DIVERSITY ISN'T PICTURE PERFECT As a minority, perhaps I viewed Hustle & Flow with a different perspective than the majority population. I saw a moving film about torment, disappointment and desperation. I was deeply offended by the insensitivity of some of the comments made by Debra Merskin (3/30) who felt that the movie glorified "pimpness." I don't recall Terrence Howard, in Hustle and Flow, wearing fur coats or feathered hats or lots of diamonds? What I saw in this film was that these men, pimps, are human beings, who feel, who hurt, who have shame and anger. Yes, there are pimps who intimidate, who threaten, who use violence and abuse the innocence of children, but I don't think the American public is so naive as to believe that pimps are the only men in our society guilty of this crime. The author offends me when she comments that the roles thought of when considering African American actors include "gang member, convict, hip-hop/rap singer," period! When I think about the roles my peers have played, I think of Don Cheadle in Hotel Rwanda, I think of Whoopi Goldberg in The Color Purple and Jumpin' Jack Flash, I think of Eddie Murphy in 48 Hours, I think of Djimon Hounsou in Aamistad and In America, I think of Richard Pryor in The Toy, I think of Halle Berry in Their Eyes Were Watching God, I think of Denzel Washington in Philadelphia, and I could go on. It is middle class white Americans who only see the "gang member, convict, hip-hop/rap singer," we minorities recognize something more. I do believe her intentions were to express distress about the continuing problems of stereotyping in Hollywood and to highlight the wrongs within society concerning prostitution. However, I think what she has done is to make casual comments that actually further perpetuate the problem of stereotyping. It is easy to do in the pseudo-liberal climate of Eugene where the African-American population hovers right around 1 percent. It is easy as a society to say you are open to differences when there aren't many differences to deal with. The Oscar-winning song is meant to reflect one man and his situation. I think most people are smart enough to understand the difference between the story of one man and a song about his situation, and a story about a group of people and a song that represents that group as a whole. I am proud as a woman of color anytime any minority wins an award of such stature. I am proud that there are men and women out there who are brave enough to tell stories and sing songs that people may be uncomfortable dealing with. Isn't that how real change occurs? With discomfort? I don't know, may be it's just me? Jinny McKenzie, Eugene DREAM WEAVER At 3 this morning I awoke from a dream so interesting that I had to get up and write it down before I could sleep. A news commentator, perhaps in the spirit of Charles Osgood, was saying that a major corporation was going to use a billion or so dollars it had gained from some recent sale to make a purchase that would, in effect, extend civilization's lease on existence for a little longer. As I awoke it occurred to me, with a bit of further interpretation, that the error was the perception of dependence on, and viability of, rigid exchanges of money within the corporate network to keep us going, rather than confidence in the more flexible altruism, cooperation and synergy. Of course it was just a dream. Dan Robinson, Eugene FORCED VACATIONS I want to give a heartfelt thank you to EW for the "Pitchfork Rebellion" article (3/16) and the new toxic spray notification listing. It couldn't be more timely for us, because Seneca just completed a large clearcut a quarter mile from our house. They have a history of some of the worst forest practices; this particular clearcut is steep, raw and completely denuded. Steep cuts are more likely to have aerial herbicide applications than "ground" (i.e. backpack) treatment, resulting in certain spray drift to neighboring land. Seneca is not required to notify nearby residents. With contacts from your article I signed up for the ODF subscription notification listing. Lynn Bowers, a local no-spray activist, was very helpful about this process. At least with this notification process we can inform our neighbors and we can all take forced vacations around the time of the spray dates. I just wish we could send Seneca the hotel bill! Cathy Boucher, Rural Eugene BLOWING SMOKE In her recent (3/30) letter, Deb McManman states, "I do not pass judgement on EW for advertising American Spirit, I applaud them for it!" FYI: On July 30, 2004, following approval by shareholders of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: RJR), Reynolds American Inc. (NYSE: RAI) became the new, direct parent company of RJR (which owns all of the stock of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company), and Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company, Inc. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, the second-largest U.S. cigarette manufacturer, manufactures about one of every three cigarettes sold in the U.S., including five of the nation's 10 best-selling cigarette brands: Camel, Winston, Kool, Salem and Doral. No applause from here. Pat Hadley , Eugene CANCER CURE My recovery from a second bout with breast cancer depended solely on organic foods and supplements that I purchased from local health food stores. I would not trust my continued good health to a Texas corporation that trucks food in from distant places. My first experience with breast cancer was in 1986 when I had a lumpectomy, chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Chemotherapy was not difficult, but I became very ill with radiation pneumonia and was hospitalized for weeks. My recovery was very slow but I regained my health. For eight years after that I was a strict vegetarian but slowly began to eat what might be called the regular American diet. I lived in fear