Old Growth Extermination

HOW ISU AND BOISE KILL ENDANGERED FORESTS

It should not be surprising that corporate profits often take precedent over environmental protections in American society. Many Americans may not even be shocked to find out that endangered forests are destroyed at a rate of 2.47 acres per second, 214,000 acres per day, and 78 million acres per year. However, it would be foolish to assume that most Americans are aware of the extent of the problem concerning America's dwindling old-growth forests, which are nearly extinct after years of extensive timber industry logging.

Old growth forests are virgin forests that have not yet been corrupted by the logging industry. An old growth forest is described by the Rainforest Action Network (a group committed to preserving endangered forests) as any forest that is naturally regenerated, dominated by indigenous tree species, and relatively unmanaged by human hands. [Full Article]

Peace Rally:

A Speech Against War

Ramsey Clark, ex-Attorney General of the United States, has stated that we should impeach President Bush for his criminal acts. For me, the worst thing President Bush and his Administration have done is to frequently lie to the American people. Why would they do this? And why doesn't the media point out these obvious lies? Let me give you some examples. On September 12, 2001, President Bush promised not to rest until Osama bin Laden had been made to answer for his crimes. Where is Osama bin Laden now? It has been 17 months! When asked why didn't we stop this terrible catastrophe, President Bush replied, "Who would have ever thought that anyone would fly jets into buildings?" Who would have thought this?

How about the hundreds of Japanese kamikaze pilots of WWII or the dozens of Palestinian suicide bombers in Israel? For over 20 years, there have been intelligence reports on the Internet stating that Middle-Eastern terrorists have considered using commercial aircraft to fly suicide missions. [Full Article]

Tu est terroriste?

Pentecost vs. Western Ideology

Rarely do college theatres or professional theatres produce a play that challenges everything a society is taught to believe about other cultures of the world. Americans are taught to fear "terrorists" and pity people from impoverished, third world countries without understanding their culture.

Pentecost, written by David Edgar, responds to the pressing issues faced in southeastern Europe in the late 1990s and rings true today as American blindly accept war as the only option for defeating a country many cannot find on a map.

Pentecost takes place in an unnamed Balkan State after it has escaped 40 years of communist regime. Its economy is unstable and the region struggles to abide by the practices and expectations of the West. The action of the play follows the story of art historian Gabriella Pecs (Rebekah Cornelissen), who discovers a painting in an abandoned church that may change the entire history of art. [Full Article]

Coca-Cola, Plan Colombia,

Paramilitary Carnage & Your Tax Dollars

As Bush and his Cabinet threaten a pre-emptive strike on Iraq, our government's economically motivated foreign policy with regard to Latin America continues business-as-usual.

On Thursday February 13, Luis Adolfo Cardona delivered a talk entitled "Colombian Death Squads and Coca-Cola" as part of ISU's Global Review series. Through a skilled interpreter, he shared his distressing personal history as a long time worker and trade unionist at a Coca-Cola bottling plant in Colombia; he also discussed the connection between the United States' aid program Plan Colombia and right-wing paramilitary violence.

On December 5, 1996, a paramilitary group stormed the Coca-Cola bottling plant at which Cardona worked and killed one of the executive union members. Later that day, Cardona narrowly escaped being kidnapped, then fled town with reluctant police cooperation. That night, the union headquarters burned to the ground. Soon after, the plant's management, with paramilitary attendance, intimidated the remaining 43 union members at the plant into resigning. [Full Article]

10 Million Protest U.S. War Against Iraq

From Rome to London to New York to Antarctica, the People of the World Declared Their Opposition to War

Saturday, Feb. 15 marked some of the largest protests in world history, as nearly 500,000 rallied in New York City against U.S. war in Iraq.

In Illinois, about 6,000 protested in Chicago, while 320 held a march in Carbondale where former senator Paul Simon spoke out against war. Protests were also held in Urbana, Springfield, St. Louis, and several other local cities. A Feb. 14 rally at ISU attracted a crowd of nearly 200 (see page 8), followed by a march to Normal's Town Hall to demand passage of a resolution for peace. [Full Article]