Coastal
Post Online
November,
2003
Letters To The Editor
People the Product
We the people are now the/product/of oppressor's nonsense!/If anyone
must begin/to conform/It must be them!/We will move/No more!
Willie
Bogerworm
Santa Rosa
Sutter Health Spin Masters
Arguably no organization is more adept at
spin than Sutter Health of Sacramento. Sutter operates Marin General Hospital
under a 30 year lease from the 1985 elected Healthcare District board which
expires in 2015. Hopefully, the hospital will revert to community control
twelve years from now.
In the
September 18 Insights, a Sutter publication, MGH CEO Margaret Sabin said,
"It is simply not feasible to make a major capital investment in a
modernized facility beyond retrofit if we would turn back the hospital to the
District (our landlords) in just 12 years."
What Sabin refers to is the possibility of
building a new wing instead of seismic upgrades required by law, Sabin misleads
about the capital investment. That would come, as it always has, from MGH
patient revenue. In fact, Sutter is not investing in MGH. Since Sutter acquired
the lease over seven years ago millions of MGH revenue dollars have made
one-way trips to Sacramento. Sutter's operation of MGH behind closed doors is
hardly distinguished.
The plain
fact is that the elected board can finance any rebuilding actually required and
with revenue bonds. Twelve more years of Sutter is enough.
Norman Carrigg,
M.D.
San Rafael
Who's in Charge
The illegitimacy of George W. Bush's presidency is finally
catching up with him and his wealthy promoters. He has been running the country
without the people's mandate, drawing his energy and clout, simply from the
fear that the 9/11 diseaster has instilled in the hearts and minds of the
American people. He rose to popularity as a war president and managed to do
pretty well until lately when his performance rating is going back to the
pre-September 11 days. He has been riding the proverbial tiger's back and the
beast is getting angrier and hungrier everyday. How long can he stay on its back,
particularly now that he will be compelled to alight for a moment, in his
inevitable need to win the mandate that the American people refused to give him
back in 2000. His efforts to do so are currently being greeted with snarling
growls from the angry tiger. It is getting clearer that he either stays on top
of the tiger or face the prospects of getting consumed by it.
Informed observers have from the very start
known that Dubya was a mere puppet of the vested interests that had the power
and resources to use the US Supreme in installing their man in the White House.
The incumbent, in other words, is in power by a shear technicality of the law,
crafted by the supposed guardians of our rule of law. Can anyone accuse the US
Supreme Court Justices as violators of the Constitution? As Vincent Bugliosi
has succinctly put it in his best seller book, The Betrayal of America:
"That an election for an American president can be stolen by the highest
court in the land under the deliberate pretext of an applicable constitutional
provision has got to be one of the most frightening and dangerous events ever
to have occurred in this country. Until this act -- which is treasonous, though
again not technically, in its sweeping implications -- is somehow rectified (and
I do not know how this can be done), can we be serene about continuing to place
the adjective 'great' before the name of this country."
As a consequence, the real brains behind
the power grab have all along been calling the shots. They decide and Dubya implements,
no matter what the consequences. The pattern has gotten to be too obvious that
the truly loyal lieutenants of the president since he was a governor of Texas,
started to wake their boss up to the nightmare that he could not seem to wake
up from. His top confidant and official adviser, from whom he has drawn a lot
of wisdom and direction could not take anymore of the aggravation and therefore
quit at a time when he needed her most. Recently, his reputable Secretary of
State, the only member of his cabinet to resist the pressure coming from the
oil greedy war mongers, made no secret of his desire to bail-out as well.
With his performance rating dropping below
the pre 9/11 level, essentially as a result of the country's worsening economic
situation and string of US foreign affairs debacles such as the Afghanistan and
Iraq fiascoes, Dubya currently finds the need to at least appear like he is
calling the shots even if he cannot necessarily do much to change them. He is
noticeably taking steps to appear like distancing himself from the Cheny,
Rumsfield, Woolf, Ashcroft gang by letting his National Security Adviser sound
like she is the "Iraq Liberation Czar" but no one is falling for it.
