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Nothing comes of Nothing

Jahlee Arakaki
Monday October 22, 2001

Editor: 

I believe the City Council’s action on Tuesday, while a sincere desire to be a “beacon of light,” does nothing but illuminate the grandiose opinion five Berkeley City Council members have of themselves. It’s not about you, stupid. It’s about over 4,000 lives lost due to suicidal terrorists, and Berkeley is just background noise to a national tragedy. Perhaps the five council members should visit Afghanistan and observe women getting whipped to death for showing their faces and Afghani men plying their hashish trade, with the Taliban ruling over all. 

Yes, people suffer all over the world from corrupt governments and U.S. foreign policy, but Berkeley is an American city protected by a Bill of Rights that you will not find in Afghanistan and Berkeley deservedly uses its rights to the fullest. 

I would have more pride in Berkeley if it was accountable for the taxes it levies. If sewer taxes the city holds actually fixed sewers, mosquito abatement taxes actually abated mosquitoes, and decisions were made in the light of day, rather than “after midnight” deals that pander to special interests while honest citizens sleep. Therein lies the problem — the City Council would rather get attention than pay attention to the pragmatic business of running a city. 

Nothing comes of nothing, and that will be the result of the City Council’s resolution on Afghanistan. 

 

Jahlee Arakaki 

Berkeley