Eastern Illinois University The Keep
The Post Amerikan (1972-2004) The Post Amerikan Project
6-1-1999
Volume 28, Number 3
Post Amerikan
Follow this and additional works at: https://thekeep.eiu.edu/post_amerikan
Part of the Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Ethnicity in Communication Commons, Journalism Studies Commons, Publishing Commons, and the Social Influence and oliticalP Communication Commons
Recommended Citation Post Amerikan, "Volume 28, Number 3" (1999). The Post Amerikan (1972-2004). 242. https://thekeep.eiu.edu/post_amerikan/242
This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the The Post Amerikan Project at The Keep. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Post Amerikan (1972-2004) by an authorized administrator of The Keep. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Local music and benefit reviews; Normal NORML opposes Higher Ed. Act; Lots of poetry
JUNE/JULY 1999 BLOOMINGTON/NORMAL VOLUME 28 NUMBER3
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In this Issue:
Page 2 You are here Page 11 Call to positive action Page 21 External refugeeism Page 3 Letters to the editor Page 12-17 Stop the NATO bombings. Six Page 22 Voice for Choice Page 4 Community News; ISU Galleries; GLT pages of valid reasons why it's wrong. Page 23 ISU prof. infiltrates electronics plant Page 5 Return to Pimiteoui Page 18-19 Reviews of local music; local Page 24 We had one blank page and this is Page 6 Why does Normal's NORML opposes benefits; a zine; and other non-related stuff. what we did! How about your article here next Higher Ed act? Find out here. Page 20 Welcome to the Addiverse, Man. time?! Page 7 Notes from the Land of Anti-fat Page 8-10 Poetry Pages. New stuff from David Hall; John Firefly and others.
About us Pick up a copy Good ·numbers The Post Amerikan is an independent Copies of the Post Amerikan are now community newspaper providing informa available for free at the following locations: Advocacy Council for Human Rights.830-2521 tion and analysis that is screened out of or AIDS Hotlines Bloomington down played by establishment news sources. National...... 1-800-AID-AIDS AIDS Task Force, 313 N. Main We are a non-profit, worker-run collective Illinois ...... 1-800-243-2437 About Books, 221 E. Front that exists as an alternative to the corporate Local...... 827-AIDS Barnes & Noble, Veterans & Rt. 9 Alcoholics Anonymous ...... 828-7092 media. Bloomington Public Library, 205 E. Olive Amnesty International-ISU [email protected] Common Ground, 516 N. Main Animal Protection League ...... 828-5371 We put out six issues a year. Staff members CoffeeWorks, 608 N. Main Better Business Bureau ...... 1-800-500-3780 take turns as "coordinator." All writing, Gaston's Upper Cut, 409 N. Main typing, editing, graphics, photography, Heartland Community College Adademic Big Brothers/ Big Sisters ...... 828-1 870 pasteup, and distribution are done on a Support Center, 1226 Towanda Ave. Boys & Girls Clubs of B/N...... 829-3034 volunteer basis. You are invited to volunteer Last Chance Newstand, 404 N. Main Clare House (Catholic workers) ...... 828-4035 your talents. Lizard's Lounge, 612 N. Main St. Countering Domestic Violence ...... 827-7070 Medusa's, 420 N. Madison Dept. of Children/Family Services .... 828-0022 Most of our material and inspiration for the Movie Fan, 401 N. Veterans (Cub Food Plaza) Gay, Lesbian & Bi teen drop in center.828-3998 material comes from the community. The Mystic Link, 1206 Towanda Ave. Su.4 Gay & Lesbian Resource Phoneline .. .438-2429 Post Amerikan welcomes stories, graphics, Shockwaves, 415 N. Main Habitat for Humanity ...... 827-3931 photos, letters, and new tips from our Twin Cit[ Exchange, 411 N. Main Headstart ...... 662-4880 readers. If you'd like to join us, call 828-4473 Norma Home Sweet Home Mission ...... 828-7356 Acme Comics, 115 W. North and leave a message on our answering IL Dept. of Public Aid ...... 827-4621 Babbitt's Books, 104 W. North machine. We will get back to you as soon IL Lawyer Referral...... 1-21 7-525-5297 Co-op Records, 503 S. Main as we can. Don't worry if it takes a while- Incest Survivors Support Group ...... 827-0790 the Coffeehouse, 114 E. Beaufort we don't meet every week. LIFE-CIL...... 663-5433 Deadpan Alley Records, 107 W. North Lighthouse (substance abuse treatment) .....827 -6026 Koffee Kup, 205 W. North An alternative newspaper depends directly McLean Co. Center for Human Services ...827-5351 Mother Murphy's, 111 W. North on a community of concernedpeople for McLean Co. Health Dept ...... 888-5450 Normal Public Library, 206 W. College Ave. existence. We believe it is very important to McLean Co. Housing Authority ...... 829-3360 keep a newspaper like this around. If you McLean Co. Humane Society ...... 664-7387 think so too, then please support us by McLean Co. Peace Coalition ...... 828-7 070 telling your friends about the paper, Mid Central Community Action ...... 829-0691 donating money to the printing of the paper, Mobile Meals ...... 828-8301 and telling our advertisers you saw their What's your Narcotics Anonymous ...... 827-4005 ad in Post Amerikan. new National Health Care Services/ adcrress? abortion assistance ...... 1-800-322-1622 When you move, be sure to send us your new Occupational Development Center ....4 52-7324 address so your subscription gets to you. Parents Anonymous ...... 827-4005 Your will not be forwarded (it's Post Amerikan PATH (Personal Assistance Telephone Help) .. 827-4005 like junk mail-no kidding!). Fill out this Phone Friends ...... 827-4005 handy form with your new address and return PFLAG(Parents, Families and Friends Subscriptions to the Post Amerikanare it to us, P.O. Box 3452, Bloomington, IL 61702. available for the low price of $6.00 per year for of Lesbians and Gays) ...... 663-0831 Name._��---'� six complete issues. Planned Parenthood (medical) ...... 827-4014 (bus/ couns/ edu) ...... 827-4368 Please send a check (made payable to the Post Street______Amerikan) to: Post Amerikan, P.O. Box 3452 Post Amerikan...... 828-4473 City/State/Zip ______Bloomington, IL 61702. Prairie State Legal Services ...... 827-5021 Project Oz ...... 827-0377 Rape Crisis Center...... 827-4005 This issue of Post Amerikan Runaway Switchboard...... 1-800-621 -4000 Due Date: Salvation Army ...... 829-9476 Safe Harbor Mission ...... 829-7399 is brought to you by ... The due date for submitting articles to the TeleCare (senior citizens) ...... 828-8301 Post Amerikanis: (please laser print your Barbie, Dav�d, Gregg, Linda, articles in columns of 3" using Palatino lOpt. Unemployment comp/job service ..... 827-6237 type if possible.) Western Ave. Community Center...... 829-4807 Aalph & Sherrin Youth Build ...... 8 27-7507
PAGE2 POST AMERIKAN JUNE I JUL y 1999 Letters to the Editor
It is quite difficult to understand why so many Dear friend, liberals advocate strong gun control laws. "The NATO bombing has helped the Serbian hospital -- oops). It is no secret that many liberals want to move governmentto carry out ethnic cleansing in eventually (ever so slowly, but ever so surely) Kosova," said Shpendi Malaj in a Kosovar Friday, U.S./NATO repeatedly (no oops here) toward the banning of ALL gun ownership by refugee camp in Albania. This is just one of bombed a prison for crissakes (incidentally
· ordinary American citizens. many working people who speak in the new narrowly missing some Western journalists issue of SeeingRed posted at the site several who'd gone to survey the damage). This speaks Incredibly, these same people usually say that days ago. We're featuring the best on-the-scene volumes about both the immorality and the "of course, the police and military should be reporting of any that's been written, the work goal of this war. Civilians ARE the targets, allowed to keep their weapons." of Arigiris Malapanis and a team of European first and foremost the people of Kosova; workers writing for the U.S. socialist secondly the factories, bridges, transportation Liberals historically have been extremely newsweekly The Militant. They present the facilities and utilities of the Yugoslavian wary of the power of the police and military. voices of many working people from Albania, working class They have, with good reason, opposed Kosova, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia- excessive power in the hands of police and along with their own first-rate analysis. It's It would be height of folly to dream that this military forces. required reading if you want to understand--and massive airwar--the first sustained bombing of explain-- events there. civilians since World War #2--and the But now we see many liberalf>advocating military occupation sure to follow it will not positions which eventually would lead to the The new issue also offers Noam Chomsky, powerful repercussions on you and yours, confiscation of guns from the hands of ordinary Mumia Abu-Jamal and a rarely-read wherever you are. people, giving the police and military a 1959 speech by Fidel -- plus lots more. weapons monopoly. Circulating accurate information -- and It's important to note we'll be regularly adding especially establishing communications But the police and military would, of course, new material to the current issue, just as with between workers in "enemy" countries -- has not have a total monopoly on possession of the last one (that issue ended up three times never been more important. weapons. Hard-core criminals would certainly the size it was when first released). keep their guns no matter what the law says. Solidarity, A couple of favors, please: first, does anyone steve eckardt A basic human right is the right of self know who linked to Fidel's 40th anniversary for SeeingRed.com defense. Let us understand that the police, speech (at SeeingRed)? We've been getting hard as they might try, have never been in a nearly 100 people a day going straight to that PS. Our correspondent in Belgrade, Goran, has position (or had sufficient numbers) to actually speech; we'd really like to know who linked to had to leave the city; but his new location protect the public. Nearly always the police us. should produce some very interesting material come on a scene after a crime has been as well. committed. There will never be enough police Second, we're trying to get a better read on to actually be able to prevent most crimes. what people are thinking about the war. Drop us a line telling us what you're hearing and For many reasons, liberals should support the seeing. right of gun ownership by ordinary American citizens. Third, as always we're starving for publicity. Anything you can do, from telling a friend to --by Alan H. Keith putting some of our leaflets at a local Box882 coffeehouse or two (we'll either send them to Mattoon, IL 61938 you or tell your where to download them) would be a big help.
The war now is at its most critical point - ominously, coverage in the big-business media has dropped off significantly ... just as a 50,000- strongmilitary occupation force is begun to be seriously assembled, and more and more appalling targets are struck (Thursday a maternity ward and an intensive care unit of a
for less than the price of a cup of coffee ...
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JUNE/JULY 1999 POST AMERIKAN PAGE3 Community News
Harold Gregor and Kenneth Holder: - From the Sky From the Road - From the River
Gregor's survey of the heartland, and also of May 28 th through August 23rd, 1999 his recent experimentations in subject and University Galleries is pleased to announce the media. opening of its summer exhibition: Harold Gregor and Kenneth Holder: From the Road - Having focused on the landscape of the From the River - From the Sky, curated by Bill Southwest as his subject for years, Ken Holder Conger. shifted his direction in 1996 to the vistas along the two thousand miles of the Lewis and Clark From the Road - From the River - From the Sky Trail. Anticipating the expedition's features paintings and watercolors by two bicentennial in 2004, Holder has been avidly artists who are not only innovators in the genre compiling research material through books and WGLT/IP Summer Concert of contemporary landscape, but are also thirty many trips along this territory, documenting GLT 89 FM and Illinois Power are sponsoringa year-long friends and Illinois' State University and interpreting the current conditions of the free outdoor jazz and blues concert to be held on emeritus faculty. This exhibition is a selection terrain. The exhibited works are selected from Saturday, June 26 from 4-9 p.m. The concert will of recent works, many of which have not been the resulting body of work that includes over be held on thegrounds of the McLean County previously exhibited. four hundred preparatory drawings and Law & Justice Center in downtown Bloomington. watercolors and over thirty large and small The landscape of the American Midwest has scale paintings. GLT/ IP Summer Concert '99 will kick off with been the subject of Harold Gregor's paintings Deanna Bogar's sassy blues, followed by the since 1971. With mathematical precision, Summer hours: Duke Robillard Band's unique mix of jazz & Gregor has consistently taken images of the Monday-Saturday 12:00-4:00 blues. finally, the night's headliner, the plains andthe working farm, creating rock Tuesday 12:00-7:00 Freddy Cole Quartet, will present their smooth solid color statements that capture the rich Closed Sunday and sophisticated brand of jazz. Freddy Cole is texture of nature, all the while investing these the younger brother of Nat King Cole and the traditionally cliched images with 110 Center for the Visual Arts uncle of Natalie Cole. "wonder and revived meaning." The paintings Normal, Illinois 61790-5620 in this show are the result of the many years of
309. 87.7. 9580 The Peoria 1691 Foundation and Peoria Park District Present Admission �3.00 -Adults $1.00 ·Children (under 12)
Location !Rfturn to W.H. Sommer Park Is located 4 miles N.W. of Peoria's Northwoods Mall. Taking U.S. Route 150 (War Memorial Drive) northwest to Weaver Farms, tum left onto KoernerRoad. Park entrance is 7110 mile from Route 150 on the i ui Cultural .9lrts & !Activity right. Pim teo Center W.H. Sommer Park ... a special place where people of all ages can experience a glimpse of the past and use it to protect the future through ...