This president has gotten so used to being the puppet in his show that he could
not imagine, even for a moment, to be the puppeteer, for a change. Senator
Biden of Delaware was recently asked in a TV interview what is the single
advise that he can give the President if asked for one? Without batting an
eyelash, the senator cried out loudly: "Take Charge!!" The conclusion
of serious minded Americans on what is wrong with our current government is
that no one seems to be in charge. It is even getting to be more apparent when
the incumbent who is holding on to his very tenuous office on the strength of
being a war president is not in charge. How can we expect to win in our war
against terrorism when our Commander-in-Chief is not in charge? If the
president is not in charge, who then is? There are more reasons for the Americans
to recall this president than for the Californians to recall their governor and
look who is now the governor of California? This is food for thought not only
for all Americans but even more so for their president who seems to draw
strength from not being in charge.
Antonio R. Serna
Rohnert
Park
Alaska's Ocean Ecosystems!
Richly complex and diverse, Alaska's ocean ecosystems support
some of the world's largest populations of marine birds, mammals, fishes and
invertebrates. They also support the largest United States commercial
fisheries. Pioneered by factory ships in the 1960's and under US management
since the 1980s, these fisheries have continued to produce phenomenal amounts
of seafood. However, steep declines in Steller sea lions, northern fur seals,
harbor seals, seabird species, as well as numerous exploited populations of
crab and fish have accompanied the commercial fisheries' explosive growth.
While government and industry proudly point to continuing large catches of
targeted species as evidence of sustainable management, widespread ecosystem
changes warn that the limits of sustainability may have been exceeded.
NOAA Fisheries (formerly the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)
and part of the US Dept. of Commerce) is now working on a "Programmatic
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement" (EIS) for the Alaska
groundfish fishery to comply with a federal court order. This EIS, once
completed, will be the first such evaluation of the environmental impacts
associated with this fishery in nearly 25 years and offers the public the best
chance to reform fisheries management so that it considers effects on the
entire marine ecosystem (an approach known as "ecosystem-based
management.") Once finalized, this EIS will shape fishery management practices
in the North Pacific for years to come.
Please let NOAA
Fisheries (NOAA Fisheries, 1315 East West Highway, SSMC3, Silver Spring, MD 20910) know you support strong ecosystem-based management
for Alaska groundfish fisheries!
Peter
Bauer
San Rafael
Appalled At Identical Letters
I am appalled that identical form letters
came back from Iraq to brainwash Americans. The truth is young men are being
killed everyday over there, the people of Iraq are in a state of unrest with
life- threatening, unstable conditions, and S.H. is now thought to be alive...
sounds like a Mideast Vietnam. I am concerned also that it is a war over greed,
including corporate contracts without competing bids etc.-that are making
certain people very rich-it is called war profiteering. Just like in Vietnam.
When will people stop rushing into war and start seeking peace instead? Do we really have to put up with the
continued loss of life and drain on our economy? Why shouldn't we have
universal health care, education, and jobs instead??? Let's face it, since Bush
got in (How I don't know)...our great nation has fallen.
K. Barnes
Sherwood,
Mi
Schwartzenneger Alert
The Arnold Schwartzenegger
governorship poses concerns that eclipse those which were used to recall
Gray Davis.
After pledging to receive no campaign contributions and
claiming to be an environmentalist, he accepted major funding from the same
special interests who support George Bush, including oil & gas, timber,
developers, and even Hummer & SUV dealers.
Arnold's affiliations with the Bush team are strong indicators
of his future assistance to them in forcing extension of his destructive
environmental and social sell-outs to California, which had met resistance from the current
administration. His unrealistic
scheme to implement a "hydrogen highway" mimics the hydrogen
power ploy used by Bush to forestall
essential fuel efficiency and alternative energy development measures.
He used the California energy crisis as a
focal point for the recall, even though it resulted from deregulation that had
been approved by the previous governor (who assisted in the recall), while
there was little Davis could do to thwart it.
