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After reading Ben Fogelson's Commentary (4/17), I was once again appalled by the behavior of the Eugene Police Department. And then, five days later, I was witness to an even more ridiculous display of officer overkill and waste of public money by the EPD. Following an Earth Day rally calling for the cancellation of the Clark/Fall Creek timber sale, 10 citizens on bicycles decided to leave the Federal Building and peacefully ride over to visit the new urban tree-sit at the base of Skinners Butte, just a few short blocks away. They never made it. After turning onto 4th Avenue off High Street, the law-abiding bicyclists were surrounded by 30 police cruisers and motorcycles. The 10 bicyclists were all cited with disorderly conduct and two were arrested. They were harassed, intimidated, and threatened with arrest unless they supplied their Social Security numbers. According to a local attorney I consulted, an officer demanding a person's Social Security number is against the law. Ironic. The Eugene Police Department is out of control! A local woman elder walking by the scene couldn't have summed it up better: "Why don't they [the EPD] go solve a crime?" Leeanne Siart EDITOR'S NOTE: See story and photo in EW last week.
Heart Politics We've seen in Iraq the awesome effectiveness of U.S. military power in destroying enemy forces — a testimony to American problem-solving ingenuity. I feel no sense of triumph, only grief and frustration. The times we live in and the needs of people and the planet are crying out for us to use our ingenuity and resources in service to life and the human heart. With the $30 million that's Eugene's initial share of the costs for this war, we could restore city and school programs to what they were before all the cuts of the last few years. With the $100 billion or more cost of destroying and rebuilding Iraq, we could extend health insurance to three million Americans for a decade. For 10 percent of our annual military budget, according to U.N. estimates, we could provide food, clean water, sanitation, basic health care and basic education for all those in need in the disadvantaged world. It's time to stop wasting resources on fear-driven agendas, and look around the world to see what needs doing and pitch in. We could become a world leader in the inevitable growth sector of alternative energy, in environmental restoration know-how, in low-resource-use housing, in hydrogen-based transportation. If I were governor, or city manager, those are the kinds of businesses I would try to foster here. We could initiate talks on ending world trade in offensive weapons systems. We could challenge the world to match us in solving basic needs among the disadvantaged. If we did these things, we'd create so much goodwill, we could let our military budget wither away and still have greater security than we do now. We need a politics from the heart. We don't have time to waste. Michael Wherley
Smith's Agenda We all are aware of the atrocities suffered by the native peoples of this land. Many of us agree that reparations are in order, especially when it comes to issues of land. What many of us may not be aware of however is that Senator Smith is wanting to transfer 62,000 acres of forest in the Siulsaw National Forest to the BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs). The credibility of the BIA is highly questionable. In 2000-2001 they illegally clear-cut ancient forests in the Chu-aw-Clau-she Timber Sale under the premise that their sovereignty outweighed their legal obligations to sound forest management. This may seem like a heartfelt motion, but it is not as good as it seems. If this land "gift" takes place, it means many things. Representing a sovereign nation, the BIA would not have to offer access to the public, follow environmental regulations outlined in the Northwest Forest Plan, or continue the successful attempts at salmon and forest restoration taking place in the Siuslaw. There is also the fact that the tribes would have to use existing mills and exporting systems, supporting big timber. Senator Smith says that this is an act of "good will," and that it will help the people of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw tribes. I say it is another attempt to undermine environmental laws, public participation in public-lands management, and a chance for the big timber companies to take advantage of a tribal organization with similar destructive and capitalistic aims. Ray Cole
Healthy Growth I agree with Patrick Bronson (4/10) about the benefits of keeping our community small and the disadvantages of growth. I'm concerned, however, that by pointing out only the advantages of limiting growth, he ignores the other side. When we limit a city's growth, we risk having real estate and rental prices escalate so only the very rich can live there. Would we really want to become like Santa Barbara, Santa Fe or Palo Alto? How would we feel when our own children couldn't afford to stay and live here, or without growth, if they couldn't find decent jobs? Limiting growth is worthwhile, but we need to carefully strike the right balance and be mindful of unintended consequences. Martin Henner
