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April 20, 2007 | Issue 628

FRONT PAGE

How a bigot got the boot
One reason the reaction to Imus was so ferocious is because of the pent-up rage people feel about the way this kind of bigotry continually goes unchallenged in politics and the media.

Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer:
"What people saw in these 10 young ladies"

The revulsion against racism
Why Imus--and why now? There's no shortage of shock jocks making racist, sexist and homophobic comments. The difference this time is a shift in the political climate.

FEATURES AND COLUMNS

Confined to a dungeon above the ground
More detainees at Guantánamo Bay are so desperate to end their suffering that they are going on hunger strike--willing to risk death if it means an end to their imprisonment.

WHICH SIDE ARE YOU ON?
Zero tolerance means jail for minority youth
Scores of children have been handcuffed, arrested, fingerprinted, jailed and convicted of crimes stemming from incidents as trivial as temper tantrums in kindergarten.

Standing up to Islamophobia
It is important that the antiwar movement reject the distorted picture of Islam presented by pro-war conservatives, and oppose the entire project of the "war on terror."

THE MEANING OF MARXISM
Double standards about violence
You cannot equate the violence of the oppressor (designed to maintain oppression) and the violence of the oppressed (designed to free them from oppression).

OBITUARY: KURT VONNEGUT
A passionate writer and opponent of injustice
Vonnegut's life and art were shaped by personal tragedies, but they also reflected his connection to some of the most terrible public tragedies of the 20th century.

Inside the System
Putting polluters' interests first | Abstinence-only runs into reality | Heard it through the grapevine

EDITORIALS

Questions about a tragedy
What won't be discussed in the mainstream media is the social and political context of mass killings in schools and workplaces.

A structural adjustment for Wolfowitz?
The scandal involving World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz is only one aspect of the crisis at the Bank and it sister organization, the International Monetary Fund.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

The lies of Mario Lozano
Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena responds to the charges made by the U.S. soldier who shot her in Iraq two years agao.

NATIONAL NEWS

McDonald's caves to farmworkers
The Coalition of Immokalee Workers won a major victory when the world's largest fast-food chain agreed to pay a penny per pound more to farmworkers who pick its tomatoes.

Guards aim more abuse at Al-Arian
Instead of walking out of jail earlier this month as scheduled, Dr. Sami Al-Arian endured more racist abuse and a death threat from his prison guards.

Military extends all tours of duty
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced in mid-April that tours of duty for all active-duty soldiers would be extended from 12 to 15 months.

ON THE PICKET LINE

Labor in brief
Washington state mental health workers

NEWS FROM OUR STRUGGLE

Getting ready for May Day
Organizers across the country are planning once again to make May 1 a day of action in support of immigrant rights this year.

Protesters dog Minutemen leader
Minutemen leader Chris Simcox was dogged by protesters in Texas and New York City as immigrant rights activists organized to challenge the racist vigilante.

"Our goal is to educate people about Iraq"
Two members of Iraq Veterans Against the War talk about the occupation of Iraq and the future of the antiwar soldiers' movement.

News and reports
Make Washington, D.C., a sanctuary city | Defend Norman Finkelstein | Fire Don Imus | Protest the CIA

VIEWS AND VOICES

The case that came before Brown
Many people know the landmark decision of Brown desegregation decision of the U.S. Supreme Court. Not so many are aware of the case that paved the way for this decision.

Views in brief
How "don't ask" affected me | A misstep that shakes Loach's film | Racism on sale at Urban Outfitters

BOOKS AND ENTERTAINMENT

The story of the first reparations movement
Mary Frances Berry's book tells the story of an ex-slave who reached thousands with a movement to claim government compensation for labor performed during slavery.

Son Volt's Search for a better world
Frontman Jay Farrar has always been masterful at weaving stories of working-class life, of ordinary people doing what they can to survive, but never forgetting their dreams.

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