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DANGEROUS WORDS I'm deeply moved by the Rev. Gregory Flint's recent sermon reprinted in the Weekly (11/18). Thanks to Rev. Flint for his words of wisdom, and thanks to EW for making them available to its readers. Lately, I've seen some bumper stickers asking us to
pray for the safe return of our troops in Iraq and elsewhere. Wonderful.
May they all return home to their loved ones soon and safe. But I haven't
seen a single bumper sticker asking us to pray for the people our troops
are being ordered to kill. The death of a loved one to senseless violence
is an irreplaceable loss to any family, whether they be American or
The primary purpose of war propaganda is always to dehumanize the enemy, and to do it as often as possible. Both sides engage in horribly dehumanizing hate propaganda intended to justify even more horrific acts of violence. Jesus tried to teach us to break the cycle of violence. Jesus' teaching of tolerance and social reform are as dangerous to the modern ruling elite as they were to the temple priests 2000 years ago. So his words have to be carefully modified or ignored to prevent them from being practiced too widely. Lowell Rundle, Eugene
NOT SO SIMPLE Maria M. Berg's letter (11/4) takes Irwin Noparstak and Joan Bayliss to task for "ignoring history." Berg herself shows disrespect for the historical record, peppering her letter with historical inaccuracies and attributing ungenerous positions to Noparastak and Bayliss, which are similarly at odds with their record of service in pursuit of justice locally and in the Middle East. The origins of Israel and the failure of a similar Palestinian state to emerge are more complicated than Berg suggests. Criticism of Israel is appropriate, but Berg gains little credibility by inflating Israel's offenses and ignoring the failures among Palestinian leaders, not to mention those of Arab nations which have too often abandoned the Palestinians. Berg is wrong to suggest that Palestinians have only rocks and bombs at their disposal; they have diplomacy. Let's hope — and let's push— for a new engagement in the peace process in the post-Arafat world to achieve peace and justice in the Middle East. Historically, Israel has been prepared to share this land with a Palestinian state. Israel should again cooperate in efforts to create a viable Palestinian state. Will the new Palestinian leadership be willing and able to accept one? Matthew Dennis, Eugene
UNJUST INSULT Shame on your music reviewer (12/2) for basically insulting the world-famous classic rock band Wishbone Ash that recently appeared and put on a wonderful concert in Eugene. It is obvious she is more interested in the regurgitated, formulamatic, teenybopper, fake, talentless garbage that is promoted as music today, than listening to and witnessing true musicians who are as popular today as they were over the past 30 years. Shame on allowing a "journalist" ( and I definitely use that term loosely) to write such a shallow and egotisical, self-serving article. Wishbone Ash has more relevance today in the music world that anything this writer probably knows about, and even calls music. Obviously she is the one needing the enema, and to allow her to basically insult the band without ever seeing or hearing them is a slap in the face. Your paper ought to be ashamed and embarrassed to allow such a frivolous commentary to be published and she should issue an apology to the band and its fans. She has a right to her opinion, and she obviously has one that has no insight or semblence of accuracy based on factual research. What a sorry state of affairs for a "writer" to print a column of drivel based on no knowledge whatsoever of what she is writing about. But hey, that fits the media in the U.S. today anyway! Steve Koontz, High Point N.C.
DOESN'T ADD UP EWEB is being mismanaged. Three lone board members without factual data or public input are railroading through the sale of all the EWEB riverfront property to Triad. A decision of this magnitude cannot be made without public involvement and hard data. What is happening is that EWEB ratepayers, who paid $25 million 15 years ago for an administrative building to last 50 years (but would now cost $50 million to build), will throw in the building and all the riverfront land to Triad for a mere $24 million! Triad's offer doesn't come close to covering the cost of relocation. There is neither proven need nor cost-savings data available for a move. It doesn't add up for ratepayers. The board intends to spend $1 million for feasibility studies regarding this offer. If the board truly has cost-saving and efficiency in mind, then the first priority is sponsoring energy conservation. The biggest expense for the utility is purchasing energy; if we raise rates 1 percent, the utility raises $1 million, but if we save 1 percent, the savings is $5 million! Let's put our money where it counts. Write to the Board of Commissioners at P.O. Box 10148, Eugene 97440 or call EWEB at 484-2411. Simply let them know that you will not subsidize a new building or increased rates. There is no financial gain to sell at this time. Giving away our public asset is irresponsible. Marcy Cauthorn, Eugene
MIXED MESSAGE Thanks for your feature touting the Glenwood Option (11/11). As your article correctly states, the two options, Glenwood and Riverbend, have now moved much closer together, largely due to the recent passage of the Glenwood Urban Renewal District (URD), which you also correctly point out, will help with infrastructure improvements and property acquisition. It is interesting and ironic to note, however, that the editors of Eugene Weekly inexplicably recommended that the people of Springfield reject the creation of the Glenwood URD in its election issue (10/14). Those who support compact core-area urban growth and decry development in pristine areas on the urban fringe can be thankful EW's influence does not extend across the river into Springfield. The Glenwood URD passed with 72 percent of the vote! Paul Roth, Glenwood
