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The Organ of Student Expression Since 1925
Photo of late sophomore Paul Martin from his Facebook profile.
Memorial Scheduled
for Slain Student
Prop 8 Reignites Marriage Debate;
Black Community Divided
Image: LATimes.com
Protestors marched here in Atlanta after California narrowly passed a ban on gay marriage. Increased turnout
among African-American voters may have helped to ban the controversial marriages.
Edward Mitchell
Editor- in- Chief
Emitchell1986@gmail. com
M orehouse has scheduled a
Thursdaymemorialservice
for sophomore Paul Martin,
who died two weeks ago from
a gunshot wound sustained
off-campus. According to
an announcement from the
school, the service will be held
in Danforth Chapel at 7 pm.
"In lieu of flowers," the
release said,"the family requests
that donations be made in
Paul's memory to Morehouse
College."
Atlanta police have not
arrested anyone in connection
with Martin's murder, which
occurred on Nov. 6 in North
Atlanta.
A police lieutenant told
the Atlanta Journal Constitution
William Lawrence
Contributiong Writer
WmClayl 7@gmail. com
M any would agree that
the world is in a state of
economic disarray.The collapse
of the United States housing
market has sent an undeniable
negative economic ripple
throughout the world. Iceland
has already had to bail out their
banks from inevitable collapse,
and suffered a staggering 12.1
percent inflation.
The Russian stock market
has decreased in value by 65.5
percent since the beginning
of the year. Even the European
Union has been forced to
officially declare a recession
after two consecutive quarters
of a 0.2 percent decline in gross
domestic product.
The state of the world
economy posed a formidable
challenge for the recent G-20
summit in Washington D.C.
During this conference,
20 leaders from the world's
most economically powerful
nations gathered to discuss
what could be done to improve
the current downward spiral
of the international economy.
that a man was shot in the head
around 6:30 am last Thursday.
The Fulton County Medical
Examiner's office later identified
the victim as Martin.
According to the AJC
report, the sophomore's body
was found in a black vehicle
on Joseph Boone Boulevard.
The vehicle apparently rolled
to its final position after tearing
through a fence.
Last Monday, the office of
Morehouse President Franklin
wrote an email to the college
community that referenced the
student's death.
"Sadly, we learned last
week that one of our students,
Mr. Paul Martin, was murdered
off campus. We remember
Mr. Martin's family and all of
his friends in the Morehouse
"Memorial Scheduled" on page 2k
After two days of debate and
discussion, the G-20 summit
participants released on
Saturday, Nov. 15 a set of plans
to combat the world's pervasive
economic plight.
The world leaders of
the G-20 summit called for
many initiatives that will require
cooperation from the various
countries involved. Some of
the initiatives include cutting
interest rates of central banks
around the world, or enacting
various economic stimulus
packages.
The Saturday initiatives
also included instructions for
regulatorsandfmanceministers.
These leaders were asked to
create "supervisory colleges"for
major financial institutions that
do business around the world.
These colleges will work toward
aligning global accounting
standards, take a hard look at
compensation policies, and
identify companies that are
critical to the global financial
system.
"It isgood to seethe leaders
ofthese economic superpowers
coming together to discuss
"G-20 Summit" continues on pg. 2k
Melody Thomas
Staff Writer
MelodyfthomasCa yniail com
T he historic election of the
nation's first Black President also
brought heated controversy that
has led hundreds to protest across
the nation. Debate surrounding
California's recently-passed ban
on gay marriage, Proposition 8,
spilled into Atlanta on Saturday.The
proposition, nicknamed 'Prop 8,'
effectively outlawed gay marriage
by declaring that marriage is an
institution between a man and a
woman.The ban passed narrowly in
left-leaning California, apparently
buoyed by overwhelming support
among BlackAmericans who turned
out to vote for Barack Obama.
Voting "yes"for Prop 8 would
limit marriage to heterosexual
couples while voting "no" would
have allowed gay marriages to
continue.Prop 8 was passed in a
number of states, most notably
California, a state where gay
marriage was legal six months prior
to its passage. The passing of Prop
8 in California and other states
has created a conflict around the
country as gay opponents have
begun to protest and raise money
in opposition to the proposition.
