The Herald-Palladium Benton Harbor-St. Joseph, Mich. 4A TUESDAY, August 22, 2006 OPINION The Newspaper for Southwest Michigan Editorial Board I 'Tf it were, left to fri fjd fSii i me to decide whether we should have government without newspapers or DAVE BROWN Managing Editor STEVE JEWELL News Editor When will Bush face Iraq reality? President Bush is confident of ultimate success in Iraq, and he is patiently waiting for its achievement. I'm certain that unicorns exist, and I'm willing to hang around till they show up in my yard. We may both be deluded, but my delusion is a good deal less costly than his.
In the three and a half years we have been in Iraq, there have been few months worse than July. As someone said of the economy during the Carter administration, everything that should be going up is going down, and everything that should be going down is going up. The killing of al Qaeda leader Abu newspapers without government, I should not hesitate to prefer the latter' Thomas Jefferson DALE BREWER Editorial Page Editor Musao June was welcome but ineffective in curbing the violence. Last month was the most lethal one yet for ordinary Iraqis. Some 3,438 were killed, an increase of 9 percent from June.
Americans still feel the shock of the 911 attacks five years later, but Iraq has suffered the equiva Letters Steve Chapman Write us E-mail: lettersheraldpalladium.com Regular mail: Editorial Page Editor, The Herald-Palladium, P.O. Box 128, St. Joseph, Ml 49085 Fax: 269-429-4398 All letters should include a daytime telephone number and street address for verification. The Herald-Palladium reserves the right to edit letters for length, style, grammar, inappropriate content and libel. Anonymous letters will not be published.
The full policy on letters to the editor can be read on the Editorial page of our Web site, www.heraldpalladium.com IN OUR OPINION Hurricanes Doomsday predictions may be politically motivated Mother Nature, it turns out, isn't a political partisan. If she was, she wouldn't have rained on so many people's parades by keeping her stormy side at bay this summer. After Katrina hit New Orleans a year ago next week, hurricanes suddenly became a partisan issue. Because of FEMA's mistakes in providing relief to the battered Gulf region, the Bush administration rightly received a lot of criticism. But as usual, the president's critics overreached.
Before long, Bush wasn't just at fault for not responding to hurricane victims, he was to blame for the hurricanes themselves. Pseudo-scientists were all over the airwaves talking about how the busy 2006 hurricane season was caused by global warming, which, of course, they pointed out, was made worse by Bush administration policies. So you could almost sense the glee in the president's critics when experts predicted early this year another busy hurricane season. The media were falling all over themselves exploring the what-ifs. What if a major hurricane hit New York? What if New Orleans got hit again? What if there are more hurricanes this year than last year? What if the president gets all the blame? They forgot one.
What if the predictions are wrong? Which, so far, they are. There have been three tropical storms so far this hurricane season, which started June 1 There have been no hurricanes. Zero. And here, at least to Bush critics, is the surprising part: The reason for the calm Atlantic is cooler sea surface temperatures, which are running about normal this year, or maybe even slightly below normal. Last year they were well above normal.
Some scientists are saying this year's cooling is part of a pattern. It looks like global warming isn't going to destroy the planet in time for the congressional elections. This isn't to suggest that global warming isn't a potential problem. And it isn't a prediction that there won't be any hurricanes this season. There almost certainly will be.
But it does show how foolish it is to take a relative blip on the geological timeline and try to use it to indicate long-term global change. Especially when such predictions, made in the name of science, are actually done for the sake of politics. Harbor Shores a threat to Jean Klock Park Editor, I read with interest the Aug. 8 article headlined "Commission supports application for Harbor Shores road grant." Extending Graham Avenue west to connect with Riverview Drive would allow any visitors to the proposed Harbor Shores development, if coming from St. Joseph, to bypass businesses in downtown Benton Harbor, as would extending Klock Road east of North Shore Drive to Paw Paw Avenue to Waukonda to the airport.
Plus, none of these proposed road improvements would benefit visitors to Jean Klock Park, the beach area specifically. If these proposed road improvements won't benefit downtown Benton Harbor businesses or Jean Klock Park, why should local taxpayers be responsible for the All this aside, it has been my understanding that the 2003 court ruling and the vote of the Benton Harbor city commission on April 6, 2004, allowed only 4.04 acres vacated for development 27 upscale house and the remaining 86 acres to be dedicated for public beach and park purposes. Public -open to all; opened to common use. Harbor Shores' grandiose plans are for the 4.4 vacated acres plus the toxic acres "gifted" by Whirlpool, but the other 86 acres of Jean Klock Park, as I understand the court ruling, are off limits to Harbor Shores and belong to the public, not to the carpetbagger developers, unless their plan is to usurp the court order. If you would like to learn more about our treasured Jean Klock Park, and how you can help preserve it for our children's children, go to www.jeanklockpark.org.
