Volume 16, Number 6 (April-May 1988)

Foreign Policy; Robertson; Military Science; and other comix

Bloomington·Norma

April-May 1988 -

Vol. 16 No.6 CAN I
JOU~A LISM HAVE 1'HE
-~
SEC.TJON

WJ-rH

crDEAR 1"\S.

HIPPIE"'

A~LS ZOLt9 ~I 'NO~DNIWO~a
ZStE xoa a~IddO ~SOd
-~
NWI'a:DN ~SOd
G0l!9 ~I 'NOlDNIWOQ~g
cm.r.s:mo~ ·.Nor~~o~ ss~aCIY
99l . ON liWH~d

criVd aDViliSOd ·s·n
ailiVH :>rrna

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~,

page 3 ViUet~~ror~~~~As~~~p~~= new advice ~

column. ~

page 4 Will El Salvador explode? Well, probably. ~~~~~v===vv===M

page 5 Ecuador story covered in two very different ways. AbOUt US
page 6 Robertson deep-sixes own past; Near Side cartoon;
Post mail. ~ The Post Amerikan is an independent
community newspaper providing infor-
page 7 The return of our anim<".l lovin • correspondent. mation and analysis that is screened

page 8 Community news; pig course boondoggled through ISU. ~ out of or down played by establishment
news sources. We are a non-profit,
page 9 District 87 turns to competency-based learning.
n worker-run collective that exists as
pages 10-11 Homebirth and midwifery--a hopeful new alternative. an alternative to the corporate media.

page 12 Outrageous opinions about reproduction. U We put out six issues a year. Staff

page 13 Comix galore. I members take turns as "coordinator."
All writing, typing, editing, graphics,,
pages 14-15 A review of Lambda's latest AIDS publication; photography, pasteup, and distribition
state AIDS testing ridiculed. are done on a volunteer basis. You

page 16 Stupid anti-drug ad ridiculed; GPA calendar· gay comic I are invited to volunteer your :talents.
Most of our material and inspiration
reviewed; campaign posters ridiculed. '
I for material comes from the community.
page 17 Tummy tucks, no thanks! and gays can be cannon fodder too. The Post Amerikan welcomes stories,
graphics, photos, letters, and news
. pages 18-19 Sexism is alive (even on the left); First Effluvium
and the Book of Armaments quoted. I tips from our readers. If you'd like
to join us, call 827-7232 and leave a
message on our answering machine. We

I will get back to you as soon as we can.
Don't worry if it takes a while--we
don't meet every week.

page 20 .Barflies go downtown,, where all the lights are bright.. U._n An alternative newspaper depends very
directly on a community of concerned
~te::::::)l~~~~te::::::)lte::::::)l~~~~~te::::::)l~ people for existence. We believe i t

is very important to keep a newspaper

like this around. If you think so

'Ourproblemissi~ Without ~pleare9'!tliny-tiredof too, theh please support us by

~.:; litt)l'Oe Un'area9N1OcsThHowING.1 thi:J ethicOfg~!_g_reed, I telling your friends about the paper,
and MOR£G~V. donating money to the printing of the
paper, and telling our advertisers you

I saw their ad in the Post Amerikan.
The pext deadline for submitting
I Post material is Thursday, May 12.
Material submitted after the deadline
will probably not get printed.
~ :=4P;JSeffe7Ste::::::)l~

Good numbers HELP (transportation for senior BLOOMINGTON
citizens, handicapped) ...•.. 828-8301 Amtrak Station, 1200 W. Front

Ill. Dept of Public Aid .....•.. 827-4621 I The Back Porch, 402 N. Main
Bakery Bane, 901 N. Main
Alcoholics Anonymous ...••• ~ •••• 82B-5049 Ill. Lawyer Referral ....•.. 800-252-8916 Bloomington Public Library (in front)

American Civil Liberties Union .454·-77.23 Kaleidoscope ..•••..••....••.••• 828-7346 I Bus Depot, 533 N. East
Common Ground, 516 N. Main
Bloomington Housing Authority •• 829-3360 McLean Co. Health Dept ..••.•••• 454-1161 Convenient Mart, Emerson and Main
Front and Center Building
Clare House (Cath·o-lic Workers) .828-4035 Mid Central Community Action ••. 829-0691 Hit Shed, 606 N Main.
. Hungry House, !OJ W. Jefferson
Community for Social Action .... 452-4867 Mobile Meals .••••...•.•.•.•.•.. 828-8301
I Law and Justice Center, W. Front St.
Connection House •••..•......... B29-5711 McLean County Center for Lee St. (100 N.)
Main and Miller Streets
Countering Domestic Violence .•. B27-4005 Human Services ..•...•..... 827-5351
I Medusa's Adult World, 420 N. Madison
Dept. Children/Family Services.82B-0022 National Health Care Services-- Mike's Market, 1013 N. Park
Mr. Donut, 1310 N. Park
Draft Counseling ..••.•....••••• 452-5046 abortion assistance, 1-800-322-1622 Pantagraph (in front),
. • ? ~ Occupational Development JOl W. Washington
~oc;--~nc:::::::x~~~te::::a Nuclear Freeze Coalition ...•.•• 828-4195 The Park Store, Wood & Allin
People's Drugs, Oakland & Morrisey
M Ovlng• Operation Recycle ....•.....•..• 829-0691 Red Fox, 918 W. Market
Center ..........••••••.•.. 828-7324 Susie's Cafe, 602 N. Main
U.S. Post Office, 1511 E. Empire
When you move, be sure to send us your I Parents Anonymous •.•.....•....• 827-4005 (at exit)
new address so your subscription gets . PATH: Personal Assistance Telephone U.S. Post Office, Center & Monroe
to you. Your Post Amerikan will not Upper Cut, 409 N. Main
be forwarded (it's like junk mail--no Help.······· ......•......•..• 827-4005 Wash House, 609 N. Clinton
kidding!). Fill out this handy form Washing Well, E. Front St.
with your new address and return it I Or·· ...••....•.•......... 800-322-5015
to us, P.O. Box 3452, Bloomington, Phone Friends .•......••.•.•.•.• 827-4008 NORMAL
IL 61702. Planned Parenthood .••. medical .. 827-4014 Avanti's, 407 S. Main
Big Rudy's, 107 E. Beaufort
bus/couns/educ •. 827-4368 ISU University Union, 2nd floor
Hovey Hall, ISU (in front)
I Post Amerikan ..•.••.•••.••. 828-7232 Midstate Truck Plaza, U.S. 51 north
Prairie State Legal Service .••• 827-5021 Mother Murphy's, 111 North St.
Prairie Alliance .•.....••..•.•. 828-8249 North & Broadway, southeast corner
I Project Oz .•...•.•.••..•.••.... 827-0377 White Hen Pantry, 207 Broadway
Name: Rape Crisis Center •.••..•...... 827-4005
·Sunnyside Neighborhood Center .. 827-5428 (in front)
Street: ITeleCare (senior citizens) •..•. 828-8301
City/State/Zip:__________ _ Un~mployment comp/job service .. 827-6237 lc:=~ac:::::=c~~~~~~
Unlted Farmworkers support ..... 452-5046
Thanks
· UPIC. · • • • • • · · •.......•••••..••. 827-4026
This issue in your hands is thanks to
Debo:ah, Sue L., Sue F., Susie, Val,
Laurle, Margaret, David, Dave, J.R.,
Bumper, Ralph, Bobby, Bill

(coordinator), and probably others
we forgot to mention.

Post Amerikan Vol. 16. No. 6 April-May 1988 .· Page 3

Videile bungle~ Po~l hi~lcry

Celebrating its centennial, ISU's According to former Vidette editor
Carole Halicki (one bitter woman, to
student paper, the Vidette, recently Missing the satire judge from her words to Bridges), the
devoted column inches to the early early P-A not only devoted all its
time to trashing Berlo but also to
days of the Post. Not surprisingly, And here's a snappy irony: one of them ridiculing her.·· Would that it were~
they screwed:rr-up. discontented staffers (your humble true. The early Posts were frequently
embarrassing in their writers' desire
For this historical piece, the student writer) had even written a piece in to move outside of campus into the
the paper two years earlier that community. The only criticisms of the
paper interviewed yours truly as well Vidette that I recall were part of·a
as one-time editor Carole Halicki for satirized underground papers. How's short-lived feature called the
some comments on the P-A's earliest "Journalism Review," a scattershot
that for a ripe contradiction, gang? attempt at criticizing all the local
media that was inspired-sy the Chicago
days. I was interviewed over the phone The final third of the Vidette's piece Journalism Review.

three days before the story appeared Not that Halicki's tenure on the
Vidette didn't deserve to be knocked:
(right in the middle of the Winter was devoted to a summary of that as two-term editor she managed to get
administrative fiscal support for the
Olympics), and it was obvious from the earlier bit of writing (an easy way to paper that helped in the development
of an increased schedule and a more
questions reporter Derek Bridges shot fill up space), and if its histqrical attractive looking paper--but she did
it, in part, by edi~orially bedding
my way that two-thirds of the-story had importance lies only in the fact that Berlo. In pointing out this ethically
flimsy relationship, the Post was
already been written in the reporter's it reveals one basic truism--an under- simply doing its job.

head. That's not unusual; reporters . ground reporter is nothing if not But even if the Big B. hadn't been
president of Normal's biggest
aren't scientists, after all, and you sarcastic about him/herself--at least educational business, the Post-Amerikan
would have come into being. The times
don't expect a journalist to have the that part of the article didn't get any called for it, and, hey, the community
has continued to support it. That was
same openness to contradictory info info wrong. the main motivation behind the early
Post: the desire for a community-
that's-essential to the scientific But it's the article's basic gist that based underground that went beyond a
parochial campus vision. I don't
method. But when the basic structure concerns us here:. the Post's genesis. think we would have lasted half as
long as we hav~ if we'd been as campus-
to a story is so wrong-headed, you Some of you may remember the tale from focused as the Vidette claims.

still feel like hammering the •~riter History is \vritten by those with the
with a copy of a Basic Journalism text. the P-A's 15th anniversary issue loudest voic~s.

(recommended reading for all future --BSherman

The gist of the Vidette's article is Vidette reporters): how the paper was
started, not by former student
pretty quickly summar~zed: accordin~
reporters, but a philosophy prof
to its history, the Post was started
by former staff members of the Vidette, and a few movement types. Yours
all disgruntled by university president truly--the only hard-core ex-staffer
on the Post--didn't join the paper
David Berlo's administration. Said
until its third issue.
former staff members' prime motive in

starting the paper was to stick it to The P-A's main reason for existing

Berlo (and the Vidette, which was

perceived as a mouthpiece for the >·Jasn' t ISU' s prexy but rather a whole

university administration). Never slew of perceived injustices (issue

mind the war or any of the other one's biggest issues were marijuana

oolitical realities that surrounded us and the paucity of good radio in ·the
ln that era; forget the cultural energy area!). Berlo, when he was mentioned
at all in those early days, was merely
that was all around--no, the Post's

raison d'etre was solely the ousting of seen as one more administrator whose
unctuous self-serving actions Here
a greasy university president.
consistent >vith the Nixonian tenor

of the time.

Dear M~. Hippi~ have to bend to Hamburger Helper and a molded
Jello salad? Help!

Healthy Hostess

Dear Healthy Hostess:

Dear Ms. Hippie, · Dear Ms. Hippie, I think your neighbor is giving you a bum steer.
And being a vegetarian, it's no wonder you
My boyfriend has to go to court next week I have an important question about gracious don't recognize it. I say, give those office gals
because he's three years behind in his child hippie entertaining. I'm a vegetarian and, to your veggie best. You and I both know how
support payments to his ex-wife. Of course, brag a bit, somewhat of a gourmet vegetarian delicious vegetarian cooking can be. In fact, a
he's not really behind; the whole thing is a cook. I'm having the other women from my vegetarian dinner served with flair has been
stupid misunderstanding. (He told me how he office over for a buffet dinner this month. My known to produce amazing conversions in meat
and his wife had verbally agreed long ago that he problem is, these gals are really straight in their eaters. However, if you are still in doubt and
didn't have to pay for a few years.) My problem eating preferences--I mean, they wouldn't know not adamantly opposed to recreational drugs, I
is, what should I wear to the hearing? I can't tofu from tempeh. Really! Their idea of health might suggest a little wine or weed before the
find the answer in any traditional etiquette book, f{)od is Lean Cuisine stroganoff. I planned to meal, to loosen their straight laces. I predict
so I'm turning to you, Ms. Hippie. tum them on to some delicious, nutritious fare that before your friends finish the souffle, you'll
centered on a cold spinach and bulghur pilaf, have them eating out of your hand, which could
Supportive Sweetie with a clever tofu and carob souffle to finish. l~ad to a most unexpected scenario. Ah, but
But my neighbor says this would be a big we'll leave that dilemma for a future installment
Dear Supportive Sweetie: mistak,e. What about it, Ms. Hippie? Do I really of "Ask Ms. Hippie."

You're going about this hearing thing all wrong. Readers: Do problems of life in the
If you truly are a supportive sweetie, you will post-70's have you in a quandary?
visit this awful judge's house the night before Send your questions to "Ask Ms. Hippie,"
the hearing with a little message from all of us care of the Post Amerikan, P.O. Box
insurgents: Death to Pigs! I find that the 3052, Bloomington, IL 61702.
Molotov cocktail is the perfect little pick-me-up
for a mean old judge who comes home tired after mantra mash 88
a long day of picking on perfectly healthy men
who don't make good on measly child support 5th annual free X regional arts festival
payments. And here's a helpful tip, gals---save
those old juice bottles and salad dressing jars!
They make great Molotov containers. Don't
bother with cotton batting for the wick, as the
books suggest. I find that a brassiere always
bums best.

P.S. Just a little advice for that nasty ex-wife, if (Jjjj{f saturday april 30
she's listening: Don't get so hung up on this
money thing. Try to get beyond the materialistic o.""' admission: 0¢
mindset. What do your kids really need stuff the eddy building
like toys, new clothes and food for, anyway? 427 n. main

Peace. bloomington, IL 61701

U.S. foreign Page 4 Post Amerikan Vol. 16, No. 6 April-May 1988
policy failure

Will El The impoverished in El Salvador can
expect no help from foreign aid,
even though U.S. aid alone is more
than the Salvadoran government raises.
Fully 84% of U.S. aid is military,
and the amount of aid U.S. taxpayers
have sent during the Reagan regime
is more than $3 billion, an amount
greater than that sent to any other
country save for Israel and Egypt.

