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JINN MAGAZINE

PACIFIC NEWS SERVICE

Issue No. 6.27

01/9/00 - 01/22/01

CONTENTS


* VECTORS: A Regular Column on the Ideas and Directions Behind Today's News

    Revelations Call for Political, Not Moral Juddgment On Jackson
    By Earl Ofari Hutchinson
    Date: 01-19-01
    News that Jesse Jackson fathered a child out of wedlock has produced fairly predictable responses, both censorious and supportive. In this particular case, however, the lesson to be learned involves questions of political significance more than morality. PNS commentator Earl Ofari Hutchinson is the president of the National Alliance for Positive Action (www.natalliance.org) and is and the author of "The Disappearance of Black Leadership." His e-mail address is ehutchi344@aol.com.

    Superbowl -- The Ultimate American Ritual For The Ultimate American Game
    By Abou Farman-Farmaian
    Date: 01-18-01
    Love it or leave it, Superbowl is looming over us again, and news as well as sports pages will be filled with details about every conceivable aspect of the contest. This reflects the fact that the game itself is so deeply American in character, this contest has become the country's most popular ritual, says PNS commentator Abou Farman-farmaian.

    Unregulated California Utilities Prefer To Generate Profits, Not Power
    By David Bacon
    Date: 01-17-01
    Soaring utility bills soaring and threats of bankruptcy from the state's major utilities are widely discussed as unforeseen flaws of deregulation. In fact, these are the predictable results of legislation written by the utilities, and several cities in the state demonstrate a ready remedy for the crisis. PNS commentator David Bacon writes widely on immigrant and labor issues. Permission to use the attached photo, or to receive a high-resolution scan, can be attained by e-mailing dbacon@igc.apc.org.

    Our President -- Embracing The Middle Class At The Expense Of The Poor
    By Richard Rodriguez
    Date: 01-16-01
    Bill Clinton's triumph was to transform himself into the president of America's middle class. But it was also his limitation, for no president can ever be truly great unless he touches the lives of all people, particularly the very poor and hopeless. PNS editor Richard Rodriguez is author of "Days of Obligation: An Autobiography with my Mexican Father" and the forthcoming "Brown."

    Act Of God Or Hand Of Man? El Salvador Earthquake Creates New Wave Of Environmental Refugees
    By Mary Jo Mcconahay
    Date: 01-15-01
    Saturday's earthquake in El Salvador leaves us once again, sadly, with pictures of poor people facing the awful power of nature. The disaster becomes even more worrisome put in context. Pacific News Service editor Mary Jo McConahay lived in Central America for 13 years. Some of this article is taken from her stories on environmental refugees in a recent issue of Sierra Magazine.

    Utilities Engineered Their Own Troubles -- Let Them Reap The Costs
    By Peter Asmus
    Date: 01-12-01
    California's much-ballyhooed power crisis is not the product of conspiratorial behavior by outsiders nor proof that deregulation does not work, but the predictable outcome of maneuvering by the major utilities. Several fairly straightforward solutions are available, including some which will not cost the consumers -- and might even bring the state the sort of energy that was the original spark for deregulation. PNS commentator Peter Asmus is author of "Reaping The Wind," a new book from Island Press.

    What Do You Do When Winning Means Losing? a Horror Story From Silicon Valley's Assembly Line
    By Raj Jayadev
    Date: 01-11-01
    It seems only sensible in both human and economic terms to protect workers from injury at the workplace, and hundreds of laws are on the books to ensure that this is the case. But one young warehouseman trying to take advantage of these laws found that they require extraordinary patience -- and that the remedy they offer is thin soup indeed. PNS contributor Raj Jayadev is the Silicon Valley editor for YO! Youth Outlook, a publication by and about Bay Area youth published by Pacific News Service.

    Half-Full, Half-Empty: Looking At The Mideast Peace Proposal Proffered By U.S.
    By Rami G. Khouri
    Date: 01-10-01
    From the perspective of Palestinians and Arabs, the latest U.S. moves to bring peace to the middle east are an important step forward -- but a step that still falls short of meeting essential needs. As this represents real progress, there is some reason for hope, but only if negotiations continue on a new level of understanding. PNS commentator Rami G. Khouri is a Palestinian-Jordanian syndicated political columnist, author, and television talk show host.

    Acknowledge MLK Day, Acknowledge A Movement
    By Earl Ofari Hutchinson
    Date: 01-08-01
    With very few exceptions, major corporations do not give even the slightest recognition to Martin Luther King, Jr., Day (January 15 this year), proclaimed a national holiday nearly 20 years ago. The reasons are not hard to find, writes PNS commentator Earl Ofari Hutchinson, but the occasion should give us a chance to reflect on how much the civil rights movement accomplished for all of us -- including the corporations. Hutchinson is the president of The National Alliance for Positive Action. His e-mail address is ehutchinson@natalliance.org. His website is. www.natalliance.org.


* VOICES: First-Person Essays Linking the Private to the Public

    A Hat Is Not Just Something You Put On Your Head
    By Raphael Tompkins And Tom Turpel
    Date: 01-09-01
    Count the baseball cap out, at least among San Francisco's young people, and look instead for a complete variety of headgear fashion statements. PNS contributor Raphael X. Tompkins is a 23-year-old student. Tom Turpel is a 22-year-old independent filmmaker, and journalist. Both write for YO! Youth Outlook, a publication by and about Bay Area youth published by Pacific News Service.

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