#80 March/April 2006

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WARTIME POLITICS

How You--Yes You--Can End the War
by David Swanson

Becoming "Good Americans"
Are we getting strangely similar to the "Good Germans" of the Nazi era?
by Fred Branfman, cartoon by David Logan

Time to Ask Tough Questions
Why isn't the mainstream media screaming about Bush administration transgressions?
opinion and cartoon by Andrew Wahl

A Nation Above the Law
The inability of Congress to hold Bush accountable is the nation's key weakness
opinion by Tom Krebsbach, cartoon by David Logan

FREE THOUGHTS

Hey Metro Bus!
Do bus companies want to get more riders? Here's how they could
by Doug Collins

Truth for the Youth
The military is not the only way to get a college education
by Jesse Lancaster, cartoon by George Jartos

READER MAIL
Unnecessary dental work; Support Bush inquiry; Let's go Gandhi; God's Will be With You

Appreciating the Bitter, part 2
Please don't ease my pain
by Doug Collins, cartoon by John Ambrosavage

MEDIA

I Saw the News Today, Oh Boy!
I'll stick with reading my newspaper, thank you
by Todd Huffman, MD

MEDIA BEAT by Norman Solomon
The unreal death of journalism
cartoon by George Jartos

CONTACTS/ACTIVISM

NORTHWEST NEIGHBORS
contact list of subscribers who like to talk with you

DO SOMETHING! CALENDAR
Northwest activist events

PROGRESSIVE NEWS

NORTHWEST & BEYOND compiled by Sharlynn Cobaugh
Labor healthcare campaign; The BC Olympics and the Spotted Owl; MLK and Trident Submarines; Revitalizing railroads

TRASH TALK by Dave & Lillian Brummet
Garden cardboard; Second-life shower curtains; Book donations; Happy Earth Day!
cartoon by John Jonik

WHAT THEY SAID

A Brief Review of Quotes Related to Hurricane Katrina
compiled by Karl Hennum

NOTABLE QUOTES forwarded by Some of the Above News
Propaganda from the propagandist viewpoint

RIGHT BRAIN

Buy The Sonics
Crazy world needs crazy solutions for Seattle's basketball arena
by Jeremy King

A Musical Friend
personal account by Emily Esposito

THE WANDERINGS AND THOUGHTS OF KIP KELLOGG, #5 by Vincent Spada

PUMPKIN EDDIE'S LIGHTNING POEMS by Vincent Spada
What is day without night?

A Slow Day
poem by Jesse Lancaster

The Year of the Coelacanth
A new animal for the zodiac
from shadowy figures at Ascent to Dissent

BOOKS

BOOK REVIEW: Poets on the Peaks
Kerouac and fellow literati in the North Cascades
review by Bob Pavlik

BOOK NOTICE: Boiling Frogs
Computer company terrorizes New Mexico village
from the publisher

Truth for our Youth

The military is not the only path to education

opinion by Jesse Lancaster

As we look over the past of the United States, all too often tragedy gets portrayed as glory when it is used in schools to teach our children of past wars and to justify the deaths of hundreds of thousands of men and women who have fought without question for the government and our freedom.

Everyone who is serving or has served our country deserves a great deal of respect. But why is it schools do not teach our youth the downside to war? We praise victory and serving the country, but we do not teach or educate our children about the tragedy that comes with any war and the impact it has on our troops and their families.

War is not a game! You can't pause, reset, or just start a new game. Today the military is recruiting kids who are in their late teens and early twenties. They truly do not understand the significance of life and death. They rely on school and TV for information. But the truth is that once someone has been in battle and seen the spilled blood of their brothers and sisters in arms, they will never be the same.

George Jartos

Every year high school graduates join the armed forces because they are looking for excitement or because they come from low-income families and see the military as a way to make money and better their lives, such as through offers of education.

The truth is that there are already resources to help pay for education and job training, so you can be what you want to be without having to join the military.

We need educated men and women to ensure the US is in good hands and still stands for freedom in the future. I urge young people to contact their local Department of Education office and ask about educational grant information.*

The Washington Free Press
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