Letters_____________
2________
¡considered for publication if submitted by 1 pm the Friday pi
WEÓNEsdAy, ApRil 25, 2001
right to not publish any letter.
Opinion
Riots choke city of Cincinnati
Chaos and rioting choke Cincin
nati, Ohio streets with citizens vio
lently protesting the police shoot
ing of an unarmed black man. Cin
cinnati Mayor Charles Luken has
declared a splefor emergency and
taWloitnccd
a * citywide
curfew.. .according to CNN News.
With this declaration I see the very
fibers of our society unraveling
with every window
that’s broken and
every innocent by
stander that is
forced into the fray.
Pandemonium is
gripping the streets
of Cincinnati and
it’s resonating
throughout the
country with the madness of what
may be to come if we do not stop
the anger that is flooding our
streets with violence.
Since 1995, police have killed 15
African-American males during at
tempted arrests. The anger and
pain have fed off each other ever
since and it finally found a flood
gate with the recent shooting of
Thomas. Police have had to go up
against more than 150 violent pro
testers flooding the streets with
their frustrations and aggression
since Thomas’ death.
Normally, I would be one to agree
that actions speak louder than
words, but violence in any form is
All signed letters to the editor should be 500 words or less and v
publication. Letters to the Editor arc subject to editing. We reserj
we question their judgment. How
is that fair? Granted, there are
times when an innocent life has
been taken with unnecessary use
of force, but when unfortunate
things like this happen, -we need
to ask questions, yoice our opin
ions and find out the truth. The
investigation is still pending and
we, as citizens have already be
come judge, jury and execu
tioner of the officer involved.
I’m sorry for Thomas be
cause his life was cut short and
I’m sorry for the pain his fam
ily has to endure, but I’m just
as sorry for our country. What
SalenaDeLaCruz is this nation coming to when
Contributing Writer we can’t even support the
people in charge of protecting
We don’t know firsthand what us? Thomas had 14 warrants out
really happened. Thomas could for failure to appear for misde
very well have grabbed for some meanor traffic violations. Misde
thing in his waistband and the only meanors yes, but warrants none
thing the officer could assume is theless. According to ABC News
that it was a gun. Unfortunately, and CNN he then led police on a
his assumption was wrong and chase that lasted several blocks.
there was no gun. However, what It ended in his death. According
would’ve happened if Thomas had to reports By CNN and ABC, citi
a gun and the officer had not acted zens stated that if you were a black
so quickly? There would probably male you ran from police because
be no riot for the death of a police you were afraid of getting beat up
officer. Why? Because there are by them. My assumption is that
certain risks involved in being a police would probably assume
representative of the law. They are guilt when someone runs. Again,
trained and their skills honed to take I’m aware of the several instances
on those risks and when they act that caused concern, but when do
in accordance with their training, we reach a compromise? When do
not a positive means to an already
sad situation. I believe what no
one is taking into consideration is
that every day police put their lives
in danger for the good of the
people and sometimes even the
most routine traffic stop can turn
deadly. We see it on the news and
on real life TV Programming such
as “COPS.”
Make a
statement,
be heard..
we say we’ve had enough violence
whether from the people or police?
Maybe there are those sworn to
protect citizens who act irrespon
sibly resulting in undo harm to oth
ers. But there are dozens of others
who only wish to help. Do we un
justly accuse one for the actions
of others? Would it be fair if some
one mistreated me because I was
Mexican and they had a bad expe
rience or heard of one done by a
Mexican? No.
I know there are bad cops out
there and unfortunately Cincinnati
has had many instances to give
them cause to be concerned, but
could it be sad coincidence?
Maybe, maybe not; however, rather
than make false assumptions, Cin
cinnati needs to voice their con
cerns and get their questions an
swered. Unfortunately, when
Mayor Luken attempted to address
Thomas’ death and the circum
stances around it, violent protest
broke out with people having to
be physically removed from city
hall. That is no way to find a solu
tion to a problem.
I plead with Cincinnati and ev
ery city and community that has
used violence. Stop the violence.
Stop the hate. See what pain you
create. Hopefully, a compromise
can be reached to end the frustra
tions and fears in Cincinnati.
Student Poll
How do you fet
about reality T
shows?
"They are way over-rated
generally overused."
