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MORE ABOUT ALLERGIES The article, "Gesundheit!" (2/5) offered some good information. Thank you. In supporting good health, it helps to remember we can address causes and/or symptoms. One major factor related to allergies and absent in the article is the role pH, or acid/alkaline balance, plays in maintaining good health. An alkaline pH of 7.0 to 7.4 is considered optimum for the human body. When the pH becomes acid (below 7) the door swings open to lowered immunity and a reduction in the body's ability to maintain good health. Diet, stress, insufficient exercise, pollutants, and most grooming products we use contribute to acid pH levels. Clearly, our choices matter and those that assist in maintaining an alkaline pH are basic in addressing the causes of good health or illness. Another effective way of addressing both system and symptoms is through the use of therapeutic grade essential oils. Many products are labeled "essential oil" and "pure essential oil" even though they need contain only 5 percent of any grade essential oil, including synthetics. Most are not therapeutic. Some are detrimental. On the other hand, true therapeutic grade oils offer dramatic relief from symptoms while supporting immune function. There are many body-workers and other health practitioners, as well as allergy- prone individuals, in this area who combine therapeutic grade oils with other treatment options such as homeopathy, nutrition, and massage with excellent success. Jan Meredith, Eugene
NOW ALLERGY-FREE I appreciate your getting the information out on Nambudribad's Allergy Relief Technique for relief of airborne and other allergies (2/5 "Gesundheit!"). I was miserable every spring until I discovered Dr. DeSiena and NAET. After a series of simple, non-invasive, and inexpensive treatments (one for each allergen), I am essentially allergy-free! And the treatments last for life. I tell every allergy sufferer I meet about NAET, but you have done this much more effectively. Art Linn, Eugene
COOKING FOR FIDO As a general practice veterinarian with a special interest in clinical nutrition, I have to say that most of the clients I meet who feed their pets raw meat diets are conscientious and caring people who want the very best for their animals. With that said, however, I also have seen a number of health problems in pets fed raw meat diets. Bacterial gastroenterocolitis, with attendant vomiting, diarrhea, and sometimes inappetence, is one of the most common disease consequences of these diets. Although many of these infections can be resolved with antibiotic usage, some are potentially fatal. If you feed your pet raw meat, it's possible that he or she will wind up on repeated courses of antibiotics, and antibiotics, like any other drugs, have side effects and cannot be considered truly "natural." Another, even more serious infection transmitted by undercooked or raw meat is toxoplasmosis, a protozoal infection that can attack any organ system in the body. I have had feline patients who have died of central nervous system toxoplasmosis, which caused paralysis and seizures, Toxoplasma pneumonia, and several who are blind from Toxoplasma anterior uveitis. All of these were well-cared-for indoor cats who had no opportunity to hunt rodents, and all had been fed raw meat either as the central dietary ingredient or as treats. Dogs can also get this disease. Bear in mind that freezing raw meat does not kill all potential pathogens. Moreover, when meat is thawed, the bacteria present in all butchered meat, including organically raised meat, revive and "synchronize" so that all are multiplying all at once. Dr. Donald Strombeck's book, Home-Prepared Dog & Cat Diets: The Healthful Alternative, is a wonderful resource for both veterinarians and pet owners alike. Any diet should contain all the required nutrients in the correct proportions for your pet's particular stage in life. Your veterinarian is your best source of information regarding whether a particular diet meets these criteria. There is a healthy middle ground between "commercial/processed" and "raw." Buy fresh meat (organic) and cook it for your pet in accordance with the guidelines set for preparation of that type of meat for human consumption. Your pet can still enjoy the meat without the disease risk. Patricia Joy Shea, DVM , Eugene
BURIED IN IT Your News Brief "The Joys of Co-Mingling" (2/5) helped crystallize some thoughts that I have had about Sanipac and its policies. I have always tried to minimize my consumption of packaging, to recycle whenever possible, drive a car only when absolutely necessary, and generally minimize my impact on the planet. But Sanipac is making it SO difficult. Historically, I have generated about one-half of a small garbage can every two weeks. But Sanipac kept leaving me plastic boxes and rolling cans that I just did not require. I didn't like paying the rapidly increasing monthly fee for all the service that I didn't need. Now, I can distribute my small amount of trash into four containers. I have read the rules and tried to put things in the right containers. But people keep stealing my blue box and the Sanipac drivers refuse to take my bottles, because they were in the now defunct white plastic bag. It just got to be too much, so now I just put everything (garbage, bottles, plastic, newspapers) into my old, small trash can. Sanipac, you figure it out. The other problem I have is that I have no place to put all the containers that Sanipac has bestowed upon me. So they just sit in front of my garage and clutter up my formerly neat driveway. I notice that many of my neighbors have just given up and leave their containers in the street or on the sidewalk. Sanipac cans have now become the worst form of pollution in my neighborhood. Granted, it is visual pollution, but pollution nonetheless. This is all the result of granny government trying to "help" us and "The law of unintended consequences." I'm sure I will get lots of outraged feedback condemning my unecological attitude. Sorry, I have tried to be ecological; I've just been buried in giant, rolling plastic containers. Steve Scarich, Eugene
