Letters in the Editor's Mailbag.

Byline: The Register-Guard

Official prayers offend

I'm not terribly concerned about the addition of the words "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance. God knows that most children reciting the Pledge of Allegiance are doing so out of repetition. How many truly contemplate their inspiration and creator during the pledge? My guess is not many.

Whether these words in the pledge are a breach of the separation of church and state can and will continue to be debated. My feeling is that those two words in no way violate the principle that the state should not sponsor a specific religion. If you're looking for a genuinely offensive example of the state endorsing a specific religion, look no further than the Oregon Legislature in Salem.

As I observed on three different occasions while attending the recent special sessions, both chambers of the Legislature routinely open with a reverent prayer to the Lord, ending in the words, "in Jesus' name, amen." That, my friends, should be truly offensive to all who prefer an independent United States of America.

DAVID PEFFLEY Eugene

Jobs require late hours

I was amused by Eugene interim city manager Jim Carlson's remark regarding the pre-dawn hours: "It's unnatural to be up that early. It should be against the law (Register-Guard, July 21)."

Carlson might wish to reconsider his statement next time he visits his friendly grocer or reads a story in this very newspaper. Eugene is no longer a wide spot in the road. A world of activity continues at full speed during these "unnatural" hours. The individuals doing these respectable jobs must live their personal lives a bit out of phase from the rest of us.

As citizens and taxpayers, should not their privileges be also considered when the Eugene City Council is setting policy?

SCOTT LAUGHLIN Lakeside

Celibacy not a factor

Stephanie Beecham's July 14 letter suggests ending celibacy as a solution to child sexual abuse by Catholic clergy. She asks, "Could these priests' misbehaviors ... be due to the fact that they are not allowed to have (marital/sexual) relationships after they take their vows ...?"

Responding as a local educator on sexual assault, the answer is a resounding no. The truth is that sexual abuse is not really about sex, but the abuse of power. The majority of sex offenders are heterosexual men who have consensual adult sexual partners at the time they sexually offended a child. When offenders choose to sexually abuse children, they are motivated by the gratification they get from instilling fear, controlling, humiliating or degrading other human beings, and children are accessible and vulnerable.

Often respected in the community, offenders are more likely than children to be believed. They rely on shaming and silencing the victims and on society's view of young people as less credible than adults. Sexual abuse by clergy is not a peculiarly Catholic problem. Offenders work in any occupation. Faith groups not requiring celibacy have also seen clergy members abusing their power over children and betraying the trust of congregations. Let us also not ignore the thousands of celibate priests who choose not to abuse children.

Ending celibacy is not a solution to ending child sexual abuse among clergy. A more effective solution would be for our institutions, including the church, to hold offenders accountable for their choices.

MICHELLE A. EDWARDS Eugene

Protect wages, benefits

We are supermarket employees in the Portland area and members of United Food & Commercial Workers Local 555. Albertsons, Fred Meyer and Safeway are negotiating contracts with our union members in Eugene. We support rejecting the Eugene offer to hire new employees at a lower wage scale and, for the first time in over 40 years, to require employees to pay part of their health insurance premium.

If Eugene starts down the slippery slope of poorer wages and benefits, we will also be faced with that when our Portland area contracts expire next year. We hope management does not force our Eugene members to strike. Rapidly rising health care costs are a major problem for Americans. Through our unions, we and management must work together to find and eliminate the causes of this problem, not waste time and energy fighting over benefits our families rely on.

STUART FISHMAN

LESLIE PIKE

REBECCA GRISWOLD

and 93 co-signers Portland

Mannix an opportunist 

For this proud-to-be-liberal heart, it was pleasing to have three good Democrats running for governor in the primary and very satisfying that Ted Kulongoski, the best of that field, is now the candidate of choice for Democrats. Kulongoski has the credentials to make a fine governor.

For an honest contrast in ideals, it is equally thrilling to see a Libertarian enter the race on the conservative side. Should liberal ideals lose out (God forbid) to conservatism, I would prefer a Libertarian to a mere opportunist like Kevin Mannix. More power to the Libertarian party.

Libertarians are honest representatives of conservative ideals and deserve to be the leaders for that vision. By contrast, Mannix began his political climb as a Democrat and, when he couldn't get his personal ambitions met in the Democratic party, switched to the Republican party and suddenly espoused radical conservatism at a time when Republicans were in the majority and abortion was the one-issue ticket to success.

Oregon has bigger problems to solve now than sorting out the misinterpretations of Roe vs. Wade. Though that issue must be faced, first we have to teach our youth how to read and understand that ruling well enough to articulate the problems with it. Education, no matter whether we are talking about vouchers or public schools, will remain an issue of "tax and spend." It will take leaders with honest convictions to thresh out the answers and discard the chaff.

This is not a good time for opportunism to be in office.

WAYNE L. MILLER Springfield

Closure prompts prayer

The Register-Guard's op-ed page of July 22 included a column titled, "Closure of clinic leaves huge void." After reading this column I realized that part of the story wasn't told.

Every Saturday morning I witnessed from one to six people quietly walking on the sidewalk in front of the All Women's Health Services clinic. What were they doing? They were praying - quietly walking and praying. I don't know for certain, but I'd guess they were asking God to bring peace and order to the lives of these young women and their children.

My job took me by there five times each Saturday all winter and early spring. Each time I saw them I was compelled to cry out to the God I know, and ask that he would hear the cry of their hearts and heal the lives they cared about.

Now my prayer is different. This is my prayer: Lord, the whole community sees a void with the closing of this clinic. Would you fill this void? Amen.

LEE DUNCAN Eugene

CAPTION(S):

The Register-Guard welcomes letters on topics of general interest. Our length limit is 250 words; all letters are subject to condensation. Mail letters to Mailbag, P.O. Box 10188, Eugene, OR 97440-2188 Fax: [phone] E-mail: [e-mail]