Still Fighting has moved! Check us out at
www.stillfighting.com!
December 29, 2005
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
Tuesday's Links
Activism
In one of our first posts, we talked to you about one aim of Bush's agenda - to drill in Alaska. Well, here we are in our 84th post, and it's happening. The Arctic Refuge is the last place on Alaska's northern coast that hasn't been drilled, and it is home to an incredible amount of wildlife. And this is exactly where Bush wants to drill. Go here to send an email (prewritten, but editable) to your Congressmen and Senators, urging them to stop their plans for drilling in the Arctic Refuge!
News
Michael Chertoff. Bush is obviously trying to reward those loyal to him in the Iraq war. How else can you explain the nomination of Michael Chertoff to be the next Secretary of Homeland Security? Chertoff, then the Assistant Attorney General, instructed the Department of Justice to hold over 700 detainees in Guantanamo Bay without charges or lawyers. Some were beaten and humiliated while being detained. Chertoff was also instrumental in the writing of the Patriot Act, which helped give the government carte blanche to do pretty much anything in the name of "fighting terrorism." Chertoff's supporters say that naysayers miss the point; that in the months after 9/11, no one knew where the next attack would come from. There was a concern that sleeper agents were in the U.S. We don't mean to get on a soapbox, but America was founded on the basic principles of freedom and liberty. Our most sacred national document promises that EVERYONE is innocent until proven guilty. Do we simply abandon our ideals in the face of adversity? What kind of message does that send to the rest of the world? Principles are only principles when you stick to them even when they're inconvenient. Otherwise, they're just words.
Think Globally, Act Locally. We honestly don't know whether to be saddened or angry at this story. Hey, why not both? A woman in Denver has several bumper stickers on her truck, one of which reads "F*ck Bush" (sans star). This woman, Shasta Bates, was accosted by a police officer who told her that the bumper sticker was illegal, because it was profane (which is not true on a state or federal level). The policeman went on to tell her to remove the sticker, and "If you [Bates]ever show up here again, I'm going to make you take those stickers off and arrest you. Never come back into that area." Her right to display the bumper sticker is guaranteed by the First Amendment, and was upheld in a smiliar decision by the Supreme Court thirty years ago. For every step we take forward as a country, it seems like we're taking three steps back. Maybe it's time to bring back those "Random Acts of Kindness" bumper stickers, or something. Any suggestions?
Hillary Clinton made a great push for universal health care reform in the U.S. during Bill's term in office, but failed. John Kerry just introduced a bill that he hopes will give equal health care for all children. Congress won't allow us to import prescription drugs from Canada. If you think that the U.S. is the global leader in health care, you would be well served to read this report by the University of Maine. The report concludes that, while the U.S. certainly has the largest health care spending per capita, and the best responsiveness of Health Systems, we also have the highest infant mortality rate and the weakest Health System Overall Performance rating. Seems like we can spend $200 billion in Iraq and $8 million for the president's yacht, but we can't keep our own country healthy. It's just sad.
Editorials
Ask and Ye Shall Receive. Recently, we talked about how the Democrats' counter to the aggressive anti-abortion campaign should be talk of educating people, so that unwanted pregnancies lessen, and the need for abortion drops. Because that really is the problem - it is hard to argue that, say, if a woman is raped, she should be forced to carry the baby to term. Pro-choice is certainly the side we support, but along with that comes the responsibility of educating people. Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) recently gave a speech to the annual gathering of Family Planning Advocates of New York, which was not well received by those in attendence. Clinton said all the right things - Roe v. Wade should be upheld, abortions should be rare, and she praised the "moral right" for preaching abstinence. Clinton didn't abandon her ideals, or change her stance. She enhanced it, and paved the way for the Democrats' stance on abortion.
