Breaking through the Usual Political Rhetoric

Obama Speech: 'A More Perfect Union'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWe7wTVbLUU

Barrack Obama took an incident, that could have been potentially damaging to his presidential campaign, and turned it into a brilliant opportunity to rise above the usual political rhetoric. I was taken with the open truth of his words about the direct personal realities of racial problems in this country. He did not agree with the incendiary remarks by his pastor Rev. Wright, and yet he did not simply write him off. He revealed that the reality of family, church, community and life is much more complicated than a dismissal or a denial offered in a television sound bite.

His credibility set out, as a person of mixed race, he was able to acknowledge and articulate the "dinner time" comments and realities of both whites and blacks. Peeling back the rhetoric of politics as usual he was able to deliver a message of a higher calling to commonalities that join us and not to the differences that may divide us. He is thoughtful, intelligent, insightful and I am impressed.

An Alaskan View

Simpson, Sherry. "I want to ride in the bus Chris died in." February7 - February 13, 2002 / Vol. 11, Ed.6 . http://208.109.242.142/archives/archives/documentb965.html

Simpson brings the Alaskan point of view to the Chris McCandless story. The vividly descriptive essay of her journey with her friends to the bus, by snow mobile in early spring, is written from a local view point with an Alaskan sensibility. The comments by her friends and her own opinions that McCandless was just a fool, is evident. However, I couldn't help but see that, she too, was affected by Chris McCandless's story and the resulting romantic myth of self discovery in the wilderness of Alaska. After all, she made the trip to the bus, went through every written detail in the bus and wrote an extensive essay about it. For just a fool, Chris McCandless's life and death was on her mind for quite awhile.

Alaska House Bill 230 -Plastic Bag fee, Marine Debris and Litter Fund

This bill to enact a plastic bag fee has been in the legislature since March 30, 2007. Sponsored by Representatives Doll and Kerttula of Juneau, it is simple and succinct, and probably makes too much sense to a converted ex plastic bag user like myself. When i inquired by email as to the status of the the bill and why it had been withdraw twice, the relply I recieved is s follows:

HB 230 did not receive the reception we would have liked in House State Affairs committee, the Senate companion bill, SB 118, was passed out of Senate Labor & Commerce committee yesterday, April 2, and has been referred on to the Senate Resources committee. The bill was amended in committee to have a graduated tax assessment of 5 cents the first year, 10 cents the second year, and finally 15 cents the third year.
Unfortunately, there is little time remaining in the session for the bill to get through enough committees to get to a final vote of either legislative body, but we will likely be looking at the prospects of getting an early start on it next session.

The hearing in House State Affairs committee on HB 230 was cancelled because there were efforts underway to amend the bill in such a way that it would not be able to accomplish its purpose. It was felt that it would be best to send the bill through the Senate committees where it would retain its original form and purpose.

The gradual increase in fee price does not make sense and seems like political manuevering to not make the wave too big. If we are going to make a statement about consumer behavior, waste and litter then we should make a statement and not a half hearted whisper.

I hope Doll and Kerttula stick to their guns and not cave to political pressure to maintain the status quo.

Sympathy for Apathy

Gourevitch, Phillip and Morris, Errol. “Annals of War, Exposure, The Woman behind the camera at Abu Ghraib.” The New Yorker 24 March 2008. 2 April 2008 http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/03/24/080324fa_gourevitch?printable=true
The essay, “Annals of War, Exposure, The Woman behind the camera at Abu Ghraib,” tells the other side of the story of the military scandal at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. Providing detailed physical descriptions of Abu Ghraib prison and the circumstances that would precede Harman’s tour of duty there, the story is told through a soldiers view. It contains quotes from many other soldiers that show the extremities of the situation they were thrust into and their reactions to it. Using many of her own words to explain her experience at Abu Ghraib prison, the essay goes in depth to detail her background, motivations and reasoning for the photographs and tries to bring understanding to the reasons behind “beauty queen smile and thumbs up” pose in the horrible incriminating photos that would end in a dishonorable discharge and prison time.
The authors then comment on the issue of the photographs themselves and what they could mean or not mean and their insignificance in that the pictures “no value as a symbol.” The essay concludes with a critique and an analysis of the photo of Gilligan, a prisoner who was photographed: a “hooded man, in his blanket poncho, barefoot atop his box, arms outstretched, wires trailing from his fingers.”
The essay does manage to evoke some sympathy for Sabrina Harman in telling her story. However, any credibility to a claim for sympathy is dismissed when, with detached apathy and indifference to the reality of the photograph, they choose to critique and analyze the photograph as art.