Shirley Stinson Benton Harbor Bring back the House of David train Editor, I was so happy to see the picture of the train from the House of David in the July 21 Herald-Palladium. It brought back so many memories. My late husband and I took our children to the House of David just so they could ride the train and get an ice cream cone. My son would say to us, "Can we go to the House of Joseph (David) today?" We still laugh about this now that he is married and has a little girl. Seeing they are making a plan for a carousel and built a butterfly house in St.
Joseph, wouldn't it be wonderful to bring the train there, too. You would be bringing Benton Harbor and St. Joseph history together. Of course, you'd have to sell ice cream, too. It would bring so many folks in where they could bring their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
They could enjoy the fun that their children had, and it would bring in money. I do some home health care for dependent adults, and one of the ladies I care for used to ride the train so she wanted me to write the editor for her, also. Ellen Cooper Groves Stevensville The 'two Bills' pedal immorality Editor, The two Bills (Gates and Clinton) are on a crusade to stop the spread of AIDS by promoting safe sex. They do not seem to have the courage to promote sexual morality: one man with one woman for life. Of course, this would be offensive to some, but it would stop the spread of AIDS.
The greater influence one has means a greater accountability to God. When a person uses his life or influence to promote sexual immorality through safe sex, they are turning man against God and his word, condemning mankind to eternal damnation. To Gates and Clinton: If you believe in a God of morality, why not use your life or influence to share that God with mankind? If you believe in a god of immorality, you also stand guilty and condemned before a holy God, the creator. If the whole world endorses sexual immorality, that will not defer the justice or judgment of God. just and right is he." Deuteronomy, 32:4.
Kenneth Mundt Three Oaks Trash truck glitch delays SJ trolley Editor, On Wednesday, Aug. 9, my granddaughter Grace, 7, and I attended the Brown Bag concert in St. Joseph and totally enjoyed Richard Schwartz's music. I was pleased to see such a large, appreciative audience, including a lady in a wheelchair celebrating her 100th birthday. We then proceeded to the trolley ride nearby and boarded.
While awaiting its departure, the two horses were antsy and presented a problem to their handler. I overheard that a rubbish truck had caused a 10-minute stop en route, and that delay caused the horses' nervousness. It appears that this problem should not have happened, except for a mechanical breakdown, and with proper planning can be avoided in the future. I would hate to learn that the trolley rides were compromised by this incident. Grandchildren, now adults, and I have enjoyed these rides for many years.
Thanks to the sponsors andor taxpayers who make this possible. Cecilia Burke Seabury Covert Venetian Fest prices too high Editor, I noticed your paper on July 17 said that the hot weather kept Venetian Festival people away. I think what kept them away were the prices and the greedy Venetian committee changes. I did not go last year because it was too high. This year, they were even higher.
This event used to be free they say because the bands are more expensive. Then get somebody else. Pretty soon only the wealthy will be able to afford the festival. I know I am done going. Thank you, Venetian Festival committee, for outpricing what used to be our family fun weekend.
Roger Strimbu Three Oaks lent of three 911 attacks in the last three months. Many of the deaths stem from sectarian violence between Shiites and Sunnis, who are struggling for control of the country. But lately, it's not enough for one sect to fight another -Shiite militias in Basra, the second-largest city in Iraq, have taken to fighting among themselves as well. In recent months, the U.S. tried giving Iraqi security forces greater responsibility for Baghdad.
But the experiment proved such a debacle that the American military soon had to divert troops from other parts of the country to quell the violence. Troop withdrawals scheduled for later in the year were cancelled, and some soldiers who had just gotten home to Alaska's Fort Wainwright were ordered to turn around and go back to Iraq. Bush's policy is that as the Iraqis stand up, we will stand down. But what if the Iraqis never manage to get on their feet? For some months, the one positive thing you could say about Iraq's sectarian strife is that it diverted the bad guys from attacking Americans. But those happy times are gone.
Since January, reports The New York Times, attacks on American and Iraqi forces have doubled. In July, insurgents planted a record number of roadside bombs, the biggest killer of U.S. troops. Some people in the administration no longer strain to dispute reality. "The insurgency has gotten worse by almost all measures, with insurgent attacks at historically high levels," a senior Pentagon official confided to The Times.
