LETTERS IN THE EDITOR'S MAILBAG.

Byline: The Register-Guard

Put blame on the real murderers

Jim Schmidt says "that there will be civilians killed or injured during time of war is a sad reality" and "it is the deliberate killing of civilians that is the issue here" (letters, June 17).

He intimated his sorrow for the Marines at Haditha who are accused of killing civilians, and mentions that the people ultimately responsible are President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and others. However, he conveniently forgets that the actual deliberate murderers of civilians are Saddam Hussein and his henchmen (caught and being tried), Abu Musab al-Zarqawi (eliminated), Osama bin Laden (who will be found) and hundreds of barbarous suicide murderers of civilians too numerous to mention.

It sure is convenient that Schmidt forgets that the other side continues to deliberately murder innocent Iraqi children, women and men. He also conveniently forgets about the numerous civilians and service members who are deliberately beheaded and murdered for all to see.

He continues to place blame on our Marines (before they are even tried) and our leaders. Shame on Schmidt; he should place the blame for deliberately murdering civilians on those who are the actual murderers.

LARRY W. HUFFMAN

Reedsport

Treat all animals humanely

The article on the pork plant slaughterhouse in North Carolina by New York Times columnist Bob Herbert (Register-Guard, June 16) sure was an eye opener for me. Not only do the animals live and die in a horrendous way - something we've been long aware of but not particularly concerned about - but it also seems the industry is totally corrupt in its dealings with its workers.

What is it going to take to get the people in this country to rethink the way they get their food? No one is asking Americans to give up their consumption of pork, beef or chicken, just that they be concerned enough about the manner in which meals are brought to their table so that no animal or minimum-wage worker will be brutalized in the process.

Let's take another look at the slaughterhouses and the feedlots and animal factories and make this a more humane and healthy planet for all the species on it.

ALIX MOSIEUR

Lorane

Gay rights unlike civil rights

Are issues like slavery, the lynching of blacks, racial segregation and church burning morally equivalent to choosing not to condone the homosexual lifestyle?

University of Oregon Professor Ron Wixman's guest viewpoint (Register-Guard, June 16) claims that a new civil rights debate has arisen. He wants a constitutional amendment that dictates church theology concerning a chosen lifestyle that is clearly reprehensible to God in the Bible.

Gays aren't innocent in violating civil rights. My junior year as a Duck was marked by bitter discrimination directed at me by gays. I withheld the portion of my student fees being used to finance gay activities, a violation of my freedom of religion and association. The gay response? Post a swastika picture of me behind a locked showcase, branding me as a Nazi for my "lack of tolerance." Their logic: Shepard doesn't condone; therefore, he must hate.

Trouble is, I never said to hate gays but to "love your enemies," as did Christ. Loving them doesn't include paying to promote their views. Wixman is clearly confused; Southern Baptists have apologized repeatedly for errant views on blacks and slavery. Millions of African Americans are Southern Baptists today. Yet the Baptist stance on homosexuality is clearly biblical, supported from passages that also condemn adultery and promiscuity.

Homosexuals have a constitutional right to form a church that advocates their lifestyle. But if they come to my church, they'll hear the whole Bible, not just their favorite parts. They'll be loved. But don't come intent on dictating what I must condone.

BRANDON SHEPARD

Glendale

Congress should fully fund PBS 

Apparently, the Bush regime and their Republican cronies in Congress have decided that it is not OK to take away any of some rich kid's inheritance, but that it is perfectly OK to take Sesame Street and other kids' programs on PBS away from American children.

This outrageous behavior has forced Americans to once again demand that their elected government listen to their wishes instead of following party lines. More than 1.5 million Americans have signed a petition demanding that Congress protect funding for PBS and National Public Radio. These public treasures are one of the few places where Americans can still receive unbiased news programming, as well as wholesome entertainment.

We should all raise our voices to demand protection for our free press. Support Big Bird, not Big Brother!

SHARON TRIGG

Eugene

U.S. CEO pay is way out of line

In their June 9 op-ed piece for The New York Times, Lawrence Orlowski and Florian Lengyel propose that American corporations, which have been actively moving factories and call centers to other countries in order to lower costs, start applying the same market logic to the high costs of corporate management.

Specifically, they recommend outsourcing chief executives! The writers note that outsourcing manufacturing and services has led to higher chief executive compensation at the expense of shareholder profit.

In fact, several orders of magnitude now separate the compensation of American and overseas executives. According to the Federal Reserve, in 2004 the average American chief executive's compensation was 170 times that of the average American worker. For comparison, in Britain it was 22 times greater, and in Japan only 11.

Here's a sobering statistic: An American chief executive, who is paid an average of $11.3 million annually, gets rewarded enough in one year to exceed the lifetime standard of living of 99.99 percent of the world's population. Think about it.

Although their opinion was delivered tongue-in-cheek, I have to agree with the writers: What's good for the goose is good for the gander. Or the lizard. We seem to be living in a Gordon Gecko "Greed Is Good!" moment.

Is the contribution of any one individual worth 170 times any other? Apparently, only if it is "Made in America."

BENTON ELLIOTT

Eugene

OSAA travel plan isn't necessary

I think Joe Zelinski (letters, June 19) is missing the point as to why the Eugene School District and its families are opposing the new Oregon School Activities Association 6A traveling plan. It is not about whether it is possible for South Eugene and Sheldon high schools to travel the Interstate 5 corridor. But it is why it is necessary. The reason we are angry in Eugene is that we live in a metropolitan area that has seven high schools between 1,157 and 1,645 students. We have long-standing team rivalries and great athletic competitions within the Eugene-Springfield area. Why make a long commute when there are schools of comparable size within our city?

While the majority of school districts have gone along with the redistricting plan, it doesn't make it a good idea. Twenty percent, or 22,000 student-athletes, are adversely affected by the new alignments. What if the Department of Education followed that logic and said, "We don't have enough money to fund all the school districts, so we will sacrifice three for the sake of the rest?" Everyone else would be happy with more money but would inherently understand that it is wrong.

One of the greatest disappointments I have regarding this traveling plan is that so many people who are unaffected are willing to sacrifice

our young adults for the sake of a poorly written plan. The question I ask them and the question I will ask you is: "Would you feel differently if your child were put on the bus?"

DEBBY MARKS

Eugene

OSAA coverage has been biased

My wife and I have decided to cancel our subscription to The Register-Guard. The bias displayed within the news articles is pervasive.

A case in point would be the newspaper's coverage of the Oregon School Activities Association reclassification challenges. The OSAA has been portrayed as a Nazi-like organization whose "my way or the highway" attitude flies in the face of people who are concerned for the wellbeing of children.

Well, the OSAA is set up to help young people, not harm them. It is a democratic organization, not a dictatorship. The OSAA runs by majority rule, not unanimous consent with elected representatives who approve all proposed changes to the organization. These are the same principles as our Constitution.

Why do over 90 percent of schools approve of the OSAA plan? Most of the schools would love to be in a situation where they only had three long trips a year on a good road like Interstate 5. Some schools have an average trip time of two hours on roads that are less than ideal, yet statistically their athletes achieve higher academically than the general student population. Their families are in no more crisis than any other families. These schools know this is a big state and they have to travel to compete.

The bottom line is this is just one of countless examples of bias in the news articles of The Register-Guard. That is why our family has chosen to forgo our local paper.

PATRICK WONDRA

Teacher and Athletic Director

Mapleton High School

Florence

Abortion isn't a male decision

Richard Warren's June 18 letter is like 90 percent of letters against abortion: written by a man.

I suggest they butt out or keep it zipped.

MARCIA WILSON

Cottage Grove