Features

MENTAL HEALTH SURVEY 

Editors, Daily Planet:  

If residents of Berkeley and Albany have not weighed in on the Mental Health Services Act (voted in as Proposition 63 by the state of California voters in 2004), we would appreciate your input in the next few weeks. You can fill out a survey on line at www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/mentalhealth/mhsasurvey.html or you can call Ericka Leer at 981-5222 to request a paper copy or to find out when and where meetings are still being held. A progress report on information collected so far is scheduled on Wednesday July 27 at both 3-5 and 6-8 p.m. at the South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St. (at Ashby). It is near the Ashby BART station and is one block west of the 15 bus stop at Martin Luther King and Ashby. There will be refreshments. We are looking forward to seeing as many residents as possible.  

Trish Thomas 

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HOGWASH ON HILLARY 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Please use your liberal platform to do more than just mirror, though I guess you were trying to be subtle, the Republican “hogwash” about Hillary (“Hillary Clinton Presidential Campaign Already Underway,” July 12). Who cares about why she’s with Bill. How many disinterested political spouses have decided to keep their mouths shut about their mates or their opinions unknown in order to protect their reputations? Hillary’s out there, not hiding somewhere to protect herself. I just want to know what she thinks and about how hard she works. Watch C-SPAN sometime when she’s at a committee hearing. Pleeeease do better next time when you talk about her. She is a great lady! 

Catherine O’Neill 

Austin, Texas 

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ROOT OF EVIL 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

The question has arisen, “How did our political system get to this point?” The Bush administration’s propensity for lies and secrecy is the easiest explanation. The love of secrecy is the root of evil and secrecy defines the Bush administration; secrecy defines the anti-abortion movement; secrecy defines the anti-gay crusade and these three are interwoven. This has led to an administration that pitches division, deception, demonization of any opposition and has programmed a whole legion of right-wing and religious converts. 

Ron Lowe 

Nevada City  

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BOBBY SANDS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

In Homayon’s recent commentary “Bobby Sands and Akbar Ganji,” the author states that IRA prisoner Bobby Sands went on a hunger strike with the demand that he be released. This is not correct. Bobby Sands was one of a number of IRA and INLA prisoners who went on a hunger strike, and he was the first of 10 to die. These brave prisoners were not demanding release, but rather were rightfully demanding to be recognized as the political prisoners they were, rejecting an attempt on the part of the British government to regard them as common criminals. Their five demands were: 

1. The right not to wear a prison uniform. 

2. The right not to do prison work. 

3. The right of free association with other prisoners. 

4. The right to organize their own educational and recreational facilities. 

5. The right to one visit, one letter and one parcel per week. 

Also worth noting is that the street the Iranians named “Bobby Sands Street” is the street on which the British embassy in Tehran sits—a fact which pleases many people, myself included, greatly. (It was formerly known as Winston Churchill Street.) 

I’d not been aware of Akbar Ganji. My thanks to Homayon for sharing the story, and to the Berkeley Daily Planet for publishing it. 

Robert Fitzgerald 

Rochester, Minnesota 

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TWO BIRDS, ONE STONE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

To Parks and Recreation and the Civic Arts Commission, I would like to propose the following location for the David Brower globe sculpture: Civic Center Park fountain! Although I was lucky enough to dabble my feet in the fountain as a child, we all know that the city will never be able to afford flowing water there again, and we don’t want to provide a public urinal anyway. Let’s cap the plumbing and create the perfect venue for the Brower globe. It’s the ideal setting: a) downtown and central to Berkeley; b) appropriate scale to the setting; c) viewable from a distance and many angles; d) circular fountain base complementing the design of the sculpture; e) blue background of tiles on the walls tying into color of the globe; and f) the city officials that wanted to have this white elephant can see it every day on the way to work. 

Carolyn Sell 

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ANTI-MALE RHETORIC 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I continue to greatly enjoy your newspaper and its unusual blend of thoughtfulness, open-mindedness, and political awareness. Regrettably, you continue to see fit to occasionally publish anti-male rhetoric. Under today’s reigning political ideology, males seem to be the last safe whipping dog for all of society’s ills, as well as a seemingly reliable target for inaccurate or exaggerated facts. 

I have learned to expect more from the Daily Planet than P.M. Price’s remarkable question (The View from Here, July 15), “Has testosterone outgrown its usefulness?” Well, let’s see .. Are we ready to give up all the comforts and conveniences of modern urban life that were invented and built primarily by men, including our roads, our cars, our houses, the buildings in which we work, our electrical and sewer systems, and on and on? Whoever is ready to do so, feel free to bash males with relative impunity. The rest of us need to start respecting males as well as females. Would any author writing, let’s say, about Susan Smith, mass murderer of her own children, have leapt to a parallel query, “Has estrogen outgrown its usefulness?” Unlikely. How many people even realize that mothers, not fathers, not step-fathers, not male strangers, commit the majority of physical violence against their own children? These facts don’t fit the reigning ideology and so somehow never get discussed. 

