June 10, 2006

When 10-year-old Sireta White went to her cousin’s birthday party she didn’t expect to die. But she was killed in a drive-by spray of bullets. The fifth grader was the second child victimized by gun violence in her predominantly African American Chicago neighborhood that week in March. It gripped the neighborhood and city. Public officials made speeches, but answers were few.

Once upon a time, President Bush threw his weight behind a discriminatory “Marriage Protection Amendment” months before an important election. The amendment was debated in the Senate and failed, not even garnering 50 votes of support. The year? Well, take your pick. It’s happened twice now, in 2004 and just this week.

Philly vigil
American Jews and Israel
Blaming Carter?
Education is not a commodity
Relief for gas pains

In the wake of the rising tide of allegations claiming that U.S. forces executed a sort of vigilante justice by staging murderous attacks on Iraqi civilians, General Chiarelli, second in command in Iraq, stated his belief that it’s important for troops to “take time to reflect on the values that separate us from our enemies.”

The lead headline in “McNewspaper” (USA Today) for May 25 referred to retiree benefits as a “monster.” The article goes on to compile gross statistics on the total amount of retiree benefits compiled by American workers through lifetimes of work and struggle. Instead of blessings to American families, these commitments are branded “burdens”!

Dick DeVos is the presumed Republican candidate for governor in Michigan, and he has a lot to hide. To win the Republican nomination, he has spent millions of his personal fortune on a glitzy television attack ad campaign. But when it comes to the issues that concern real people in Michigan, DeVos’ record reveals the truth about his agenda, his character and the danger he poses to working families.

Whenever an administration comes to power that possesses a philosophy totally at odds with an agency’s purpose, mission and traditions, you can expect fireworks. Since January 2001, the Interior Department has been transformed from a department of professionals concerned about the long-term preservation and sustained use of our nation’s resources to a cadre of politically-driven corporate puppets whose mission is to turn over America’s resources to the private business interests and the “wreckreation” movement.

Former presidential candidate Al Gore’s new documentary makes him look really good and global warming look really bad. Both concepts seem really credible, thanks to the director’s skill and Gore’s years of dedication to explaining this vital issue.

BERLIN (AP) — Brazil is so loaded with talent that it could probably field the best two teams in the World Cup. Lucky for host Germany, the upstart U.S. and a handful of other upset hopefuls, the rules for soccer’s big party — the world’s most popular sporting event — only allow one team per country.