4/3/03 - Suggested topics will include:

• WAR topics
  • Do celebrity opinions hurt anti-war cause?
  • Could Saddam still win?
  • Will this conflict create more "Bin Landens" and adherents to Islamic extremist organizations?
  • Are the Christian evangelists "poised and ready" to give humanitarian aid to Iraq or simply proselytize their beliefs?
• On Wednesday, April 2nd I heard Tom McCormack speak on acupuncture. I see a real lack of verifiable evidence in acupuncture and I am interested in discussing not only the claims made by acupuncturists, but in particular the notion that "if it works, that is all that matters." Shouldn't the scientific methodology be applied to a treatment even when it has "successfully worked" for some of those that have received the treatment? How come the Chi or "energy" that is supposed to run along meridians in the body is undetectable by science?
• An Oregon anti-terrorism bill would jail street-blocking protesters for at least 25 years in a thinly veiled effort to discourage anti-war demonstrations. Those in support this bill say "Right now a group of people can get together and go downtown and block a freeway. You need a tool to deal with that." Would this new law not eradicate some of our basic civil liberties? Is this a necessary sacrifice of our freedoms in order to bring order to protests?

Quote of the week: "When it is over, if it is over, this war will have horrible consequences. Instead of having one (Osama) bin Laden, we will have 100 bin Ladens." [Egyptian President, Hosni Mubarak - Source]