ETS! encourages comments, feedback, tips, corrections, and info! Please keep them as concise as possible so we can print as many different voices as possible: ETS!, P.O. Box 85541, Seattle WA 98145, or e-mail ets@scn.org.

Err Support

Dear Political Cuisinartists,

I liked the bombing quote from General LeMay. Here's another one, suitable for "Newspeak," found in "The 776 Stupidest Things Ever Said." Government officials really know how to lecture to the press sometimes.

"You always write it's bombing, bombing, bombing. It's not bombing, it's air support." --Lt. Col. David Opfer, USAF (Air Attache for Cambodia, 1969.)

Bombs Away,

Tensor, Seattle

Crocodile Tears

Last month President Clinton formally apologized on behalf of the U.S. to surviving victims of the Tuskegee Syphillis Experiment and their families. I wrote a letter at that time upbraiding him, saying that with no criminal investigation for crimes agains t humanity on the part of doctors, nurses, and administrators, an apology was a worthless slap in the face for the purposes of feel-good public relations.

But Bill got a standing ovation for his gesture, and now wants to expand upon it. Hot on the heels of announcing a year-long series of town meetings by a seven-member brain trust, he is considering issuing a formal apology to Black Americans for slavery. Mr. Clinton has been steadfast in his refusal to even consider apologizing to Paula Jones, saying that it would not be right to say he's sorry for something he did not do. Is there something the American people should know regarding slavery and our Presid ent? Is he keeping Topsy chained to the bedpost?

I find it hard to believe Bill Clinton bears any more personal responsibility for slavery than he does for Arkansas' seccession during the Civil War. But there are other groups besides Black Americans who stand in need of a formal apology. The Japanese a re still waiting for the U.S. to apologize for dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. And Native Americans are certainly deserving of an apology, not to mention the Hawai'ian people.

And if an apology really is in order, Mr. Clinton needs to put his money where his mouth is. A seven member team to promote dialogue isn't it. In 1866, Congress reneged on the promise of 40 acres and a mule, but maybe now they should consider making good. If they were willing to take a pay cut, they may be able to substitute cash restitution to survivors and descendants of slaves, such as Germany has tried to do for Jewish people.

Mr. Clinton needs to take another long look at what is and is not important to the American people where racial division and healing are concerned. And if he's seriously sorry, then points 2 thru 5 and 7 thru 10 of the Black Panther Party's Ten Point Prog ram may be a good index of where to start.

We want freedom. We want the power to determine the destiny of our Black community.
We want full employment for our people.
We want an end to robbery by the CAPITALIST of our Black community.
We want decent housing, fit shelter for human beings.
We want education for our people that exposes the true nature of this decadent American society. We want education that teaches us our true history and our role in the present-day society.
We want all Black men to be exempt from military service.
We want an immediate end to POLICE BRUTALITY and MURDER of Black people.
We want freedom for all Black men held in federal, state, county, and city jails and prisons.
We want all Black people when brought to trial to be tried in a court by a jury of their peer group or people from their Black communities, as defined by the Constitution of the United States.
We want land, bread, housing, education, clothing, justice, and peace. And as our political objective, a United Nations-supervised plebiscite to be held throughout the Black colony in which only Black colonial subjects will be allowed to participate, for the purposes of determining the will of Black people as to their national destiny.

--Tom A., Tacoma

King County Must Be Free!

It's Tuesday, June 17th, the day of the stadium vote. I pick up my boss' copy of the Wall Street Journal and what do I read?

"Election monitors in Croatia said Sunday's vote, in which more than 61% of the ballots were won by President Tudjman, did not meet minimum democratic standards. The OSCE observers said the judgment was based on media favoritism, vastly unequal campaign r esources, disenfranchisement of Serbs and loose absentee-ballot rules."

Wow, I thought to myself. Maybe we can get some of them OSCE observers here in Seattle. Who do I call?

But it's too late, of course; the election's already almost over. I guess this is one more example of the "good ol' U.S.A." requiring foreign countries to abide by one set of rules while we reserve a different set for our own elections.

Still, maybe the citizens of Seattle could sue Paul Allen, Gary Locke, and the Washington State Legislature in the World Court?

--Stuart Pidasle, Seattle

Campusinos

Dear Eat the State:

In your piece about private prisons that move south of the border to cut costs, you mention Correctional Services Corporation of Sarasota, Florida. This company used to go by the name of Esmor, Inc., until an embarrassing riot at an immigrant holding ta nk in New Jersey brought about the name change. Correctional Services (formerly Esmor, Inc.) is the company that runs the immigrant "administrative detention facility" in downtown Seattle near the Kingdome.

CSI is also looking at building a new "campus" down in Auburn, a more convenient location for the late-night bus runs to Sea-Tac Airport that sends immigrants, without due process, back to the countries they came from. In order to build the new administra tive/detention/deportation complex, the company will have to first pave over some farmland.

The Auburn project would occur in Republican King County Councilman Chris Vance's district--don't expect any protests from him. The person to contact with concerns, questions, or rants is County Executive Ron Sims, at 296-4040, or ron.sims@metrokc.gov.

The website for Correctional Services is www.correctionalservices.com.