There are two sides to the topic of sThe people's success; Whatever the response. it includes
U.S. foreign policy failure. The attacks against the people. In
first and legitimate side is that the elite· deadly tactics January a refugee camp was attacked.
which affects people, and the failure On March 10 a Salvadoran trade union
of U.S. policy here is obvious-- In response to the economic morass, leader was taken away at gunpoint
placing profit and power before human and to the 60,000 people killed by from negotiations with the Minister
life and planetary well-being. The death squads and the army so far in of Labor in San Salvador. This was
second failure occurs less often and the 80s. we have the second failure after he was severely beaten in front
is one that directly affects the that threatens the U.S. elite--the of his supporters on the street.
U.S. elite and their foreign clients-- success of progressive movements. The
the failure to stop popular and people have organized into trade Yet the government cannot contain
progressive movements by the people. unjons. peasant unions, human rights the people or the FMLN. The people
groups, and a guerilla force exceeding continue to mass on the streets in
In the 1980s these two failures have 10,000 armed men and women. Today, response to every human rights
all these groups are united in 'violation. The FMLN continues to
occurred. together. in Central objectives and actions. effectively strike at the Salvadoran
military. Last year the FMLN stopped
Amerika. A case in point is In a dialogue between the FMLN-FDR traffic in 95% of the country seven
(the people's army and its political times. The FMLN operates in every
El Salvador, which threatens to come arm) and the government in the fall province for the first time, and
of 1987. 65.000 supporters kept vigils they are moving toward the major
,to resolution in 1988 in a way which for 3 days outside the talks. The cities. This is despite the facts
500 government supporters (rumored that the U.S. sent $9 million in
resolves the first failure of the to bave been paid) went home after a military aid to the police in
couple of hours. Strikes and marches San Salvador last fall. and the
U.S. positively for the people. and occurred weekly in 1987. and 1988 Salvadoran military officially
promises the same pressure on the admitted to nearly 4.000 casualties
the second failure negatively for government. in '1987.

the elite. y The government response (U.S. and/or B~ilding toward.
Salvadoran, hereafter) has been a critical mass
Profit and poverty; bullets. July 8 saw the police open
power and death fire on striking hospital workers. At a conference on El Salvador held
August 28 saw the National Guard in Chicago in January, a
Results of the first failure-- launch grenades into the Mariona representative of UNTS (the Salvadoran
prison where political prisoners are workers union) stated that the
misplaced priorities--can be seen in kept. On September 1, the Air Force situation is so grave that a "critical
the millions who live in poverty not bombed Santa Marta as refugees were mass" is forming: that mass being
only abroad but here at home. For preparing to return. On October 26, the moment when urban workers join
example. U.S. imperialism has left Herbert Anaya, the non-governmental an insurrection with the FMLN.
Human Rights Commissioner, was
Guatemalans destitute while Goodyear, executed by death squads. After There is no status quo in El Salvador
Coca-Cola, U.S. Steel, Bank of America comparing the government of in 1988. The revolutionary opposition
and others expatriate large profits El Salvador to Herod (of the Roman is on the offensive with the support
Empire)', Archbishop Damas of of the people. Generals Bustillo
back to the U.S. elite. Further, to San Salvador has received death and Blandon of El Salvador have both
dispel the notion of U.S. corporations threats.. admitted openly that the FMLN can
softening a regime (the nonsense exist on its own without foreign
promoted, for instance, in So~th This response by the government is a aid, and that the Salvadoran forces
Africa) one need look only at the combination of the policies of are demoralized. This is a dramatic
1979-1982 and 1982-1985. The first contrast with the end of 1986 which
words of a Mr. Parker from Bank of period was marked by massive amounts was to be the decisive year which
America. "If you use human rights of death squad activity when 40,000 would finally contain the FMLN forces.
were killed. The second period was
in a country with guerillas, you devoted to an attempt to control the
won't get anywhere." population through the creation of a
"third force," a policy effective in
Of course. more than poverty results the campaign against the Huks in the The UNTS representative also said
from the first failure. Hundreds of Philippines in the 1950s. This policy that solidarity with the Amerikan
thousands have been murdered in the sought to create a third party, an people was still essential.
name of U.S. foreign policy, such as alternative to the far-right despots Humanitarian aid for the people in
in Indonesia (500,000 in 1964) and arrd the revolutionary opposition. the form of money for medicine,
El Salvador (30,000 in 1932 while In El Salvador this was marked ~Y resettlement costs, and shelter is
U.S. battleships sailed off the the decrease in death squad murders, needed. Also,-pressure on the U.S.
coast). The obsessiveness of this the bombing af guerilla-controlled government and media is necessary to
policy can be seen today in Nicaragua areas. and "elections" to put a stop the most outright abuses and
with the contras. where terrorists democratic face on the country. make known the true situation in
kill--for the u.s.--teachers simply
because they are employed by the The first period failed to control El Salvador.
elected government of Nicaragua. the opposition; even though it drove
all opposition underground, it only To this end, a national campaign has
In El Salvador, 1988. the obsession swelled the ranks of the FMLN and begun in the U.S. by religious, labor,
with profit and power has caused the strengthened all resolve against the and peace groups called "Winning
people to suffer from both abject government. The second period failed Democracy." To contribute to this
poverty and death. Economically, as it put forward Napoleon Duarte campaign, you can contact your local
the country is a shambles. (who headed the government previously Committee in Solidarity with the
Unemployment officially stands at from 1980-1982) as the democratic People of El Salvador (CISPES) members
50%; another 25% who do have income face. Whether he got to the top by
earn less than what the Salvadoran force or by elections, the people of at 829-3701 or 452-0977.
government says is needed to live El Salvador were not fooled. The
above poverty. only success for the U.S. elite was --Frodo
that since the country now had held
The people of El Salvador have no elections and had curbed the GROSSEST Sources: "Dollars and Dictators,"
money, nor do they have land in areas violations of human rights, the media and by Tom Barry, Beth Wood.
under government control (although could ignore the country. and Deb Preusch;
in areas under guerilla control, "Alert." published by
land is shared). While 60% of the The elite are not unified in their CISPES.
population is engaged in agriculture, response today. Some favor a
2% of the population controls 60% of "scorched-earth" policy, stepping up
the land. aerial bombardment and military
operations against the peasantry.
Others favor a continuation of a
"third-force" strategy, They are so
divided that Salvadoran elites openly
attack each other.

------------•Journalism ponderings _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. .

A~ruuked riJad ia E~uadiJr
For six months in 1987. the U.S. Army had troops in Ecuador. doing something
like road-building. But not much road got built. And that's about all you can
tell for sure. if you believe everything you read. and if you happen to read
both Soldiers. The Official U.S. Army Magazine. and In These Times. a Chicago-
based left-wing newsweekly. Sergeant First Class Dennis Steele wrote the
heartwarming saga "Long Hard Road" in January's issue of Soldiers. while Paul
Little. a development specialist who's lived in Ecuador for four years. wrote a
distressing account of the same Army operation in the January 13-19 issue of In
These Times. Following are quotations from both "news" stories. placed in -
provocative proximity. --Phoebe Caulfield

From Soldiers: government and the U.S. Army about of the projected 65 kilometers of
the route of the road. The local road. But the Ecuadoran crew
Abriendo Rutas is one of the Army's Ministry of Public Works selected a building the parallel road completed
Blazing Trails exercises. Training 25-kilorneter stretch of jungle as the the 25-kilometer stretch on September
conducted during those exercises best site for the new road. The Army 30. reuniting the isolated jungle
contributes to civil projects in the balked at this proposal. claiming towns with the rest of the country
host country. which supplies the that the terrain was too rocky. and thereby rendering unnecessary the
needed materials and fuel. All had Instead it insisted on building a 65- Army's six-kilometer road that leads
been staged in Central America until kilometer road along a river valley to a dead end in the jungle.
1987. Abriendo Rutas was the first that the Ministry of Public Works
in South America •.•. A massive claimed was on soft terrain. The From Soldiers:
earthquake in March had cut the solution to this impasse was to build
natives' main commercial route to two roads parallel t~ each other that The U.S. task force. however. has
industry and markets in western start and finish at virtually the every reason to be proud of what it
Ecuador. The devastation and an same place: one built by Eucadorans did in the time it had. While most
immediate need to help the victims and the other by the U.S. Army. of the task force worked on the road.
left Ecuador unable to support a other soldiers left hundreds of small
previously scheduled exercise at the From Soldiers: civic improvements as time and
coastal city of Monta. so the United resources allowed.
States moved its resources to the The largest single piece of
Napo Province. equipment. a rock crusher weighing From In These Times:
several tons. had to be pulled over
From In These Times: peaks nearly three miles high. The Regardless of where they come from.
crusher moved sometimes at a snailish the t"roops have created a climate
46 percent of the U.S. Army's total one mile per day. But getting more of mistrust. anger and fear among the
combat strength is made up of Guard than 500 pieces of construction local population.
troops. Furthermore. by classifying equipment across the Andes was only
this work as "training." the Reagan the beginning. After the equipment From Soldiers:
administration has found a convenient made it. engineers had to fill a
way to circumvent congressional swamp to build their base camp. Th~U.S. base camp stood on the
approval for their deployment •••. outskirts of Archidona. which had
U.S. imperialism in Ecuador has From In These Times: benefited greatly during the
focused upon the country's extensive exercise. In addition to the
Amazonian jungle territory. Though They [U.S. troops] shipped in construction and civil projects. the
it is a sparsely populated area. it hundreds of heavy machines. town's economy skyrocketed. The
has great geographical importance. is earthmovers and bulldozers that were influx of money was constant. Each
rich in strategic minerals and offers inappropriate for the soft jungle soldier took home at least one
enormous profit-making possibilities. soil and that regularly sank in the souvenir or gift. Archidona was a
mud. genuine boom town •••• American
From Soldiers: troops and the people of Archidona
From Soldiers: suffered no negative incidents during
soldiers would cut a southern an exercise in which more than 6.000
route into the Amazon headwaters The six-month-long exercise was soldiers took part.
while Ecuadorians swung a second new scheduled to end Oct. 15. but was
road to the north •••• Thus began extended to Dec. 1. The engineers From In These Times:
one of the most daring Army built as much road as they could. but
engineering projects since soldiers not as much as they would have liked. One Archidona shopkeeper states
wore campaign hats--and it packed the emphatically that the U.S. troops
romance of bygone eras. From In These Times: were taking out sample of plutonium.
uranium and iridium. citing a
From In These Times: When the pre-allotted six months document found in the trash of the
expired on November 15--after more Army camp as his evidence. The
Problems arose. however. in the than 800.000 man-hours of labor--the townspeople are also upset about the
negotiations between the Ecuadoran negative impact the troops have had
_,...U.S. troops had completed only six on their town. They have attracted
NATURAL FOODS prostitutes from all parts of the
( country who make fast and good
money .••• A Committee for National
Sovereignty has been formed by more
than 20 youth. Christian and women's
organizations to oppose the U.S.
Army's occupation of part of their
territory. The group launched a
petition drive calling for the
immediate removal of the troops
from Ecuador and spearheaded a large
comparsa (masquerade march) in
protest to their presence. In
addition. anti-American graffiti has
multiplied many times over. and in
one form or another. carries that
age-old Latin American message:
Yankee Go Horne.

Sl6 N. Main St. From Soldiers:

Bloomington, DL 61701 Sweat-soaked. machete-wielding and
dozer-driving U.S. soldiers had done
Common Ground has a wide selection of wholesomP. foods, everything possible to build their
natural body.care products, vitnmin and mineral sup- road and fulfill their dream.
plements, and books for organic cooking and healthy
living. From In These Times:

By selling many foods in bulk, Common r.round reduces The deployment of U.S. troops to
your costs on nuts, flours, spices, grains, snack Ecuador's Amazon jungle is an
mixes and many other items. You may also purchase alarming new expansion of the
ju,;t the amount you need! Come see the gourmet Pentagon's militarization of Latin
coffee beans and fresh produce section as well. America. Yet at the same time it
Experience a new and healthier way of life! continues a broader policy geared
toward increasing U.S. corporate
penetration in this vital area of the
world. Providing earthquake relief
has proved an excellent pretext for
this policy. and all Ecuador has to
show for it is a six-kilometer road
to nowhere.

Page 5

Page 6 Post Amerikan Vol. 16. No. 6 April-May 1988

Pgl Rcb~rl~cn: Lccny ~xlr~mi~t cr

dgng~rcu~ t;hgrlglgn? Eradicate us all?

Recent statements that Cohen has

videotaped indicate Robertson still

that Robertson's denial was a lie. believes that the world will end in
a cataclysm brought on by the clash

His resume lists him as "Author. Little by little. Cohe~ anq Straub between the forces of evil and the
lecturer. educator. broadcaster. are overcoming the ben1gn 1mage that forces of good. For Robertson. the
news commentator. and Republican Robertson manages to project. One forces of evil include Communism.
presidential candidate." But there of the extremist views that they socialism. one-worldism. secular
is no mention of the 25 years that want to expose relates to Robertson's humanism. liberalism. feminism. and
Pat Robertson spent as a Southern obsession with Communism. homosexuality. On the campaign trail
Baptist minister. tv evangelist. and he reportedly calls for the
hurricane traffic manager. In the late 1970s. Robertson concocted "eradication of Communism." but few
an end-of-the-world scenario which people think to ask what that
Robertson makes no mention of his involved ten Common Market nations "eradication" might really mean.
former job in his speeches. his ruled by a charismatic leader who
campaign literature. or his political would turn out to be the antichrist Robertson's convoluted theology is
ads. This is not an oversight. If in disguise. He was convinced that often hard to follow. But Straub
you get the idea that Pat Robertson Armageddon--triggered by Russia's and Cohen want to make it widely
is trying to hide something. you're invasion of Israel--would take place known that Robertson has made some
right. in 1982. Straub. who was then working extremely dangerous statements.
Three of the scariest:

The Christian Broadcasting Network 1. His recommendation that there be
(CBN) no longer honors journalists' special Xian courts to rule on the
requests for access to tapes of
Robertson on the "700 Club." But validity of claims by "spirit-filled"
Edmund Cohen. an ex-twice-born Xian. Xians that direct instructions from
has been monitoring and taping God induced them to break the law.

Robertson's utterances on television 2. His proposal that there be
since October 1984. That means Cohen prophetic Xian police authorized to
is the media's main source of accurate
quotations from Robertson. arrest those whom God says will commit
crimes in the future.

Last October. Cohen and his cohort s 3. His stated belief that sometimes
Gerry Straub (who used to be the God. through a prophet. instructs
producer of the "700 Club") succeeded \• his chosen people to exterminate an
in getting journalists to ask )..mregenerate human group completely.
Robertson about a statement he made bl to "kill them all" in order to stop
to the effect that only them from reproducing and ultimately
fundamentalists and Jews are qualified £1 overpopulating hell.
to hold the "reins of government." I
Robertson adamantly denied making ·--- _) just like Moses
any such statement. But he suffered

a major embarrassment when he was DESPITE TH' f~os E:R GIVEAWA)I., Remember: Robertson proclaims himself
confronted with an audiotape of the fRDBERT5orv''s C~fl\f>A,I,i\J IL..L.LEt). vvt~ a prophet. receiving and obeying
divine marching orders like Moses did.
January 11. 1985. broadcast of the
"700 Club." when he made the offending

remark. for CBN. was involved in serious So it's not inconceivable that
plans to televise "the Second Coming." President Robertson could delude
The tape was supplied by Cohen and himself into thinking that God has
Straub. (See Time. Oct. 19. 1987.) Robertson and his staff imagined inst~ucted him to start a nuclear
that Christ would return and preside war in order to bring about
Deny the denial for a thousand years over a theocracy. Armageddon. Or that President
When this prophecy went unfulfilled.
After these items appeared. Straub Robertson overcame his disappointment Robertson could delude himself into
and Cohen appeared on a New York by making plans for his own theocracy.
talk show. Robertson's supporters And his presidential aspirations thinking that God has instructed him
to carry out the extermination of
vulnerable minorities.

in the studio audience tried to shout were born (again?). Is it any wonder that Pat Robertson
them down. and after the revealing wants to hide his religious beliefs
videotap~ was shown. tried to claim and past statements? Thanks to Sony.

·P···c·~··l··L··~··~·~··~·r··~······················tDear Friends:

·"·····················We received our copy of the "Post
Edmund Cohen has them on tape.

