The Clarion Issue

Consumer and conservation advocate, Ralph Nader, announced that he will once again seek the office of President of these United States in a televised interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on February 22, 2004. Nader indicated that he would seek the office as an Independent candidate even though he ran as the Green Party candidate in the 2000 presidential election. Nader captured almost 3% (2.7% to be exact) of the national vote and has been blamed by many for the loss of Democratic candidate, Al Gore, the incumbent vice president.

While the election machines of all political parties tune up for what promises to be the nation’s dirtiest election in several decades, Nader began his campaign as fodder for the Democratic leadership who labeled him a spoiler and his actions as personal arrogance and egotistical. Democratic National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe said, “You know, he's had a whole distinguished career, fighting for working families, and I would hate to see part of his legacy being that he got us eight years of George Bush.”

However, Nader, now aged 70, rejects the spoiler label as “contemptuous,” a term used by those who want to deny voters a choice. Nader says that Washington is a “corporate-occupied territory,” and he accused both Democrats and Republicans of being dominated by corporate lobbyists who care little about the needs of ordinary Americans. Nader replied to the Democratic charges by urging “ the liberal establishment to relax and rejoice. This is a campaign that strives to displace the present corporate regime of the Bush administration.” Nader also added, “I think this may be the only candidacy in our memory that is opposed by people who agree with us.”

Nader said he decided to run because both major political parties refused to address a list of issues that will form the basis of his campaign. These include a push for public financing of elections, a universal, single-payer health care system, fighting poverty, addressing environmental concerns, and revising the tax system to ensure wealthy citizens and corporations pay their fair share.

However, Nader is now a man without a party or significant financial resources. His failure to capture 5 percent of the vote in 2000 prevents him from receiving taxpayer funding in the general election. Without the support of an organized party, such as the Green Party in 2000, he faces a daunting task in simply getting his name on the ballot in all 50 states.

These, and other facts, are leading many political watchers to ask the question, “How serious is Ralph Nader about the 2004 election?” Many feel that Nader may not seriously try to get on the ballot in many states, especially the key states. Political analysts feel Nader may simply elect to be “the voice of one crying in the wilderness,” calling attention to many of his key issues and the Bush administration’s failure to act upon these issues. If Nader follows this path, he will heighten the nation’s awareness of many issues, especially environmental issues, which the Democratic candidates have failed to highlight during the primary season.

Nader and the American public realize that this election is a critical election. The outcome of this election will chart America’s economic, social, and international path for the next two decades, and many Americans feel less inclined to cast a protest vote against the two major parties as many of the 2.7% did in the 2000 election who voted “Green” for Ralph Nader.

The first major issue in this election will be the ‘War of Terror.’ Americans will have to evaluate the Bush administration’s response to 9/11. In the wake of the two wars, the Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan, Americans will be asked to balance the cost of the wars in both human and economic terms against the threat of world terrorism. Americans will also be asked to consider the Bush administration’s Patriot Act, one section of which has already been declared unconstitutional by the courts. In assessing the Patriot Act, Americans should weigh their willingness to surrender many personal freedoms including certain First, Forth, and Fifth Amendment rights, in order to forward the FBI, CIA, and the Department of Homeland Security’s ability to search and secure evidence against terrorist threats.

Another major issue in the 2004 election is American jobs. Over eight million American jobs have been lost over the last four years. Many of these jobs, including industrial, manufacturing, IT (computer technology), and service jobs, have gone overseas (commonly referred to as outsourcing) to parts of the world with cheaper labor markets. In January 2004, the Bush administration promised the creation of over 2.6 million jobs by the end of the year; however, the administration backed down from the 2.6 million figure by March of this year.

The Bush tax cuts have been a major source of criticism of the incumbent president over the last two years. A large number of Americans feel that the tax cuts have favored the wealthiest 3% of the country and have contributed to a rising deficit that is spiraling out of control. While traditional Republican ‘trickle down’ economics imply that tax cuts create new investments and jobs, many economists point out that the money is trickling out of the country into Asia and down to Mexico where labor is cheaper. This action is creating jobs overseas for foreign workers and no new jobs for Americans.

Social Security is always a major issue in any election. The tremendous deficit recently incurred by the Bush wars and the tax cuts has created a major crisis in the future funding of Social Security. Many ‘Baby Boomers’ are set to retire in the next 15 years leaving many retirees and future retirees asking, “Where will the money for retirement come from?” Alan Greenspan, chairman of the Federal Reserve appeared before Congress and testified that cuts will have to be made in individual retirement checks due to the escalating federal deficit.

Another concern is the rising cost of medication in America. In the new Medicare prescription drug plan passed by Congress at the behest of the Bush administration, the government promised not to bargain with the drug companies for cheaper bulk rates that would lower the cost of medications for the government and the elderly Medicare users. Congress also prohibited the reimportation of US made drugs from Canada where many medications can be purchased at a lower cost for the consumer. This action leaves many to ask if America allows the importation of cheaper Canadian timber, cattle, and automobiles, then why not import the less expensive Canadian medications?

Social issues will be another major concern in the upcoming presidential election. Stem cell research, abortion rights, and rights for homosexual relationships have surfaced as major concerns of the voting public in recent months. The Bush administration’s opposition to the expansion of stem cell research can possibly set back American research in many areas of organ development and treatment of degenerative diseases. The abortion issue is a major concern for certain advocates of women’s rights. Furthermore, President Bush has recently signaled that he will favor a Constitutional Amendment designed to limit marriage to a man and a woman. Regardless of an individual’s position on homosexual marriage, the US Constitution has never been amended to curtail an individual’s rights. Many Americans feel that the Constitution should only be amended to increase an individual’s rights, not to take them away.

