United States Racism Abroad

Alibi
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Thank you for the article “Support Our Troops, Dump Bush.” [RE: “Bush's Unnecessary War,” July 8-14] In it, Lt. Col. Garcia explained the March 31, 2004 mutilation of four American businesspeople in Fallujah: “You know, I have no way of knowing, but it's entirely possible that the people who did that had family members who were blown up by our bombs.”

Indeed! The stories behind Iraqi “insurgencies,” as U.S. mainstream media labels resistance to U.S. occupation, are deemed unimportant. Our media horrified us with the March 31 mutilations, detailing the suspension of the four bodies from a bridge in Fallujah. Denied crucial information about what drove people whom most of us will never meet, in a land most of us will never visit, to this extreme, we were left to draw our own, ill-informed conclusions. Racism is the elephant in the room about which few will speak.

Guild Cinema Vs. Madstone

[RE: “Reel World,” July 15-21] Thanks for your quality work all these years but … do we really have to be reminded of the Madstone's closing almost every week? Sure it's sad that there's even fewer indie screens here than before but in the face of that loss, why not more than an aside or two about the new Guild Cinema (especially considering the fact that Madstone got the full “Reel World” treatment for both its opening and closing)?

I've been to the movies more in the last three months than I have in three years (no exaggeration) with the Guild's mixed repertory and new indie approach. The new owners tell me that they're willing to actually lose money on a few low-drawing shows as long as they can balance it with those that do make some bucks. This is because they want some worthy but long unseen films up on the big screen again. That's not only noteworthy but courageous!

I doubt our little burg will ever fully appreciate a movie house like this but I did expect to see a paragraph or two (at least) about it in the Alibi. There's still some folks out here who don't care about what Hollywood has to offer, be it Spider-Man, Nicole Kidman or hacks like Quentin Tarantino.

Letters

Film Editor Response: Um, well. I’ve had feature reviews of Guild films in the Alibi for the last two weeks running. I had a piece last month about their ongoing Film Noir series. I spoke at length about new owners Kief Henley and Pete Conheim when they took over in January. And I’m there at the theater every other weekend hosting Alibi Midnight Movie Madness screenings. What do you want from me, blood?

Cut And Run

[RE: “Payne’s World,” July 1-7] Payne writes that given the “federal government’s current spending and tax patterns—Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and payments on the national debt will devour the entire federal budget by 2030.” Essentially, Payne offers us an ungreat society. We will be forced to choose between guns and butter in Payne's scenario, i.e., we will be able to fund public safety and defense or social programs.

What gives, Greg? Republicans control the White House, the U.S. House and Senate, and a majority on the Supreme Court. The current “spending and tax patterns” are Republican strategies. Now, you cut and run on your own party’s policies.

You have been a loyal and partisan Republican “ditto head,” yet you now criticize the party’s fiscal policy. Are you calling for an end to Bush’s ridiculous tax cuts? If so, please go on record for us now.

It’s this simple: If Bush and the neo-con supply siders are correct, then the reduced tax policies will yield such tremendous economic growth that your fear-mongering about future federal spending is irresponsible.

On the other hand, if Baby Bush’s voodoo economic policy doesn’t work, then you have nobody to blame except your own party. It is now clear that fiscal responsibility is no longer vogue with Republicans. Are you dropping personal responsibility from the party’s platform as well?

Swing Low, Sweet Democrat

If you have an investigative reporter on staff, you might suggest that they compare the registered voters right now on the Secretary of State’s rolls with the registrations from 2000. In some counties you will find a marked decrease, sometimes by as much as 12 percent, in Democratic registrations.

Are New Mexico’s polls being purged? Has Katherine Harris moved to New Mexico? Might this same thing be happening in other swing states as well? Ohio? Missouri?

Money Talks

Electing a president, senators, representatives on the national and state level shouldn’t have to be this hard. If it’s about determining who has the best policies and is most trustworthy, how long should that take? Getting out the message or muddying it becomes more important than the message. And profit becomes the bottom line.

Yes, the campaigners continue to ask for more—from those who have it, out of their tax-exempt benefit, or corporate loophole, or government funded welfare, and from those who don’t—out of their hope for justice, even until it hurts.

All of us can find more worthwhile uses for the money and time saved. For example, humanitarian aid to the refugees in Darfur and Chad from ongoing genocide. And what a win for democracy!

Many Thanks

[RE: “Bush's Unnecessary War,” July 8-14] I have a message for Lt. Col. “George Garcia.” I'm not one for words, so I shall keep this short and to the point.

Lt. Col. “George Garcia,” thank you, thank you, thank you!

Chills ran down my spine, and I was moved to tears by what you had to say. It is because of people like you that my faith in humanity is not completely lost. I wish I could salute you, then hug you. Bless you, Sir!

Letters should be sent with the writer's name, address and daytime phone number via e-mail to letters@alibi.com. They can also be faxed to (505) 256-9651. Letters may be edited for length and clarity, and may be published in any medium; we regret that owing to the volume of correspondence we cannot reply to every letter.

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