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Local Candidate’s Night Brings Community and Candidates Together

Over 50 GLBT and allied community members attended a Candidate’s Night on Thursday evening at the King Avenue United Methodist Church hosted by Stonewall CAN (Community Action Network), Stonewall Democrats of Central Ohio and the Log Cabin Republicans. Sixteen candidates and campaign representatives attended the forum and presented on various issues, including, discrimination against GLBT persons, domestic partner benefits and ensuring a safe environment for GLBT youth in Columbus public schools.

Edward Said dead at 66

A mighty and a passionate heart has ceased to beat.

            Edward Said died in a hospital in New York City Wednesday night at 6.30 p.m., felled at last by complications arising from the leukemia he fought so gamely ever since the early 1990s.

            We march through life buoyed by those comrades-in-arms we know to be marching with us, under the same banners, flying the same colors, sustained by the same hopes and convictions. They can be a thousand miles away; we may not have spoken to them in months; but their companionship is burned into our souls, and we are sustained by the knowledge that they are with us in the world.

            How many times, after a week, a month or more, I have reached him on the phone and within a second been lofted in my spirits, as we pressed through our updates: his trips, his triumphs, the insults sustained; the enemies rebuked and put to flight. Even in his pettiness he was magnificent, and as I would laugh at his fury at some squalid gibe hurled at him by an eighth-rate scrivener, he would clamber from the pedestal of martyrdom and laugh at himself.

Excellent article by Wasserman

I think he hit the nail on the head.  One small factual error, the Texas Senators fled to New Mexico not Arizona.  As a former Arizonan I would have been happy to host them though...

www.freepress.org/columns.php?strFunc=display&strID=761&strYear=2003&strAuthor=7

After reading Harvey's article in Common Dreams

Dear Harvey Wasserman,

Tyranny has always been the main stay of man's cultures and governments. I find it disappointing that you think the Democrats could do much better. The party has sold out to the multinationals just like the Republicans. Ever hear of virtual parliament? Money controls. I suppose the issues are more complex than we realize. I take the easy direct route. Mythology is the key to tyrants. Early on, man's man made god was the rich guy with a sacred connection. We have only layered upon that myth with more fantastic crap. Don't get me wrong though. I am not an atheist. Just know I don't worship the little manmade God. And don't forget the beginning of secret government with that marvelous creation the National Security Council.

Sincerely, David Gommel

'Wesley & Me': A Real-Life Docudrama

Here’s the real-life plot: A famous documentary filmmaker puts out a letter to a retired four-star general urging him to run for president. The essay quickly zooms through cyberspace and causes a big stir.

     For Michael Moore, the reaction is gratifying. Three days later, he thanks readers “for the astounding response to the Wesley Clark letter” and “for your kind comments to me.” But some of the reactions are more apoplectic than kind.

     Quite a few progressive activists are stunned, even infuriated, perhaps most of all by four words in Moore’s open letter to Gen. Clark: “And you oppose war.”

     The next sentence tries to back up the assertion: “You have said that war should always be the ‘last resort’ and that it is military men such as yourself who are the most for peace because it is YOU and your soldiers who have to do the dying.”

     But for some people who’ve greatly appreciated the insightful director of “Bowling for Columbine,” the claim is a real jaw-dropper. It could easily be refuted by mentioning a long list of names such as Colin Powell, Alexander Haig and William Westmoreland, along with John

Mourning Edward Said

Dear friends:

It is with great sadness that I mourn the death of the eminent scholar Professor Edward Said (see Associated Press story below).  Edward's work includes the seminal work on Orientalism which remains a classic text of comparative study of the Western works on the East.  Similarly his works exposing the mythologies of the Zionist enterprise have been nothing short of monumental.  He was truly a cultured man of many talents and expert knowledge in areas ranging from history, to culture, to music, to literature.  His quest for truth and his published work have had significant impact on the minds and hearts of millions of people.  Their impact will only increase over time as all of us, his students, colleagues and friends honor him by redoubling our efforts.

The last time I sat down with Edward for dinner was after his brilliant talk at Wesleyan University on 2/19/02 (many were turned back as the hall filled beyond capacity).  While he appeared frail then, I was inspired by his firm belief in the ultimate triumph of the human spirit over oppression and war.  I was even more inspired by his humility.  He

ADC Mourns Passing of Prof. Edward Said

Washington, DC, Sept. 25 - The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) today expressed its profound sadness at the death of Prof. Edward Said.  Said was one of the best-known and respected Arab Americans and a staunch friend and supporter of ADC.

ADC President Mary Rose Oakar said, "Edward Said was a giant figure in the Arab-American community, and for Arabs in the Middle East and across the world.  We relied heavily on his wisdom and guidance in our work here at ADC over the years, and counted on his invaluable counsel and support.  He is an irreplaceable treasure, and we shall miss him beyond measure. " Former Congresswoman Oakar concluded, "we extend our most heartfelt condolences to his family and friends, and especially to his wonderful wife Miriam who was a member of ADC's Board of Directors for many years. We want them to know that we, the community at large, and millions of people of conscience around the world join them in mourning the passing of a truly great and noble man."

Prof. Edward Said was University Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University in New York City.  He was the past

Defend a key clean air protection

The Bush administration is continuing to work with polluters on one of the broadest efforts to weaken our clean air protections in the history of the Clean Air Act. We expect that Congress will be making a number of crucial decisions on clean air in September and October.

One such decision is on the nation's 130 million "non-road" engines, which emit smog-forming nitrogen oxides and dangerous fine particulate soot, contributing to thousands of premature deaths each year.

At the request of engine manufacturer Briggs and Stratton, Sen. Kit Bond (MO) added an amendment to the EPA funding bill to prevent states from cleaning up "non-road" equipment. Briggs and Stratton told the Senate and press that the debate is about jobs, but the company told the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) in a Sept. 2003 report that it "does not believe" new clean air rules "will have a material effect on its financial condition or results of operations."

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A QUESTION ALMOST UNTHINKABLE

         I love this line of thinking. It is obvious from your article that President Bush was indeed responsible for these attacks on 9/11 and we should launch an immediate attack on the White House and destroy him before he destroys all of us. My gosh, how could I have not seen it before???? Thank you for enlightening me that the real terrorist is in the white house. I guess I just never seen him in his Third Reich uniform before. Boy, I sure am glad to know this. And I thought the Nazi's were defeated in the last century and I find out that they not only were not defeated, but are thriving in the white house.

JUST THE FACTS......

Molly's columns

Your writings are truly the voice of the people who care.  The people who abhor the shambles created by the republicans. Thanks for being there! And your writing style is great!!

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