UNFOUNDED PARANOID Jerry Harris has some good ideas, but he was off-base in his recent column about the Eugene Public Library (11/18). Eugene Weekly prides itself on being biased on behalf of progressive views, but being factual is just as important, especially when checking the facts shows what a great library we have. One simple phone call revealed that the library does not generally collect card-holder information beyond name and address, and so therefore cannot share check-out lists with Homeland Security or anyone else. There a few minor exceptions to this rule; primarily in the area of keeping track of damaged materials or past-due late fees. As long as patrons return their checked out materials on time and in good condition, no one is the wiser. Public librarians, actually a rather cheerful and charmingly non-dogmatic group of people, are extremely sensitive to the rights of all people to access information. Nationally, most public libraries no longer compile cardholder check-out information. Can't honor a subpoena if they don't have the information, can they? A tidy solution, and easy for Mr. Harris and his editors to ascertain. Go ahead and be outrageous, but get a clue. Curb your paranoia and check your facts. Laurie McClain, Mary Wagner & Joan Kleban, Eugene
BACK TO THE DARK Bush-Republican agenda for their last term: Suspend the Age of Reason! Cancel the Renaissance! Turn off the Enlightenment! Return to the Dark Ages! Never mind that their "political capital" is counterfeit and they have no mandate. Wendy Ray, Eugene
WORK AT HOME I read with interest Julie Claybaugh's letter (11/18) in the Weekly. I certainly agree with many of Ms. Claybaugh's points, but I take issue with her fingers, which are pointed at the Midwest and the Bible Belt as the source of the blame for the election of President Bush. She ends her letter declaring, "Thank God we live in a blue state!" I'm as happy as anyone that our state (barely) went to Sen. Kerry in the presidential election. But more than half of my pain on Nov. 3 centered on my realization that although we voted for Kerry as a state, we also voted for Measure 36 and against Measure 34. And actually, only eight of our 26 counties went to Kerry (not surprisingly, the most populated ones voted Dem). The truth is, we can't blame the fundamentalist Bible Belt or the backwards Southern states, because America's new values are here, too — right here in Oregon. Those with progressive values truly are in the minority, even in our own state, and pretending otherwise is regressive. There is much work to do at home. Erin Betters, Eugene
GREEN CHRISTIANS Author of "Shades of Green," Ms. Rogers-Gessert, wrote interestingly on small houses (11/11). I was dismayed, however, upon reading the first paragraph. She disallows for Christian people like myself, who have always been perhaps not activist, but keenly aware of our Earth (if we should call it ours) and its balance. Many baby boomers and younger were hippies of the late 1900s. Still, we now embrace a divinely inspired hope for Earth, its people, its animals and its plants and soil. I am speaking for many, many Christian people because I know I am not the only one who feels this way. Ms. Rogers-Gessert's statement that "these people … have no connection to the Earth" amounts to bigotry and shows the culture of elitism which causes people to judge others unfairly. The "we're better than you" attitude needs to be halted for any progress of peace and love on this planet. Since she will undoubtedly not be celebrating Christmas, because it is about Jesus telling us about the kingdom of God, I will say, "happy solstice." Rona Provines, Eugene EDITOR'S NOTE: Our understanding of Kate Gessert's column is that she is concerned about the fundamentalist Christians we have elected to the White House and Congress who are actively dismantling our environmental regulations. Nowhere in her column does she lump all Christians together.
INTEGRITY ON THE LINE I am responding to Nathaniel Embry's letter (11/24) complaining about disappointed voters "crying fraud and throwing tantrums reminiscent of children that have had their toys taken away." I agree with Mr. Embry that we should take a good look at "how and why we lost" (or, for that matter, how Bush could have won). However, it does not follow that because the Democratic Party is pathetic, we should, therefore, not be concerned about the integrity of the election process. I think the data from the last three elections strongly suggests that the results were manipulated to an unprecedented degree. To cite one example, it is remarkable that exit polls which have historically been accurate plus or minus 1 percent are wildly discrepant from the official results this time, but only in battleground states where Republican politicians administered the count of the ballots. The results are especially discrepant in battleground states where electronic voting machines without paper trails were used. Even if Mr. Embry believes that these extraordinary discrepancies are a fluke of statistical chance, he should be concerned about the potential fraud and the diminished credibility of the results when unauditable voting equipment is used. My wife is a professor of computer science and has kept abreast of the technical issues related to these voting machines. Opinion among computer scientists is nearly unanimous — these machines can be trivially tampered with by the election officials who control them, or by the manufacturer who provides technical support, and even by skillful hackers. That the integrity of our elections are beyond question is paramount to sustaining the legitimacy of our government. Paul Nicholson, Eugene
