Rthe BIG 18SUE ISSUES I· · I I I I I Stden Ts to Lobby in Aban
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Vol. XIX No. 14 Slap My Hind With A Melon Rind, But That's My Penguin State 0' Mind April 15, 1998 Nine out of ten goofy floating heads agree.. rTHE BIG 18SUE ISSUES I· · I I I I i Stden ts to Lobby in Aban By Michael Yeh posals to regulate the practices of utility compa- believe that stronger standards, faster action, and nies. NYPIRG plans to propose a $400 million more citizen participation are needed for the pro- Campus environmental activists plan to clean energy fund that will expand renewable gram to be effective. join other lobbyists in an annual pilgrimage to energy programs and increase the state's energy Lobbyists will be addressed by represen- Albany on Monday, May 11 to encourage support efficiency. Several members of the State Assembly, tatives from the Citizens' Environmental Coalition for earth-friendly legislation. including former Stony Brook professor Steven and. Environmental Advocates, as wells as the The "Earth Day, Lobby Day" event orga- Englebright, have introduced the Ratepayer chairs of the Senate and Assembly Environmental nized by the New York Public Interest Research Protection And Utility Competition Act Of 1998. Conservation Committees. After the lobby meet- Group (NYPIRG) allows students a chance to meet This act shall replace the Long Island Power ings, Governor George Pataki will host a question key legislators and to voice their concerns. "The Authority Board with an elected board in order to and answer session. dt.A ^. d-..- f .,,l*r d«/*/ o t h^^r^1P.<7 n i T-T rI\ UU=sents anIU Lac.uIty Lneeit t ltpreventl i$/llt mi1nion LILUL But for the students, this meeting with make sure that their interests bailout that may result in lawmakers offers a rare glimpse into the world of are being represented up in higher electricity rates. It also politics. "This is an educational opportunity for Albany," said Todd Stebbins, requires the Public Service students," said Stebbins. "They'll also be up there Project Coordinator of the Commission to reexamine to make sure Long Island is cleaner, more afford- Stony Brook Chapter. LILCO's current rates and able, and safer for future generations." One of the main pro- establish retail competition. posals this year is the Neighbor Stebbins said, "If you live on Notification bill, which requires Long Island, the proposed 48-hour advance notice before bailout of LILCO will tie you commercial application of to an enormously generous chemical pesticides on a neigh- deal by the ratepayers for the heldo Th lrsay,,May 6th. bor's property. This bill would next 33 years." allow people to protect their Participants shall also children and pets from unnec- discuss what they perceive to i1ll y exosUrAraVs Cot- pof t enIaC CrY eIl AfirianiaU .lcc.lI inIlnll;i: l 1ho Lt e chLMt dL bL LUU-d- dangerous chemicals. get and the Superfund toxic waste cleanup pro- Pesticide use is a particularly sensitive gram. Although the 1998 budget contains over $1 issue on Long Island, where there is much debate billion in environmental programs, there is no about a suspected link to the region's unusually money allocated for Superfund, which is expected high breast cancer rate."One in eight women on to run out of money in the next fiscal year. Long Island has breast cancer," said Stebbins. "If The New York State Department of people don't think pesticides have something to do Environmental Conservation estimates that with that, then they need to open their eyes." approximately $2.5 billion will be needed to clean beno inae .Cll2 -64 7o Other issues of local interest included pro- up more than 900 toxic waste dumps. But activists By Jill Baron his mother. Troubles like those. Or troubles like After the Cold War, many people were under the those of women in Afghanistan, who, under the impression that the struggle for human rights was On Tuesday, April 7th, Stony Brook was rule of Islamic Militants, can have their fingers over. However, the numbers tell otherwise; in 1989, graced with the presence of Dr. Willim Schulz, the chopped off if they are seen to be wearing rings, to the year the Berlin Wall fell, the number of coun- executive director of Amnesty International USA. have their feet chopped off if they are seen to be tries in which political killings took place was 40; An embarrassingly small smattering of people gath- wearing white socks. Troubles like those, or trou- the number today is 61. In 1989, the number of ered in the SAC auditorium to hear his lecture, a fact bles like those of fifteen-year-old Tibetan monks countries that practiced torture was 96; today, it's which beautifully illustrated one of the main points and nuns who are in jails in Tibet, simply for hav- 120. While the incidences of humar rights