Letters to the Editor, June 1, 2004

Fraud by the New York Times is nothing new

Dear Editor,

Fraud by the New York Times is nothing new. As millions of Ukrainians were dying in Stalin's genocide of 1932-1933, the New York Times produced glowing accounts of Stalin and the Soviet Union. They categorically denied that a genocide was under way. Walter Duranty, NYT's man in Moscow was awarded the Pulitzer Prize. Inspite of appeals to have the Pulitzer Prize revoked, the NYT remains defiant. Appealing to the principle of justice or truth means nothing to them.

Peter Lewycky

Human Rights

Dear Editor:

I appreciate your effort to expose the radicals and their hate crimes. I share your ideas and respect to human rights. Spreading information is the real weapon against enemies of humanity. Please visit my web site www.pe.net/~niddal for Human Rights

Aladdin M. Masry, BS, MS. MS

Hemet, CA , USA

USA policy towards North American Indians in the last 500 years

An Open Letter from a North American Aboriginal By Troy Gould is exactly as he states it. I spent 7 years in a Aboriginal Residential School in Canada and experienced all that he claims. I was kicked out of the system because I reacted to the abuse then was labelled as a trouble maker.

The policing, the justice system, the government’s treatment and separation of different aboriginal groups with varied financial transfer dollars favouring certain groups of tribes. I eventually went back to school as a mature student and graduated from law school however, the system to me is not right and decided that I really didn’t want to be part of the system that needs to be fixed.

I have been against this illegal war from day one and I feel for the Iraqis. There is something about their desire to not be controlled by an outside force, no matter how brutal and cruel the invaders are.

Look at the powers of the Almighty God, while the Bush Neocons are trying to weasel out of Iraq, nature has taken its own course in pummelling the Midwestern USA with killer tornadoes. This weekend saw over 100 tornados rip apart peoples’ homes.

Now they will want our softwood lumber under free trades rules that favour the USA….I say, do sale…but then, they would just attack and take it anyway…

Mike Durocher

Paint for Peace project in Okinawa 1

The following is the statement made by the committee for ‘Paint for Peace’ at Okinawa University. The project has been continuing at several places in Okinawa since it first started on 10 April. The report of each painting site has been emailed to you.

After sending this email, I will email some photos taken at the University in the middle of the 'Paint for Peace'. Subsequent mail contains only one photo each.

We hope you will find some value in what we have done for the peace in Iraq.

Dear People of Iraq,

On May 24th and 25th, around 400 people painted pictures and messages on a 30 metre canvas at Okinawa University. This canvas had already been painted upon at the University of the Ryukyus and Okinawan Christian University.[1] Now it was Okinawa University's turn. Those who contributed messages were not only students but campus guards, local people from the neighbourhood and teachers of the university. All these people were painting in the hope that peace would come to Iraq and the Iraqi people.

For Okinawa, the current conflict is not unrelated. Many U.S. soldiers are being dispatched from Okinawa now. In addition, Japanese Self Defense Forces are currently stationed in Iraq. This saddens us.

The painted canvas was cut into two parts on May 24th. One part is now on its way to Song Gong Hoe University in Korea from where this painting project will make the rounds of universities in Korea. The remaining part will travel round other universities in Okinawa before being sent to Thailand.

The committee for ‘Paint for Peace’ at Okinawa University

[1]The project ‘Paint for Peace’ started on 10th April in downtown Naha. All previous reports on the project have already been emailed to you.

Izumi Nishi

Division of International Communication Department of Humanities Okinawa University Kokuba 555, Naha-shi, Okinawa 902-8521 japan phone: +81 (0)98 832 2909 (office) phone & fax: +81 (0)98 858 1155 (home) email: nishi@okinawa-u.ac.jp