of having breast cancer again. In 1996 my husband died within 48 hours of a bone marrow transplant for leukemia. My reservations about traditional treatments grew. In 2003, I noticed an indentation in my right breast — the same breast. A needle biopsy gave me the dreaded news that it was again cancer. I was 61 years old and decided to do no medical treatments. My daughter convinced me to start a macrobiotic diet. I tried to follow the diet strictly and ate no meat, cheese or eggs. Every day I tried to eat organic short grain brown rice, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, mushrooms and wakami seaweed. Within approximately three months the lump was almost gone. At that point I became aware of alternative cancer treatment programs in Reno, Nev. I participated in their three-day program and have continued the supplements they recommend. I have continued macrobiotic foods but I do drink decaffeinated coffee. It is important to note that regular coffee is not recommended. It is now close to two-and-a-half years since my diagnosis. I feel good and have no indications of cancer. Good health is too important to gamble on. Why risk the questionable purity and nutrition of something else from Texas?    Charlotte Higgins-Lee, Ph.D., Springfield CRITICALLY LACKING On March 31, my family and I went to Critical Mass. We used to attend Critical Mass in Berkeley and it was a party. We wanted to come and do our part to support visible action toward raising awareness of the beauty of bicycling. We were pretty disappointed. Eugene's Critical Mass has received some bad press, and that, coupled with rainy weather, resulted in poor numbers. The police handed out postcards concerning moving violations. We started out with eight bicycles and ended up with four, all the while being followed by four police officers on bikes and four on motorcycles. Even with my two kids, we were totally outnumbered. I felt paranoid at every stop sign, just sure that the police were there to make an example out of me. Critical Mass wasn't last week; we didn't have the mass to make it critical. I feel sad that I live in an environment where the Eugene police think they have to watch four bicycles with eight officers. My kids now have evidence that a police officer is someone we have to watch out for. I feel sad about that too. We will come again, but I'm not sure when. We live rurally and have to drive into town to support Critical Mass (driving our bio-diesel station wagon, of course). I love Critical Mass, the concept and the party it was (and is) in Berkeley. I hope Eugene will be that way someday, too. kaseja Wilder, Eugene BLUR THE BORDER The problems of illegal immigration are not going away. With upwards of 11 million illegal immigrants living in the U.S. and more millions on the way, there is no solution under the present system. A fence is not the answer; enforcement is not the answer; nor is amnesty. The only real solution is based on the model provided by the European Union, whose member nations allow for the free movement of its citizens to live and work where they choose. This system, applied to North America (beginning with the U.S. and Mexico and expanding to other countries later) would solve the major problem of entire families moving to the U.S. and then hiding from the authorities and not participating in our culture. An open border would allow wage-earners to travel and work freely, allowing families who choose to stay home to stay home, but also allowing those wage earners to travel home at will. It would also solve another major problem by increasing the local tax base. As the huge black-market labor industry is legitimatized, workers will pay taxes in the jurisdictions in which they work. The converse would be the free movement of U.S. citizens into Mexico to work and live, bringing new opportunities to exchange ideas and cultures to the benefit of all. The final stipulation is the retention of citizenship for those coming and their children, whether born in the U.S. or brought into this country, who would not become automatic citizens but would need to earn it as people from other nations now are required. Open the border: the result will be a level playing field for all norteamericanos. Mark Sixel , Eugene THE BUZZ ON 10TH Let's see, mosquito netting? Check. Protective clothing? Got it. Toxic citronella coils? Better get 200. And some of that repellent spray with TOTAL DEET — the kind they issue to Special Forces jungle warfare platoons? Better give me 10 — no, 20 of those. What? Am I planning a summer rafting trip up the Amazon River to learn native basket weaving? Nope. Amazon Creek, maybe. I'm expecting a biblical mosquito plague to emerge from that festering excavated pond on 10th Avenue, across from the library. Bzzzz! Anybody else getting early season bites yet? Ron Ramsey, Eugene DEFY TEMPTATION I was talking with an out-of-state friend about the plans for a Whole Foods store in Eugene and my plans not to shop there. "Oh, that store is so seductive," she replied. "Everyone will want to shop there." Her remark reminded me of another seductive temptation that I read about in my high school study of The Odyssey : Ulysses and his men had to pass the island of the Sirens on their way home from the Trojan War. The song of these enchantresses was so seductive that any sailor who heard it would forget his original course and follow the singing. Their island was littered with the bones of sailors whose efforts to reach them had resulted in shipwrecks. Ulysses wanted to hear the Sirens without wrecking his ship, so he told his men to tie him firmly to the mast. Meanwhile, he had them stop their ears with beeswax so that they could row past the island without hearing the Siren song. The strategy worked. We can use the strategy of Ulysses' crew by ignoring all the ads for Whole Foods, and passing by the store without going in. Those who share Ulysses' wish to safely experience temptation can leave their wallets at home if walking, or in their trunk if driving. This will allow them to see the products and eat the free samples without any danger of impulse shopping. If we follow Ulysses' strategy, we may also survive a seductive, destructive temptation. Carol McBrian, Eugene SPEEDY RELIEF I live in Eugene and I was in Southern India at the M.A. Center (or Amma Center), an international headquarters when the East Asian tsunami struck on Dec. 26, 2004. What I saw changed my ideas about my own capabilities and the meaning of charity. The more than 1,000 residents of the center swung into immediate action preparing food and all other necessities. I helped as much as I was able, and became aware that many people were working non-stop, with no sleep for days. Each day I would shake my head in disbelief over the quality, quantity and sheer swiftness of aid that was being given. Seeing the devastation and living amidst the ocean of grief, it was easy to understand the importance of international charitable aid. The Center's tsunami work thus far has earned them NGO status from the U.N. Their house rebuilding efforts have excelled — more than 4,000 homes built in the last year. The work of the center's many volunteers in this country in the aftermath of the Gulf Coast hurricanes has been profound as well. They are also giving aid and have pledged to rebuild in the earthquake devastated areas of Northern India. To all in Eugene-Springfield area who have wanted desperately to help the people caught in these tragedies, I say with confidence that by donating to the M.A. Center, with it's less then 1 percent overhead, your gift actually increases in value, as Amma, the center's leader has often said, because the volunteers simply desire to give of themselves selflessly. Millen Myrmo, Eugene SAFETY IN NUMBERS In response to Michael Cleaver's letter (3/30), the Critical Mass bike ride is not about breaking the law, it's about raising awareness of the presence of bicycles on city streets and their viability as an alternative mode of transportation. Just because a small handful of cyclists have chosen to bend traffic laws in the past does not incriminate the whole group. Using that mentality, all legal peace rallies would be condemned because once in a while someone breaks a window. I agree with Michael that vehicles pose an extreme threat to cyclists. As any law-abiding cyclist will tell you, their lives are constantly at risk on city streets from speeding vehicles plowing through red lights, ignoring stop signs and yield signs, or running them off the road. So far as safety is concerned, group bike rides are the one occasion where cyclists are somewhat protected by their sheer numbers. Michael's claim that the "focal point" of Critical Mass is running red lights suggests to me that he has never been on a ride before. I find it disturbing that someone who considers a group bike ride to be a "violent disregard for human life" supports cops throwing people off their bikes to the ground. Michael does a great disservice to cyclists everywhere by slandering the peaceful Critical Mass ride as a "mob on wheels." If he were truly concerned about bike safety, he would constructively participate in Critical Mass — instead of publicly attacking the rides, which only increases the risk that riders must face from thousands of already frustrated and impatient drivers. Josh Schlossberg, Eugene DEFAZIO GETS A 'PASS' The passage of Greg Walden's Forest Restoration Bill has, of course, been receiving a lot of press. Not only in our local papers, but in numerous papers across the country. It is nice to see that in each article it gives credit to those who worked so hard to get the bill passed through committee. What each, and so far, every article that I have read fails to do is point out that our current representative, Peter DeFazio, voted against this bill. Why is it that this isn't pointed out, considering the fact, that he voted against something that is so incredibly important not only to the people of his district, but also to the future economy of Oregon? The voters need to know what their Congressman is doing, or in this case, not doing for the people of his district. In the 20 years that DeFazio has been our representative, we have lost more than 14,000 timber-related jobs. DeFazio finally has the opportunity to help bring back some of these jobs to the 4th District, and he votes "no." Jennifer Thompson, Springfield BOOT THE KICKER    Good news was recently presented to Oregon — our economy is recovering and the state could restore some of the cuts they made to schools in the last session, so we could have reasonable class sizes and a full school year. Except that we have to kick the money back, instead of investing in students. Imagine what schools could receive if the state gave the Oregon kicker law the boot. Money from the kicker should be invested in Oregonians. Because the economy is on track for its strongest upswing since 1999 corporations will be receiving $205 million in kicker checks. 85 percent of this money will go to companies not based in this state — it will be sent out of Oregon. By investing in Oregon, not out of state multinational corporations, we strengthen schools and other vital services that help attract new business and grow more jobs. It's time we re-think our kicker law and reinvest the money in Oregon's education and human services. Think what services the state could restore if instead of returning $600 million in individual and corporate kicker checks the money was invested in the state. At a time when schools are facing deficits that translate into huge classes and less opportunities for students, it is time to retain the kicker funds the state collects and invest it in our state and our future. Val Rylands, Marcola
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