: ‘Weekly has made my life so much better’
It would be easy for Street Roots to play it safe and to not take on some of the most complex issues of our time. We could walk the straight and narrow, and simply focus on one aspect of poverty and choose to not rock the boat when it comes to thinking about issues of…
Everyone should get behind the People’s Plan
What would Portland be like if instead of reacting to social problems, we intentionally planned for social success? What if we worked to ensure social and economic equity with each step forward, rather than scrambling to backfill the scars of gentrification? Members of Portland’s black community are asking similar questions as they compile the People’s…
News
Running for recovery
Neon colored sneakers and ponchos contrasted the backdrop of a gray sky. The sound of raindrops and rubber pounding the pavement synchronized to roaring rock and roll music.Twenty six miles. Five hours and 27 minutes. A familiar feeling of pride and success overcame Waldon Adams as he crossed the finish line. Sweat and rain soaked…
Creating a livable city for black residents
What would Portland look like if city policy were shaped with the experiences and interests of Portland’s black community in mind? That’s the question the Portland African American Leadership Forum hopes to explore and answer with the People’s Plan. PAALF hopes the plan will be a framework for organizing and advocating to empower black Portlanders…
Young street paper a safety net for Greeks
Shedia, Greece’s first street paper was launched two years ago to support those most seriously affected by the country’s crippling financial crisis. Today, the street paper is still going strong, and has helped many of its vendors off the streets. But one-third of Greeks still live below the poverty line and the number of people…
TriMet holds on to Class A offense for “interfering with public transit” charges
Despite strong criticism from public defenders and a legislative push for greater leniency, transit police will continue to be allowed to issue harsh “interfering with public transit” charges for minor offenses that, in most cases, have nothing to do with actual interference in the operation of public transit. At an April 2 meeting at TriMet’s…