+ --Ferdydurke

of this booklet. or to join Lambda ••. Sources: Free Inguiry. Winter 1987/88:
($35 contribution for an individual •
membership). write to: Lambda (or Gerry Straub. Salvation for
LLDEF). 666 Broadway. New York. NY
~Satles: onA'n Inside View of Pat
++10012. s Orsa ni'Z'ation --

(1986).

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

P-Amerikan returned from London and would like

Amerikan" today and want to thank to write about the real world over

you very much for the good words you OK--so I'm a rookie. there. Can you send me info?

had for Lambda and its work and for

printing our membership coupon. It I literally ran into the Post-Amerikan Thanx!

means a lot to us. What a pleasant newsstand after leaving the Gallery

surprise! the other night. Luckily. Wesleyan Typist's Note: Boy. do we love

and the Gallery hadn't robbed me of letters like this! We always need
my last quarter (or wa~ it 49il. so
In case you have not already seen new vibrant staffers. whether they
it. I am enclosing for your library have ovaries or not. Don't worry.
a copy of Lambda's newest AIDS-related I indulged in a late-n1ght l1terary
Banana. we'll be in touch.

publication. which is written for snack. As you can guess--I'm hooked.

non-lawyers. It's called "Living It's about time I found some

With AIDS: A Guide to the Legal publication in the B-N area that

Problems of People With AIDS." and tells it like it is--ignoring the

we hope you find it useful. patriarchal. heterosexual.

bureaucratic bullshit that so often

Thank you for your support and for plagues our media. Thanx for the

your good works. release . . . ·.

Sincerely yours. Here's some dough--keep the change •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
for that self-destructing answering
Jerl Surratt machine of yours. Nice job. P-A. The format looks
Associate Director terrific!
Lambda Legal Defense Chow!
Banana Carol of Bloomington
and Education Fund
P.S. When are your submission
Typist's Note: Gee. letters like deadlines? Do most submissions get
this one are enough to cheer up even published? I'm a liberal feminist
the most temperamental Balrog. who' acting within the Greek system at
reviews "Living with AIDS" elsewhere IWU--rowdy. yea? I have opinions. a
in this issue. To obtain your copy mind. and ovaries too! I just

Post Amerikan Vol. 16. No. 6 April-May 1988 Page 7

Fcr Ibe !eve cl aoiwal:;i
One event the Agenda has announced is
It has been several issues since I've the "Compassion Campaign '88," World Laboratory
shared with you, Gentle Readers, the developed in conjunction with ~he . Animal
news and views of animal activism. Presidential and general electLon Ln Liberation Week
Actually, I took a medically-urged November. Organizers are educating Contact: IN DEFENSE OF ANIMALS
sabbatical due, in part, to a ramnant candidates and their staffs about
hazard of the move~ent: Burnout. animal issues, hoping that concerns 21 Tarnal Vista Blvd.
for animal welfare will he addressed
The burnout syndrome is an Eighties' in national political platforms. Corte Madera, CA 94925
buzzword, linked to employment,
parenting and relationships. Yet, for Another positive note: April 18-24 (415) 924-4454
those of us who submerge heart and
soul in the fight against the will see nationwide protests, forums •••••••••••••••••••••
unspeakable cruelty of human tmvard and demonstrations during World Lab I want to lre!f In Defens_e _of Anin~tlls
non-human, burnout lurks, inexorably II UIIes '• 11
Animal Liberation Week. Last April 24, a111l tire Aprr 24tlr Coalrtron make I
sapning strength and ideals. The I • • • • Worlti L.rboratonJ Animal Liber11- I
T'lore intense the zeal, the greater thousands of people who care about 1 lion Week a success.
the chance of succumbing. animals demonstrated, and hundreds
were arrested during nonviolent 11 l J Please send me infomllltion on /row I :
I cannot claim to be a zealot, but the protests. College campuses across
seemingly endless suffering of ani~als Amerika will sponsor demonstrations c11n lrelp.
on all fronts, as well as perceived next month--how about the ones in our II
personal and occupational failures, community? 1 i I'm interestt•d iu seroing 11s a /owl I
led me to a mid-winter mindsnan. I <"OIIfllct. I
Nightmares of laboratory torture and Of course, not all of the Agenda nevJS
j avv-trapped torment haunted my nip:hts, II
until sleep \vas a torture to avoid. is good. For example, the U.S. Justice
Days were zombied wakefulness, and I Department sent a letter to the Fur I Name I
could find no joy anJ~;·7here. The Retailers Information Council, I I
doctor diagnosed severe anxiety and soliciting newspaper clippings about
resultant intestinal complications. anti-fur attitudes and activities. I A.t,ln·, I
So, for the duration of my recoverv, I Refusing to provide spokespeople to II
was to avoid everything ~vhich uould directly debate animal advocates in
depress or disturb me. public forum, FRIC has now begun I Clll/. St4llt', Zll' I
lobbying the media (especially TV) to II
halt coverage of anti-fur activities.
A confidential letter to furriers ········-············I T,-~c-,h""'' ([)('Y' (El"'"m:o:' I
concluded that" ... any time the
animal is directly related to the coat creatures, feeding them food which
in advertising or publicity, the most
lasting impression is anti-fur .... " once represented living flesh, denying

them their free heritage.

Not only is the fur industry trying to Bullshit! These are our companions,
censor opponents, they slander us in afforded the same comforts we enjoy
the Fur Age Weekly, by \varning that (and sometimes even better) . We
"violence and seri-ous vandalism may recently bred our female Siamese mix--
accompany demonstrations ... These are not for great financial gain, not to
not just plain animal lovers ... these enslave her as some kitten factory,
are criminals ... terrorists." but because she embodies loving,
faithful characteristics which will
Well, this "terrorist" is proud to continue in her children, enriching
announce that I have subscribed to the others' lives as she has enriched ours.
Agenda, and t~at future "for the love" Yes, I'm aware that thousands of cats
columns will include timely news from die each year, unclaimed from the
such a great source. local pound. But these kittens \vere
planned and they will find loving
If you are interested in a homes.
subscription, vlrite:

The Animals' Agenda I guess that vJhat I ask from all of
Subscription Dept. you who espouse animal activism is
P.O. Box 6809 tolerance for those whose level of
commitment may not meet your standards.
Syracuse, NY 13217
Too many advocacies (and not just
A one-year subscription costs $18.00. animal) die from obstinacy, fro~
losing sight of their goal: in our

case, lessening the suffering of

I stopped attending Animal Protection One last observation. As I stated all animals.

--FAF

League meetings. I trashed PETA earlier, each one of us must decide

newsletters, unread. No more graphic the level of dedication we are willing
pictures of factory farm victims, to express in the battle for animal

malnourished strays, cosmetics lab liberation. Yet some organizations
mutilation. The nightmares faded, and cannot seem to see beyond their mm
rigid beliefs, to accept the
I no longer feared sleep. I returned individuality of commitment. Honest,
to work, found purpose in my days. Hy
lover, to whom I had become a stranger, well-meaning members are made to feel
like pariahs for eating meat, drinking
supported and encouraged me. Slowly,
milk, or "owning" pets.
I led myself from that dark place
·Non-smoking roommate/boarder wanted.
within that had threatened to swallow Own room & bath in historic house in
me whole. downtown Bloomington. Age/race/~ender/
sexual orientation not issu.es. $250. +
My return to the A.P.L" has been share of utilities. Contact Paul at
tentative. The battle against
wholesale animal abuse seems 827-0629.
insurmountable, and it's so hard not . ,.Now, that last one really gripes my
to over-extend my energies. But if I cookies. We share our home \vi th cats
have learned only one thing from my and dog, and fish ogle us from two
aquariums. But to some hardcore
activists, we "enslave" these poor
t•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• CUP & SAVE i••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••1

•
:ordeal, it is that I can just live one ::
day at a time. As trite as that 0peration Recqc/e
sounds, it is reality, and I cannot :i

ichange it with all the best intentions
I own. ..i: !,~t.
B~b~k
And so, Gentle Readers, I am back to ! '!•
say that you must find within yourself Buyback open 9 am- noon
the level of commitment you can make

to the cause. Don't regret what you :i; Mondays-Saturdays :~:
cannot do, personally or financially.
Just do whatever you can find within 923 E. GRO\TE, BLOOMINGTO~ ii
yourself to do, and know that your

donation is another positive step !: F'U.1'.cJ.R.Ctf"'.E..C.MyCa&Ci.EJ,]I)fiJVES !'
tmvard animal liberation. ::;:

'"*'""'<**"'<>'<****"'"""'<·k-;<·k-;<i<>'d<·k-;<-;do'<-;o•dob'<******* :

I have just discovered a marvelous !: Sears, Eastland, and ISU parking lot, College & Main i!~ 1:
magazine devoted to animal rights. • •
The Animals' Agenda addresses all· ~

levels of animal welfare, from : 1::

indictments against animal research and :

zoo management, to promotion of ,: Call 829-0691 for More Information ,1::

cruelty- free toiletries a"trl objective :

!: Operation Recycle is a not-for-profit community recycling center, ;;!:
part of COMMUNITY ACTION.

·: -
strategic goals, interspersed with

.......•.....•.•.•...•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•••.....•...........••..................................news and upco~ing events.

PMildary ~;cur~e ranuned intcpi5Uk·n~ v~urrl~;AUiiiffi8

This is a quiz. You have five system and ideology is similar to
minutes. In two words or less, state theirs or one they may wish to adopt.
The course doesn't defend these
the difference between a university values, but presents their historical
and the military. evolution. The student then evaluates
their impact based on his/her personal
Stumped? Well, if you answered "not experiences and beliefs."
much," you passed. If you sat there (Apparently, subjects and verbs, and
for five minutes trying to figure out pronouns and antecedents, do not ltave
how to say "the university is about to agree in the military.)
learning, not killing people! " in two
words or less, you're undoubtedly a How is the historical evolution of
sweet person, but you flunked. ln military values presented without
fact, if you're that naive, perhaps being defended? There's Lesson 2,
you shou! d enroll in MS 101, "Intro- "ROTC Program and Opportunities,"
duction to Military Science," here at which includes a section called
ISU. "Benefits of Army ROTC"; or maybe it
comes in Lesson 1C, "Pay and Benefits
Not only will you Jearn about "(the) . of an Army Officer." Or perhaps the
critical-minded analysis of army
organization, mission, functions, and values comes through in the two
customs of the army . . . and . • . required texts, The Army Officer's
Guide by LTC Lawrence P. Crocker, and
the United States defense establish- The Army, by the Department of th~
ment"; you just might, if the Army.
"Military Science" department gets its
Or maybe the students learn to
way, earn University Studies credit evaluate military ideology through one
for. it. Yep, enough cf this pinko of the "optional tasks" listed on the
strategy of limiting the benefits of syllabus: "1. Become a member of one
"Military Science" courses to these of the extracurricular (i.e., ROTC-
sponsored) clubs. 2. Attend the Army
gung-ho enough to join ROTC--now
every student can, in fulfillment of Orientation Visit. J. Attend the
the cours€ of studies designed to make
them "liberally" educated, come to Land Navigation Field Training
understand the deep sigrificance of Exercise. 4. Attend the Rappelling
the military in our lives. - Field Training Exercise."

If you know something about "general It all sounds perfectly even-handed Pissed off, however, we should be.
educa tior~ requirements, " you're to me. Especially since the course
probably pretty concerned. After all, proposal also notes that "Students If you're a student, complain--to your
as the Undergracuate Catalog states, by being introduced to the role of the
University Studies courses are U.S. Army may be forced to reexamine professors, your student representa-
supposed to "provide per:.;onal their goals and values. The course
enrichment . . . reflect major values attempts to dispel misconceptions many tives, your acting Assistant Provost
and ideas and offer the opportunity students have regarding the military."
to examine such values and ideas . Like, they're all a bunch of semi- for Undergraduate Instruction. If
literate ~hugs who can't even lie
Group 7, Contemporary Life consistently? you're on the faculty, write letters
Studies, is supposed to enc0urage
"development and understanding of the You may be wondering at this point how to CUS and .the Assistant Provost. If
use of liberal studies in applied anybody, even ROTC types, could you're a conscientious ci tiz"en who
areas in order to deal creatively and possibly believe that this course
realistically with personal, proposal could get by the Committee ~refers that the local university stay
community, national, and international on University Studies (CUS). After
concerns." all, this pig isn't even wearing a ?ut of ~he ~usiness of military ·
credible duck suit. lndoctrlnatlon, write letters to The
How could a "Military Science" course Vidette, ~ Pantagraph, and your---
possibly be consistent with such a The fact is, most faculty members
goal? Well, let me give it to you haven't even heard of this proposed state legislators.
straight from the horse's you-know- course. Those who have heard were in
what. According to the course effect prevented from filing a formal Faculty members may get a copy of the
proposal, complaint, since th~ customary
·announcement, which goes only to course proposal from the Assistant
MS 101 meets the criteria of department chairs and committee
University Studies Group 7 in that members, was sent out a few days Provost; anyone, however, can call up
before spring break, and the deadline the "Military Science" department
it deals with the development and for letters of complaint was a few (438-5408) and ask for an expl~nation
understanding of liberal studies in days after spring break. Accident? of thi~ trans~arent move to get
applied areas to deal with personal, Sure--everybody forgets whBn spring academlc credlt for ROTC training.
community, national, and inter- break is. In a university in which An e~pecially good question would
nationai concerns. (Note what is the faculty-administration concern the university's affirmative
relationship is bGginning to look a action guidelines. Are gay and
being omitted from the Group 7 lot like the Congress-Reagan
administration relationship--they lesbian students welcome in this
statemE:nt above. One might also don't need any information, and if course? Are the discriminatory
note the unrecognizable syntax of they demand it, shred the documents
the above sentence, but let's not and man the forts--nobody should be P?licies of the military consistent
be picky.) The study of military surprised. Wlth the university's mission? You
might also want to ask how this course
science can be found in nearly all
ancient civi~izations. The is funded. Who pays the army officers
who teach this course? In what sense
Constitution organized the United are these people qualified to teach
States Army to provide for the
com:11on defense of this nation. at the university level anyway?
Every state.has a National Guard or
Army Reserve organization. The As far as I'm concerned, the mere
military is a part of almost every presence of ROTC on campus is an
known society and present in
virtually every part of the world ?ffense to everything a university
today. Our military commitments lS supposed to stand for. Given the
reach every corner of the globe, and current po~itical climate, we may not
require extensive resources to meet be able to get ROTC off campus, but
these commitments. This course is we can at least try to prevent the
designed to foster an understanding militarization of the curriculum.
of the major principles of organiza-
tion, goals and objectives, and .--Major Drag
issues that confront the military
organization and personnel in time Rape Crisis Center
of war and peace. This under-
standing is an essential part of a of Mclean County

broad education required for WE'RE A NON-PROFIT VOLUNTEER GROUP WHOSE MAIN PURPOSE IS TO OFFER
contemproary society. ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT TO VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT AND THEIR FRIENDS
AND FAMILIES.
Now remember, this explains why this FEMALE VOLUNTEERS ANSWER OUR CALLS, BUT BOTH MALE AND FEMALE
course should fulfill University VOLUNTEERS ARE AVAILABLE FOR CRISIS ASSISTANCE, INFORMATION AND
Studies requirements. SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS.

What would students learn in MS 101? If you want to talk to one of us
Call PATH 827-4005
That's a very goo,: question. Wouldn't and ask for the

this course be a little too much like ROpe Crisis Center

military indo<;:trination to ..::eally

count as something that "offers

students the opportunity to examine

values and ideas"? Not according to

the course proposal: "Students are

exposed to the value system and ,

ideology of the modern Army Officer.

