Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 28, 2004)
C ommentary 4 • T he C lackamas P rint J anuary 28, 2004 State of Union: curious George goes bananas Ben Maras O pinion E ditor I’ve always made an effort to stay up to date on world events, even if it means sitting through some of the most ridiculous speeches one could dream of, but this year President Bush s State of the Union Address really tested my patience. “Ais the United States is a free coun try people should be able to make the decision as to how they live their lives.” I should not have been surprised After more rambling about regime by the fact that he began with talking change, middle-eastern democracy and about the so-called “War on Terror,” nu-cue-lar weapons, he moved onto nor should I have been surprised the the economy. After dropping the word first thing he did was drop a reference “terrorist” again, he .skimmed through to 9/11, which America now'rcsponds a sweetened version of the economy. to like a patriotic pavlovian-dog As he However, he neglected to mention paid a brief recognition to the soldiers a few crucial numbers, such as the 2.4 who he has deployed in Iraq, I won million people who lost their jobs dered why it is then that he has attend since he took office, the mere 221,000 ed no funerals for any of the soldiers jobs created since he implemented his who lost their lives due to his war. tax cuts (although he promised they Since Bush invaded Iraq in March, „would create 306,000 new jobs) and the brave men and women have been the six percent increase in the number losing their lives at a rate of 1.6 per of families .living in poverty. day (a total of. more than 500 deaths to What also seems of disregard to date). Not only that, him is the 43.6 mil but the President has lion Americans with stopped the long out health care last standing practice of year, and he still greeting the ./soldiers claims that a universal returning home ... in health care plan flag-draped caskets. would not be the No more flag, no answer, even though more media, and no it would cost less than more “honorable” we are paying now for greeting from the privatized health care. President Of the Maybe what was Unites States, Now the most upsetting, the bodies are and prompted a bar brought in by secret 1 rage of projectiles at jet in the dead of night, and anyone the TV screen, was Bush’s wish to who attempts to take pictures will be defend the “sanctity of marriage” by arrested. Could it be that the President targeting “activist judges” who do not feels a wee bit sensitive about the follow his belief that marriage should gross loss of lives? be defined as one man and one “Does it bother anyone else that [Bush] wants to ... make a Constitutional amendment to prohibit civil rights?” Brendon Campbell Unwelcome solicitors beg for students' attention “That is my one biggest thing against him. Fuck Bush!” Elisabeth Bishop “I think that that s bullshit Why are they trying to make laws based on a particular person's reli gious beliefs?” “Skot” C ourtesy of http :// politicalhumor . about . com woman. So I suppose it’s okay for Constitution that would officially ban Britney Spears and whatever the name gay and lesbian marriages. Does it of her husband du-jour was, to get bother anyone else that he wants to, married and then get divorced a cos for the first time in the entire history mic nanosecond later, but not okay for of United States; make a constitution two men or women who have been in al amendment to prohibit civil rights? a monogamous relationship for years After all was said and done, and my to be joined into the “holy bond of stockpile of projectiles lay. scattered marriage?” around the .television screen- my only Bill Clinton may have signed the solace was that at least it’s an election Defense of Marriage Act, but now we year and, God willing, this will be the are looking at something much more last time I have to put up with this serious—an amendment to the U.S. utter nonsense Traversing the Clackamas Community College campus, I am often in a state of awe at how unnerv- ingly irritating some groups of people can be. It’s not unusual for an average student, I for example, to find a plethora of things in life worth com plaining about. Once in a while, some thing will stand out from the crowd and perhaps somebody will share my opinions on the topic of political pan handlers. The good ol’ American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language defines the act of panhandling as “approaching and begging from a stranger.” Normally, this act involves the want of monies; one can also pan handle seeking an audience, political vote or denominational change by the panhandled. The most recent festeringly both ersome panhandlers hail from a politi cal party proclaiming “Vote LaRouche in 2004.” Three or four scruffy look ing members of this group have shown up on campus twice in the past several weeks. Two days of handing out flyers and accosting passersby would not have had much of an impact on my patience, but these fellows more than made up for time constraints by employing volumes of printed garbage and neat-guerilla tactics for roping in victims. If solici tors were terrorists, these people would be the Taliban. According to an ASG representative, the non-student LaRouche group had been given per mission for their first visit only. CCC, however, was not the only college to be politically molested. A LaRouche cult member posted outside of Rook Hall proudly proclaimed that CCC is in “District 5” and that the group was going to all state colleges- distributing their brand of propaganda. It is not incorrect to say that this college has its share of groups that employ propaganda. The posters and paper flyers tacked to doors, windows and walls are a form of propaganda. Yet I’ve noticed that groups local to our campus are far more discreet