Letters in the Editor's Mailbag.

Byline: The Register-Guard

Gravel mine devastating 

I have been reading with great interest and disbelief the articles on your editorial page (Register-Guard, Jan. 9) regarding Eugene Sand & Gravel's application to mine on farmland in the River Road area.

I have always enjoyed reading The Register-Guard, but am confused and dismayed by its obviously biased editorials in regard to Eugene Sand & Gravel's application to allow mining. Why is the newspaper continually beating the drum for a company that will ultimately have a negative impact on the lives of the many citizens in that area?

I love this area, and I respect the many hardworking farmers and families that have managed to maintain a sense of pride and accomplishment to the betterment of this community. Leave the decision making to the proper leaders of this county. Do not preach to us how we should respond to a threat of devastating proportions - the possibility that a gravel company may be allowed to overwhelm this community.

MARILYN LAHY Junction City 

Magnanimous victors

As a veteran of World War II, I must say Peter Hays (letters, Jan. 8) needs one hell of a lot of enlightenment about that war. What destroyed Hitler's armies in Russia was extreme cold, more cold and the billions of dollars of lend-lease aid we sent Russia before and after we entered the war. For political reasons, we held our armies (American, British and French) near Berlin, entering after the Russians. "Walking" across Europe was something that happened one yard at a time: dodging bullets, land mines and grenades; watching your buddies die; being scared to death; never becoming inured to the constant danger.

We dropped the first atomic bomb because Japan would not surrender. We dropped the second one because Japan's communications were so badly damaged that they were unaware of Hiroshima's losses. Germany's children were made aware of Nazi atrocities and Germany has apologized. Japanese children were told their government acquiesced to Allied occupation only to help rebuild their country. Japan has, at best, expressed regret for some of its actions but has never apologized.

We are the most magnanimous victors in the history of the world, due to the Marshall Plan, which helped in the rebuilding of Europe and Japan. I am grateful that I am a citizen of the United States of America.

PAUL WYCOFF Eugene

India's claims legitimate

Reports of repression of Muslims by India's governing Baratiya Janata Party are baseless. The BJP's attempt at a uniform judicial code would have protected Muslims from fanatic application of Islamic law - husbands' right to kill wives, etc. However, pressure from the Clinton administration halted these efforts. Thus, Indian Muslims live outside the national civil code and get free trips to Mecca.

Few news stories mention Pakistan- and Chinese-occupied Kashmir. Ironically, Kashmir, with free elections, is wracked by terrorism. Often mentioned is India's defiance of United Nations resolutions. Yet the world ignores two other resolutions calling for removal of all Pakistani troops and a plebiscite in Kashmir. Anyway, a plebiscite would be invalid without first repatriating the 1 million Kashmiri Hindus and their descendents.

In a Jan. 10 editorial, The Register-Guard says that some claim the "k" in Pakistan represents Kashmir. Yet Kashmir is an Indian word. If the "k" gives Pakistan claims, the rest of the letters in the Indian word must prove India's claims. Of course, millennia of Kashmiri Hindu culture, Kashmiri Indian emperors, Kashmir's status as abode of Hindu gods and saints are legitimate claims. Yet these issues are irrelevant to the Western media.

It was misleading for The Register-Guard to say Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf flew to Nepal via Beijing due to India's closed airspace. He was already in China for weapons acquisition. Overflights into Indian airspace were unnecessary for the trip. Hinduism is a culture, therefore an Indian government based on Hindu values is as legitimate as a U.S. government based on American values. It's not Hindu nationalism, but Hindu civilization applying Hindu solutions to modern problems.

VRIN PARKER Eugene

Double cheap shot

Walker Ryan asserts (letters, Jan. 14) that U.S. death penalties have declined because George W. Bush is no longer governor of Texas. Maybe that's just a macabre attempt at humor. But to those of us who dislike the death penalty and who also respect President Bush, it is a double cheap shot.

Disingenuous presidential campaigners tried to make political hay over Texas executions, but most of us know better than to listen to the professional cynics. Sensible people know that Bush never pulled a murderous trigger or prosecuted a murderer or presided at a sentencing hearing or pulled the switch at an execution. We know that Texas law doesn't give the governor much wiggle room when it comes to reversing a death sentence imposed by her courts. And we are aware that, as governor, Bush had to uphold the laws of Texas, even when doing so might have brought him extreme anguish.

I personally wish we would just lock the most dangerous criminals away until they die naturally and do away with the death penalty entirely. But that isn't my choice - and it wasn't Gov. Bush's choice, either. So, what the Walker Ryans of the world, who take every opportunity to twist the knife, are implying just isn't true. And forgive me if I am humorless on this issue, but I just can't imagine thinking it's funny.

TOM HANNAH Eugene

Homo sapiens to blame

David Lamb of the Los Angeles Times (Register-Guard, Jan. 7) makes the assertion that "Islamic mistrust of the U.S.A. runs deep." Amazing! Didn't we know that?

On the other hand, doesn't U.S. mistrust of Islam run deep also? Perhaps this is an idle question, but tell me, what has Islam done recently to diminish this distrust? The terrorist attack of Sept. 11? Or for that matter, what have we Westerners done to diminish distrust?

I'm forced to the conclusion that it is impossible to find a society or religion upon whom we can put all the guilt for humanity's wars, past or present. The blame for such a problem falls upon - guess whom? - Homo sapiens, which means all of us! As Homo sapiens, we seem to love wars, especially when we are winning them! I don't know if there is any cure for this. Probably not.

But, please, let's not blame everything on the United States of America.

TOM LOCKARD Eugene

Road to dictatorship

How can this corrupt administration continue to give the earnings of the U.S. middle class to the rich, leaving in desperation many survivors of a loss of jobs, investments, health care and homes?

Tax rebates and future tax credits are going to the corporate rich! Bush's old buddies at Enron are now in safe, cushy government jobs, ignoring the new struggling poor.

Bush wants to restore food-stamp benefits to legal immigrants at the same time newly unemployed Americans, deserving of their government's assistance, are ignored.

We the American people are on the road to dictatorship. We are ready for an impeachment. You'd better believe Sen. Joe Lieberman is working to expose the Enron connection. Money buys this president!

ALAN SILLS Florence

Prolonging the process

I would like to clarify a misperception regarding state land use laws, the appeal process to the Land Use Board of Appeals and, specifically, how these issues relate to Eugene Sand & Gravel's project currently before the Lane County Board of Commissioners.

A Jan. 8 Register-Guard editorial stated that "Ultimately, the decision on the project will be taken out of the commissioner's hands and placed in those of either state land use officials or, more likely, judges at the state or even federal levels."

If Eugene Sand's project is appealed to LUBA, the case would be reviewed according to the state's Goal 5 Rule. If Lane County made an erroneous decision, LUBA would address the error and send the matter back to the county in the form of a remand.

Recent comments attributed to commissioners indicate they may be hoping that LUBA has the authority and power to make the final decision on this project, so they don't have to. Unfortunately, the process doesn't work that way. LUBA simply reviews the decision on the issues presented and sends it back for the county to make a decision consistent with LUBA's ruling. This cycle could play out over and over again, taking years before a final decision is made.

Political gamesmanship just prolongs the process and hurts many Lane County constituents in the end. Making a careful decision the first time around is in everyone's benefit.

ALAN J. THAYER, Jr. Eugene