Students must examine these values and

ideas to determine if they are

compatible with their values and

ideas. Students may feel the value

New system in District 87 Post Amerikan Vol. 16. No. 6 April-May 1988 Page 9

Whal i:;i lhi~ IJUil:

In the next five years. District 87 is Slower pace help the be ow
expected to change its educational expense of the above average. As
philosophy to a new one. often called With reteaching and retaking of tests. below A and B students begin to
Outcome-Based Education. Not much is classes will move at a slower pace receive A's and B's. the normally A
known about how Outcome-Based than they are presently. The courses and B students will still receive
Education. or OBE. will be applied to that are piloting OBE in Bloomington their A's and B's. There is no room
District 87. For this reason. have shown a slower pace. As classes to go higher. Again. this will
everything in this article is based on move more slowly. will the students confuse the class rank.
information received about how OBE is get as broad a background as they need
used in other cities. such as Johnson for college? We need to start thinking about how we
City. New York. are going to deal with the drawbacks
Classes are only required to learn the of Outcome Based Education.
For those who do not know about OBE. I basic necessities. And. will the
will describe briefly how OBE is slower pace take away time that has ---Writer's Postscript---
supposed to work. The main principle normally been used for such extra
of OBE is that every student will activities as guest speakers and field After this article was first printed
learn and can learn all the course -tripsf These activities might not be in the Aegis. the administration of
material with 80% proficiency. This necessary for a class. but they Bloomington High School has still not
means that every student must make 80% definitely add flavor to an otherwise been able to answer most of my
correct on each test. If they do not dull class. questions. They. instead. have
achieve at least 80% the first time. decided to glorify OBE. Someone once
then they will have to go through re- Money? said that if you give a person enough
teaching and take a similar test rope. they will eventually hang
within a week of taking the initial The change to Outcome Based Education themselves. I just hope it will not
test. will cost money. Money is something be the future students of B.H.S. that
education in Illinois has less and will be hanged.
OBE stands in contrast to the less of with Governor Thompson's
traditional system of merely giving budget cuts. Teachers will need --Damon E. Rolfe
students low grades if they don't know materials for the new system. If
the material. with no follow-up to students pass the required subjects. Typist's note:
make sure they learn it. then teachers will need materials for
additional units and enrichment units. Competency-based systems like OBE are
The system does have very good Johnson City pays its teachers to becoming widespread. seemingly in
objectives and realistic means of develop those additional units during response to national concern about
reaching them. Students should learn the summer. And- Johnson City has a educational standards. Many educators
the material more thoroughly than they full time staff that does nothing but like me criticize these systems.
have been. Below average students look into new research developments in saying they will wrongly change the
should learn more with OBE. With re- Outcome Based Education. focus of academic studies and they
teaching. students are more likely to will limit teachers' academic freedom.
learn the subjects covered. And In conclusion
students from schools under OBE. like We are very sure that most of the
Johnson City. do very well on the SAT There are drawbacks to OBE. valuable knowledge we impart can't be
test. Bloomington High School principal codified into an objective test and
O'Neal plans on completely integrating scored with a percentage. In
There are several unanswered questions District 87 with OBE in only five literature. for example. an objective
that have been raised about OBE. years. To me. this seems too short of test can measure memorization of facts
Several students and members of the a time. Johnson City has used OBE for like dates and titles and
faculty are beginning to wonder if about sixteen years. and they still understanding of established
Outcome-Based Education is actually have people looking into new research interpretations. but it can never test
worth changing to. full time. Also. OBE seems to greatly other kinds of knowledge. like how to
approach a poem that you don't
Universities understand or how to visualize a
literary image.
Many people are wondering how colleges
will react to the new system. We are also alarmed because of
Advocates of OBE say it does not possible misuses of our students' test
matter how the universities react. scores. misuses that threaten our
But universities have several good academic freedom. The state may look
reasons to question OBE. For example. at the scores of students from our
universities use the class rank of school or from a particular teacher
students to select applicants. What and make decisions about how well that
would happen to the class rank of school or teacher is doing
students in a school under OBE? accordingly. We may find ourselves
"teaching to the test." making sure
Because of its point assignment first that our students will know the
system. under OBE many students are answers. meanwhile neglecting
likely to end up with exactly the same untestable elements. Such an event
grade point averages. which alters the would clearly standardize not only
appearance of the class rank list. students' knowledge but our teaching.
The students will be clumped at and it's the individuality. variety.
certain places instead of spread out and spontaneity of our work that makes
along the scale. making fewer it meaningful to us.
distinctions among them.

Another question universities are
asking is that with OBE. students have
the chance to retake tests. but
universities frequently do not allow
the retaking of tests. How can these
students adjust to such different
academic methods? It may be extremely
hard.

Motivation?

The students under OBE have the
ability to retake tests which they
have done poorly on. Students tend to
have little or no motivation to study
the first time under such conditions.
Would you? With re-teaching and
retaking of tests. the student feels
less of a need to study for the
initial test. Even if the next one is
a different form. the material will be
extremely similar.

Those who are among the small part of
the class who passes the test may work
on enrichment activities while the
rest of the class catches up. But
there is no motivation for them to
work on the enrichment units because
these units do not count for a grade.
Students tend n~t to work unless they
receive credit for their work.

Page 10

Midwifery and homebirth are emerging As Marion Sousa said in 1977, "98% You may think that this concern about
from the darkness of the eclipse of the people now alive were born at our system's safety smacks too much
here in the U.S. This movement truly home." Despite this statistic, the of an unnecessary polemic. You may
crosses the spectrum of political medical community believes that we . think that our system is "good
beliefs. Women and men, old and should give them control during birth. enough." After alL it's worked for
young, gay and straight, and even And we have quietly acquiesced to you, your babies, and those of most
those in the pro-choice and this request. In stark contrast to of the people you know. Even if you
anti-abortion movements are all the rest of humanity, approximately do hate episiotomies (and I've heard
represented in this return to 98% of Amerikans are born outside 8 years of women's disgust! I and
homebirth. the home. (See the American Journal rude OBs, you probabfy still trust
of Public Health, August 1987.) the system although you may not admire
Why do I--a woman, mother, and nascent it.
midwife--make the seemingly outrageous Although our out-of-home births are
statement that every Amerikan reaps our mistake, the rest of the world I ask you to first consider a
the benefits of homebirth and should also pays. Drug and device companies traditional insight: "Dame Nature
support this cause now? There are aggressively export our Amerikan way is the best midwife." Remember that
so many reasons, I can't discuss of birth. For example, the Women's almost all of the rest of the S 1/2
them all in one Post article. This National Health Network News has billion people here today made it
time I'll focus on the global aspects documented the tragedies~Third with only the Good Dame in charge with
and safety issues of midwifery and World marketing: Nestle infant the assistance of a human midwife or
homebirth. formula, Depo-Provera dumping, and two.
other dubious achievements.
Thinking globally Then think about the following idea
The First International Conference from the modern midwifery literature:
Remember: we all get born, even if on Homebirth in the fall of 1987 "Each intervention has its place,
we don't all give birth. Each birth exposed the sad results of the but each intervention also has its
affects the rest of us (subtly or "fashionable" adoption of Amerikan price." If our current birth system
not). for we all live on one earth birth techniques. In Poland, women would re-embrace the wisdom contained
together. (See Pheobe 's comments on are now giving birth flat on their in those two simple phrases, the
this matter, elsewhere in this issue.) backs; many feel that this is the medical community would return to
worst experience of their lives. its proper role in the birthing
The Midwifery-Homebirth Renaissance Japan and its medical system were process.
here will help reconnect us, help us "Amerikanized" after World War II,
realize the sisterhood of all women undermining the established midwifery I believe that ignoring this wisdom
and the timelessness of all birth. system and putting Japan in the has contributed to some appalling
This is exactly what is happening "Machine Age" of giving birth. results. Many of us do not realize
with MADRE's work in Nicaragua, as the tremendous price we are paying
is discussed in the accompanying for the extent of medical interference
article. in the birthing process. Consider:

A good look at the accompanying The safety issue --In spite of the billions of dollars
bibliogrqphy should shock you. spent, we have a shameful infant
Whether the study is done in Amerika, At present, too many of us are mortality rate. Despite our medical
Britain, Holland, or Australia, the suffering--and dying--from the s~stem, the U.S. is only 17th in the
message is the same. Our cultural madness that, as one Amerikan world when it comes to low infant
medically-oriented system of OB phrased it, "all birth is high- mortality. Things are worse here in
non-midwives and out-of-home births risk." The Affierikan approach is to Illinois; 41 other states have lower
rejects a 3 million year old treat birth like a disease! Our infant mortality rates. (This is
biological pattern that 77 billion birth attendants blindly follow the not surprising since midwifery is
people have followed. Just skim assumption that birth cannot succeed illegal in Illinois.)
over the descriptions of the articles without machines and medical routines.
in the bibliography. They clearly --As Gena Corea said, we have a 20%
show that we pay a substantial price Nothing could be further from the "Caesarean Epidemic!" We accept this
for trying to fix what already works. truth. Natural homebirth has as "normal." But major surgery with
historically been proven to be far 50% of women suffering complications
U.S. Midwives in safer that the aberration we have and at least four times as many
Nicaragua turned birth into. · maternal deaths does not sound
"normal" to me. (See the "Once a
MADRE Committee of Caesarean" brochure Silent Knife:
Midwives Caesarean Prevention and Vaginal
Women's Peace Network Birth after Caesarean.)
853 Broadway, Room 301
New York, NY 10003 --Incredibly, there are entire
"forceps wards" in state mental
I1ADRE sponsors teams of U.S. midwives institutions. Reading about these
to travel to Nicaragua to share skills in Childbirth at Home so sickened me
in childbirth techniques, family that I resolve~to have a homebirth
planning and women's sexuality. The with a midwife in part to protect my
midwife teams meet with Nicaraguan baby!
women of all ages, in factories,
market places and clinics. They also 1\Jlj~~;~Jl'ln~uu~ In 1982, 6000 women demonstrated
share information with Nicaraguan's outside of a London hospital in the
"parteras" or granny midwives. Upon b1rlhing br1el:;i Birth Rights Rally. The issue was
returning to the U.S. the teams the head of the hospital say~ng a
participate in educational activities, Among the industrialized countries woman couldn't deliver on her hands
write articles, give interviews, etc. of the world, the ones with the best and knees; he resigned. Now that
about their experiences. U.S. outcomes, in terms of low mortalities hospital and most others in London
midwives are encouraged to contact the and morbidities associated with birth, allow women to give birth actively.
MADRE national office in New York for are those with the largest proportions
information on participating in the of midwives. --Janet Balaskas, Leader of
exchanges. Active Birth Movement
--M. Wegman. "Annual
Summary of Vital **** * * *
Statistics, Infant
Mortalities in 25 Largest The role of obstetricians in home
Countries of 2 Million birth is negative. Attending a
Population or More," homebirth is a subversive act. Women
United Nations Sources, are going to have to change
64:6, 12/79 obstetricians •••• There are
10 million grandmothers in the age
******* range 45-64. several hundred thousand
women of childbearing age, a large
Homebirths increased 300% between number of midwives, and so on, and
1973 and 1980. The biggest only 764 obstetricians. The power
contributors to this increase are lies with~·
not the poor and uneducated families,
but come straight from American --Wendy Savage, M.D .•
middle-class. speaking in London at
the First International
--Yvonne Brackbill, Ph.D., Conference on Homebirth
"Birthtrap," p. 56.

1ery and hcmebirlh Page 11

Drugging our infants THE SCIENTIFIC SUPPORT FOR MIDWIFERY AND/OR HOME BIRTH
AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
We find drugs. d.rugs. and more drugs
in out-of-home births. Ironically 1. Amer. Jour. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 1969. Vol. 105, No.1, p. 3. Montgomery, T., A Case for Nurse-Midwives.
our culture is currently waging a Gives data showing superiority of certified nurse-midwives in hospital setting as measured by lower mortalities
pious war on drugs. Yet there is no and rates of permaturity compared to doctors in same hospital setting with same population demographics.
tremendous outcry to demand severe
restrictions on obstetric drugs-- 2. Amer. Jour. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 1971. Vol. 109, No. 1, pp. 50-58. Levy, B., Wilkinson, F., & Marine, W.,
even though it is well-known that Reducing Neonatal Mortality Rates With Nurse-Midwives. Gives data showing superiority of certified nurse-
the human infant is vulnerable to midwives in hospital setting compared to doctors in same hospital setting.
their damaging effects.
3. Jour. Reproductive Medicine, 1977. Vol. 19, pp. 281-290. Mehl, L., Peterson, G., Whitt, M., eta!., Outcomes of
Doris Haire is my own personal Elective Home Births: A Series of 1146 Cases. Gives data showing safety of home births attended by Direct-
candidate for canonization, having Entry ("Lay") Midwifes.
written some tremendous publications
including Cultural Warping of 4. Birth & Family Jour., 1977. Vol. 4, No.1, pp. 47-58. Devitt, N., The Transition from Home to Hospital Birth, U.S.
Childbirth and the Pregnant Patient's A Historical Review of available scientific & statistical data showing that hospitals have never been proven to
Bill of Rights. She has tirelessly be the safest place for most mothers to give birth.
warned about the link between
obstetric drugs and the death and 5..NAPSAC International Publications, 21st Century Obstetrics, 1978. Vol. 1, pp. 171-207. Mehl, L., Scientific Re·
neurological impairment of infants search on Childbirth Alternatives & What It Tells Us About Hospital Practice. This is the only "Matched Popu-
(including minimal brain damage, lation study ever done on the relative safety of home vs. hospital. 2092 patched pairs. Very detailed. Many
learning disabilities, and tables. Shows attended home birth safer than hospital when assisted by midwife or family physician.
retardation).
6. Jour. Amer. Medical Assoc., May 2, 1980. Vol. 243, No. 17, pp. 1732-1736. Adamson, G. & Gare, D. Home or
A few years ago. the American Academy Hospital/Jirths? A partial review of home birth data by two physicians, neither of which believe in nor practice
of Pediatrics issued a statement home birth, but who nevertheless conclude that no valid data exist that prove hospitals to be safer than home.
that NO drug has been proven safe
for the unborn. I want to know why 7. Jour. Amer. Medical Assoc., May 2, 1980. Vol. 243, No. 17, p. 1747. McQuarrie, H., Home Delivery Controversy.
they aren't repeating this publicly An editorial urging medical doctors to be more objective & less emotional in their consideration of home birth.
and A LOT. Midwives do!
8. Jour. Amer. Medical Assoc., Dec 19, 1980. Vol. 244, No. 24, pp. 2741-2745. Burnett, C., Jones, J., Rooks, J.,
I've only mentioned a few of the Tyler, C., Miller, A,, Home Delivery & Neonatal Mortality in North Carolina. An excellent study showing
many facts that support the case for safety of planned, attended home births with direct-entry (Lay) midwives or family physicians. Researchers in-
midwifery and homebirth. Check out clude MD's, Gov't statisticians, a nurse-midwife, and past President, Am. Pub. Health Assoc., A. Miller, MD.
some of the publications I've
mentioned and see for yourself why 9. Jour. Amer. Public Health Assoc., June 1983. Vol. 73, No.6, pp. 641-645. Sullivan, D., & Beeman, R., Four Years
our obsession to "treat birth like a Experience With Home Birth by Licensed l>fidwives in Arizona. Gives data showing safety of successful new
disease" is so damaging to our lives. licensing program for direct-ent'!')' (Lay) midwives in Arizona.
Better yet, contact either a local
midwifery and homebirth group or the 10. World Health Organization, 1983. Suppliment 117, Acta Obstet: Gynecol. Scand., 39 pages. Scientific Basis for
Illinois Alliance of Midwives. 4943 Selected Perinatal IriludL<Jes & Thei,. Psychosocial Effects. Points out fact tlu;.t hospitals have never been
Highland Avenue, Downers Grove. IL, proven to be safest place for most mothers to give birth and that home is at least as safe for low risk mothers.
60515. Next issue. I'll discuss
what the future will be like when 11. Jour of Nurse-Midwifery, Jan·Feb 1984. VoL 29, No. 1, pp. 21-28. Weitz, R. & Sullivan, D., Licensed Lay
midwifery and homebirth return as Midwives in Arizona. Reports successful program of licensed direct-entry (lay) midwives engaged in home
the standard. birth, regulated by recently enacted (January 1978) Arizona statute.