Hands-On Activities Hairpin Curve corn grinding tool making Ceremonial hide scraping Grounds pottery making 1-474 painting oO-�- beading Koerner Road pump drilling 'fl Native games and toys Special Events time with Wisdom Keepers For Information Contact: storytelling Return to Pimiteoui educational exhibits P.O. Box 3874 demonstrations of dance Peoria, IL 61614-3874 I Native American flute music Phone: (309) 697-8187 .9Ln ntertriba[ fiber arts http://www.powwow.org canoe building Native garden An interpreter will be provided C>C><>C><><><><><><> This program is partially supported by a grant Hours Vary from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency Pow'Wow Please Check At Center For Activity Schedule Peoria, Illinois June 12 & 13, 1999
YlnI ntertriba{Pow 'Wow in tfiefantf natttdPimiteoui <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> 'lJuring aperiotf ef rrwre tfian 160 gearsj offowing Schedule of Events tfie a"iva{of tfie first '.frencft t;qJforers in 1673, a farge number ef triDe.s are f;ttown to liave eitfier infuWitetf or passedtliro ugli tfiepart eftfie I ffinois Saturday, June 12 9{,fver 'J/afky tliat is nuw Peoria. Once caffd Pimitl!()ui, tliis fantf ef a6untfance inc{w{etf tfre 10:00 - Grounds Open to Public Peoria LaR_e.s antftlie immetliate surrountfing area. We wefaJme tlie man9 tfe.sce111fantstlie.se ef peopfes 11:00 ·Pipe Ceremony antfa{[ wfio wilfjoin us as we ... �tum to '.Pimiteoui 1 :30 & 7:00 - Grand Entry
Sunday, June 13
10:00 - Grounds Open to Public PEORIA THE LAND OF 10:30 - Interfaith Worship Service PIMITEOUI
Thorpe Sine ·Peaceful Bear -Winnebago 1:30 - Grand Entry ckawn by Hayri11 Sina <><> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> Host Drum - Eagle Ridge Come and Experience Head singer Chip Roberts- Trivoli, IL
Head Female Dancer - Susan Snow, Seneca Native Singers and Dancers in Full Regalia Peoria, IL Teepees and a Woodland Village Traditional Ceremonials Head Male Dancer - Don Hamilton, Lakota tradition Primitive Encampment . Princeton, IL Environmental Displays Master of Ceremonies - Hayna Sine, Ho Chunk - Traders of Native American Goods Starved Rock, IL Demonstrations of Native American Arts <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
Limited bleacher style seating I• provided. You may wish to bring a blanket or lawn chair. Come - Return to Pimiteoui
PAGES JUNE/JULY 1999 POST AMERIKAN Normal NORM.L opposes Higher Education Act
It would be shocking to hear President Clinton "African-Americans make up 12 percent of the Over the course of the last semester, students at say something like, "Penalties against population and 13 percent of drug offenders, but more than 200 colleges and universities across possession of a drug should not be more represent 55 percent of drug convictions and the nation have come together via the Internet damaging to an individual that the use of the more than 70 percent of incarcerations," a fact in opposition to the legislation. Students are drug itself." More than 20 years after former that Kaehlert attributes to the nature of the working to overturn the provision in a campaign President Jimmy Carter uttered these words, drug war. "It's sad to say, but the War on Drugs organized by the Drug Reform Coordination though, the political climate is much different, is a racist war." Network (DRCNet), a Washington DC-based especially when it comes to the War on Drugs. non-profit drug information tlearinghou,se. Today, politicians who speak out against drug Normal NORML has been very active in the policy fear that they will be viewed as not reform movement. "With the help of some 'The Internet has made it easier than PVPr for 'tough enough' on crime. great volunteers, we presented over 1100 students to be heard in the national political signatures to our student government asking arena," said DRCNet's Campus Coordinator So, it wasn't too shocking when the revamp of them to pass a reform resolution." On Tuesday, Kris Lotlikar. "College students make up one of the Higher Education Act passed last fall. The April 20, the Student Government Association the largest constituencies in cyberspace. HEA established federal financial aid of Illinois was one vote away from unanimously Organizing online allows us to use this new programs such as Perkins Loans, Pell Grants, passing a resolution calling for the elimination medium to achieve the greatest impact." Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants of the drug proposal from the Higher Normal NORML co-vice president John and Work-Study programs. Last October, the Education. The Illinois State SGA joined the Urbance agrees. 'The Internet has been Congress ratified the improved Higher ranks of dozens of organizations, including the invaluable to us. Ten years ago, students could Education Act of 1998. NAACP, ACLU, United States Students' never communicate in the fashion that we are. Association, American Public Health Email discussion groups and web pages give us, A provision in the new Act denies or delays Association and Unitarian Universalists, who and any social action organization, exactly federal financial aid to any student convicted have called for HEA reform. what they need--a good kick in the pants.'' of any drug offense, no matter how minor. 'The HEA cannot in any way help the problem of Representative Barney Frank (D-MA) has But offline, there is still a lot of leg work to be youth drug abuse," says Kasey Kaehlert. introduced a bill to amend the Higher ·done. "What we need now is for people to get in "Denying or delaying an education will simply Education Act of 1998 to repeal the HEA drug contact with tl�eir congress people," said set a young ex-offender onto a downward spiral provision. H.R. 1053 now has eleven co Urbance. "If you have access to the Internet, you toward failure." Kaehlert is the co-vice sponsors. 'There are clearly many cases in can send them an email or fax online at president of Normal NORML, the local which students convicted of drug offenses www.RaiseYourVoice.com. If not, call or write chapter of the National Organization for the should receive tough penalties, such as them--today." Reform of Marijuana Laws. Normal NORML withholding for a period of time the has been involved in a nationwide movement disbursement of financial aid to them," Also, Urbance stressed that writing a letter to to repeal the drug provision from the HEA. Congressman Frank said. 'There are also cases, the editor of your local newspaper couldn't however, where individuals are convicted of hurt. "Letters to Editors are a great way to "First, this law is a band-aid. It does nothing minor drug offenses and are trying to get their speak to the public. Write a letter to the to solve the problem of youth drug abuse. lives back together through education. In these editor, and make sure to direct readers to Second, judges already have the ability to cases, it seems to me to be unreasonable for us to RaiseYourVoice.com."l'he web site has remove financial aid if they believe it is a impose an excessively rigid prohibition on an generated over 11,000 messages to Congress in reasonable consequence. This law establishes a individual's ability to receive Federal its first month of operation. blanket provision that takes discretion away financial aid. That is why my bill calls for from the judge." Kaehlert also argues that the repealing this strict ban on financial aid and Maybe Congress will realize that removing law targets people in a racially biased manner. returning discretion to the courts." financial aid only creates barriers to the possibility of a successful life. One thing is certain: when students get active, things happen.
---Normal NORML holds meetings while Illinois State is in session. For a meeting calendar, or more informationon Normal NORML, please view the group's website at www.normalnorml.org. DRCNet is also online at www.drcnet.org.
PAGE6 POST AMERIKAN JUNE /JULY 1999 ··1'
Notes from the land of anti-fat
Adventures in Paradise In the past, Fijians called noticeable weight how threatening a large woman was to male loss "going thin" and saw it as an alarming sign dominated culture? These days, she's American culture once more rears its ugly head: of illness or lack of resources. But with Fiji advocating potentially fatal weight loss after centuries of maintaining a robust lifestyle teevee beaming such stellar entertainments as surgery in the apparent belief that it's better to around food and body image, young girls on the "Melrose Place" and "Xena: Warrior Princess" be dead than fat n' threatening. island of Fiji are beginning to develop eating over its one channel, teen-aged girls in disorders. This increase appears to be particular are getting the message that their From her recent appearances and those snatches correlated with the introduction of television to old body type is no longer okay. How can it be of book that I've so far read, Camryn comes the Pacific island nation four years ago. when none of the male or female lust objects across much more level-headed than Roseanne living at Melrose are fat? ever could on her best days, so perhaps there's The year TV was widely introduced in Fiji in hope. In the meantime, perhaps they could 1995, only 3 percent of girls reported they One girl in the study said the teenagers on start broadcasting episodes of 'The Practice" on vomited to control their weight, according to television are "slim and very tall'' and that, Fiji telivision? the study by Harvard researcher Anne Becker. "We want our bodies to become like that. ..so Three years later, 15 percent have reported this --Bill Sherman we try to lose a lot of weight." behavior.
By Western standards percent of village 'They look to television characters as role 84 women in the study's sample were overweight models," says Becker, who presented her or obese, though how much of this is a health findings recently at the American Psychiatric problem remains unclear. New Zealand's Association annual meeting in Washington. National Heart Foundation has said more than "While it's an everyday concept to Americans, percent of Pacific Islanders suffer from resha ing the body is a new concept to Fijians." 70 p health problems, but they include fatness as a health problem by itself. Though Becker cautioned that the study does not establish a definitive link between While it's clear that television is only part of television and eating disorders, she noted that the package of changes that the once-isolated the increases were especially dramatic in a island is experiencing, it's equally clear that culture that traditionally has focused on the many Fijian viewers are using it a means of importance of eating well and looking robust. gauging global values. And while some of those Questioned in 1998, 74 percent of the Fijian girls values may be questionable and unhealthily reported feeling "too big or fat" at least restrictive (so what happens when that one sometimes and 62 percent reported dieting in channel starts broadcasting "Ally McBeal"?), the past month. there's no seemingway of turning it off.
Cultural imperialism from the Land of Anti Fat: while Americans worry about the images of physical violence in our entertainment industry, a subtler form of violence is being broadcast around the clock.
Wanna take any bets on which franchise will be the first to open in the South Pacific? I'm going with Jenny Craig. ' /
...... /" ...... /"
Kudos to Camryn
One positive blip on the entertainment scene has been the sudden ubiquitousness of teevee actress Camryn Manheim, the attractive plus size dynamo on the Sunday night lawyer series, 'The Practice." The Divine Miz M. - who capped her win for Best Actress at this year's Emmy ceremonies with a joyous, 'This is for all the fat girls!" - has been everywhere plugging her new book, Wake Up, I'm Fat! on tube talk shows and (the ultimate sign of arrival in my / house) NPR's "Fresh Air." More to the point, I � the onetime Peorian has repeatedly included a ! · plug for basic size acceptance in almost every ·._,_,J \ one of her appearances.