Capable & Fair A recent letter criticized Munir Katul, a member of the Eugene Police Commission, for "defending militarization" and criticized the ACLU for not "yet suing the city of Eugene." Dr. Katul is a capable and dedicated individual with a progressive outlook and reputation for fairness. He's known to listen to both sides while generally enjoying the respect of individuals from a variety of viewpoints. In order to maintain ongoing effectiveness and sometimes accomplish the most good, one must be pragmatic in how decisions are formulated and communicated. I have not always agreed with the positions and organizations supported by the ACLU but believe that it is well meaning and utilizes its limited resources in an effort to protect our rights. The ACLU would be well served to have an individual of Dr. Katul's integrity, ability and sensitivity selected for its board. Alan Cohn
Strange Victory While American forces fail to find any sign of the weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) that formed the pretense for our invasion, I fear that the most dangerous WMD — hatred — is growing. The R-G's 4/30 report of escalating Iraqi civilian protests and retaliatory violence by U.S. soldiers in Fallujah is another sign of growing hatred of Americans and increasing danger to our troops in the Middle East. Since hatred is infinitely capable of turning box cutters (and many other tools) to the service of terror, we must also consider the possibility of increasing danger to Americans everywhere, even at home. Meanwhile, the Bush administration has decided there are insufficient funds in the Treasury to even bother to carry out an investigation into the most massive security failure in American history, the 9/11 attacks. Meanwhile, the Bush administration has decided there are insufficient funds in the Treasury to maintain veterans' benefits at their current (miserably inadequate) level. I support our troops by supporting increases in veteran's benefits, in contrast to the Bush Administration's proposal to slash these benefits. I support our troops by pleading with public officials to bring them home and take a massive crash-course in learning how to use diplomacy to solve problems. Ask any kindergarten teacher; they will be happy to explain the basic skills. Do we feel safer yet? Does anyone feel confident about the recovery of this tanking economy? Can anyone show me proof that some sort of "victory" has occurred? Dawn Lesley
Syria Next? The Bush administration manufactured the war on Iraq, in part, to deflect the nation's attention from its abysmal record on the domestic front: a troubled economy, unemployment, the dismantling of environmental protections, health care, lack of funding for education and social services, irresponsible tax cuts, attempting to gut Social Security, state budget cuts — the list goes on. A widely held belief is that past campaigns will be forgotten by the time the next ones come around. I do believe we would not be in this horrendous mess today had Al Gore been permitted to take his rightful place as president. Is Syria next? If the politics of war are to be stopped, let us not forget the 2000 campaign and broken campaign promises, among them that George W. Bush would not be a nation-builder. If replacing the government in Iraq is not nation-building, I don't know what is. Let's make absolutely certain the 2004 election results in a president who will emphasize the importance of domestic issues along with developing and promoting foreign policies that will lessen the possibility of terrorist acts against American interests at home and abroad, instead of encouraging terrorism, as those currently in power in Washington are doing. Pauline Hutson
Save that Oil While most of Baghdad was looted and burned as "coalition" troops watched, one closely guarded building remained intact: the Iraqi Oil Ministry. While hospitals and schools burned unchecked, crack firefighting crews were dispatched to put out oil well fires. Anybody still unclear about the motive for this invasion? Douglas Hintz
Protect Credibility Nineteen Saudis bring down the WTC. We blame another Saudi for planning it, so we topple the government of Afghanistan. Still no bin Laden, so we topple the government of Iraq. Now, no bin Laden or Saddam. I'm kind of afraid of North Korea, so could we just demonize Qadafi or Castro again? Also, as the world's policeman, we should waste no time in planting whatever evidence is necessary to justify our pre-emptive attack on Iraq — our credibility is at stake! Pete Raiteri Historical Parallel After Nazi Germany finished celebrating their easy victory over an obviously defenseless nation, they started planning their next "preemptive" attack. Czechoslovakia was mistreating its German population and the Nazis needed to stop this human rights abuse. Next it was Poland. Nothing can stop us now but our own conscience, if we still have one. Cheryl O'Neill
