August 4-10, 2005

mailbag

Letters to the Editor

by the Readers

Shock Therapy
This is one of the most unfortunate articles ["Shock and Awe," Mike Newall, July 14, 2005] on Iraq published by City Paper that I've read in a while. To begin, you embrace the Bush administration's slogan "shock and awe" (like the rest of the mainstream media has done). I guess it's fine to inform us that a Temple graduate is in Iraq to try Hussein. However, the cheerleading was not necessary. You should have raised some questions.

Under what authority does a U.S. lawyer or the Justice Department's Regime Crimes Liaison Office participate in the trial of a former president in a foreign country? He should be tried by Iraqis, not citizens from other countries. The "authority" the U.S. has in Iraq comes not from law, but from the use of force, illegally invading and occupying a country, and in the process, committing war crimes and crimes against humanity. We have an outlaw regime. We're also a "rogue state."

But if we are trying Hussein for the horrible atrocities committed by him, we should also include his accomplices. For example, all the Reaganites who supported him during his worst days by providing him with weapons, protection and money. Former government officials such as [Donald] Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, [Ronald] Reagan, [George H.W.] Bush, to mention a few, provided invaluable help to Hussein until the invasion of Kuwait. The crimes they are now denouncing were committed while they were assisting him.

Perhaps instead of spending more of our tax dollars, Mr. Flowers could raise these issues, as a U.S. citizen, and help bring these individuals to their long overdue day in court. Or perhaps he could assist us in preparing indictments against the current U.S. officials (Republicans and Democrats, not only Bush et al, but people like John Kerry and Hillary Clinton, who also voted for this war) for perpetrating or being complicit in war crimes, crimes against humanity and for the deaths of tens of thousands of Iraqis.

Shock and law? What law? The U.S. invasion/occupation of Iraq is illegal under international law. Did you forget that? We should start mending our mistakes, and paying reparations to Iraqis.
Carlos A. Morales-Mateluna
Bella Vista

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Bold Standard
It was refreshing to read Kevin Haney's Slant regarding the hypocrisy of the Catholic Standard and Times ["Rite and Wrong," July 21, 2005]. However, it is also important to take note that the Standard and Times is in the business of misleading its readers.

Susan Brinkmann wrote a series of articles in the CST called "Homosexuality: The Untold Story." In each part, she "tackles" some of the "misconceptions" about the origins of homosexuality. Like Haney mentioned, she creates a "kangaroo court" complete with unsubstantiated, lopsided "facts" from "experts," like a vigilantly anti-gay "psychologist."

I appreciate Haney taking the time to expose just one of the fake news stories that this paper projects to its readers, even if he is just preaching to the choir. Now if we could only get some of the CST's loyal readers to listen …
Karl Michelfelder
Center City