PENN@MARIE.MIT.EDU (steve penn 26-567, 253-1521 Remember Our Humanity; Science is Not Neutral; MIT War Research Kills.) (06/13/91)
Hi NLNS subscribers, This was the total hell issue. I thought getting packet #4 out was bad. Well, it had nothing on this one. First, the war and its aftermath have been a total drag, folks around here have been just as bummed out as everyone else seems to be. Then, shortly after we put the last packet out, our computer crashed. It took almost three weeks to fix. Finally, money problems have just gotten real big and scary. MCI has been coming after us for the $1000 bill we ran up during the war, all kinds of other bills have come due, and I've been trying to come up with $50 or $75 a week to survive on. I don't always succeed. We sent MCI $200, but they're still unhappy. I should point out that NLNS did not die because of this, nor will it. We are slowing down though. We had not intended to come out between June and late August, because most NLNS subscribers don't anyway- seeing as how so many of y'all are student papers. So, it's good these recent crises came towards the end of the academic year. We would like to put out at least one monster summer packet, though, to keep everyone in the mood. But, on to the nitty gritty. Alot of you have promised us money. We haven't received any. Also, some of you were never told what we'd like people to send. Let's remedy that right now. We've decided that we're going to charge $5/month. No one has been able to pay us $20/month, let alone $40; so we've decided it's better to get a little from a lot of people than none at all. We will be doing massive fundraising this summer that we haven't had time for since last September. We should do well because we now have a track record. We've been nominated for the Utne Reader's Alternative Press Award for Best New Title (against Ms. magazine and the Columbia Journalism Review). We've gotten lots of left and mainstream press about our work. We do have some smaller grants coming in in late May. Still, none of this changes the fact that for NLNS to succeed and keep providing y'all with more and more information, more and more frequently- we've got to be self- supporting. So send us your pennies. Write us into your student union budgets. Sponsor us to come and speak in your schools or communities. Help us help you. We'll continue to provide the service free to people who can't afford us, but we know alot of you who can afford something have been a wee bit slow in sending it our way. Please help. In other news, we're changing from one full-time staff person (me) to two or three part time people next year. That way no matter broke we get, we'll still be able to keep coming out regularly. The Jihad Against U Magazine has had a few victories. The New Xaymaca at James Madison University in VA found out that U violates their state alcohol code by distributing a publication with beer ads in it to "minors." Virginia authorities may ban U from Virginia because of this infraction. Check your state alcohol codes to see if you can drive the USA Today of the universities of your campus for good. Otherwise, several papers have called U and harassed them mercilessly. Ah, vengeance is sweet sometimes. That's it for now. Keep sending your papers for our archives and remember to credit NLNS for whatever stuff you take from our packets. Thanks. Wuv, NLNS is: Jason Pramas, Kara DiFruscia, Darcy Rhodes, Dave Stern Cover Graphic: courtesy Reign of Toads zine NEWS CCNY Leads CUNY Uprising Budget Protests Spread to Eleven Campuses Eric Coppolino Student Leader Press Service "Now when the government of this city is profoundly disturbed by municipal problems of the gravest nature, all the tribe of detractors, whining over the shrinkage of their bloated money bags, jealous of a life and purpose they cannot understand, and dissembling under the cloak of civic welfare their hatred of races and creeds not their own, rise up in ignorance and hypocrisy to call the college a luxury, and by their blatancy in troubled times, to disturb the calm minds of those who desire to do well." -CCNY Alumni Association addressing the proposed imposition of tuition, 1932, during the Great Depression. NEW YORK CITY, April 12- Faced with the near doubling of educational costs over just one year, students at City University of New York (CUNY) have come out roaring. Half of the CUNY system was shut down under student protest this week, beginning with students at the City College of New York (CCNY) seizing the massive North Academic Center on Amsterdam Ave. before dawn Monday. By mid-week, CCNY students had possession of seven campus buildings, with students at Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC), Lehman College, Hunter College, Bronx Community College (BCC), Hostos Community College, NYC Technical College, LaGuardia Community College, Medgar Evers College, Brooklyn College and even Kingsborough Community College, chaining and barricading themselves inside administration and academic buildings. Students, demanding that the State Legislature block Governor Mario Cuomo's proposed financial tuition hikes of $500, plus halt devastating cuts to financial and nearly $100 million in cuts to the CUNY system, said every other lobbying tactic they tried had failed. Student outrage is compounded by the fact that this would be the second round of simultaneous tuition hikes, financial aid cuts and budget cuts to hit CUNY and the State University of New York (SUNY) in just six months. "They can't ignore this," said Rafael Alvarez, president of the CCNY Day Student Government (DSG), whose organization met with key legislators on campus and in Albany, took part in protest marches, organized massive legislative letter writing drives and sent 14,000 letter writing kits out to the entire City College student body. "I think that students have to make their voice be heard," said State Assembly Member Ed Sullivan, chair of the Higher Education Committee, responding to news of the takeovers. "I'm encouraged that their voice is being raised so that the political community will pay attention to it. But he added, "I encourage them also to make every effort to make sure that these are peaceful demonstrations." According to the New York Times, the first days of the City College protest, with just one building shut down, had forced the college to cancel 70% to 75% of classes, giving students an extended Spring break under sunny blue skies. Outside City College in Harlem, and on other campuses across the city, thousands of students rallied in support of the protestors and against the state budget cuts they say are destroying the CUNY system. Cuomo, in his proposed budget, called for cuts to the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) that would cost most students up to $400, compounded by the elimination of the Regents Scholarship Program, the STEP and C-STEP scholarship programs, and the cancellation of the Governor's much-boasted-about Liberty Scholarship program before even the first check was written. Police and hired security guards were used to take back buildings at Lehman, BMCC, New York Tech and BCC during the week, with isolated reports of some police violence and rough treatment of the protestors. But as of press time Friday morning, there had been no arrests or serious injuries, a status student leaders said they hoped to sustain as long as the protests lasted. "Not Going to Take It" "Our message is that we're not happy with the proposed tuition increase and budget cuts, and we're not going to take it," Alvarez said. "What [Cuomo] is doing is closing the doors to access for thousands of students in the CUNY system. If students can't make it at CUNY, where else can they go? Tell me where." In recent years, state and city budget cuts have caused hundreds of faculty and staff layoffs across CUNY, forcing cancellation of more than three thousand class section system- wide. Meanwhile, a mid-year tuition hike came with an unexpected cut to financial aid, dealing final blows to the educations of students in virtually every program on every campus. Acknowledging that the state is in a relatively serious fiscal crisis, students say that higher education represents a small portion of state expenditures, yet represents a massive boon to the state economy by providing an educated work force, tax dollars, and jobs for the community. "We've got nothing to lose," said Carol Bullard, president of the Graduate Student Government at Hunter College, explaining that students had come to the end of the rope with lobbying and protest tactics. Fed Up With Cuomo Bullard, speaking from inside Hunter's shut-down East Academic Building, said students there were outraged by the Governor's, "Bullying, lying, artificial speeches and mafia tactics," and were demanding accountability from their elected leaders. Until weeks before his re-election to a third term last November, Cuomo was making strong public statements in favor of a public educational system that is "accessible and excellent," and has often expressed his belief that tuition should be free. But in December he signed the first tuition hike in seven years- also the first-ever mid-year tuition hike- along with cuts to financial aid even for some of the most destitute students. Then, in an effort to help fill a $6 billion to $7 billion state budget gap earlier this year, he proposed an additional $500 tuition hike for both CUNY and the State University system, as well as reductions or shut-downs of every financial aid program in the state budget with the exception of one- the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP). Bullard also criticized CUNY Chancellor Anne