Dead Meat Recently there have been several letters condemning EW for running sexually oriented advertising. Some people find these ads offensive, but I see something printed on the back page amongst these ads that is truly disgusting. It is the cartoon called "Red Meat." It is never enlightening or humorous. Its existence degrades the other fine comics that EW presents. I remember the comic being dropped shortly after the initial few installments. When it was revived, I expected Max Cannon to prove the comic worthy of a second chance. The most recent cartoon about the finger found in a dumpster was truly disturbing. Why give credence to this drivel by publishing it? This comic is far more embarrassing to your publication than the sex ads. Jeff Levy
Flag-Waving Since the war machine has cranked up in this country everyone has been waving the flag and professing their love and support for our troops and veterans. I really have to question these shows of patriotism. Where is all your love and support when your elected officials under-fund the VA year after year? Why aren't you speaking up for veteran's who are forced to wait sometimes over a year to be seen by a doctor if they are lucky enough to be seen at all? Part of the tax cut for the rich and corporations President Bush wants is going to be partly funded by cuts to the already strapped Veterans Administration. Why aren't you protesting that? America, if you really love your veterans, put your money where your mouth is and support full funding for the Veterans Administration and fair treatment of veterans in the VA system. Tina Marie Mercurio
Into the Future Interesting future, ours. As the oil runs out, it will become precious. The oil "producers" will either join in the American economic cartel, or be invaded and destroyed. This country will be deliberately bankrupted through war and tax cuts. "Labor discipline" will be instilled through starvation wages at private industry. Unions will be outlawed, as the business model will be Wal-Martian. All factions will be played off against the other. Business will be represented in Congress, with the right to vote. The media will be controlled by embedding reporters in business and the military; their salaries will be paid by the government. National Forests will be privatized and sold to the highest bidder. Anxiety will be the national emotion, but declaring that 80 percent of the population has a "mental illness" will control it. The country will resemble America in the 1890s: No tax for the rich as they spend and so produce jobs. If there is no alternative to oil, can there be any other than this horrible future for America? Glad I am so often wrong that I can just see this as the daydream of a fool. I can trust my leaders, both in business and politics. They are smarter and wiser and more compassionate than I. They know how to run a country without oil; with an increasing population; with economic chaos around every turn — hope so. Hugh Massengill
Matter of Trust To those individuals in the community who feel that I am irresponsible for opposing U.S. military action in the Middle East, and the handing over of power to the Bush administration in this time of "crisis": I have recognized a key element: You trust Bush, and I don't. Imagine yourself in my position. What if it were Bill Clinton or Richard Nixon asking for unprecedented powers over decision-making, allocation of resources and the lives of our young men and women? I would certainly not blame you for having some doubts. It is clearly not un-American to oppose handing over power to someone you don't trust, and if it is treason to ever mistrust a president, then we are all guilty. I actually think it is perfect just the way it is. "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance," they say, and we get to take turns. Art Peck
Root Rot In smashing and looting the Iraqi National Museum and other cultural sites and burning the National Library, the evil ones of the U.S. military and Bush regime have destroyed the roots of western culture. These repositories of the stories of ancient western culture were our elders, our grandparents. By destroying our elders, they have destroyed our stories. By destroying the stories, they have destroyed the roots and source of our culture, and thus the culture will die. By destroying our culture, they have destroyed our humanity. We are a dead people. We are ghosts, condemned to wander forever without a home. Unfortunately, they have also killed many of the roots of Asian and African culture at the same time. Whether humanity can survive with so many of its roots destroyed, we do not know. Perhaps this is the beginning of the death of the human species. Ann Tattersall