viola- of the evening; most Americans don't give a shit ing demonstrated peacefully, in support of Tibetan tions have increased, America's concern for events about human rights because it doesn't touch them. freedom, and who are tortured regularly by that occur beyond our shores has decreased. This Dr. Schulz was introduced by Ron Sala, a Chinese guards, using electric shock batons ambivalent attitude of the general public is one of member of the Unitarian Universalist Campus applied to the monks' and nuns' ears, and teeth, the biggest challenges that the human rights move- Ministry, which sponsored the visit. Dr. Schulz was and genitalia. Troubles like those. That's the kind ment faces. Perhaps if Americans knew that appointed Executive Director of Amnesty in 1994, of world we live in, and that's why Amnesty human rights violations occur here as well, their He is also an ordained Unitarian Universalist International exists." attitudes would change. It is a common practice for Minister, and has been involved in human rights Amnesty was founded in 1961. Today, female inmates, even at the lowest security levels, causes for many years. From 1985 to 1993, Dr. according to Dr.Schulz, 1.1 million people world- to be sexually assaulted by male guards in our Schulz served on the Council of the International wide are involved in efforts to free what he referred prisons. This country also has one of the worst Association of Religious Freedom, the oldest inter- to as "prisoners of conscience." Amnesty exists police brutality records; 5% of all Americans, and national interfaith organization in the world. He specifically to end political executions, unfair tri- 9% of all African Americans, say they have been has also been outspoken in opposition to the death als, torture, unfair imprisonments, and executions brutalized by the police; that's 12.5 million people. penalty, and in support of women's rights, gay and of any kind, wherever they are found around the Why don't Americans seem to care? "Americans lesbian rights and racial justice. He has served on world. They accomplish these goals by several hate problems which they can't easily understand the boards of People for the American Way, means; there is, of course, the letter-writing cam- or solve. Genocide, torture, massive killings; these Planned Parenthood Federation of America, paigns, which have freed many political prisoners things never make sense," Dr. Schulz offered in Center for the Study of Commercialism, and around the world. Amnesty also calls into account explanation. Lack of concern remains the primary Americans United for the Separation of Church governments, including our own, and paramilitary challenge to the work of Amnesty International. and State, among others. organizations who are inflicting terror on their pop- Dr. Schulz was an animated, eloquent "Amnesty doesn't exist to deal with the ulations. "But fundamentally, what Amnesty does," speaker. The weak turnout was telling; I was hop- petty difficulties of everyday life," said Dr. Schulz. says Dr. Schulz, "is tell the truth. You know, for ing that educated college students would show "It exists to deal with troubles like those of a twelve some reason, tyrants hate the truth. No matter how some concern for an issue as vital as the rights of year old Pakistani boy, who was sold into slavery powerful they think themselves to be, they despise fellow human beings. Unfortunately for all the vic- at age three by his parents, branded on his left the truth. They fear it, and they flee it." tims in the world, the human rights movements cheek when he was six, his right eye taken out Dr. Schulz went on to outline some of the can't advance much farther until we all start giving when he was nine because he asked to return to see challenges that the human rights cause faces today. a shit. THE STONY BROOK PRESS PAGE 2 : i I· · ISSUES By Chris Sorochin Treatment: Whenever I see someone who interrogation chair. You're holding a sharp instrument looks as if they're trying one of these tricks, I head perilously close to my eyeballs and jugular. And you I think I owe myself a little break from all the right for them, merrily chirp "Excuse me" and expect brilliant repartee as well? Psychology is part of serious world-shaking issues that I normally devote squeeze right in, up close and personal. For full effect, your job, so after two or three laconic answers on my precious newsprint ranting about. In the spirit of the one, or all, of the following may be a nifty accessory part, you should get the idea that I'm not here to make "civility" campaign now gripping New York, I to make the punishment so much more infernal: cocktail party chitchat or, worse, hear about your thought I'd take this opportunity to sound off about 1) a previously-eaten meal (one hour ahead problems.