LETTERS IN THE EDITOR'S MAILBAG.Byline: The Register-Guard What's scary about uncertainty? Rocky Stewart (letters, Jan. 5) seems to have a problem with the Wiccan belief that absolute truth does not exist and that one should be left to figure out for oneself what is right and what is wrong. He is troubled by the idea of relativism relativism Any view that maintains that the truth or falsity of statements of a certain class depends on the person making the statement or upon his circumstances or society. Historically the most prevalent form of relativism has been See also ethical relativism. , which he describes as holding to the belief that "truth is not absolute and can vary depending on circumstances, location or situations that people may find themselves in." Is the idea that morality is not a black-and-white topic really so scary? JESSE THIESSEN Eugene Some can't afford county tax Here we go again. Lane County wants another tax. Why do we put up with the tax-and-spend approach? At the drop of the hat, Lane County wants another tax - but wait, they may give some property tax relief. That is the oldest tactic in the history of Lane County. I have put in 40-plus years in the workforce, also in Lane County. I live on a modest pension and Social Security. As a disabled veteran, I do not qualify for property tax relief. So I have to ask the question: Why would the people of Lane County put up with the added taxes cutting into their cost of medication, utilities, food and the other necessary things of life? Even if they give you property tax relief, you will still be paying more to the county. I say hogwash hog·wash n. 1. Worthless, false, or ridiculous speech or writing; nonsense. 2. Garbage fed to hogs; swill. hogwash Noun Informal nonsense Noun 1. to their proposal. Lane County should be responsible for balancing its budget, just as the taxpayers have to. If you buy their proposal, I have a bridge I will sell you. LES ELLINGSON Springfield Body armor Noun 1. body armor - armor that protects the wearer's whole body body armour, cataphract, coat of mail, suit of armor, suit of armour armet - a medieval helmet with a visor and a neck guard a casualty of haste A story in the Jan. 7 Register-Guard highlighted the Pentagon's own study of the woeful woe·ful also wo·ful adj. 1. Affected by or full of woe; mournful. 2. Causing or involving woe. 3. Deplorably bad or wretched: lack of suitable body armor among Marines in Iraq. Though proper life-saving armor is available, our current administration has not seen the need to equip e·quip tr.v. e·quipped, e·quip·ping, e·quips 1. a. To supply with necessities such as tools or provisions. b. our troops with it. I am reminded of a question-and-answer session between Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and soldiers in Iraq. When asked by a soldier why both body armor and vehicle armor were in such short supply, Rumsfeld answered, "You go to war with what you have." If we'd taken time to properly equip our troops, we probably wouldn't have gone to war in the first place. Cooler heads would have prevailed, the misbegotten mis·be·got·ten adj. 1. a. Of, relating to, or being a child or children born to unmarried parents. b. Not lawfully obtained: misbegotten wealth. 2. reasons behind our rush to war would have been exposed for what they were and thousands of our soldiers wouldn't be dead with more dying every day. Tens of thousands of Iraqis have died as a result of this rush to war based on bad intelligence. President Bush's cure has almost become as bad as the original ailment ail·ment n. A physical or mental disorder, especially a mild illness. . We have established a terrorist hotbed hotbed, low, glass-covered frame structure for starting tender plants. It differs from a cold frame only in that the soil is heated—either artificially as by underground electric wiring or steampipes, or naturally with partially fermented stable manure, which where one didn't exist, and we're not one step closer to apprehending the criminals responsible for the attack on Sept. 11. Perhaps our troops would be safer if they'd wrap themselves in the flag, as does the president who sent them there for no good reason. Oh, yes, and what is the term commonly used to describe amateurish incompetence in·com·pe·tence or in·com·pe·ten·cy n. 1. The quality of being incompetent or incapable of performing a function, as the failure of the cardiac valves to close properly. 2. ? Bush league. That's very sadly ironic. DALE BRABB Eugene Correction The private parking lot directly across 10th Avenue from the Eugene Public Library's front entrance does not offer free parking for vehicles displaying disabled parking permits A Disabled Person's Parking Permit, otherwise known as a 'Blue Badge', 'disabled parking permit', 'handicapped permit', or 'disabled badge' is a permit that can be displayed in a vehicle carrying a person whose mobility would be otherwise significantly impaired by one or more of . A letter in Friday's Mailbag contained incorrect information about library parking options for patrons with disabled parking permits. |
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