Letters in the Editor's Mailbag.

Byline: The Register-Guard

Police acting professionally

I would like to make a brief comment concerning the latest protests here in Eugene.

I have heard quite a bit of complaining over the actions taken by police officers in protest situations. It needs to be understood that the police officers are put into situations in which they are greatly outnumbered. The police do not wish to stop peaceful protests but are forced to act when agitators break the law.

The actions of a large majority of people at these protests are perfectly fine, but there a handful of people are ruining the protests for the majority. In my opinion, the police have acted professionally and correctly in these situations. If protesters would like to see less involvement by the police, then they need to police themselves. There is no need for police involvement if peaceful protesters stop agitators from getting out of control. If people can not do this, the police will be called out to do their job.

KYLE KEYSER

Eugene

True colors revealed

Can it be that the protesters who are so exercised over danger to Iraqi children are the same individuals insisting that it be legal to kill millions of American babies?

Can it be that not one caring, tender-hearted protester took to the streets when Saddam Hussein dropped chemical weapons on Iranians and his own people, resulting in more than half a million fatalities?

Personally I am not unhappy to see police officers attacked and the American flag burned. Such actions show the true colors of these citizens.

RALPH H. LANCASTER

Veneta

Gird for the war's aftermath

Now that "shock and awe!" has passed, it's now "surprise, surprise!"

Surprise! This war will not be over quickly. Surprise! The Iraqis are not overwhelmingly welcoming the invading forces as liberators. Surprise! Our weapons and armies are not invincible. Surprise! Saddam's forces are not fighting fairly but are engaging in guerrilla warfare as their commander had promised.

I do not say all this to be flippant or to say "I told you so." I weep as I write this - for Iraqi civilians in harms' way and for the invading troops. I assume many never thought they would be asked to invade another country without provocation.

One of our soldiers captured by the Iraqis, when questioned why he was in Iraq, replied, "Because I was told to come here" (Register-Guard, March 25). Most, I assume, thought they were joining the armed services to protect our country.

I do not buy the rhetoric coming out of Washington, D.C., that the world will be more secure after this war is won. What will come after surprise, surprise? We must all gird ourselves for the aftermath of this illegal and immoral war.

MARILYN KJELLEN-ROGERS

Eugene

Don't turn from American ideals

I am a Vietnam-era veteran who volunteered to serve my country during its most unpopular war. I made a choice to stand between the nation I love and the ideals it represents and tyranny. And now I'm bothered that some among us seem to turn away from the ideals of America and condemn those among us who disagree with this war we are now fighting.

It is not right to say those who oppose this war should be ashamed to be Americans or are traitors to this nation. I have stood on the battlements of freedom so that others can say that this war is wrong and not be condemned for it. That is a right given to us in the blood and tears of those who have defended the ideals of America on battlefields across the world. It is a lesson we need to remember now more than ever. We may not all agree on the right or wrong of this war, but we all must agree on the right to say what we think without being branded unpatriotic or un-American.

As for me, I pray for the safety of my brothers and sisters in uniform, and that this war ends quickly. The aftermath of this uncertain conflict is what we have to concern ourselves about now, and it may well be more terrible than thought. Our soldiers will be in harm's way for years to come in Iraq, and the costs are something I fear none of us are ready for.

CHARLES D. BAKER

Springfield

U.S. has made huge mistake

Impure actions equal impure results. The United States, in its zeal to export democracy to the world, has made a huge mistake: The very principles of democracy have been dismissed time and again by this administration through its snubbing of the global democratic body that is the United Nations.

In fact, the principles of democracy have been so abused that the exportation of this administration's ideals is like giving a starving nation emergency food supplies that are spoiled and riddled with maggots. I constantly hear virtuous words from this administration, but I see impure actions that contradict the intent of freedom and democracy.

RICHARD MARLATT

Creswell

LETTERS LOG

Letters received in past week: 207

Letters published: 71

What's on readers' minds: The U.S. war against Iraq once again dominated the past week's Mailbag flow. As of mid-morning Friday, we received 108 letters about the war - more than half the total volume of letters. About four out of every five letters opposed President Bush's decision to take preemptive military action against Saddam Hussein's regime. We received 36 letters about anti-war protests, with many of those readers debating whether it's possible to both support U.S. troops in Iraq and express public opposition to the war. Other topics included the state's budget crisis and the Drug Enforcement Administration's recent arrest of two local glass-pipe makers as part of a nationwide bust called Operation Pipe Dreams.