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An Honorable Tradition

To the Editor:
I just wanted to take a moment to thank you, and tell you how happy I am to read a periodical that not only seems to be able and willing to expose the “naked emperor,” but does so in the most honorable tradition of the American free press.

God bless you and protect you (assuming of course that you are not atheists!).

Sincerely,
Mike Iannucci, Millbrook

Is Chronogram a Kids' Mag?

To the Editor:
What an hysterical publication. I had the unfortunate experience of actually reading a few of your pieces after my wife picked up a copy of the 10/02 issue (to check out the ads). And, silly me, here I’d thought the old Village Voice had died. Apparently, it has. And without offspring.

My conclusion is that none of you is over the age of 12. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.)

To wit: Re: “Bush Planned ‘Regime Change’ In Iraq.” Does Neil Mackay honestly believe that the Project for the New American Century is the only thinktank/foundation/etc. that has submitted briefing advice to the White House? Has Mr. Mackay ever heard of Brookings, or the Center for Strategic Studies, or the CFR, or Heritage, or Cato, or Rand, or the NSA, or the CIA, or...gee, anything besides PNAC? Memo: Briefings pour into the White House hourly. To put so much weight on one report from one member of the enormous chorus of voices is simply idiotic. And citing New American Century as your sole source? Bingo. You’re twelve. My advice is to read up and wise up, or, otherwise, simply do your readers a favor and, you know, like, shut up.

Re: “The Selling of War on Iraq,” by Todd Paul. First off, we must assume from Mr. Paul’s editorial posture that he much preferred the Clinton Administration to that of Mr. Bush—Mr. Clinton, to whom the vaguest idea of “marketing” never occurred. Politics, to some significant extent, is always marketing. So it was in Churchill’s WWII England. (Note to Mr. Paul: Winston Churchill was the Prime Minister of Great Britain during that little dust-up that ravaged Europe in the 1940s. You can look it up. Your school librarian can even help you.) But this is the killer: “[C]apitalism, in its modern form, is essentially anti-democratic.” Well, yes, there’s Hong Kong, and the southern provinces of China, in which capitalism exists and democracy does not. Then there’s a substantial portion of Europe, where democracy goes hand-in-hand with welfare-socialism and capitalism is endlessly disparaged. I guess that leaves the US Capitalism. Democracy. The world’s largest, most robust, most productive economy and its freest, most democratic political system. And the most of all of those in the full span of human history. (Bummer, huh?) Capitalism and democracy are antithetical, all right. But, fortunately, only in your addled, adolescent mind.

Anyway, keep doing what you’re doing, Editors. It is pretty funny, and I’m sure it keeps the kids amused.
Something’s got to.

Yours,
David Idema, Staatsburg

World Without Nukes

To the Editor:
Thank you for your direct and truthful articles regarding Iraq and the US need to destroy this country. Voices in the Wilderness and Pax Christi have been abiding support communities for the people of Iraq for the last 12 years and continue this very humane effort.

For the last 15 years I have made annual trips to the Nevada test site to witness against the testing and building of nuclear weapons and the storage of nuclear wastes at Yucca Mountain. Many groups provide an ongoing effort for peace and justice in Nevada and the world: Nevada Desert Experience, Pace e Bene, the Las Vegas Catholic Worker, and Shundahai Network. Thanks to this faithful community, the profound issue of nuclear weapons and their threat to the entire world is an ongoing dedication. It is clear from the information I have gathered in Nevada, throughout this long relationship, that we are indeed the source and continuing nuclear terrorists. Iraq is a pawn in this ridiculous game. The US continues its addiction to nuclear weapons, but insists that no other countries, except our allies, should have them. The only solution is that no nation on the planet should be permitted to have weapons of mass destruction.

Joan Monastero, Saugerties

A Vote Against Conscience

To the Editor:
It has been said that ‘You can petition the Lord with prayer” and get results but you can not petition the representatives of the Ulster County Legislature with over 600 signatures and expect them to represent the will of their constituents.

On Friday, October 4, I heard about a resolution that was to be introduced to the Ulster County Legislature the following Thursday, October 10. Its operative clause read: “Resolved, that the Ulster County Legislature urges the United States Senate and Congress to vote against authorization of the use of military force in Iraq without the support of an international coalition, and approval of the United Nations Security Council.” A group of students, including myself, had been talking about creating a petition against this potential war due to our frustration with the amount of student apathy and ignorance regarding this situation. This resolution, we decided, would be the perfect opportunity to voice our opposition and concern—and perhaps affect how the legislative body would vote. We mobilized a group of students at Ulster County Community College and SUNY New Paltz campuses as well as at Rondout Valley High School to petition in support of this resolution. We created a flyer and a Web page—“Just Say No to the War with Iraq!”—at www.synthesisclub.org with links to Web sites about the Iraq sanctions, war crimes, and depleted uranium weapons. Over the course of the next four days, we got 627 signatures in support of the resolution. A group of us attended the Ulster County Legislature meeting that Thursday and I spoke during the public commentary period of that meeting.

“I am here representing the students of Ulster County… We, the future leaders of Ulster County, are ashamed of our congressional representatives’ willingness to authorize a pre-emptive war on Iraq without any hard evidence of an immediate threat to the US and that this will be done in our names and with our tax dollars. We urge the Ulster County Legislature to adhere to true democratic principles by representing the will of their constituents. Please vote in support of the proposed resolution against authorizing unilateral military action against Iraq.”

There were 15 other local residents who spoke in support of the resolution and voiced their personal concern for our safety here in the US. Four Democrats and one Republican spoke on behalf of the resolution stating how we could send a message to those in Washington, DC, by approving this. They spoke about their experiences during the Vietnam War and about the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution authorizing that war in 1964, as well as citing the abundant evidence against going to war. In the end the resolution lost 24-9.

We, the People, stood up for justice and peace at the Ulster County Legislature meeting. Those district legislators who voted against the resolution voted on behalf of their party and not the People they represent. I urge all of you to support those who backed this resolution in future elections and to vote in a local government that we can be proud of! We live in one of the most “progressive” counties in this region, so let’s remember this resolution and take back the Ulster Legislature in future elections!

I have made a vow to attend the monthly legislature meetings and speak during the public commentary period about Iraq and other local and global political issues. I invite you to join me and voice your concerns and beliefs. The next meeting is Thursday, November 14 at 7pm in the County Office Building, 6th floor, 244 Fair Street, Kingston.

Julia Walsh, New Paltz