LETTERS IN THE EDITOR'S MAILBAG.Byline: The Register-Guard Ideologues exploit Schiavo case Schiavo case, the legal battles over the guardianship and rights of Theresa Maria Schindler Schiavo (1963–2005). Terri Schiavo was incapacitated and hospitalized in 1990, after she collapsed when her heart stopped beating due to a potassium imbalance, and her Every day after reading the news, I become more disgusted by the religious extremists and neo-conserva- tives in government. Who do these people think they are to interfere in the gut-wrenching decision that Michael Schiavo Michael Richard Schiavo (born April 3, 1963) was the husband of Terri Schiavo, who became a public figure in a national debate over end-of-life issues. Following his wife's collapse, he led a seven-year but ultimately successful and controversial campaign to remove her feeding tube must make in order to respect his wife's wishes? Terri Schiavo Theresa Marie "Terri" Schiavo (December 3, 1963 – March 31, 2005), from St. Petersburg, Florida, United States was a woman who suffered brain damage and became dependent on a feeding tube. clearly stated to him that she did not want to live in a vegetative state Vegetative State Definition A coma-like state characterized by open eyes and the appearance of wakefulness is defined as vegetative. Description The vegetative state is a chronic or long-term condition. . Yet religious ideologues continue to push their agenda into an arena where it clearly does not belong. If they are so concerned about Terri Schiavo's right to life, which frankly isn't much of one, how do they sit idly by and tolerate the deaths of Iraqi men, women and children? I find it inexcusable that these people pour so much energy into trying to save one woman who did not want to be saved while at the same time supporting the killing of mothers, fathers and children in the unjust war that we continue to perpetuate on the Iraqi people. Their actions are so hypocritical hyp·o·crit·i·cal adj. 1. Characterized by hypocrisy: hypocritical praise. 2. Being a hypocrite: a hypocritical rogue. that it is beyond my understanding. TIMOTHY BROADBENT Eugene Protect freedom from religion In regard to the March 18 letter, "Where are all the churchgoers?" The answer is that the churchgoers are on the road and going to church. The rest of us, the Nixonian silent majority, are sleeping and exercising our rights as American citizens to be free of religion. Just because the Bill of Rights protects freedom of religion, that doesn't mean I have to choose one. I have just as much right to ignore church. My feelings toward the letter are this: People should mind their own business. If you want to go to church, go, but leave me alone. I'll go if I feel the need. I don't need the self-righteous to prod me into it. Religion has done great good, but also great evil in this world over the centuries. The one thing that Americans have always had, and I hope always will have, is a belief in reason. Reason allows for open-mindedness. Religion sees things in a narrow view. Let us always hope that reason rules. THOMAS JOHNSON Thomas Johnson may refer to:
Junction City Junction City, city (1990 pop. 20,604), seat of Geary co., NE Kans., at the confluence of the Republican and Smoky Hill rivers; inc. 1859. The rail, trade, and processing center of an agricultural and dairy area, it grew as the supply point for nearby Fort Riley, Artist captured Morse's essence It was a great honor to be present at the dedication of the Wayne Morse Wayne Lyman Morse (October 20, 1900 – July 22, 1974) was a United States Senator from Oregon from 1945 until 1969. In 1953, he made a filibuster for 22 hours and 26 minutes protesting the Tidelands Oil legislation, which at the time was the longest one-person filibuster in Free Speech Plaza. For those of us who experienced the teachings of Morse, the educator, it brought back many wonderful memories. I have visited many memorials, and few catch the spirit and essence of the man and his times and his contribution to society as does the free speech plaza. The design, architecture, statue and plaques all contribute to a flow of history and a living memorial. We all owe a great debt to Mexican artist Gabriel Ponzanelli for capturing Morse as the educator in the university, on the stump campaigning for public office; running for election to office. See also: Stump and in the Senate. We also owe a debt to the Wayne Morse Historical Park Board for its many years of dedicated work. JACK CHURCHILL Lieutenant-Colonel Jack Malcolm Thorpe Fleming Churchill, DSO and Bar, MC and Bar (September 16, 1906—March 8, 1996), nicknamed "Fighting Jack Churchill", fought throughout World War II armed with a bow, arrows and a claymore. Agness Protest draws very low turnout On the second anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, about 2,000 Oregon protesters managed to briefly exit their vehicles to direct their ire at the current oil war in the Mideast. From Portland to Bend to Ashland and places in between Band Information
One could guess at the reasons for the very low turnout: Protest marches are becoming passe pas·sé adj. 1. No longer current or in fashion; out-of-date. 2. Past the prime; faded or aged. [French, past participle of passer, to pass, from Old French; see ; Congress recently approved another $81 billion for the war, so there's nothing we can do; we are becoming accustomed to oil wars because we need the stuff. In 1982, then-Secretary of State Alexander Haig uttered these profound words: "Let them march all they want, as long as they continue to pay their taxes." My 2005 addendum addendum n. an addition to a completed written document. Most commonly this is a proposed change or explanation (such as a list of goods to be included) in a contract, or some point that has been subject of negotiation after the contract was originally proposed by to Haig's quote is: "Let them march, or not march, all they want - as long as they continue to buy gasoline and diesel." I'll believe that antiwar an·ti·war adj. Opposed to war or to a particular war: antiwar protests; an antiwar candidate. liberals are seriously troubled by oil wars only after they refuse to pay war taxes and give up their fossil fuel-burning vehicles. ROBERT SIMMS Eugene Schiavo has a right to live What's with our politicians who don't get it over the Terri Schiavo case? Rep. Earl Blumenauer Earl Blumenauer (born August 16, 1948) is a Democratic U.S. representative from Oregon, representing Oregon's 3rd congressional district. Born in Portland, Blumenauer graduated from Centennial High School in 1966[1] , D-Ore., as well as others, were trying to gather enough votes to defeat the bill before Congress to allow a federal judge to review the case. It's been said Michael Schiavo stopped all treatments after he received more than $1 million in a settlement. This matter needs to be investigated. The same Florida judge for the past 15 years has made all the decisions against the feeding tube feeding tube n. A flexible tube that is inserted through the pharynx and into the esophagus and stomach and through which liquid food is passed. . The bill in Congress allows Terri Schiavo the same basic rights any criminal would get behind bars. We must remember the names of the people who stand in the way of the right to live. I won't forget. BEN GROESBECK Florence School incident needs answers Susan Mandrapa (letters, March 13) wants us to focus on an oversized o·ver·size n. 1. A size that is larger than usual. 