I'm pulling for Camryn, but still recognize the tremendous ongoing pressure on actresses today to conform to the Hollywood mold. Remember - \ ( ...,, i when Roseanne was making statements about ·�; \�"' .... __,.·
JUNE/JULY 1999 POST AMERIKAN PAGE 7 The Poetr
The Shoebox THE LITTLE UNDERGROUND NEWSPAPER When we were born, my brother and I, Thank God for the little merged. underground newspaper, that will put their first amendment where Heart to heart, like two makeshift enchiladas their mouth is, that will never siamesed in a package the world will never see'. kiss the ring finger of the king, that will pull up big rocks, an This one velvet space with its Houdini demand talk with the slime below, thank transient as a fold-a-way bed. God for the little underground newspaper, At night, the giants' guided our course, whose machines for distribution are we studied the length of their tears broken an in disrepair, whose employees until the dark say the hell with it, an hand out those papers rivers bathed us, here an there, the little train that could ' in a cradle of tears that that old samurai warrior in that Akira drip like clouds of kisses Kurosawa film who said, we have never onto our onion-paper skin. won a battle yet, before the beginning of the big celluloid Half-girl, half-boy, clash, said it in Japanese, but, we are dauntless whispers of larvae I know what he meant, thank encased in a shell of see-through veins. God for the little underground Incomplete flesh newspaper. to arouse the story of how such delicate moths occupy the world of living things. --John Firefly
--Lorraine Harrell
The Habit of Breath
She resisted the urge to cry or sit in a corner SICK PUPPY where only light lay between the edges of a painter's pebble, To the sick puppy and the swift glide of her mother's robe. ray-ciss, who thinks he's comin' out like a She was four - a big girl. Everyone told her so. famous lesbian movie Her hand reached for the brown marble of a star, who thinks Archie pecan; a gift she wanted to share with Bonnie. Bunker is Buddha, The corridor of Bonnie's mouth was too small and rude it who wants ta lick Hitler's reminded her of the goldfish that once swooped throu�h her boots so bad, this xenophobic fingers like a sly ballerina, when she tried to give it a kiss. idiot, he cannot relate And the bone-white, silly stubs, don't they do Harriet Tubman said o:n anything besides look weird? Gunna follow the stars Oh Bonnie, please push it up. ta freedom, you can't He a big girl. get anymore far out than that, she's in the She sucks her thumb and waits for a sign famuhlee of the most elite as Bonnie's face butterflies into a royal blue, explorers, you poor then Crayola purple, the mouth little white ray-ciss, you caught tight in a Bozo grin. can shut it all out, I but, Om in your newspaper, A wing-beat of breath lingers R HERE. Om on your radio, between the shapely haunt of closet monsters �Ou -;O;, Om on your teevee, and the sweet lollipop of tooth fairies. The Post Amerikan is seeking poetry I and you throw away your subm1ss1ons for the Poetry Page. I only power, bing unseen, She squeezes the blue and purple coloring book you uh Ronald McDonald If interested, please mail your poem that Bonnie has become, 1 for the an the 5 to: Post Amerikan, P.O. Box KKK, she rocks and rocks the muted stone bruise I 3452 Bloomingtm, IL or e-mail t per cent who run the world until the two exist only at parallels. 61702 � pamerikan@aol .com. are laughing as they wink: Rocking andwaiting for mommie to come home, I nudge, an elbow each other, singing against Bonnie's silent scream. I We have the right to an say the words, just another Bring back, bring back my Bonnie to me, to me. reject any poem. I nigger. --Lorraine Harrell I ------John Firefly
PAGES POST AMERIKAN JUNE /JULY 1999 What to do, What to do Hope Springs Eternal Let our blood flow with the sap of thousands of clearcut trees that screamed for mercy. In times like these you become hypersensitive to your surroundings. Our flesh no more valuable than their gentle bark the sound of a bird, the scent of the rich black soil. Hear the silent cacophony of bagpipes that sound for the ecoheros that chain themselves to the Everyday I check the size of the b��s on t�e trees. change. instruments of Gaia' s rape. I feel as if I could notice half a mtlhmeter s . I walk home with shoes and socks hanging from two fingers of my nght hand, Cry not for the multinational corporation's profit on the first warn afternoon. losses, but for the billions of pounds of non-recycled lumber that lay in land fills. Living and dying are essentially the same process, though the connotation is important, Build. our castles with noble straw rescued from it's a matter of what side of the bed you wake upon, the bonfire of the calamities. a matter of which way the wind is blowing, a matter of thousands of seemingly trivial factors. Set free our forgotten citizens, incarcerated and homeless alike, to plant nut and fruit forest from If only I could live more than die. coast to coast. Call me naive, Walk never again where the wolf saunters. call me impressionable, Turn out the lights, let the stars be seen by the treat me like a child if you like, youth that know only dim skies. but times like these make me feel as if I could. .• Hope springs eternal. Clear our waterways clogged from good neighborly dreck. --James Bohn
Work until we cry, for tears flow sweet when cast by ecowarriors
--Nikolai Alexanderovich Zarick
Cynic lam
I am a woman. I am confident. I am You are a cynic Robert Yahweh independent. I am beautiful. I am You were a f arniliar face among many unfamiliar brave. I am strong. I am happy with who I am. I You slid into this world from the "beard between your mother's legs" am natural. I am a musician. A nervous embarrassed infant I am an actor. I am a performer, but I am still And this is how you have remained me. A bitter old man of 19 Too nervous and embarrassed to change this world you criticize I am a woman. I am a woman who likes women. Unchanged, ungrown and ignorant Does that bother you? If it The only thing that has passed through your heart is time does, what if I told you, I am the woman who If you have nothing good to say sat next to you at the movies? Robert Yahweh Or, I am the woman who took your order at the Then shut the fuck up restaurant? Or, the woman who You have assumed the role of Empty-headed inquisitor gave you directions? Or, the woman who you For the naive yet it is you who are naive enjoyed watching dance? Or, the Questioner of all things pure woman who helped your little brother find the Joyful in the confusion of your presentation way home? Or even, the woman You are the grand pubah of a reality all your own who your boyfriend looked at and thiught I was A bubble in which you prevail always attractive? Would all that A utopian dream where all live to your liking change your mind? And all believe your unenlightened dribbling A critic of a world you can not change I am a woman who enjoys the same music as you An epic failure and I sing along at the your legacy will be depressed, downfallen top.of my lungs. I am a woman who watches Lonely, tiresome and unclear T.V. and laughs at the same things This is the future I see for you you do. I am a womanwho could be your Living secluded gone far away from the anxiety of life neighbor,your friend, your daughter Poorand ragged alone and inconvenienced or just someone you see on your commute. But, if I Thrusting your Eurocentric mind and told you I am a woman who Apocalyptic visions on the trees and shrubs likes women, would that change the way you Where you will play king of the hill in your mind by yourself see me? Preaching to the animals about oil production andthe environment Play your guitar for them for it is only them who will listen Robin Greenwood And it will be all you have left Whitewater, WI --Holden Cross
JUNE/JULY 1999 POST AMERIKAN PAGE 9 Biography of the Artist And the hourly wait The fire for perfection; The need We Were for love: The patience The truest perfection Patience for decision. We were angelic thugs who played naked anyone can see. Decision for Love. And fought with all our hearts Anyone can feel. We grew into more than the sum of our parts Everyone needs. None of us would ever be the same Love. Underdogs who wore scrappy like a badge on their chests What a way The fire. Each one of which I would die for to live: The need. We exposed our souls to the game The need to Through pain, anguish and defeat The patience. wait for the We arose victorious as one Patience for decision. heat: On that cold November night Decision for Love. to be warm. Where we played bare and noble What a way to live. And became gods To feel warm. Flowing and formless To feel the blanket --David Hall A deviant band of fearless heroes of love Who formed a collective conciseness, I cannot describe warm That pulled us where it wanted Through silent meditation and foaming rage on your skin. Only --Holden Cross to feel.
But, patience gives you the power to see original, beautiful: love: Sort of like an afghan that gramma made especially for you; The arrangement of stuff on the coffee table "i like your body when that screams definition: it's with my body" "Me, mine!" relaxed in place you feel like home to me peeling back slowly softly smoothly intertwined but one Women Should Stop All War Right Now two fitting puzzle pieces your hypnotic sensuality haunts my mind right now B-52 cruising the runway your lips against mine so heavy, so slow with only 8 engines breathe pleasure spumy volcanoes,dumping ash everywhere B-52 don't lift off, just sort of elevate gear into me blast away real slow warming me B-53 mission with every stroke B-52 stop pulling you closer one ton bombs wiggle all over between us the climactic release of me into you wings sagging like old whore tithes grasping me B-52 won't stop systematic villager genocide Belgrade is schizophrenically raving becoming Belgrade is Schizophrenically howling me Belgrade's sirens wail we you us one wake up now angel --Holden Cross angel wake up wake up angel big bombs falling everywhere
--Stephen Zimmerly
PAGE 10 POST AMERIKAN JUNE /JULY 1999 Call to positive action
It is nearly impossible to watch TV or pick up a What she needs is children's books, toys, magazine without being solicited for funds for educational aids, school supplies, art supplies Send what you can to: an overseas agency that helps underprivileged and whatever you think a toddler needs to children in some developing country. prepare for life in our universe. Even second A.R. Z. Hill hand items are welcomed, but please make sure c/o Tiny Tots Nursery We can assume that the charity is honest and cloth items etc. are clean and germfree. Of Laitumkhrah that a good portion of the funds go directly to course actual money is welcomed, but the school Shillong 793003 those in need. Yet sometimes we hear of needs American goods. Meghalaya, India charities that consume a vast portion of the money in administrative costs, advertising, The catch is that air mail postage can be costly, staff salaries etc. These agencies do need your so choose things that weigh less so you don't get help and I urge you to do what you can. But let clobbered at the post office. me offer one option, and tell you about one amazing person, Anna Hill, in northern India. In life we get chances to do good, just for the sake of doing good. It is easy to ignore those in Hill is a Mongolian/Welsh teacher who runs a need when they are not in your daily path. Yet children's nursery in the city of Shillong. The now I place this cause in your path. Please open work she does there is truly incredible your heart and share what you can, as much as considering that she has so little to work with you can, when you can. The reward will be not and "makes do" with the simplest of things. only the smiles of the children, but your smile as you lay down to go to sleep. The children she takes under her wing are brilliant and thirsty for knowledge. Hill --Nikolai A Zarick teaches them performing arts, metaculture (alternative agriculture), and a myriad of extra curricular activities.