Ralph Nader does not address many of these important issues in his campaign platform. Nader may get on the ballot in several “Green” states, and he may attract a small number of votes from disgruntled environmentalists and consumers. However, most political observers doubt that he will attract the large following he did in the 2000 election.

However, it is important that each American voter inform himself or herself about the issues and vote at every opportunity. Remember that the only wasted vote is the one that is not cast!

G-8 SUMMIT PROTESTERS VS THE SOUTHEAST GEORGIA SAND GNAT AND MORE
By Sam Merier

Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue’s dream is about to be realized. On June 8, 9,and 10, 2004, both worldwide attention and the unwanted attention that comes along with G-8 Summits will come to Southeast and Coastal Georgia. It is hoped an estimated $250 million to $500 million will be brought to the Georgia economy.

The history of the Group of Seven (G-7), which led to the formation of the Group of Eight, began in 1975 when the leaders of the largest industrialized democracies started meeting annually to discuss economic and political issues. The original members were France, West Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Canada joined in 1976.They became known as the Group of Seven (G-7). Since 1977 The President of the European Commission has also been represented at the Summit.

In 1994 Russia began to participate in the G-7 Summit. In 1997 Russia officially became a member of the Group of Eight (G-8). Russia does not participate in the financial and economic discussions and leaves those up to the other, original G-7 members.

For more detailed information on G-7 and G-8 please visit: The United States and the Group of Eight - Office of International Information found on the web at http://usinfo.state.gov/topical/econ/group8/g8what.htm

Along with the summit come the professional and amateur protesters of assorted groups and causes. While there are those who protest and demonstrate in a peaceful manner, the problems occur with the influx by those who seem to be anarchists and want nothing but conflict and cause millions and millions of dollars of damage and destruction. Such was the case during recent G-8 protests in France and Switzerland, and there was even one death in Milan, Italy, at a prior summit in 2001. Also during World Trade Organization (WTO) Summit in Seattle violence escalated, cars were overturned, windows were smashed, and shops and property destroyed. Trash cans and newspaper boxes became weapons of destruction. Many of the WTO protesters follow and protest at the G-8 Summits. The peaceful protesters often become pawns of the anarchists by being caught in the middle and being blamed by association at the protest. These are the protesters that often get injured by being in the middle and have no where to escape from such vile and despicable senseless violence and destruction.

There is no reason for the damage other than the sheer sake of wanton destruction. The vast majority of protesters want nothing to do with the damage. The damage harms their image and whatever the cause is they are trying to advocate using their First Amendment Rights.

Thankfully for the South Georgia area where the Clarion Issue is based, but not so good for Savannah, the premier city of Georgia, the protesters will contain most of their activities there. However, they are impacting the coast from South Carolina to Jacksonville, Fla.

Without giving them any free publicity they are having “Non-violence training, activist skill shares:” (or perhaps better called “a mini-boot camp on how to protest” or some such). The protest activities being planned for the G-8 include: “Coastal Bike rides to summit activities, from Atlanta, Athens, South Carolina, and Florida to Brunswick,” (talk about more traffic headaches!!!) and “Peace Walks from Atlanta and Jacksonville, Fla. to Brunswick.” All this and more is being planned to protest the G-8 and make life more inconvenient for everyday life in and around the area of the summit.

Now many of the protesters and people are from elsewhere and have never heard of sand gnats. They also think they can deal with their image of the “dumb rednecks.” Among others we have “High Tech Rednecks” and virtually all know how to handle themselves in one way or another. While not all protesters or visitors have this image of South Georgia’s population, it is a rather common misconception.

There have been unverified complaints and allegations of hotels in Savannah, and in Brunswick (I have not heard about Camden County or Jacksonville or in any other areas, being affected) being booked up by the government for the dates before, through, and after the G-8 Summit. Well it is one way of limiting the damage being done and is no doubt cheaper to secure the rooms in such manner and safer for everyone involved if this rumor is true.

Georgia will also rely on the Georgia State Patrol (a.k.a. the GSP or God’s Special People) as well as numerous local law enforcement and federal agencies. Law enforcement agents are being given special training in dealing with protests including riot control and anti terrorist procedures. Authorities are sure the law enforcement agencies will be ready for the G-8 summit.

Evidently the protesters will be staying in campgrounds or friends homes. Ask any resident about the Georgia heat and humidity. South Georgia also has daily “THUNDER BOOMERS” or “FROG STRANGLERS” that can visit anytime between the hours of 2-7 p.m.

Several species of rattlesnakes, cottonmouths, and alligators are out and about all through the summer, especially along the roads that will be taken and in the campgrounds that will be used by the peace walkers and bicycle riders. There are also many other indigenous life forms here in “the land of the flying teeth.” The first are the yellow jackets. (It is not the Ga. Tech mascot because it is a wimp, especially when there are a heap of ‘em.) There are assorted wasps and bees. Then we have mosquitoes that carry equine encephalitis and now West Nile Virus. South Georgia also has lyme and other tick borne diseases, and plenty of pesky deer flies, yellow flies, and black flies. We have many species of ants, including fire ants that are guaranteed to spoil any roadside or campground picnic.

Oh, I left off one little tiny item. It is about the size of the head of pin, the Southeast Georgia sand gnat. They are a protected species and are part of the area’s natural self-defense activation system.

Rumor Control Central has it all stocks of insect repellents and 3S are being procured at alarming rates, and locals are going to make a killing off of selling it to the reporters and anyone else. The anarchists will get a special mixture of attractant at triple or more the going rate. The “guests” won’t consider it scalping when the sand gnats get to them; they will gladly pay any price.

Currently there is a proposal between the entire Clarion Issue staff, including Cluny, to go to the local watering establishment and hide till the feeding frenzy is over and have our own G-8 summit involving Guinness or whatever adult libations we can consider that start with “G.” You are welcome to join us and we will report the entire G-8 summit, protest and all, using live feed from CBS, NBC, FOX, and CNN. Our coverage is sure to be as accurate as the plagiarized and falsified coverage found in the New York Times or USA Today, and we will avoid the sand gnats, rattlesnakes, fire ants, anarchists, and pepper spray.

