51st State

The Mexican wound today, after many others in its history, is called lack of democracy with lack of development. How to fill both vacuums, and in what order this should be done, is the problem at the center of the current Mexican debate. It is an open wound. Adherences are broken. Questions remain: Nationalism or internationalism? Isolation or integration? Political democracy or economic development? A recent survey conducted by a Mexican magazine reflects the pain of an open wound.

On the Fourth of July in Denmark, drums roll and horns sound to the beat of "Stars and Stripes Forever," the breezes carrying the noise to picnicking families on the hills of Rebild. For 77 years, except during two World Wars, this small Scandinavian country of 5 million people has celebrated the birthday of the United States at Rebild, the country's only national park, and in Alborg, a city 15 miles from the park. At Rebild, flags from the two nations fly everywhere.

Paying off Jesse Jackson and his constituency might not pose such a great problem after all for Michael S. Dukakis, if elected. Hints of the prize emerged at the Atlanta convention, when delegates from the District of Columbia sought assurance that the Dukakis camp would support statehood for the federal city, which is more than 70% black and one of the homes of Jackson.

A House subcommittee Tuesday approved a bill to grant the District of Columbia statehood, the first step in a long legislative process that proponents hope will lead to the creation of a 51st state. The bill, approved 4 to 3 by the House District Committee's subcommittee on fiscal affairs and health, would create the state of New Columbia and grant it full voting representation in the House and Senate, a right the 630,000 residents of the city of Washington do not have now.

Conrad's cartoon (March 3) implicating Israeli government leading officials behind Pollard was right on target. It is time for us to closely examine our entire relationship with Israel. This is not the first time Israel has taken hostile action against the U.S. government. It is politically unrealistic to think that the Congress will ever consider eliminating economic and military aid to Israel, but given our current budget restraints, why not cut it back a bit? Also, let's rethink our entire bilateral relationship.