··------·------·--·------·------esfobllshect l96B ______I S JUNE/JULY 1999 POST AMERIKAN PAGE 11 ·.� - NATO war in Yugoslavia: Myth #1: U.S./NATO had to attack "the troops must be based in Yugoslav territory. The This war is killing people of all nationalities Serbs" because the Yugoslav government and U.S. refused to allow the Yugoslav delegation in Yugoslavia, and poisoning their land with president Slobodan Milosevic refused to to meet with the Albanian delegation, or even radioactive depleted uranium (DU) weapons. negotiate on Kosovo� a region otYugoslavia to see 56 pages of the 80-page agreement. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, U.S. veterans where ethnic Albanians are the majority. and their families are suffering from Gulf War Myth #2: Yugoslavia is the aggressor in this Syndrome as a result of depleted uranium Reality: U.S./NATO bombs are falling on all conflict and Milosevic is a "new Hitler." poisoning. The Clinton administration and the Yugoslavs: Serbs, Montenegrins, Albanians, Pentagon talk about "supporting our troops" Hungarians, Romanis (called Gypsies) and Reality: No Yugoslav soldiers, planes or ships before they go into battle, but then deny other peoples who make up the multiethnic are attacking another country. The conflict in medical benefits to veterans who suffer from Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. There were no Kosovo is an internal issue. Yugoslavia is a the after-effects of Agent Orange from Vietnam "negotiations." U.S. officials like Secretary of small developing country of 11 million people, or DU from Iraq. This war will cost many State Madeline Albright went out of their way being attacked by 19 countries, including the billions of dollars, money stolen from housing, to make this point when "peace talks" were biggest military powers in the world, which health care, education and other social held in France in February. Instead, the U.S. have a combined pooulation of more than half programs. Each cruise missile costs $1 million. government presented an ultimatum to the a billion people. Milosevic has been demonized The only ones who will benefit from this war Yugoslav government that had three points: 1) much like Saddam Hussein was during the war will be the military-industrial complex and big Kosovo must be granted autonomy; 2) NATO against Iraq. A State Department official business. must be allowed to station 30,000 ground troops admitted: "The demonization of Milosevic is in Yugoslavia to ensure this autonomy;and 3) A necessary to maintain the air attacks." (San The real U.S./NATO goal is to break NATO-conducted referendumfor Kosovo's Francisco Chronicle , March 30, 1999) Yugoslavia into ever-smaller pieces and bomb independence from Yugoslavia would take its people into submission. The Balkans is a place within three years. Myth #3: Clinton, Albright and the Pentagon strategic region, a crossroads between Western generals were moved to action by their concerns Europe and the oil-rich Middle East and The Yugoslav government agreed to the first about "ethnic cleansing" and human suffering. Caspian Basin. The U.S. has established, in condition, and rejected the second and third, only five years, military domination of the saying they were a gross violation of their Reality: The U.S., Germany and other NATO former Yugoslav republics of Croatia, Bosnia sovereignty and the independence of their powers played a key role in breaking up and Macedonia as well as Hungary and country. The one breaking point that Yugoslavia in 1991-92, arming and supporting Albania. The only hold-out has been what is Yugoslavia refused to negotiate is that they secessionist movements. It was the today the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. will not allow a foreign occupying army. The International Monetary Fund that demanded an This is the real reason why Yugoslavia has only constant U.S. demand was that NATO end to "special privileges" for Kosovo in the become the target in the Balkans, just as it is 1980s. For 45 years after World War II, the the real reason that Iraq has become the target many nationalities that made up Yugoslavia in the Persian/ Arabian Gulf region. lived together in peace. In the civil wars, which followed the break-up of Yugoslavia, Myth #5: U.S. news reports are balanced and there was much bloodshed and human rights impartial, giving us the true story. violations on all sides. The biggest single act of "ethnic cleansing" was the forced removal of Reality: What we see today is a gross 600,000 Serbs from the Krajina region of the distortion of the facts. The media is dominated former Yugoslav Republic Croatia by the U.S. by big business interests, and functions as a trained and armed Croatian military in 1995. Pentagon propaganda machine. For political More than 55,000 of these Serbs, who were purposes, the suffering of only one group, the resettled in Kosovo, are among the hundreds of refugees leaving Kosovo, is shown, while the thousands of people made refugees by NATO other Yugoslav victims of the NATO bombing bombing and the conflict in Kosovo. (Julia Taft, are virtually ignored. The New York Times, Asst. Secretary of State on C-SP AN, March 29, CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, The Chronicle 1999) The U.S. /1 concern" about removal of Examiner , and others have given a very people from their homeland is very selective. slanted view of events in Yugoslavia, to justify This is not surprising: Virtually the entire the massive bombing. General Electric, one of continent of North America was "ethnically the countries largest military contractors cleansed" of Native people to make way for which supplies engines for NATO jet fighters, the U.S. and Canada, two NATO powers. U.S. owns NBCand co-owns MS /NBC. policy has supported, with arms and money, the removal of Kurdish people in Turkey and of Myth #6: The U.S. is trying to defend the Palestinians, East Timorese, Guatemalan rights of the people of Kosovo because they indigenous people -- the list goes on. have no rights. Myth #4. The U.S./NATO goal is to protest Reality: All minorities in Yugoslavia have the rights of the predominantly Muslim much greater rights than national minorities Albanians in Kosovo. have in the United States or in Europe. While bilingual education is under attack from Reality: U.S. officials pretend to care about California to New York, Albanians in Kosovo the rights of Muslim people in Yugoslavia, have schools and tuition-free universities in while their policy of sanctions and war kills the Albanian language. Medical care is free for 300 mostly Muslim Iraqis every day -- half all citizens in Yugoslavia. Albanian children under 5 years old. separatists boycotted the government school system and health care system. To refuse to use The Pentagon is not a humanitarian relief what exists is very different from being denied agency and the corporate-owned politicians these rights. don't really care about any people -- Albanians, Serbs, Kurds, Iraqis, or the poor and working people qf this country. PAGE 12 POST AMERIKAN JUNE /JULY 1999 Myth and fact The population information commonly given out Reality: The KLA is a terrorist force similar to Myth #8: The NATO bombing is not the cause is also misleading. For example saying that 90 CIA-funded Contras used by the U.S. in of the refugee crisis. percent of the population is Albanian is not Nicaragua in an effort to overthrow the accurate. This figure actually includes all non government. NATO uses the KLA to justify Reality: There were no waves of refugees until Serbs in Kosovo -- Romanis, Turks, Egyptians, sending U.S. troops to occupy and further break the beginning of the NATO bombing on March Goramacs (Serb Muslims from Kosovo) and up Yugoslavia. The KLA did not exist one year 24. The U.S. government used similar scripts of others. At the Rambouillet talks, the Yugoslav ago. Suddenly, it has the latest high tech defending civilians and stopping massacres to delegation represented not only Serbs, but all of weapons. justify massive bombing campaigns in both the the nationalities in Kosovo, including. two Vietnam and Iraq wars. Again and again it was Albanians, while the Albanian separatist What kind of liberation struggle calls for the the massive bombing that created refugee delegation consisted only of Albanians. bombing of its own people and for a foreign crises. The London Sunday Times interviewed - army of occupation on its soil? This is the KLA refugees and found: "Nor was there much The religious differences are also exaggerated . demand. The Society of Albanian American fodder for NATO propagandists among the 200 While many Albanians are Muslim, 10 percent Students released a call for a demonstration on or so refugees waiting to register at a Skopje of the Serb population is also Muslim. In Wednesday, March 31 "organized with the district police station early on Friday [March addition, 25 percent of the Albanian population invitation of the U.S. State Department to 26). Mirvei, a tall Albanian woman clutching is Roman Catholic such as Mother Teresa, who support NATO strikes, and above all, will focus her four-month-old baby, looked bewildered was a Kosovo Albanian. pressure for Ground Troops in Kosova andArms when asked if Serbian troops had driven her for KLA." Al Gore addressed the crowd. The out. 'There were no Serbs,' she said. 'We were Myth #7: The KLA (Kosovo Liberation Army) signs of KLA supporters at rallies organized by frightened of the bombs."' is a genuine army. the U.S. State Department -- "NATO Bombing, Just Do It," "KLA is NATO" -- express the real --from Clare House News relationship between the KLA and the U.S. government. Stop the bombing ! ! Modern high tech warfare is perfectly capable circulates. This poisoning will already affect As such it threatens us all. of killing this planet. every man, woman and child on earth. That is not a small matter. It is a matter of Each day the bombing continues, more harm is And as to our claim of moral superiority, which absolute life or death concern. inflicted on the natural world. And it is the we use to justify our actions, it's just got to be natural world which is the only source of the underst�od that the American nation is a very There was a photograph on the cover of the air, water, and food we depend on to maintain accomplished ethnic cleanser. We ethnically Chicago Tribune on May 7, that I consider to be our continued existence on this physical plane. cleansed this continent from sea to shining sea. instructive. So the fate of the natural world is not entirely Ask the Cherokee people about the Trail of The caption of the photo reads "Smoke billows unimportant to human beings. Tears. Ask the Lakota people about Wounded from a burning oil refinery in Novi Sad, Knee. Yugoslavia, a frequent target of NATO strikes. And then of course there is the potential of the Serb officials say the bombing is causing air war to spread and worsen. We did, after all, You could ask the people of hundreds of other pollution and contamination of the Danube bomb the Chinese Embassy. We said it was an tribes about their experience, except that there River." accident. I've read American columnists who isn't a single person left to speak. don't believe it was accidental. The photo proves that claim to be true. The You may remember from your U.S. history smoke is billowing up from the fire and it is And from what I've seen reported, the Chinese courses the high sounding phrase "manifest thick and ugly and threatening. And the river destiny." We thought it was our manifeat sure as hell don't believe the bombing was . Danube looks like a river out of a nightmare. accidental. destiny to expand westward. The banks of the river are lined with dead fish and the water itself looks oily and brown. There is a concept from the doctor's oath that Manifest destiny is ethnic cleansing. says that in any given medical situation, a We have, after all, been bombing oil refineries, necessary precaution is to do no harm. In other Like it or not. chemical plants, military bases and who knows words, don't make the situation worse. what else. Imagine the toxins that have been A little humility would be appropriate here. released. You don't help a people by killing I think that is a useful criteria. We are not better than other people. their river. It is obvious to me that we have made a bad And the damage that we are inflicting on the What we have to understand is that if we keep situation immeasurably worse. natural world puts all of humanity and all of this up, it won't matter about our war. It won't its future at risk. matter about our politics. It won't matter about I'm not saying that our side is completely our economies. It won't matter about our history morally responsible for what is occurring. But We must come to our senses. or our culture or anything else that we generate the fact remains that it is our bombs and our out of our busy little brains. missiles that are inflicting such great harm on We must find a better way. our Earth Mother. Remember: that river flows into our common For all our sakes, please stop the bombing ! ocean. And according to its very nature, water High tech military activity, no matter what its human rational or excuse, is, at its base, an --Gregg Brown assault on the natural world. JUNE /JULY 1999 POST AMERIKAN PAGE 13 . - .·. . ···· .. *· · ·---······-····-· ..______,___ ------·------·- ---�--:.:_·_ _:_·_ �._._L______.______.