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About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 7, 2007)
ommentary Clackamas Print Wednesday, Feb.7, 2007 3 ace Off: US troop surge far in Iraq is a fact;, vw should we cope? Give diplomacy a fair shot; save lives llzabeth Hitz and are opposed to send ing more troops into Iraq. I The Clackamas Print Sen. Chuck Hagel said, “To put the American military Driving around town, as the only remedy in the there is always a flag situation is a huge mistake, pole within sight. I can’t and this is where, I think, remember the last time the you need robust, sustained, American flag wasn’t at ongoing diplomacy, which half-staff to show mourning we have never really prac for all the men and women, ticed publicly in [Iraq].” We all know that the young and old, who have lost their lives in the war Iraqis don’t like us very much, therefore making in Iraq. The ' fall; of Saddam diplomacy more difficult. Hussein was a victory for There is, however, no harm all the nations, but he left a in trying. So far, the United States huge power vacuum. Filling that vacuum and bringing spends about $7 billion a back a sense of month on the war. It has normalcy is been projected that it could going, to take reach $570 billion by the some time,’ end of 2010. Since the war began but at what in early 2003, the United cost? States has lost 3,099 lives, including 2,5000 casual “The fall ties in c o m - of Saadam bat. The Hussein Pentagon was a vic has tory for all showed the nations, concern that they but he left a w o n ’ t huge power be able vacuum.” to sus- tain the current Liz Travers amount The Clackamas of troops Print without using rotation and calling in the National Guard. Even that may not be enough. The president calls this a war on terror, but Iraqi civilians aren’t the only ones suffering. Terror “ is felt by every mother who watches the news in the evening, praying with all she has that her child’s name won’t be listed. It’s also felt by the children of troops, who don’t under stand why mommy or daddy Spokesman Bryan isn’t coming home again. This war was started Whitman said the Pentagon estimates that the surge is with different intentions, projected to cost $5.6 bil that proved to be false, lion. This would allow for and now we are paying the about four months of oper consequences. It is a fact ation. Defense Secretary that the U.S. needs to finish Robert Gates says $5.6 bil what they started, but peace lion will not last close to a can hever be bought with blood. year: “Those of us involved in the process thought of it in terms of months, rather than 18 months or two years.” The real question is: What is the human cost? Some politicians are try ing a different approach first-hand experience, or send [je Clackamas Print military analysts over to Iraq to get the picture piece of “the big picture”? Almost 20 years ago, we It seems to this journalist that ilked away from Iraq. Sure, the American government has a ¡and 31 other nations saved recent history of acting blindly or little Kuwait - but we without taking a moment to led to properly leash Iraq, step back and breathe. igave them rules, but did not Maybe if they miss a beat, force them. We sent inspec- the war, the nation and the s, but never looked off the world will fall apart. But more ¡ten path. likely is the idea that for all 1 agree with the common the long powwows our politi ntra that the war in Iraq was cians conduct, they either do ibably based more on money, not have enough information and corporations than actual to act properly, or they have no aals or self-defense. But I grasp of political and military o believe that the war was strategy. ■ that would Whatever the k happened case, our politi mer or later. cians and military Saddam “ Saddam commanders need s like a five- to start working was like a ir-old who together, rather cd taunting five-year- than getting into dd powers constant dead old who i flaunting locks that prevent liked taunt disregard any action by the the rules ing world United States. We t enough to are at war, people; powers. ive they did it is not a bloody I really apply game of bridge. him - with- I ever really Elizabeth Hitz airing them. The Clackamas Whether or I he crossed c line— -this- s, he would ® eventually rot to mention the atroci- ihe enforced throughout his ine. But putting aside why we ited the war, or whether we «Id have even