1996_09 The Daily Collegian September 1996

              Uhiiru Np Umoja
Page 2
Waiting to Inhale
c^ram the\
GLditar    \
@zemer2$.     j
Q&cmnette   /
Hi and welcome to California State Uni¬
versity, Fresno.  My name is Ozeme J.
Bonnette, and I am the editor of the
Uhuru Na Umoja for the fall 1996 semes¬
ter.  Although this supplement only
comes out on a monthly basis, I hope
that, through the support of the col- '
lege and local community, it will con¬
tinue to grow and develop.
I have many goals for the Uhuru Na
Umoja this semester, but, most impor¬
tantly,, I want this paper to be an in¬
formative and useful resource for the
campus community.  Various ideas and
issues will be covered, and campus ac¬
tivities will be kept up to date.
I am also looking for a diverse
staff that can meet the needs of the
Uhuru readers.  The Uhuru staff is not
yet complete; there are several new
writers who have joined, and I welcome
any student-who would like to have a  \y
voice on this campus.  This paper can¬
not be a success without student sup¬
port.  I highly encourage anyone-with
an interest to give it a try.  I
In conclusion, I would like to
thank all of you for your support.  I
wish you a successful siemester and hope
that you continue to re"ad the Uhuru Na
Umoja.
By: No ? (pen name)
Contributing writer
"Not a day goes by, don't get high, don't ask why".»
Kurupt the Kingpin __
Excerpt from the song "New York, New York"
The ongoing question to be pondered is, why are so many Americans smoking
marijuana?
Marijuana, clinically known as cannabis setivas, is used by more than 100 million
Americans on a regular basis. Anywhere from 3-4 times a week, this large population of
our American culture indulges in the ceremonial act of smoking this illegal drug. Unlike
other drugs, marijuana has never been documented as the cause of any deaths (Surgeon
General-1988).
So where does this infatuation come from in this non-addictive drug? Many are
quick to blame the free spirits thrived during the 1970's. This was the time when mari¬
juana usage was at its peak. An open mind-state and a peaceful demeanor were trade¬
marks during the 470's. An anti-war movement was sparked right along with this popular
plant. \
Even the most in-depth research would not be able to reveal why so many people
smoke marijuana. Some say that they use marijuana only for medical usages (relaxation,
to get an appetite). Others say that the drug is simply a form of 'escapism', meaning that
marijuana helps people to escape from the harsh realities of the world. And some may not
be able to give you an answer as to why they smoke this drug; they just do.
In retrospect, this rhetorical question of why so many people smoke marijuana
will probably be asked years or even centuries from now. But a better questing to be
asked would be, how many other people are waiting to inhale?
Editor's Note:
The opinions on this page are not necessarily those of the UhurhNa Umoja ot
its staff. Unsigned editorials, unless noted, are written by the Editor in Chief.
The Uhum Na Umoja welcomes all letters to the ed\or. All letters must be
typed and signed. They may be edited for length and grammar.
All letters may be dropped off in the Keats tfuilding ih the red boy. labeled
' \ "Uhuru Na Umoja.
Unlearning, Part 1
By: The Lenz Crofters (Pen Name)
Contributing Writer
W.E.B. DuBois
[wrote that the greatest
problem of the twentieth
century would be the
problem of the color line.
DuBois wrote this in the
nineteenth century. Living
|at the close of the twentieth
[century, I can say that this
jprophecy obviously has
[come true. We, (who make
up over 250 million people
residing in a country that
were stolen from an indig¬
enous people), act as if this
is truly the land of the free
land the home of the brave,
as if true equality exists
socially and economically
jin this country. Charles
iMunfordj grofessor^^     _
history at Guelph Univer¬
sity, writes, "The genocide
practiced by the white man
against the Native Ameri¬
cans ranks second in history
only to the annihilation
visited upon Black Africa,
which lost upwards of a 100
million." At the root of this
genocide was slavery. This
slavery was a necessary and
sufficient condition for the
colonial futilist system
which, in 1776, became
full-fledged capitalism.
Karl Marx
prophesized two encom¬
passing classes under the
system of capitalism: those
who own and control the
means of production and
those who do not. This
means those who have
access to factories, banks,
communication, also
known as the super rich or j
the elite, and those who
own no productive prop¬
erty and can only offer
their human labor in     f
exchange for material
needs, also know^i as the
so called " middle class,"
or you and I.
Capitalism is a
system that deceives the
lower class into thinking
that there is an opportunity I
to capitalize or achieve the J
Please see UNLEARN-
ING Page 6   S^"
L
Uhuru fia Umoja
Keats Building/Mail Stop 42
California State University, Fresno
Fresno, CA 9374^0042
Editor in Chief: Ozeme J. Bonnette^
Communications Manager:
Sherry L. Harris
Graphics Assistant: Thomas Keys
Adviser: James E. Walton, Ph.D.
Staff Writers:
Kassandre Clayton
Yaisa Guillory j
Contributing Writer:
William E. Jackson, Jr.