Let’s talk about Price’s rape “statistics.” Only a definition of rape so liberal as to encompass cases where a woman willingly, voluntarily has sex but then has regrets months later can lead to a conclusion that “one out of 12 male college students has committed rape.” Despite all the misplaced outcry, most university campuses remain phenomenally safe place for women. (Some semi-hidden classism is doubtless lurking in the disproportionate attention paid to university students relative to other people.) Price would have us believe that “one woman is raped every two minutes in the United States.” The Department of Justice (DoJ) reports that some 72,240 rapes occurred in 2003, the last year for which statistics are available. This breaks down to one rape every 7.5 minutes, a bit different from the reported number. One further hidden fact about rape: According to Human Rights Watch and other concerned and reputable organizations, a high percentage of rape victims are 

male prisoners. Somehow empathy seems to be lacking for these folks above all others, and they also don’t show up in the DoJ’s statistics. 

Authors whose articles diverge from accuracy and fair treatment of people should have their work edited or in extreme cases, rejected. Women expect (and receive) no less. Isn’t it time we started treating all humans with the dignity and respect we all deserve, regardless of the sexual equipment with which we happen to have been born? 

J. Steven Svoboda 

Public Relations Director 

National Coalition of Free Men 

• 

ALBANY BULB 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

First a disclaimer: My experience of the Albany Bulb is limited to one afternoon hike to see the scrap-art mentioned in a Daily Planet article. On the basis of that sparse observation, I want to comment on the second, July 12 article by John Geluardi with commentary by Osha Neuman. 

The immediate concern seems to be the use of heavy equipment to remove re-established squatters’ campsites, instead of removing things “by hand.” Public Works Supervisor John Medlock (as quoted by Mr. Geluardi) seems to make a good point about “a lot of broken glass and needles. We are trying to handle the debris as little as possible.” I did not see the squatters’ encampments, but if my husband or son were hired to do any clearing work on any part of the Albany Bulb, I would hope Mr. Medlock would stick to this position. 

Mr. Geluardi’s report of “concern among [unnamed] landfill visitors that mature trees and wildlife habitat will be destroyed,” along with Mr. Neuman’s use of phrases like “environmental damage,” the military euphemism, “environment as collateral damage,” “reduce biodiversity,” and “leave ugly scars,” could convey the mistaken image of a green, flourishing, unspoiled, natural area. That’s what I would think if I had not visited the site. It is an industrial construction-material dump. The scruffy bushes twisting over concrete blocks and rusted metal show only the persistence of life throughout decades of “environmental damage.” 

The art is impressive, in a dark way, quite unlike the whimsical Emeryville Mud Flat sculpture of 30 years ago. Much of the Bulb art depicts nightmarish and sado-masochistic fantasies. (Perhaps the materials at hand, as well as other aspects of our world have give inspiration toward the sinister.) 

If you decide to go to see the art, I offer some advice: 

1. Wear sturdy shoes with thick, protective soles. 

2. Once you have left the short, paved road keep your eyes on the ground. You will be walking on crude, rutted paths where partly concealed spears of construction rebar may stab through running shoes or (god forbid) thongs. 

3. Do not take small children with you unless you are willing to tether them to you at all times, and watch every step they take. 

4. Do not take older children either, unless they are so unadventurous as to stay on the “path.” On all sides there are large concrete blocks spiked with rebar, plus large, rusted, sharp clusters of metal, plus unidentifiable remains of destroyed buildings and roads. 

5. If you are over 60, bring your treking pole to steady you over the frequent ruts, dips, rocky ups and downs--studded, of course, with hazardous debris. 

6. Hope and pray that the county and the state come through with money and plans to do whatever it takes to clean up the Bulb and turn it into a shoreline park like our wonderful Caesar Chavez Park (which was once the Berkeley Dump). 

Dorothy Bryant 

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RESPONSE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Robert Clear in his July 15 letter to the editor would like a response from “Hudson or Thomas” to his commentary on the “urban infill problem.” He juxtaposes urban infill and preservation issues and apparently sees a conflict. He suggests that preservation has gone too far and that the result has been a “social burden.”  

He is hereby referred to the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association website where a pro-preservation perspective on many of the more controversial recent development issues can be found: www.berkeleyheritage.com/berkeley_landmarks/discourse.html.  

For those who believe Berkeley has been “excessive” (Mr. Clear’s word, not mine) in its landmarking decisions, please visit the photo gallery at the same website (www.berkeleyheritage.com/berkeley_landmarks/all_landmarks.html) to be sure you know the scope and nature of what’s at stake.  