Acts of Bravery. So, the first set of elections in Iraq is complete. But it would be too easy to just accept these results as success, and claim that now Iraq is a democracy. Oh, of course that's what the Administration would like us to do - think about how quickly Afghanistan has faded from our minds. But Bob Herbert does an excellent job of outlining why Iraq is still lacking real democracy, despite the hope that the turnout provided. As Fareed Zakaria put it last night on "The Daily Show": "One good day does not erase a year-and-a-half of blunders."
|
December 29, 2005
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
Tuesday's Links
Activism
In one of our first posts, we talked to you about one aim of Bush's agenda - to drill in Alaska. Well, here we are in our 84th post, and it's happening. The Arctic Refuge is the last place on Alaska's northern coast that hasn't been drilled, and it is home to an incredible amount of wildlife. And this is exactly where Bush wants to drill. Go here to send an email (prewritten, but editable) to your Congressmen and Senators, urging them to stop their plans for drilling in the Arctic Refuge!
News
Michael Chertoff. Bush is obviously trying to reward those loyal to him in the Iraq war. How else can you explain the nomination of Michael Chertoff to be the next Secretary of Homeland Security? Chertoff, then the Assistant Attorney General, instructed the Department of Justice to hold over 700 detainees in Guantanamo Bay without charges or lawyers. Some were beaten and humiliated while being detained. Chertoff was also instrumental in the writing of the Patriot Act, which helped give the government carte blanche to do pretty much anything in the name of "fighting terrorism." Chertoff's supporters say that naysayers miss the point; that in the months after 9/11, no one knew where the next attack would come from. There was a concern that sleeper agents were in the U.S. We don't mean to get on a soapbox, but America was founded on the basic principles of freedom and liberty. Our most sacred national document promises that EVERYONE is innocent until proven guilty. Do we simply abandon our ideals in the face of adversity? What kind of message does that send to the rest of the world? Principles are only principles when you stick to them even when they're inconvenient. Otherwise, they're just words.
Think Globally, Act Locally. We honestly don't know whether to be saddened or angry at this story. Hey, why not both? A woman in Denver has several bumper stickers on her truck, one of which reads "F*ck Bush" (sans star). This woman, Shasta Bates, was accosted by a police officer who told her that the bumper sticker was illegal, because it was profane (which is not true on a state or federal level). The policeman went on to tell her to remove the sticker, and "If you [Bates]ever show up here again, I'm going to make you take those stickers off and arrest you. Never come back into that area." Her right to display the bumper sticker is guaranteed by the First Amendment, and was upheld in a smiliar decision by the Supreme Court thirty years ago. For every step we take forward as a country, it seems like we're taking three steps back. Maybe it's time to bring back those "Random Acts of Kindness" bumper stickers, or something. Any suggestions?
Hillary Clinton made a great push for universal health care reform in the U.S. during Bill's term in office, but failed. John Kerry just introduced a bill that he hopes will give equal health care for all children. Congress won't allow us to import prescription drugs from Canada. If you think that the U.S. is the global leader in health care, you would be well served to read this report by the University of Maine. The report concludes that, while the U.S. certainly has the largest health care spending per capita, and the best responsiveness of Health Systems, we also have the highest infant mortality rate and the weakest Health System Overall Performance rating. Seems like we can spend $200 billion in Iraq and $8 million for the president's yacht, but we can't keep our own country healthy. It's just sad.
Editorials
Ask and Ye Shall Receive. Recently, we talked about how the Democrats' counter to the aggressive anti-abortion campaign should be talk of educating people, so that unwanted pregnancies lessen, and the need for abortion drops. Because that really is the problem - it is hard to argue that, say, if a woman is raped, she should be forced to carry the baby to term. Pro-choice is certainly the side we support, but along with that comes the responsibility of educating people. Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) recently gave a speech to the annual gathering of Family Planning Advocates of New York, which was not well received by those in attendence. Clinton said all the right things - Roe v. Wade should be upheld, abortions should be rare, and she praised the "moral right" for preaching abstinence. Clinton didn't abandon her ideals, or change her stance. She enhanced it, and paved the way for the Democrats' stance on abortion.
