 |
  |
 |
||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
||||||||||
|
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION Re: "Law Enforcement" in Lane County (1/29), every citizen must acknowledge that the police, etc. are not responsible for law enforcement. Every citizen is responsible equally. In a dictatorship the police, etc. are responsible for law enforcement. In a free society "we the people" are responsible. Every citizen must firmly establish that the police, etc. and their unions are entitled to their opinion but outside of that have absolutely nothing to say about how law enforcement is managed in Lane County. We the people will determine that. Every citizen must recognize that all aspects of life begin in the neighborhood — especially law enforcement — and not in any legislative body. All citizens are responsible for every aspect of their neighborhood. And this responsibility cannot be delegated to anybody at any time. Authority can be delegated but responsibility cannot. The solution to all of society's problems is public participation. The politician and bureaucrats are never going to solve society's problems. If any member of the public does not step forward they should be drafted. A free society is not cheap or easy. The public should be brought into every aspect of law enforcement. First, as observers 24/7. These observers would be required to write reports to be sent to elected officials and the media. After the observers were firmly established, citizens would be called upon (by volunteering or selected using the same procedure as jury selection) to become an employee of every aspect of law enforcement. These positions could be part-time or full-time but they would replace career bureaucrats. These people would serve a maximum of five years before returning to the private sector. Eventually a substantial percentage of all positions in law-enforcement would be held by these non-career bureaucrats. We must do everything possible to get away from the "paid mercenary" mentality of law enforcement. And finally — the more public participation we have the better and more credible law enforcement will be. Frank Skipton, Springfield
LIVING PEACEFULLY This letter is in response to Bob Kholos' disturbing letter (2/19) accusing me of inciting "riot against the Jews in the Eugene area." I am neither Jewish nor Arab. But when my son and his wife worked as volunteers on the West Bank, I learned how important it is for many people, not only Jews and Arabs, to work together to resolve the troubles in Israel and Palestine, a source of great international tension. I have always opposed all forms of anti-Semitism. I support Jews and Arabs, Israelis and Palestinians, in their efforts to live peacefully together. However, I am concerned about many policies of Sharon's government. I would like EW readers to know more about these policies than what is published in major U.S. media, and especially, about peaceful work of Palestinians, Israelis and internationals to bring change. My intent is not to incite riots but to share information. It is wrong for Palestinian suicide bombers to kill Israeli civilians, wrong for Israeli soldiers to kill Palestinian civilians. Beyond that, Palestinians' everyday lives are extremely depressing and frustrating. I hope if Israelis and American Jews could spend time in Palestine, as I did recently — observing firsthand the fear and humiliation caused by Israeli checkpoints, demolitions, roving military patrols, and now the building of the Separation Wall, mostly on Palestinian land — these policies would be reversed. I believe that people don't really want to treat others this way. If they saw what was happening, I hope they would realize that to live in peace, we must all treat each other justly. Kate Rogers Gessert, Eugene
BUILDING BRIDGES In the wake of the defeat of Measure 30, it is imperative that we find ways to "bridge the gap" on multiple facets of Oregon, starting with our state's budget. "Building a bridge across the economic gorge" between the wealthiest and poorest among us and those without jobs or health care is crucial. We can "bridge the need" in our community for training specialists such as nurses, home health care specialists, engineers, electricians, plumbers through educational training programs. We must "construct strong bridges" for retraining the unemployed and educating our children so they are prepared for good livelihoods as the economy rebounds. We must "bridge the divide" between the rural and urban areas of our state and while we are at it, begin work on "bridging the rift" down the legislative aisle. What is apparent is that there are a lot more bridges than the ones on I-5 in this state that are in need of repair and mending. For the good of Oregon, the decision to "construct a multitude of bridges" may forge infrastructure more easily traversed over the long haul. Marlene "Mitzi" Colbath, Eugene
B**BS NOT BOMBS Now you have done it. You have corrupted the moral fabric of our society. You have shown b**bs. Soon, my lesbian cousin, who is in a 15-year loving, stable relationship with two children, will want to get married, thereby destroying the institution of marriage. I, personally, could not have had my two divorces without the institution of marriage. Next, people will think it is wrong to invade another country because the leader embarrassed daddy and has oil. You have no idea the devastation showing br**sts can cause. If one of our leaders, John Ashcroft, feels it is necessary to drape a statue of Lady Liberty, how can we disagree without being seditious? I hope you know what you are doing. I will continue to read your paper every week just to make sure. I dare you to continue this type of journalism. Robert Tilchin, Eugene
