2007
A
Tragedy provides reality check on fragility of life
doing it couldn't possibly
end in you losing your life.
But that's just it, it can.
Take time and think
about your life. Think
about what you're
doing. Be mindful.
Tomorrow isn't
promised for
anyone. Every day,
be thankful for the
things that you are
blessed with and be
thankful for all the simple
things. Be thankful for
laughing, crying, smiling
J on H elmkamp
co-Editor-in-Chief
The tragic deaths of
Thomas Earhart and Daniel
Sawyer, seniors, remind us
that life is a gift. All it takes
is one second, one moment
of inattention, one moment
of not thinking consciously
that can flip your life
completely upside down,
or even worse, end your life
altogether. Sometimes, it is
simply beyond our control.
Life is not a game that
comes equipped with a redo
button. There are no second
chances, when your life is
over, it's over for good.
Sometimes it's easy to get
so caught up in the hustle
and bustle of everyday
life that you forget what's
truly important in your
life. That old saying about
taking the time to stop and
smell the roses couldn’t be
more true. The small and
simple pleasures of life
like enjoying the company
of the ones you love,
G alley L athrop
^9
Staff Reporter
d o cto rs? N o. L aw y ers? N o.
being alive and having the
opportunity to be in a place
in life where you are given
the opportunity to succeed
sometimes eludes us. We
don't always understand
the beauty of what we're
given, and the reality
of how quickly that can
change.
Hurtling through life
with reckless abandon
might fulfill a person's
need for adrenaline, but I
assure you that we are not
invincible. Sometimes it
feels like nothing could go
wrong; like no matter what
crazy thing you think of
Our school has experienced
an influx of Navy, Army
and Marine paraphernalia
as well as increased visits
by the soldiers themselves.
Why? They need recruits—
more than any of us can
imagine.
Iraq is a very strange
"war." First of all, there is no
draft. Nearly all U.S. wars
in the past have had a draft
in place. Second, the whole
(well, almost the whole)
country disapproves of the
war, with less than a 34
percent approval rating as of
September 2007 (CNN.Com).
In fact, hearing the word
♦ *m m
A
ifier
Linn High School, 5464 West A Street, West Linn, OR 97068
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rtifier is published approximately every four weeks by the West
'. School Advanced Journalism class. Opinions expressed in
itaries and editorials represent only those of the writer, and are
ly the opinions of West Linn High School, its administration,
faculty, staff, or student body.
in-Chief
icoine
dmkamp
ifz
Editors:
>in
M alia C hong
Slaff Reporters
Isaac C allagan, Em m alie Cox,
Adam H olm es, C aliey Lathrop,
Kira M atsuoka, K aitlyn Ragan,
Lexi W elp, M ary Wood
Contributing Writers
Chelsea Callas,
Valorie W allace
I j
enhance his or her life,
whether it is by gaining an
appreciation for the things
around you, striving to
better yourself, or simply
by being
more
careful.
Take the
w av
<=maraio
initiative
11 I
to take
care of
yourself,
itself and each day that you
because you have a far
are here to enjoy the things
larger impact on others
you love.
than you realize. What
Every person can
o
\o
\ovy\crvow
happens to you doesn't
just affect your life, but the
lives of everyone around
you. The deaths of Tom and
Dan have brought people
together, and made many
people think about what
matters most to them.
Be truly thankful for your
life. Life is an incredibly
fragile thing that can
be wiped away at any
moment. Cherish your life
because there is no way to
guarantee what tomorrow
holds.
S am STILL wants YOU!
It's FREE! Students
and teachers are being
offered free school supplies
including book covers and
calendars. Every week at
lunch, men and women
come to teach us about
their line of work. Are they
ch e rish in g th e m e re fa c t o f
and frowning. Be thankful
for having the opportunity
to meet people, connect
with people and relate to
people. Be thankful for life
"Iraq" anymore just leaves
a bad taste in my mouth,
and conjures images of dead
soldiers, maimed Iraqis and
often the face of our oh-so-
infamous President.
Many of us can agree
that Iraq is a mess. The U.S.
is spending around 200
million dollars a month,
and o u r casu alties
number around
3,878. There
have been
over
28,000
more
wounded.
Another
shocking
statistic is
that of the
Iraqi deaths:
600,000. These
are people
that were not
insurgents,
and had nothing
to do with their
government or its
policies. It is estimated the
average American is paying
$4,500 in taxes per year to
support a war that is still
putting the U.S. billions of
dollars into debt. (Source:
CNN.com)
One problem that is not
being addressed is that
of the soldiers who are
continually being forced to
extend their tours of duty.
How will they replace these
soldiers?
That's where you, the
student, comes in. What
if the U.S. did enforce a
draft? Some Americans are
pushing for it due to the
fact that many soldiers are
not coming home. Former
Secretary of Defense Donald
Rumsfeld has speculated
that the U.S. could be in
Iraq for years to come. The
American people may be
pushing for withdrawal,
but that, like many other
things in this war, cannot be
expected.
So, freshmen, who
normally don't have to
decide their futures yet,
may need to consider the
possibility they will be at a
training camp, not a dorm,
after graduation. Seniors
need to face the
reality
that
if
they
do enlist in any branch of
the armed service, they
will probably end up in the
Middle East. As of June 2007,
75 percent of the nation's
soldiers were deployed or
scheduled to be deployed,
according to CNN.com. The
armed forces have major
recruitment problems. In
June, recruitment was down
42 percent from several
years ago. A draft would
allow soldiers to come home,
and replace those who have
been killed and wounded.
If a draft is created, you
WILL be on the list. In this
day and age, the Army
no longer discriminates
between mens' and womens'
abilities to serve our country,
so women will also be
required to sign up. Think
that because you're going to
college they'll give you a get-
out-of-jail-free card? Nope.
They don't care what's on
your agenda. There is no one
too fat, too thin, too slow... if
you are called to serve your
country, you'll be going,
whether you like it or not.
No one WANTS a draft,
and politicians have said
there won't be one. What
we see about Iraq on the
news every day changes,
but never for the better.
Things are getting worse.
Our soldiers are being killed.
Innocent Iraqis are dying.
Two hundred million dollars
a month is being used to
fight a "war on terror"
that no one is winning.
In 2003 there were
an estimated 17,000
terrorists in Iraq. As of
June 2007, there were
an estimated 115,000. It
is time to face facts. We
ARE in a war, although
we may not feel it on the
home front.
Don't want to go? Become
an advocate for peace.
There are protests and vigils
all the time in Portland
(www.pdxpeace.org). Join
local clubs, like Young
Advocates For Peace (they
meet Mondays in B201).
Write a letter to your local
representative or senator.
They can draft us. But we
can stop it.
Letter to the editor
To the editor:
mm
*
Meth is soooo bad for you.
I think it’s super great that
you are making an article
exploring the dangers of
illicit drugs. They are the
downfall of modem society
and should be destroyed.
I've heard stories about meth
babies with four eyes and
two livers, (as well as other
birth defects). Thanks for
» iiir1
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