Reynolds and other University leaders for their "inability to lobby strongly and progressively for the institutions which they are entrusted to protect." Bullard said that CUNY students "feel very overwhelmed" by numerous complex problems affecting them directly, ranging from AIDS and other health-care crises, to homelessness, unemployment and other economic problems. Noting that 15,000 homeless students are believed to be attending CUNY, Bullard said that shutting campus buildings was the only way to send a message to political leaders and the population that "enough is enough." City, Hunter Students Suspended Administrations at Hunter and City Colleges responded to the takeovers by issuing threats of suspension and expulsion from the University, then carrying through with suspensions of all students believed to be involved with the takeovers. But under pressure from lawyers representing the 24 suspended students, the City College administration then reversed the decision to suspend all of the students Tuesday, according to an administration spokesperson, in order to facilitate the negotiating process. City administrators had chosen to suspend the entire executive board of the Day Student Government, as well as the charter list of the organization Students for Education Rights (SER) which has claimed responsibility for engineering the takeover. But the students inside the takeover said that many names on the lists were those of students who were nowhere near City College at the time of the protests prior to being suspended. One such student, Alexis Stern, said she was at home writing an anthropology paper Monday and Tuesday, at the time of the initial takeover and her suspension. Stern, a member of SER, later joined the students occupying the North Academic Complex. Students from both the Hunter student government and Concerned Students of Hunter College were suspended Wednesday, sources inside the takeover said. Student Leader Press Service serves papers in the SUNY and CUNY systems with weekly news updates. They are a sibling organization of NLNS. Their address is: Student Leader Publications, PO Box 255, New Paltz, NY 12561, (914) 255-2500. The CCNY Day Student Government can be reached at: (212) 650-5021-4. - 30 - Founding Statement of the Liberated Learning Center "The most important business of the University of Texas at Austin- and the fundamental bond between fulfillment of the university's mission and the state's well-being- is to assemble the faculty and establish the curriculum and learning environment that will produce educated men and women- graduates empowered to contribute enlightened leadership and service in government, business, academic and community affairs." William H. Cunningham, Strategic Plan, 1990. AUSTIN, TX-While Texas Student Publishing and the central administration continue to control both broadcast and print media for students, UTexas bullies community radio over the last public access station. The administration must now defend its dangerous toxic waste handling practices against multiple charges of negligence by the EPA. UT has pushed its way into Blacklands, and the UT supported Sematech consortia now develops new toxic technology but few new jobs in Montopolis. Bill Cunningham dares to talk about enlightened leadership and service to the community. Currently individuals whose cultural background, language, gender or sexual orientation place them outside of what this institution constructs as the mainstream, find themselves largely outside the learning environment as well. Hierarchies that permeate US society are reproduced in the classrooms, where a predominantly white male faculty teaches a limited slice of American history and culture to an increasingly diverse student body. Curriculum reform has gone "into committee." Meanwhile, money from student tuition and fees supports commercial enterprises, while libraries slide, the important MAPS tutoring program fights for another pittance, and student-run publications on campus suffer cutbacks in pages and student wages. Bill Cunningham dares to talk about the learning environment at UT. Where is the learning in all this? Maybe we just have to start all over and decide what higher education could be. The Liberated Learning collective will create a free university in which the university and Austin communities will meet as equals to discuss topics excluded from the standard curriculum. We propose a learner-directed method, in which students interact with a teacher who is merely a more experienced learner guiding the process. We hope to offer a forum through which a diverse group of Texans learning together will redefine and enhance the relationship between the public university and the community. Lets deinstitutionalize our education. Liberated Learning will allow graduate students to teach seminars and courses in their areas of expertise. Currently, most graduates teach lower division general requirements or do not teach at all. A free university will also provide a venue for community activists to share their ideas, skills and expertise with UT students, faculty and staff. Our press[i.e.,printing press- nlns ed.), Betty, is now set up, and we would like to train as many people as possible to run her. This is no TSP. Texas Women's Alternative Times and Polemicist will be published through Liberated Learning, and we hope anyone with an underground magazine or just an idea for a new publication will join our alternative press incubator. The first issue is the hardest; we can help. The Liberated Learning Center will offer discussion groups, skills seminars, academic courses, information on local struggles, and a place to network. Please, if you would like to teach a course, contact us. We need more teachers and offerings for the summer and fall. We propose a Liberated Learning Center to fill the gap between the formal policy statements and the actual practices at this public university. It will be a prototype of what a humane university ought to have: free tuition and student participation in course content and structure. It is not intended as a substitute for the real changes that must be made at the University in order to recruit and retain a diverse student body and faculty. We envision a democratic university that does not serve special interest groups such as the Pentagon, real estate developers and the "Technopolis." Our mission is to critique the creation and distribution of knowledge as it exists at UT now, and to redefine the university's role in a diverse society. Participants will teach and learn from each other as equals. Our fundamental belief is that education is a right, not a privilege. The Liberated Learning Warehouse is located between 5th and 6th on San Jacinto in downtown Austin. Please call us before coming to visit, because the building houses lots of projects, bands, artists, etc and is kept locked. We can be reached at. . . 505 W. 24th St., Austin, TX 78705. (512) 477-1915. - 30 - Hate Crime Update Turning the Tide staff L.A., January 1991: A Mexican national was shot to death on New Year's by a deputy sheriff. The deputy involved was one of two who was reinstated to the department after being involved in burning a cross inside the county jail to intimidate Black prisoners. San Diego, Jan. 1991: Two white men in El Cajon beat and stabbed a Black 17-year old whom they incorrectly thought had punched a white woman who called out a racial slur at two Black teens. They chased him and smashed in the door of the apartment he ran to. Granada Hills, CA, Jan. 1991: A Black supermarket employee had racial slurs and the letters KKK spraypainted on his car after he received an anonymous phone threat that his car would be blown up. A fake bomb was attached to the car and removed by the bomb squad. Santa Monica, CA, February, 1991: An art gallery displaying works by a Holocaust survivor was defaced with swastikas and nazi slogans that were spraypainted on the exterior walls. Lomita, CA, Feb, 1991: The home of an Orthodox Jewish leader was spraypainted with a swastika and the slogan "white power." It was the tenth attack since October, including two shots fired through a window, rocks thrown into the house and graffiti. In January, two youths rammed his car in his driveway and sped away. Lancaster, CA, Feb. 1991: A five-foot wooden cross was burned outside the home of a Black couple who had been living in a mostly white neighborhood for about a month. The Jamisons said their daughter and son-in-law were both stationed in the Gulf with Desert Storm. New York, January, 1991: The Rev. Al Sharpton was stabbed in the chest by a white man as he was about to lead a protest march in a white Brooklyn neighborhood where a Black teenager was killed last year. Police said his life was probably saved by the heavy coat he was wearing because of the cold weather. Dallas, TX, Jan. 1991: Two neo-nazi boneheads [the publication's term for skinheads- nlns ed.] were convicted of murder in the slaying of a Vietnamese immigrant. The two kicked and stomped him to death. Jacksonville, FL, Jan. 1991: A federal grand jury indicted three white supremacists for illegal possession and transportation of weapons, including Green Beret Sgt. Mike Tubbs, who was involved in the theft of weapons from Fort Bragg. Tubbs was returned from deployment in Saudi Arabia under Desert Storm to face the charges. Calumet City, IL, Jan. 1991: A cross was burned in front of a Black family's home. The attack on the Nichols family was the third in six months against Black residents. New Jersey, February 1991: Joe Doakm head of the NJ KKK and two followers were indicted for plotting to kill two former members of the Klan, to punish them for splitting off to form their own Klan group. Orange Park, FL, Feb. 1991: Racist literature was circulated and death threats made against a dozen Black students and two Black administrators. Turning The Tide is an anti-racist newsletter put out by an unnamed LA crew. It's good. Their address is: People Against Racist Terror, PO Box 1990, Burbank, CA 01507. - 30 - Imprisoned Black Political Leader Denounces FBI Alice Bailey The Evergreen Free Press As of Dec. 26, Luther L Taylor, Jr.- a prominent South Carolina state legislator- has been railroaded into prison by an FBI sting operation designed to destroy the black leadership of the state. Taylor was convicted of "selling his vote" to a confessed cocaine trafficker who worked for the FBI. The trafficker, former legislator Ron Cobb, was given total immunity and a government-financed mistress in exchange for attempting to bribe legislators, and then denouncing them on trial. According to Cobb, Luther Taylor accepted a campaign contribution in exchange for a favorable treatment of legislation for parimutuel betting. The fact that Taylor was the sponsor of such legislation five years before the supposed "bribe" occurred, did not interfere with the zeal of a justice system rigged from the White House down to the trial court. The FBI sting, code named "Operation Lost Trust," came amid preparations for a redistricting act which should result in increased Black representation in the state legislature. With Taylor and other targeted legislators out of the black leadership scene, the results of the redistricting would be less threatening to Eastern Establishment control of South Carolina. Certain white politicians were entrapped in private sex acts. The FBI then got cooperation from the frightened whites in the attempt to incriminate black legislators. Rick Lee, a white state senator who was induced to plead guilty in the sting, was sentenced to six months in a "halfway house" and immediately released pending appeal. Luther Taylor was tried in the newspapers, then threatened with total personal destruction unless he lied against other black leaders. He refused to plead guilty, demanded a jury trial, and refused to lie against the others. Reliable accounts of the trial indicate that the judge and prosecution were members of the same "team" in Taylor's railroad conviction. Denied bail, pending appeal, indigent after being drained of funds, Taylor was clapped in manacles immediately after sentencing Dec. 3,1990. He was taken to a local hell-hole, where he is being kept in readiness for what the secret police still hope will be perjured testimony by Taylor in the upcoming trials of three other black legislators. The following are excerpts from a statement by Luther L. Taylor, Jr. issued Nov. 12, 1990. For almost four months, I have remained silent as the government unveiled its "Operation Lost Trust" sting. . . With an unalterable belief in the fairness of the judicial system of our nation, I bided my time while the judicial processes were at work. Even after conviction. . .I am faced with the continuation of a pattern of harassment by the government that began prior to my indictment. . .The dehumanizing efforts by the government lead me to surmise that I am merely a human soccer ball to be visciously kicked, from every possible direction time after time, after time. Now they are pressing me to change my version of the events leading to my indictment, and to lie on my peers. They are attempting to get me to say that I knew Ron Cobb was bribing me as well as my peers and my peers knew it too. After I turned down the government's initial "deal" to turn State's Evidence against these colleagues, I was warned by the FBI and its cooperative, Robert Kohn, that I had not seen anything yet. They told me that ". . .they were going to slam me major league style if I did not go along with their program. . ." I sincerely believe that the FBI and the US Attorney are trying to punish me for refusing to lie against my colleagues. . .It became apparent. . .that I was the "key" figure in the government's case against at least four of the Black legislators who were targets of the investigation. However, my account of the events surrounding the investigation was not what they wanted my to give. I knew that I could not and would not lie in this matter just so the government could make an easier case against some of my colleagues. I have conceded all along that I approached several lawmakers in an attempt to determine their position on pari-mutuel betting. Never did I suspect, even in my most imaginative mind, that anyone speaking to Cobb would be selling their own vote in doing so. . . .(Given) my long record of support of pari-mutuel wagering and my knowledge of the favorable position of the Black Caucus on the issue, I had no reason to consider this (campaign contribution) anomaly. . .While I suffer under the burden of a guilty verdict on six counts and the threat of others to come, two known cocaine traffickers are cloaked in immunity from prosecution for their crimes. . . If I am afraid of the tyranny of the government for myself alone, then who will have the courage to stand up for those who will surely follow? The government's carefully planned destruction is cutting a wide path across this nation. Who will hear the cry before the darkness is upon us? The Evergreen Free Press is a radical student paper at Evergreen State University. Their address is: The Evergreen Free Press, Suite 2-314, 2103 Harrison, Olympia, WA 98502, (206) 754-1235. - 30 - Sisters Support Sisters in Fight For Women's Health Services Betty Campbell Gainesville Iguana GAINESVILLE, FL- Last summer the UF administration began cutting back the nationally recognized programs of rape prevention and recovery. The Sexual Assault Recovery Service (SARS) and Campus Organized Against Rape (COAR) began in 1981. COAR was a student organization that educated the campus community about sexual violence and assault. They gave presentations to peers which addressed the attitudes behind rape, problems between the sexes, ways to avoid dangerous situations, and what to do in the event of an assault. Students also collected information about rape so prevention efforts could be directed accurately and efficiently. COAR functioned together with SARS which offered specialized counseling treatment and to support victims of sexual assault and their partners and families. Last year Dr. Boyd Kellett was hired as Director of Student Health Service infirmary in an effort to increase efficiency. With the administration's support, he took SARS from the direction of its creator, Dr. Clair Walsh, and merged it into the Mental Health Clinic. This not only stigmatizes sexual assault victims, but also drastically reduces the available specialized counseling (loss of one full-time therapist). These changes were instituted in spite of student protests on campus and the fact that 90% of Student Health Service funds come from students. Students likewise received no response from the Board of Regents in Tallahassee. The control by the UF administration seriously limited the scope of of activities. COAR and SARS have never been allowed to give presentations to incoming freshman; thus even when operating fully, they were unable to address the most vulnerable students or meet the needs of more than a fraction of sexual assault victims. Many students remain unaware of recent administrative changes to the services that were formerly available to them. The deliberate release of false information has confused the students and misrepresents the facts. The administration has supported Kellett's reorganization of these programs. Art Sandeen, VP of Student Affairs, claims Kellett has done nothing but assist the programs and try to strengthen them. However, students might rather go to a program run by people who have devoted their lives to helping sexual assault victims than to one run by an ex-military man whose first priority is accounting and fiscal efficiency. Is it because programs like SARS highlight the astounding level of violence toward women at the university and in this American society. Is it because women are wrongly considered a special interest group or a demanding minority? The recent murders are not a natural disaster but a social one. Sexist attitudes that encourage male aggression and the view of women as a sexual game to be hunted are part of our cultural environment. Unlike natural disasters, these attitudes can be countered. It is equally misleading to view the murders as an isolated incidentJ- they are part of a larger problem of sexual violence against females. Dr. Lombardi's comments, and some press coverage down play the fact that the murders were primarily attacks on women. Four out of five of the victims were women of similar appearance, most of whom were sexually mutilated and probably raped, although some of that information is still withheld. After a rally to save SARS and COAR, UF announced the formation of an all women task force to investigate female students' health care. When the Women's Student's Health Care Task Force was convened we hoped that among the issues considered would be: the constant harassment received from university administrators and the damaging administrative changes made to these programs. The students and victims are saddened that the task force isolated COAR and SARS by their failure to consider the true issues. They feel that, as a task force, this group had the purpose to complete what was started two years ago - to disable the program's ability to have a voice. For example, if the task force was formed to solve the problems regarding COAR and SARS, why were charges of harassment