It will soon be here folks. The G-8 Summit and Protesters vs. the Southeast Georgia Sand Gnat, Heat Humidity, Rednecks, Rattlesnakes, Alligators and other indigenous life forms including the hospitality Georgia is known for. Las Vegas is giving 5 to 1 on indigenous Georgia. It’s a good bet; not even Sherman had the audacity to burn Savannah.

A NEW YEAR AT DISNEY WORLD

By David S. Pearson

New Years Eve and New Years Day, 2004, were record setting attendance days for Disney World in Orlando, Florida. New Years Eve set an attendance and early closing of the park record for the world famous attraction; by 11am the park was full and Disney did not allow any more tourists inside. Over the last ten years, the Disney Company has received a lot of criticism from almost every aspect of American society. Financial planners who once loved Disney stock have now shunned it for its apparent stunted growth. The “moral majority” sponsored boycotts for allegations the company promotes immoral lifestyles. Southern patriots accuse the park of being too politically correct for removing Song of the South from production, and coalitions for minorities accuse Disney of negative stereotyping in their movies. None of these issues, however, seemed to discourage the record New Year crowd and, perhaps, most of the criticism has been shown to be untrue.

By 11 a.m. on December 31st,the Magic Kingdom had closed its doors to long lines of people and cars still trying to gain admittance to the park. The park was full, having allowed one million people to enter. Other parks were not full so, perhaps as a consolation, people got to go to MGM/Disney, Animal Kingdom, or Epcot. For New Years Eve the parks were open until 1am.

In the late 80’s and early 90’s, Disney appeared to be on its way to financial problems. Having posted very low profits for several years the company was criticized for over-expanding into Euro-Disney, more adult oriented film productions, a cruise line, and additional theme parks and theme resorts. Within a few years the company was again doing well, having marketed their new products and attracting visitors willing to pay more to be near their theme oriented entertainment.

Disney then came under fire for a variety of events that make it appear that the company promoted a “gay” lifestyle. First, they allowed employees with same sex partners to add these partners to their benefits. Second, there is a “Gay Day” at the theme park. Actually Disney has little to do with “Gay Day.” The event is planned and sponsored by several homosexual activists groups. This event is held during the summer.

Several right-wing Southern patriot groups accuse Disney of removing all vestiges of Song of the South because the movie promotes aspects of southern culture, and there is a vast conspiracy to destroy Southern culture. The truth is there are a lot of Disney movies out of circulation. The theme song from Song of the South is in fact played at the entrance to the park.

Conversely, the movie production company is accused of promoting racist and sexual stereotypes by an abundance of over-sensitive, negative, and hyper-critical special interest groups. For instance, the jackals in the Lion King are alleged to stereotype inner-city gang children. Other characters are said to unfairly cast Arab males, Mexicans, and females in negative roles.

Nevertheless, people flock to Disney theme parks. One reason may be that the parks are an international tourist destination. People come from all over the world to rub elbows with the famous characters from the popular movies.

The Park has made some significant changes over the years. Although lines and crowds remain, most of the waiting is done in a shelter with other forms of entertainment to pass the visitor’s time. There are signs that keep you updated as to how long you will wait for the ride, and there is a mechanism to reserve a place on a popular ride called the “fast pass.” The fast pass allows you to do something else until a certain time when you can return and go to the ride with only a few moments wait.

The park also keeps up with the newer and more popular movies. They will change the name and décor of some rides for children to coincide with their recent movies. The live plays and performances also keep up with the newer programs.

For a trip to Disney, plan to arrive when the park opens. You will get in more quickly and can get on your favorite rides immediately. Expect to pay about 30% more than usual for food and drinks in the parks. Most of the venders have the usual ball-game types of food, but there are a few restaurants with more variety on their menus. If you want to buy souvenirs of your visit, save those for on your way out so you do not have to carry them around all day. If you are not a theme park kind of guy, find some other distraction to entertain yourself. Laugh at the families tugging their tired young children through the park. Enjoy your family enjoying the park. Look at the people who are enjoying themselves. And lastly, remember the park will eventually close for the day!

A senior citizen in Florida bought a brand new Mercedes convertible. He took off down the road, flooring it to 80 mph and enjoying the wind blowing through what little hair he had left on his head. "This is great," he thought as he roared down I-75. He pushed the pedal to the metal even more. Then he looked in his rear view mirror and saw a highway patrol Florida State trooper behind him, blue lights flashing and siren blaring. "I can get away from him with no problem" thought the man, and he tromped it some more and flew down the road at over 100-mph, then 110-mph, and finally he reached 120-mph.

Then he thought, "What am I doing? I'm too old for this kind of thing." He pulled over to the side of the road and waited for the trooper to catch up with him.

The trooper pulled in behind the Mercedes and walked up to the man. "Sir," he said, looking at his watch. "My shift ends in 30 minutes and today is Friday. If you can give me a reason why you were speeding that I've never heard before, I'll let you go."

The man looked at the trooper and said, "Years ago my wife ran off with a Florida State trooper,

An officer in the US Naval Reserve was attending a conference that included admirals from both the US Navy and the French Navy. At a cocktail reception, he found himself in a small group that included personnel from both navies.

The French admiral started complaining that whereas Europeans learned many languages, Americans learned only English. He then asked, "Why is it that we have to speak English in these conferences rather than you speak French?"

Without hesitation, the American Admiral replied, "Maybe it's because the Brits, Canadians, Aussies, and the Americans have arranged it so you would not have to speak German."

Two vultures boarded a plane, each carrying two dead opossums. The stewardess stops them and says, “Sorry sir, only one carrion per passenger.”

