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LETTERS |
Congratulations to Ms. Hasz for cutting through the baloney of the Yates case and identifying Randy Yates as the principal culprit in this tragic affair. Charges should be brought against him for his deplorable indifference to his wife's needs. Jeanne Bous (Minnetonka, MN)
Andrea and Michelle Kennedy grew up a couple houses down from our childhood home. There were just a couple of kids on the same street. Andrea, in sixth grade, even cared for my great grandmother, by staying with her overnight. She seem to have it together. I knew her family very well. My family and I are very confused about her mental state, when she killed her kids. It is not the Andrea that grew up with my family. She came over every day until her parents came home from work. Now every time we look at our scrapbook, growing up, we see Andrea in her innocence, never knowing that this would happen. Robert Hocher (Texas)
"romie49"
"Myst"
Can anyone imagine a person, man or woman, with all those young kids staying at home to care AND home school them with no help and a husband who is seldom around -- add suicide attempts, mental disorder, hospitalization grieving a dead parent -- how many people, even healthy ones, could survive that intact? Her husband, who is ALREADY able to imagine himself divorcing Andrea, remarrying and having more children, is MORE responsible because he allowed this to happen and he is NOT mentally ill. And what about his mother, and andrea's mother, who knew the situation and didn't step in to help, and the religious extremist they followed who, even as we discuss this tragedy, continues to spread these insane notions of good and evil -- who points the finger at them? Andrea Rademan (Los Angeles)
Meg Faville (Redwood City, CA)
Cynthia Crawford (Clarksville, TN)
Maribeth Albor (Llano, Texas)
Rusty Yates knew her. He knew her ups and downs. He knew her good and bad sides. He should be in jail too. Along with the doctors, and family who pushed all the secrets under the bed and dared not to clean under it. Thanks for printing this article. Maybe, this article will bring about some kind of change. Edward Russell Messer
"vonquark"
This is just so devastating for me I have lost a lot of sleep over this. Parents, society, relatives, and friends all failed those sweet little kids. It's not right. Anyways, thanks for your article, it has been emailed to everyone I know, and they will surely appreciate it just like I did. Thank you for your insight, you have been the only writer that I have come across that has spoken the truth. Rachel Byers
The Puzzle of the Enron Coverups Great piece of work. An Enron gas processing plant being in the theatre of operations of this phony war could very well be the link between Bush, Cheney, Enron and War. I hope you get a Pulitzer prize. Matt Rozyczko
A Close Look at Israel and Palestine A recent attack on Israel, dubbed the "Passover massacre" is a grim reminder of the partiality that subsists in the American media with regards to the Israeli occupation. When did we last hear a sincere discussion about the thirty-five years of brutal military occupation imposed on the Palestinians by our staunchest ally? What about the systematic targeting of Palestinian children by Israeli snipers, the calculated seizures of Arab land and resources, the 3.7 million refugees agonizingly waiting to go home, and the 15,000 political prisoners rotting in Israeli jails without so much as a charge being filed? Instead, we are methodically bombarded and utterly swindled by the media's signature sound bytes: "Terrorism must be stopped," "Arafat is responsible," "They seek the destruction of Israel," and so on. The Passover massacre harks back to an incident three weeks ago. The Israeli military marched into occupied territories and slaughtered 55 Palestinians. If this wasn't enough, they wounded 300 others, and detained 800 youths -- all in less than 24 hours. It was not labeled "Bloody Friday," nor was it glorified on every news channel. Sharon was not ordered to curtail terror, nor was it even suggested that he be held responsible for the acts of every malevolent soldier. In customary fashion, it was brushed aside as retaliation to Palestinian terror, and justified because Arafat and his minions are hell-bent on destroying Israel. We will not forget the past, nor will we allow them to taint the present with the vile fairy tales they have created. We will read, we will write, we will speak, and we will educate. And in the end, no matter how many promiscuous definitions of "terror" they conjure up, they will not succeed in absolving the Israeli government of the horrendous crimes it commits. Mohsen Al Attar (Santa Monica)
I find it amusing that you charge for your content. If your opinions and news were of such great importance I'd think you'd be giving it away for free, even if it means taking a financial loss. Jess Vermont (Chicago)
Comparing America and Germany It's not so much a matter of whether Americans can handle the fact that the US is the new Evil Empire, destroying economies, cultures, and life itself with impunity; it's that world hegemony, led by American organized crime, is a fait accompli, and the only way to straighten out this mess is to overthrow the illegitimate government now in power. We now know how the fascists took over Germany in the 1920s and 30s: the same way fascists took over America in the 1980s and 90s -- with corporate money, bribery, lying and cheating, sustained ideological propaganda, intimidation of media, repression of dissent, and threatening or attacking opponents. And just like in Germany, very few Americans are willing to risk their tenuous security, hoping that the deprivation of civil and human rights will end with the outcasts -- the homeless, the immigrants, the blacks, the poor, the elderly, single women with children, and American Indians. But as we know in our subconscious, it will not end there. The new terrorists on the world stage, led by Bush Junior, are already coming after the intellectuals, the organizers, and the moral authorities. What gives these hoodlums the confidence to be so bold? The knowledge that most Americans, like their counterparts in Nazi Germany seventy years ago, are just trying to get by, looking out for themselves, and don't want to get involved. Who knows, maybe their laziness and cowardice will pay off, and they'll be spared humiliation and deprivation. My question is, how will they live with themselves? Jay Taber
