CLARIFICATION 1

To obviate any misunderstanding (“Mainers protest violence,” Portland Phoenix, 4.12.02), Pax Christi Maine would not “defend the Palestinian position,” but urges non-violent and just conflict resolution in the region. Neither suicide bombings, nor bloody and brutal Israel aggression against Palestinians while continuing to expand Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Gaza that reduce Palestine to a couple of hundred divided Bandustans, is non-violent or a contributor to a just resolution. Pretty obviously, a just resolution requires Israel’s retreat to its 1967 borders, recognition of East Jerusalem as a capital of an independent Palestine state, resettlement of Palestinian refugees in Israel, just compensation for the lost property of those not returned, and an end to violence on both sides.

As long as Israel claims the right to settle Jews anywhere in ancient Judea, irrespective of the rights of Palestinians living in areas into which they would expand; the right to dehumanize Palestinians very much as Jews were dehumanized in Germany before the “final solution” was undertaken, provoking violent Palestinian responses; and the right to use brutal force to stop that violence while rejecting all efforts to end its own violence — even those of its primary patron, the US — and as long as numbers of Palestinians and neighboring Arabs ignore the Camp David agreement recognizing the right of Israel to exist and talk of its annihilation; peace, in the absence of justice and non-violence, is impossible.

William H. Slavick

Portland

IN AGREEMENT

Jerry Fraser’s article, “Casino-no-no” (Portland Phoenix, 04.12.02), was right on target. We DON’T need a gambling casino in Kittery. As Fraser pointed out, the price of allowing this proposed casino to be built would be too high. We would see Kittery turning into a traffic-choked, sleazy casino town. Casino towns only exist to provide the casinos with low-wage workers, collect their garbage, and deal with the soaring crime and addiction which casinos somehow generate.

admittedly, a casino/hotel complex would reap large amounts of money — but for whom? The Indians, maybe — but would anyone else benefit? Not the rest of us; we’d be picking up the costs. Fraser wrote that he doubted building a casino in Kittery would improve the quality of life in Maine “for anyone other than the tribes and their partners.” “Partners” — ? Gee, I wonder who some of those “partners” might possibly turn out to be? . . . Ahem! Never mind; forget I asked.

Ask yourself: Do we really need to invite Las Vegas into Maine?

Elizabeth Lowell

Portland

CLARIFICATION 2

Due to the placement of the photo depicting the stencil “If you pay taxes then you are supporting terrorists” (“Mainers protest violence,” Portland Phoenix, 4.12.02), some people apparently believed the Arthouse Coalition to be responsible for placing the stencil around Portland. In truth, the Phoenix has no knowledge of the creator of the stencil, and the photo was only meant to illustrate, in alignment with both protest stories, the varying ways in which Mainers are protesting US government actions. We apologize for any confusion.

Also, Sara Donnelly’s email address was incorrect at the end of “Can Bates and L/A excel together?” Her correct address is donnelly_sara@hotmail.com.

—ed.

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