___ ·_ :·______..:_ _ ._. __:__:______But beyond lack of credibility, there's Washington's public description of Show Biz, Bloody Show Biz independence-minded Kosovars as "terrorists" - - a declaration which green-lighted by Steve Eckardt Milosevic's previous (unopposed) assault on Kosova. It was a theatrical disaster, a director's Sounds great. Sounds even better when the nightmare: there was the U.S. President critics writing reviews for the next day's papers And to this day Washington remains a staunch delivering a major war address, using refugees are also invested in the show. (One, the opponent of independence for Kosova. (A small, to pluck heartstrings, appealing to history and unbelievably callow and gaggingly but telling, reflection of this is its [and its news human decency, and then delivering the cheerleaderish New York Times foreign policy media's] use of the Serbian spelling "Kosovo.") emotionally-climactic soundbite "this is expert Thomas Friedman, calls the United America at its best." States "the Michael Jordan of nations.") Removing a roadblock In fact the first obstacle to Western plans for What a time for news of two American Making sure Yugoslavia is Kosova. Consider the scene: atrocities--oops, two cases of "collateral Too bad a military spokesman had to go and Yugoslavia is shattered. Stalinist-led damage" -- to stage an appearance. But there it casually mention the pilot's second [italics]pass nationalism created "ethnic cleansing," killed was. and launch of another [italics]missile that also over 200,000 Yugoslavs, and tuned over two struck the train. [13 April, MacNeil-Lehrer million into refugees -- all of which allowed Yes, there was one U.S. war plane rocketing a News Hour (PBS).] Yes, you read that right: 60,000 NATO troops to (thank you very much) passenger train, incinerating its occupants. And the pilot went back and rocketed the train occupy large swaths of the country. there were others dropping anti-personnel again. bombs on a village, shredding several families But there were two uncleansed places where and their animals, the scythe of explosion Funny how that little piece of information people were not yet atomized -- first and driven razors actually cutting off trees at their didn't appear in the next day's papers. foremost Kosova where Kosovars hit back at trunks. oppressive Serbian nationalism with strikes But then the President's punchline shared the and demonstrations, where people defiantly Of course the orchestra and chorus sprang into same fate, even though it was certainly built (first) alternative schools and other action, trying to cover over the moment. There destined to be the top headline on hundreds of institutions and (second) a popular was a grand rendition of the favorite tune U.S. newspapers. "This is America at its Best," revolutionary army to defend themselves. (It they would trumpet -- the line not only didn't hurt that two years ago one of the great inspiring, but the tag-line for the whole show. revolutions in modem European history erupted "Whatever it is, blame Milosevic." Meanwhile in neighboring Albania [however inadequate script doctors scrambled to rewrite. "How's But the script writers realized it wouldn't look its immediate outcome], in which people armed this sound," one of them no doubt said: "we say good above pictures of the skeletal, half themselves, the army and the police, and even the pilot was targeting a bridge when--to his melted passenger train--even highly created some revolutionary forms of self horror--a train suddenly appeared in the sanitized--in the next day's papers. government.) picture, too late to stop the missile." Too bad -- what a waste. Can you imagine a more eloquent--and accurate--catch-phrase for "Terrorists!" cried Washington and then sat butchers were the air war against Yugoslavs and Kosovars? smugly back while Milosevic's sicced on the Kosovars. "Aninternal matter," "This is America at its best." Washington and Belgrade agreed, although Less than 48 hours later U.S. planes made four Washington began a cynical show of "concern" over "human rights abuses" as the news of separate attacks on columns of Kosovar atrocities began to get out. refugees, killing more than 60 of them. "This is America at its best" -- it's perfect. But last year's offensive failed. Instead, some 90% of Kosovars turned to embracethe * * * * insurrectionary perspective of the Kosova Liberation Army, which was over-run with MASS TRANS IT Of course accidents will happen. And there's no volunteers in a matter of weeks. AFR ICA disputing that hundreds of thousands of Washington issued an ultimatum to the KLA Kosovars have been reduced to refugees and ASIA and its supporters: disarm and let us occupy that hundreds of them have been killed by WWW. Kosova with 28 ,000 Western troops. And one to EASTERN EIRJPE Serbian death and terror squads, thanks to an Milosevic: get your troops out and let ours unspeakable program of "ethnic cleansing" LATII MtERr.A handle this. carried out by the forces under the control of RACE OUESTDG Slobodan Milosevic. SEEINGRED Both essentially refused, perhaps foolishly not ECONm.tY realizing they were dealing with the Michael Th ere's also no disputing that this is just what Jordan of nations 0 ISEASE TlllEATS Washington wants. .COM Success USA TODAY After all, U.S. pretensions of humanitarian And so Washington has been bombing Kosova concern are more than a little suspect given [MORE ] for over a month -- rather a strange Washington's behavior during the Holocaust, "humanitarian" measure, to say the least.. Last ISSUE 1.1 during the Rwandangenocide, or during night alone (25 April) over 50 missiles fell on previous murderous "ethnic cleansing" in ISSUE 1.2 Pristina, Kosova's capital. Yugoslavia. ISSUE 1.3 PAGE 14 POST AMERIKAN JUNE /JULY 1999 . - .. ! ' . . . . .· . " ...... : . - , . . . - . . . '. ":, ' :-. . ' �-:.-:.-,,. , , : And Milosevic's butchers handle the work on the ground. But (ironically) Serbia itself was the other place where people still stood up against tyranny. Don't forget that little over a year ago HOW FIT IS YOUR tens of thousands of opponents of Milosevic demonstrated against the government for a record 76 straight days. Or that an alternative BRAIN? trade union that opposes the government and backs autonomy for Kosova now claims a Wha t do you need to be a membership representing 20% of the working territorial army soldier? class. It's not easy.It takes ,_,,,,._ ..., enthus iasm , dedication and of ten And so Washington's forces pound Serbia too - lliilal:i. · gross stupidity . the bombardment gone to 24 hours now, like a It means becoming in tima tely convenience store. The Serbian working class is acquainted wit h the self the target -- factories, bridges, oil supplies, loading rifle to make killing municipal heating and electrical plants are someone part of your job bombed -- hurting primarily working people satisfaction . and strenghtening Milosevic at the expense of The territorial army works his popular opponents alongside bo th the Regular Army and the NATO forces Troops Which is why we 're not too Could the Western objective be any clearer? It's fussy abou t who joins .You see nothing less than the military occupation of all we 're no t really bo thered who of Yugoslavia. But that's possible only once the 'gets killed as long as it 's not insurgent Kosovars--and secondarily the us .We now even let blacks in 1 domestic opponents of Milosevid--are the ar my ,see the token black shattered. - J �man in this advert,se cond down � on the left.You may have a hard Already some 60,000 troops occupy Bosnian and time in the barracks bu t that's other wastelands. no t our concern.It doesn't ma tter to us wha t colour a Yet fools and propagandists debate whether bullet catcher is . ground troops are needed, forgetting (or You even get paid equivalent pretending to) the original ultimatum: 28 ,000 rates to the Regulars .Wha t more Western troops and a Kosova cleansed of the do you wan t?Blood ?Tha t can be KLA -- or else war. That was the content of the arranged too , along wi th a free "peace agreement" which, left unsigned, was �A"i•11. wooden cross on a is land in the the immediate cause of the NATO air assault. South Atlantic. Interested?Dumb enough?Cut out In other words, the choice has always been the coupon . Who knows ,you could between troops or ...troops. make the Six O'clock news by ,this time next ye ar. And so we have war, war progressing exactly according to plan. Kosova is bombed and BLOOD-JOIN THE ARMY . burned, more than half its people in flight. �GIVE Serbia is militarily softened up, defenses A wrecked. I . r;THE...... TERR-- ITO�---RIAL ARMY.------Freepost DEZJ12a) Bristol85 1 3YX. Next, Imperial troops will take Kosova, as ·�L 4335 (Dept. I Washington and Belgrade arrive at a partition -----":� Please send me further information on the T.A. 1 agreement. Yugoslavian war criminals will Nam e retain power, at least until the Empire is ready I I for the next bite. l Address l • Age(17�z-321 --- So if there's an occasional embarrassing slip ·on the stage, if body parts land while a misty m.;.�M.1I R-n-�AAD_fTfl__! _�-.,.-�-�-�-l-T-l�-�--=---� 1�:����}- eyed President emotes "This is America at its :_ I best," so what? Until new actors seize the stage with a script of their own it's the only show in town. America --and the world-- at its best. This article first appeared in the online magazine JUNE /JULY 1999 POST AMERIKAN PAGE 15 The Death Penalty by Steve Eckardt May 21st was a Friday, a day for deeds that Chicago Tribune. (By the way, this is a rather But Yugoslavia's infrastructure has been would be too stale for Sunday's papers. extraordinary claim: military casualty figures have been astonishingly absent in the ocean of targeted from the beginning of the war, especially factories -- which in Yugoslavia It was also the day U.S./NATO warplanes statements and news coverage--for reasons that provide not only jobs, but also house medical bombed a prison in northwestern Kosova. speak for themselves. Then there's the clinics and child care facilities. The Bombed it long enough for Westernreporters to striking--and utterly amorphous--use of the importance assigned to military value was travel from Belgrade to view the damage ... slang euphemism "taking out.") shown by the leveling of the main cigarette and then flee for their lives as the warplanes factory in the first days of the war. struck it again. Lest the real targets out this assault somehow be unclear, two separate attacks left at least And if all factories, roads, bridges and utilities Count 19 dead and scores mangled -- until 155 Kosovar civilians dead in the town of potentially aid the military, when can we Sunday, when another attack killed at least Korisa. And now new light--thanks to taped expect strikes against high schools--containing, another 80. conversations between the bomber and his commander --has been shed on the first, the of course, future members of the army? What kind of people deliberately order the infamous attack on a refugee caravan: a written umn bombing of captives? Captives held by a transcript of radio communications shows the Meanwhile blown-up col s of refugees, dictatorship, no less, people likely to be U.S. pilot objecting to his orders, declaring passenger trains, hospitals, and neighborhoods oppositionists. (Indeed, according. to the 23 May "these are just tractors and cars" before being are brushed aside as "collateral damage." New York Times, "many of [the 1,000 inmates] ordered to proceed with bombing. . were in for 'terrorist' offenses, meaning But can bombing a city produce anything but association with the Kovos[a] Liberation Shades of the attack on the passenger train "collateral damage?" The best "military Army.") that "happened" to be passing over a bridge target" in Chicago, for instance, would be when it was rocketed -- supposedly a tragic O'Hare, the country's busiest airport. Next What kind of people, waging what kind of accident except for the (widely unreported) might be the University of Chicago where a war? second rocket attack. nuclear chain reaction was first achieved. And then, maybe --if CIA map readers were picking Target: Kosova Meanwhile its Stalinist cat's paw, Milosevic, targets-- the lakefront entertainment center unleashes his paramilitary terror squads (not, going by the unfortunate name of "Navy Pier." Washington rains explosives on Kosova- by the way, the balking draftee Yugoslav Target: Eastern Europe blowing up far more Kosovar civilians than army) to a wage yet another unspeakable Serbian tanks--and sending up to 900,000 fleeing campaign of ethnic cleansing, a campaign So what kind of people bomb captives, for their lives. "NATO has destroyed our enabled by NATO's bombing. factories, utilities and victims of ethnic struggle [for independence}" bitterly said one Yet--with profound cynicism--the refugees cleansing? Take it from Walter J. Rockier, a farmer now in a refugee camp, aptly describing themselves are used to justify the U.S./NATO prosecutor at the Nuremberg trials, now the obvious consequences of the war. war. This despite the blatant refusal of courageously opposing his own government: war Western forces to act against the actual ethnic criminals Says Rockier, "the murderously And in fact, Washington remains an implacable cleansers, the trumpeted--but unused--super destructive bombing campaign in Yugoslavia opponent of independence for Kosova even as weapon Apache helicopters being the most ...constitutes a continuing war crime," an Milosevic's ethnic cleansing plainly telling and absurd example. accusation he carefully substantiated by demonstrating the justness of this demand. international law in the Sunday 23 May (One small reflection of this is their repeated Target: civilians use of the Serbian name "Kosovo" instead of the Chicago Tribune (as well as in other venues). Albanian one, "Kosova." May 21st was a Friday, a day for deeds that He's the best of a significant minority of wouldn't get play in Sunday's papers. Establishment figures that has variously Indeed, NATO spokesmen admit �hat nearly 70 attacked the war's conduct as "excessively days of relentless and massive bombardment It was also the day that U.S./NATO bombers brutal" (ex-President Carter), "immoral" "has taken out only 2.5 percent [i.e. 1,000] of the began blowing up Yugoslavia's power stations - (syndicated columnist Stephen Chapman), 40,000 Serbian soldiers and special police an act that leaves Milosevic's forces untouched, "blundering" or "a failure" (scores of daily operating in Koso[ a]," according to the 26 May but which cuts off water, power, refrigeration- newspaper editorials). Even the war criminal and communication with the outside world--for