Mmm … Perchlorate! It is the mother of all ironies that our president has spent billions of dollars and sent thousands of troops halfway around the world only to find a barrel of rocket fuel. Thanks to the Pentagon and a former Nevada rocket-fuel factory, 88 percent of our nation's lettuce crop is irrigated with Colorado River water, which is contaminated with perchlorate, a salt used to make rocket fuel. Lettuce from an organic farm contains perchlorate contamination 20 times as high as the amount California now considers safe for drinking water. Our president has vowed to give billions of dollars to his contractor buddies so that they can clean up the damage our military has done in Iraq; at the same time, he is pushing laws through Congress that would exempt military bases from laws requiring the cleanup of toxic substances associated with munitions and other explosives, which include perchlorate. I guess "Babs" never taught "Dubya" he had to clean up his own room before he went out to play. Michael T. Hinojosa
Aftermath The aftermath of the war against Iraq raises some questions yet to be addressed. Let me first say I am extremely grateful that our troops did not have to suffer the horror of chemical or biological weapons. But if Saddam Hussein had them, why didn't he use them on an invading army? Perhaps he did not have any weapons of mass destruction or he did not have the missiles to launch them. If either is true, then Hussein was not a significant threat. That would mean the Bush administration lied to us. A greater insult to us all is that our men and women fought and died in Iraq for Bush's lies, not to mention 2,000 civilians whose lives were shattered from bombs with our names on them. Why have Bush officials rejected the Chief U.N. Inspector's request to go back into Iraq and verify that there are no weapons of mass destruction? Could they be trying to hide the fallacy of the initial reasoning for the attack? The New York Times reported: "'We see no immediate role for Dr. Blix and his inspection teams,' Richard Grenell, spokesman for U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte, said Monday." Will Bush, like a crooked cop afraid of a court finding out he shot and killed an unarmed criminal, eventually "find" his promised weapons of mass destruction in Iraq by planting them somewhere convincing? I am sorry to say I would not put it past him. John Jordan-Cascade
Number One! The worst enemy of the people and of the planet in today's world is the perversion of governments, corporations and religions by fascism. Do not be brainwashed by the Bush/Fox right wing buzzards circling overhead. George W. Bush is the #1 peace fucker, environment fucker, liberties fucker, religion fucker, rights fucker, economy fucker, states fucker, union fucker, election fucker, democracy fucker, truth fucker, solvency fucker, compassion fucker, corporate responsibility fucker and weapons treaty fucker; Osama bin Laden or any one of the other decency fuckers doesn't even come close to causing as much harm as the Bush. I look forward to the day when our U.S. government becomes too smart and decent to throw exploding rocks at the other peoples of the world. Bob Saxton
Site Sightings Since the world went mad — more specifically, since about the time Bush II was installed as "president" — I have depended on www.buzzflash.com for most of my non-local news. Great website, providing links to legitimate, progressive articles from the media all over the country and around the world. What a pleasant surprise to find the current EW article on Clear Channel (4/24) among its offerings this week! Y'all have truly arrived. Congratulations! Christy Bishop
Wheelchair Image I am saddened by the photograph of "George Bush" in a wheelchair in the 4/10 EW issue ("War Correspondence"). It is not the statement I assume the impersonator was trying to make (i.e., Bush is an incapable, incompetent, superhero wannabe, etc.), but the means by which I am led to make these assumptions that is alarmingly inappropriate. Portraying Bush in a wheelchair should say nothing more than that he lacks the physical means to walk and, hence, uses a chair for mobility. The leap from this hypothetical physical disability to a question of his mental competence or moral standing is ridden with negative stereotypes of people with disabilities. I am disappointed to see these stereotypes endorsed by the EW, which typically holds to such progressive standards. As participants in the peace movement, it is our intention to communicate our reverence and respect for life. We need to remain unified in our opposition to the decisions made by the Bush administration by demonstrating the value of the diversity of life — all lives, including those of people with disabilities. Heather Goldman EDITOR'S NOTE: The photo was taken at The International Day of Protest in San Francisco on Jan. 18. There was no hidden message or political statement intended, In fact the person pictured is a wheel-chair bound protester who happened to be wearing a mask of George W. Bush.
LETTERS POLICY: We welcome letters on all topics and will print as many as space allows. Please limit length to 250 words, keep submissions to once a month, and include your address and phone number for our files. E-mail to editor@eugeneweekly.com, fax to 484-4044, or mail to 1251 Lincoln, Eugene 97401. |
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