TO THE EDITOR
proven theories of security and well-being in-
cluding tax cuts for the rich, military buildup
and usurping retirement benefits, it’s more
than our conscience that’s lost. Collective in-
tellect is also missing. Our increasing knowl-
edge of the benefits of drug treatment along
with educating, stimulating and nourishing
children is now futile. Newspapers and tele-
vision underreport this information and law-
makers refuse to abide by it. So what’s the
use of proving the benefits of nutritious meals
on learning or tobacco education? Let’s in-
stead make counterproductive policy with
unethical, “neutral” reporting about it by
leaving out the proven damage it will cause.
Mike Meyer
Eugene
MAD COW IRONY
The current upset over a mad cow in
Canada is ironic. Not to make light of the
painful fate of the cow, nor the potential for
widespread public health calamity due to
mad cow disease, but the public health costs
of the beef industry are already enormous.
Virtually all medical and public health of-
ficials agree: The rate at which Americans eat
beef (and other animal products from milk to
poultry) is a public health disaster. Coronary
diseases kill thousands each year and degrade
the quality of life for many others in addition
to those dead from eating too many burgers
and steaks.
Beyond the human consequence, the envi-
ronment and habitat suffer from the millions
of tons of fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides
to raise the grain the animals eat while hor-
mones, antibiotics, colorings and more that are
standard ingredients in the production of con-
ventional beef. Water pollution, loss of habitat
(like cleared rainforest) and waste disposal are
only a few of the companions to beef and re-
lated animal factory farming industries.
Genetic engineering is another hazard.
Not to mention the appalling conditions
characteristic of high intensity factory farm-
ing. Crowding, filth, antibiotics (the same
kind used for humans and losing their utility),
the slaughter and more translate into a life of
pain and suffering for animals raised in the
mass production mode.
Giant agribusiness and animal food retail
companies have serious political influence on
public policy that is contrary to public health.
These same entities are responsible for the
export of the fast food culture to other coun-
tries that are now beginning to see the same
kind of deteriorating public health trends as
in the U.S.
So one cow is discovered with BSE.
Certainly a cause for alarm. The best remedy
is for individuals to choose to eat less beef (or
any other animal products) if any at all, for
the government to end subsidizing its produc-
tion, distribution and consumption, and for
pubic health agencies to far more openly
identify beef for what it is – a killer of hun-
dreds of thousands every year even when no
mad cow threat exists.
Jan Spencer
Eugene
ACTING OUT
I want to thank Claire Syrett for her ad-
vice that the acting community here in
Eugene join Actor’s Equity. What the hell
have I been thinking all these years? Damn,
I’m gonna run right down to Very Little
Theatre and Actor’s Cabaret and tell my non-
union brothers and sisters they don’t have to
work for free anymore. And to think that I
once regarded the $75 Lord Leebrick paid me
as top dollar! Shucks, I feel like a community
theater hayseed.
There are people who live and work in this
town and do theater. Bary Shaw, myself and
many others have worked for free and will do
so again. I got involved in this issue more than
20 years ago and the only thing I learned from
that is justification alone is not a good enough
reason for taking action. It is far more impor-
tant to support our limited venues.
The half salary Willamette Rep paid me
for a small role was still over three times what
I usually make. And working in the Hult
Center sure as hell beats working in a restau-
rant or old garage. And isn’t the essence of
this whole story the fact that a local theater is
in financial trouble but keeps the belief that
the next show will turn things around? Boy,
there’s a scoop.
So maybe sometime Ms. Syrett will let us
all fawn over her Equity card. That will cer-
tainly do it for me. Until then, she should stick
to calling cues. Of course, she’ll only be able
to do that in the one Equity house in town.
Ken Hof
Eugene
TINY TYPE
Julie Rogers (5/15) could not be more right
about the ridiculously miniscule size of so
much of the print in EW. Her letter inspired me
to call EW’s office and share the same senti-
ment. I was told (by not the nicest person I’ve
encountered in Eugene) that only five people
have complained, and so it’s not a problem.
I’m writing with hopes of inspiring other
readers who can’t read the classifieds (for
which people pay to have their ads read in a
JUNE 5, 2003 5