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----Tree girl has spawned!
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Sept. 3, 1999 |
With the exception of certain screaming Mumia fools, political protesters today are better dressed, media savvy and wired to the gills, they say. Your local newspaper may have failed to note this, because it was too busy copying down quotes from the press release faxed from a tree-top in the virgin rainforests of Washington State. But true to its lefty origins, the alternative press keeps our minds refreshed with tales of lefty activism from Generations X and Y. - - - - - - - - - - - - Willammette Week, Sept. 1-7 "Out on a limb" By Patty Wentz Julia "Butterfly" Hill, the woman who has spent the last year or so living in a tree, has spawned. Outside of Portland, an unkempt bunch of PR-savvy environmentalists -- with names like Kaylene and Clove -- are protesting by living in the trees they used to just hug. They eat stale bagels and read Thoreau. They have Web sites. Reporter Patty Wentz uses their protest to pick up the story of the Pacific Northwest's environmental struggles where most of the mainstream press left off -- with exaggerated tales of screaming, dreadlocked ruffians and terrified spotted owls. She explores where the 1994 Northwest Forest Plan and other environmental legislation went wrong, and gives character and nuance to people usually dismissed as "environmental extremists." - - - - - - - - - - - - "The Politics of Puppy Chow" by Philip Dawdy Woman has a problem: Animal-control services needs funding. Woman has solution: A dog and cat food tax. Rabid pet owners get a whiff of the proposed legislation and go ballistic. "Two bucks more for Meow Mix? Nevah!" Kitty and doggy tax? Euthanized. Rabid dogs are free to roam the streets and tear up little children. Frankly, if this little tax inspired such passion -- and precious few things inspire enough passion to make a difference -- politicians should find a way to tack it onto every single bill they don't like. The ultimate democracy killer. Congress could be tied up for months. This is better than impeachment! - - - - - - - - - - - - The Village Voice, Sept. 1-7 "Confronting the Pride Divide" by Norah Vincent Norah Vincent reports from the annual Log Cabin Republicans convention, where a protest led by another gay organization turned bloody. After lingering a considerable time on the details of the brawl, she looks at the growing tensions within the gay community, where the anthem "We are family" may no longer apply. It's a fascinating story that promises to develop further as the 2000 elections near. - - - - - - - - - - - - Detroit Metro Times, Sept. 1-7 "Radical History Meets Hollywood" by Peter Werbe Thanks to a mention by Matt Damon in "Good Will Hunting," Howard Zinn's radical screed, "A People's History of the United States, 1492-Present," saw a handsome increase in sales. A 20th-anniversary edition is slated to hit bookstores in November -- Incoming! Christmas gift basket for socialists! Package this with the coffee-table version of the "Communist Manifesto," some organic coffee and one of those wooden foot massagers. Activism in a box! ... Where was I? Oh, Zinn is also going to make a miniseries based on his book. In his interview with Zinn, Peter Werbe discusses all these projects and a couple other things, too. - - - - - - - - - - - - Seattle Weekly, Sept. 1-7 "The New Anarchists" by Geov Parrish In Eugene, Ore., young anarchists (mostly teens) have been taking to the streets, destroying property and justifying their rebellion with political slogans they can't possibly comprehend. Reporter Geov Parrish seems fascinated by their youth, their dreadlocks, their 'zines, but rightly concerned about their destructive actions. He writes: "In an alienating society, what do we have to offer youth that's more constructive than breaking windows? Answers to that question aren't easy, but we had better learn to articulate them soon." | ||
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