“This is the 15th cabinet meeting we’ve had since we were sworn in. I appreciate each of you working so hard on behalf of the American people.”

SPEAKIN' SOUTHERN, ADDITIONS TO YOUR SOUTHERN VOCABULARY
A SOUTHERN LOOK AT PRIMARYS

Pry/mary (primary): An election to see which el/e/fant (elephant) or jackass will represent the party in the gen’ral election.

Re/pub/lee/con (Republican): A rich feller with big ears like an el/e/fant. He’ll usually ride to them ‘er polls in a mer/se/dees (Mercedes, called mer/se/dees by southerners who look at the coupon books for the car pay/munts (payments) and exclaim “Lordy mercy, look at all dees coupons!) to cast his vote during his two-hour, three mar/teen/nee (martini) lunch.

In/de/pen/dunt: Some one without enough sense to know what party he supports or a candidate who does not know what party he belongs to.

Ralph Naur (Nader): Some feller who used to warn ya about cars and frig/u/laters (refrigerators) but now he thinks he can be Pres/i/dunt.

Dom Quix/it (Don Quixote): A feller in a novel by that thar Cervantes feller who likes lost causes. He’s not to be confused with Wiley Coyote or Jeff Davis.

Slim: We’ll how ‘bout that Edwards Feller. He was ah born in South Calinah and he’s from Nawth Calinah.
Skeeter: Yeah, but he’s one of them thar lawyer fellers. He’ll rob us blind.

Skeeter: He’s in the wrong party. His ears is so big, he sorta looks like an elefant.

Slim: Ya know skeeter, this votin’ stuff was a lot easier when the jackass was on the ballot.

Goober: Naw Bubba, I ain’t. He’s just a Dom Quixit a tiltin’ at windmills.

Goober: Bubba, don’t go a showing yo’ ig/ner/ance (ignorance)! Dom Quixit is Spanish ya know! Besides, Naur’s now an independunt. I liked him better when he was with the Green Party. Ya know, them people who believed in exploring Mars and a looking for them little green men.

BUBBA, “THE LOVE SPONGE” WRUNG OUT AND LEFT TO DRY IN THE SUNSHINE STATE

Florida “shock jock” known as “Bubba the Love Sponge” was fired by Clear Channel in late February for airing indecent material over the airwaves. Clear Channel president John Hogan indicated that the company decided to fire the popular radio talk show host after deciding his raunchy show didn’t fit its standards. “Bubba the Love Sponge” was Todd Clem before he legally changed it to his radio moniker.

In January, the Federal Communications Commission proposed a $755,000 fine against Clear Channel, the largest operator of radio stations in the United States with over 1200 stations, because of sexual material broadcast during a “Bubba the Love Sponge” program on WXTB-FM in Tampa and three other Florida radio stations. In proposing the fine, the FCC said the programming had involved the cartoon characters Alvin the chipmunk, George Jetson, and Scooby Doo discussing sexual activities and had been meant to pander to, titillate and shock listeners. The segment ran 26 times and the commission proposed fining Clear Channel the maximum $27,500 for each airing, or $715,000, the single largest fine ever proposed for indecency. Clear Channel, the nation's largest radio chain, also was fined $40,000 because of record-keeping violations at the stations. Clear Channel issued a written statement saying, “We recognize the importance of understanding and airing content that is consistent with the standards and sensibilities of the local communities that we serve.”

“Bubba the Love Sponge,” was fined $23,000 by the FCC in 1998 for airing indecent material. Two years ago, he was acquitted of animal cruelty charges after a pig was castrated and killed during one of his broadcasts. The “Bubba” program had been ranked first in its morning broadcasting slot among younger Florida listeners.

Clear Channel’s axing of “Bubba the Love Sponge” is part of the recent backlash against questionable and raunchy programming stemming from the flack over the Super Bowl halftime show where Justin Timberlake exposed one of Janet Jackson’s breasts during a “costume malfunction.” This “exposure” has caused a major public uproar over indecency over the airwaves and put the FCC into high gear in enforcing the decency clause of the law. While the FCC admitted that enforcement had been lax over the last several years, they indicated that the “pendulum of public opinion was starting to swing in the other direction” in regards to radio and public TV broadcasts.

Another victim of Clear Channel’s airwaves clean up act was New York City “shock jock” Howard Stern. Stern’s show was dumped by Clear Channel Communications, which carries his syndicated show in six US markets, over a segment of the show on Tuesday, February 27. The Stern incident occurred during on-air banter with Rick Salomon, whose claim to fame is a widely distributed tape of him having sex with reality TV star Paris Hilton. During the interview a caller used offensive language while asking Salomon if he had ever had sex with a famous black woman.

Stern blamed the disciplinary move on a conservative backlash over Janet Jackson's exposing her breast during a halftime show at the football Super Bowl on February 1, which was broadcast live. Stern also faulted a radio station general manager for not hitting the delete button to stop the words being transmitted.

Clear Channel executives indicated that the remarks were “vulgar, offensive and insulting, not just to women and African Americans but to anyone with a sense of common decency," The radio giant also complained that Stern asked Salomon about anal sex and the size of his penis. Stern thumbed his nose at that complaint by replaying that part of the Salomon interview on the air.

According to Stern “I'm under attack. They've been after me since 1992, and they're having their way with me. Then Janet Jackson whipped out her boob and it's all over.”

On ‘Super Tuesday’ 2004, Georgia voters overwhelmingly voted to replace the 2001 Georgia Flag, commonly referred to as the “Barnes’ Rag,” with the new flag proposed in 2003 at the request of Republican Governor Sonny Perdue. The new banner received about 75% of the vote.

The new flag features the State seal in a blue field, surrounded by 13 stars. The main body of the flag consists of three large stripes: red, white, and red. The words “In God We Trust,” originally placed on the banner, have been omitted from the flag.

