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FATE OF THE UNION
Teachers are dealing with 30 kids in a classroom, outdated
textbooks and lack of supplies.
The state of our schools should be a bigger priority,
but more testing is certainly not the answer Who is coming
up with this nonsense? Educators?
What matters more than our children?
As a parent and an educator, I must hold out for the
future However, right now things look pretty gloomy. Bah,
humbug!
KEVIN VIOLETTE
If by State of the Union’ you mean “conformity," we re
doing great Everyone is embracing Bush the Lesser as if he
were some military genius, while his true talent is something
he shares with any dog — the ability to see things in black and
white.
I am wondering how much the War on Terrorism’
is costing us. While civilian industries die on the vine, the
military-industrial complex (Eisenhower’s term — the true
military genius) is going great guns. I’m sorry, but more
death is not the answer to complicated issues of international
morality.
I say this because I love my country and want it to
live the dream, not the nightmare.
JOHN LONQUIST
I keep thinking of ostriches — if I think much more
of it than that I start to get a headache.
THEDA S PR AC KLIN
I feel that this war is a physical manifestation of the
war going on in the/our collective head, i.e., corruption versus
honesty, manipulation versus trust and fast-food versus home
cooking.
My resolve individually for the collective head there
fore is to be more honest no matter how corrupt and powerful
the issue.
To trust in outcomes rather than to force them.
To do more cooking at home.
TEO RALL
INTERVIEWS BY MICHAEL McCUSKER
In contemplation of George W. Bush’s first
Presidential ‘State of the Union’ pep-talk to Congress
about the war against terrorism and the deteriorating
economy, a few coastal folk were asked the question:
What is your personal perception & prophesy
of the State of the Union in 2002?
MICHAEL LINK
I feel that now the government of the United States
has taken the role of protection of the people and seeker out
of evil, President Bush will be able to do what he feels like in
the name of national security and patriotism.
I can take the counterpoint: What other options do we
have?
Bottom line corporatism against what is left of the
cultures of the world. It is sad that it has to manifest itself as
Christian against Muslim, West against East.
I think in this coming year we will see increased
military activity by the United States and other nations in the
name of anti-terrorism
We have to look outside the box for solutions We
have to look elsewhere We have to not act
Do we want violence or do we want peace as well
as security and safety? If we want peace, we can promote it
instead of violence, which has never solved anything We can
do it. That is what I believe, and I'm sticking to it.
‘HIPPIE JIM’ HEDFORD
First the Best Case Scenario:
Israel and all associated shrines and talismans (sand
optional) relocated to the Arizona desert.
Afghan people given jobs building a new pipeline.
Osama bin Laden captured, hires Johnny Cochran as
defense attorney.
Enron scandal implicates George Bush Jr
Worst Case Scenario
War machine feeding frenzy goes unchecked
World peace dismissed as outdated ideal with no
income potential.
Asian and African terrorist factions documented for
America so dot-com war can expand to include all of the 3rd
world
Domestic terrorists inspire national paranoia, National
Guard mobilized into high profile and compromise all rights to
privacy, conducting house to house searches in the name of
National Security.
United States closes its borders. .. scrutinizes all its
citizenry for proper display of consumer confidence and promi
nent patriotism, i.e., lapel pins, bumper stickers, frequent trips
to Disneyworld
MICHAEL MILLER (aka ’SASHA’)
I would think after (September 11) 2001 I cannot
predict the future. Whatever happens of significant impact
this year that this administration will try to capitalize on the
very small percentage of people they are working for in this
country
My concern is will Americans stand up in the face of
being called “terrorist sympathizers" for the democratic prin
ciples this country was founded upon?
(MPMc has done us a wonderful service in collecting
so many opinions on current affairs in his newspaper. My
criticism is that I'm tired of opinions that lead only to other
opinions I desire action. How do we throw the bums out?
That’s what I want to know.)
MERIANNE MYERS
It is no surprise that George W requires so much
media time to explain the state of the nation to us. It's all
he and his formidable staff can do to put a positive spin on
our collective straits. For those of us without staff or media
access, economy is an issue and our state might efficiently
be described as simply dismal.
As a former magician's assistant, I can only watch
admiringly as our government demonstrates the very corner
stone of good magic. Misdirection. It is increasingly clear that
it is, indeed, possible to make the elephant disappear while
we’re all watching the pretty silk scarf flutter to the floor.
As more and more corporate giants go down in finan
cial flames taking many of us with them, more public lands
turned over to private profit, health and education budgets cut
to make funds available for the military, it’s hard to even get
our minds around the state of our union, let alone imagine
doing something about it.
I believe there is a small, but inevitable self-righting
effect where politics are concerned. Just as a boat will struggle
to right itself in a storm, the union that is us will struggle to
survive when it is threatened. Granted, it's a little trickier when
the gravest threat comes from our own government; when the
abiding danger is not the gunslinger who is so obviously the
bad guy but the perfectly “normal" looking family-man-in-a-
suit, elected by our very selves. The one whose allegiance is
to the corporate interests whose dedication is to the bottom
line, not the bottom rung of society.
I stubbornly believe that when things get bad enough
we tend to do something about it. It looks to me like many of
us would rather get busy now than wait to see just how bad it
can really get More of us are stepping up, participating and
stirring things up.
The state of the country? It sucks! The state of our
union? Hopefully, we’re about to take control. It’s time we told
them about the state of the union. We have the power and the
smarts. These are exciting times.
JOANNE HALVORSON
Status Quo.
No consequences for wrongdoing.
LEE MILLER
Remember the last undeclared war that lasted ten
years?
As time goes on, there will be more serious divisions.
The apparent urgency of this fight will decrease for lack of
a defined enemy and objective. When bodybags start being
brought home in quantity, popular support will wane and
Bush’s popularity will diminish.
The economy will keep spiraling down, except of
course for the companies that produce weapons. I would not
be surprised if military conscription is reinstated.
ELIZABETH MENETREY
The 'State of the Union’ is that the poor, the
struggling, the working class and especially the children
are suffering.
When I see corporations getting tax “refunds” for
taxes they never paid, it makes my blood boil
When Bush says, “We will leave no child behind,”
I have to gag More testing in schools? Give me a break
VINCE MORRISON
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