Let it be said that infill development does not have to be at odds with preservation principles. Rather it is insensitive infill development that has caused ire among residents and preservationists.  

To its credit, a preservation perspective is sometimes solely about individual structures and their inherent worth. But equally often, preservation is a planning tool which affects a livable, quality environment that is inherently attractive. Its effects are beyond the landmarked building to the streetscape, neighboring structures, and community at large.  

Finally, as discussions about the Landmark Preservation Ordinance bring these issues to the fore, we would do well to take note of landmarked structures and their environs in order to evaluate preservation’s salubrious reach. Developers might do well to consider financial perks, e.g. the federal income tax credit, for rehabilitation of National Register properties. Homeowners might well investigate Mills Act tax benefits for qualified maintenance to locally landmarked homes. In short, a fair study of these issues would show preservation as friend and not foe and not intrinsically at odds with development.  

Janice Thomas 

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FIRE STATION 7 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Our pleas to city officials to refrain from enforcing rolling brownouts obviously fell on deaf ears. And now the threat of a major catastrophic fire is becoming a hard reality in the wake of recent fires in the city (including one yesterday near Fish Ranch Road). Despite assurances by the mayor’s office, the City Council and the Fire Department that Station 7 on Shasta Road was going to be staffed for the entire fire season, Berkeley hills residents were put in a perilous situation on July 6 when Station 7 was closed until 5 p.m. It was only through the diligence of its residents that the station was staffed after 5 p.m., following angry calls to the mayor’s office and the Fire Department. 

To place Berkeley residents in this precarious situation is not only irresponsible, it is highly negligent and constitutes a breach of trust by city officials who place greater priority on their pet projects over basic necessities like public safety. The threat of a major catastrophic fire hangs over us like the sword of Damocles and our city officials have acted like Dionysius by cutting our fire services. Alas, the sword hangs only by a strand of a horse’s hair.  

Cecilia Gaerlan 

Co-Captain, Shasta-Sterling Neighborhood Group 

• 

FORGET ROVE! 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

When the day is done I have four choices for news in prime time (ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox), five if your include PBS. Actually “news” is somewhat inaccurate; “news bites” would be better. But, come to think of it, the news on any given day occupies a tiny portion of the half-hour allotted; reports of actual events get squeezed by the weight of advertising, pseudo entertainment and prophesies of “experts”—“Well, professor, tell our audience what you think the next move of X will be.” [Replace X with Bush, the Democrats, the terrorists, the insurgents—whatever.] Lately I’ve begun to ask myself “Why bother?” 

Consider how the issue involving Rove, Bush’s main man, has been hogging the news. Everybody has something to say. Did he leak? Did he lie? Did he violate the law? In spirit? In fact? Such questions are minuscule when compared to the Watergate potential of the Downing Street Memo—documented evidence that the Bush network was fixing the case for war, promising one thing while planning another.  

Karl Rove may be a liar, a thug, a genius. He may be fired. He may keep his job. He may get the Medal of Honor. The point, unacknowledged by newspersons everywhere is that Rove is alive and almost 1,800 of his fellow citizens, soldiers mostly in their early twenties, are not. Karl Rove is healthy but several thousand of his countrymen are permanently maimed.  

Newspersons, forget Rove! We belittle ourselves as a nation by spotlighting his venial sins rather than the grievous sins of George W. and his prompters.  

Marvin Chachere 

San Pablo  

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STATIST RESPONSE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

What a clever title for Lin Biao’s letter (“Statist Quo,” July 12). And oh how bad it makes me feel to have come to that from a guy that was considered a (rhetorical) bomb-thrower in my distant youth. Age has its definite drawbacks. 

But wait. Taxes in society are quite analogous to club dues. Those that don’t like them can vote out the rascals that installed them. And there ain’t no free lunch in this or any other society. Those folks that don’t like taxes are sure interested, for the most part, in the services they buy. 

Just one example: The U.S. just lost a Toyota assembly plant to Canada despite several American states offering more financial incentives. It seems Toyota found that Canadian workers were better educated than American workers, so Toyota needed to spend less in training (and Toyota liked the lower health care cost per employee hour—about $5—that Canada’s national health plan offered) So we spend money on education and health care, and we get good paying jobs; we don’t spend that money, we lose the jobs.  

Mal Burnstein 

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POLICE BLOTTER 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

As a loyal reader of the Daily Planet, I, unlike most people, like the way Richard Brenneman writes the Police Blotter. I appreciate the sardonic wit. He seems to write with a good slant on things. Crimes are just that, crimes. Granted, they are not too often made light of, but Richard’s airy attitude towards them is a breath of fresh air. If you do not appreciate his style, then just ignore it. I’d rather read his Police Blotter than read readers’ thoughts and opinions on his writing. Stop crying about it. 