The flag is reminiscent of the First National Flag of the Confederacy but seems not to carry the stigma of the Confederate Battle Flag, which has been associated with segregation and various hate groups. The Clarion Issue hopes that this vote and this flag will settle the Georgia Flag issue once and for all and the state can move on to other more pressing issues.

People in Florida sure love their gators. On March 9, 2004, middle and high school students were riding home from school when they spotted a 4-foot alligator crossing the road in Pasco County when they talked the bus driver into stopping the bus. They were then allowed off the school bus to catch the gator and take it home.

While none of the 11 students on the bus were injured, state wildlife officials and the Pasco County State Attorney's Office are investigating the bus driver. “If the facts I'm hearing are true, then at the least she used some of the worst judgment someone could use in endangering kids,” Pasco school superintendent John Long said Sherry Hattaway, 41, has been on paid leave since the Thursday incident. The alligator was fine when the father of two of the boys released it into the nearby Withlacoochee River.

The alligator was spotted as it crossed the road in front of the bus, said passenger Wilfredo Santiago, 14, who asked the driver to stop. At first she refused, but a group of boys talked her into letting them off the bus. Four boys found the alligator hiding in a hole and used sticks to prod the animal out. A fifth student gave them a roll of electrical tape from the bus to bind the alligator's jaws. The gator was hauled onto the bus and off again at the home of two boys. Their father Jimmy Scroggins came home to find a crowd of kids around the calm alligator. He then took the alligator to the river and released it.

Scroggins said that while he didn't condone his children's actions, he was more befuddled by the driver's. He said, “Kids are going to do what kids are going to do. But there was a consenting adult involved.”

Hattaway has an unmarred driving history, according to district personnel files and state driving records. Job references said she was good and excellent with children. Six evaluations gave her consistent satisfactory ratings,including positive ratings for bus discipline and reliability.

Georgia State Senator Renee Unterman (R-Loganville, Ga.) has sponsored a bill to prohibit the practice of female circumcision in Georgia. The law is based on a Gwinnett county child cruelty case involving the child’s father, an Ethiopian immigrant. The practice, common in many areas of Africa and the Middle East, is also known as female genital mutilation.

In March 2003, Khald Adem, a 27-year-old Ethiopian immigrant, was arrested for allegedly circumcising his young daughter with a pair of scissors in 2001. Adem is charged with cruelty to children and aggravated battery because there is no law banning female circumcision in the State of Georgia. Gwinnett Co. District Attorney Danny Porter said the law change may not help this case, which has not yet been brought to trial, but it will help if any other cases come up. He also added, “It is clearly making it a violation of the law rather than trying to squeeze it in under child cruelty. It also removes the cultural and religious beliefs as a defense. The law is worth passing for that.”

According to Senator Unterman, “When I became aware that this is a problem not only worldwide but here in this country, including Georgia, I knew I had to act.” The bill is named the Amirah Joyce Adem Act after the victim. Unterman said she got the permission of the child’s mother before she named the bill. The mother, now divorced from the father, indicated that he performed the circumcision without her knowledge and only discussed it with her after the fact.

While leaders of the Ethiopian immigrant community in the greater Atlanta area disavowed any knowledge of the procedure, federal, state, and local authorities admit that the practice occurs in the US and Georgia immigrant communities much more often than it is reported. Unterman indicated that, “Hopefully, this will put the refugee community on notice that this is unacceptable behavior here in Georgia. This is a disgusting practice and has no place here in this country.”

Female genital mutilation is the act of amputating a young girl’s clitoris and, in some cases, the sewing shut of the girl’s vagina, leaving a small hole for urine and menstrual flow. In the majority of cases, no anesthetic is used. Since it is illegal in many states, the operation never occurs in a hospital and is usually performed by individuals outside the medical profession. If the bill is passed by the General Assembly and signed by the governor, Georgia will be the 17th state to out law the practice.

Amnesty International, the World Health Organization and the United Nations Human Relations Commission have condemned the practice as “one of the most widespread and systematic violations of the human rights of women and girls.” Recent studies indicate that over 6,000 girls undergo the procedure each day in various parts of the world. Many young girls bleed to death during the mutation or die from shock. In some areas the circumcision is a female “right of passage.” There are estimates that about 115 million African women are survivors of female genital mutilation and 200,000 survivors live in the United States.

The Nation Back to Top
BUSH ADMINISTRATION LABELS TEACHERS ORGANIZATION AS A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION

President Bush’s Education Secretary Rod Paige called the nation's largest teachers union a “terrorist organization” during a private White House meeting with governors on February 23, 2004. Both Democratic and Republican governors confirmed Paige’s remarks about the National Education Association (NEA), a 2.7-million-member Professional Organization representing many of the hard working teachers across the United States. Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle of Wisconsin made sure the nation got the quote correctly when he said, “These were the words, ‘The NEA is a terrorist organization.’”

The statement referred Sec. Paige's Education Department attempts to enforce Bush’s “No Child Left Behind” Act, commonly called the “No Child Left Untested” Act by educators around the nation, a law that amounts to the biggest change in federal education policy in a generation. He has made no attempt to hide his frustration with the NEA, which has long supported Democratic presidential candidates and has vehemently opposed the Bush education act.

Sec. Paige’s comment failed to include the legislators of several states, including Idaho, Utah, and Virginia, that have recently considered non-enforcement of much of the “No Child Left Behind” Act on the Administration’s new terrorist list. These and other states have found it impossible to comply with the Federal Act due to the fact that the Bush Administration has failed to fully fund the act. Sec. Paige failed to mention that the lack of funding for the act, which requires extensive and expensive testing of America’s school children, is one reason the NEA has been critical of the Act.

