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About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (May 18, 2005)
4• LA CKAMA SPríflf May 18, 2005 COIMIMCtltttï North Korea: nuclear threat Sam Krause The Clackamas Print For a long time now, North Korea has been a threat to the United States, its own citizens and the world. North Korea has been building its nucle ar arsenal since 1993, according to the C.I.A. Now, in 2005, it is rumored that North Korea now has six nuclear weapons and they are ready to test. South Korea, Russia and China tend to side on a lenient approach to the threat North Korea poses. South Korean officials who have met with the hostile nation, and claim „North Korea has no plans to test any nukes. But even Ministers and state-controlled media outlets in North Korea have neither denied nor admitted to any wrongdoing. Nevertheless, U.S. satellite images show construction equipment in the northeast area of the country. U.S. intelligence specu lates that North Korea may be planning underground tests of nuclear devices. I don’t know about anybody else, but why in die world would the United States redeploy troops stationed at the demili tarized zone on the 38th parallel to Iraq? More so, why does the Bush administra tion downplay any problems that might be occurring within North Korea? Using George W. Bush’s own plan of action (according to the Bush doctrine), dog, estimates that about a quarter of North we should already be in North Korea; not Korea’s population has been killed or only that, but North Korea is part of the starved to death by the Democratic People’s president’s “axis of evil.” Republic of Korea. But where is the president spend The chairman of Korea’s National Defense Commission (the highest ing the United States’ time, money and energy? The position of authority in North Korea), Kim Jong H, has answer, of course, is been the direct or indi the Middle East rect contributor to and the War on his people’s suffer Terror. Oil and ing. Kim labels profits are people with the worth more level of political than us, the threat they are meager sta I to the govem- tistic read to | ment, making it Geòrgie at nearly impos 9 p.m. after sible for those he hasn’t labeled to get read the work. Presidential The govern Daily ment at one time Briefing. sported the pur Besides, chase of over 500 North Korean Mercedes-Benz, missiles will be and they have a use able to reach the less army that has more Blue States before they will ever be Illustration by Jeff Sorensen Clackamas Print than 1 million troops. Food, money, and petro able to reach the leum given in aid to North Korea have been nation’s capital or New York City. More than just a threat to the United recklessly dolled out, ill spent and wasted States, North Korea has been the cul by the country’s upper class and govern prit of serious human rights violations. ment officials. But wait, there’s more! North Korea has Globalsecurity.org, an international watch High cafeteria prices call for desperate measures rush, the objects within usually aren’t more than 15 minutes old. Yummy. The other criticism I hear is that I don’t | The Clackamas Print know what people have done to the food. “Oh, gross dude! Someone could have I like just about everything at the cafeteria totally spit in that!” they say. here at Clackamas. Quality, selection, ser I have never in my life seen anyone spit in vice, cleanliness - it’s all there, but one thing their food and then throw it away. I don’t like is the prices. Luckily, I’ve found A lot of people who eat leftover food a great (and perfectly legal) way to enjoy describe themselves with hipster terms such cafeteria food without the steep prices. as “freegan” or “dumpster diver,” but I will Now don’t get me wrong, because I think just as readily answer to “guy who eats out the staff at the cafeteria does a terrific job, of the garbage.” Likewise, these people will but I’ve never felt the justification in some often imbue their garbage-eating tenden of their prices. About midday, though, with cies with political and social commentary, hunger gnawing at me, not enough change in bandying about statistics of how much food my pocket, and Haggen’s a long walk away, Americans waste and how many people in I’ve got to eat something. What’s a strapped- the world die of starvation. That’s all fine for-cash college student to do? Well, I’ll tell and dandy, but in the end it comes down to you what I do: me being hungry. Free food in the garbage = I eat out of the garbage. full stomach. Yeah, you heard me. I rummage through Actually, I do happen to agree with these the garbage at the cafeteria and eat people’s “freegan” folk. The United States is the most