Only after the recall did Arnold disclose his plan to deregulate energy
again. We now know that he had
affiliations with member(s) of Texas energy cartel, who implemented and
profiteered from this crisis--and might succeed again with a new deregulation.
Arnold has pledged to reduce
taxes without cutting essential programs, but would never explain his
methodology or debate this issue echoes Bush's
reckless tax policies. His
recruitment of an accountant from Florida under Bush's brother (Governor Jed Bush) to audit the California books, rather
an non-affiliated impartial investigator, renders his motives highly suspect.
The outlook appears grim unless
the citizenry responds in a pro-active
manner to prevent an extension of the disastrous Bush policies to California.
Robert H Settgast
San Rafael
Zero Tolerance
I'm having zero tolerance for cannabis
(marijuana) prohibitionists, and was pleased to read, "LEGALIZING
MARIJUANA TO BENEFIT SOCIETY: AN IDEA WHOSE TIME HAS COME", (Oct. 1, 2003)
exposing how America needs credible drug law reform, which means re-legalizing
cannabis.
Caging humans for using cannabis
(marijuana) is so anti-Christian, dysfunctional and uncivilized, that it should
be asked if cannabis prohibitionists, really even comprehend, they're admitting
a desire to cage humans for using a plant?
Truthfully,
Stan White
Dillon, Co
Fundamental
Illegitimacy
Fundamentalists
have no political legitimacy. Their occupation of our national government is an
affront to human decency. Disobedience is a moral imperative.
Jay
Taber
Mill Valley
*
* *
Get Tough On
Indians?
I was sad but not
surprised to see Dick Spotswood's Oct. 14 Mill Valley Herald column encouraging
Schwarzenegger to get tough on the "Indian casino racket" by
subjecting them to "rules that apply to everyone else." It just goes
to show that when it comes to first nations, racism is still bipartisan.
For a more nuanced understanding of
Indian gaming, I encourage your readers to check out an article at
<http://www.indiancountry.com/?1066412116>
For a broader
understanding of rights and obligations of indigenous inhabitants of our
country, I recommend contacting the First American Education Project at
<http://www.first-americans.net/first americanHome.htm>
When people get cranky, it's tempting to
forget our federal government made treaties with these people so we could have
clear title to most of their land and resources. That title, however, comes
with liens into perpetuity. Wishing they would go away does nothing to
extinguish their legality.
Jay Taber
Mill Valley
The
Wall
I just don't get it. Before
1967-68 the people today known as Palestinians were Jordanians, at least since
1948. Before the recent violence the economic situation of almost everyone was
pretty good for the middle east. The militants have destroyed any semblance of
normality. The violence came about as Israel and the "Palestinians"
were talking about Palestinian statehood. So I guess the
"Palestinian" militants don't really want a state, under any
conditions or only if they get the whole area that is now "Israel?" A
big question is, would they really settle for what is now Israel or would they
then go on the claim the surrounding areas?
The worlds history is littered with wars. After each war
countries and people settle into the new political reality. The US certainly
has a long history of taking over territory. But when the fighting ended,
everyone turned to make the best of what they had. Are you suggesting that
Mexicans now begin an uprising to "reclaim" their land? What about
the American Indians, should they sit idly by? What is the difference really.
Almost every country in the world has either "claimed" or
"lost" land. Why is the Israel / Palestinian situation so
different?
The whole of Israel
is about the size of New Jersey. So how much land are we really talking about?
The Jordan river of my youth and by the songs we sung was like the Mississippi.
But I got a chance to really see it. It is a tiny bit if a stream, nothing much
to talk about and even less to jump across. The Rio Grande near El Paso is huge
by comparison.
The news media,
by writing or angled photography can make the area seem huge. But in reality we
are talking about a very small geographical region. So what is the conflict
really about, a bunch of mostly Jews and some Christians living on a sliver of
land surrounded by vast expanses of Muslim controlled territory? Islam like all
religions thinks theirs is the right one. But that is no reason for intolerance
of other religions. Maybe in today's version of Islam it is?
In any event, the "poor
Palestinians" are so much worse off today because of the militants, and no
one recognizes that world politics has created the situation we have today.