Robert Locker
' 'I don't know anything a
it"
Hamad Hamad
"I think they are absolute
marvelous and I watch the
religiously."
Letter to the Editor
Justin Michael Dav
From the librarian: ’In a show of
really bad art, mine was the worst’
"Worst of show? What does
My mind reacts, Why do fools
that mean?" my mom asked.
fall in love? Why do birds sing
I grinned. I knew the answer to when you're around? Why did we
this question. Frequently my move that Bojangle clock so far
mother asks me questions and I away from the bed?
never discover the
Why am I think
ing about silly love
answer. She knows
unanswered ques
songs?
Because the an
tions drive me crazy.
swer is locked
You see, I'm a librar
within them. Within
ian. I get paid to
our culture.
answer questions. I
In 1478, Sandro
usually don't get
Botticelli painted
paid for my art.
'Birth of Venus' for
But not this time.
Giovanni
and
I'm not going crazy
Lorenzo dei Medici.
this time. My voice Terry Mackey, Librarian
The image of Venus stepping out
sneers, "It means, in
a show of really bad art, mine was of the seashell has permeated our
the worst. You see mom, it's kind culture. Put a naked girl in a sea
of like saying, 'I live at the very shell and Boom! she's Venus.
In 1980,1 deliberately set about
end of the baddest street in town.
duplicating that idea. I mean, if all
I'm the worst!"'
My mother is puzzled. Mom fi we need is love, and/Venus is the
nally says, "Why do good people goddess of love, then hey, if I put
do bad things - I mean why do a playboy centerfold in a abalone
good people do bad art?".
shell then I got one powerful mes-
in the sky - and they hardly look
sage of love.
For my Venus I chose that like a thunderstorm - but Aphrodite
month's Playboy centerfold. Work is pretty far out to sea. Perhaps
ing from a common tenet of the she needs to get to shore fast be
fastfood industry, I deduced that fore the storm hits. That's why the
if tits are good, then Biggie sized sea is breaking on the bow of the
I used a
must be better. You gotta love abalone shell.
Rembrandtish
Double Stuff
technique of really
Oreos!
Not everything
globbing on the
paint so the viewer
on Aphrodite is
could feel the beau
Up-Sized. I have
tiful cerulean blue
trouble drawing
water breaking
hands. But my
clever right brain
against
Aphrodite's sun-
was up to the
challenge: I'll hide
bleached shell.
those pesky dig
Wow, now that
says
its. Aphrodite will
be flipping her
LOVE
hair. Goddesses
"Mom," I said.
"Good People do
do that.
My goddess Aphrodite, painted by Terry bad art out of
was born with a Mackey, was chosen as
Love."
yellow rain slicker the 'worst of show' in The
too. There are Bad Art Show held in the
Terry Mackey
Pauling Gallery.
CCC Librarian
only a few clouds
Editor-in-Chief:
Diana Scrivncr (x2447)
Business Manager:
Daisy Bain (x2578)
Feature Editor:
K
Maggie Jirasek
A & E Editor:
Tam Oliver
Staff:
Elena Boryska
Chris Lundgren
Liesl Muggli
Matt Shcmpcrt
Copy Editor:
Jenny Chavez
Sports Editor:
Frank Jordan
News Editor
Steve Nielsen
Photo Editor:
19600 S M o I a II a A vi . O uçqn City. O'cqoN 97045
(501) 657-6956 t xi 2509
C'tCpXlN-<QclAckxMK\.CC.OX.U5
Mike Pollock
Secretary:
Jo Anne Gale
Advisor:
Linda Vogt (x2310)
"I like them; they're nice.
The people work in a grouj
I would prefer them to finii
as a group."
Rene' Nunez
"I don't have a TV right no
I don't watch reality shows
have better things to do wit
my time."
Erin Adkisson
Poll compiled by Maggie
Jirasek and Liesl Muggli
The Clackamas Print aims to report the n
in an honest, unbiased, professional mat
The opinions expressed in The Clacka
Print do not necessarily reflect those of
student body, college administration, its
ulty, or The Clackamas Print advertit
Products and services advertised in
Clackamas Print are not neccesarily endo
by anyone associated with The Clacka
Print. The advertising rate is $4.75 per
umn inch. The Clackamas Print is a wer
publication and is distributed every Wed
day except during pi nals week. The Clat
mas Print Copyright 2001.j