of COAR employees and students' testimony of abuse not heard or acted upon by this group? The recommendations exonerate administrators and place COAR in the same traumatizing situation it had found itself in last year at the infirmary. Many of the decisions that put these programs in their desperate situation are reestablished by the task force - such as leaving SARS under Mental Health and placing COAR back in the infirmary (which the students didn't want). The recommendations place the blame on COAR had been disabled by the administration. It's like getting blamed for not winning the race. Instead of dealing with the problems, the task force decided to divide and place COAR under the administration's control. The administration's recent interest in the programs is purely politically self serving. SARS advocates have said administrators moved SARS under Mental Health to hide campus rape problems and to lower the program's visibility. SARS counselors and patients have also said the stigma of "Mental Health" would discourage victims from using the services. SARS patients wrote a letter to the Alligator and said SARS counseling service empowers them to speak and take control of their lives and mental health counseling is designed to teach a person to cope. There is a conflict here - what is best for a victim's recovery? The victims feel the task force recommendations have weakened them and reconfirmed the social taboo associated with sexual assault. Not only have the recommendations destroyed the victims' organization, victims feel the recommendations are destroying their lives. The task force recommendations were formulated from the testimonies of "professionals" and not with the input of any victims, who are the people most directly affected by any changes. Nor was there adequate representation of the student body. The task force ignored letters written by this country's leading experts stating that these programs (SARS and COAR) were the best in the U.S. Dr. Claire Walsh, the former founder of these programs, turned in her resignation which said: "I can no longer lead a program that has lost its indispensable professional autonomy nor advise a student organization which, without its consent, has been restructured by administrators. The bureaucratic fragmentation of the functions of SARS and COAR has resulted in its director not being able to make crucial decisions regarding the programs. I am also very concerned about the dismantling of the current highly effective SARS confidentiality protocol, which has guaranteed protection of patient identities for the past 10 years." It is sad that UF was unable to realize that it had the best sexual assault recovery and prevention programs in the country and was unwilling to support them. It is a shame that this university is more concerned about its image than it is about having the best prevention and recovery service for students and victims, These programs are the victims of sexism and classism. I see it on the rise in many areas of our society. If they had been created and run by males, particularly white males, attitudes might likely reflect how wonderfully creative, ambitious, provocative, and assertive these programs are. The Gainesville Iguana is a radical community bi-weekly serving Gainesville, FL and the University of Florida- Gainesville. Their address is: Gainesville Iguana, c/o CISPLA, PO Box 14712, Gainesville, FL 32604. - 30 - U.S. "Free Trade" Scam To Poison "Backyard" Jan Levine Thal and Kathie Rasmussen The Madison Insurgent MADISON, WI- A proposed free-trade agreement between the United States and Mexico will be an environmental disaster for both countries, according to a spokesperson from the Chicago- based anti-pesticide organization Terra. Midwest activists plan to testify against the agreement at a federal hearing April 10 in Chicago. With delay in negotiations over the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), trade regulators and businesses are pushing for the regional trade agreement, which would include the United States, Canada and Mexico. Like GATT, the regional pact would undercut regulations protecting consumer, workers and the environment. The ostensible goal of the GATT negotiations as well as the regional pact is to erase barriers to free trade. But the benefits will go only to countries that manufacture goods for foreign rather than domestic markets. In much of the Third World, this will encourage export dependency and tighten multinational business control over markets and resources. If GATT or the regional plan goes forward, state and federal regulatory authority on environmental, health and safety standards will be pre-empted. U.S. laws deemed too stringent will be classified as unfair trade practices. For example, 42 percent of the standards in the pact for pesticide residue are less stringent than current Environmental Protection Agency and Food and Drug Administration regulations. Levels of DDT permitted on fruits and vegetables would be 50 times current federal standards. The publicized rationale for a regional pact with Mexico is that it will open the Mexican market to U.S. sales and support higher-paying jobs in the U.S. The truth is that the Bush administration is promoting the agreement as a political, not an economic, measure. The administration is responding to industry's demand for lower wages and not to possible layoffs of U.S. workers. In this time of crisis, Mexico will be giving in to U.S. demands hoping the agreement will help their desperate economic situation. The Rio Grande is already a "two-thousand-mile-long Love Canal," said Phyllis Hasbrouck, director of Terra (the Latin word for earth). The maquiladora free-trade zone on the Mexican side is lined with factories where for three decades U.S. manufacturers have sent partially completed products to be finished by Mexican workers. The owners then "import" the goods into the United States and pay a tariff on the value added in the maquiladora zone- a pittance because they pay workers very little, Hasbrouck said. Moreover, Mexico does not require the manufacturers to be environmentally responsible, so industrial wastes pour into the river unchecked, she said. The maquiladora zone was first established in 1964 under an agreement signed by President Lyndon Johnson, a Democrat, and was expected to benefit his home state of Texas while leaving all negative effects in Mexico. The pollution generated by the factories, however, affects residents on both sides of the Rio Grande. One-third of the children who live in the Texas border town San Elizario contract Hepatitis A- and infectious disease associated with contaminated drinking water- before the age of eight, Hasbrouck said, adding that similar statistics apply to Mexican border children. Currently, only companies in the maquiladora zone are entitled to the very low tariffs. Under the proposed trade agreement, no tariff would be imposed on any goods imported to the United States from Mexico, thus multiplying environmental ills and intensifying labor exploitation. Proponents of the agreement are expected to argue that the reduced labor costs will benefit U.S. consumers by lowering the cost of goods. Terra members have found products finished in Mexico, however, that cost more than the equivalent goods produced in the United States. "The only ones who will benefit from this agreement are the manufacturers, " said Hasbrouck, who emphasized the poor working conditions in the factories. "For example, the quota [in one factory] per worker is to sew 1,700 vacuum cleaner bags a day. That's bound to cause carpal tunnel syndrome [a crippling condition in the hands caused by repetitive motion], not to mention high levels of stress." Terra was founded to oppose U.S. chemical companies' policy of "dumping pesticides- exporting products that have been banned here. It sponsored anti-dumping legislation that failed during the last Congress but will be reintroduced this year. Under the standard U.S. free-trade policy, any country's legislation that restricts export would be waived for parties of the agreement. As a result, when a "free trade" agreement is in place, anti-pesticide legislation, even if enacted, could not be invoked to prevent companies from dumping. Terra urges activists to attend the April 10 hearing at the Intercontinental Hotel, 163 E. Walton St., Chicago, IL, and to join an April 11 demonstration outside a University of Chicago conference at the Knickerbocker Hotel, 505 N. Michigan Ave. The conference is titled "U.S.-Mexico: The Threshold of the Trade Revolution." U.S. Trade Representative Carla Hills and Mexico's President Carlos Salinas are expected to speak in favor of the trade agreement. For more information call Terra Director Phyllis Hasbrouck at (312) 463-8228. The Madison Insurgent is a radical community paper in Madison, WI. Their address is: The Madison Insurgent, PO Box 704, Madison, WI 53701-0704, (608) 255-1321. - 30 - Gay, Lesbian Update Jill Pierce Dare ARLINGTON, VA Child Welfare League holds first gay/lesbian youth conference The Child Welfare League of America held a colloquium on serving gay and lesbian youth in child welfare agencies earlier this year. The weekend conference marks the first time that the Child Welfare League, which has a membership of more than 650 executive directors of youth assistance projects nationwide, has addressed the issues of gay and lesbian youth.