CREATING GUILT An inadequate mother, impatient with children getting up after being put to bed, might tell them that monsters will "get them" if they leave their bed. If they disobeyed their mother, wouldn't they become fearful, guilty and threatened? When anti-choice advocates claim that women suffer shattering emotional pain after an abortion, they are describing women who've heard from anti-choicers that choosing to abort made them the killer of a baby. In truth a fetus is not a baby and will not have the thinking capacity that is characteristic of human life until the seventh month. If a healthy young man suffers a skull-crushing motorcycle accident and is declared "brain dead," life-support systems are removed, even though they could keep his mindless body alive for years. Their being expunged and the death that follows is not regarded by our law or society as murder since the youth's mindless body is not viewed as a person. In the same vein even a second trimester abortion does not kill a baby, a human being. It interrupts the development of a fetus which at that stage of development lacks the thinking capacity our society views as personhood. As a minister abortion counselor and co-founder of a metropolitan clergy consultation service, I helped 700 women obtain abortions. The uniform emotional reaction of the women was profound relief, alleviated anxiety and the cheering prospect of making a fresh start. They did not suffer the emotional agonies — guilt, shame and self-hatred — that anti-choice proponents say follow an abortion. Thus knowledgeable pregnant women who consider all the factors in their lives and thoughtfully decide to have an abortion feel relieved. They don't suffer emotional agonies. Rev. Edgar Peara, Eugene
DOUBLE BAG IT Men who are against abortion need to take action: either "double bag" it (i.e. use two condoms every time), get a vasectomy, or have sex without penetration. If men could get pregnant, abortion would be free and indisputable. Women can never be full class citizens without the right to decide over their own bodies, all of the time. Loren Asrael, Eugene
BIRTH TAX I agree with Nate Brown (1/29) that we should say what we mean ("abortion" rather than "reproductive decision"). I would go further to say, yes, the fetus is both alive and, well, Homo Sapien. And beyond that, yes, the egg and sperm are alive as two primitive symbiotes who haven't yet found their mates. But I feel "human" is something we grow to become, and "soul" is a nonsense question for me. Perhaps there's no valid place to draw a line. Would I support the right to "abortion" rather than to "reproductive decision?" I certainly would. In fact, considering that the world population is much more than it can support in the long run (many times more once we run out of oil), I'd more likely question the right NOT to have an abortion when needed. Let's replace our probably most common tax deduction with a tax on births (preferably in proportion to the square number of digits in one's bank account). That might send a message that would help reduce the number of abortions. Dan Robinson, Eugene
LOVE'S LABOR LOST The Eugene-Springfield community has been greatly privileged for 30 years to have had in our midst a supplier of fresh vegetable and fruit juices. We owe a huge measure of thanks to the folks who labored long and hard, at minimum pay, to ensure that Genesis Juice Company survived as long as it did. It was truly a labor of love. Although we mourn Genesis' passing, it is helpful to realize that yes, "It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all." Gerald Morsello, Eugene
MISSING THE BUS LTD (1/28 The Register-Guard) is trying to destroy the #22 for the third time in four years without the courtesy of notifying or working with the Crest Drive Citizens Neighborhood Group. In 2001, after proposing a school bus to SEHS, they cut two of our six commuter buses. They promised this would last two years. In 2002, they proposed elimination, then the school bus, and finally axed the earliest bus, allowing some commuters and students with after-school activities a chance to continue riding. LTD's service cuts fail to support their Mission Statement: "Delivering reliable public transit service; Offering innovative service that reduces dependency on the automobile; and Providing progressive leadership for the community's transportation needs." By forcing neighborhoods to access service only through Park & Ride locations, they at best make people rely on autos, and more likely lose them from ridership altogether. Despite our pleas, LTD has made NO attempts to encourage ridership in our neighborhood, or to help us reduce our neighborhood's future dependence on the auto. LTD Board chairwoman Wylie is quoted that service cuts balance their "responsibility to plan to the future." She and their website fail to reveal the millions being devoted to Bus Rapid Transit's "image" vehicle, designed to replace what are already their most popular arterial routes, NOT to improve neighborhood service. This is wrong. Please tell them so, either at their upcoming open house (Feb. 26), public hearings (March 17), or on their website www.ltd.org Richard B Coolman MD MPH, Developmental Pediatrician, Eugene
WITHOUT A CAUSE The mainstream media, including Eugene's only daily paper, keep using the words "rebel" and "insurgent" to identify people in Iraq who oppose U.S. hegemony there. A rebel or insurgent is someone who opposes a legitimate government. There is no legitimate government in Iraq — only an occupying power, placed there by military might. (One of the daily's guest columnists and at least two letters to the editor have already pointed this out — obviously in vain.) Jim Bates, Deadwood
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.
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|
 |
|||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
