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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 7, 2001)
2001 erty and the pursuit of happiness.” Our Declara tion of Independence was not written by Amer icans, it was written hy immigrants striving to become Americans. Osama bin Laden’s ultimate goal is not to kill our people, it is to change our way of life. While our young men and women are winning the war against terrorism, he is winning the war against our way of life. We cannot sit and watch Ashcroft throw rights out for the expediency of “safety.” He has attacked Oregon voters’ decisions, the state’s right to govern its doctors, civilians’ right to attorney-client confidentiality, accused people’s right to a public trial of peers and everyone’s rights regarding monitored communication, nonwarranted searches and racial profiling. 1 am happy my police are the kind of people who will take a stand for what is right. C h r is t o p h e r B. W eb ster Other large people, like the recent disclosure of Drew Carey, eat a lousy high-fat diet, have a genetic predisposition to heart disease and— voila!— almost die. So, yes, some fat people get fat because they live a slothful life! Let’s not forget we are saturated with high- fat food drenched with chem icals; that’s what’s available at the grocery store. Some thin people live a slothful life, yet they stay thin. Most sadly, many women diet their way up to life-threatening diseases— wherein weight loss surgery becomes a last beacon of hope. Being on a perpetual diet is no more healthy than eating, as the weight loss surgery folks have to, only a tablespoonful of food at a time. L in d a S. K a n z in g e r Portland Waffling hom osexuals Portland | To t h e I 'Tis the season To t h e E d it o r : I * FREE consultations * $0-down loans * all credit k loan types Announcing Our Annual Holiday SUPER SALE ONE WEEK ONLY: D EC 3-8 was quite happily impressed when the Salva tion Army announced an extension of bene fits to employee partners. Recently, under pres sure from conservative religious groups, it has rescinded that policy. 1 wrote to the Salvation Army to express my displeasure at this latest news and to say I no longer would he making contributions of any kind (not even for tax-relief purposes). 1 also explained I will not allow my daughter to make any further contributions (which come out of my pocket). I have explained to her that the Salvation Army has demonstrated a discriminatory atti tude toward its employees’ unmarried partners, which in 7-year-old terms is “not fair" and “unkind.” Instead, we will make little messages of displeasure (not what you think, hut it is tempting) to drop into contribution buckets. I am raising my daughter to he conscientious and kind and charitable. About the best thing I can say about the Salvation Army is it has hand ed me an opportunity to teach and show at the same time. Although we are not contributing, we will he discussing why we are giving to other charitable agencies instead. F lora M. R amey Portland I Save 30% OFF Throughout Entire Store* am not a homosexual, hut I have to admit I do find the gay lifestyle immensely exciting and interesting, and I read many gay magazines and newspapers. But there is something about homosexuals I find puzzling. I remember in the early 1980s when the A1 Pacino movie Cruising was released. Many gays were outraged and highly offended hy this film. I didn’t understand the big hoopla then, and I still don’t get it. And when the Michael Douglas film Basic Instinct came out (no pun intended!), once again the gay community was extremely upset, and they complained about the way the straight comm unity portrays gays in the movies. First of all, if the gay community does not like the way they are portrayed on film, why don’t they just make their own films instead of depending so much on straight people to make gay movies? Honestly, do homosexuals really expect heterosexuals to know how to create realistic gay characters? Second of all, it seems as if the gay commu nity wants to have it both ways. They complain when no gay characters are on television and in the movies, then they complain when they don’t consider the gay characters to be realistic depictions of homosexual life! My goodness! Now y’all got me just as con fused as y’all are! Pardon my Southern accent. S h irley D. J a c k so n Portland Chewing the fat To t h e E d it o r : E d it o r : was saddened, disturbed and therein pro voked to think at great length about the issues raised in the articles on women of size in your recent issue [“Bigger Isn’t Always Better” and “Less Is More," Oct. 5J. All fat women are not physically or psycho logically unhealthy. There are fat women who practice a healthy lifestyle and are not involved in self-defeating behaviors [“Tipping the Scales,” Nov. 2). Not all big women are fat. Some big people have ancestors who were big people. c o r r e c tio r x n the Nov. 16 article “Going Down Under," Jill Schuldt’s name was misspelled. In addi tion, these statements should have been attrib uted to Bee Williams: “We’re going to do some fund raising to help people out.... How can you go wrong with a bunch of gay people? It seems like we always get together just to defend our selves against the [Oregon Citizens Alliance], so it’s nice to do something more positive." Just Out regrets the errors. I ‘ Restrictions apply: excludes Textbooks/Powersounce Merchandise; see store for complete details & other exclusions. Book Sense Gift Certificates Available Here! PORTLAND STATE BOOKSTORE sense M-Th 7:45 am-7:00 pm • Fri 7:45 am-6:00 pm • Sat 9-5 www.psubookstore.com 1715 SW 5th Avenue & Montgomery • Portland, OR • Ph; 503.226.2631 just n r? Now accepting opinions on all topics in "Letters to the Editor" at w w w . iustout.com Serving Oregon's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Trans Communities for 18 Years
