ustxtxb_obs_2007_06_29_50_00002-00000_000.pdf

laio ue MIGRATORY FOUL Mary Jo McConahay has written the definitive description of America’s inhuman immigration policy. \(“They she said, a temporary worker program would stop all the needless dying. It would be simple to set up employment centers in Mexico and register each person with an employer, giving them official papers that would also have the effect of eliminating their ever-present fear and the subsequent pressure to work for unfairly low wages. Geese can migrate, and insects, but not human beings. We, the people, are our brothers’ keepers. M S. Weiss Mexico, Missouri GODLESS CRITIC I would suggest that in future you select a contributing writer with less obvious bias who is more familiar with the details of the creation versus evolution controversy to review books on the subject. \(“Ducking McWilliams is clearly ignorant of glaring facts. He states that creationists who believe in a young \(that is to say ity. Recent polls have found that half of the population of the United States believes that the earth is less than 10,000 years old. Half hardly qualifies as a minority. He also states that “Intelligent design … propounds that the earth is only a few thousand years old.” This is a patently false statement which makes him either a liar or ignorant of basic facts. While creation science certainly does address the age of the earth, intelligent design theory has nothing at all to do with the age of the earth. Many, if not most, of its proponents believe that the earth is millions, if not billions, of years old. From his article it would seem that McWilliams is an avid atheist and humanist. Inviting him to review books on the controversy is no different than inviting Ken Ham, president of Answers in Genesis which just built the new Creation Museum in Kentucky, to review these books. Both of them have tremendous bias, good or bad, and cannot possibly give an objective review. John Truitt Paducah, Kentucky WE ERRED In an Afterword published in our June 15 issue, we misspelled the last name of Renato Espinoza in both the headline and photo caption. We very much regret the errors. Also, in the June 1 issue, we gave improper credit for the photograph of detainees that appeared on page 14. It was taken by Jerry Harris. WE’RE HONORED The Observer received two honors in the recently announced annual awards presented by the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. Matt Omohundro, our former art director, tied for third place in cover design among publications with less than 60,000 circulation. Critic Steve G. Kellman won second place for arts criticism in the same division. JUNE 29, 2007 TheTexas Observer FEATURES SLOW DEATH, SLOWER JUSTICE 6 How pesticides poisoned South Mission, but no one is responsible. by Jesse Bogan THE WAR COMES HOME 16 Iraq war veterans feel they are being cast aside. by Emily DePrang DEPARTMENTS DIALOGUE 2 EDITORIAL 3 POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE 4 JIM HIGHTOWER 22 Going, Going, Gone BOOKS & CULTURE POETRY 23 by Tom Caplan & Donna Trussell THE GRASS IS GREENER 24 by Stayton Bonner APPLIED BLUNDEROLOGY 26 by Steven G. Kellman AFTERWORD 29 Bigger Than France by Spike Gillespie Cover design by Leah Ball 2 THE TEXAS OBSERVER JUNE 29, 2007