Letters to the Editor, September 12, 2005

THE MAD HATTER’S TEA PARTY:

A parody of the Bush administration using Alice in Wonderland characters.

Dear Editor,

I'm not sure how this can be handled, but if there is a cartoonist interested, it might be fun to do a parody of the Bush administration using Alice in Wonderland characters.

Following are some suggestions that might be useful:

THE MAD HATTER’S TEA PARTY

List of characters:
The Mad Hatter      George W. Bush
The March Hare      Karl Rove
The Dormouse      Dick Cheney
Alice        The Public

The Scene: The Madhatter is pouring tea slopping it all over the place and the March Hare is waving his tea cup and also slopping tea all over everything. The tea is labeled “Federal funds”, The Dormouse is slumped over the table oblivious of all that is taking place. Alice is seated at the far end of the table in a state of high dudgeon’

The Madhatter posing above the table pouring tea into teacups labeled (Iraq War) and (New Orleans disaster) with careless abandon.chanting:
”Have some more tea,
Have some more tea
Freshly brewed from the money tree
No need to scimp cause it all comes free
And when the pot gets empty
There’s plenty more you see.”

Alice responding:

“That’s just not true
And you know it too!
With our money you’re much too careless
And who will pay for all of this?”

The Dormouse coming awake
“You know. It will be Alice!”

THE WALRUS AND THE CARPENTER

List of Characters

The walrus Karl Rove
The carpenter George W. Bush

The scene: The Walrus and the Carpenter are walking along a sandy beach labeled “U. S. National Debt.”

The Walrus and the Carpenter
Were walking close at hand;
They wept like anything to see

Such quantities of sand:
"If this were only cleared away,"
They said, "it would be grand!"
If seven maids with seven mops
Swept it for half a year.
Do you suppose," the Walrus said,
"That they could get it clear?"
"I doubt it," said the Carpenter,
And shed a bitter tear.

Incidentally I shall be out of town for the next week or so. FYI

Don Speakman, N.C., USA

dspeak7280@aol.com

U.S. Envisions Using Nukes on "Terrorists"

A Pentagon planning document being updated to reflect the doctrine of pre-emption declared by President Bush in 2002 envisions the use of nuclear weapons to deter terrorists from using weapons of mass destruction against the United States or its allies.

The "Doctrine for Joint Nuclear Operations," which was last updated 10 years ago, makes clear that "the decision to employ nuclear weapons at any level requires explicit orders from the president."

http://artbishop2020.gnn.tv/blogs/8859/U_S_Envisions_Using_Nukes_on_Terroris

Art Bishop

Dear Editor,

RE: The article by Gideon Polya on the passive murder of New Orleans citizens, September 10, 2005

There are inaccuracies in Mr. Polya's article.

1. Incorrect: the Bush Administration withheld any aid and fresh drinking water for 7 days.

Drinking water was supplied within two days. Meals ready to eat were provided. As control was restored, more and more water was provided each day thereafter.

2. New Orleans Mayor Nagin has predicted that thousands will have perished, specifically that "It wouldn't be unreasonable to have 10,000 [deaths]".

The death toll is expected to be considerably less than 10,000. No one knows for sure. Furthermore, Mayor Nagin is of African-American descent himself. He knew that New Orleans had more than 100 school buses available to transport people without transportation out of the city before the hurricane hit. Why he did not use the school buses is unclear.

3. Ambulances were dispatched immediately after the hurricane. Gangs of teenagers tried to confiscate these ambulances while they were attempting to reach the sick and injured at Charity Hospital in New Orleans. The ambulances had to turn back because of safety concerns. There was a second attempt to reach Charity Hospital. Again, the ambulances had to turn back because gangs were shooting at them.

4. No electricity resulted in no light at night. The police and military had greater difficulty bringing control to the city because their ability to see at night was severely impaired.

5. To date Americans have contributed at least $ 700 million of their own money to help the survivors of the hurricane. We are grateful for the help of foreign countries. Thank you very much.

Jill Topper

Colorado - United States

Was Chertoff MIA?

"In recounting his exploits to club members last night, he prefaced his presentation with the statement that he had absolutely nothing good to say about the American Red Cross, the military, or FEMA."

I find it very odd that somehow no one talks about the Department of Homeland Security. How is it that somehow Chertoff managed to slide by? One cannot talk about the Iraqi war without somewhere along the line commenting on the Rumsfeld and Department of Defense. How is that we talk about the disaster in New Orleans and never examine the role of Chertoff and The Department of Homeland Security?

Peter Lewycky

U.S.S. Bataan was available and underutilized

“The USS Bataan, a 844-foot ship designed to dispatch Marines in amphibious assaults, has helicopters, doctors, hospital beds, food and water. It also can make its own water, up to 100,000 gallons a day. And it just happened to be in the Gulf of Mexico when Katrina came roaring ashore. The Bataan rode out the storm and then followed it toward shore, awaiting relief orders. Helicopter pilots flying from its deck were some of the first to begin plucking stranded New Orleans residents. But now the Bataan’s hospital facilities, including six operating rooms and beds for 600 patients, are empty.”

"Could we do more?" said Capt. Nora Tyson, commander of the Bataan. "Sure. I've got sailors who could be on the beach plucking through garbage or distributing water and food and stuff. But I can't force myself on people.

"We're doing everything we can to contribute right now, and we're ready. If someone says you need to take on people, we're ready. If they say hospitals on the beach can't handle it ... if they need to send the overflow out here, we're ready. We've got lots of room." [Chicago Tribune]

Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0509040369sep04,1,4144825.story?coll=chi-news-hed+&ctrack=1&cset=true

Questions:

Why were the sick and injured taken to the New Orleans airport where an impromptu triage center has been established rather than to this ship?
Why were the sick and injured flown out of the airport to major cities rather than to this ship?
Why was water not brought into the city from this ship?
How many helicopters were on that ship?
How many were utilized for search and rescue?

Steve Moyer