CARRYING HATRED In regards to Bob Berg's unsolicited anti-gay propaganda, which has been found on many a door in Eugene: Jesus' principal teachings were those of love and compassion. True Christians will understand that God, and not they, will be the one to judge humanity — which, I might add, includes yourself and the group that you demonize. The Bible does say that homosexuality is an abomination, but it also uses the same term to describe clothing made of anything beside a certain type of fabric. Perhaps fundamentalist interpreters should start taking the whole Bible literally, instead of choosing to follow those tenets that suit them. Having hatred in your heart is a problem that only you, Mr. Berg, can reconcile. But I and many other "value voters," people who believe in equal rights, the separation of church and state, and the eradication of legislating morality (especially when it violates the Constitution), ask that you stop spreading your bigoted, disgusting, shameful, distorted view of Christianity and keep it within your faith's ideological, dogmatic walls. Sara Brickner, Eugene
CAUSE AND EFFECT A couple weeks ago a letter appeared here from yet another bicyclist complaining about having had bad experiences while riding in Eugene. At first I thought of writing directly to the issue and have since decided against it. If I am going to take up print space, I should say something more useful to the naive and wispy thinkers among us and it is this: The Law of Natural Selection, and its corollary, the Law of Natural Consequences, is at work, always and everywhere. Everything we can think of to do in this life comes with its own set of rules. We can read those rules, or we can learn them by trial and error. If we fail to learn the rules, the above-mentioned laws will cause us unhappiness if we are lucky, and kill us if we are not. This worldly existence may be only a dream, but traffic fines and wheelchairs are inclined to manifest themselves in ways that at least appear to be quite real, while a visit to the library is not expensive and leaves no lasting scars. Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment. "Take care of yourself" is not simply a quaint way to say goodbye. If the above looks like gibberish to you, well, I am sorry to have taken up some of the little time you have left. Wilbur Gregg, Eugene school bus driver
SLUGGISH RECIPE I want to take this opportune time to thank the folks at Eugene Weekly for the words and work that help keep the community connected and also for obliging a new SLUG Queen who really wants to be heard. So thanks! Now that I have your attention: Please indulge me and try out a simply marvelous recipe for a downright successful holiday— though I suppose it'd come in handy for any festive occasion. Mix a whole lot of love; fold in big helpings of harmony; throw in a handful of humor; sprinkle in change; strain any excess stress and then discard; add scoops of delight; measure just a pinch of order; sift out intolerance; try a little tenderness; grate in gratitude; stir in joy ('til just the point of overflowing). Reduce portions — delegate those extra helpings of dishes. Blend all ingredients together and spread evenly by giving. If overdone — chill. Serve it up with style and a smile. Wrap it up with grace. If you have leftovers — of course, recycle and reuse. May all of ya'll enjoy the bounty that is ... Chow! Oh yes — to prevent a sluggish feeling after consuming — not that there's anything wrong with feeling sluggish — oops, that's another recipe. Oh fiddle dee dee, I'll think about that tomorrow. Queen Scarlett O' Slimera, Eugene
ADJUST THE COLOR I would like to respond to Frank M. Price's Letter in the Weekly (12/2) titled "Raunchy Cable." After reading his concerns, I both agreed and disagreed. A few years ago I was attending a conference on the effects of the media. One of the speakers was Ted Turner, who charmed and invited us get involved to effect change. When he agreed to take questions, a student asked what gave Turner the right to colorize certain black and white classic films from the MGM catalog. Turner asked the student if he had color controls on his TV. He answered that he did. Turner's response was that if he was upset he could simply adjust the color. Mr. Price, I understand your concerns. In addition, I don't understand why you seem think that the cable company needs to cater to your needs. Instead of demanding change, why didn't you cancel your subscription, incorporate signal filters that are password activated, watch only videos or DVDs, switch to a disk service and finally, stop watching TV altogether. I have expanded basic cable and having no young children at home, I watch what I want and restrict what I see. You also write that you should not have "that sewage" in your home just to watch the Food Network or the Disney Channel. While your concerns are valid, they have to be put aside in favor of our protected First Amendment right. I may not agree with you, but I will defend your right to have those thoughts/feelings. As a strong believer in the absolute separation of church and state, I cannot hold with the moral belief that infringes on my rights. You desire to pick and choose what you watch and only watch what you wish is not in the best interest of your cable provider. You have the power you seek and the will to clean up the cable industry. The same privilege has to apply to everyone equally. Saying that your way is righteous doesn't make it so. In closing, I would suggest that you look at what and how you believe. No moral imperative has value when it denigrates the greater good. We have the capacity for both good and evil. The truth is rarely pure and almost never simple. Do for yourself, but not at the cost of others. George G. Brooks , Eugene
REPEAT AFTER ME Deck the halls with junk from China — Tra la la la la la la la la. Tis the season for out-sourcing — Fa la la la la la la la la. Now we're lucky to work for nothing — Folly folly folly folly FALL. Will we all be chipped by Wal-Mart? Shop instead at worker-owned BiMart! Tra la la la la la la la la. Kathy Ging, Eugene
CHEESY UNION I wholeheartedly support gay marriage. Gays have as much a right to be miserable as straight people! But it goes deeper than that. If gay marriage is legalized, it may be eventually be possible for me to marry a stuffed-crust pizza. Dorothy Karstrom, Eugene
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