than those vex ing visitors. Campus clubs communicate with clutter, flecking posters of all sizes at any object to which tape will stick. The Campus Crusade for Christ is one of the more prolific poster placers, as is the Rainbow Club, also known as the gay and lesbian dub. Campus dubs participate in a twice- yearly community fair as well, which gives them an organized forum for their cause. “If solicitors were terrorists, the “Vote LaRouche in 2004” group would be the Taliban.” Walking from dass to class, I might roll my eyes at the smatterings of dub posters, but I have no intention of yelling at any of CCC’s many great dubs. I do, however, recommend a good, exasperated exclamation and berating of the LaRouche crew, should they show up again uninvited. So what makes local groups okay? Well, some of the local dubs give out fun things to play with. Campus Crusade for Christ, for example, gave me a neat bouncy ball with sparkly lit tle lights inside. I can’t say the video or books about Jesus were particularly useful, but the mesh bags they came in are handy for putting socks and things in, after I pulled the labels off. The labels may be gone, but I will remember where the goodies came from. I believe the more passive “Come bearing gifts” method is a far more potent advertisement than con stant soliciting. To keep the audience from being aggravated or not wanting to listen to a group, the speaker could at least give listeners a sparkly to toy with during the speech. College stu dents like free toys. Chiefs' Corner: Karen Philibert Have an opinion on President Bush’s plans to go to Mars? E-mail your letters to chiefed@clackamas.edu or drop them off in RR135 by Friday at 1 p.m. to be fea tured in the next issue of The Clackamas Print. Please include your name and limit responses to no more than 150 words. T he C lackamas P rint 19600 S Molalla Ave. Oregon City, OR 97045 (503) 657-6958 The Clackamas Print is a weekly student publication and is distributed every Wednesday except during finals week. Top ten pet peeves of Print's exasperated editor place for you to crack your big toe on it, usually in the middle of the night. Dorothy in the-Wizard* of Oz said Cory Price it best when she said, “There's ho Go Editor-iri-Chief -place like home!” The same sentiment applies to using the restroom. You sit What pet peeve causes an involun-' down for a wonderful rest on the toi tary cringe like fingernails raking let and it's not until after you begin across a chalkboard? I have compiled your business that you realize a fatal a list of the ultimate top ten pet flaw; there is no toilet paper. You look peeves. around and there is none in view-no In a society addicted to coffee and solution to this travesty of pet peeve the $5 latte, pet peeve number ten is number eight. The only feeling left is the imminent burning of the tongue. anger against whoever used that last It has happened all too often. The square of toilet paper. latte is too hot but you're excited Why would Oregon give Tri-Met about having your caffeine fix. .This bus drivers a^ little yield light that time, the drink flows too fast, singeing, makes them, feel like they can run you your tongue nad leaving you unable to off the road? This is the number one taste anything all day. causing factor of road rage and pet Continuing with self—mutilation peeve number seven. is pet peeve number nine-toe stubbing. Number six on my list is a person All it takes is one chair a little out of al favorite, thanks to my sister who is Co Editors-in-Chief: Advertising Manager: Cyndee Mady and Cory Price Copy Editor: Katie Funk News Editor: Karlin Johnson Opinion Editor: Ben Maras Feature Editor: Karen Hill A&E Editor: Isaiah Creel Sports Editor: Nie Delzell Mark Falling, ext. 2578 Photo Editor: Jesse Lamond Staff Writers: Shannon Ar^nstead, Sara Atkeson, Faye Dodds, Shingo Izumi, Frank Jordan, Jessica LeClaire, Bethany Monroe, Jadon Triplett notorious for wreaking havoc Here's a mental image: After a long day of work, you come* home hungry and tired, but don't feel like cooking. You look into the freezer and see a giant box of your favorite food. You reach for it and, what is this? An empty box ... total letdown; Number five. Foggy car windows are horrible enough in themselves, but when someone feels the need to draw smiley faces all over the glass, that's going too far. The grease on your fin gers doesn't disappear with the fog. Pet peeve number four only applies to men and is a very pertinent, ongoing problem for us. We have to have dividers between the urinals. Something doesn't feel right about using the bathroom when another guy is standing next to you. Privacy, is s nice thing to have. The infamous mullet is pet peeve Photographers: Truman Anderson, Angela Gerhart Advisor: Linda Vogt department assistant: Lauren Vuylsteke number three. It should have died when Billy Ray Cyrus, the czar of the mullet, stopped being cool. Just let the '80s go and move on. The hair band met its death many years ago and so should the mullet.* - The fact that America seems to have become a breeding ground for stupid people is pet peeve number two. It's hard to understand how any one can be so stupid. For example, if someone doesn't know the number for 911, then that person shouldn't be calling them anyway. A final pet peeve I have, occurs here at the college. We all realize how much money we spend for college and, for those of us who are in col lege, that is reason enough for us to attend class. We don't need to be treated like high school students, with teachers lowering our grades for not showing up to class. Goals: 77>e Clackamas Print aims to report the news in an honest; unbiased, professional manner. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the student body, college administration, its faculty or 77>e Print. E-mail comments to chiefed@clackamas.edu. The Clackamas Print © 2004