Henry Kissinger has weighed in with this gem: nearly all of Belgrade and its surroundings. "What kind of humanism expresses its reluctance to sacrifice military casualties by devastating the civilian economy of its adversary for decades to come?" But while Kissinger aches for humanism of military body bags and Carter demands appropriate brutality, the editorialists stating the obvious--that the war to save Kosova has been a disaster for Kosovars--are either liars or cretins ... or (most likely) both. U.S. policy has always been to foment and deepen civil war and ethnic cleansing in Yugoslavia, beginning with Bosnia, through the Krajina, to Kosova -- part of the eternal we specialize in goal of shattering of the "Communist" countries <;3Mdi esel repair of eastern Europe. And so the war--with its hundreds of thousands of refugees, the terror complete automotive squads and mass rapes--has been a great success, and truck service not a failure. foreign and domestic PAGE 16 POST AMERIKAN JUNE /JULY 1999 . � . . . - . - - . . � <. :-... - ·- .. _ . -_ . . ··ie In fact the openly-stated goal of the ·current war at its beginning was the military Target: KLA occupation of Kosova by 28,000 Western troops - - that, plus withdrawal of Serb /Yugoslav May 21st forces and disarming of Kosovar independence was a Friday, a day for deeds that wouldn't make fighters. U.S. /NATO began bombing only Sunday's papers. because Milosevic refused to accept that, not It was also because of his oppression of Kosova. the day U.S. /NATO war planes bombed a key base of the Kosova Liberation Army (KLA). "[We acted] on Why military occupation, like the nearly the assumption that it was still in the hands 60,000 troops already occupying Bosnian and of the Yugoslav Army," claimed NATO spokesman Macedonian remnants of Yugoslavia? Jamie Shea. Seems the workers and farmers of Eastern But the base "was seized by the rebel [KLA] six weeks ago ... [and] has often been featured in Europe--and yes, Rus�ia and China--still stupidly believe in as tree medical care, reports by the international press, including affordable housing, secure retirements, nearly television broadcasts and still photographs," free public transportation and unemployment as the 23 May New York Times carefully payments that don't expire until you have a described the fact that even couch potatoes new job -- notions obscenely offensive to knew the base was KLA. ostensibly-triumphant free marketeers. But then the KLA has suffered far worse than Seems that Western tools like Milosevic and bombing at the hands of Washington and its Yeltsin -- pro-capitalist gangsters and NATO vassal allies. After all, it was the U.S. murderers -- are doing inadequate jobs in ambassador's pointed public d.esci1p6on ot the reducing their populations to abject beggary. KLA as "terrorists" which green-lighted Milosevic's Only war--and direct military rule by the first ethnic cleansing campaign last fall, West--can do the job. a vicious campaign aimed at destroying OF the KLA's popular base, a war which left Target: working class hundreds dead and some 200,000 Kosovars homeless in the brutal mountain winter. Meanwhile the same Western governments are war against rights and Then there was the full force of Washington's �L IBERTY carrying out the same living standards on their own populations, if power -- blackmail, threats of mass violence, less violently at the moment. pay-offs, and psychological operations - brought against the KLA during the Whether the U.S. can succeed iu subverting the Rambouillet So what kind of people--waging what kind of "peace" negotiations to surrender entire KLA to becoming a tool is still up in the their war--bomb captive Kosova independence arms and their aims ... and accept air, although reports from the region regarding fighters? The same kind of people--waging the occupation by 28,000 NATO soldiers. KLA cheerleading for NA TO bombing--and same kind of war--that impose an embargo that Demaqi's utter disappearance--are not has killed over 450,000 Iraqi children? And the fearsome result -- the removal of the promising. pioneer independence fighter Adem Demaqi And what kind of people--waging what kind of who (as Australian journalist Michael Karadjis In any case, analyzing this process has nothing war--put oppositionists like Mumia Abu-Jamal put it) "led the KLA politically until its to do with the repulsive slanders currently (and scores of proven innocents) on Death Row? leaders signed the Rambouillet agreement ... being circulated (especially on the Internet) by who had Ions proposed that an independent Stalinists bent on portraying the armed popular Capitalists--waging class war--whose an swer Kosova could, on the basis of self movement as nothing but- " a herion mafia for those who don't to bow before the diktats of determination, join with Serbia and Montenegro ...organized and armed by the CIA." their Empire is ... the death penalty. in a new, equal federation ...i deas [which] gained wide support from Serbian opposition The veracity of these claims--long on historical elements in a wide-ranging "Serbian-Albanian" examples on CIA/ drug dealing/ contra Read eyewitness reports from Yugoslavia and a dialogue held in 1997.... " operations elsewhere, but entirely lacking any dozens of other articles and background Here was someone--a popular leader current evidence against the KLA (except the material at the online magazine SeeingRed, advocating a new society of tolerance, equality guilt-by-association smear that drug smuggling fo und at JUNE/JULY 1999 POST AMERIKAN PAGE 17 ··ic Reviews, reviews, reviews A glimmer of industrial strength light Recently there has been a severe absence of plastic and rusted steel. The sound is one that Currently Romell is taking Razed in Black on industrial bands on the scene. Many bands are is truly unique. Behind all of its complex the road with some carefully chosen live coming forward wearing the label of industrial, simplicity Razed in Black is one man. Romell musicians including Ivan from STOMP on drums. but fall short of delivering and soon go to the Regulacion does all of the music, lyrics and Transmutator just finished a Japanese tour, and place that houses the one hit wonders. Luckily mixing. He has also worked under the name of now Razed in Black is touring the west coast there is a light that surpasses just that of a Transmutator doing mixing for bands like with the hopes of showing up in the Midwest glimmer and is instead a full blown torch. Switchblade Symphony and an album or two. and east coast over the summer. As recognition Razed in Black, a Hawaii based industrial grows through touring Razed in Black will band just released a third album, and it looks Razed in Black first hit the club scenes with prove to be a musical force to be reckoned with. like they are about to get the credit that has the single "Cyberium" in 1996. It was followed been a long timecoming . by a remix EP in 1997 and a sophomore album by --by Catherine Hohenzy the name of Sacrificed in March of 1999. Razed Razed in Black is a guitar and synth oriented in Black and Transmutator were also featured band with intricate rhythm expressions that in the movie Carrie 2: The Rage. comes off as a bucket of shattered ballistic Red Cross/Kosovo Refugee Benefit at Gallery OnMay 28 The Gallery in Downtown Normal The Moonlight Stranglers was the third band. loved every minute ot the show despite the hosted a Red Cross benefit for the Kosovo A trio of crossdressers that played an extended ramblings of a drunk person. refugees. Five local bands donated their time set of Tex-Mex rockabilly with a bit of metal to the worthy cause. thrown in, put on the best stage show of the The night was impressively closed by Elevator night. Between the bad '80's prom dresses, wigs Shoe. A group that played acid jazz was Stumpwhoopt was the first to play a simple and beer fight, there was little left for the appreciated by anyone who likes jazz or and organized set, musically sound yet rather audience to desire. appreciates good music. They were forced to cut lackluster. The Marinated Brains put on an their set a bit short because of time restraints, entertaining show. The band describes Blue Bonnet Plague was a favorite of clubgoers, but still made an impact. themselves as "Patsy Cline on acid" but country but the set was comprised of little other than a twang was not not one of the things they drunk lead singer screaming about America and All in all the benefit was a success. The fact seemed to be full of, but nevertheless they put �is t�oughts. Still, t�e audience stayed, and that each band donated time for such a worthy _ on a good show. cause made the show well worth the time. --Catherine Hohenzy Zine of the month This time around I want to tell you about a marvelous magazine, Consciou s Choice . Consciou s Choice (920 North Franklin #202 Chicago, IL 60610-3179) is mayhap one of the most self-empowering zines in America today. Month after month Consciou s Choice doesn't just report on alternative health, the green movement, counter culture, food, the global Your local Internet Service Provider environment, women's health issues, and a myriad of holistic subjects--they get people I & involved. They cause positive change, create On ine with the World solutions and give logical answers to hard questions. There is a warm and friendly feel to Environmentally friendly! Consciou s Choice. Receiving this gem is like a FULLT-1 pile of letters from good friends. 28.8 Modem Bank Global E-mail IRC Newsgroups Telnet http://www.ice.net FTP email: [email protected] Wo rld Wide We b Phone: 4S4-INET (4638) PAGE 18 POST AMERIKAN JUNE /JULY 1999 Reviews of all sorts of odd things You may be wondering, "That towanda isn't S.C.U.M. Manifesto reviewing as many books as she used to-what's Death to the Pixies Valerie Solanas up with that?" We'll, you're right. My past the Pixies I recently re-watched the film "I Shot Andy employment gave me the opportunity to peruse Warhol" (which is excellent, by the way) and Oh, the good old Bloomington Library. Where all sorts of literature-but now that I'm free of became interested in reading the book that else can I find a copy of a kick ass c.d. for free? that hell hole .. .I don't get to read as much now, inspired the film, S.C.U.M. (the Society for (plus they have PJ Harvey, Ani,. Patti Smith, but it's still a hell of a trade off. I still get to . Cutting Up Men) Manifesto. Not the lightest Iggy ..!) the library, though and Amazon.com rules. reading material, as you might imagine. And let me clear up one thing before you all say that I was instantly a fan when of the Pixies when I The following is a sample of things I have towanda is a manhater. Not true. It's not that heard Doolittle - specifically the video for picked up and devoured over the past two I hate men, it's just that most of the people that "Here comes your man" on MTV's pre-120 months. I have a deep hatred for - are men. I also hate minutes (remember when it used to be on every some women, you know, so I don't discriminate. night at 10:00 or 10:30 p.m. for a half hour). The Bad Girl's Guide to the Open Road During was sophomore year, my roommate and I by Cameron Tuttle Valerie Solanas was an incredibly gifted would watch the 30 minute segment then I ordered this through Amazon.com and I was so writer and revolutionary at a time when switched to Letterman. In the video, though, happy when I came home for lunch and saw the feminist thought was on the verge of erupting. the band just stood there motionless as they package on my porch. I was having a She also suffered from paranoia. She had a sang this campy song. Well, needless to say, I particularly stressed-filled day, and to top it great sense of humor though, for one of my was instantly hooked and they were one of my off, I heard that my office would be moved to favorite lines in the movie went something like favorite bands while I was in college. the basement. Yuck. After I tore open the this: "this book is dedicated to: all men, Although, I wandered away from the Pixies in package, I was delighted to find that the book married women and other degenerates." the last few years, I recently rediscovered was covered in hot pink plastic! I spent the them- they have two new albums (old stuff) next 40 or so minutes laughing out loud to its Strangely, I found myself reading and nodding "Live at the BBC" and "Death to the Pixies". content. It put me in such a good that when I got to some of her thoughts. Could it be true, do I "Death to the Pixies" is a double cd that has back to work, I found that my office would now believe men are the weaker sex in every sense? all the old favorites, both live and studio be on the main floor. It'll be huge to boot. Do I, like Valerie, wish all men would be versions. You'll find such faves as "Debaser," Coincidence, I don't think so. violently wiped off the end of the earth? "Tame," "Gigantic," "Gouge Away," and Hmm... She states, "The male is a biological "Crackity Jones." It costs $24.00, but it's worth So, if you've been following my writings for the accident: the Y (male) gene is an incomplete X every penny. Post the last few years, you know that I love to (female) gene, that is, has an incomplete set of road trip. Packthecooler,grabsomecd'sandget chromosomes. In other words, the male is an The Hot Rock inthecarandgo,girl. There's nothing like incomplete female, a walking abortion, aborted Sleater-Kinney leaving your old life behind to discover new at the :?ene stage. " Woah. Solartas goes on to A few years ago, when Spin was still kinda towns and the culture that surrounds it. cool, they had a half page interview with a also state that "because of his obsession to compensate fo r not being fe male combined with new "girl" punk band. They reviews for the The book is part travel practicalities and his inability to relate and to fe el compassion self-titled album were stellar, so I bought it. I travel humor. Tuttle explains how to change a has made of the world a shitpile." loved it. Two albums (and four years later) I'm flat tire, then later throws in "things