Views in brief
Arpaio's "tent city" abuses
I THINK it's an outrage the way Sheriff Joe Arpaio treats all humanity. The extreme example is his parading of immigrants to a "tent city" prison camp, which has drawn a lot of attention ("Sending a message in Arizona").
But what about a 25-year-old woman serving time in tent city for a DUI or suspended driver's license, or some other "crime" that is handled in a more humane way in other states? I can't believe Arpaio gets away with this! This experience for a young woman can be very traumatic.
And what about getting a job and listing on your resume that you did jail time? Everyone makes mistakes in life and, yes they should be punished--but come on. The state could make more revenue by charging more for fines and educating people by sending them to school and helping them if they have a problem. Instead, people are thrown into tent city with nothing!
Please, please something needs to be done to dismantle the tent city prison--or put Joe Arpaio in there with his family and let him get a taste of his own medicine. Honestly, this man is the devil in disguise!
Patrice, from the Internet
Turning a blind eye to Obama's faults
IN RESPONSE to "What the Washington insiders don't get": What I don't get is this tunnel vision socialists seem to have when it comes to Obama.
First off, I am not a socialist. I am for a free market. Not a fake free market, which we've had since the days of the robber barons. I assume the socialists affiliated with this Web site aren't for the fake socialism that existed in the former Soviet Union or what exists in China today either.
Having said that, why do socialists seem to be turning a blind eye when it comes to Obama? Yes, we should all be proud that most Americans have gotten over a huge hurdle with race and elected a Black man as President. But if this man is continuing the same policies as his predecessor, that victory rings hollow.
Case in point: his foreign policies. Obama is doing a bait-and-switch with Guantánamo Bay. If you read the actual executive order, he's looking into closing it down in a year, but then will merely transfer the detainees to military base prisons inside the United States, still with no due process, still with no charges.
Under executive orders issued by Obama just two days into his tenure, the CIA still has authority to carry out what are known as renditions--secret abductions and transfers of prisoners to countries that cooperate with the United States, the Los Angeles Times reported.
A minor provision within one executive order states that instructions to close the CIA's secret prisons "do not refer to facilities used only to hold people on a short-term, transitory basis," meaning that some "black sites" can remain open.
Where is the change? Obama has gone back on every campaign promise he's made, including his promise to get out of Iraq. Another bait-and-switch. We'll be "out" in 16 months, but will leave a residual non-combative force of 50,000 behind--as if there's such a thing as "non-combative" forces. Guess what, then we'll be going into Afghanistan! How is that antiwar?
The banker bailout? Don't get me started. We've given $9 trillion to them already and Obama is going to give them more. I could go on, but I think you get my point. If Obama is doing some good things, then sure he should be praised. But do a little research before you praise what you think are his good policies because so far I can't think of one thing he should be praised for.
One last thing I must add. I'm assuming you are pro-choice like myself, but praising Obama for funding abortions in third-world countries is deplorable. It is a forced abortion and sterilization program that even the most liberal of pro-choicers have decried. As pro-choice advocates, you should not be for these programs.
Andy Schatner, Chicago
Letting torturers go free
I THINK that it is a good idea for the Senate Intelligence Committee to review the CIA's ''detention'' program. Unfortunately, incoming CIA director Leon Panetta has basically promised that no CIA employee who tortured will be punished.
Torture has always been, and will always be, wrong. I think that it is shameful that both the Democratic and Republican Parties think that torture is sometimes alright. People who torture should be punished, especially if they work for the government.
Chuck Mann, Greensboro, N.C.
Opposing corporate control of water
THREE CHEERS to Jamilla El-Shafei for informing us readers how greedy capitialist companies like Nestlé's are trying hardest to steal and control our nation's precious water supplies ("Maine rejects corporate control").
The people should not have to pay for their local water supplies and giants like Nestlé's shouldn't be allowed to steal it for free in order to sell it back to us at huge profits. Armed with this knowledge, we the people can be prepared against the onslaught of capital greed.
James Herrington, Stafford, Texas
