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4TuesdayDecember162014TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.2013CCNABLUERIBBONCANADIANCOMMUNITYNEWSPAPERAWARD2013CMCAAUDITEDTheNorthernJournalispublishedweeklybyCascadePublishingLtd.PrintedatStarPressInc.WainwrightAB.Publisher.................................................................................DonJaque867-872-3000ext.21donnorj.caEditor.........................................................................MeaganWohlberg867-872-3000ext.24newsnorj.caReporter.......................................................................DaliCarmichael867-872-3000ext.25reporternorj.caComptroller.....................................................DixiePenner867-872-3000ext.23dixnorj.caAdvertising..............................HeatherFoubertHayRiver867-874-4106adsnorj.caAdministration............................................JeremyTurcotte867-872-3000ext.26adminnorj.caProductionGraphics...................................SandraJaque867-872-3000ext.22sandranorj.caProductionGraphics..................................PaulBannister867-872-3000ext.27graphicsnorj.caLetterstotheEditorPolicyTheNorthernJournalwelcomesletterstotheeditor.Lettersmustbesignedandincludeaphonenumbersotheauthorcanbeveried.Nameswillbewithheldonrequestinspecialcircumstanceswherethereasonsaredeterminedtobevalid.TheJournalreservestherighttoeditlettersforlengthlibelclarityandtaste.Opinionsexpressedinlettersandcolumnsarenotnecessarilythoseofthepublisheroreditor.AdvertisingDeadlinesDisplayaddeadlineisThursdayat400p.m.ClassiedaddeadlineisThursdayat500p.m.Emailadsnorj.caSubscriptionRatesPricesincludeGST.47.25inFortSmith52.50elsewhereinCanada105intheUSAoverseas164.30.EDITORIALCOLUMNWhiteGirlWellbehomeforChristmasByDAWNKOSTELNIKYellowknifeissoverycoldwiththewindhowlingoffofGreatSlaveLake.WestayattheGoldRangeHotelknownbyNorthern-ersastheStrangeRangetheonlyhotelintownIdontthinkIhavetosaymore.ThereisKENTUCKYFRIEDCHICKENinYellow-knifecanyoubelievethatWeeachhaveaglassofmilktogowiththechicken.Itisal-mostrealmilkFreightcostswereactualinthosedayswearedrinkingtri-milkwhichisaconcentratelessweightthatyouaddwaterto.ItsthebestwevehadinyearsInEdmontonthetemperatureis14Fabout-10C.WehavehadacoldDecemberinFortGoodHopewithtemperaturesrunningat-27Fabout-33CfortherstpartofDecem-ber.14Fisspringweathertous.OurcousinsinEdmontonwatchusindisdain.WearehavingasnowballghtontheirfrontlawnwehavestrippeddowntoourT-shirts.Inthe1960sT-shirtsareconsideredtobeunderwear.WithnoheavylayerstoweighusdownwerollinthesnowlikefoolsandlaughIts400p.m.intheafternoonanditsstilllightWeareenergized.Ourcousinsarewishingthatwewerewaylessvisible.ThereareneighboursandhaveyouheardhowthesesquarestalkItsdownrightembarrassingmydadcallsitourNorthernac-cent.IthastakenmefouryearsofuniversityEnglishtoroundoutmyNorthernaccentandinaminuteoftalkingtosomeonefromtheRiverorOldCrowitsingsitswaybackintomythroatandmytongueletstheslurofitslideoutofmymouthinaneasysoftandbeautifulsong.Wehavearentalcar.KurtisandJohnJr.arequietthisisnotusual.YouguysyouguyslookIntotalawetheyslowlywindthewindowinthecarupanddownandupanddownagain.Lookwhenweturnthishandlethewindowgoesupanddownh-o-l-yTheyarefourandsixyearsoldandcannotrememberbeinginacar.Thecargoesscaryfastthenwegetusedtoitandyellatmydadtodoarollercoaster.Hecomesupfasttoahumpintheroadandcoastsoveritleavingourstomachsatthetopofthelittlehill.Fourkidsghtfortwowindows.KurtisstaysupfrontwithourparentsandJoelandIgetthewindowseats.OhgroadyIonlyhavethewindowopenforasecondwhenasprayofaromaticslurcoversmyface.DadisspittingsnoosesnuffoutofthewindowitmakesabrownstreakdownthesideofthecarandacrossthewindowwhichwedontdareopenWenowghtoveronewindow.Tobecontinuednextweek.ThefullextentoftorturebytheAmeri-canCentralIntelligenceAgencyCIAinitsinterrogationsaftertheattackontheWorldTradeCentreinNewYorkSeptember2001wasrevealedlastweekwhilestreetsinAmer-icancitieslledwithprotestersenragedoveraseriesofshootingsofunarmedblackmenbywhitepoliceofcers.Tortureisstilldefendedbymanyasane-cessitypost911eventhoughitisillegalintheUnitedStates.Notonlydoesitcontra-venenumerousprinciplesoftheAmericanconstitutiontheUSisasignatoryofthe1984UnitedNationsConventionagainsttortureandboundtoitsarticlesbyinternationallaw.Theconventionsprohibitionoftortureisab-solute.Itsaysnoexceptionalcircumstanceswhatsoevermaybeinvokedtojustifytortureincludingwarthreatofwarinternalpoliticalinstabilitypublicemergencyterroristactsviolentcrimeoranyformofarmedconict.SimilarlytheAmericanBillofRightsguaranteespersonalfreedomsandlimitsthepowerofgovernmentyetviolationsoftherightsofblackAmericansbypoliceingov-ernment-sponsoredprogramshavebecomethenorm.NewYorkCitysBrokenWindowProgramwheresuspiciousblackcitizensareroutinelystoppedwithoutprovocationandshakendownbypoliceissaidtohavereducedcrimeratesyetitabrogatesindi-vidualrightsinagrantdisregardoftheirConstitution.Theyhavetondbetterways.Tocompletetheeviltrifectainfectingtheirsocietyaddtheall-too-commontraumaofpsychoticyoungmenonshootingrampagesinschoolsarmedtotheteethkillingran-domly.ProbablybulliedorsociallyalienatedinthecruelatmospheretootypicalofmanyAmericanschoolstheirdeeppsychologicalproblemsareindicativeofabroadermalaise.Thosearesymptomsofasocietyinde-cline.Americaissupposedtobewherefree-domtruthandjusticereignbutthatisafondimaginingofpastglory.Fortheglobesmostpowerfulnationandtheself-appointedpolicemanoftheplanettheadmissionoftorturebytheUSisapermanentstainonagrowingreputationasaninternationalbully.Theshootingofunarmedblackciti-zensbypoliceharkensbacktoracistlynch-ingsinthelastcenturyandstreetsfilledwithprotestersdemandingjusticeisapallofshameonacountrywhoseidealswereoncesonoble.Thecauseofmuchofthisispoliticalpo-larizationthatsplitsthecountryonpartisanlinesandleadstogridlockoftheirgovern-ment.Thelong-delayedreportontorturewasreleasedbytheSenateForeignRelationsCommitteecurrentlydominatedbyDemo-crats.ItchroniclestheCIAsdetentionandinterrogationpoliciesduringtheBushad-ministration.MostRepublicansgenerallysupporttheuseoftorturejustiedtheysayfollowing911.Americawantedrevenge.TheRepublicanselectoralvictoriesinNovem-bergavethemcontroloftheSenatestartinginJanuary.ThiswasthelastchancefortheDemocratstomakethereportpublic.Oth-erwisetheinformation-anditslessonsontheinhumanityoftorture-wouldhavebeenburiedforever.TheUScontinuestobecomemorewarlikeandhawkishreadyatamomentsnoticetointerferemilitarilyintheaffairsofotherna-tionsifitsuitstheirgoals.Theyarecarryingdangerouslyhighnationaldebt-over17trillion-muchofthattosupportamilitarysopowerfulitsmightsupersedesallothernationscombined.TheirnewestaircraftcarriertheUSSGeorgeH.W.Bushcompletedin2009cost6.2billiondollarstobuildhas6000navypersonnelonboardandispoweredbytwonuclearreactorswhichmeansitcankeepgoingforaverylongtime.Itcarriesupto130ghterjetsplussurveillanceaircraftattackhelicoptersanddronesaswellasmissiles.Initsbattlegroupareseveralbattleshipsanumberofdestroyersplussubmarines.Itisaoatingcitybristlingwithweaponssur-roundedbyaformidablearmadaandreadyalmostbeggingforwar.Theyhave10suchaircraftcarrierbattlegroups.Smallwondertheyaremiredindebt.ThisisacriticaltimefortheUnitedStates.Itisacountryatacrossroads.Willtheyre-alizetroubledyouthneedhelpandthatthelivesandfreedomsofallblackAmericansneedtobeprotectedasmuchasanyoneelseTheobvioustakeawayfromthereportontortureisthatitshouldneverbeallowedincivilizedsociety.WillAmericansseeallthatandchangeTheprospectofthingsworseningforourlargeandpowerfulneighbourtothesouthisfrighteningbutverypossible.Mightisnotright.Theyareonaslipperyslope.Ameri-cansmustgureouthowtofosterakindergentlermorejustsociety.TheUScontinuestobecomemorewarlikeandhawkishreadyatamomentsnoticetointerferemilitarilyintheaffairsofothernationsifitsuitstheirgoals.TheheavyhandisaslipperyslopePhotoBillBradenTheBellaBeatsdancetroupefromYellowknifeperformattheNorthernArtsandCulturalCentres30thAnniversaryGalaonDec.13.Thestagehostedarepresentationofperformerswhohavevisitedthecentreoverthelastthreedecadesfromdancerstosingertoactorsandeveryoneinbetween.