LETTERS IN THE EDITOR'S MAILBAG.Byline: The Register-Guard Rich want to keep wages low Sean McMahon (letters, April 17) wrote that rich people pay most of the taxes in this country. He neglected to mention that is because they have most of the money. They got it by exploiting the rest of us, forcing us to work for low wages. Keeping wages low is official public policy in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. , although you'll never hear that from the politicians we keep electing, bought and paid for by the rich. That policy will never change as long as we keep electing Democrats and Republicans. LYNN PORTER Eugene Stop timber sale near Blue River As lilac lilac, any plant of the genus Syringa, deciduous Old World shrubs or small trees of the family Oleaceae (olive family), widely cultivated as ornamentals. and daphne color and scent my garden, spring's kiss has me thinking of the beauty of the natural world. With sweat, love and a little encouragement, the flowers I planted years ago return, brightening my neighbors' lives and my own. Gardening has taught me that caring for nature and being a considerate con·sid·er·ate adj. 1. Having or marked by regard for the needs or feelings of others. See Synonyms at thoughtful. 2. Characterized by careful thought; deliberate. steward of my tiny plot perpetuates beauty and honors life. Sadly, the McKenzie District of the U.S. Forest Service has not kept this compact with the land. Sixteen acres of rare native forest near Blue River have recently fallen to the saw. The next units to be cut are some of the most beautiful forest I've ever seen. Last fall, I walked among ancient cedar, rare fungi and 500-year-old firs! This beautiful stand of trees could be leveled and shipped to the Rosboro mill in Springfield next week. All the mysteries of birth, death, cycles of life, season, diversity and the seldom-seen view of pre-colonized nature could soon perish TO PERISH. To come to an end; to cease to be; to die. 2. What has never existed cannot be said to have perished. 3. When two or more persons die by the same accident, as a shipwreck, no presumption arises that one perished before the under boot and tire. This is a call to urge the Forest Service and Rosboro to drop this sale and do the right thing. More so, it is a call for an end of hostilities on our natural world. Let your advocacy be swift and firm; I have seen the miraculous beauty of our national forests and, with time, sweat, love and a little encouragement, what we've trampled will blossom again. PETER SARACENO Eugene Newspaper has liberal agenda I appreciated the April 16 editorial diatribe di·a·tribe n. A bitter, abusive denunciation. [Latin diatriba, learned discourse, from Greek diatrib about why the newspaper endorses candidates. The Register-Guard's liberal agenda is quite clear throughout the year, and we don't need its reasons for making endorsements to help us make the newspaper's decisions. At the end of the political season, let's see Let's See was a Canadian television series broadcast on CBC Television between September 6, 1952 to July 4, 1953. The segment, which had a running time of 15 minutes, was a puppet show with a character named Uncle Chichimus (voice of John Conway), which presented each if the newspaper endorses one Republican candidate. If it does, it would be rare. I can't wait for The Register-Guard's reasons to endorse John Kerry  Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled due to vandalism. for president.
JACK BARROWCLIFF Springfield Bush is a man without a plan Ours is indeed a great nation. In this country, a perfectly average guy like George W. Bush can become president. One evidently need only be born to a wealthy, politically connected family and have friends on the Supreme Court. What do we get for this triumph in leadership succession? We get an affable af·fa·ble adj. 1. Easy and pleasant to speak to; approachable. 2. Gentle and gracious: an affable smile. president, albeit no brighter than need be. We get a man who is in charge of the largest collection of weapons of mass destruction Weapons that are capable of a high order of destruction and/or of being used in such a manner as to destroy large numbers of people. Weapons of mass destruction can be high explosives or nuclear, biological, chemical, and radiological weapons, but exclude the means of transporting or ever assembled but cannot pronounce the word "nuclear." We get a man so distrusted by his staff that he cannot be permitted to testify alone before the Sept. 11 commission. We get a man who has never once told the truth about why he started the bloody and expensive war with Iraq and has no plan or clue how to end it. We get a self-proclaimed uniter who has successfully united most of the world against us. We get a man who believes that Ronald Reagan's tax cuts for the rich will solve the worst unemployment in decades. In short, a man with no plan. The president does have a remarkable talent for deluding people, if only the U.S. public. While some think that he is a leader, who knows what goes on in this White House? I'm looking forward to the next exercise of our remarkable system and the removal of this national disaster from office. STEPHEN J. REMINGTON Eugene Bush caters to his cronies George W. Bush has lied and lied and lied. When caught, he points fingers at those who supplied information. Whatever happened to "the buck stops here?" He came to the office of president with a set agenda, focused on changing our environmental laws, education, the tax structure, the economy and our relations with the global community, all in the name of catering to his corporate cronies. It's no wonder he had no time to listen to ominous warnings about Osama bin Laden's plans to attack in the United States. And, yes, perhaps he intended to punish Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein (born April 28, 1937, Tikrit, Iraq—died Dec. 30, 2006, Baghdad) President of Iraq (1979–2003). He joined the Ba'th Party in 1957. Following participation in a failed attempt to assassinate Iraqi Pres. for past transgressions. The fact is, the administration manipulated unsubstantiated reports, presenting them as sensational facts to influence public opinion and make the case for invading a country they said was poised to attack us on short notice. The administration has repeatedly blocked attempts to find out the truth about actions taken in this and other matters. I am terrified ter·ri·fy tr.v. ter·ri·fied, ter·ri·fy·ing, ter·ri·fies 1. To fill with terror; make deeply afraid. See Synonyms at frighten. 