GRIFFIN TO OUTLINE
‘DISTURBING QUESTIONS’
REGARDING BUSH, 9/11
Michael Moore’s new film
Fahrenheit 9/11 continues to
generate intense controversy
regarding the events of Sept.
11, 2001, but some researchers
go far beyond Moore’s allega-
tions of incompetence and
corruption in the Bush administration. One
such researcher, David Ray Griffin, will be
speaking at 7 pm Wednesday, July 28 at the
Eugene Hilton.
Griffin is the author of The New Pearl
Harbor: Disturbing Questions about the
Bush Administration and 9/11. The book de-
tails a persistent, ongoing, private inquiry
into the events of 9/11 and evidence of com-
plicity in those events by officials in The
North American Aerospace Command
(NORAD), the National Military Command
Center, the Federal Aviation Administration,
and even the White House. The implications
of such evidence would, of course, generate a
constitutional crisis that dwarfs Watergate.
Griffin’s credentials are extensive. He
earned his bachelor’s here in Eugene at the
Northwest Christian College, his master’s at
the UO, and his Ph.D. at the Claremont
Graduate School in Southern California. He
is a professor of religion and theology at the
Claremont Graduate University in Santa
Barbara, and executive director of the Center
for Process Studies. He is the author of more
than 20 books, including God, Power, and
Evil; and Two Great Truths: A New Synthesis
of Scientific Naturalism and Christian Faith.
In The New Pearl Harbor, Griffin ex-
presses his reluctance to embark on his inves-
tigation, stating that, “It seemed to me simply
beyond belief that the Bush administration —
even the Bush administration — would do
such a heinous thing.” But at the urging of
colleagues he began to look into the allega-
tions, and found, to his satisfaction, that they
merited further inquiry. Much of his work is
based on a comprehensive timeline for the
events of 9/11 produced by Paul Thompson
for the Center for Cooperative Research
( w w w. c o o p e r a t i v e r e s e a r c h . o r g ) .
Thompson’s timeline is drawn exclusively
from mainstream sources like The New York
Times and the Washington Post.
The details revealed in the book are in-
deed disturbing. Normal protocols for the in-
terception (an action distinct from the shoot-
ing down) of off-course airplanes were not
implemented on 9/11, the failure occurring
not once, but four times. The government is-
sued two contradictory explanations of this
failure to the media, first stating that NORAD
was not able to scramble interceptor jets at
all, and later stating that jets were scrambled,
but arrived too late.
Griffin cites video evidence indicating
that the Twin Towers fell at nearly free-fall
speed — something that could not have hap-
pened in official scenarios explaining the
buildings’ collapse. Perhaps even more trou-
bling is the destruction of World Trade Center
Building Seven, which collapsed totally into
its own “footprint,” exactly like the Twin
Towers, even though it was not struck by any
airplanes, and had only small fires inside that
should have been controlled by the building’s
sprinkler system.
Financial evidence includes the statisti-
cally anomalous “put options” placed on
American Airlines and United Air Lines
stocks during the week before Sept. 11,
which netted unknown investors at least $5
million when those airline stocks plummeted
as a result of the attacks. The monies remain
unclaimed and the Securities and Exchange
Commission has made no move to investi-
gate.
Griffin will discuss all of these issues and
more at the Eugene Hilton. More information
about the Eugene 9/11 Alliance is available
at www.oilempire.us/eugene.html
— Gordon David Kaswell
GAY RIGHTS BACKERS
GETTING ORGANIZED
State and national efforts to ban gay mar-
riages are motivating civil rights activists and
others to organize both in opposition to big-
otry and in support of members of the com-
munity
who
happen
to
be
lesbian/gay/bi/trans/queer (LGBTQ).
Among the local actions is a vigil show-
ing solidarity with those attending 7:30 pm
Sunday services at the Metropolitan
Community Church, a LGBTQ congrega-
tion. The vigil begins at 6:30 pm outside the
First Congregational Church, 11th and Oak
downtown.
“Just as supporters of all faiths stood out-
side Temple Beth Israel during the days fol-
lowing anti-Semitic attacks on our syna-
gogue, the community is being called upon to
today is hardly a Christian nation, and to advocate becoming more of one is to flaunt our
courts and Constitution, and deny equal voice to non-Christians as well as Christians who
have more inclusive values. It’s disturbing to see churches being mobilized for political pur-
poses under a banner of exclusion and bigotry. Ah, America!
ART KENNEDY
• On a related topic, does anybody remember when Jim Ryun was a famous miler running
before cheering Eugene track fans? Now he’s a conservative congressman from Kansas
and his son Drew is running quite a different race through Eugene and the rest of the coun-
try. As director of evangelical outreach for the RNC, Drew was in town Tuesday pushing the
margins of church-state separation and IRS regulations for religious non-profit status (see
above). As his invitation to evengelical pastors in the Eugene area put it, “The luncheon is
sponsored by the RNC, so there will be no cost to attend.” Drew Ryun’s personal goal is to
persuade 60 million American evangelicals to vote this November. Four years ago only 15
million voted. His team probably wins if this Ryun succeeds.
Jeff Wright of the R-G was
relegated to the sidewalk
during David Barton’s talk.
• We encourage people of faith to get involved in politics and even challenge conventional
thinking, but when they advocate diminishing the separation of church and state, it’s time
to sound the alarm. Fundamentalist Christian activist David Barton was in town this week
at Willamette Christian Center preaching that government needs to return to “biblical
truths” and “Christian values,” based on his research of historical documents. Such values
would include prayer in school, limiting who can marry, etc. The press was excluded from
his address in Eugene July 20 (Jeff Wright of the R-G was banished to the sidewalk out-
side) and we can imagine why Barton and the Republican National Committee (RNC) are
avoiding public scrutiny. Barton’s research and conclusions have been debunked by many,
including writer Rob Boston in his article, “Sects, Lies and Videotape” (http://members.tri-
pod.com/~candst/boston1.htm) Regardless of the validity of Barton’s research, the U.S.
• Sen. Gordon Smith recently stood before the U.S. Senate to voice his support for Bush’s
constitutional amendment against gay marriage, and the same day he also recounted his
son’s suicide due to chronic depression and asked Congress to pass a $60 million bill to ex-
pand government suicide prevention programs. Smith’s record on gay rights has not been
all bad, and he has our condolences for his family’s loss. But does he not see the irony in
his two statements? Recognizing gay marriage as a civil right and legitimate institution is
another big step toward removing the secrecy and shame associated with homosexuality
in our society — a stigma that has contributed to thousands of suicides, particularly among
tormented and confused young people.
• Cyndi Lauper played to an entranced Hult Center crowd July 16, giving a vocally spectac-
ular performance. Highlights were Lauper draping the Gay Pride flag across her shoulders
for “True Colors,” and her 7-year-old son joining her with his mini drum-kit for two songs.
His little arms tirelessly kept up the pace, and when Lauper started to give him a high-five
after his crowd-pleasing performance, he looked at her hand as if in a trance and took a
swing with his drum-stick. The audience loved it.
SLANT includes short opinion pieces, observations and rumor-chasing notes compiled by the EW staff. Heard
any good rumors lately? Contact Ted Taylor at 484-0519, editor@eugeneweekly.com
JULY 22, 2004 7