--Local Birth Activist 12. U.S. Gov't Center for Health Statistics, 1984. Publication (PHS) 84-1918, S~ries 21."No. 40, 43 pages, Taffe!, S.,
Midwife & Out-Of-Hospital Deliveries in the United States. Gives data showing that, both in the hospital and at
• The push for hospital births
came from physicians rather than home, midwives get better outcomes as measured by lower rates of prematurity and low-birth-weight babies.
from their patients. Most American
mothers· today have never experienced 13. Survey of British Births, Modern Obstetrics in General Practice, 1985. pp. 203-223. Oxford University Press.
an out-of-hospital birth and so have Tew, M. Safety in Intranatal Care: The Statistics. Presents irrefutable data showing that at least 80% of
no basis for comparison. Reports women could more safely give birth at home with midwife or genera,! practitioner than by the usual practices of
from England indicate that 80% of obstetric specialists in hospitals. Thoroughly documented.
mothers who have experienced both
ch9ose homebirth. 10% choose hospital. 14. Jour. Amer. Medical Assoc., Mar 15, 1985. Vol. 253, No. 11, pp. 1578-1582. Hinds, M., Bergeisen, G. & Allen, D.
and 4% have no preference. Neonatal Outcome of Planned us. Unplanned Out·Of·Hospital Births in Kentucky. Gives data showing safety of
home birth attended by direct-entry (lay) midwives. Corroborates North Carolina study, Ref. 8 cited above.
--E. Riley. M.D. "What Do
Women Want .•. " London 15. Practicing Midwife, The, Spring 1985. Vol. 2, No.2, pp. 5·10, aKloos~erm~,,t;t.J Why Midwifery? An excellent
1973 Heinemann Medical
review of midwifery outcomes from 16th eentury to present showing consistently better results by midwives vs.
****** doctors. Gives Dutch data for 1982 (when Holland had 40% home births) showing significantly better outcomes
for home over hospital with care of direct-entry (not nurse) midwives.
Doctors and men will not relinquish
power and control graciously. 16. Australian Jour. Family Physician, March 1985. Vol. 14, No.3, pp. 206-209, Carpenter, H., Domiciliary Obstetrics
But when women's groups and a few Author, Hugh Carpenter, MD, is State Director of Family Medicine Program in Australia. Cites data showing
courageous medical people and public that Australia, as a country, could responsibly adopt program of up to 30% home birth without compromising
health authorities do get organized safety with a nationwide savings in medical costs of $83,000,000 per year.
and involve the media. they ~sually
win. 17. Jour. Royal College General Practitioners, Aug 1985. Vol. 35, pp. 390-394. Tew M., The Place of Birth & Perinatal
Mortality. Professor Tew is Research Statistician in Nottingham Medical School, England. Analysis of statistics
--Marsden Wagner. M.D •• head for Britian shows that mortality rates in hospitals with board certified obstetricians is unjustifiably and signifi-
of the World Health cantly higher than for general practitioners or for home births. The data bring question as to whether even high
Organization European risk mothers actually benefit (or, perhaps made worse) by hospitals and certified obstetricians?
Regional Office on
Maternal and Child Health 18. World Health Organization, The Lancet, 1985. August 24, pp. 436-437. Appropriate Technology for Birth,
Recommends training and use of direct-entry midwives (not necessarily nurses) as best way to help improve
·pregnancy outcomes worldwide, including in the industrialized. developed countries.

19. Jour. Midwifery [Br.). Nov 1985. Vol. 1, pp. 1-8, Tew, M., The Practices of Birth Attendants & the Safety of Birth.
An excellent statistical study showing that overutilization of hospital for birth increases over-all death rates &
natural approach of midwifery results in better outcomes for women and babies than sophisticated obstetrics.

20. Nursing. Times [Br.), Nov 20, 1985. Vol. 81, No. 47, pp. 22-24. Tew, M., We Have the Technology. Presents statis-
tical data showing non-interventive midwifery safer than OB technology. Same issue of NursiTIIf Times has
good editorial addressing women's rights to choose place of birth.

21. Hastings Center Report, Institute of Society Ethics & Life Science, Dec. 1985. pp. 19-27. Hoff, G. & Schneiderman
1., Having Babies at Home: Is It Safe? Is It Ethical? A scholarly review of the home vs. hospital safety question
by two physicians who conclude that regardless of a doctor's opinion for or against home birth, to refuse back-
up is "ethically and medically indefensible" and that physicians "should move to make both hospital and
home delivery as safe as possible."

22. Brit. Jour. of Obstetrics & Gynecology, July 1986. Vol. 93, pp. 659-674. Tew, M. Do Obstetric Intranatal
Interventions Make Birth Safer? A detailed scientific study showing that "obstetric intranatal (during labor)
interventions make birth less safe, not more safe, for the vast majority of cases." Conclusively proves case for
non-interventive midwifery approach to childbirth.

23. British Medical Journal, Sept 6, 1986. Vol. 293, pp. 606-608. Loudon, I. Obstetric Care, Social Class and Maternal
Mortality. A scholarly review of published data, since 1785 to present, showing that improvements in pregnan-
cy outcome since :":JO .mnot be due to increased obstetric intervention, n0.: ho,,.i\.als, thai these i.echnologic
factors are more closely correlated with bad outcomes than good.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The studies listed here are but a sample of the published reports supporting home birth and
midwifery. For an exhaustive survey, discussion, and bibliqgraphy, citing hundreds of references, see the book,
THE FIVE STANDARDS FOR SAFE CHILDBEARING, by Dr. David Stewart, available from NAPSAC International,
Box 646, Marble Hill, MO 63764. Price $9.95 ppd. This 484 page publication is the most comprehensive review of the
statistics of midwifery and home birth ever compiled. It is used as the difinitive publication by courts of law and
government agencies in the U.S., Canada and other countries. It is used by the World Health Organization.

Post Amerikan Vol. 16. No. 6 April-May 1988

Page 12 Post Amerikan Vol. 16. No. 6 April-May 1988

Mclberhccd: Think Fir~l

Today--March 8--is the thirteenth We see ourselves as others see us. Post Amerikan quiz
anniversary of probably the most Romantic reflections of "mother" on tv
liberating actio'n of my life: my and in greeting cards are clearly the Dcycu reaiJy 111anl
sterilization. I think of it when I sweet stale crumbs our system throws
come home from work to my pretty. to its slaves. Other reflections are ----+
sunny apartment. pop a beer and listen unflattering. What woman can say that
to "All Things Considered." I think she freely and knowingly chose such a lube amcm!
of it during a spur-of-the-moment state? It's not surprising that one
week's trip to the Ozarks. as I am of the prevalent stereotypes is that 1. I have no interest in uninterrupted
now. I think of it when I turn on the of the perpetually sc~ttered and adult conversation during the next
answering machine. lock the door. and uninformed dupe. eleven years.
write a Post Amerikan article.
How can women overcome these a. true
If I had children. all these would be stereotypes when most of us line up b. false
pleasures hard fought for. with so for motherhood with less thought than
many arrangements. so much anxiety and we'd put into choosing any other 2. I'd love a diet of cold congealed
guilt. that I might not even try. If profession? How can we argue that we food from a child's abandoned meal.
I had children. I might not even know have personal dignity when we eaten off the plate while standing in
what station "All Things Considered" mindlessly sign up for years of non- front of the sink.
is on. or get a spontaneous invitation remunerative drudgery and low status?
to the Ozarks. And my children would How can we claim independence when we a. yes
have long since broken the answering constantly seem to choose a dependent .b. yuck
machine by banging on its buttons. state?
3. Sixteen years from now. I'd like to
Aside from these thoughts. which could So much for the inverse relation of have
be called selfishness. there are deep motherhood to women's liberation. Now
and serious reasons to remain child- consider the relation of motherhood to a. a loutish. sullen teenager
free. All the demands and duties and humanity. b. a cabin in the Rockies
conflicts--even the little pleasures--
of child-raising take up miles of Every child that you do not have 4. On Saturday mornings. I like to
inner space. This inner space. for a_ directly benefits other children who
mother. often isn't big enough to hold are born. Most of the problems of the a. do laundry with the din of violent.
both her family and herself as a world can be traced to scarcity (and racist tv superheroes in the
separate person. or herself in its social result. scarcity background
relation to a bigger world. In fact. mentality). and scarcity comes from
I've heard mothers say with relief having too many people for the natural b. listen to the Saturday jazz program
that having children frees them from and spiri::ual resources available. and ride my exercise bike
having to think and act in roles other
than "mother." Fewer people on the earth would mean 5. If I found my cutest barrettes
better health for all of them. more covered with grape jelly and dust
Yes. it is a time honored and clearly individual freedom for each. and less bunnies under a child's bed. I would
prescribed role. but also a worn and destruction of the planet. There is
bland one. not truly respected by the nothing so special about your genes a. smile indulgently
society we live in and often not by that intelligent life will simply b. burst into tears
its practitioners. either. Its atrophy without them. And there is
repetitive and mundane focus. its nothing so special about you as a Rating yourself is easy! For each "b"
lack of monetary recompense. its parent that society will languish choice. give yourself one point.
burden of mindless stereotypes. its without your example. It's simply
sheer commonness. and yes. its gender. self-aggrandizement to claim that if
all keep it from enjoying real day-to- you do not have your little batch of
day status. It keeps women weak. offspring. people more stupid and
slovenly will take over the earth. In
fact. the more people there are. the
more likely they are to be stupid and
slovenly. Why not subtract a few?
I'm not blind to the beauty of
children or to the great satisfactions
of receiving their love. Since those
topics are completely. consistently.
and cloyingly covered in other media.
the Post need not dwell upon them.
Meanwhile. I believe I'll lie down
with a fat novel for an hour or two.

--Phoebe Caulfield

As~ ns . Ktppte

P·

Pc:iilLeller

Dear circulation manager: Diesel Dick's

Well. it's that time again. I'm ****************
ecstatic to enclose my $4 to renew
my subscription to your paper. and * •.• * * * • * * * * * * * * * COMPLETE
look forward to another year of happy tV£ SPECIALIZE AUTOMOTIVE
news. IN GM DIESEL
CAR REPAIR l!f>
slogans to consider for the new year:
**************-** TRUCK
Spuds and Ollie in '88! SERVICE
; 508 N MADISON
Free North Florida ****************

Witness for Peace in Daytona Beach FOREIGN l!f>
DOMESTIC

in ecology.

Burl Cone *************•••••
political action coordinator GAS l!f> DIESEL
Sawmill Slough Conservation
~··•**************
Club
828·1714
University of North Florida

*** ** 9:00-530

Post Amerikan Vol. 16. No. 6 April-May 1988 Comic review·---------------------P·a·g·e-13..

Un~;le 5aw UJanl~ ycu in "Real War Slcrie~"

The scene is aboard a U.S. airliner. in the military. The premise of the finished the book. I decided that it
An author who has fled persecution whol~ thing is that many--and probably had some important things to say
even most--of the people who do decide after all.
in El Salvador finds herself seated to join up are not well-informed
next to two teenagers who are on about the consequences. Essentially. I believe their premise--
their way to boot camp. She shows that some people truly don't know
For example. the first story. "Elite what they're signing up for--is
them a piece of her writing which of the Fleet." is about a fellow who correct. I'm reminded of the movie
relates to the murder of Archbishop was bored and felt he could use a "Private Benjamin" in which Goldie
little discipline in his life. "Bui Hawn joins the Army with completely
Romero. there was no way I was going to JO~n misconceived ideas of what she's in
the Marines." he explains. "They for. Yes. that one's a laugher. and
After reading it. one of them says. shoot people." So he joined the her naivete is almost absurdly
"My minister told me I would be Navy. thinking that this occupation exaggerated. But then. there are
defending our right to worship against was somehow different than "shooting some pretty naive people out there.
the Communists who are trying to people." He ended up as a sonar
take everything over. Just let them operator on a nuclear-armed submarine. The basic message of "Real War
and it gradually dawned on him that ~tories" ~s pretty simple. Although
send ~ where they think they can the Navy's real business is dealing ~ts tone ~s distinctly anti-military
shoot up a church like with that death. just like the other branches. that's not the real point. The world
there Romero!" is a compli~ated place. and peace
My first reaction to this comic was and justice are elusive goals. What
The author sees that he's missed the that they were setting up and knocking the comic says is this: if you're
down straw men. I mean. who could thin~ing about joining the military.
point. "No! You don't get it! be so ignorant as to think that cons~der your reasons. and consider
helping to operate an attack submarine where you may wind up. Once you
Those are the guys our military is has nothing to do with killing? decide to sign on that recruiter's
Furthermore. I thought the art in dotted line. you won't be given the
helping. and they're calling the some of the stories was pretty chance to make more decisions for
nauseating. But by the time I had quite a while.
pries ts "'C o m m u n i s t s . ' Read it
..
.aga~n .