When asked if he would apologize for the statement Paige issued a “non-apology, apology.” The Sec. of Education said, “Well, I'm saying that I'm sorry I said it, yeah.” He went on to say he had chosen the wrong words to describe “the obstructionist scare tactics” of NEA lobbyists.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan tried to put a positive spin on the statement saying: “The comment was inappropriate and the secretary recognized it was inappropriate and quickly apologized.” McClellan did not indicate that President Bush or the administration disagreed with the statement in any fashion.

NEA President Reg Weaver said Paige’s comment was “pathetic and they are not a laughing matter.” The NEA has indicated that it plans to sue the Bush administration over lack of funding for demands included in the “No Child Left Behind” school law.

Terry McAuliffe, chairman of the Democratic National Committee put it in stronger terms, accusing Paige of resorting “to the most vile and disgusting form of hate speech, comparing those who teach America's children to terrorists.” The NEA spends roughly $1 million a year lobbying in Washington. It is also a big political donor to Democrats. In the last presidential election the NEA and its political action committee donated $3.1 million to federal candidates and national party committees, with about $9 of every $10 going to Democrats.

The Governors who were present at the meeting were astounded at Paige’s comment. Education has been a top issue for the governors, who have sought more flexibility from the administration on Bush's “No Child Left Behind” law, which seeks to improve school performance in part by allowing parents to move their children from poorly performing schools.

When asked about how he felt about the remark by Sec. Paige, one NEA member replied, “It’s just one more example of how Bush and his cronies hold the American working class in contempt. It would not surprise me if the administration was trying to find a way to outsource public school teacher’s jobs to India so educational money could go to rich Ivy League private schools in order to widen the educational gap between the working class and the wealthy in America.”

Another teacher, not a member of NEA, indicated that he had no idea about what Sec. Paige was referring to in his statement. The teacher said, “The only terrorist activity NEA engages in is the cost of their dues!”

The Clarion Issue also wants to dispel the rumor that the Bush Administration has plans to search all the filing cabinets of all NEA members searching for weapons of mass destruction that may have been smuggled out of Iraq and hidden in American schools.

Not really. The last time such a headline seriously appeared in an American newspaper it was probably referring to Southern Democrats like John C. Calhoun of South Carolina threatening to nullify the Tariff of Abomination (1828). Or, South Carolina and other southern state’s secession from the federal union in 1860-61 to form the Confederate States of America in the wake of Abraham Lincoln’s election as president.

Way down south in the land of cotton these old times are not forgotten even if Super Tuesday’s vote may have permanently removed the “rebel” banner from Georgia’s official state flag. However, in states and former territories that flew the Stars and Stripes in the Civil War, such as Utah and Vermont, the rebel spirit is not only remembered, it has risen again.

Webster’s dictionary defines nullification as “to deprive of legal force or effect; make void.” Secession is defined as “the act of seceding’. e.g. The withdrawal of the southern states from the union in 1860-1861. Now flash to the present.

The Republican-controlled Utah House recently voted 64-8 not to comply with (nullify) any provisions of the 2002 No Child Left Behind Act for which the federal government has not provided enough funds. Following Utah’s lead about a dozen states from coast to coast including Virginia, Hawaii, New Hampshire, Arizona, New Mexico, and Vermont are rebelling against President Bush’s centerpiece education law.

Speaking of Vermont, the citizens of the ski resort town of Killington recently rebelled against a sharp increase in property taxes and voted (by a 2/3 majority) to secede from the state and join neighboring New Hampshire 25 miles to the east. In order to avoid being isolated from New Hampshire the residents of Killington are encouraging the towns between them and the state line to secede also.

Save your confederate money boys, it may become useful on your next ski trip to Utah or Vermont.

The World

TALKING PARROTS HAVE BRITS BAFFLED

The discovery of N’kisi, a parrot with an unparalleled power to communicate, has brought scientists up short and reserved him a feature spot in the latest BBC Wildlife Magazine.

N’kisi is a captive African grey parrot that has a vocabulary of 950 words, and even shows signs of a sense of humor. N'kisi is believed to be one of the most advanced users of human language in the animal world. He can invent his own words and phrases if he is confronted with new ideas with which his existing repertoire cannot cope.

N’kisi can use words in context, with past, present and future tenses, and is often inventive. One N'kisi-ism was “flied” for “flew,” and N’kisi refers to his owner’s aromatherapy oils as “pretty smell medicine.” When he first met the world renowned chimpanzee expert, Dr. Jane Goodall, N'kisi said “Got a chimp?” after seeing her in a picture with apes.

Dr. Goodall says N'kisi's verbal fireworks are an “outstanding example of interspecies communication.” In an experiment, the bird and his owner, a New York based artist, were put in separate rooms and filmed as the artist opened random envelopes containing picture cards. Analysis showed the parrot had used appropriate keywords three times more often than would be likely by chance.

Other experts agree with Goodall. When N'kisi saw a card of a man with a telephone the parrot asked, “What ya doing on the phone?” and when he saw a card with a couple embracing he asked, “Can I give you a hug?” Professor Donald Broom, of the University of Cambridge's School of Veterinary Medicine, said “The more we look at the cognitive abilities of animals, the more advanced they appear, and the biggest leap of all has been with parrots.”

N’kisi definitely has a sense of humor. A good example of the bird’s wit occurred when another parrot hung upside down from its perch and N’kisi commented, “You got to put this bird on the camera.”

Alison Hales of the World Parrot Trust told BBC News Online that, “N'kisi's amazing vocabulary and sense of humor should make everyone who has a pet parrot consider whether they are meeting its needs. They may not be able to ask directly, but parrots are long-lived, and a bit of research now could mean an improved quality of life for years.”

A good example of a long-lived parrot is Charlie the Parrot, a 104-year-old macaw parrot believed by many to have once belonged to Winston Churchill at the time he was Prime Minister during World War II.

