02/02/01 05:51 PM: It doesn’t rain, but it

It doesn’t rain, but it pours. John Ashcroft was confirmed by a 58-42 vote in the Senate. Okay, sure, everyone knew that was going to happen. But did he really have to be sworn in by Clarence Thomas? Talk about a winning combination . . . . Apparently, they are old buddies, too. They were both assistant state attorneys general in Missouruh back in the 1970s. They shared an office, too. Is anyone else worried?

I had the pleasure of seeing an excellent production of the play “Blues For an Alabama Sky” last night. I’m not a theater junkie; I haven’t seen a whole lot of plays in my life. But I can honestly say that this was the best one I’ve ever seen. The story itself was excellent, and the five-member cast really brought it to life. It dealt with the issues of homophobia, racism, women’s reproductive rights, and others. Not bad for a story set in 1930 Harlem, eh? I met a nice old man wearing a white bicycle helmet on my way out of the theater. I guess he wanted a program as a souvenir. He didn’t have one for whatever reason, so I gave him mine. That memory is my souvenir.

Speaking of homophobia, racism, etc., the KKK and the Aryan Nations made the news today. The KKK has requested an open-air permit for a rally on March 10 in Gary, Indiana. They normal waiting period for such a permit is seven days. The city has stated that it will need 45 days to evaluate the request. The KKK fought against the extended wait and lost. The Aryan Nations plans to hold its annual conference in Farragut State Park in Washington State. What makes this even more controversial than your average white supremacist conference is the fact that Farragut State Park used to be the Farragut Naval Training Center, a training base used during World War II to train sailors to “fight fascism.” It is now opening its doors to a bunch of fascist wannabes. I suppose that they have as much right as anyone to assemble peacefully on public land.

I find myself asking whether these groups deserve the small publicity that is afforded them by things like this. Is a KKK rally really news? I would like to think

Kevin Peliusczak