This is one part of an interesting
comic book recently issued by Eclipse

entitled "Real War Stories." It
contains six different stories
relating to the decision to enlist

--Dave Thompson

Ccwi~; beck legal delen~e pcrllclic prcdut;ed

Kitchen Sink Publications, a long- have all contributed ~vork to the But for me, the portfolio's finest
standing alternative comix nublisher, package. While some of the work is
has put together a portfolio to raise slight (Crumb's mock Weirdo cover is moment comes from Reed Waller, creator/
bucks in defense of Friendly Frank, as slight as any of his dashed-off
the Lansing, Illinois, comic shon sketchbook work; Hiller's futuristic artist of Omaha, The Cat Dancer, one of
that was busted for selling "adult graphic is imitation Moebius), many of
material" in the wrong part of tmm the artists have taken the chance to · the titles se~zed-rll the Friendly Frank
(see adjoining story). comment on the current flurry of self- bus·t .. Waller's is one of the sexiest
serving overreaction to modern comic
''A Benefit Portfolio in Defense of the book art. comics around, a funny animal comic
First Amendment" contains work by
leaders in the early uncterp,round. comix Most telling is horror comic artist whose heroine lives in the shady world
movement as well as the more subdued Steve Bissette's "Censortivity," a
alternative movement: Sergio Aragones, picture of the American familv with of dance clubs and modeling. Unabash-
Bob ("Flaming Carrot") Burden, P.obert their eyes, ears and mouths s~wed shut
Crumb, Howard ("Gay Comics") Cruse, (little sister has an abridged cony of edly sexual, Omaha has featured a
Will Eisner, publisher Denis Kitchen, The Wonderful Wizard o·f Oz with all
Frank Hiller, Reed Waller and more its pages removed). Hainstream comic number of well-rendered love-making
book artist Hilary Barta presents a
Ccwi~; beck :;;hcp cartoonly vision of thuggish cops sequences (from more than one sexual
raiding a comic book shop, carting off
~CIIYi~led ridiculously titled "adult" books orientation), yet when Waller >vas

Friendly Frank's, the Lansing, IL, (Scum SJuad, Dr. Phlegm, Subtle called upon to render a page for the
comic book store,was convicted in Stories , a double-edged comment on
January for displaying "obscene" the aesthetic morons who inhabit both portfolio, he went the other way. His
comics in its store. Store manager the law enforcement and publishing
Michael Correa was fined $750. a~d communities. Hore satisfying on a pen drawing of Omaha and male lover
sentenced to a year of court vicarious fantasy level is Madman
supervision. Sergio Aragones' "Groo And the Thought Charles dancing in full fancy dress in
Patrol," which shows the artist's
At issue in the.case were the state's comic book barbarian attacking a the corner of a flowering ballroom is
assumptions that comic book shops are monkish group of censors.
primarily frequented by kids and that an elegant rebuttal to those who see
the display of comic books featuring
sexual content to a predominately the "new maturity" in comics as merelv
youthful clientele constituted a crime.
Friendly Frank's was not convicted for an excuse to he adolescent and -
sale of such material, just the fact
that it had adult-labeled material on exploitive.
its racks.
Those intere~ted in purchasing a copy
The state's assumptions were faulty,
of course. With the Baby Boomer growth of the benefit portfolio can do so by
of comic happy adults, a sizable pestering your friendly local comic ·
"mature" audience has grown for
graphic material (as any number of book shop into ordering some conies.
r~cent book review features in mags It's in a limited edition (1500 copies
like Newsweek have attested). A were produced) and will cost you
sizable amount of the comic shop $20.00.
market is composed of older readers,
and the publishers have attempted --RSherman
(with sporadic success) to reflect
that market's needs. Comic shop Swamp Thing.TM Suspense that
owners, wary of the religiously will haunt you in your sleep.
rightist climate in the country, have
been cautious about who they sell such It is a living thing. It has asoul. It has a face.
material to. But even if they weren't, It breathes. It eats. And, at night, beneath a
the material in such books is generally crawling ground fog with the luster of
quite tame compared to what's available vaporized pearl, it dreams. Agothic
on cable television, videocassettes, horror series by renowned British writer,
and paperback books these days. Alan Moore.

But, in the eyes of the courts, ·funny- DC Comics. A whole new universe awaits you!
books are still kidstuff and, as a
result, shouldn't be dealing ><ith that Metropolis
messy reality stuff. If today's adult '
readers want to continue to be treated Books
as adults, they need to make their
presence felt. Naw loeation 452• 144

--BS88 4 bloekc couth of eampuc

1203 A Main St. Normal

NEXT TO NORMAL MILITARY SURPLUS
GET UP TO A 20% DISCOUNT ON NEW COMICS FOR JOINING OUR SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE

SHOW THIS AD FOR A 1/3 DISCOUNT ON BACK ISSUES AND ROLE PLAYING GAMES
Offer good through May 15

''Living******** Lambda'~Page 14
Book review

People with AIDS (PWAs) must face "Living with AIDS" also discusses obtained. the specific people that
more than the disease which has the special problems of PWAs who ·are may review the records. and the
crippled their immune systems. They aliens or in the military. specific period of time for which
have discovered that our legal system Furthermore. a representative sample these rights are granted.
is ill-equipped to deal with the of the many public and private groups
hatred. fear. and discrimination that have emerged to help those Finally. get y"our physician's
that have resulted from the AIDS af.fected by AIDS is provided. assistance in limiting the information
epidemic. he or she discloses. Discuss
To deal with the legal problems in disclosure policies when you choose
This discrimination "is in no way these areas. "Living with AIDS" a physician. and demand to be informed
theoretical." according to Mitchell focuses on federal and New York State about any and all releases of
Karp of the New York City Commission law. This limits the direct information. When substantiating an
on Human Rights. As he testified applicability of the information insurance claim. ask your physician
before the biased. lethargic. provided. However. the problems are to release only that information
slap-in-the-gay-community's-face common to all PWAs nationwide. and applicable to the claim. The
excuse for a presidential commission their legal remedies (when they exist) insurance company will likely ask
on AIDS. "Over and over we hear the will likely follow a similar pattern for the entire file--your physician
same thing from people [with AIDS]: from state to state. should deny them this request.
'Getting sick is terrible. but what's
really made my life a living hell is While I was reading "Living with ERT
the way I've been treated.'" AIDS." it wa:; disturbing to realize
how unprepared I am to deal with a FO FUND. INC.
Not surprisingly in this era of major crisis in my life such as
Meesian injustice. it is difficult developing AIDS. I discovered how i&LAMBD<\ LEGAL DFIFh!'II\F!ANJ
to find the legal avenues to fight little I knew about the rights I do 1-- --+·-------
the "living hell" of AIDS and do not have. I discovered my
discrimination. The good news is ignorance of the system that the Confidentiality of
that thanks to the Lambda Legal medical. insurance. and employment
Defense and Education Fund. this sectors have developed to avoid the A IDS testing
important legal information is easier problems and costs of dealing with
to obtain. The bad news is that undesirable. high-r~sk individuals. As I noted last issue. you must be
still. over five years into the I discovered that I would have been doubly careful with your medical
epidemic. only minimal legal totally unable to "cover my ass" records if you choose to take the HIV
protection is currently available. against the faceless. profit-hungry antibody test to see if you have
system that doesn't hesitate to use been exposed to the AIDS virus.
Lambda"s newest publication people and then toss them away a·s if (See "Your HIV Status--Do You Want
they were rags. to Know?" last issue.) "Living with
Lambda has recently published a AIDS" offers the following guidelines
booklet entitled "Living with AIDS." Of course. in this short space I for protecticg the confidentiality
which addresses the legal problems cannot share all of the information of your AIDS test results.
facing people with AIDS. It is that Lambda has collected to·help
written by Trudy Hayden. who has the layman deal with the complex As always. an anonymous testing
spoken and written extensively on discrimination issues facing PWAs. program is best. But if you choose
civil liberties issues. especially I've chosen to discuss some of the to take the test in your doctor's
the right to privacy. most disturbing and widely applicable office. ask specifically how and
privacy issues addressed by "Living where the results will be recorded
The booklet offers advice on how with AIDS." and who may eventually have access
people with AIDS can deal with areas to the results. including insurance
in their lives where they are now Confidentiality of companies.
likely to face discrimination. It medical records
hurts to observe that these are areas Be sure to ask whether your test
that most of us either ignore or I was surprised to learn that the results will identified by name or
take for granted: medical services. "doctor-patient privilege" is about by code. Find out who will have
personal affairs (including wills as substantial as the answers at a control over the identifiers. Require
and funeral arrangements). insurance. Reagan press conference. As Ms. to know what safeguards are used to
financial help. employment and the Hayden states. "the law provides prevent unauthorized disclosure.
workplace. housing. and schools. only limited protections {or
communications between doctor and If you're satisfied by the answers
patient and for the records kept by to these questions. you may be more
doctors and hospitals." comfortable with taking the AIDS
antibody test in your doctor's office
The list of parties that can obtain than in an anonymous testing program.
access to your medical records is But COVER YOUR ASS! Get all of your
staggering: insurance companies. answers IN WRITING. and be sure to
government health and welfare keep a copy.
agencies. employers. credit-reporting
agencies. law enforcement agencies. Sleazy insurance practices
schools. colleges. and the military.
At times. this information is obtained As I reported last issue. the actions
both with and without your knowledge of insurance companies to deny ·
or "consent." And of course. we know comprehensive health and life
what the word "consent" means in insurance to "high-risk" individuals
this context--sign this form or get are raising a quagmire of legal
kicked out the door. issues. (See "Miscellaneous AIDS
Outrages." last issue.) "Living
Do your best to limit this wide access with AIDS" discusses many of the
to your medical records. especially ways insurance companies are trying
if they contain information that to avoid their social and moral
would make others suspect you are in responsibilities.
a high-risk AIDS group. "Living with
A:rDS" makes several recommendations.

First. realize that when your records
circulate widely. they are apt to
gather many errors. Try to review

the contents of your medical records
and correct errors. The laws in

your state may or may not give you
the right to obtain and correct
records from your health care
provider. Yot,~ may have to try getting
your records released to your personal
physician. and then he or she can

review them with you and attempt to
make corrections.

FINES, GAY.ENTERTAlNMEN Also. do not sign consent releases
automatically. These forms are often
-~ CENTRAL ILLINOIS "blanket release" forms granting
undeserving souls eternal rights to
"OPEN NIGHTI.,Y 'TIL 4A.M. your medical records for any and all
PRESENT THIS AD AT THE BAR purposes. Try to alter these forms
by writing in restrictions--specify
FOR A DRINK. LIMIT ONt PER which records may be obtained. the
sole purpose for which they may be
CUStPMER PER NIGHT

111ilb AIDS ' ' ************Post Amerikan Vol. 16. No. 6 April-May 1988 Page 15

There are several excuses insurers Fortunately for us. most U.S. and You may be unable to get ambulance
are currently using to avoid the Canadian insurers pool their service. You may receive excessive
people endangered by the AIDS information together in a isolation in your hospital treatment.
epidemic. If your medical history clearinghouse called MIB (formerly You may not get to see your same-sex
includes hemophilia. past drug abuse. called the Medical Information lover during your hospital stay
or sexually transmitted diseases. Bureau). MIB files generally refer because he or she is not your spouse
insurers may try to deny you coverage to medical history. but also include or next-of-kin. Your insurance
or charge you higher rates. The information on drug abuse. sexual company may refuse to pay your medical
same may happen if you belong to a orientation and lifestyle. expenses. claiming you had a
"high-risk" group. "pre-existing condition." You may be
It is probably worth the trouble to evicted by a landlord fearing what
Insurers are also practicing find out if this disgusting invasion he or she doesn't understand. You are
"redlining"--the insurance company of your privacy is at least accurate. deported because you are an alien.
designates certain people aged 25-45 You can get a copy of your MIB files You are a pariah at the workplace.
as "high risks" to be denied coverage by writing to P.O. Box 105. Essex if you are able to work.
or charged higher rates. If you are Station. Boston. MA 02112: medical
single and live in a metropolitan information will be sent to your Our "civilized" society does not
area with a substantial gay physician. MIB procedures allow you provide laws to protect you from
population. if you work in a so-called to challenge information you believe these injustices. After more than
"gay occupation." or if you name is incorrect. five years. the laws are still
someone other than a child or spouse nonexistent or unclear. Your best
as beneficiary. then you may be Tell me why hope is to depend on laws protecting
"redlined." the "handicapped." The Reagan
As you can tell from our sampling of administration refuses to act.
Are these unethical. money-grubbing. privacy issues. "Living with AIDS" insisting that anti-discrimination
sleazy practices actually legal? To contains a wealth of information. laws are the province of the states.
quote Ms. Hayden. "The legality of We at the Post wish to thank Lambda This allows states like Tennessee to
these practices has not been settled." for sending us this valuable addition pass amendments exempting infectious
It is obscene that state law and State to our library. diseases from state laws protecting
Insurance Department regulations handicapped people.
have still not been updated to prevent I must admit that it's been painful
the insurance grotesqueries that have for me to review this booklet for Lambda and many other groups have
resulted from the AIDS epidemic. you. I read more about discrimination done their share to assist PWAs. I
of PWAs than should be imaginable in hope that you and I are doing our
The information network a so-called civilized society. share. I wish someone would tell me
why our government is failing to do
I hope you aren't surprised to learn Im~gine being struck down by an ugly. its share.
that insurance companies do their pa1nful. feared disease. You must
best to make sure everyone can learn deal with the almost-certain · At this point. I'm tired. angry.
about every detail of your sordid probability of dying within two years. confused. and upset. It's time for
life (especially your medical history How are you treated in our "civilized" me to have a cold beer or six and
and your lifestyle). They share society? listen to _Bronski Beat sing "Why?"
every iota of information they've Thanks for listening.
gathered about your little sphere of
existence with each other and with --The Balrog
the network of credit-reporting
(a.k.a •• consumer reporting) agencies. -$- -$- -$- -$- -$- -$- -$- -$- -$- -$- ·-$- -$-

Of course these credit-reporting S1a1e AIDS la111:
agencies don't just sit on their fat
derrieres with this information. dumb, dumb, dumb
Their insatiable gre~d spurs them to
sell this information to employers. Mark Twain once said that no one low-risk group is tested. Multiple
landlords. creditors and banks. should rest easy while state confirming tests are then needed.
insurers. and at times even government legislatures are in session. The and the more precise they are. the
agencies. new Illinois AIDS law offers new more expensive they get.
evidence that the ole boy was right
Can you imagine what they might be on. The new prenuptial AIDS screening
reporting about you? And how much of will also be a boon to those
the dirt these sleazeballs have The new law requires applicants for industries that serve the poor. The
gathered on you is actually true? marriage licenses to be tested for law puts a special burden on the
the AIDS antibody. Initial reports poor. helping to keep them poor.
THE SAFER indicate that it is a resounding Medicaid does not pay for the
success for everything except the screening. and many free or low-cost
THE SEX, fight ~gainst AIDS. public facilities have turned away
the business. unable to handle the
THE BETTER! The new law is an unexpected boon to extra load.
the economies of neighboring states.
CONSIDERED SAFE: Hundreds of eager. love-struck couples The free AIDS testing facilities
are fleeing to Indiana and Wisconsin have all they can do to handle the
Mutual masturbation to escape the hassle factor of getting high-risk population. like gay men.
Hugging, body rubbing an AIDS test. This could be the intravenous drug users. and
Massage bigge~t blessing to border towns hemophiliacs. Cook County Hospital
Social (dry) kissing since the Interstate Highway system. stopped giving free marriage tests
Fantasy after the first three weeks of the
Light S/M (without bleeding or It's also a bonanza to the companies law.
bruising) that supply AIDS testing kits. People
Sex toys (when used only on who would have otherwise not have No positive results on the AIDS tests
yourself) the least reason to be tested now were reported in Illinois for January
have to in Illinois (and in Louisiana. or February. Medical experts predict
CONSIDERED which has a similar law). that fewer than one percent of the
POSSIBLY SAFE: people infected with the virus are
The new law has also been a good likely to be found through prenuptial
Anal orvaglnallntercour~e thing for the private health care testing because engaged couples are
with a condom industry. The state doesn't provide a low-risk group.
any public funding for the tests.
,French (wet) lcll$1ng and initial surveys show that cost-s So it looks like the new Illinois
~ng (but stopping can vary from as low as $10 to more law helps the rich to get richer and
. tt.fole climax) than $200. One study suggests that the poor to get poorer--and doesn't
~(·~~lonly) a couple in Illinois could spend do a thing to stop the spread of
from $12 to more than $500 in hospital AIDS. Nice work.
fees. depending on which hospital is
used and how much confirming follow-up --Ferdydurke
testing is needed.
Sources: Chicago Tribune. Feb. 5.
And make no mistake about it: a lot 1988. and March 8. 1988.
of false positives turn up when a