There is no bad or good guy to point the finger at other than those who can't
make the best of the deal they have been dealt.
"Dorron B"
<dorronb2@bigfoot.com>
George Bush's Courageous
Leadership
In his Inaugural
Address, President Bush called on Americans to be citizens, not spectators-to
work together to improve their communities and touch the lives of their
neighbors. He has followed through on his commitment and citizens in our
community are responding. President Bush's compassion agenda begins at home by
ensuring that every child in America learns the basic skills of reading and math.
His work is also ensuring that Faith-based organizations are not discriminated
against.
The President's
compassion agenda is touching lives across the globe. His unprecedented
commitment to combating the AIDS pandemic in Africa and third world nations is
what the world needs to finally turn the tide in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Under his leadership, America
is leading the world in feeding the hungry. 60% of international food aid comes
as a gift from the people of the United States. The leadership of President
Bush is unleashing the armies of compassion across our nation. I am grateful
for his leadership and his call to greater civic duty. This issue is just one
more example of how our President is providing the courageous leadership America
needs.
Ms. Tracey Cutler
Saratoga
Open Letter to KQED CEO
On Airing Palestinian Film
Dear Mr. Clarke:
On October 17, 2003, I received a letter
from Mr. Canales, Jr., Chairman of the Board, in which he stated that "we
delegate individual programming decisions
to the management of KQED." By management, did he mean you? As President and CEO of KQED, I would hope
that you will accept that responsibility instead of passing the buck back to
those who already have demonstrated extreme bias and prejudice toward the
film. Their answer may have been
determined before the film arrived for screening at KQED this past June!
If you have reviewed the information that
we have provided, a "YES" decision to airing the film is the
equitable choice and it would be responsive to your viewing audience. As you have seen in the documentation that
we have sent to you and others, there is overwhelming proof that supports the
integrity of this film and its qualifications.
You may recall that the documentary "Palestine Is Still The
Issue" had an 83% approval rating when shown in England. If you elect to prevent this documentary
from being shown by KQED, I would hope that you will provide ample
justification for such a decision.
Whose Interest is Being Served?
1. Is it the majority of the Bay Area community? Let's hope so! Thousands of residents in the Bay Area who are KQED members and
viewers have requested the airing of "Palestine Is Still The Issue."
The community has spoken. Is KQED
listening? Let's hope so.
2. Is it just one person? Let's hope not. Is it Scott Dwyer, Program Director, whose bias and prejudice
have been demonstrated, and has, through his statements, indicated that he will
block the broadcast of "Palestine Is Still The Issue?" Let's hope
not.
3. Is it two or three
people? Let's hope not. Would two of them be John Boland and DeAnne
Hamilton?
4. Is it the 6 to 22
major contributors to KQED? Let's hope
not. Information from KQED's 2002 annual report: In the year 2002, 48% of
KQED's revenue came from contributions and membership fees. For the year 2003, approximately 60% to 70%
of KQED's total revenues will come from contributions. Contributions pledged as of March 1, 2003
from just 22 contributors amounted to approximately $55,000.000.00. Of the 22 pledges, 6 contributors pledged a
total of approximately $38,000,000.00 Total pledges from everyone amounted to
approximately $70,000,000.00.
Approximately 55% of all pledges are from 6 contributors. One would hope that all of the contributors
support the freedom of access to widely acclaimed films that the community has
requested. 5. Is it a combination of 2
to 22? Let's hope not!
Once again I ask that you consider all of
the facts before you and approve the broadcast of "Palestine Is Still The
Issue" soon and at prime time.
Fred Shepherd
Executive Director
Altencon & Global
Information Services
San Anselmo
One Nation Under Mammon
God who once inspired America to greatness
is slowly being pushed out on the junk heap. It appears as though the Supreme
Court is going to pass judgment on the
Pledge of Allegiance as being too Godly. Can it be that Supreme Court which opens each session with
a moment of dedication to "God" may throw "IT" out?
