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Send your letters to the Free Press, PMB #178, 1463 E RepublicanSt,Seattle 98112, or WAfreepress@gmail.com. Keep them short. Letters may beedited for length, spelling and grammar. Letters do not necessarilyreflect the opinion of the Free Press. Letters which respond to FreePress articles and which bear your real, full name will be givenprecedence.PCC Should Allow Free Newspapers
Hi. I notice in your paper [Sep/Oct 2002] you note that PCC is a"business." PCC is supposed to be a co-op! I had a long and bitterfight with them about their free paper policy. I still think itstinks. Personally, I switched to Madison Market (even though we livein W. Seattle) because of their [PCC's] very obnoxious attitude aroundthis issue. Is there any interest from your readership in organizing aboycott of PCC until they allow free papers again? Just an idea.- E.W.
Friend of Abbey
I was thrilled to read your book review about Edward Abbey! [Sep/Oct2002] He and I were close friends at UNM in Albuquerque. At the timewe formed Students for Environmental Action, a predecessor group toEarth First!. I protested by joining the Chamber of Commerce andstarting to talk about solar powering Albuquerque, and developing aRapid Transit System. The board of regents and the local electricutility were hostile. For the record, Edward told me he was going towrite about us. It was I that coined the phrase "Monkey Wrench." Myresearch on rapid transit systems did not get squished. I relocated toSeattle in 1983. I am proud of Puget Sound. Today we have built afirst class HOV/bus lane system, and we are expanding the monorail andlight rail, invented in Albuquerque, built in Seattle! Next: solarpowering Sound Transit. - Martin "Solar" NixPay Cantwell Back
When Sen. Maria Cantwell unseated Slade Gorton, it appeared to be avictory for the good of Washington State. Unfortunately, Cantwell hasturned her back on this mandate, voting in favor of giving Bushunprecedented powers to declare pre-emptive war and invade Iraq. ThePresident's proposed urgency for this war is unsupported by fact andis categorically immoral. The CIA released a report clearly detailingthat Iraq is currently a "low risk" to attack the US or our allies.The report says that once a US attack is certain, Iraqis will have noreason for restraint and the risk for terrorist or military attackwill become high. So, not only will Senator Cantwell's vote supportthe unconscionable slaughter of innocent Iraqis and the death of USmilitary personnel, it further threatens the lives of citizens abroadand in the US.Let's refuse to vote for Cantwell when her seat opens for re-electionunless she reverses her position. - B.H., Mount VernonSixty Years: Enough Bombing Already
The little island of Vieques just off the east coast of Puerto Ricohas been bombed by the US Navy for the past sixty years. Two thirds ofthis once beautiful and productive island was expropriated by the USduring World War II to train the military, with negligiblecompensation to the residents. It has been used as a Navy bombingrange and training ground for US military interventions ever since --for Korea, Vietnam, Panama, Grenada, Iraq, Kosovo, Afghanistan andnow, no doubt, Iraq for the second time.
This activity has affected the island and its 9,000 people to ashocking degree. Fishing, the main source of livelihood, has becomenearly impossible. The eastern third of the island is a wasteland, sodevastated by bomb craters and polluted by spent uranium shells,napalm, etc. that it may take decades to restore. Cancer, asthma,hyper-tension, and diabetes rates are exceptionally high.
We lived in Puerto Rico for 27 years and sailed to Vieques Island onseveral occasions. On a recent visit to San Juan, we joined a silentprotest march of more than 150,000 Puerto Ricans demanding an end tothe bombing on Vieques. The resilient people of Vieques are Americancitizens, as are all Puerto Ricans. They deserve peace for theirIsland. According to reports, the Navy has several possiblealternative training sites.
More than 30 members of Congress, including Jim McDermott, havewritten President Bush urging him to issue an executive order to ceasethe bombing and return the island to the people of Vieques. - Robert and Mildred Royce 