\ "Ninety percent of (child counselors) receive no training about homosexuality," said A. Damien Martin, board member of the Hetrick-Martin Institute, a New York gay and lesbian youth counseling project. "[Child welfare agency] administrators fear if they mention the word [homosexuality] they will lose their funding," Martin said. "And straights as well as gays fear that they will be identified as gay and will lose their jobs or promotions." The lack of available resources for gay and lesbian youth, coupled with homophobia found among some agency staffers, the panelists noted, often exacerbates the problems of confused youngsters grappling with their emerging sexuality. BOISE, ID Battered spouse defense used in lesbian battering case A jury in Boise, Idaho, accepted a lesbian defendant's argument last month that she stabbed her female lover in self- defense. The verdict is believed to be the first time a lesbian has been able to successfully to use the battered spouse defense. According to Bay Windows, a Boston gay and lesbian newspaper, Priscilla Forbes stabbed her lover, Lynn Zarek, on August 12, 1990. Forbes contended that Zarek was often abusive during their three-year relationship and that Zarek inflict injuries on her so severe that on one occasion she had to be admitted to the hospital. Zarek argued that Forbes stabbed her in the back after becoming jealous that Zarek might be seeing other women. KEY WEST Judge strikes down ban on gay/lesbian adoptions A Monroe County judge in mid-March declared unconstitutional a 14-year old law that prevented gay men and lesbians from adopting children. Judge M. Ignatius Lester ruled that the law violates the constitutional right to privacy, equal protection and due process. The ruling invalidates the adoption ban in Monroe County. MONTREAL Clothing purchase brings free condoms at some Bennettons The Italian-owned clothing company Benetton says it will offer a free condom to anyone who buys an item of clothing in its stores in Quebec this month. Company owner Luciano Benetton is concerned that the message about condoms and safe sex isn't getting across to many young people, Canadian manager Peter Fressola said earlier this month. The condom distribution program has already been started in Italy, Spain and Greece, but Fressola said that it has shocked certain elements of society in those countries. NEW YORK Condoms available on demand to high school students High school students in the nation's largest public high school system can get condoms on demand, without their parents' permission starting next fall. The distribution plan affecting 260,000 students is one of a handful of similar programs across the country- and the most liberal, because it does not require visits to health clinics, said Robin Lewis, spokesperson for the Center for Population Options in Washington. The plan, associated with an AIDS-awareness program that stresses abstinence, was approved 4-to-3 by the Board of Education in early March after five months of debate. Eventually 120 schools will have the condom distribution program. Students can get condoms anonymously from offices staffed by adult volunteers in their schools or neighborhoods. SAN FRANCISCO Gay and lesbian youth services forming in Bay Area Gay Youth Community Coalition of the Bay Area (GYCC) is searching for groups, services, and businesses sensitive to youth, students, and young adults. GYCC is preparing a comprehensive guide of resources for gay and lesbian youth throughout the United States and Canada. GYCC is seeking resources for serving gay/lesbian/bisexual people under the age of 25, including youth groups, counseling/employment/roommate services, professionals, dance bars, bookstores and publications. Anyone interested in receiving further details should contact: WE ARE HERE, 2215 Market St. #479, San Francisco, CA, 94114-1612. Dare is Tennessee's lesbian and gay newsweekly. Their address is: Dare, Box 40422, Nashville, TN 37204-0422, (615) 327- DARE. - 30 - Kahnawake Update from an Autonomous Green Action communique -some of the following report was provided by Mohawk Nation Office spokesperson Dale Dione -Ballistics testing information provided by 12 year veteran of Canadian militia who wished to remain anonymous, for obvious reasons OTTAWA, ONTARIO- Kahnawake is the indian reserve near Montreal where residents of the reserve set up the blockade of the Mercier bridge during the long hot summer of 1990, in a show of solidarity with the natives defending their land at Oka. The gross abuse of power by the Surete du Quebec (Quebec police [similar to the FBI-nlns ed.]) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police [similar to the CIA and FBI-nlns ed.] has continued to the present. The police are continually stopping native drivers and extorting money from them by claiming that they owe for outstanding tickets, and then threatening the indian driver with immediate imprisonment if they don't pay on the spot. The obviousness of this crime being committed by the police is borne out by the fact that some of the natives being stopped and faced with extortion didn't live in the area at the time the police claim the tickets were issued. Also, some natives, when stopped while alone have been beaten by the police. This physical harassment then results in psychological terrorism for any natives stopped and asked for money by the police. As well as physical harassment, the SQ and RCMP are telling non-natives not to shop at indian businesses, and the police are spreading stories that it is dangerous on the reserve and wimmin have been told not to enter the reserve because they'll likely be raped. The police are giving exorbitant parking tickets to cars parked at the Kahnawake flea market and other native run stores. Other forms of highway harassment by the police include doing spot checks on cars and handing out tickets for such things as not having enough air in the spare tire, or not having a baby seat properly fastened, even though there is no child in it. Out of a population of 6000 people, 85 indians have been charged at Kahnawake as a result of last summer's suppression. Of those arrested at least 25 have been tortured by the SQ or by the military at Farnham. Tortures include beatings, burning with cigarettes, and putting guns to prisoners' heads, cocking them and pulling the trigger on an empty chamber. Remember Corporal Lemay, the only fire-arms casualty of the Oka siege? The Quebec government claimed that the ballistics report was "inconclusive" as to which gun fired the fatal bullet. The slug from Corporal Lemay's corpse is said to have been a .223 calibre full metal jacket type with which some indians were armed. Interestingly, the SQ were also given .223 calibre rounds called S-109s, manufactured by the FN Herstal company of Belgium, which have distinct characteristics and are easily traced to the weapons which fired them. All police and military weapons are test fired into a gelatin block to find exact barrel characteristics. When a slug of the S-109 type is found, it is impossible not to trace it to the weapon which fired it. In light of this information, the government's report of "inconclusive" points to a cover-up of the embarrassing fact that Corporal Lemay was killed by his own weapon or one of his fellow officer's weapons. A month after the siege, the public was informed by the media that $1.3 million [Canadian $- nlns ed.] had been spent by the government to purchase the land at Oka for the natives. The land that was purchased turns out to actually be swamp on the perimeter of the area being defended by the natives. The municipality of Oka claims it still owns the pine forest. This situation promises to erupt into another stand off. Not surprisingly, all the trees with bullet holes in them which face the SQ forces have been cut down. The bullet holes caused by the SQ forces were mostly around waist height. The trees with bullet holes facing the natives were hit quite high up, well over average head height, indicating truth to the indian's claims of shooting very high. In short, the Canadian government is trying to systematically wear down the indians' control, resolve and morale. Their are committing heinous crimes to maintain a debilitating level of of low-intensity conflict. Defense fund donations for those arrested are desperately needed. These, and letters of support can be sent to: Mohawk Nation, Kahnawake Branch, Box 654, Kahnawake, Quebec, J0L 1B0, CANADA. - 30 - Camp Lejeune Military Resisters in Deep Shit from a Hands Off! communique "How can we, the human race, survive, if we continue to act on these primitive, bestial instincts? Why are so-called responsible people in the government and media promoting this barbaric thinking? Today my brothers and myself from the Fox Company and from various branches of the armed forces are declaring our right to stand up for what we believe in, a right and an ideal upon which this country was founded." Sam Lwin, (former) Lance Corporal U.S. Marine Corps These words from Sam Lwin speak loudly to the need for a different kind of "world order" than the one George Bush has been promoting. Although the president found it in his heart to stop dropping bombs on Iraqi civilians and retreating soldiers, the war against Conscientious Objectors continues. The "Few and the Proud" are none too please that they still have 17 Marines who insist that the war never should have happened and that the slaughter was immoral and unnecessary. All in their twenties, these Marines are African, White, Latino and Asian Americans who refused to be a part of the Gulf War. Each of these young men had developed beliefs against killing long before the Gulf Crisis, but they had never heard of Conscientious Objector status or had misconceptions about who was eligible for it. Upon receiving orders last fall and winter, and faced with the actuality of being ordered to kill someone, they all quickly sought counseling about their