After it rewrites the Pledge it can get US
currency to wipe out "In God We Trust" and don't argue that we couldn't afford that. What's
more important $87 billion for Iraq construction or currency rewrite? Perhaps
we could allow those who don't like "In God We trust to" demand that
they be paid in Euros. Coming to think of it let's get rid of congressional
Chaplains while we are thrashing God and ITS historical attachment to our
nation.
Dr. Norman Mann
San Diego
Nothing To Gloat
About
Mr. Bush's fly-boy suit
republiganda on the deck of the Abraham Lincoln pays dividends as the May 1st
"victory" in the Iraqi sands turns to quagmire in the Iraqi
quicksand. Americans are now asked to
pay $87 billion for a war we're still waiting to fight. The enemy was always
supposed to be Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and never the Iraqi people but
where are the WMD's? The rich irony is that the million dollar set up fee to
spotlight GWB landing on the A Lincoln featuring the National Guard evader
turned Air Foist War Zero is campaign footage for the opposition.
Jay
Lustgarten
San Anselmo
*
* *
Don't Get
Fooled Again
GWB will falsely
embrace some token moderate positions as his right gutter ball administration strains to gather moderates
for another 4 year ride into hell. As GWB's regime sells our future away by
weakening environmental laws for corporate gain, you'd expect better results
than a net loss of 3.1 million jobs, a $455 billion deficit, a leave no
millionaire behind fiscal plan and a world that loves American markets but
despises American unilateralist, diplomacy by decree foreign policy. What can be worse than a GWB '00-'04 White
House? An '04-'08 GWB lame-duck
administration.
Jay Lustgarten
San Anselmo
Post Mortem On
Schwarzenegger
I am in despair and disbelief. I don't even
know what to think anymore. People I know and work with voted for this guy
(Schwarzenegger) for God knows what reason-some just appallingly disingenuous
like... "He's a body builder. he has a lot of personal discipline."
Or "The Republicans are appealing to the Clinton factor" (i.e.,
sexual misconduct, never mind that Clinton's escapades were consensual when
Herr Schwarzenegger's was not).
I couldn't listen to any major media today after I heard all the usual
analysis of "this is sending a strong message to the democrats to get it
together" or "progressives have to do this or that."
I am convinced that the electorate no
longer distinguishes between reality and fantasy-Hollywood and real life. There
was a news item on KRON about a fire that consumed someone's house. The
neighbors were standing around saying "This is just like reality
TV". It's supposed to be the other
way around isn't it? Or does it matter anymore?
I do not believe that people who go to the polls these days have
much more than a very superficial Clearchannelled understanding of what the
real issues are and what is really going on in the world. To talk about a
"mandate" or any kind of "signal" or "message"
sent by the "people" in these election results is trying to assign
some rhyme, reason or logic to why people can vote Scwarzeneggar in but bring
prop 54 to a flaming defeat. I don't believe people know WHAT THE HELL THEY'RE
VOTING FOR- and we can thank our dumbed down state on FOX, CNN, MSNBC, etc.
Infotainment, pablum to the masses.
Why has there been no mention in the press that Herr Schwarzenegger came
to this country illegally? Worked as a bricklayer illegally? Where was the Prop
187 supporters hue and cry over this?
Where did you read anything about our new governor's (I can barely say
the words) meeting with Enron's Ken Lay and Michael Milken in 2001? Why on
earth would these 3 people meet at all?
Would it have been consider "puke politics" had it been
mentioned in the press? Well, did it happen or didn't it? People can't POSSIBLY
be this stupid. When you're fed a diet of junk food, candy, sweets and Coca
Cola, you lose your taste for what your body really needs. When you are fed a
diet of nutritious, life giving food, you develop a complete distaste for the garbage diet we have been fed for
years in the major media.
Time
to revisit the "food pyramid" folks. Coca Cola Uber Alles!
Meg
Brizzolara
San Rafael
Drugs Small Part of Limbaugh's
Problem
Rush Limbaugh's drug use
is the least of his problems. Rush is an enigma of hate who has almost single
handedly polarized the nation. He characterizes his banal banter as
entertainment but to my mind it sounds like fascist vitriol. If you're a
Democrat, liberal, progressive, environmentalist, you've incurred the wrath of
this vicious attack dog and his legion of supporters.