"The insurgency has more public support and is demonstrably more capable in numbers of people active and in its ability to direct violence than at any point in time." We helped establish a government in the hope it could bring stability. But as Ronald Reagan might have put it, the government is not the solution -the government is the problem. Referring to sectarian fighting, U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said "there have been forces associated with people in the government from both the Shia and Sunni sides that have participated in this." A couple of weeks ago, two of the highest-ranking American generals conceded that things are unraveling. Joint Chiefs Chairman Peter Pace and Gen.
John Abizaid, commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East, told Congress that Iraq could fall into "civil war." That led to a great deal of arid debate on whether the current level of violence deserves that term. But it's not really crucial for American policy whether the situation amounts to a civil war. What's important is that it amounts to a failure. Since Saddam's fall, the administration has promised that staying the course would lead to victory: The insurgents would be vanquished, and a stable and democratic Iraq would emerge.
That day now looks more distant than ever. At this point, it should be obvious to all that, despite the countless tactical successes by our troops, we are losing this war and have no strategy to win it. To keep fighting is akin to placing more bets after you realize the roulette wheel is rigged. Supporters of the administration warn that if we leave now, things will get far worse. That may be.
But we are not going to remain in Iraq forever, and there is no reason to think the consequences of our departure will be any more grim three or five or 10 years from now than they would be today. We are not going to stay long enough to succeed in Iraq, and we have already stayed long enough to fail. Steve Chapman is a columnist for the Chicago Tribune. Critics of racism show inconsistency Cal Thomas the monkey run." The player was African American and some people tried to turn it into a bigoted statement, though an HBO special showed Cosell using the same phrase to refer to a white athlete. Speaking of Young's remarks, Rabbi Marvin Hier, dean and founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, said, "If anyone should know that these are words of bigotry, anti-Semitism and prejudice, it's him.
I know he apologized, but I would say this during his years as a leader of the national civil rights movement, if anyone would utter remarks like this about African Americans his voice would be the first to rise in indignation." If the mockers, bloggers and columnists who jumped on George Allen don't jump with at least equal fervor on Andrew Young, their political bias is showing. Maybe Allen (and Gibson) can send Young a sympathy card and wait to see if equal opportunity ridicule for Young shows up on Comedy Central. Cal Thomas is a columnist for Tribune Media Services. E-mail: CalCalThomas.com. Sen.
George Allen, was caught on tape referring to a campaign worker for his Democratic opponent, James Webb, as a "macaca." The campaign worker, S.R. Sidarth, is East Indian and it was quickly noted that the word "macaca" is considered a racial slur in some European countries. Macaques are monkeys and, thus, the derivative "macaca" is considered racially insensitive. Allen said he didn't mean to be offensive and was just joshing with the young man, but The Washington Post twice treated the incident as front-page news and one of their columnists, Eugene Robinson, unburdened himself in 770 words hinting, if not at Allen's supposed racial insensitivity, then his stupidity. The Daily Show produced a skit from the remark and the liberal Internet blogs have been making jokes at Allen's expense.
It will be interesting to watch the reaction of all of these to far more serious and undeniably racist remarks by an icon of the civil rights establishment, Andrew Young. very few black people own these stores." Young, who hit the trifecta of racial insensitivity offending three groups at once announced Aug. 18 he is resigning from his position because "I think I was on the verge of becoming part of the controversy and I didn't want to become a distraction from the main issues." Young claimed the report in the newspaper was "misread and misinterpreted." Unlike "macaca," these words don't have to be looked up to find the definition. What's to misread and misinterpret? Call it a Mel Gibson moment. Nobody ever means these things after they say them and are exposed.
It was the booze talking, or the guy was not in his right mind, or he was just making a joke. And then we usually get the all -encompassing and morally meaningless, "I apologize to anyone who might have been offended." Some years ago, ABC sportscaster Howard Cosell referred to a speedy running back that had just broken through the opponent's defensive line for a major gain. Excited by the performance of his athletic prowess, Cosell said, "Look at In an interview with the Los Angeles Sentinel, Young was asked if he has concerns about Wal-Mart closing down mom-and-pop stores. Young, who headed an outside support group called Working Families for Wal-Mart to help the discount chain improve its public image, responded, "Well, I think they should; they ran the mom-and-pop stores out of my neighborhood. But you see, these are the people (small stores) who have been overcharging us, selling us stale bread and bad meat and wilted vegetables.
And they sold out and moved to Florida. I think they've ripped off our communities enough. First it was Jews, then it was Koreans and now its Arabs;.
