Letters DEDICATED DISSENT BUSH: CREDIT OR BLAME? Rob Schultheis points out, rightfully enough, the criminal damage done to Afghanistan by the old Soviet Union. But why single out one country when the United States has also been criminally at fault? According to the Toronto-based Uranium Medical Research Centre, Afghans living around the most heavily bombed sites have from 5 to 21 times more uranium in their blood and urine than normal. [The radioactive metal is used in some U.S. munitions.] The UMRC states further that people exposed directly to dust and debris at the time of bombing "report[ed] immediate effects within minutes to hours of the attacks." The UMRCs field team was generally "shocked by the breadth of public-health impacts coincident with the bombing. Without exception, at every bomb site investigated, people are ill." AID TO AFGHANISTAN Shortly after September 11, four New Yorkers with deep ties to the country founded the Global Partnership for Afghanistan (www.gpfa.org) to help Afghans defeat poverty and make the country green again. Currently, we are planting trees in the fertile Shomali Valley and assisting farm families to restore traditional juie and karez irrigation systems. We welcome the participation of others as we extend this effort throughout Afghanistan, inspired by similar, successful programs in Armenia and Israel. SPREAD THE NEWS CORRECTION Contact Us We welcome letters in response to recent articles. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. Write to us at 85 Second St., 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105-3441; fax (415) 977-5794; e-mail sierra.letters@sierraclub.org. EDITOR'S NOTE Lets Talk (and change the world) In the last few decades, Americans have become spectator citizens. Robert Putnams book Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community counts the ways: Interest in public affairs has declined by 20 percent, voting by 25 percent, attendance at public meetings by 30 percent, and participation in party politics by 40 percent. A professor of public policy at Harvard University, Putnam says that Americans are more socially isolated these days, too. Bowling leagues are much less popular than they used to be, despite the fact that the number of bowlers has increased. Even card-playinga pastime 40 percent of Americans enjoyed at least once a month 30 years agocould nearly disappear by 2020 if its current rate of decline continues.Environmental involvement seems to run counter to these antisocial trends. Membership in national groups rose from 125,000 in 1960 to 6.5 million in 1990, more than a 50-fold increase. And we have a larger-than-ever group of activists who educate, organize, and lobby. But how many of us are not only doing good for people, but doing good with people? Thats how Putnam measures "social capital," the grease that keeps the machinery of a democracy running, that makes looking out for others and solving problems together a satisfying shared duty. How many of us talk to our neighbors about the issues we care most about? How many encourage friends to vote? How much are we doing to revive Americas ailing political process? Not enough, certainlybut we have good reasons: The task is daunting, we are busy, and we dont know where to start. Well, heres a suggestion: In our November/December issue, a new section called "Lets Talk" will encourage you to get together regularly with a few friends and neighbors. You decide when and where. Well suggest an illuminating movie or book to talk about. On our Web site, well provide background reading materials and questions to help spark a good discussion. If youre an active Sierra Club member, "Lets Talk" will offer ideas for meetings. Or you can gather informallyin your home, or in a local park or pub or coffee shop. Its a small step, but the payoff is potentially great. Community involvement can make us "smarter, healthier, safer, richer, and better able to govern a just and stable democracy," Putnam explains. Rousing ourselves for an engaged conversation with our neighbors just might help build a world wed be prouder to live in and pass on to our children. So put on the coffee, set out the cookies, and lets talk. Contact Us Were launching "Lets Talk" in our November/December issue. But you can help us now by suggesting books or movies that you think might spur a spirited discussion. It could be anything from Putnams Bowling Alone, to Unprecedented (a documentary about what went wrong in Florida in the last presidential election), to a classic environmental film like Silkwood. Please send your ideasand a note about their meritsto Lets.Talk@sierraclub.org or Lets Talk, Sierra Magazine, 85 Second St., 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105-3441. |