Page 16 Post Amerikan Vol. 16. No. 6 April-May 1988

GPA even!~ Introduced as the woman who finds it part of the show. With Clinton's
hard to keep a "straight" face. comments on Normal. the Bone Student
Our congratulations go to the Gay lesbian. feminist comedian Kate Center. and even the sponsoring
People's Alliance (GPA) at Illinois Clinton made sure that her audience groups. there was an illusion of
State University for their successful kept smiling right along with her. spontaneity about the entire show.
Gay and Lesbian Awareness (GALA)
Week. March 14-20. Most notably GPA Presented as a finale to Gay and Nothing was safe from Clinton's
helped sponsor the appearance of Lesbian Awareness (GALA) Week. "straight"forward humor. She had
humorist Kate Clinton. reviewed Clinton's performance was sponsored something to say on everything from
elsewhere on this very page. We by the Gay People's Alliance along GALA Week to women's issues to the
hope you didn't miss any of the GALA with the National Organization for presidential campaign. Even though
Week events. Women. the Progressive Student Union. her topics covered a wide range. her
and the Committee in Solidarity with transitions were so smooth that the
GPA meets every Wednesday. 8:00 pm. the People of El Salvador. hour-long show never lagged.
in 112 Fairchild on the ISU campus.
The events scheduled for this month's Clinton's success was due in a large Thanks for visiting the Big
meetings include: part to her ability to keep the Marshmallow. Kate. Your show was a
audience involved. Never forgetting treat for all who attended.
03/30--Discussion of New Developments that her audience was there. she
in the Research and Treatment asked them questions and made the --M.D.
of AIDS audience's reactions to her jokes

04/06--Coming Out to Family and Anli -drug ~d relie~ en ~h~ky lcgi~;
Friends
Over the past several years. the ·Okay. you probably get the idea.
04/13--Guest Speakers: Parents of campaign to "get tough on drugs" has which is that there is a time and
Lesbians and Gays gained a lot of attention. There place for everything. But a two-step
can hardly be any reasoned body of argument such as "Smoking dope impairs
04/20--Movie: To Be Announced opinion which denies that the abuse your judgment; therefore don't do
of drugs is a serious problem. But it when you need to do something
04/27--End-of-the-Year Ice Cream the rhetoric and hype which the First important" is just a little too
Social Lady and her followers have whipped tortuous. A watered-down message
up have begun to take on lives of like that will not satisfy the
Also scheduled for April is a camping their own. losing touch with any anti-drug crusaders' craving for a
trip at Comlara Park/Lake Evergreen rational basis. quick and easy cure for everything
on the 22nd through the 24th. with a that's wrong with our society.
picnic scheduled for noon on Saturday One TV commercial comes to mind in
the 23rd. particular. In it. the camera looks The fact is that these folks are
up from the perspective of a patient arguing backwards. by starting with
GPA also runs the Gay and Lesbian about to undergo surgery. The doctor their conclusion that drugs are bad.
Resource Phoneline. For information. and his assistants are puffing on a period. Whether one agrees with the
questions. or referrals concerning joint as they fondle their scalpels •. premise or not. this commercial is
the gay and lesbian lifestyle. or The narrator then asks. "Would you little more than an exercise in
for more information about GPA and want to be operated on by someone propaganda. If you want to influence
its events. call 438-2429 (438-2GAY) who was on DRUGS!?" The answer is my opinion. Mrs. Reagan. you'll have
Monday through Thursday. 11 am to obviously "no." Therefore. smoking to do better than that.
4 pm. dope is bad. and no one should ~
do it. --Dave Thompson
--The Balrog
But hold on a minute. Let's construct
The peliii~;~ our own argument using the same
cllypel~~;e process of "reasoning." Picture a
crowded airliner flying over the
The Illinois primarv has ended and Rockies. The Pilot is taking a nap.
with it, one of HcLean Countv's oblivious to the fact that his plane
hottest races: the battle in the is on a collision course with a
Republican Party between Ron (Hensa) jutting mountain peak. The question:
Dozier and Charles Witte for Circuit "Would you want to fly in a plane
Court judgeship. where the pilot was ASLEEP?" Of
course not. Therefore. sleeping is
The conflict was a heated one, but for bad. and no one should ever do it.
my money the most intriguing aspect of right?
the race was each candidate's choice
of campaign poster. Witte chose a
rather sedate lettering style,
redolent of dignity and Republicanism.
Dozier chose the s>vashbuckle: a larp.:e
hand-lettered "Z" announcing itself in
the middle of Ron's nane.

You know the reference: "Z" for Zorro,

the fox so cunning and free. Dozier
has pushed this sort of ersatz
renegade self-image in the past, much
like former state's attorney Jim
Thompson did. He's the right-thinking
man o' law tilting against the namby-
pambies, pushing back the for~es of
secular humanism. As a state s
attornev that image made a shaky kind
of sens~; as a judge (where one is
supposed to be a \·lee bit ~ore
objective) i t ' s embarrass~ng.

But, hey, not even Don Diego \von 'eJTl
all the time ...

--BS88

Post Amerikan Vol. 16. No. 6 April-May 1988 What's wrong with this ad? Page 17

Deauly in Ihe eye· ellhe behclCer

So. sisters and brothers. you thought promoting only (physically) beautiful societal effect in equating thinness
sexism was dead or at the very least. black women. with beauty and the good life. on
dying?! After all. today's women society's obsession with thinness
have choices in their careers and The pressure of being physically and on the increasing prevalence of
lifestyles. We may marry or not. We perfect and its detrimental effects eating disorders." We are desperately
may have children or not. And in are likewise being ignored. Do any trying to conform to an ideal.
some areas a woman's paycheck is of us measure up to advertising's
equal to a man's (although sometimes standards of beauty and perfection? Guess what. folks? Ugly people fall
it's equally low. unfortunately). If we do, how long can we maintain in love too. Old people. fat people,
our beauty? Why are eating disorders skinny people. people of color. ·
Pimping for dollars such as bulimia and anorexia on the "handicapped" people. "retarded"
rise? people--all are capable of love. of
So what's my beef? Ads such as the inner beauty and perfection. Why
accompanying one which have been are we letting the media manipulate
running almost weekly in the St. and literally reshape us?
Louis Post-Dispatch annoy me.~he
majority of these ads depict women A lesson from Buddha
as less than perfect and in need of
"fixing" by a male medical The denial of imperfection by
professional. True, a few "pregnant" advertisers reminds me of the
men modeled in ads promoting beginning of Buddhism. Before he
liposuction, but the majority of the became the "Enlightened One," Buddha
models are so-called imperfect women. was named Siddhartha by his parents.
Siddhartha was described as "well
Aided by a "pimp" (i.e., registered According to an article in the Chicago born on both sides,,of pure descent,
nurse), the doctor gets a customer Tribune, March 3, 1988, "children handsome, gifted with great beauty
and a chance to improve her age 6 to 9 have developed a dislike of complexion . . . . "
imperfections. Granted, a few kindly for the obese body build. the American
plastic surgeons may talk to a client Academy of Pediatrics says. As Siddhartha's father, a king, summoned
and get the client to realize that a adolescents their behavior indicates fortunetellers to foresee his son's
physical problem could really be a that they have trouble accepting future. Two predictions were made.
problem of self-image. (See the biological realities and the medical If Siddhartha remained with the world,
book Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell concept of appropriate weight, which he would unify India and become her
Maltz, M.D .• for example.) But as may vary considerably according to greatest conqueror or universal king.
the ad says, you should do it "because many biological factors . . . . Further If he forsook the world, he would
not every body's perfect." study is needed on television's become not a king but a world
redeemer.
By and large, plastic or cosmetic
surgery brings in big bucks. Faced with this option. his father
Liposuction is the number one surgical spared no effort to keep his son's
procedure performed by plastic mind attached to the world. Every
surgeons. Seduced by advertising's material pleasure was given to the
image of thinness as perfection, prince, and no ugliness was to intrude
more and more men and women are upon the courtly pleasures. The
submitting to this procedure. prince was' shielded from sickness.
decrepitude, and death. Wherever he
Ignoring the obvious went riding, runners were to clear
the road of these sights.
Going beyond sexism, I am again However an old man was overlooked,
annoyed by our culture's obsession and Siddhartha learned the fact of old
with physical perfection. Apparently age. Next he encountered a body
if a person doesn't measure up to racked with disease. lying by the
advertising's standard of perfection road. On a third journey, he
and beauty. then surely such a person discovered a corpse. Finally he
is not a worthy human being. discovered a monk with a shaven head
and ocher robe and learned of the
The black community resented being possibility of withdrawing from the
bombarded by white standards of beauty world. He concluded, "Life is subject
and said so in the '60s and '70s. to age and death. Where is the realm
Like many provocative ideas from of life in which there is neither
that era, these claims of racism and age nor death?"
sexism are ignored. Even worse.
some black magazines have bought If we believe these ads.- the realm
into the idea of physical perfection, exists--in the world of cosmetic
surgery and medical science.

--Jean D'arc

On to the Supreme Court claiming that under equal protection

C'~Y~ ~&~in vi~;lcry in ~;curt doctrine we are entitled to the same

"suspect class" protection of our
constitutional rights as racial
minority groups.

After seven long years, Perry Watkins constitutionally protected." And of Gosh Toto, I don't think we're in
found a court with some common sense. course, the Supreme Court in Hardwick Kansas anymore. I just thought I
~ Bowers gave government the right heard a court ruling on gay rights
Watkins had been open with the Army to regulate blow jobs and other that's based on common sense.
about his homosexuality since 1967. private consensual sexual behavior.
But when the Army issued new · Of course, this case now moves on to
regulations in January 1981 barring But Meese and Reagan have not yet the Supreme Court. I would be very
homosexuals, without exception, from contaminated all the courts with the surprised if they uphold the wisdom
military service. Watkins' fine record stench of active conservatism. of Judge Norris' ruling. They'll
of service came to an end. {Of homophobia, and government probably claim that homosexual conduct
course. the military has always tried intervention in our bedrooms. On
to keep gays out, but before the new February 10. 1988, the Ninth Circuit plays too central a role in homosexual
regulations. exceptions could be made orientation for the two to be
for "unusual circumstances.") u.s. Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 in separated, and hence the Hardwick
ruling will apply.
The hopes of getting this blanket Watkins' favor.
restriction overturned in court were Even if the Supreme Court does
slim and none. In a 1981 ruling by To circumvent the homophobic rantings
Anthony Kennedy (who now sits on the by the Reagan appointees. the Court overturn the Watkins decision. Norris'
Supreme Court). the Navy's right to considered the issue of discrimination ruling will go down in history with
discharge anyone who had engaged in based on homosexual orientation Judge Harry Blackmun's eloquent
homosexual conduct was upheld. This instead of the right to homosexual
was because it had the right "to behavior that other cases have focused dissent in the Hardwick case as one
protect the fabric of military life" on. of the most important rulings in our
and "to maintain the discipline of
personnel in active service." Robert Writing for the majority. Judge fight to gain our constitutional
Bork upheld another Navy discharge William Norris wrote that the Army's rights.
in 1984. declaring that "private. policies violate rights to equal
consensual homosexual conduct is not protection and "illegally cater to --The Balrog
private biases." Furthermore. the
Court recognized the lengthy history Sources: NGRA Monthly Litigation
of discrimination against gay people. and Report, March 1988;
"Court Strikes Army's Ban
On Gays" by Peter Freiberg. '
The Advocate. Issue 494.
March 15. 1988.

ioPage 18 5eKi~w pea~e· gNrcpUP'~ -

I'm weary. Like other women active in men were burned as witches, ostracized connection to the life cycle that
peace and justice groups, my struggle from their communities, arrested or
is not only with oppressive systems terrorized into silence. women speak of. Role expectations are
and U.S. foreign policy; it is also rigid and harsh. Gay men know the
Buber might say that the task for risks and cons~quences of moving
lwith oppressive behaviors and beliefs humanity is to change our collective outside the strict boundaries.
inside the peace and justice group. conscience to the posture of "I-thou,"
The weariness arises perhaps due to reflecting equality and respect for I believe that challenging sexism is
1 the exceedingly high expectations I women--full humanity. Though simple- crucial for the survival of the
sounding, this change in consciousness planet. True peace and justice depend
place on the group. but it also comes is quite radical. Theologians are on the recognition of all types of
from unresolved. unspoken differences beginning to recognize the feminine oppression and their connections. All
in value systems and analyses. To put principle in God, more particularly people will benefit from the change of
my frustration bluntly, sexism rears in Jesus. pushed to this recognition consciousness that sees all people as
its ugly head and gets away by the feminists in their ranks and equals. humans as guests on the
unchallenged. congregations. Finally religious planet. Once sexism is resolved,
services are dropping the masculine governments might become truly
' I become tongue-tied and defensive in when referring to the Creator. Women representative and democratic, self-
uncomfortable instances, so I channel are beginning to see their own determination would be a value held
my energy into this attempt to offer reflection of divinity, finding that a from the personal to the international
insight into the way the oldest form spiritual equality liberates their level, the nuclear mentality would
of oppression harms us today. I also self-esteem as much as any other end, and maybe diversity would be
offer alternatives to the sexist change in consciousness could, using celebrated.
habits we all display from time to the goddess and other feminine
time. imagery. some borrowed from ·A pacifist feminist's first obligation
prepatriarchal and indigenous
·None are free until all are free.· cultures. is to end her compllcity in the

