Berkshire Eagle Column 4-10-04
Berkshire Eagle
I, Publius

Questions, no answers
By Alan Chartock
Special to the Eagle


Saturday, April 10, 2004 - Do all those who are planning to vote for George Bush under stand that if he is re-elected, their wives and daughters, in search of an abortion, will potentially face disgrace and criminal charges in a second-term Bush-packed Supreme Court? Does Ralph "The Spoiler" Nader understand that? Does he care?

Does George Bush have any idea what he is doing in only allowing limited stem-cell research? If Bush has his way, will stem-cell research that might save thousands of lives and potentially heal millions of people with diseases like Parkinson's and MS fall by the wayside, a victim of a reactionary re-election agenda? How about all those Republicans with Parkinson's and MS?

If Massachusetts passes a constitutional amendment that would prohibit gay marriage, what signal would be sent out? Would it be that hate and bigotry have prevailed? Why do you think that a new poll shows that half the potential voters are opposed to such an amendment?

Is Ted Kennedy right? Has Iraq turned into Vietnam, with the generals calling for more American lives to be sacrificed in a country that clearly wants us out? How long will it be before some Pentagon genius calls for the reinstatement of the draft?

Does the speech that Condoleezza Rice was supposed to deliver on the very night of the 9-11 attacks, saying that missiles, not al-Qaida, were the real threat, mean that a smoking gun has been found that will find the Bush administration deficient on protecting the United States?

Will the decision to have the Republican convention in New York City, based on the early premise that Howard Dean would be the candidate, backfire? Will a city that has produced record antiwar demonstrations in the past do the same thing again? Did they bring the convention to New York because they actually thought that New York was "in play"?

Does anyone else have an uneasy feeling that government agencies have been leaned on to produce economic numbers that reflect well on the administration? Does the fact that all those striking supermarket workers in California have come back on the market mean that the employment numbers can't be trusted?

Does the fact that an actuary has testified, under oath, that he was told that he would be fired if he told Congress the truth about the potential cost of the Medicare program tell you anything about how far team Bush will go to win?

Does that new study that shows that television watching causes learning and attention deficit disabilities call for drastic action on the part of parents? Should those, like me, who had their first television sets in 1949 at the age of 8 be thankful that there was no television in their lives before that? Do you think the fact that so many Americans don't read anymore is related to television? Do you think that's why so many people vote against their own interests?

Do those environmental sympathizers unconcerned about even higher gas prices realize they are calling for further subsidies for Saudi Arabia and their like?

Do those people who opposed the use of cell phones in our region because of some unproved mumbo jumbo about health understand how many people are potentially at risk because they can't get help when they crash or have a heart attack?

Does Martha Stewart really belong in jail considering the real crimes that have been committed against the American people?

Will the stock market continue to rise or are thousands of pensioners being set up once again to lose what they are counting on to retire on?

Does the idea that current liquor license holders in Pittsfield are objecting to new businesses getting licenses, on economic grounds, bother anyone else besides me? After all, this is America. If someone wants to start still another Japanese restaurant in Great Barrington, or another fitness center, or another radio station, why shouldn't they? The marketplace will decide who will live or die.

On the other hand, why don't we realize that alcohol is a drug that is killing a lot of people both in their livers and on the road? We tried Prohibition and it didn't work. Now, shouldn't we just throw the book at anyone we catch driving drunk?

Does the fact that Great Barrington residents are paying huge amounts of money in taxes, only to be treated in a disrespectful manner, on occasions, seem strange? I can see why we have to support our schools, but I am incredulous when I hear stories about police acting in a disrespectful manner.

How would you like to get to an airport only to be told that you couldn't fly because you were on some secret list?



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Alan Chartock, a Great Barrington resident, is chairman and executive director of WAMC Northeast Public Radio and a professor of communications at SUNY-Albany. His web site is www.alanchartock.com
- posted by Alan @ 4/10/2004 04:54:00 PM