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EDITORIALS
By Richard Peterson I
sincerely regret that I didn't complain loudly about the dangerous
intersection of US 281 and ND 19 north of Minnewaukan. This was an
accident waiting to happen and it did.
A young woman died October 27 when her vehicle shot into the air at
the intersection and ended up in Devils Lake. It's probable speeding
contributed to the accident, but in my opinion the design of that
intersection is the basic cause of the accident.
The rise from US 281 to ND 19 was too abrupt. The rise has been
modified, but it's still far too steep. The rise absolutely must be
made more gradual or we're going to have another fatality at that
very dangerous intersection. That may not be the complete answer
either.
Drivers coming from the north can't see what's coming at them from
the south and vice versa. In addition, the intersection is located
on a curve so it's very easy for drivers on US 281 to end up in the
wrong lane after crossing the intersection. If the intersection
remains as it is a head-on collision is inevitable.
The state is planning to turn old US 281 back to the county. The
county commissioners talked about the intersection and I'd really be
surprised if they accept the road in its current configuration.
Modifications at this intersection need to be done before we
experience another death. Time is of the essence. There should be a
chorus of complaints to the DOT.
---000---
There are those who accuse me of "Bush bashing." Yes, I am very
critical of President Bush because his conservative policies are not
good for the average American. His extremely poor judgment is pretty
well documented. On top of that, recent revelations cast a great
deal of doubt on his honesty.
The most recent example of his incredibly bad judgment is his threat
to veto the Pentagon's budget as long as the McCain Amendment is
part of it.
The McCain Amendment precludes the US from using torture to obtain
information from people in its custody. The US Senate passed the
McCain Amendment by a vote of 90 to 9.
US Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) said his amendment is intended to
prevent abuses such as those at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. He vowed
that his measure would be "on every vehicle that goes through this
body" until it's enacted into law. "It's not going away," he said on
the Senate floor. "This issue is incredibly harmful to the United
States of America and our image throughout the world."
McCain spent years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, so he knows
whereof he speaks. If the United States tortures its prisoners, it's
an invitation for our enemies to torture American prisoners of war.
Why is that so hard for President Bush to understand?
The White House offered to go along if Central Intelligence Agency
agents working overseas were exempt from any restrictions. The CIA
is holding accused terrorists at secret prisons in Eastern Europe,
The Washington Post reported Nov. 2. Now we've got secret prisons! I
never thought I'd see the US stoop this low.
McCain said he had "no idea" why the White House was pushing the CIA
exemption. That loophole "would be totally unacceptable," McCain
said earlier this week, adding he's communicated that view to Vice
President Dick Cheney.
"The enemy we fight has no respect for human life or human rights,"
McCain said on the Senate floor. "They don't deserve our sympathy.
But this isn't about who they are. This is about who we are."
Absolutely! The American people know better than to make torture and
secret prisons the official policy of the US government. But if they
remain silent the Bush Administration might get its way.
Now is not the time for silence. Americans need to loudly stand up
for our nation rather than silently standing by while our basic
values are being highjacked.
We are not a nation of torturers.
---000---
A letter writer to the Grand Forks Herald stated in the Sunday
Herald that since the Bush Administration is so much in favor of
torture, perhaps it should be used on "Scooter" Libby to get to the
bottom of who in the administration leaked the name of a CIA
operative to a journalist.
---000---
Some people don't believe that my cat, Sammy, irons my shirts. So I
was going to borrow a camcorder and video the young cat in the
process of ironing as proof. But before I could get that done, Sammy
burned his paw on the iron and as a result he won't go anywhere near
it. He even makes a big detour around the ironing board. I guess I
can't prove it now. You'll just have to believe me.
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