Richard, keep up the good work, there are those of us out here that don’t take your light-hearted observations as offensive. What’s offensive is the crimes themselves, not the manner in which it is reported. Naysayers please shut up already and let the man do his job, because I like the way he reports and not the way you mercilessly assault the man. 

Kudos, Richard, kudos. 

Dave Schwartz 

• 

STUDYING SLAVERY 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

In his recent column about the proposal to change the name of Jefferson Elementary School, J. Douglas Allen Taylor most unfortunately persists in viewing all black persons as a homogeneous mass of people rather than the individuals that we are. His suggestion about studying more about slavery could accomplish nothing that would be of benefit to anybody, black or white. It is like he wants to blame today’s white people for what some of their remote ancestors did. I remember some time ago meeting a very lovely young woman who was a direct descendant of a Civil War Confederate general. I did not, and I do not blame her for what her distant ancestor did in fighting to preserve slavery. That is what he, not she, did; however, from the time I met her I had such great admiration for the very nice and gracious and energetic young woman she is that instead of blaming her for the slavery of so many centuries ago, I am sure that it would have been all right with me if she had made me her slave. 

It is only as individuals that any person, black or white, can achieve anything, and persons who do not know anything about Thomas Jefferson except that he owned slaves are incapable of offering any ideas that would be of benefit to themselves or anyone else. Mr. Taylor should study enough American history to know and appreciate the good things Thomas Jefferson did, such as drafting the Virginia Statute of Religion that dis-established the Anglican Church in the Virginia colony and proclaiming that all men are created equal and are endowed by the Creator with certain inalienable rights. Jefferson inherited slaves, as did George Washington, and Virginia law at that time made it impossible for them to free their slaves as both wanted to. 

Andrew Jackson did not inherit slaves; he bought slaves and became a slave-trader and he killed many black persons and many Native Americans and fought in several duels. What he did was far worse than what Thomas Jefferson did and I would like to replace his portrait on the twenty dollar bill with a portrait of our Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. That would be more beneficial to the country than changing the name of the Jefferson School. 

Charles J. Blue 

• 

AL QAEDA DOESN’T EXIST 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Jalal Ghazi blames a fanciful “Cold War within Islamic forces” for the London bombings. That’s only credible if you believe a gang of “Islamic terrorists” is out to get you. Ghazi’s elaborate constructions and name-dropping may be impressive but they don’t jibe with what most dedicated researchers have been saying for the past few years. Nowadays nobody knows where “Osama bin Laden” is and nobody cares.  

It’s clear by now that “al Qaeda” doesn’t exist. Whole shelves of books debunk the 9/11 Islamic conspiracy theory. Dozens of websites will fill you in on all the details about collapsing buildings blown into dust, controlled demolitions, “suicide pilots” who are still alive, “Boeing 757s” swallowed up by tiny holes in the Pentagon, etc. Those doing the hard work have already concluded that 9/11 was an inside job, along with the anthrax scare, the “Washington sniper”, the multiple bombs that took down Okie City, and the Madrid operation, which is similar to the London attacks. Just recently revelations have come out about British MI5 and other double agents’ responsibility for so-called “IRA bombings” in Britain in the 1990s. Seems the “Real IRA” was not so real after all.  

All of this is phony nonsense designed to make people fear enemies from the outside when the real enemies are already in power, feeding off tax money, with the full CIA/DIA apparatus at their disposal. Bush and Blair will continue to stage these attacks whenever they feel their grip on power loosening. As long as people continue to believe in official fairy tales, their political will to challenge those in power will be sapped and they’ll be sitting ducks for more police oppression and military raids on the public treasury. It’s an old old game, easily seen through.  

Our media should not simply repeat government propaganda as if it were fact. Intelligent analysis of government motives and practices is necessary. Don’t bother printing Ghazi’s idle musings unless he’s ready to debunk government lies and help us turn the game around. No, there are no wild-eyed bearded Muslim scholars living in caves who are out to get you. And young students in Leeds are not capable of obtaining military explosives and blowing up trains. That’s the job of Special Forces troops and radio-controlled “suicide bombers” programmed in Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo. It’s time to wake up and smell the gelignite and phosphorous, for YOU may be Bush-Blair’s target next time.  

Steve Tabor  

Alameda 

POEM 

Whistle, horn, let’s end this twaddle once and for all. 

When I was younger than I am now, my lover stirred next to me deep in the night down here in West Berkeley, and whispered, half asleep, “Wow, that train is going really fast!” 

Now I am alone and much older, and since America invaded Iraq for false reasons, I hear the trains at night, still down here in West Berkeley, and I sense, half waking, “America is finished.” 

I have always loved the mournful sound of trains in the night, and how I would love to be wrong now. 

Patrick Fenix 

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