The ban's passage has
highlighted differences in the
African American community over
homosexuality, with religion and
liberal politics playing major roles in
thedivisions."For African-Americans
to have played an important part in
the passing of prop 8 puzzles me,"
said senior Patrick Bates. "It wasn't
too long ago when we weren't
allowed to marry whom we choose,
and now, many of us have chose
to deny that same basic right to
thousands of gay couples."
S.M. Ridley Thomas said,
"Political differences are more
pronounced in this western state
that many might believe. Regional
affiliation and environmental
familiarity play significant roles in
political proclivity. When African
American's in California were
reported by a small CNN exit poll at
70% voting for Prop 8,1 was shocked
and saddened."
Thomas acknowledged that
increased religiosity among blacks
may play a role in opposition to
same-sex marriage.Followers of
Abrahamic religions, traditionally
defined as Christianity, Judaism,
and Islam, have traditionally
considered homosexuality
immoral. In the United States, polls
have shown that most Americans
oppose legalizing gay marriage,
but are more receptive to allowing
homosexual couples to have civil
unions.
In May, the State Supreme
Court legalized same-sex marriages
in California, a decision that
resulted in many people of the gay
community flocking to California
to participate in this ruling. Some
18,000 gay couples have been
married since, many traveling from
other states for the ceremony.
With the passage of Prop 8 these
marriages could be challenged in
court.
"People are for real scared of
gays," George Connor, a California
Representative of Join the Impact,
a gay rights organization, said in a
phone interview.
"I've been wearing a rainbow
pin for the past few weeks letting
people know where I stand leading
up to today's big protest and I'm
not even gay."
Cities such as San Francisco,
Los Angeles, Sacramento and others
in California held protest rallies
at Mormon churches and town
centers in order to raise awareness
around their perceived illegality of
the order.
Protests have been described
as sometimes being angry and even
violent, as demonstrators have
aimed their disapproval towards
religions that supported the ban
while trying to prove the illegitimacy
of the ban. Representatives of Join
the Impact, a huge advocate for
overturning Prop8, which organized
many of Saturday's demonstrations,
told supporters to be respectful
and avoid attacking other groups
during the public meetings.
But as many states have bans
on gay marriages including Georgia
since 2004, California was not the
only place to look in order to find
protests on the issue.
Here in Atlanta, some 1,500
peoplegatheredinfromtheGeorgia
Capitol to protest discrimination in
marriage and advocate for their
civil rights.
The protest on Saturday
around Proposition 8 came as
same-sex marriages became legal
in Connecticut last Wednesday,
joining Massachusetts as the only
states allowing such ceremonies.
"We have a long way to go,
in order to get where Connecticut
is now," Derrick Moore, a volunteer
with Join the Impact, and
Morehouse College alumnus said.
"More people will have to
realize that gay rights do not only
affect gay people but everyone."
While the two northern states
are the only to allow gay maarigaes,
the 30 other states that have voted
on gay marriage have enacted bans
over the years.
Arizona and Florida voters
also passed propositions to ban
gay marriage on Nov. 4, while in
Arkansas a measure banning gay
couples from adopting or becoming
foster parents was also passed.
"They would rather have
children without a home than to be
surrounded by gay, loving parents,"
Devon Jorges a protestor at Georgia
Capitol said.
"I'm really about change,
and the rest of the country has no
choice but to be with Obama has
president," he said. "Now we have to
decided if our civil rights are apart
of that change."
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Black Reporters Pay a Visit
Five renowned African-American journalists visited
Morehouse's campus last week for a panel discussion on
their coverage of Barack Obama's successful presidential
campaign, A full audience watched the journalists recount
their experiences on page 2V
AUC Drug Use an Open Secret Soulja Boy=NIGnorance Why James Bond, Why? Tigers Denied a Playoff Bid
Many students do not find their
entertainment at clubs, parties,
or theaters. Instead, they turn to
drug usage right here on campus,
in one of the AUC's worst=kept
secrets. .. on page 6V
The musician thanked slave
masters and slavery for bringing
Blacks to America, so that we
could "get this ice and tattoos."
John Torrey responds with all-
due disbelief....on page 4►
As a continuation of the first
film, Bond is chasing the shadow
organization Quantum, which
he still knows next to nothing
about. Plot holes abound.... on
page 5^
The Maroon Tigers football
team did not receive a bid to
enter into the NCAA Division
II playoffs, which began last
weekend... on page
G-20 Summit Considers How
to Improve World Economy
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