#69 May/June 2004
The Washington Free Press Washington's Independent Journal of News, Ideas & Culture
Home  |  Subscribe |  Back Issues |  The Organization |  Volunteer |  Do Something Directory 

FIRST WORDS

READER MAIL
No beer with Bush, etc.

NORTHWEST & BEYOND
Instant Runoff Voting Initiative, Labor victory at Powell's, etc
compiled by Paul Schafer

POLITICS

Opening Our Electoral Process
by John B. Anderson

Fair Presidential Election: How?
Washington, like Florida, to be a "battleground state"
by Steven Hill and Rob Richie

White House Engaged in Misinformation Campaign
from the ACLU

The Anti-Empire Report #9
The Israeli lobby, Guinea Pigs Fighting for Freedom, etc.
by William Blum

MEDIA

Media Beat
How the Newshour Changed History, The Quest for a Monopoly on Violence
by Norman Solomon

LAW

Grant County's Shameful Public Defense System
from the ACLU of Washington

Legal News
from the ACLU of Washington

HEALTH

Questioning Vaccines in the Hospital
Vaccination Decisions--part 4:
opinion by Doug Collins

Pierce County Dentist Speaks Out Against Fluoridation
opinion by Dr. Debra Hopkins

Researchers Caution: Avoid Feeding Babies Fluoridated Water
from New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation

Water Protection Petition

ENVIRONMENT

Toward A Toxic-Free Future:

EPA Using Industry Insiders to Forge Pesticide Policy
Conservation groups file lawsuit to stop it
by Erika Schreder, WTC

State Amends Incinerator Rule
But the dirty, obsolete practice of Incineration continues
by Brandie Smith, WTC

Hanford Initiative Likely on November Ballot
by Gregg Small, WTC

Calculating Disaster: Accidents at Puget Sound's Trident installation cast doubt on Navy and Lockheed safety claims
by Glen Milner

The Big Drip: Glacier National Park's Glaciers disappearing
summary by Paul Schafer

ACTIVISM

Health Care: A Right, Not A Commodity
opinion by Brian King

Protest Against Medical Redefinition Of "Woman"
March Against Unwarranted, Unconsented, Unwanted Operations
from Hysterectomy Educational Resources and Services (HERS)

The Death of Humanism
opinion by John Merriam

CULTURE

QUOTE: Generation Gap
from Jean Liedloff's The Continuum Concept

The Fact is...
by Styx Mundstock

Candy Island Invades the Vegetable Kingdom
cartoon and text by Leonard Rifas

What's your library doing on September 11?
by Rodger Herbst

The Consequences of Ads
by Doug Collins

BOOKS: Gates of Injustice: The Crisis in America's Prisons
by Alan Elsner

GOOD IDEAS FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES:
Europe Leaves the US Behind:
The key to national prosperity is "Fulcrum Institutions"?
by Steven Hill

The Death of Humanism

opinion by John Merriam

In school I was taught that, since the Renaissance, our civilization has partly been based upon humanistic ideals: the exaltation of human life as the highest of all values. One dictionary defines humanism as, "a doctrine, attitude or way of life centered on human interests or values... a philosophy that asserts the dignity and worth of man...." Is humanism still with us? If so, I'm curious, then, why the torture or death of a cat or donkey provokes such outrage when the death of scores of humans--especially in Iraq or Afghanistan--barely captures the notice of the media. Until relatively recent years, animals were viewed as expendable and almost no value was placed on their lives. Now, the killing of Canadian geese in the Puget Sound area can draw more protest than does the killing of human beings who get in the way of our troops during invasions of small countries in Latin America.

Perhaps the reason for our apparent lack of humanism is that humans number more than six billion. If all humans were to enjoy a decent quality of life--like that, for instance, of the average resident of the US--our planet is capable of supporting only two billion humans, according to the Zero Population Growth Reporter. We are triple that, and our numbers continue to grow exponentially. The population on Earth has doubled in just my lifetime! The quandary of humanism is that human existence is valued for its own sake, but increasing numbers of humans ruin the quality of life, and human life becomes less meaningful.

I see no sign that population growth will reverse itself anytime soon. Our most powerful political and religious leaders exhibit overt hostility to abortion and other forms of family planning. Republicans have imposed a 'gag rule' that prevents international family planning aid from going to any country where the word "abortion" is even mentioned. That is ironic because women in third-world countries most in need of family planning assistance are least likely to get it. The ironic result this is that the poorest women have the most babies, babies that are least likely to receive adequate nurture and education. Homosexuality seems like a victimless solution to the explosion of human population and, given the historical failures of all attempts to control the human sex drive, perhaps the only solution. But again, political and religious leaders are so opposed to homosexuality that it is not difficult to imagine spittle forming at the corners of their mouths whenever the subject is brought up. The latest example is President Bush's proposal of a constitutional amendment to prevent same-sex marriage.

The population explosion has nothing to do, per se, with humanism, but it does compel us to take the next philosophical step. How can we exalt human beings when there are so many human beings? How can we value that which threatens to overwhelm us? As human numbers mushroom, we are on the cusp of an epidemic of extinction of countless species of animals, including perhaps ourselves. Humanism, I suggest, is obsolete. Perhaps the time has come instead for an exaltation of animals. Now I understand the animal rights movement.

John Merriam is a former merchant seaman who now works as a lawyer in Seattle representing all types of seamen on wage and injury claims.


The Washington Free Press
PMB #178, 1463 E Republican ST, Seattle WA 98112
WAfreepress@gmail.com

Donate free food
Google
Search the Free Press archive:

WWW
Washington Free Press
Home |  Subscribe |  Back Issues |  The Organization |  Volunteer |  Do Something Directory