Charlie, a female parrot, still shouts expletives such as “F*** Hitler” and “F*** the Nazis.” The fact that Charlie does so while using that unmistakable Chuchillian inflection has caused many people to believe the claims of Peter Oram, the bird’s current owner, that the parrot once belonged to this great leader of the free world during one of its darkest hours.

Charlie is spending his twilight years in a garden center in Surrey. Oram claims his father-in-law, Percy Dabner, sold Charlie to the Churchill in 1937 and then took the bird back after the former Prime Minister’s death in 1965. Charlie earns his keep at the Heathfield Nurseries, in Reigate, by entertaining customers with a string of obscene anti-Nazi tirades that Oram says Charlie picked up from Churchill.

The Churchill family has questioned Mr. Oram's story and historians have said they are unsure if the leader ever owned a parrot. In a radio interview, Churchill’s daughter, now into her 80s, indicated that she did not recall her father owning such a parrot. Staff at the National Trust's Chartwell property, Churchill's former country home in Kent, said they had conducted a thorough search of records and photographs but could find no evidence of him ever owning a parrot.

Judith Seaward, marketing manager at Chartwell, said: "We really looked and looked and know he had a budgerigar and all sorts of other animals.” She also noted “He loved animals, he had dogs, cats, pigs - but there's no record of a parrot.”

While experts have dismissed the claim that a 104-year-old foul-mouthed parrot once belonged to the wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill, the staff at the Heathfield Nurseries are standing by the parrot and Peter Oram’s story. The Clarion Issue feels that the best way to solve the issue once and for all is to simply ask Charlie. If she responds with “F*** the experts,” we would definitely know the parrot belonged to Churchill!

Surely this is Charlie’s “finest hour.”

GERMAN CANNIBAL TRIAL COMES TO AN END

After a bazaar two-month trial that gripped both Germany and the world with gory details of murder, cut up body parts, trolling the internet for victims, and cannibalism, a German judge found Armin Meiwes guilty of manslaughter and sentenced him to eight and a half years in jail on January 20, 2004.

While the prosecution had demanded a 15-year-term, Judge Volker Mütze accepted the cannibal's argument that the man he met through the internet and later fried in garlic, Bernd Jürgen Brandes, a 43-year-old computer engineer, had wanted to die and be devoured by Meiwes.

Meiwes, a 42-year-old computer expert, admitted that he had killed and eaten Brandes at the start of the trial in December 2003. He said, “I had a fantasy and in the end I fulfilled it.”

The murder occurred in March 2001 when Brandes, who had answered Meiwes ad on the internet, took the day off work, wiped all evidence of his masochistic fantasies from his computer, and traveled to Rotenburg by train. He met Meiwes and went to his isolated farmhouse where he lived alone. Meiwes then showed Brandes the "slaughter room" he had constructed upstairs.

Later that evening Meiwes cut off Brandes' penis and both men tried, but failed to eat it. Meiwes then ran a bath for Brandes, who by this stage had consumed about 20 sleeping tablets and a bottle of cold medicine. Meiwes then waited for his victim to pass out, laid him on the slaughter table, and stabbed him to death. He then hung him on a hook, cut out some of his organs, and went to bed.

The court was told that the cannibal video taped the entire episode and told Brandes, “I can't do anything else.” The next afternoon he set about cutting off parts of Brandes, which he stored in his freezer. When police discovered the crime in December 2002, Meiwes had eaten “about 20kg” of his victim.

Cannibalism is not a crime in Germany. The defense wanted Meiwes charged with assisting a suicide, a crime that carries a sentence of five years. The Judge found Meiwes guilty of manslaughter, a lesser charge than murder, which was sought by the prosecution.

Experts estimate that there are about 800 cannibals in Germany

Israeli police are considering putting bags of pig fat on buses and in shopping centers to try to deter Muslim suicide bombers. The idea is based on the fact that strict Muslim tradition says any Muslim who comes in contact with a pig before dying will be denied access to paradise, and of course, all the virgins Allah has promised to his faithful martyrs.

Israeli police have considered using pigs, or pig products to ward off terrorism in the past, but needed a rabbinical permit to carry it out. Judaism, like Islam, regards the pig as an unclean animal. The idea has been given the approval of Jerusalem's Rabbinical Court. Rabbi Eliezer Moshe Fisher, of the Jerusalem Rabbinical Court, said: “There is no ban on using bags of lard when saving lives is concerned. They may be used in any place that might be a target for suicide bombings, such as schools, shopping malls and railway stations.” The rabbi also indicated that if pig fat isn't used on buses, tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews will arm themselves with toy water pistols filled with liquid lard to be used against terrorists.

Previously, Israel's Minister without portfolio Gideon Ezra and others suggested burying the corpses of suicide bombers wrapped in pigskin as a deterrent. However, the proposal never got serious consideration in Israel, with opponents saying it would only serve to encourage suicide bombers, egged on by clerics claiming Jews were defiling Islamic burial rites. Russian security forces reportedly buried Chechen terrorists in pigskin last year in attempts to end their suicide bombing attacks.

The use of pig fat and pigskin shrouds is not so novel an idea. In 1909, General John J. “Black Jack” Pershing was made Military Governor of Moro Province in the Philippines. During his tenure as governor, there were a series of attacks on the American forces in the province by Muslim extremists. Eventually the American forces captured 50 of the extremists. Pershing had the 50 terrorist tied to posts for execution. He then had two pigs slaughtered in front of the condemned men and had the bullets soaked in the pigs’ blood. Pershing then had 49 men shot, buried them in a mass grave with the blood, guts, and other parts of the pigs. He then allowed the 50th man to go back and report what he had seen. The extremist attacks against US servicemen stopped in Moro Province.