Rush plays on and to the fears and hates of
people and is a bastion for Republican intellectual dishonesty and a god to
right-wing storm troopers. Only a mother could love his type of hypocrisy.
Ron Lowe
Nevada
City
Squeeze One For The Groper
Think of the Democratic Party as a witch with big tits. She has
milked California dry. Now it's her turn. May the other states in the Union
take the hint.
Arnold gets a
landslide victory and the LA Times only loses 1,000 subscriptions? Their
pompous paps ought to dry up. Arnold's injun ad was effective. Less paps for
the papooses.
If you've noticed
Arnold, Planned Parenthood was against you because you didn't go all the way
with them. Maybe someone can change your mind about the pro-murder of
pre-natals like Reagan changed Bush the Elder's mind.
The chi chi's didn't cha cha with you on
Prop 187 and they didn't tango with you on driver's licenses for illegal
aliens. Turn all those little brown silver dollars with nipples on them towards
the south and give them a good swat on the behind.
The environmental streaking lassies of the
landscape need to be reigned in with jock bras. But feminist breasts are carte
blanche as a bonus to you Arnold, if you can find any.
Only 7% of the bare-breasted black natives
voted for you according to one poll. Have you ever noticed all the fat black
babes on welfare, Arnold? They need breast-lessening operations.
I'm sure you have plans for the bitches in
the lawyer lobby, the union lobby and the education lobby. Radical mastectomies
are due.
Harold Reimann
Lucerne
Valley
Not A Good Sign For Republicans
One would normally think that Arnold
Schwarzenegger's victory would be a good sign for Bush and Republicans. But
that may not be the case. Voters in California are fed up with business as
usual and politicians who are under performers. The time has come to throw the
bums out and that applies to all incumbents of both parties.
America it tired of crap and are willing to vote for the "anyone
else" candidate. Bush and Congress better figure out the reason we are in
Iraq and why the economy has gone from record surpluses to record deficits
before they face the voters in 2004.
Marc Perkel
San Francisco,
CA
Bay Trail Disaster For Wildlife
Emory Menefee ("Bay Trail is OK for wildlife") thinks
that if an animal happens to walk on a trail, it proves that the trail provides
a net benefit to wildlife. If so, it's quite a miracle that wildlife have
managed to survive for 3.8 billion years, without the benefit of
human-constructed trails! If Mr. Menefee is correct, scientists and
conservationists are all wrong to try to preserve habitat -- we should
immediately start bulldozing a network of hiking and biking trails throughout
all wildlife habitat!
Bruce
Beyaert asked "Are these 51 non-profits and public agencies misguided,
including the Trust for Public Land, Nature Conservancy, Audubon Society,
Greenbelt Alliance, US Fish and Wildlife Service and 20 local open space
districts and land trusts?"
Yes! Not only they, but
most of mankind have put shortsighted human desires above wildlife protection
for far too long. That is exactly why the Earth is in the midst of an
extinction epidemic. In all of those groups are many intelligent, dedicated
people who care deeply about wildlife and don't approve of the compromises
their leaders have made. Of the 10 emails I received about my editorial, 9 were
supportive. Instead of maintaining the status quo, and wiping out one quarter
of the world's species, let's reverse that frightening, suicidal trend, and
stop destroying our finite store of wildlife habitat.
As I said, the goals of the Bay Trail are
wonderful (enhancing knowledge, respect, and protection for wildlife). But
destroying habitat or flooding it with humans has exactly the opposite effect.
Are we so selfish that we won't help wildlife unless we get something in
return? I hope not...
Mike Vandeman
Hayward
We Got What We
Deserve
We here in California
deserve Arnold. We deserve the woman groping, Enron connected, land
developer-funded, violence-pushing actor for governor. Despite the truth that
it was Enron stealing 9 billion dollars that caused our debt, we elect an
Enron-connected Republican-It's laughable.