to do still a fan of this three piece band. Sleater with a pantyliner." (Keep that one pair of Kinney consists of Corin, Carrie and Janet. S.C.U.M.. is an angst filled manifesto of underwear smelling fresh for days: wet it, stick Corin has a hell of a set of lungs - and Carrie's Solanas' views on males and how women can it to your hand, and clean the inside of your softer vbice backs them up perfectly. The Hot band together to abolish everything that is windshield.) Hey, that's practical advice too. Rock is more polished than the two previous male. Her reasoning? "The male is nonetheless, 'obsessed with screwing; he'll swim a river of albums released by the group, and it's more The four sections included in Bad Girls' are: : snot, wade nostril deep through a mile of ambitious - both in songwriting and vocals. Start your engine,with tips on what to bring, : vomit, if he thinks there'll be a friendly pussy Anything by Sleater-Kinney is highly what to wear, and where to go; the Road, recommended. On ; awaiting him." Okay, that I kinda agree with, which includes rules, extra-car-ricular ! but how about, "Every man, deep down, knows activities, safety, and speeding tips; Off the he's a worthless piece of shit." I found myself Ani DiFranco Concert Road tells of fun on the road, the power of hearing a female comedian, like Margaret Cho Redbird Arena, May 1999 peeing, joy of eating and the necessity of or Janeanne Garofalo saying those same words, The first time I saw Ani play it was at IWU's sleeping; the End of the Road wraps up why one I but in a comedic sense. Is that because we Student Union. There were only 200or so people should go on a road trip in the first place. '; secretly wish it were true? Laughing at in the room. The next few years, Ani moved to something, but thinking, "Yeah!" underneath? the bigger arena of the Shirk Center. Not able Blurbs from the book. Or, is it because we find the writings ludicrous? to hold her fans, Ani now plays at the huge rearview mirror perspective n. a mood-altering Maybe it's a mixture of both. Redbird Arena across town at ISU. This past shift in perspective when you realize that concert welcomed 4,000fan s. Although Ani's problems in your life are smaller than they • After Valerie shot Andy Warhol, she spent performance was awesome, I miss the smaller appear. some time in mental hospitals. She died in San settings of the student union and the Shirk Francisco in 1988 at the age of 52 from Center and the intimacy that the performance Rush'n Roulette v. speeding when you already emphysema and pneumonia. rendered. It kinda sucks when a lot of people have two points on your driving record. like the same bands/artists as you do, because Oh, Valerie, we could really use you today. this is what generally happens. Oh well, Gohemian n. one who lives an unconventional maybe more people will listen to her music and life on the go; adj nomadic; v to go wild. take it to heart. Ani still sings with raw emotion, though, and I'll always find myself at Ms. Tuttle is indeed a bad girl. This book will her concerts. help you to be one as well. -towanda! JUNE/JULY 1999 POST AMERIKAN PAGE 19 Welcome to the Addiverse, man Oh, the seventies-I loved the 70's! And, those??) Then, there was Hobby Sherman. "Welcome Back, Kotter", "Starsky and Hutch", despite the loss of many brain cells towards the "Julie, Julie, Julie, do you love me?" Bobby was and "Emergency!" I voted for George McGovern end of theat fabulous decade, I can still fondly dreamy! My sister chose Chad Everett over in a school mock election. Funny-I don't remember KC & the Sunshine Band, tight T Bobby-what did she know? David Cassidy remember the war. It truly was an innocent shirts, disco jeans and the original sightings of was far out. David-er, Keith Partridge was time for me ...at least until I got to high school! mood rings and pet rocks. Remember life before the man of my dreams; I wanted to BE David MTV? Before the Space Shuttle? Before Cassidy, (Uh, let me clarify-I didn't want to be My true idol of the 1970s was Karen-I'm-on Compact Discs? Before Prince and Madonna? a man, per se-I wanted to be David the-top-of-the-world-Carpenter, 'cause she Before Chrysler Neons? Before the Cassidy /Keith Partridge and he just happened played the drums and so did I. Karen and I "Simpsons"? Shoot, before VCRs? Before to be a man. Don't want anyone out there were cool, man. We were girl drummers. There sanitary napkins WITHOUT belts? Before thinking "a-ha!" See, lesbians really DO want was nothing more far out than girl drummers. I Ellen, Melissa and Martina? Before SUV s? to be men!") Keith Partridge got to wear wore out that Carpenters album-you know, the Back when Elton John was straight? In the 70s, groovy clothes and have long hair and have all one with the brown cover. If you are over 30 my classmates & I had never heard of sorts of girls chasing after him ...who wouldn't years old, don't even pretend to not know which Stonewall or gay rights or gay anything ... well, want that? Friday nights in the early 70s were album cover I'm talking about. I was in love besides the gay character on "Soap," but we spent watching "The Brady Bunch" and the with Karen Carpenter. I was going to BE Karen didn't get what that meant back then. There "Partridge Family" on TV (the original Carpenter (guess I was done trying to be David were no gay heros or gay mentors, not at least episodes-not the ones on "Nick at Night"). Cassidy by this poin't:). I'd play my drum pad any I knew ...there weren't any gay people in while Karen played on the album. I had the During the daytime, Susie, Em, my sister and I - the 1970s, were there??? Hey, man, it's time to would "play" the "Partridge Family" instead beat, man! Sing, sing a song ... go back to the land of 8-tracks, smock tops and of playing "house." I always had to be Keith, Farrah-feathered hair ...to a land filled with while my sister and Susie would argue about Most importantly in the 1970s, there· was Gremlins, Pintos and Pacers ...to a time when who woudl be Laurie-so we'd always end up "Cahrlie's Angels." Ask any REAL lesbian station wagons were cool and satin clothing was with two Lauries. Em would be the Mom, which angel she liked best and I'll bet you my hip. Shirley. No one wanted to be Danny. I had my salary that she'll say Kate Jackson. What guitar and my Partridge Family 8-track. Who lesbian didn't pine over Kate Jackson? Sure. The decade for me started with a passion for needed anything more? Farrah had the poster (THE poster of the music. The first 45 (that's a record, not a 1970s) and Jackyln Smith was beautiful, but revolver) I ever pruchased was a diddy by the The decade started out with Blood, Sweat and - Kate was the REAL angel. She was better then Monkeys. Davy Jones-groovy! My favorite TV Tears. Shaft. The Bee Cees. Bread. Simon & buddy on "Family," although Buddy sure had a show was "American Bandstand" with Dick Garfunkel. The Jackson Five. As time lot more "lesbo potential" than Kate did. Clark. I can still clearly recall seeing the progressed, I moved on to Bruce Springstein. Village People on AB. "Macho Man", Saturday Night Fever. Donna Summer- why In the fourth grade, I had this fabulous pair of "YMCA", "In the Navy"! My sister owned all did sometone leave her cake out in the reain? pants, man-red and blue stars on white bell the Village People albums (hmm, and I'm the Barry Manilow. Chicago. Boston. The Steve bottoms. I'd wear 'em with a red, white and one that turned out to be gay-go figure) and we Miller Band. Wings. Andy Gibb-Andy and his blue striped shirt and crocheted vest. A would dance around the bedroom as the Village white satin shirt and pants. We celebrated the fashion statement, indeed. Elephant pants People albums went round and round on the Bi-centennial, watched Skylab fall out of the were the best, if your teacher didn't make you turntable. (Turntable, albums ...remember sky. We watched intellectual shows such as go home and take them off (they were dangerous on the playground or something). My friend, Em, had a great pair of red elephant pants and she got sent home in fifth grade, right in the middle of a "jump sticks" game. My first memory of anything "gay" doesn't surface until 1974. That's when a bunch of eighth graders surrounded me and started asking-interrogating-me, "Are you a lesbian?" Hey, these really were innocent times-I didn't even know what a lesbian was, let alone if I was or wasn't this thing they were calling me. The group of girls pressed closer and closer. "ARE YOU A LESBIAN?" I could not escape · wi+� e"er1 the circle of girls around me. I started crying not because they thought I was a lesbian but . because I was so afraid of them. My favorite teacher came and broke it up. I cried all through homeroom that day. Not a very nice so\,s c.rir+ioY\�* introduction to homosexuality. My, my, my I've already got 2,000 beanies, but want another how things have changed since then, eh? How one, dammit! Enclosed is $6.00 for a com many 7th graders do you know today that don't know what a lesbian is??! plete one year (six issue) subscription to the Post Amerikan. Please make your check pay It all turned out fine. The war ended, disco died. Skylab didn't fall on anything too able to the Post Amerikan. important, Nixon was not a crook, streaking went out of style, sanitary napkins got little sticky things on them, the original Angels were replaced by others, T-shirts weren't so tight, John Travolta went on to make other hit movies, and Michael Jackson moved on to plastic surgery and Elton came out as gay. -written for Diversity of Rockford _ _ City______State __ Zip _ Volume 1, issue 5, May /June 1999 "That 70s newsletter" PO Box 1964, Rockford, IL 61110 *The above statement is a false, promotional ploy to get you, the reader, to subscribe. http: / /members.aol.com/ diverse610Ilife1 I index.htm PAGE 20 POST AMERIKAN JUNE/JULY 1999 ' . . ·. .. ,· ' . . . .- . . . . ··\:,, . . . ' ..·. . . ' . . . Eternal ref ugeeism The night was overcast but the roar of the tanks In the U.S. there is a new human underground metaculture (alternative agriculture) so they could be clearly heard. As dawn broke their that mirrors the one the fleeing African can sustain themselves, and so on. For the barrels were visible through the mist. When American slaves used. Only this time it is millions of individual problems of refugeeism the sun broke the horizon the village was being utilized for abused children hiding from we must create specialized solutions that deal herded up. The papas and big brothers were their abusers. Ironically these penultimate with these reoccurring crises as a "constant taken to a ditch and shot. The beautiful women victims have turned the tables and now state of existence" rather than treating these simply disappeared. Meghan's Law has created a refugee population flash ups of unspeakable tragedy with a knee of abusers that nobody wants in their jerk response. Every valuable, document, and family photo neighborhood. Likewise eventually most of the were thrown into bags. Into buses they were 1.8 million incarcerated humans will be set free We must all work on this human catastrophe crammed. Hour upon hour was the journey. By with few places that will welcome them. with whatever means possible; by writing late afternoon the guard stole the bags at the Sadly, 7 to 10% of these humans were wrongly letters to our government representatives, check point. Off the bus, now was the forced imprisoned, yet they too go into "the criminal donating time and assets to those best prepared march to nowhere. The hum of suffering shook refugee" mix, forever stigmatized by their to pragmatically deal with crisis and most the leaves. conviction and the press. importantly to pray and stop this madness. As they crested the hill the sea of people was The cycle repeats and repeats.... Being a --Nikolai Alexanderovich Zarick visible, thousands, thousands, thousands of refugee seems to be a part of the human Architectonic conceptualist mothers with trembling hands holding babies condition, nor do you have to be traumatized to with "the thousand year stare." Puddles of qualify as a refugee. We have "cultural tears, and a cacophony of growing hungry refugees" who run from the boredom and stomachs. creative void of their hometowns, so they go find a hometown that fits their mind set. We Strange food was thrown at them by chefs with have "lifestyle refugees" who seek like guns. More buses arrive, sheets of plastic shield mindednesselsewhere. If you're a Mormon, you the falling rain. Fear put to sleep for the go to Salt Lake City; if you're Hindu you go to moment. the Ganges River; if you're gay you'll certainly find free expression in San Francisco. If you're New busses arrive, off to the airport that was perpetually hip you hang in Amsterdam. But surrounded by soldiers with many uniforms and this is not the human crisis that we must deal young faces. To a far off land they go, to a with now. I'm not making light banter of beautiful sounding place called Guantanamo Kosovo by comparing "cultural refugees" with Bay, (you remember Guantanamo Bay, from the the terror that besets those poor people, but opening scenes from the movie "Scarface"). The these meccas have much to teach us. The only thing that they still hold onto was that intentional communities (communes, retreats, they would return to their burned out homes kibbutz, etc.) have created pockets of like where the cycle would repeat. mindedness for centuries and they may provide long term solutions to this ugly side of the The cycle repeats, and repeats and repeats. human condition, like all of the afore Why is it that we seem to be surprised when mentioned social niches. Intentional these crises pop up? It has always been like communities build themselves to suit lifestyle this. As when the Jews fled Egypt; as when the similarities and a common mind set of their Karen Schmidt Pruids fled the Romans; as when the Native citizens. But how do you link up refugees with Americans were pushed away by the European a place where they belong? "" 6 invasion. The millions who took