Jerry Scovel Thanks for your great article. Too bad it can't be published in the New York Times. All I can say is, we don't deserve the freedom handed to us by our Constitution -- and have lost it for that reason. This isn't a democracy, it's a corpocracy. I'm angry every time I pass a car or a house with an American flag smugly and aggressively flapping in the breeze. I'm alarmed by the lack of criticism of this administration as it militarily enforces our economic and political will with no consideration of any needs, priorities, or perspectives except our own insatiable greed and consumerism. Does too much comfort make people this ugly? Have we all, like Bush, been "born on third base and thought we hit a triple?" Lorraine Jarvi
Let's Celebrate Bush Typical liberal shit -- always tripping over yourself when trying to bitch about the usual stuff that the GOP does. That's okay -- your whoreboy Clinton will always be remembered as a massive failure and embarassment while GWB will go down as one of the most celebrated Presidents of all time. Joe Smyrzanski
Engage Iraq On March 7, discussions resumed after a one-year hiatus between the United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan and Iraq's Foreign Minister Naji Sabri. This should be a stepping-stone towards a dialogue between the United States and Iraq as well. It is not helpful that the U.S. has dismissed dialogue out of hand. The nations have not held direct discussions since the cease-fire arrangement was imposed 11 years ago. U.S. policy has been guided by threats and ultimatums -- resulting in a narrowing of options for all parties and catastrophe for the Iraqi people. Instead of continuing a policy of intimidation and condemnation, the administration of President Bush should negotiate based on principles of fairness, justice and peace. Valerie Jacobs
A moment at Ground Zero This afternoon, I watched them bring someone out of Ground Zero. From 39 stories up and 300 yards away, the workers are small figures an eighth of an inch tall. It's raining here, so they're very visible in their yellow rain slickers. I had stopped by window at my office to look out at the site, and noticed an ambulance parked at the top of the elevated roadway they've built from the bottom of the foundation up to the northwest edge of the Pit. Dozens of small, yellow-suited figures milled around slowly, and then gradually aligned themselves, person by person, along the edges of the roadway. The supporting structure beneath the edges of the roadway is hung with construction-orange tarpaulins, which when combined with the yellow rain gear created an incongruously cheery profusion of bright colors. After fifteen minutes or so, two people -- one in yellow, one in black -- walked slowly onto the portion of the roadway that I could see. A few minutes later, a tight group of six or seven yellow-suited workers followed, bearing their burden between them. I had thought that I might be able to make out the flag, but I never saw the anticipated splash of red, white, and blue. Finally, after a pause at the top of the roadway while -- presumably -- the tiny figure in black offered prayer, the group of workers gathered around the rear of the ambulance, which then slowly went on its way. I realized, as I stood there quietly watching the small procession, that during the past two weeks a peculiar form of grief has been heavy on my heart. It has to do with coming here to work, a few days a week, and being near that place. It has to do with the state of the world, and the constant burgeoning presence of bloody sacrifice. It has do to with the realization that much of the world doesn't understand tolerance, or virtue, or humanity the way that my culture strives to. All of that was imbued with a subtle sense of history, that communal product we all manufacture in some form or another. I felt that I was standing there alongside those tiny yellow figures, and for just a moment, the immensity of their task and of the work that they have already done struck me hard, bruising my spirit. These are still mournful times. A friend of mine, who was also near Ground Zero on September 11, expressed much the same sentiment. Here in New York, we move through each day trying to forget what has happened, and trying not to imagine what may come. It's an effort that can only be maintained for so long, before the reality of the past and the potential of the future conspire to bring us grief and anxiety.
Ian Wood (New York City)
Betraying Disabled Americans As a presidential candidate, George W. Bush promised to fight to ensure that "all Americans with disabilities have every chance to pursue the American dream." But President Bush's recess appointment of Gerald Reynolds as Assistant Secretary of Education for Civil Rights betrays Bush's earlier commitment. Reynolds will oversee the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights (OCR), which is responsible for ensuring that school districts, colleges and universities comply with federal civil rights laws. Roughly 60 percent of all discrimination complaints that OCR investigates involve students with disabilities. For this reason, the person who heads OCR must be ready to enforce the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and other federal laws that protect students with disabilities. But Reynolds fails this test. In the 1990s, Reynolds criticized the ADA, claiming it would "retard economic development in urban centers across the country." Reynolds has also served as Legal Analyst on the staff of the Center for Equal Opportunity (CEO), a group that has repeatedly attacked the ADA and supported efforts to weaken this crucial law. Only a few months ago, a top CEO official blasted the ADA as "one of the worst-drafted statutes" and urged Congress to "make the act narrower." Reynolds' nomination was opposed by a broad and diverse coalition, including Justin Dart, a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient who is considered the father of the ADA, as well as organizations such as the National Organization on Disability, National Disabled Student Union, Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, and the National Spinal Cord Injury Network. This appointment is a serious setback for students -- and all citizens -- with disabilities. Jim Ward (Executive Director ADA Watch Action Fund)
The Clear-Cut Show After reading about Julia "Butterfly" Hill I wonder why no one has thought about flying over the great expanses of clear-cut forests with video cameras and buying airtime to show these views nationwide. I have seen this on a few air flights I have taken and think it would be a very effective way to get support for the save the redwoods and all forests. Doug Lowrimore
Albion Monitor Issue 98 (http://www.monitor.net/monitor) All Rights Reserved. Contact rights@monitor.net for permission to use in any format. |