We deserve what is to
come. Americans likewise deserve the corporate shills that stole the White
House in 2000. Republicans stopped the vote count, and we just sat there
staring at the tube as if it were someone else's democratic process being
hijacked. Therefore we deserve the multi-trillion dollar debt these
oil-drenched, unelected usurpers have gleefully loaded on our backs.
We deserve the worldwide disdain for their
oil war. We deserve the "Patriot" Act.
We deserve corrupt paperless Diebold touch
screen voting machines which make further mockery of our vote. Vigilance is the
price of freedom, and we are no longer willing to pay. Vigilance and desire for
truth have been vaporized by the cunning of the corporate media
giants-Republican-owned Fox, Republican owned Clearchannel, and of course the
man paid 1/3 billion dollars to keep us voting Republican, Rush Limbaugh. We
deserve him too, because even with the bottomless depths of his hypocrisy now
exposed, his followers will continue to listen and believe every lie that oozes
from his drug-addled orifice.
We don't search for the truth anymore, and even when it hits us in the
face, we look the other way. We deserve you Rush... We deserve you George... We
deserve you Arnold.
David Singelyn
Warner Springs Ca
About
Howard Dean And Dennis Kucinich
I am writing to you about two Democratic candidates, Howard Dean and
Dennis Kucinich, recently profiled in the Pacific Sun. Kucinich was the only Democratic candidate
with the courage to oppose the Patriot Act. Courageous and outspoken, Kucinich
has won the endorsements of Ralph Nader, Granny D, Gandhi's grandson, Pete
Seeger, Willie Nelson, to name only a few. How many Candidates attract a circle
of humanists? How "un-pragmatic" a Candidate would attract the
support of Ralph Nader?
I
believe the public needs to know some information about Dean which, widely
publicized on the East Coast, is little known in the West. Dean backed the
Vermont police/FBI cover-up of the police killing of Robert "Woody" Woodward.
Significantly, Dean turned a deaf ear to massive public and legislative outcry.
A member of the activist group, Justice for Woody, writes that "The state
police investigation of the killing reveals gaping holes in standard procedure,
such as a truncated re-enactment, a 'not to scale' diagram of the room, and a
disturbing lack of forensic materials taken into evidence. (For complete
details, see "http://www.justiceforwoody.org").
Vermont was rocked by public outcry
following this suspicious police killing: State legislators, editorial boards,
the ACLU, and many concerned citizens petitioned Governor Howard Dean to order
an independent investigation. Dean refused. Instead, he allowed his close
friend of 25 years, and hand-picked attorney general, William Sorrell, to hand
down a widely criticized exoneration." Sorrell claimed facts which were in
direct conflict with the 18 Eyewitness testimonies to the killing. (Woody, who
had no history of mental illness, sought political sanctuary at a Brattleboro
church, claiming that the CIA had threatened his life.
There was a church meeting at the time he
entered, and 18 of those at the meeting ended up witness to the ensuing police
killing). "A group of citizen activists, Justice For Woody (JFW) released
an evidence-based investigative report which challenged Sorrell's exoneration,
posing many urgent and still unanswered questions. This report was widely
credited by newspapers across New England. JFW handed Dean a copy of this
report, and Dean read and publicly praised it. However, Dean never ordered an
independent investigation, stating instead that he was 'comfortable' with his
friend Sorrell's findings. Vermont is still divided over this matter, and a
civil lawsuit against Brattleboro is pending."
A): A politician who turns a deaf ear to
public outcry, to the ACLU and to Legislators, is taking inappropriate power
into his own hands. This should raise concerns: If we elect Dean to office, do
we stand to lose more of our freedoms? B) If Dean hand-picked a 25-year best
friend, whose conscience permitted him to cover up a police murder, who will
Dean pick to fill future posts? Another Rumsfeld type? C): Deceiving the public
in a matter as serious as violent death, I believe, echoes Bush's nonchalance
where mass violence is concerned.
As we vote to oust Bush, do we really want to run into the arms of
another's same mentality? Pragmatic, indeed.
Sabina Leicht
Novato