Here is a very brief analysis of This change is not a rejection of the violence of sexism.·--jane Meyerding
sexism and the dangers it presents to masculine principle altogether. It is
all of us on the planet. My thanks a long overdue re-emergence of the It is my opinion that men and women
and apologies to all the great writers feminine and a celebration of both committed to peace and justice--
and "herstorians" who inspired this aspects in balance. whether in Central America support
simplistic summary. groups, in anti-nuclear groups, in
The damage done to people and the anti-apartheid work, in church social
Sexism--the systematic discrimination world by the predominance of the concern committees--must embrace
on the basis of gender--is. as I masculine principle cannot be told feminism as a central ~lement of their
mentioned before, the oldest fully here. The problems we face in work. And these individuals should be
oppressive belief system and is one the modern world are a sad summary of fighting the daily battles, as well,
that pervades all modern societies. the damage. Societies have held dear at work, in the home, in churches and
Women were the first people as a class the values of competition, th~ "I"-to-. schools, to end the complicity. Here
to be considered inferior, mentally object mentality and "might is right" I've included a few actual incidents
and physically--to be considered less with.the end result of humanity being of sexism seen locally, with
than human. All other systems of held hostage by governments wielding alternative responses offered to
oppression are modeled on this. nuclear weapons. People. specifically demonstrate possible radical changes
Theologian Martin Buber's teachings men. are permitted to resort to we could have made.
assert that men have established violence to resolve conflicts. Women
themselves as the subjective "I," and people of color are used as cheap 1) In the middle of the night,
while the rest of humanity are objects labor and cannon fodder. Women must returning from a national demo, packed
relating to and subordinate to men. fight constantly for control of their in a van, one woman wakes to find
own bodies. Rape, sexual abuse, herself being touched sexually by a
Religion reinforces this notion. God forced pregnancies, surrogate man sharing her seat. She quietly
is referred to as Father and is mother/babies by contract, and hisses that he stop it. He responds,
believed to be male. Men are closest discrimination because of sexual "I didn't have anything to do with my
to this image, therefore are church orientation all reflect the belief hands." Later she tells friends who
leaders. Women have been considered that women are the property of men, are enraged, but no one confronts the
too remote from the image of God, too objects with'no rights, to be used and jerk.
sinful and looked upon as temptresses, discarded.
to be allowed positions of Alternative: She wakes others near
responsibility in churches. Religious Sexism has aiso hurt men incredibly. her, tells them loudly what is
laws are written to suit the interests Men have been conditioned not to feel occurring. The van is stopped. he is
of men and to keep women down. or express emotions and are ridiculed shamed before the whole group and
Women's bodies are considered the if they are seen doing so. Fathers asked to sit on the floor by himself
property of men. The words patriarch, are not encouraged to nurture their for the rest of the trip.
dominion, patriot, lord. and so on all children. to fully share in the
suggest rule by men. In time, women raising and care that creates the 2) At several demonstrations for
who challenged or threatened rule by strong bond to the kids or the ending U.S. intervention in Central
America reporters approach the tallest
New Hampshire got the Word, and I do decided that all of Jesus's words male in. the group each time. He
mean The Word. It went out to 100,000 are apolitical and irrelevant. speaks for the group. (I call this
homes in the February 7 Manchester especially the ones about giving to the "Microphone Attraction to Penis
Union Leader News: a 40-page slick the poor and treating your neighbor Effect.")
magazine called "The Presidential as yourself.
Biblical Scoreboard." Alternative: Before demos, women and
Author/educator/broadcaster Pa-t
The Scoreboard rated the presidential Robertson leads the field with a 95% men are paired as spokespersons; each
candidates on whether they support "pro-Biblical" rating. (One wonders
"pro-Biblical" positions. These are what the 5% deduction is for: perhaps pair has an opportunity to take this
nothing like the missiona.ry position. they don't give credit for lying
I can assure you. about your war record.) But Baptist responsibility. When media ·
minister Jesse Jackson gets a zero.
One "pro-Biblical" position is "the Jack Kemp gets 85% (ex-quarterbacks approaches. "tallest male" directs
gradual privatization" of Social are always biblical). and Bob Dole
Security. Ah. yes. that must be only 60%. Every Democrat flunks. them to spokespersons.
from the book of Gerontology.
chapter 4. verses 6-10. Right after This thing is no jokes, folks. The 3) At weekly peace group meetings, an
Habakkuk and before I Effluvium. Scoreboard was distributed in Iowa. outspoken male offers to facilitate
Thousands of copies were given out each time. Group acquiesces. Same
Some other "pro-Biblical" issues in New Hampshire churches, and woman takes notes each time.
include support for Star Wars and hundreds of thousands more in the
aid to the Contras--both mentioned southern states for the Super Tuesday Alternative: All people in group
in the last chapter of the book of primaries. rotate as facilitator so all can gain
Armaments. no doubt--and the Balanced experience and confidence as leaders.
Budget Amendment. which is clearly These people mean business--in a All learn to take notes and rotate
spelled out in the words of Haggai Biblical sense, of course. Amerika this job as well.
the prophet: Take care unto the day belongs only to their kind of Xians,
that thy debits equal thy credits. and to be a good Xian you have to ~) .During a decision-making process,
lest thy double-entry ledger doth buy their entire political agenda. ~t ~s evident that two men are
rot and thou shalt not see the kingdom dominating discussion. A woman is
of heaven. That must be what Thomas Jefferson interrupted as she makes a comment.
and James Madison had in mind all Others begin to daydream. She becomes
Pay equity for working women? along. agitated and leaves room.
Sanctions against South Africa?
"Anti-Biblical." according to the --Ferdydurke Alternative: The woman calls
Scoreboard. which has apparently attention to being cut off and
requests time to speak uninterrupted.
The facilitator asks each person in
group for their opinion, giving the
most shy people ample opportunity to
speak.

5) A new group member uses sexist
language and masculine pronouns
repeatedly, also restates the input of
a woman as if she had never said it.

Page 19

Alternative: Men in the group are the I hope these real-life examples help Men:
first to point out the sexist language to illustrate typical problems and
and suggest alternatives. The woman struggles with sexist habits and --Be the first voice to call out
lets him know he just co-opted her attitudes that occur in most groups against sexism from other men, or
words. where men and women work together: support women as they confront it.
Ending sexism is not just the task of
6) A woman's spirituality exploration men. Women must take charge of their --Offer to take notes/make coffee/do
group is formed. Men in the community own well-being as much as possible and dishes/watch children and do other
complain that its purpose is "male- are charged with recognizing their own traditional "women's work."
bashing." competencies and equality, as well as
those of other women. --Listen with respect and attention
Alternative: One or more men in the when women speak even if they speak
community ask the women about the Here are a few beginning steps to take softly, hesitantly or apologetically.
group, then support the idea of the to start the process of equality in
group to other men. peace groups. --Form a men's group within your
community to advance your liberation
7) A man in a group asks for opinions Women: and further challenge sexism.
on the inclusion of a Native American
woman speaker for a peace service. --Offer to take on challenging --Ask women about good books on the
Several people affirm the idea. A responsibilities. subject. There is a treasury of
woman supports the idea by stating wonderful feminist literature in all
that the women of the community will --Take responsibility for yourself forms.
find this relevant to trends in when attacked or discriminated
feminist spirituality and against--don't wait to be rescued. --Value both the masculine and the
environmentalism. He comes back feminine qualities you possess.
defensively, "What you just said --Speak out with your opinions in a
excludes me," and changes subject. confident manner: avoid apologizing or Groups:
Group gets very quiet. Woman leaves minimizing your idea.
that evening hurt and angry. --At annual retreats, statewide
--Value both the masculine and meetings, and other events, dedicate
Alternative: Woman asks man what feminine qualities you possess. workshops/discussions to women's
triggered his defensiveness, issues.
group supports a dialogue/discussion on --Form a women's support group within
including women's spirituality in your organization, and present --At meetings' end, hold process
religious events. He is assured that workshops to the larger group evaluations including a look at
this doesn't exclude him. regularly. cooperation/role stereotyping/language.

0.S. cilies slill puyi11g fur pupe•s ju11kel --Balance speakers at rallies to
include women/people of color.
The CEO of Vatican, Inc. (aka Monterey, Detroit, and San Francisco--
John Paul the Sequel) has been gone are still raising funds to pay the --Make sure all media interviews and
for several months, but he is anything bills. stories include women as active
but forgotten by the nine U.S. cities participants--help dispell the myth of
and the Catholic dioceses still paying Meanwhile, the ranks of the nation's men as active/intelligent, women as
his bills for his 10-day visit. homeless continue to grow, and more passive/dull.
and more AIDS patients are unable to
Phoenix shelled out $86,000, more pay for the cost of their treatment. This is what I am: watching the
than three times what it spent on Forty percent of the poor people in spider
last year's national Fiesta Bowl Amerika are children, and the country
game. San Antonio spent almost 10 blows $32 million plus on 10 days in rebuild--"patiently," they say,
times that amount, more~than it has the life of some Polish sausage in a
ever paid for any other event, white gown and more jewelry than but I recognize in her
including last year's Grand Prix Tammy Bakker. impatience--my own--
auto race.
--Ferdydurke th'e passion to make and make
Though the final tab may never be again
known, the papal stay cost more than
$32 million, or about $133,000 an where such unmaking reigns
hour, according to estimates compiled
by church officials and public the refusal to be a victim
agencies. About $20 million was we have lived with violence so
borne by Catholic dioceses and
$12 million by local, state, and long.
federal governments that were
responsible for security, clean up, (Adrienne Rich, "Natural
and transportation. Resources")

The San Francisco diocese spent Though our backgrounds and experiences
$3 million, more than any other are diverse, perhaps we all can strive
diocese. The city spent more than for the equality of women in the
$500,000. The total spent in context of peace and justice work.
Los Angeles e~ceeded that, with the Hopefully someday this value will be
diocese spending $2.5 million and held by all people. I'm continuing
the city about $1.7 million. forward in spite of weariness, still
clinging to utopian visions, like
Adrienne Rich sometimes feeling the
"passion to make and make again."
Truly the future of the planet depends
on its people respecting and loving
each other as equals.

New Orleans spent almost $3 million. --Diane Speir 3/19/88

But Columbia, SC, was the least Ma.nlra Ma~h ~laled
expensive stop. It cost the

Charleston diocese a mere $475,000,
and the city of Columbia $120,000--

for five hours of JP2's smiling
presence.

The length of the holey stay did not Mantra Mash '88, the 5th Annual Free Lexington, Pontiac, and many other
necessarily dictate expenses. Six X Avant-Garde Arts Festival, will places.
hours in Monterey County (CA), for a occur on Saturday, April JO, beginning
mass at the Laguna Seca Raceway and The key to the Festival is in its
a visit to a mission in Carmel, cost at J pm. This year's Festival will flexibility, which.allows for the
the diocese $1.8 million and the exhibition of both novice and expert
county $74.000. happen simultaneously at four loca- works. Moreover, the art show is
tions in downtown Bloomington, by no means limited to the avant-
Most governmental units opted to pay centering at the Eddy Building, 427 garde.
for the pontifical jaunt out of North Main. (Othe-r prospective
existing budgets. Thus, municipal locations include the Upfront Gallery; This ii the time to ccime together
departments, like the San Francisco Robinson's Cocktails and Ribs, and
police, are hoping that the rest of Electric Coffee.) and revel in the creative spirit.
the fiscal year is uneventful. The response this year has already
Overtime pay for the San Francisco The Free X Festival is a regional been more tremendous than ever
police cost $335,000, or more than event designed to stimulate and (don't miss "Molombo" by Madison-
one-third the department's yearly integrate the various fine and based interpretive artist Luciano).
budget for special events. performing arts, including music,
performance art, painting and Festival space is still (as always)
The host dioceses had little money sculpture, drama, literature, film, available. If you are a musician,
in reserve to draw upon. Most began and other forms of creative performance artist, painter, sculptor,
about two years ago to raise money expression. Held in Bloomington/ filmmaker, reader, dancer, dramatist,
in advance, often relying on Normal, the Festival has grown ten- etc., call (J09) 829-4377 for informa-
professional fundraisers. Five fold since its inception in 1984. It tion. Writers: Publish in PULP '88.
dioceses--New Orleans, Los Angeles, now attracts artists from Champaign/ Send works to M. Johnson, 502 East
Urbana, Madison (WI), Chicago, Monroe, Bloomington, IL 61701.
Philadelphia, Decatur, West Germany,

The~ Post Amerikan Vol. 16. No. 6

Undergrcund Darlly We weren't disappointed. This is the bar that
tries harder. Judging by the bar's name, the
tiny dance floor and the wallpaper trim which
features sleek dancing couples, it appears that the
establishment is trying to woo the over-thirty
dancing crowd. It didn't appear to be working
quite that way.

Forget All Your Troubles, Speaking of service, the waitresses at the Lucca But over-thirties were there, enjoying the cosy,
Forget All Your Cares Grill are part of a breed of serving persons that clean, welcoming atmosphere, which included
you don't see much anymore. Unlike most of just the right amount of bar noise--the sounds of
Downtown Iii the flatulently effervescent wait-people that seem people having a good time in !he baekground,
to dominate the scene in restaurants these days, not on your lap, and classic country tun~s that
The Lucca Grill the waitresses at Lucca don't bubble, sparkle, we didn't have to shcut over. The ci~cor
introduce themselves or make cheery chit-chat featured a rather unusual clothier motif
116 East Market about the daily special: these women just do (involving old-fashioned pictures of ladies in
their job and spare us the fanfare. chemises and knickers) which benefited from
Bloomington some local flair: the menu cover gave a history
In true neighborhood-bar style, regulars are of downtown Bloomington's Winnie's Suit
Step Inn treated better than mere familiar faces, and Shop.
111 West Monroe familiar faces are treated better than strangers.
Bloomington (Some Lucca devotees swear that it takes five At 8:30 on a Friday night, Step Inn still offered a
years of faithful attendance to become a regular, selection of free happy hour munchies (deep
We walk the night alone. On an unseasonably but we're not sure.) fried chicken wings, cheese and crackers).
balmy Friday night in mid-February, you may Barflies were delighted with big glasses of Rhine
have seen us casing the bars in downtown In addition to the basic alcoholic necessities wine, ideally blended Kahlua and coffee, and the
Bloomington, pulling our trenchcoat collars up (draft beer is 75 cents, bottle $1.10), the Lucca cleverest martini served inland--the vermouth
to conceal our identities. We swill beers, we Grill serves lunch and dinner. The food is pretty
munch nachos, we take notes. We're the much standard American tavern food-- mcame in a medicine dropper, so the drinker could
Underground Bar Flies. sandwiches ($1.50-$2.50), fried chicken (about
$5), pasta dishes ($4-$8) and steaks, but we defme for herself.
In our tireless search for Nightlife Nirvana, must point out that they serve uncommonly good
we've developed a system of facing off two bars pizza ($5-$11) of the ultra-thin crispy crus.t Two barflies enjoyed big schooners of fresh ice
that are in the same league. Last Friday, after a variety (in the real Northern Italian tradition) cream and another smiled over a piece of
grueling week as working stiffs, our plan was to with a large choice of ingredients. If you are a homemade chocolate cream pie with flaky crust,
find a couple of contenders where we could meat eater, we recommend the pizza A La thick dark filling and a perfectly browned
.catch the happy hour scene, talk, drink, and get Baldini---which comes with almost everything meringue.
some chow. The Lucca Grill and Step Inn you could hope for. Great Sex, World Peace,
seemed to fit the bill. and an Informed Electorate are not optional Our dapper waiter made us feel like we were in
toppings (however, Lucca for years has been the some modest hotel bar hideaway in the city,
The Lucca Grill is an old favorite of ours, so we hangout for the county's Democrats, so the rather than a little Midwestern watering hol~.
were already predisposed in its favor. As many patrons at least include the latter). With costpopolitan sophistication, he didn't
Bloomington-Normalites already know, the blink an eyelash over the martini-and-ice-cream
Lucca is a family-owned establishment that has After taking in a great pizza and a couple of beers order. A gentleman of a certain age, he gave us
sat at the comer of Market and East streets since at the Lucca, we pulled up our trenchcoat collars the impression that he would find no order
Christ was a boy. This authentic old-time bar and walked the few blocks to Step Inn. Now we disconcerting nor serve no wine before its time.
radiates a smoky, well-worn charm, with its were ready to try on a couple of drinks in Like the Lucca waiters, he didn't bounce, chirp,
high, pressed tin ceilings, old formica tables, Bloomington's newest downtown bar, but all of or sing the day's specials, thank goodness.
and long, smooth wooden bar. No hanging that pizza had given us a collective sweet tooth,
ferns or pale natural wood here. And behind this so we were really hoping to get some dessert. The note-taking Barfly fully intended to
formidable, lavishly cluttered bar reside the Some barflies, huh? meticulously take down Step Inn's salient prices
friendliest bartenders in these parts, representing and meal offerings, but she finds that her notes
several generations of the Baldini family. end with· "Kahlua and coffee perfect." And a
perfect ending it was, too.

--Blanche, Stella and a Gentleman Caller

looks like a sleepy, serene

com~nunity.
---.:::__- _::... ----=---=-- --- -=-

look aga1• n. name ••••••

If you ~isten to the city fathers, the Pantagraph, the
civic boosters and the phony speechmakers, you
would think we lived in a 1930's Hollywood set. But
let1s look behind the scenes. Each month since
April 1972, the Post-Amerikan has been denting
that serene facade, printing the embarrassing truths
the city fathers would rather overlook: Take an-
other look at Bloomington-Normal. Subscribe to
the Post-Amerikan.

For a one-year sub, send $4 to Post-Amerikan,
PO Box 3452, Bloomington, IL 61702.