dilemmas. Because preparation of their Conscientious Objector applications took several weeks, they were late in reporting to duty. As a result, they all face court martial and up to seven years in prison on charges of Desertion and Missing Movement. Eric Hayes, who was court-martialed before the war began, was sentenced to two and a half years in the brig. Now that the Operation Desert Storm is over, the Marine Corps is determined to push for the maximum punishment. Conscientious Objectors are being given harsher charges and longer sentences than Marines who committed similar offences who are not Conscientious Objectors. During a visit to Camp Lejeune, we discovered that marines convicted of manslaughter and armed robbery have been given lighter sentences than resisters, whose only "crime" was refusing to kill. Isolated in separate "Conscientious Objector Barracks," the resisters have been subjected to endless harassment. Even before their court martials, two of them- Danny Gillis and Jimmy Summers- had been held in solitary confinement cells measuring six by eight feet. Sleep deprivation is a favorite tactic against Conscientious Objectors: all of them have been ordered to daily extra duty which means that they can sleep no longer than three hours in a row. One of the sergeants enjoys making them line up and ordering them to chant "I am shit" over and over. In the brig, civil rights are severely curtailed: they are not allowed to read literature of a political nature; diaries and artwork are monitored; outgoing and incoming mail is censored. Hands Off! is a student group based at the New School for Social Research in New York City. They are working to mobilize support for the Lejeune Conscientious Objectors. Their aim is to stop the harassment, force the Marine Corps to drop the charges or, at least, give them lighter sentences. Since the war ended, Hands Off! has found that many activists agree that the peace movement cannot abandon these young people who put themselves on the line by refusing to participate in this war. The Court Martials will begin in April so people must act quickly. For more info contact: Hands Off!, 111 East 14th Street, Room 132, New York, NY 10003, (212) 353-2445. To try to reach the guys at Lejeune write: Building H-1 Wing A, 2nd Meb, MCB, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina 28540-5090. To pressure the pigs, write the one with the power: Commander General, Major General Cooper, 4th Marine Division (Rein) FMF, 400 Dauphine St.m New Orleans, LA 70146-5400 [NLNS suggestion: perhaps mailing the good general some old bacon by ground post would help him make his decision faster. . .] The Camp Lejeune Conscientious Objectors Marcus Blackwell, 25, before activation lived in Brooklyn, worked in Manhattan, and studied at the Borough of Manhattan Community College. He attends the Berean Missionary Church and is engaged. David Bobbit, 26, was raised a Catholic in Staten Island, NY, where he repairs elevators to support his art. Dave's artwork will be exhibited at the New School for Social Research in New York in April. Colin Bootman, 25, is an artist and a graduate of the School of Visual Arts in New York where he had begun a small greeting card company to counter racist stereotypes and expose social injustice. Greg Dawson, 25, was a senior at the University of Louisville majoring in Mathematics. he was sentenced to nine months and a Dishonorable Discharge for Desertion and Missing Movement. Doug DeBoer, 22, had a strong Baptist upbringing in Florida. His rejection of the military began in bootcamp when he was forced to sing racist, sexist and graphically violent cadences. Daniel Gillis, is from Baltimore. Since becoming a Muslim, Danny has become a vegetarian and stopped drinking alcohol. He makes Salah (prayer) five times a day and regularly attends Jumah (congregational prayer) and Teleem (community meetings). Enrique Gonzalez, 24, before activation was a student at Nova University School of Law in Fort Lauterdale, Florida. A practising Catholic, Enrique's family fled the war in El Salvador in 1979. Eric Hayes, 21, was president of the Black Students' Association at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville. He was sentenced to two and a half years and a Dishonorable Discharge for Desertion and Missing Movement. Harvey Hensley, 21, originally from Texas, attended the University of Oklahoma and worked as a roofer and house painter. He is a member of St. Clement's Catholic Church and a volunteer with the Red Cross. John Issac III, 23, and his wife, Nancy, have a four-month-old daughter. They attend the Canaanland Christian Church where he sings in the choir. Before activation, John was pre- med at City College of New York. He plans to attend Columbia University upon his release. Keith Jones, 25, before activation was studying theater at City College of New York. He is a member of the Buddhist Nichren Daishonin faith. Keith has taken part in demonstrations against school budget cuts and against the war in the Gulf. Marquis Leacock, 22, before activation was taking work processing and data entry courses at IBM in White Plains, NY. He attends weekly bible study meetings with evangelist Dick Runge. Sam (Maung Maung) Lwin, 21, was born in Burma and joined the US Marine Corps as a way to pay the US back. Through his bootcamp experiences he quickly came to realize the military was not what he expected. Sam is a student at the New School for Social Research in Manhattan. Wayne McWhite, 22, attends the All Saints Catholic Church in Manhattan. He works as a supermarket clerk and is a member of the War Resisters League. Demetrio Perez, 21, was a student at Florida's Santa Fe Community College. Demetrio tried to join an Amish Mennonite Church, but was turned down because of his enlistment in the Marines. He is active with Veterans for Peace. James Summers, 21, studied education at Santa Fe Community College in Florida. Jimmy's views about the military began to change in bootcamp, where he witnessed the racist and violent nature of their treatment. George Ward, 21, from Illinois, is a vegetarian and is active in the animal rights movement. A Catholic, George's application stresses that Church teaching upholds the right to Conscientious Objection. - 30 - The Emperor's Enthronement Lina ASA News HONG KONG- Two successive imperial rites took place in Japan last November, sealing Emperor Akihito's ascendancy to the imperial throne. His ascension was met with mixed reactions: some celebrated, many protested but most of the Japanese people were indifferent. Various groups in the anti-emperor system movement in Japan, through protest actions, meetings and other gatherings made visible their opposition on the emperor's enthronement last November. ASA was invited to one of the numerous meetings and protest actions staged in Japan on the day of "daijousai" (or the Divine Banquet Festival consisting of day and night portions which culminate with the eating of the new rice with the "spirit ancestors" and being "spiritually joined with the creator goddess of Japan," thereby becoming a living god according to Shinto traditions." Here we present views gathered by ASA in Japan during the anti-emperor actions. In Japan's recorded history, the emperor was elevated to the status of "sacred and inviolable" head of state only after the Meiji restoration in 1868. Before that, real power in Japan rested upon a succession of warlords and leaders who were clever enough to manipulate the emperor. Japan's post-war constitution however divested the emperor of his powers and defined him simply as "a symbol of the state and the unity of the people." He was also denied his status as a divine being. Yet, symbolic as the emperor may be, he signs official documents, receives foreign dignitaries and performs other duties any other head of state performs. The burial of Emperor Hirohito and the enthronement of Emperor Akihito were both state functions, funded by the state. Jellyfish To Asia- a student group has this to say: "Sukui No Rei" and "Daijousai" these two ceremonies which celebrate the enthronement of Japan's new Emperor Akihito have been carried out, gobbling an enormous amount of money to impress Japan's "new era" not only upon the Japanese people but upon the people of Asia-Pacific and the whole world. We oppose these ceremonies with a determined attitude. They remind Asia-Pacific people of the cruel invasion by the Japanese Empire during Hirohito's reign. The students say that the Japanese government is deliberately using the "celebration movement to welcome the new emperor and the new era" to impress upon their consciousness the nobility of the Japanese race. This reinforces the basis for discrimination, exclusion and contempt for minorities and non-Japanese residents. The Japanese government is hypocritical in defining the new era as the "New Peace Era." How can they say they are for peace when in reality they are on the offensive- as when they recently announced the new direction of the Overseas Development Aid (ODA) in an attempt to skillfully promote its economic invasion and create more problems for the people and environment in Asia-Pacific. A research associate at Tokyo University said that although many changes have occurred in the post-war period, a basic continuity exists between the pre and post-war emperor system. In the 1960s and 70s, the emperor system existed, but not in the political arena. At that time, Japan regarded the presence of US military as sufficient for its defense and economic needs. But since the 70s, Japan has experienced a turn to the right and the resurgence of militarism. In order to direct these trends, the ruling political