Acts of Bravery. So, the first set of elections in Iraq is complete. But it would be too easy to just accept these results as success, and claim that now Iraq is a democracy. Oh, of course that's what the Administration would like us to do - think about how quickly Afghanistan has faded from our minds. But Bob Herbert does an excellent job of outlining why Iraq is still lacking real democracy, despite the hope that the turnout provided. As Fareed Zakaria put it last night on "The Daily Show": "One good day does not erase a year-and-a-half of blunders."
|
December 29, 2005
In one of our first posts, we talked to you about one aim of Bush's agenda - to drill in Alaska. Well, here we are in our 84th post, and it's happening. The Arctic Refuge is the last place on Alaska's northern coast that hasn't been drilled, and it is home to an incredible amount of wildlife. And this is exactly where Bush wants to drill. Go here to send an email (prewritten, but editable) to your Congressmen and Senators, urging them to stop their plans for drilling in the Arctic Refuge!
News
Michael Chertoff. Bush is obviously trying to reward those loyal to him in the Iraq war. How else can you explain the nomination of Michael Chertoff to be the next Secretary of Homeland Security? Chertoff, then the Assistant Attorney General, instructed the Department of Justice to hold over 700 detainees in Guantanamo Bay without charges or lawyers. Some were beaten and humiliated while being detained. Chertoff was also instrumental in the writing of the Patriot Act, which helped give the government carte blanche to do pretty much anything in the name of "fighting terrorism." Chertoff's supporters say that naysayers miss the point; that in the months after 9/11, no one knew where the next attack would come from. There was a concern that sleeper agents were in the U.S. We don't mean to get on a soapbox, but America was founded on the basic principles of freedom and liberty. Our most sacred national document promises that EVERYONE is innocent until proven guilty. Do we simply abandon our ideals in the face of adversity? What kind of message does that send to the rest of the world? Principles are only principles when you stick to them even when they're inconvenient. Otherwise, they're just words.
Think Globally, Act Locally. We honestly don't know whether to be saddened or angry at this story. Hey, why not both? A woman in Denver has several bumper stickers on her truck, one of which reads "F*ck Bush" (sans star). This woman, Shasta Bates, was accosted by a police officer who told her that the bumper sticker was illegal, because it was profane (which is not true on a state or federal level). The policeman went on to tell her to remove the sticker, and "If you [Bates]ever show up here again, I'm going to make you take those stickers off and arrest you. Never come back into that area." Her right to display the bumper sticker is guaranteed by the First Amendment, and was upheld in a smiliar decision by the Supreme Court thirty years ago. For every step we take forward as a country, it seems like we're taking three steps back. Maybe it's time to bring back those "Random Acts of Kindness" bumper stickers, or something. Any suggestions?
Hillary Clinton made a great push for universal health care reform in the U.S. during Bill's term in office, but failed. John Kerry just introduced a bill that he hopes will give equal health care for all children. Congress won't allow us to import prescription drugs from Canada. If you think that the U.S. is the global leader in health care, you would be well served to read this report by the University of Maine. The report concludes that, while the U.S. certainly has the largest health care spending per capita, and the best responsiveness of Health Systems, we also have the highest infant mortality rate and the weakest Health System Overall Performance rating. Seems like we can spend $200 billion in Iraq and $8 million for the president's yacht, but we can't keep our own country healthy. It's just sad.
Editorials
Ask and Ye Shall Receive. Recently, we talked about how the Democrats' counter to the aggressive anti-abortion campaign should be talk of educating people, so that unwanted pregnancies lessen, and the need for abortion drops. Because that really is the problem - it is hard to argue that, say, if a woman is raped, she should be forced to carry the baby to term. Pro-choice is certainly the side we support, but along with that comes the responsibility of educating people. Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) recently gave a speech to the annual gathering of Family Planning Advocates of New York, which was not well received by those in attendence. Clinton said all the right things - Roe v. Wade should be upheld, abortions should be rare, and she praised the "moral right" for preaching abstinence. Clinton didn't abandon her ideals, or change her stance. She enhanced it, and paved the way for the Democrats' stance on abortion.
Acts of Bravery. So, the first set of elections in Iraq is complete. But it would be too easy to just accept these results as success, and claim that now Iraq is a democracy. Oh, of course that's what the Administration would like us to do - think about how quickly Afghanistan has faded from our minds. But Bob Herbert does an excellent job of outlining why Iraq is still lacking real democracy, despite the hope that the turnout provided. As Fareed Zakaria put it last night on "The Daily Show": "One good day does not erase a year-and-a-half of blunders."