leftover food. OK, honestly I don’t do that gluttonous, slovenly nation on the planet, but every time; sometimes people just leave their I’m not going to discourage you from throw food on the table for me to eat. Hey, I’m not ing away your tray of french fries. More for picky. me, right? It’s not like I eat food people have chewed on either. Taking a peek at the garbage bins during lunch reveals trays of uneaten, and most likely untouched, finger foods like french fries, onion rings, and chicken tenders. * It’s a veritable goldmine of free food, and it’s all mine for the taking. I can already envision the reactions of most people who are reading this: “That’s totally disgusting. You are eating out of the GARBAGE.” Society has this really weird stigma about the gar bage; everybody believes that for some reason a garbage can, even with a fresh plas tic garbage bag, is infinitely dirtier than its surroundings. If something merely grazes the liner of a garbage bin, it is forever banished. I pro claim that a garbage bin is only as dirty as the objects inside it! And considering the garbage bags in the caf eteria are changed with high Photo illustration by Shannon Armstead frequency during the lunch 4^. and Jeff Sorensen Clackamas Print been a trafficker of many different ics to the world, using diplomatic ù nity as a means of protection, especial China, Japan, Taiwan, and the Russia, East. Many of their government ofl have been apprehended with volum amounts of Rufinol, heroin, or met phetamines. Now sit back and take all this inf tion in. What is the difference behveei andNorth Korea? Answer: the United! knows that North Korea has nuclear bilitics and Iraq was no immediate | For Christ’s sake, people are dying b millions; political leaders live lives ofl parties, private casinos and anything could ever possibly want, while the avi North Korean has to bow the propaj and worship a leader that oppresses just to get their pittance of rice. Don’t get me wrong, Iran has the p tial to build nuclear weapons, but at they let the International Atomic Er Agency in for inspections. North J booted their inspectors out years ago with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Tt and has been unnervingly uncooperati the Six Party Talks. The priorities of our country aren’t pletely skewed. Bush has an opportun do something right. All these morals Geòrgie Boy likes to preach from the] would come in perfectly for this sita Safety is our duty, as Americans, tt world.— Letter to the editor Filibuster needed tool to keep majority in check GJ Ciaramella I I am writing in response to last week’s commentary pi dece by Shannon annon Armstead entitled “Filibuster needs to go ‘nuclei ;ar.’” In the piece, Shannon refers to the filibuster as a “fickle tech- nicality.” Though she is correct in stating that it is based off of a rule that allows a senator to have the floor as long as they wish, it has developed as a senate tradition for a reason. It is the only tool that the minority party has for stopping the majority party from doing whatever they see fit. In our last election, 51 percent of people voted Republican. This is only a very slight major ity. If there was no filibuster, then the majority in the House of Representatives and Senate would be able to pass any laws requiring only a simple majority. This would mean that nearly half of our citizens would have no effective representation in Congress. Quite possibly, in the next four years, up to four out of the nine Supreme Court judges will be chosen to serve. These judg es, most likely, will be with us for the remainder of their lives. Needless to say, it is a crucial decision for whom to appoint to these positions. If we are to let the majority party decide, then, again, 49 percent of Americans will have no say in this. What the filibuster does is allow the minority party to exclude those who they think are too radical. Remember, the presi dent nominates the judges while the senate confirms them. So regardless, the Republicans will be able to appoint a judge they approve rx - of. When you completely silence the minority party, you get dan gerously close to something that Alex de Tocqu* Tocqueville called “the tyranny of the majority.” We should not allow huge decisions to ...t.:— of the majority, ...1. . majorj(y jn be left up to the whim whoeve power might be. Randy Thrall CCC student ■ Let us know what you think! Write us letters to the editor Have an opinion about a recent article in The Print? Write us letters to the editor. Please keep them under 200 words and sign them. They may be e-mailed to cccprint@clackamas.edu or can be dropped off at RR135. We reserve the right to edit letters for content and clarity.