UNDERSTANDING NEEDED For those of us who support a two-state solution in the Middle East, it is painful to read Kate Gessert's propaganda-selected news of the Israeli-Palistinian conflict (2/5). Along with Mel Gibson's out-of-context Passion and Eugene Weekly constantly applying a double standard of the poor "unwashed" masses against the terrible Jews of the Middle East, I am just waiting for another horrible incident in this town against the Jewish synagogue. There certainly are legitimate grievances on both sides of this issue. For example, did you know that one of the Israeli soldiers returned dead in the well-publicized prisoner exchange, was an Arab-Israeli serving in her Army? For those who like to call the Palestinians the "indigenous" people of the area, you also forget that King David had a party in Jerusalem three thousand years ago. There are local Jewish students in Eugene whose families have lived next to the Sea of Galilee for more than 500 years. Ignorance has always been the friend of those trying to eliminate the Jews. Ms. Gessert applies everything Gobels was good at in the case of the Middle East. Her stories and hopelessly one-sided editing are incitement to riot against the Jews in the Eugene area. Let's have a real discussion of the problems of the Middle East. There are plenty of people on the left of the political spectrum and peace community who have a good understanding of the problem and are willing to debate this volatile issue with understanding. Ms. Gessert is not one of those people. Bob Kholos, Eugene
CHANGE OF FOCUS When I wrote this last "Undercovered" (2/5), I told the story of the people of Budrus, West Bank, who have protected their village from the Separation Wall for the past three months by working as a unified community. When I read my article in EW, it was entitled "Uprooted" and illustrated by photos in which Israeli soldiers were shooting people. These photographs were sent by American photographers in Budrus and chosen by EW. The focus had changed, through no one's fault, I think, but through differences in how people see. The villagers of Budrus are not uprooted, although the Israeli army has uprooted some of their olive trees. Men, women, and children of Budrus are so deeply rooted that they are willing to jump in front of bulldozers and face beatings and live bullets to defend their land. While it's true that Israeli soldiers shoot at them, it is their persistent protests that are central. (See www.womenspeacepalestine.org) I think the title and photos included with this last "Undercovered" reflect common American attitudes. We are likely to see people who are in trouble — often as a result of U.S. government policy — as helpless victims. The dilemma we face is how to hear stories of the sad, wrongful things that are happening in the world, while celebrating the courage and resilience of the people they are happening to. Let us grieve for these people, and let us rejoice that they exist. Kate Rogers Gessert, Eugene
GREENS WILL STAY Sybil Fabian's condescending and derogatory letter about the Green Party (2/12) is so full of myths, omissions and half-truths that it merits a response. The Green Party has now elected more than 200 people to public office in the U.S. alone. The only party in this country dedicated to peace, social justice, real democracy and sustainability, we are also an international success with parties in more than 90 countries worldwide. Elected Greens have been responsible for everything from providing living wages to promoting biodiesel and improving recycling, to eliminating pesticide usage on school grounds, to phasing out nuclear power plants in Germany. Greens are also champions of electoral reforms from the current Campaign Finance Reform initiative being circulated in Oregon to the successful initiative to use Instant Runoff Voting in San Francisco. If people want to blame the Greens for exercising our constitutional and human rights, fine. I'll tell you what, Sybil, we'll take the blame for electing George Bush if you and your fellow whiny Democrats take the blame for supporting every evil and idiotic notion that moron has come up with. Sybil, you and the Democrats would be in a lot better position to criticize the Greens if the Democrats didn't overwhelmingly support the war in Iraq, the war in Afghanistan, the war on our civil and constitutional rights and the war on the poor. This diverse country deserves a multi-party democracy, Sybil, not a dictatorship or duopoly. The Greens are here to stay and we're not going anywhere. As Bob Dylan said: "Get out of the way if you can't lend a hand for the times they are a-changing." Blair Bobier, Corvallis
THE REAL WEAPONS We have found the weapons intended to destroy the masses; they are in the Bush budget proposal for 2005. One hundred and twenty-eight government programs will come under attack or planned annihilation. While bombing programs in education, health, housing and law enforcement, Bush will add 7 percent to the military budget and 10 percent to domestic security. I see why he calls himself a "war president." He is waging war against the middle and working classes. What is striking about the increase in the military budget is that it will not enhance our security. The big ticket items are ones that were needed for a war with the USSR. The Missile Defense Agency's 20 percent increase will initiate phase one of Star Wars even though the tests for accuracy and safety of these weapons have failed. The money to continue research on bunker busters remains intact (our tax dollars devoted to the creation of nuclear weapons we may actually use). This budget omits the price tag of our ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan which are estimated at $50 billion annually. Last year Congress authorized supplemental spending packages of $78.5 billion in April and $87.5 billion in November. How long can we fund this president's multi-millionaire friends, his corporate cronies and his vision of establishing democracy throughout the world while starving the dream of justice and equal opportunity at home? Susan Cundiff, Eugene
HONORING ETTER Few persons in the life of Eugene have made such a sustained contribution to the culture of the city as has Orval Etter. A retired UO professor, his commitment to music is significant, even if it may not include virtuosity at his instrument of choice, the cello. At 88, he continues to manage a Eugene chamber music group that performs every Saturday afternoon at the Atrium in downtown Eugene. During the summer, he schedules and introduces Sunday evening concerts at Washburn Park. He also is founder and moderator of a weekly discussion group on peace issues, the Pacifica Forum. Tonight (Feb. 19), the Eugene Symphony will honor Etter and his wife, Mary, for their key role in creating the symphony three decades ago. They and three others made personal financial commitments that enabled a rudimentary symphony to begin performing in varied venues under direction of the late Lawrence Maves. While the Etters' financial contribution to the building of the Hult Center may have been nominal, they are recognized as godparents, as the existence of the Eugene Symphony was basic to the decision to create the Hult. George Beres, Eugene
LETTERS POLICY: We print as many letters as space allows. Please limit length to 250 words and submissions to once a month. All letters are subject to editing for length and clarity, and must include address and phone number. E-mail to editor@eugeneweekly.com, fax to 484-4044, or mail to 1251 Lincoln, Eugene 97401.
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