Friday, April 25, 2003 :::
Last Sunday marked the fourth anniversary of the Columbine shootings. Sadly, this violence still continues. James Sheets, 14, brought three guns to school, used one to kill his principal in the cafeteria, and another one to kill himself at the scene. You'll be lucky to see this story much on the news, I guess, with concern about Iraq and SARS and such, but like Michael Moore suggested in "Bowling for Columbine", you have to consider the motivations of this teenager. What drove this kid to pull a Columbine? Why do our teenagers pop off like that, in a fury of gun-happy carnage? Here's a hint: it had nothing to do with the fact that there weren't metal detectors at the school.
We will probably never learn why James did what he did, and speculation at this point is useless. All we can do is mourn the two dead.
::: posted by Andrewski at 12:52 AM
Thursday, April 24, 2003 :::
Tidbits of newsworthy goodness from today's Daily Cal:
The Mayor of Berkeley, Tom Bates, finally made good on his promise to spend a night on the streets to feel what it's like to be homeless. Despite the fact that he was allowed by police to stay in the park, the sprinklers were shut off, and he was surrounded by people taking pictures, Bates experienced exactly what it is like to be homeless. Now that his campaign promise has been fulfilled, what's he going to do about it? Watch this space for further developments.
Last night a female student on campus fought off an attacker. The description of the would-be rapist was "a male wearing a dark jacket or sweatshirt, and dark pants that could be jeans". So, if you see any males wearing jeans and a dark sweatshirt, kick them in the balls and call the police. While the Daily Cal says that sexual assaults by strangers are rare on campus and in the city of Berkeley, these seem to be fairly common news items these days.
::: posted by Andrewski at 2:35 PM
Wednesday, April 23, 2003 :::
That's it, it's official. I'm moving to Canada. This country has become way, way too fucked up.
OJ Simpson gets own reality show.
::: posted by Andrewski at 6:59 PM
Sunday, April 20, 2003 :::
Ahoy Perch readers! I apologize for the week-long absence. The Perch is not dead and gone, as some have expressed concern about, but shall continue to bring you all the news of my choosing that's fit to blog. Berkeley news, university new, national news, etc. Let's get started, shall we?
Who controlls Iraq's oil? Pre-war, the oft-repeated lie was that Iraqi oil was of little consequence to American interests, and that the war would not be fought over resources. 48 hours before the "shock and awe" campaign began, Bush's demand that Saddam leave the country included a line or two asking that oil wells not be set on fire, as they belong to the people of Iraq, and would be fundamental in helping to rebuild the country. Now that all is said and bombed, it is unknown who will actually be profitting from Iraq's oil supply. According to the article in the Financial Times, US soldiers are protecting the oil ministry, a former director general under Saddam is still guarding the front gate, and nobody's clearly in charge. It makes you wonder what other important information will slip under the post-"liberation" radar.
Happy Easter, Happy Earth Day, Happy 4/20. Whatever holiday you decide to celebrate today, make it a happy one.
::: posted by Andrewski at 5:07 PM