gone to war II Iraq to begin with, we did to war. And because we did, have a responsibility to Iraq the aggressor to help build a lie government. If we were to withdraw our tes from Iraq completely the near future, the conse- nces might be drastic next e. As Sen. John McCain ' Ariz.) stated, “If we walk iy from Iraq, we’ll be i, possibly in the con- 4 I of a wider war in the lid’s most volatile ion.” Ike main question at (point seems to be: Are re American troops tired in Iraq to keep peace, or would y simply stunt any apt by a fledg- 1 Iraqi government train its own ice force? But instead committees and appointing a f general every ) months, why sn’t anyone ask troops who have Photo I Illustration by Rachel Gillette Clackamas Print he . Clackamas 19600 S. Molalla Ave. Oregon City OR 97045 (503) 657-6958 ex. 2309 Print Hie C/arkomos Print is a weekly student publication and is distributed every Wednesday except finals week. C o -E dttors - in -C hiee : Sam Krause, Katie Wilson Copy E ditor : Colleen Watkins N ews E ditor : Megan Koler C o -C ommentary E ditors : Matt Olson, David Thomas Admael Stark XIII F eature E ditor : Laura Cameron S ports E ditor : Mike Guidice A&E E ditor : Tayo Stalnaker P hoto E ditor : Adam J. Manley Liz Travers A d M anages : Elizabeth Hitz S taff W riters : Nicholas Alexandria Vallelunga P hotographers : Juno Dean, Brandymarie Faulhaber Baker, Benjamin Caldwell, Leia Dickerson, Jennifer Jenkins, Frank Jordan, Jennesa Palmer, Dustin D epartment A dviser : Linda Vogt Ragsdale, Andrea Simpson, Jeff Sorensen, Ott Tammik, Liz Travers D epartment S ecretary : Christine P roduction A ssistants : Jesse j Dees, Joseph Elliot, Rachel - Gillette, Andrea Simpson, Jammin 95.5 s ‘Playhouse ’DJs top the list of pinheads For six years now, the Portland area has been subjected to some of the biggest pinheads in history: the hosts of Jammin 95.5’s morn ing show, The Playhouse. The hosts of The Playhouse think they’re funny and original. They’re not, and anyone who thinks otherwise needs to rethink their life and figure out why they have such bad taste. Every morning, The Playhouse does the same, pointless bits that every other morning show does: lame prank phone calls, trivia call- in games purposely made easy so the hosts can make fun of call ers who answer incorrectly, gross stunts involving various bodily fluids and lots of gags involving the less-fortunate members of our society, so the hosts can feel better about their pitiful, worthless lives. Case in point, the “Special Jen” incident. Afewyearsago, had a mentally-disabled girl (whom they called “Special Jen”) participate in a .contest called “Adopt-a-Hottie.” She was then questioned about her bathroom habits, which eventually led to her pants dropping and everyone mocking her. P.K., head host and founder of 7%e Playhouse, needs to leave the Portland area. He brought his crappy show here from'Florida in 2000, and has since been a threat to the Portland way of life. For example, in July 2006, P.K. allegedly stated, “When I hear on ‘ TV that a cyclist has been hat and killed by a car, I laugh; I think it’s funny. If you are a cyclist, you should know I exist, that I don’t care about you, that I don’t care about your fife.” P.K. later said, in an interview with Portland Mercury, that that wasn’t his actual on-air state ment, and that he actually said, “If you’re going to act like an idiot on a bike and you’re going to run stop signs and pretend you’re a car, and we get into a fender bender and something happens to you, I’m not going to care about you.” Be that as it may, only a true pinhead makes asshole comments like that. However, P.K. did later apologize for his comment, and even went on a bicycling’tour of Portland with a group of cyclists. However, P.K. is friends with Lars Larson, so he’s still a pinhead. Lastly, I’m disgusted that ASG insists on having Jammin’ 95.5 come to most of their campus events. It sickens me that ASG supports the same station that airs The Playhouse. ASG, please, get another radio station to sponsor your little shindigs - 77ze Playhouse pinhead rating: 5/5 (It would’ve been a four,; but they are nationally syndicated.) G oals : The Clackamas Print aims to report the news in an honest, unbiased, professional manner. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the stu dent body college administration, its faculty or Ute Print. E-mail comments to chiefed@dackamas. edu.