“Black Jack” Pershing in better known in history for his exploits against the Mexican bandito, Pancho Villa, in 1916, his work with the Army’s African American forces, and as commander of the American Expeditionary Force in Europe during World War I. However, the Clarion Issue has to admit that he knew how to deal with Islamic terrorist.

The 2004 Super Bowl was full of surprises. What football fans expected to be a low scoring game turned into an offensive show in the second half leaving football fanatics with armchair quarterback memories to discuss throughout the week. The commercials were usually funny to hilarious relieving the football drudgery for those non-fans forced to watch the game. The second half opened with a streaking, provided by an English ‘professional streaker’ who boasts of more than 300 streaks, dressed in only a referee’s cap and a jock strap. However, despite the great game, the commercials, and even the streaker, it was the halftime show that stole the Super Bowl limelight.

In what has been described by one commentator as a ‘tempest in a C cup,’ pop singer Janet Jackson bared a breast. Close up photos later revealed the tip of the breast was covered with a star like ring that looked as if Janet had borrowed it from her brother Michael’s Admiral of the Turkish fleet uniform. The revealing incident occurred as Janet and Justin Timberlake sang the hit “I’m Gona Get You Naked By the End of This Song.”

While the ‘costume malfunction’ has gained much of the attention, along with the questionable lyrics of the songs, a few individuals are contending that the breast bearing was not the most objectionable part of the half time show.

To many viewers, the earlier performance of Kid Rock was just as crass, inane, and insensitive due to the improper use of the American flag. Viewers saw girls parading around stage in skimpy attire with garter belts and knee-high stockings waving the flag, a sight more suitable for a 1930s Berlin cabaret than primetime TV. During his performance, Kid Rock wore an American flag cut as a poncho. The flag was later thrown into the audience as if it was a drumstick, jacket, or just another stage prop, to be fought over by adoring fans.

While CBS, MTV, and VIACOM made excuses and pointed the finger of blame at each other for the breast-bearing incident, they have failed to acknowledge any of the criticism for the misuse of our national emblem. After 9/11 the country went flag crazy. While patriotism is important, the proper display of the flag is even more imperative. There is a flag code, and there are proper and improper ways to treat, display, and utilize the flag. After 9/11 various department stores sold peanuts and popcorn in glass carafes with the flag etched into the glass and “United We Stand” printed underneath. A few aisles over an overzealous flag fanatic could purchase a flag throw rug to adorn the floor of their home. These items, and many others, indicate that American businesses and the American people have lost touch with the proper use, etiquette, and display of our flag.

However, for a national network like CBS to allow a spectacle such as the Super Bowl halftime show to misuse the flag is a total disgrace, but perhaps it was simply ignorance (like buying a flag throw rug). If ignorance (or stupidity) is the case, and CBS, MTV, and VIACOM need a pointers on how to display the United States’ Flag, they can find it in a copy of the Boy Scout Handbook, usually available in any mall for under ten dollars.

Al Qaeda and the Islamic Mullahs and Ayatollahs accuse the United States of decadence and exporting it to the rest of the world. Considering that most of the world was tuned into the Super Bowl, and of course the halftime spectral, they just may have a point! America just demonstrated to the world that we have no morals and we do not respect our flag.

But spring is here, and the boys of summer are taking their steroids and corking their bats for the new baseball season. Soon the country will be plagued with terrible renditions of our National Anthem, and super horrific seventh inning stretch massacres of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” by idiot superstars who don’t even know the words. Where’s Harry Caray when you need real entertainment? Harry’s Budweiser and hotdogs in centerfield look tamer every day!

Roger B. Taney, the Chief Justice who made the Dred Scott decision, was the Attorney General of which President?

A. James Madison
B. James Monroe
C. John Q. Adams
D. Andrew Jackson
E. Thomas Jefferson
F. James Buchanan

Answer D. Roger B. Taney was Andrew Jackson’s second Attorney General appointed after the first cabinet resigned due to the Peggy Eaton affair. He was appointed Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court in 1836 and died in office in 1864.

THE RIVERVIEW HOTEL AND SEAGLE'S SALOON on the web at www.stmaryswelcome.com

The Southern Calendar

APRIL

Second weekend Grits Festival at Warwick, Ga.
A small town festival with plenty of grits. Arts & crafts, entertainment, food.
http://www.gritsfest.com/index2htm

Colquitt, Ga Festival Colquitt, Ga.
Civil War re-enactments, tennis tournament, parade, & antiques.
www.bainbridgegachamber.com click on festivals

Forth weekend Crawfish Festival at Woodbine, Ga.
A small town festival serving crawfish. Crafts, food, entertainment. Off I-95 between Brunswick, Ga and the Florida/Georgia boundary. www.kingsbay.net and www.stmaryswelcome.com/events .

MAY

First weekend Sea Food Festival at Fernandina, Fla.

A seafood festival with all types of seafood. Crafts and entertainment. (1-800-226-3542). On the coast north of Jacksonville, Fla. www.shrimpfestival.com e-mail info@shrimpfestival.com

Pontiac Excitement 400 at Richmond Int’l Speedway at Richmond, Va. www.nascar.com

Riverside Artsfest Bainbridge,Ga.

Local and top national artist are featured. Hwy. 84 in SW Ga.

www.bainbridgegachamber.com click on festivals

JUNE

Mid June Outback Steak House 300 at Kentucky Speedway

Off I-71 north of Louisville, Ky. www.nascar.com & www.kentuckyspeedway.com

Key West Chickenfest: http://www.keywestchickenfest.com

Register your town's festival with The Southern Calendar by sending your festival's information to apearson@ClarionIsh.com . Be sure to include place, date or weekend, a short description of the event, and a web site and email address where more information may be found.

TO PLACE YOUR TOWN’S EVENT ON THE SOUTHERN CALENDAR
Email the information to: apearson@ClarionIsh.com