Gospel according to John
The Lord has a way of revealing those of us who really know him, and those who don’t! Think about it! Bush gave a big speech last week about how his faith is so “important” to him. In this attempt to convince the American people that we should consider him for president, he announced that his favorite Bible verse is John 16:3. Of course the speechwriter meant John 3:16, but nobody in the Bush camp was familiar enough with scripture to catch the error. And do you know what John 16:3 says? John 16:3 says: “And they will do this because they have not known the Father nor Me.” The Holy Spirit works in strange ways. Pass it on. VOTE, VOTE, VOTE!!
Serena D. Bell, Via e-mail
Campaign of fear
The last presidential election was stolen. The next might very easily be canceled or “postponed,” especially if an “October surprise” happens by way of a new terrorist attack.
Bush and his selected cadre know things aren’t looking good for his re-election and have planned accordingly. It has been revealed that secret and not-so-secret meetings have been held to develop a contingent strategy to forego the scheduled election through an ongoing “campaign of fear” (reminiscent of Hitler’s method). This will insure the continuity of Bush rule in a wartime capacity.
Fortunately most people are wise to his schemes and underhandedness, but have no doubt, danger is lurking. Underhandedness and treachery are the hallmark of Bush and the Republican Party. If an opportunity presents itself, they will move to cement their power over the objections of the workers and middle class.
Throughout our country’s turbulent history — through strife, civil war and world wars, through depressions, calamities and assassinations — we have not canceled any major elections and now is definitely not the time to allow it to happen.
All progressive, democratically inclined people (and parties) must unite this time and soundly defeat the reactionary right-wing and restore in their place a new hope for true democratic rule.
Michael R. Langdon, Humboldt County CA
The author is chair of the Mother Jones Club/Humboldt Communist Alliance of the Communist Party USA.
False promises
I am a registered Republican. I have voted Republican since President Reagan got elected, and would continue to do so if after looking into my heart I could justify us going to war in Iraq. In Iraq we have oil — we have already pre-negotiated a price on Iraq by giving out contracts to our most corrupt contractors such as the bankrupt MCI, and of course our good friends at the Carlyle Group and Halliburton. I personally benefit from the tax cuts and the big business, but the kids that are out there dying for the false promises and the fake patriotic symbols that the Bush administration has created do not. Bush has shown the registered Republicans like myself that he has no conscience. I grew up in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, where half the kids where Black and the other half were Latino. In my junior high school my science teacher would tell us, “Only one out of 10 of you will make it to college. Most of you will end up in jail, on welfare, or dead.” This was the influence I grew up with, so please don’t tell me about knowing history. If it was not for outspoken individuals like a Rev. Al Sharpton or a Rev. Jesse Jackson or someone you may have forgotten to read about in history, Dr. Martin Luther King, you would still be riding in the back of the bus, or going to “Black-only” restaurants or coffee shops. Please do not ever be mistaken that the Republicans had anything to do with the equality of Blacks in this country. Even today as a Black person, a Latino, an Asian, you have to work twice as hard to be recognized for any position in this country.
Anthony Martinez, New York NY
Stories on Cuba
Thank you for the stories on Cuba. The article on the school for autistic kids was wonderful. (PWW 7/3-9 “58 students, 57 teachers: Cuba tackles autism” by Terrie Albano.) When my husband and I were in Cuba we visited a school for mentally retarded kids. It was both a beautiful and a heartbreaking experience. The comparisons that Albano made I remember making — except that I’m such a sentimental old thing I ended up unable to keep from crying. I couldn’t get my mind off the kids here with the same problems. They deserve the same care and concern — as do all children everywhere. The article will help make folks aware how much Cubans value their children. Cuban education and health care would undoubtedly be even better if not for the blockade.
Also the article on the Cuban Five and their families (PWW 7/17-23 “Heroes in the war against terrorism”) made a good point. Though people in Cuba are well aware of the situation, folks here aren’t. The article gives the case publicity it needs. The list of their addresses was good information; I hope people will write to them.
Keep up the good work.
Julia Lutsky, Queens NY
Photos wanted
I am working on a story on Hawks Nest Tunnel tragedy, 1930-33. Rinehart & Dennis Company, Charlottesville, Va., contracted from Union Carbide to build the almost 4-mile tunnel — it went through silica rock — an undetermined number of workers died.
Do y’all have any photos I could use? The first stories about Hawks Nest Tunnel were published in The Masses and Daily Press in 1934 or 35. A story was written by Albert Maltz, “Man on the Road”. Contact me at Lewis_betty @ hotmail.com.
Betty Dotson-Lewis, Via e-mail
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