and economic powers needed to develop their own political ideology. They recognized that the most effective and efficient means of indoctrinating the Japanese people into this political ideology would be to draw on the emotional ties to the emperor. Therefore, the emperor- during the pre and post-war period- has served the same function of integrating people under the ruling power structure. Most anti-emperor activists recall the whitewashing of the emperor's war responsibility. Emperor Hirohito's responsibility has never been acknowledged for the brutal actions done under his name during the war. It should be noted that no concrete compensation was ever paid to the victims of these actions. As one activist puts it: "The symbolic emperor system under the post-war Constitution has played the function of politically and economically aggressive Japan under the symbols of "peace" and "culture." We should criticize this whitewash and clearly reveal the aggressiveness and violence of the "peaceful" and "democratic" emperor system. We should assert the arguments and actions necessary the "new symbolic emperor" system which accommodated itself to this era of internationalization. "In opposing the emperor system, we should not merely be concerned with the constitutionality or opposition to fascism, but we must take the stand that whether or not it is only a symbol, we do not need the emperor system." ASA News is the magazine of the Asian Students Association, an huge alliance of leftist national student unions from all over the Asia-Pacific region. Their address is: Asian Students Association, 551, Nathan Road 1/F, Kowloon, Hong Kong, (852) 388-0515, fax: (852) 782-5535. - 30 - Communique from the University of El Salvador Todd Jailer April 7, 1991 NLNS SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR-The scarred campus of the University of El Salvador, with buildings destroyed by earthquakes and the bullets and bombs of the military/death squads of the government, has been the site of too many murders, disappearances, and captures. On Friday, April 5, 1991, a capture of another type took place. Three unknown men were wandering abound the halls and buildings of the Department of Medicine. When asked what they wanted, they said they were looking for a friend and left. When they returned to the building two more times, some students became suspicious. They called AGEUS, a radical student organization, and within minutes members began arriving and inconspicuously standing around the area where the three strangers were waiting. As the number of alerted students grew, the three men realized that something was up and started running. They were quickly surrounded by about 400 students, who demanded their identification papers. Their IDs stated they were Lieutenants Jose Baltazar Martinez and Oswaldo Sibrian Miranda, and sub Lieutenant Carlos Humberto Hernandez, all of Military Deatchment #3 of the department of La Union. They were disarmed by the students, who notified the University authorities and the non- governmental Commission on Human Rights of their capture. The University called the Estado Mayor (El Salvador's Pentagon) to arrange for the prisoners to be transferred. A pickup truck, unmarked and bearing US plates, arrived with 8 heavily armed men, and the military infiltrators were handed over. As the vehicle was leaving the campus, it was pelted with rocks and paint; the soldiers (out of uniform) fired their weapons into the air to clear a path for their exit. While the role reversal of this capture was rather amusing, the event itself is alarming: What were these armed government agents doing in the University? Did the organized students thwart a death squad attempt, and if so, against whom? AGEUS and other students are worried about possible repercussions, especially since TV cameras filmed the event and the faces of many students were broadcast over the nightly news. While the US war in the Persian Gulf has occupied the agendas of activists in the US, the war in El Salvador continues unabated. While Central America may have fallen off the map as drawn by the US news media, you can keep informed and active through the PeaceNet computer conference on El Salvador and your local Central America solidarity and anti- intervention organizations. - 30 - SCENES FROM A WAR: A Study of Boston Press Coverage from a Boston Media Action release BOSTON-While the Gulf War is officially over, the battle over its implications is just beginning. Boston news coverage of the Gulf war was largely filtered through official lenses. Boston's dailies focused overwhelmingly on those stories that the Bush Administration promoted and relied heavily on official sources. For example, the study found that nearly half of the sources cited in the two dailies (Globe 48%, Herald 45%) were US or Allied officials and the military. In contrast, approximately 2% of sources were Iraqi officials, 2% were non- allied Middle East sources, and 8% were independent "experts." While Boston media reported extensively on issues involving military combat, there was comparatively little space given to discussion of what might happen in the region after the war. Although this was the major period of combat activity, military news and analysis were often highly speculative, limited to military or official sources. Among the findings: Fifteen times more reporting appeared of military aspects of the crisis than coverage of questions of regional implications; coverage of domestic consequences was eight times that of international ramifications, with a significant number of domestic stories focusing more on military relatives than social or fiscal considerations. An examination of the gender of named news and news analysis sources showed that of the 60% of those citations that could be identified, 85% were male. Isolating the topics under which the highest number of women were listed as sources, U.S. Domestic Ramifications, Support/Opposition to Policy, and Other, the backrounds of those women provided a revealing breakdown: "Mothers, daughters, sisters, wives" of servicemen were cited most frequently. Twenty-five percent of female sources were found in the "domestic implications" category. One third of the sources in the Globe stories about opposition to the war were women. Nearly half the 4,200 news sources cited in both dailies during that periods were Allied/U.S. officials and military personnel; 85% were men. While the war was ostensibly fought under the United Nations banner, less than 1% of the sources were from the U.N., equal to the percentage of sports figures who were asked to comment. While significantly fewer Israelis were killed or injured, compared to Iraqi casualties, reporting in both Boston dailies gave Israeli casualties twice the coverage. The survey revealed that articles consistently offered personalized accounts of American and Israeli casualties, while Iraqi damage assessments were repeatedly reported in terms of weapons, equipment and buildings--not people. Five percent of the articles reviewed dealt with the media-related issues and one percent with censorship of the media and government/military press restrictions, despite the significance of the policy inhibiting the free flow of information. Alternative perspectives represented by political activist of human rights experts made up less than 1% of the news source, and there was a general under- reporting of antiwar demonstrations and activities. Despite the appearance of "balance" in the Globe on the subject of opposition/support for the policy, the frame presented was one that highlighted patriotic images and stressed human interest rather than policy questions. While the antiwar movement was examined critically on questions of ant- Semitism, race, and class composition, no questioning of the organizational support or affiliations of pro-war forces was carried. The Herald published three times more stories on support for Administration policy than opposition, in a period of intensive antiwar activity. Among other conclusions, this study suggests: That the under-reporting of diplomatic activity, and the exaggeration of the domestic threat from terrorism, show a media willingness to mirror U.S. administration priorities. That, as other studies have reflected, news reporting in Boston contributed to a marginalization of the ant-war movement and the continuing exclusion of dissenting views. Boston Media Watch is a committee of 20 Boston-area writers, media producers, publishers, teachers and activists concerned with peace and justice. The group formed in a response to the mainstreams media's unbalanced coverage of the Persian Gulf War. Understanding that the media plays a major role in educating people and creating public opinion, our goals are to promote accurate and balanced reporting in the local radio, television, and print media. For a complete report please contact Boston Media Action/Media Watch, 410A Columbus Avenue, Boston, MA 02116 (617) 423-3711. - 30 - SATIRE, ETC. NEWS SPEAK, April 18, 1991 George Shrub reporting for the Committee to Intervene Anywhere Students at City University of New York continue their strike against budget cuts. Governor Cuomo sympathized, commenting "Education isn't free - Kuwait is." The quick finish to the Gulf War could free up resources to address domestic problems, but the Governor has declined to say whether he will use the tanks against student protestors. The moderately extreme beating by Los Angeles police officers of motorist Rodney King, who danced, smirked and held his buttocks prior to his arrest, has prompted Police Chief Daryl Gates to issue a warning to officers not to use extreme force on civilians unless they have used the taser gun on the camcorder operator first. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation has asked the government for permission to borrow an additional $70 billion, but FDIC Chair L. William Seidman denies the move presages a coming bank collapse. Seidman noted that while it is highly unusual to use a credit line as equity for securing loans, the new funds would be fully collateralized and would not attrit the taxpayer except in the case of a possible though highly speculative full-scale S&L-configured bond-related mishap. In lay terms, Trust Us. Iraqi radio reports that the government has regained control of most areas in the Kurdish north, but the reports are considered unreliable as the Iraqi press only report what their government tells them. The Kuwaiti rumor pipeline is flowing with stories of assassination attempts on opposition leaders. But a spokesman for His Legitimacy the Emir said the situation is under control, noting that the government will bring in experts on democracy from El Salvador to consult. The United States says that Japan is dragging its feet in assuming responsibility for defense of its air space and sea lanes, but the Japanese say they fully intend to fulfill their obligations as soon as they find out who they are defending themselves against. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- George Shrub, world's only known singing CIA agent, will tour the nation this fall with his cousin George Stump, moderate clearcutter, and satirist/singer Dave Lippman. Contact Dave at 415-893-5845. - 30 - The Taming of the SHREWed Businessmen Billy the Shake Leaves of Grass DRAMATIS PERSONALE WALLET, and investment banker; HOMELESS, a homeless man; SLY, an oil company executive; DIRK, generic MBA; DAWN, an executive secretary. What's happened so far: Homeless attempts to beg his old job back from the satanic oil baron Sly and is rebuffed. Homeless then falls asleep on the sidewalk and is carried away by Wallet and Dirk who hope to convince Homeless that he is a businessman when he awakens. When Homeless awakens they do indeed convince him that he has always been a businessman and that the office, equipment and secretary are his. SCENE II. A business office on the twelfth floor Homeless moves to one side of the stage and addresses audience. Homeless: O, for a portfolio of stocks and bonds that would ascend the Wall Street to heaven; an office for a home, MBA's to push around, and cronies to crone with. Then should the weary Homeless assume the position of respectability; and at his heels should all men and women crouch for employment. But pardon, gentles all, what would that gain Homeless but sadness and despair? He would be an imposter, an oaf of money, as he stands now, before you in this suit of woe. He asks himself, and you- this wall to wall carpeting, these bright lights, this music- Does this office hold the seeds of our decay? Is this the real world or a dream? Within this glass and steel building is there but one man who could call back the hounds that ravage this country? I know in fact that in this room are now confined two mighty men of finance, whose high upreared egos and abutting fronts care not for the common people. Think, do not be like them. Think when we talk of homeless men that you see them laying down receiving cold earth; For 'tis our thoughts that must change and so the world. Think of them here and there, getting and giving, turning despair into accomplishment, and think what it is these two men of business owe to us and not what we owe to them. Alas, I ramble. Kindly back to our play. Dirk and Wallet stand at the other side of the stage and talk with each other. Dirk: My lord Wallet, I'll tell you; that bill is urges which would not allow our good friend Sly to drill for oil- which during King Carter's reign was wanted, and had indeed pass'd against us. But that scambling and unquiet time is almost past us now. King Bush shall strike down the venomous bill and allow us safe passage in the pristine territory of the north to drill and plunder the earth for our fair estates. Wallet: We are blessed in the change. Dirk: But my good lord, how for the mitigation of this bill go the common people? Doth they incline to it, or no? Wallet: They are upon spiritual vacation, and are focused on the causes now in hand, namely the war, the crusade. They speak not a word against it. They are hamsters unto the wheel, fish until the fry. They only have it their way at hamburger stands and video rental counters. Dirk: Then we send Sly north and drill? Wallet: Yes, and we lead our way with the buffoon, the homeless fool. He will lead us throught the sheepish people and to our table so that we might feed and satisfy our greed. Dirk: I hunger. What say, shall we do lunch? CONTINUED NEXT MONTH Leaves of Grass is a "grassroots leaflet" put out by some strange folk in Lincoln, NE. Their address is: A Slow Tempo Press, 2746 Everett, Lincoln, NE 68502. LATE BREAKING NEWS Students of Color Shut Down University of Vermont from a "President's Row" communique BURLINGTON, VT- On Monday, April 22 at 1140 a.m., 17 students of color (African-American, Asian-American, Latino- American and Native American) barricaded themselves in the Presidential wing of the University of Vermont. Three years after a similar takeover of the Waterman administration building in 1988 and 20 years after a takeover in 1969, virtually no progress had been made towards "diversifying" the largely white institution of higher learning. In fact, there has been a drop in hiring professors of color, there are fewer students of color than in recent memory and virtually no attempt to broaden the Euro-centric curriculum since former UVM president Lattie Coor signed agreements guaranteeing improvement in these and other areas after the 1988 protest. The new UVM president Davis has refused to make even the token gesture of signing the document which pledged the same commitment that Coor ignored so casually. The student occupied the President's office and the administration building organizing around the following grievances: 1) Black men have been randomly rounded up on campus after the rape of a white woman, 2) Asian American Student Union members have been beaten up. When security arrived on the scene, they directed their attention to the Asian students first, allowing their attackers to escape, 3) Latino students have been harassed by the writing of racial slurs on residence hall walls, 4) Professors have used the word, "nigger," in their classes without any justification, 5) Analogies being used by professors like "Jesse Jackson passes a bucket of chicken around the church to get his votes," 6)Vermont State police force use the distinct racial discriminatory category of Hispanic/non-Hispanic, 7) the 1988 Waterman Agreements of Cultural Diversity at UVM have not been adhered to or implemented. These are naturally only a fraction of the problems students of color have had to cope with. They are making a number of demands including the removal of the campus police and the institution of a community controlled campus watch. The UVM administration, however, has thus far been playing a familiar game with the protestors. College administrators all over the country have used the tactic of ignoring student protest and waiting until there is a break in classes or a vacation when they can smash the protest without fear of major student upheaval. In this case, though, the students are aware of the game and have stepped up a campaign to get national support for their struggle. As of April 26, 25 people were hunger striking, 5 more are slated to join the strike every day until justice is done. There have been hundreds of support people there at all times, which is a significant turn out in the Vermont city of only 38,000 people. Luminaries like Spike Lee have already given public support to their struggle as have music groups like Living Color, who are playing a benefit concert for the students. The success or failure of these students will set an important precedent for similar struggles that will no doubt erupt in the year to come. With the cynical banner of "Political Correctness" being used by liberals and the right wing to destroy the few remaining gains of the 60s and 70s, battles like the UVM students are fighting could mean the difference between new hope for women, people of color and other downtrodden groups on US campuses or a new "White Ages," where it's the 50s racist, sexist, heterosexist, classist, ableist, etc. ist bullshit as the educational status quo for the foreseeable future. Or at least until the US government destroys the planet. Anyway, call (802) 656-2053 to get a fax # to contact the students directly. Otherwise write the UVM radical paper The Gadfly at: Billings Student Center, UVM, Burlington, VT 05405. Asta la victoria finale! -30 - POEM RAILROAD BY JOSEPH PRAMAS (younger cousin of your humble NLNS staff person) I rode my bike to the railroad yard. After my mind had turned black chard. I saw the sun set over the blue harbor Which appeared to look like copper. Soon the sky will turn grey and I'll be with my friends in this yard. I see the red signal, alone; and hold my cigarettes like a card. I look down the dusty track covered with grey stone. I looked down that dusty track and wondered where it led to. The signal tower goes dark and that red light is left alone Soon it will be accompanied by a green one saying "It's o.k. go ahead:" That little light created a cozy Feeling with out any dread. It is shielded by a visor It is held high where it was depended upon. It takes me away, this train yard, somewhere. A place of no memories and no Fear.