flight from Alderman Ward the Nazis, the South Vietnamese who bolted The answer may be, in part, technology, which from the rapidly encroaching North. Or the can chip away at this problem like no other Cambodians who sought safety from the Khmer time in history. The internet could be used to Rouge. The cycle repeats and repeats and create a database of safe havens and "landing 409 E. Grove St. , Bloomington repeats. pads" for when a situation calls to secure displaced persons. By matching like minded home: 829-6318 War is not the only source of refugeeism, the people, languages, life styles and mind sets, the tribes the many rain forest vanish as the forests "culture shock" of being relocated could be work: 217-244-2070 ,,� are clear cut and burned. In Pakistan there are lessened. female "sexual refugees" whose only crime was e-mail: [email protected] being sexual beings for which they are scalded The lessons learned form places like battered with boiling water, set on fire, stoned to death, women's shelters, crisis centers, and disaster Representing citizens' splashed with acid, before or after their relief organizations could be applied on a grand throats are cut. Throughout Asia there are scale. Former military bases throughout the (female) "gender refugees" if they survive world could be converted into "soft" permanent ideas, interests, issue s & infanticide, they may be lucky enough to flee refugee centers where relief agencies could be a their misogynist oppressors. centralized, food stuffs could be stored on concerns to Bloomington massive scale, mental health treatment and As the natural disasters hit the lower the particular medical symptoms could be city government. Americas, those that reached the U.S. borders effectively dealt with. were turned back with nothing to return to. When the Rwandan refugees screamed for help, Since many of the refugees have little or nobody listened until the carnage was passe. nothing to return to, instruction could be given in metatecture (alternative architecture) so they Wa rd 6 is roughly downtown can build inexpensive, yet sound structures. They could be likewise instructed in Bloomington and allparts of its surrounding neighJ,orh oods. Yo u need not Ji ve in my ward to call me. JUNE/JULY 1999 POST AMERIKAN PAGE 21 News from Voice for Choice Nation earns low marks on a woman's right to More contraceptivecho ices in pipeline for choose Americans Women in 1999 have fewer reproductive rights (Pantagraph - AP) - In Germany, women can use than their mothers had in 1973, according to a a handheld computer to determine when sex new report issued by the National Abortion and most risks pregnancy: It flashes red if the Reproductive Rights Action League (NARAL) woman should avoid intercourse, green if "Who in January. The eighth edition of there's little chance she's fertile that day. Decid es? A State-by-State Review of Abortion and Reproductive Rights" documents the Canadian women can slip in a little continuing threat to the right to choose posed contraceptive sponge before sex. European by the anti choice majorities that swept into women have access to a hormone-releasing IUD 1994 power across the country with the that prevents pregnancy for five years, elections. Among the key findings are these dramatically lowers menstrual blood loss and is disturbing facts: even touted to shrink fibroids. -- In 1998, states enacted a total of 62 new anti Don't look for such options in the U.S. yet, but 13 1997. choice laws, a percent increase from they may be coming in a few years. Critics say the U.S. has been left behind as other countries -- Only 22 pro-choice laws were enacted, embrace new contraceptives that provide making anti-choice legislation almost three women more choices in birth control. More than times 1998 more likely to be enacted in than half a dozen new options deemed important by pro-choice legislation. family planning experts sell abroad but not -- The Population Council is testing a vaginal here. ring, a flexible plastic ring that steadily emits -- In 16 states, the governor and majorities of low levels of hormones. the House and Senate are firmly anti-choice. "The idea that the U.S. could be so many years -- The FDA in 1996 approved "Norplant II," a be hind other countries is pretty astonishing," "There is a disturbing disconnect in our nation two-capsule version easier to insert and remove, said Dr. Felicia Stewart, a contraception expert between the legal right to choose abortion and but Wyeth-Ayerst has yet to market it. at the Kaiser Family Foundation. But "the access abortion services," said NARAL long, long drought" is easing, said Dr. Micheal The council is also beginning to develop an Burnhill of Planned Parenthood. implant for men that would use a chemical to President Kate Michelman. Michelman and suppress sperm production. NARAL Legal Director Elizabeth Cavendish First, the Today sponge is making a comeback. released the report at a Washington, D.C., Although various contraceptive sponges sell Birthcontrol options in the U.S. press conference in January. abroad, Americans have had none since Today quit selling in 1995 because its maker broke U.S. (AP) -- Sterilization, birth control pills, and manufacturing rules. New Jersey's Allendale The widespread introduction of legislation the male condom are the most widely used Pharmaceuticals has bought Today from the requiring health insurance plans to provide forms of U.S. birth control. Also available: equitable coverage for contraception previous maker and plans to begin selling by fall. represented a bright counterpoint to the -- The Reality female condom. sold without a otherwise bleak findings. Thirty-one such bills prescription, it is a lubricated polyurethane Also on the horizon: were introduced in 19 states, compared with 14 sheath that is slipped, closed-end first, into bills in eight states in 1997. the vagina. The open end remains outside, -- Unipath Diagnostics Co. has begun U.S. partially covering the labia. This year's "Who Decid es?" includes many trials of the Personal handheld computer, which calculates pregnancy risks depending on new features, including a state grading system -- Diaphragms, available by prescription and the day of a woman's menstrual cycle. Studies based on the research compiled for the report. sized by a health professional for proper fit. in Europe suggested that with strict use, it's Analysis of the states' abortion restriction Women apply a spermicidebefore inserting it about 94 percent effective. showed that 25 states earned an F or D, until the dome-shaped disk covers the cervix indicating they gravely imperil the right to -- Cervical cap, available by prescription and choose: Unipath recently won U.S. approval for a sized and used similarly to a diaphragm. different computer, the ClearPlan Easy, to help women trying to have babies discover their -- Eighteen F's and seven D's contributed to the -- Depo-Provera, a contraceptive hormone most fertile days. It costs about $200. nations overall score of 69 percent, a grade of injection given by a health professional every D+. three months. -- IUDs, which sit in the uterus to block -- As the state which most fully protects the conception, are the world's most popular birth -- Norplant, six matchstick-sized capsules right to choose, Washington scored 100 percent. control device. But Americans were largely surgically implanted under the arm's skin to Only four other states and the District of scared off by the Dalkon Shield, which was steadily release a contraceptive hormone for up Columbia earned A's: CA, CT, OR and VT. banned in 1975. Modern IUDs, including two to five years. U.S.-sold versions, have proven safe, but -- Louisiana was the lowest scoring, with scientists hope new versions sold in Europe, the -- Intrauterine devices (IUD' s ), T-shaped restrictions of 10 of 13 anti-abortion categories. Mirena and the Flexi-T, will attract more devices inserted into the uterus by a health Seventeen other states received F's: AL, GA, Americans. professional. Two are sold in the U.S.--the IN, KN, KY, MI, MS, MO, NB, ND, OH, PN, Paragard that works for up to 10 years, and the SC, SD, TN, UT and VA. Mirena releases tiny amounts of the hormone Progestasert, replaced yearly. levonogestrel into the uterus. Providing five The findings of "Who Decides?" should serve year contraception, it dramatically decreases -- Vaginal spermicides, available without as a reminder that, 26 years after Roe v. Wade, menstrual blood loss and may reduce life prescription in foam, cream, jelly, film, the right to choose is in jeopardy and that pro threatening ectopic pregnancies and uterine suppository or tablet forms. choice Americans must mobilize to defend and cancer. protect this freedom. Also, Preven kits are a collection of "morning The Flexi-T was created by a German doctor after pills" and a pregnancy test. This who determined that older IUDs are too big for --from Pro Choice Voice emergency contraception may prevent many w9men. The tinier IUD "would fit better (Spring '99 NARAL News) pregnancy up to three days after unprotected into the average size uterus," said Dr. sex. Freedolph Anderson. PAGE 22 POST AMERIKAN JUNE/JULY 1999 ISU prof infiltrates electronics plant High Tech Betrayal by Victor G. Devinatz Michigan state University Press VOTERS WOULD BE FORCED TO SIT IN CAPTIVE ISBN 0-87013-493-0 AUDIENCE MEETINGS LISTENING TO THE BOSSES' CANDIDATE PRAISE HIMSELF AND DENOUNCE THE It's almost standard political pablum these THE BOSSES' OPPOSITION. PARTY COULD DECIDE days-"We'll build a high-tech economy with IF A VOTER EXPRESSED A THE SHAPE OF THE CONTRARY OPINION ... high tech jobs." But are those "high tech" jobs POLITICAL BOUNDARIES any better than the old-fashioned, hands-on, l AND WHO COULD VOTE sweat of your brow kind? IN THE ELECTION. There was no promised land in the high-tech ... HE OR SHE COULD BE KICKED ...WHILE THE OPPOSITION WOULD factory for current Illinois State University OUT OF THE COUNTRY. HAVE TO LEAFLETTE 12 MILES OFF professor Victor Devinatz, who went THE COAST OF ALASKA. "undercover" in a Chicago medical technology firm while a graduate student. Without a union, Devinatz found a minimum wage, degrading job, describing the ordeal in his new book, "High-Tech Betrayal." Devinatz went to work at a firm he's labeled "Biomed." He found the job during the 1980s recession, when numerous factories were closing their doors and labor was ready and willing to connection to the modem age, as the factory's During his final months on the job, Devinatz accept any offering. production rigor would be familiar to a attempted to organize a union; he was quickly sweatshop hand. found out and fired, although supposedly for Having heard the political promises about another offense. He found his fellow workers how high-tech was different than traditional Unionization is difficult in this industry divided by age-old lines of race and gender, workplaces, Devinatz was curious. Would the because of its easy mobility. Workers �able to see a common opportunity for self same rigor of traditional factory work be organizing in one nation can easily be replaced rmprovement. Like many, Devinatz became a present? Would there be opportunities for by those in another. Unlike factories of old, statistic, fired for attempting to union organize. advancement and learning new technology? with their drop presses and lathes, a high Although illegal to fire someone for union tech factory can uproot and move rather efforts, weak U.S. labor laws allowed his firm Theyoung graduate student found the future ' quickly. And because the jobs are low paid and and many others since, to triumph. full of the familiar same-old, same-old. The deskille, traditional union methods don't work was monotonous, brain-numbing and always apply. If you want to go behind the scenes in a modem exhausting. Minority and immigrant workers high-tech factory, check out Devinatz' volum: filled the most onerous tasks. Raises and relief Devinatz does an admirable job of charting his He does an excellent job balancing his own were promised, but workers still labored at personal experience on the job with a solid, own path from graduate school to factory line. minimum rates with no benefits, under constant scholarly analysis of the high-tech industry Even though he was not handling heavy items, pressure for more production. the work pace and poor ergonomics made for an and the challenge of organizing it. And he exhausting day. The constant pressure by raises hard questions about our economic future While some high-tech workers, because of surpervisors for faster production was a glimmering with a electronic future, that still / their education and skill, might enjoy more treats workers in a 19th century manner. recurring mantra. He found his fellow workers control over their work, production of electronic "toughing" it out, not willing to challenge the equipment is still an assembly-line process. system, instead hoping for better opportunities Workers, whether here in the U.S. or in reviewed by Mike Matejka down the road. developing nations, have their jobs reduced to for the Union News its simplest facet. Soldering components and May 1999 assembling computer boards is a tenuous -�'J GRANO PRAIRIE... FAMILIES ANO FARMS «- fuC>d Cfre>up e>F cer-fi{-/ed e>rg«.nic fe>c«.I fumily �m> deliver-iYlCJ �': {r-e>h ft:> ,.,bt:>vf 100 Bbe>miYlCJfe>n lf'le>rm«.1 fumi/ies dt:>t:>r>fep> >ince Jufy c.iF /"J"JC: NOW ACCEPTI NG NEW FAMILIES TO OUR GROUP CER TlFlEO ORGANlC VEGETABLES-FRUlTS- MEATS-EGGS- DAlR Y-ETC. \!\lORKSHOPS, FARM TOURS, NE'vVSLETTER EVERY \V EEK Kr?C>Wfl-ie F«. rmer> fl-i,.,f «.cfu«.lfy grC>W ye>ur fuC>d wifhe>uf >ynfhefiu «.nd >uppc>rf >m«.11 fumily e>rg«.nic F«.r miYlCJ fn Ilfine>i> ! we ce.le-Prat;g Ear't -h Mi/ ct- ever7 M?fi?.t2// FOR MORE lNFORMATlON, PLEASE CALL l-800-4fCJ0099 JUNE/JULY 1999 POST AMERIKAN PAGE 23 sleepy, --· - - • look again. iSend $5.00 in foi a one-year subs�ription; ! a. N �!(6 issues) to one of America's juiciest ·· · �l newspapers! •' .. neatly as poss ib�e, and sehd P.O. Box 3452, Bl oomington, IL 61702 -.,.,.