2. An oversize article or object. adj. o·ver·size also o·ver·sized Larger in size than usual or necessary. picture and condemn reporting that is "inflammatory and smacks of tabloid journalism" instead of a horrific event that allegedly took place in Jefferson Middle School's halls. Proclaiming that Jefferson is safe does not make it so. We cannot trust that our schools are safe unless the allegations of the story (Register-Guard, March 5) are answered. There are a number of allegations on which the school needs to set the record straight: Was there an assault resulting in broken bones This article or section has multiple issues: * It does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by citing reliable sources. * It needs to be expanded. Please help [ improve the article] or discuss these issues on the talk page. and internal injuries that took place in Jefferson's halls? Did a mother report ethnic-based bullying and harassment Ask a Lawyer Question Country: United States of America State: Nevada I recently moved to nev.from abut have been going back to ca. every 2 to 3 weeks for med. to the school prior to the incident? Is there no record of the boys accused of harassment being disciplined? Did the school respond adequately to the report of the assault? A bone-breaking assault that takes place in a school's hallways is outrageous and unacceptable. The story implies that the school may have known of the harassment and done nothing about it. These serious allegations demand front-page coverage. If you believed your son was assaulted in his school's halls by boys you had identified to the school as bullies, would you take comfort in Mandrapa's proclamations that Jefferson is a safe school? This is not about how many good things Jefferson has done, nor how many dedicated staff it has. It is about what a few people did or didn't do in this tragic case. We need timely and complete answers. BOB MOWRER Eugene Biofuels would help economy Editorials in The Register-Guard are usually pretty close to the mark, so I was surprised at the very poorly researched March 16 editorial about biofuels. The vast preponderance of studies about the amount of energy needed to create ethanol show that there is a net energy gain. A U.S. Department of Agriculture study completed in 2002 concluded that the energy balance is 1.34 to 1. This means that ethanol yields 34 percent more energy than it takes to produce it, including the cost of growing the corn, harvesting the corn, etc. The Register-Guard chose to run a front-page article about long-term climate change, the increasing drought and the severe risk of wildfires on the same day of its editorial against ethanol. Rather than spend hundreds of millions of dollars fighting wildfires in Oregon annually, wouldn't it make more sense to spend funds to develop a biofuels industry in the state to remove the excess woody biomass and convert the biomass into ethanol to power our vehicles? Ethanol burns cleaner than regular gasoline and emits fewer greenhouse gases. Furthermore, we could reduce our nation's 60 percent dependence on foreign sources of oil. Our state could become an economic powerhouse by building a biofuels industry because of the enormous amount of biomass in this region. JACK DESMOND Springfield Toxics law has huge loopholes The well-intentioned letter from Clare Tucker on Feb. 28 titled "Toxics law deserves support" says, in part, "The people of Eugene expect to know or be able to find out what toxins are affecting our community. I believe all people everywhere have that right." Many people have this same misunderstanding about the intent of the toxics ordinance we Eugeneans voted in. It targets manufacturers because they are visible targets, but categorically excludes some of the major users of toxins - hospitals, railroads, the University of Oregon The University of Oregon is a public university located in Eugene, Oregon. The university was founded in 1876, graduating its first class two years later. The University of Oregon is one of 60 members of the Association of American Universities. , the city of Eugene itself, Lane County, other governmental operations, etc. If the moral imperative A moral imperative is a principle originating inside a person's mind that compels that person to act. It is a kind of categorical imperative, as defined by Immanuel Kant. Kant took the imperative to be a dictate of pure reason, in its practical aspect. is to "find out what toxins are affecting our community," then the ordinance should be applied across the board - no exemptions. I have been told that can't be done because there is no jurisdiction over those exempt entities. So are Tucker and the other concerned citizens of Eugene to now understand it is not, after all, a moral imperative to find out what toxins are affecting our community, but a matter of coincidental co·in·ci·den·tal adj. 1. Occurring as or resulting from coincidence. 2. Happening or existing at the same time. co·in accessibility? This is wrong and needs to be addressed, because toxics are toxics wherever they are. ED FENDER Eugene Law can't resolve moral issues The Terri Schiavo case is such a tragedy. It fully reveals the gross inadequacy of law to truly resolve moral dilemmas. While I know judges, politicians and attorneys professionally and personally and would welcome all of them to my deathbed as friends, I would like to publicly request that they be strictly forbidden from bringing their professions with them. Please let me die in peace with my family and friends, and keep to yourselves your grandiose, arrogant professional attitude that you know what is best for me. CARL V. PETERSON Eugene |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion