Dark Days War, politics and wine come together. BY LANCE SPARKS It was the sweetest of days, and it was the darkest of days. It was a time of peace, and it was a slide-step down the spiral staircase of chaos. The autumn sun broke a crimson crescent over the jagged profile of the Three Sisters. The air was crisp and clean as fresh sheets, warm and soft as baby's breath. In Eugene's urban forest there was a trembling among the leaves; a blush crossed the faces of the red-leaf maples, and the ancient black walnuts dropped a yellowed carpet on streets and sidewalks. In the vineyards, sugars soared in the grapes. Feeling the peace and ignoring the news, people smiled and laughed and tried to pretend that America still lived its promise. But in the Congress of the U.S., greed and lust for power finally overcame 200 years of decency. A law sailed through the House and squeaked through the Senate authorizing the Executive to employ torture, ripping out the roots of the nation's most fundamental legal protection: the concept of habeas corpus. Most Americans probably don't know the term or that it is the tenet of law that protects any person from being arrested and held without charges; for most Americans, of course, even if they know the law, it is, for them, largely an abstraction and irrelevant to their everyday lives. Because most Americans are law-abiding, peace-loving folk who don't expect to get arrested, so the end of habeas corpus only affects Them, the Others, Terrorists. But how long before the Others include those who, in Bush-speak, are Soft on Terrorists? Forgotten or ignored in the debate was the story of Canadian Maher Arar. I hope you know the story: After 9/11, an over-zealous Canadian member of the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) informed American authorities that Arar should be considered a terrorist operative. Arar was arrested in Kennedy Airport and "renditioned" to Syria where he was tortured with "beatings and whippings with electrical cable," then held for a year in a cell "slightly larger than a grave" before finally being released when officials of the Canadian government admitted that the charges against Arar were utterly false. Last week, the RCMP finally apologized to Arar. In February of this year, a U.S. judge dismissed Arar's case against the U.S., citing the importance of secrecy and national security. Many people are remembering now (and more will remember later) the words of Protestant minister Martin Niemoller in the early years of Hitler's Germany: "First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out … " He continued his list through socialists and trade unionists, ending with the Jews. Niemoller himself was arrested and sent to a concentration camp, where he remained until the end of the war. Just a note: The day after passing the torture bill, Congress authorized $70 billion more for the "war" in Iraq, plus $34.8 billion for the giant federal police apparatus known as Homeland Security. Also included was provision for a 700-mile fence at the U.S. southern border. Almost 2,500 years ago, Socrates said all wars are about money, and that's where the Bush/Cheney oil war, the current politics of America and wine all come together. I hope all people who love this beautiful state and this lovely country are following the unfolding story of how Oregon wine and beer distributors have flown selected senators and others to Hawaii for rounds of wining, dining and golfing, followed by large campaign contributions. Five Republicans and (so far) two Democrats have been implicated in an ethics investigation; they "failed" or "forgot" to report the lobbyist-hosted trips. Some actually said they relied on the lobbyists' representative, Paul Romain, to tell them whether they needed to report the trips (and he said they didn't). So now I should feel great about helping those folks sell some wine? I'm struggling here, folks. I've always believed that good food, good wine, even (help me) good beer should be parts of a good life, available to all, irrespective of politics. But that view seems terribly naïve. Should we just ignore corruption and go for the flavors? I'm deeply conflicted. Got a thought? Please, send it along c/o the Weekly. Meanwhile, we've located three nice white wines for your fresh seafood: Willow Crest 2004 Viognier ($12.95) hails from Washington's Yakima Valley and delivers crisp, bright fruit flavors (pears, green peaches, touch of melon) and white flower aromas on a well-balanced structure that will accent the flavors of, say, halibut or shellfish, especially crab. Viognier (vee-o-NYAY) has long thrived in the Rhone Valley of France, but has acclimated well to warm regions of Australia and the U.S., and some really tasty versions have appeared in recent years. Eugene Wine Cellars 2004 Viognier ($15) achieves good balance and flavors of fresh pears with citrus notes; it just blossoms when paired with seafood. Silvan Ridge 2005 Viognier Reserve ($19) is among the best I've tasted wearing an American label. The grapes originate in the Rogue Valley, and the wine is big as white gets, richly aromatic, bursting with flavor, the texture round and mouth-filling Should we check the politics of these winefolks before purchasing their products? Silvan Ridge, for example, is owned by the Chambers family, strong backers of Republican politicians and positions; should that fact prevent progressives from buying and enjoying a terrific wine? Today's another dazzling, perfect Oregon autumn day, warm, sun-drenched, the air perfumed and honeyed, but darkness fills my eyes. Can you help me through this distress?
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