2. To menace or threaten; intimidate. for our country and our freedoms if President Bush is elected to a second term. D.J. CHASE Cottage Grove Cottage Grove, village (1990 pop. 22,935), Washington co., SE Minn., near the St. Croix River; inc. 1965. There is farming (cattle, sheep, corn, and soybeans) and manufacturing (chemicals and machinery). Library should ban cell phones I couldn't agree more with the April 15 editorial calling for a cell phone ban in the Eugene Public Library. A library is, to some extent, a vacuum. At best, phones violate the spirit of the place; at worst, they interfere with the opportunity to reflect and research. It doesn't make sense that our movie theaters ban them but our library does not. During a recent visit, I overheard two phone conversations, the second of which was an argument. I shouldn't have to listen to that, nor should I have to police it. A male librarian looked on helplessly. When a matronly librarian swooped in to restore calm, I felt certain that wrongs would soon be made right. Turns out she was after a man reading quietly who'd been resting his feet on the empty chair nearby. Poor guy. He didn't know what hit him. The cushion was saved, but his ego was scuffed. I haven't read the Patron Code of Conduct, but since when is putting your feet up a greater offense than shouting in the library? JASON Jason, in Greek mythology Jason, in Greek mythology, son of Aeson. When Pelias usurped the throne of Iolcus and killed (or imprisoned) Aeson and most of his descendants, Jason was smuggled off to the centaur Chiron, who reared him secretly on Mt. Pelion. BLAIR Eugene Time to ban cell phones in cars I agree with the April 15 editorial "Hang up and read." The rudeness of cell phone users seems to have no bounds. I'd like to carry this ban further. The bumper sticker bumper sticker n. A sticker bearing a printed message for display on a vehicle's bumper. bumper sticker n → Aufkleber m "Hang up and drive" says it all. Oregon should be on the cutting edge of highway safety by banning the use of handheld cell phones while driving. Even with the slowest speed limits of all Western states, I've still experienced poor judgment and near misses by many drivers talking on the phone. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think there are a couple of states and at least one country in Europe that have this ban in effect. I feel the time has come for Oregon to take this step. THOMAS KOPRIVA Eugene Israel is liquidating murderers The primary obligation of a country is the physical defense of its people. As Israel liquidates one savage Palestinian murderer after another, Jews everywhere become safer and the world as a whole is cleansed cleanse tr.v. cleansed, cleans·ing, cleans·es To free from dirt, defilement, or guilt; purge or clean. [Middle English clensen, from Old English of another foul, criminal beast. If Mexican priests taught little boys to blow themselves up on San Diego San Diego (săn dēā`gō), city (1990 pop. 1,110,549), seat of San Diego co., S Calif., on San Diego Bay; inc. 1850. San Diego includes the unincorporated communities of La Jolla and Spring Valley. Coronado is across the bay. buses in order to free Texas, would the U.S. response be to negotiate with the priests? When the Arab residents of Gaza, Judea and Samaria (referred to as the West Bank by the press) awake from their cultural slumber and enter the civilized world by forswearing for·swear also fore·swear v. for·swore , for·sworn , for·swear·ing, for·swears v.tr. 1. a. To renounce or repudiate under oath. b. To renounce seriously. the murder of civilians, choosing creative and rational leaders rather than the thugs who rule them now and come to the peace table free of maximalist max·i·mal·ist n. One who advocates direct or radical action to secure a social or political goal in its entirety: "the maximalists . . . who want the undivided land" Arthur Hertzberg. fantasies, they will be very close to having a state of their own. MITCH TEMPLE Eugene What's presidential language? As Watergate whistle-blower whis·tle·blow·er or whis·tle-blow·er or whistle blower n. One who reveals wrongdoing within an organization to the public or to those in positions of authority: "The Pentagon's most famous whistleblower is . . John Dean remarked recently, President Bush is "frighteningly unsophisticated" for someone with so much power. Now it seems many of his Republican supporters are taking pride in this fact. In a sad display of their own opportunism Opportunism Arabella, Lady squire’s wife matchmakes with money in mind. [Br. Lit.: Doctor Thorne] Ashkenazi, Simcha shrewdly and unscrupulously becomes merchant prince. [Yiddish Lit. , ignorance and disregard for education, they are criticizing John Kerry because he speaks fluent French. In response to such misguided criticism, I say, better a president who speaks French than one who can't speak English. PAUL SEMONIN Eugene Pop culture condones abuse This letter is to the newspaper, not its readers. I read the articles about domestic violence (Register-Guard, April 18). It seems The Register-Guard is trying to be helpful in the development of constructive community policy. However, I read nothing about the abuse training manuals. Torture and killing of women and children is advocated in songs, video games See video game console. and film. The newspaper should ask each batterer where he has his stash stash Drug slang noun A place where illicit drugs are hidden of pornography. The porn industry is powerful. Unless the newspaper is willing to take it on, its contribution to alleviating domestic violence is futile, even hypocritical. Newspapers in the Old West helped bring in civilization by supporting protective laws for the weak. Victims should be aware that if they are living with men to whom they are not married, they have forfeited any respect from them. F. E. PETERSON Florence |
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