coward, and would have fairly earned the re-
spect of the truly brave men and women he
had placed in harm’s way.
But that’s not our president’s style.
Norm Waddell
Eugene
READ THE BOOK
In such times of strong national and inter-
national issues, it’s sometimes hard to re-
member those which are closest to home. I
don’t mean state or even local politics, but
something much more important to everyday
living: traffic safety.
Since moving to Eugene three years ago, I
have become more and more appalled at my
fellow citizens’ difficulty following the most
basic of traffic laws. I dread four-way stops,
for I never know who will think it is their
right-of-way; I’m afraid for children when I
see stop signs run near daycare centers.
But by far, the most common violation I
see is the running of traffic lights. I regularly
see yellow and even red lights run with total
disregard for the safety of pedestrians and fel-
low drivers. Yes, it is frustrating to wait for a
light at times, but that is no reason for endan-
gering yourself and others.
In closing, I’d like to encourage everyone
to have another look at the Oregon Driver’s
Manual. Remember, traffic laws aren’t
created to hinder us, but instead to keep us
safe.
Murray Sampson
Eugene
NOT VIGILANTES
In a recent EW (10/16), Jennifer Hess
raised some valid questions about the guns
and training of the Oregon Rangers
Association. Since our sole purpose is to help
the public and the environment, we feel it is
important to be open and responsive to all
valid questions and concerns.
The Rangers operate as an armed security
agency, though we exist solely on donations.
As such, we are required by law to adhere to
the Department of Public Safety and
Training’s (DPSST) strict rules and regula-
tions.
Oregon is known in the business for hav-
ing some of the most strict guidelines in the
country — the DPSST website will give you
the details. On top of this, all Rangers are
trained in non-violent conflict resolution
(verbal judo, as police call it) and have
firearms training at a level that nearly doubles
most police agency requirements.
The reason most of the Oregon Rangers
are armed while on volunteer work is truly
only for our protection, though we will not
hesitate to protect anyone in need. It is a dan-
gerous world out there, especially when you
are known to marijuana growers and meth
manufacturers as someone who will not hesi-
tate to report illegal activities to the proper
authorities.
The Oregon Rangers would never seek to
put ourselves in a violent situation, but I as-
sure you, we are trained to defuse situations
peacefully, quickly, and with as little violence
as possible. We are volunteers, EMTs, fire-
fighters, animal counters, environmentalists,
freedom and forest loving people — not po-
lice officers or vigilantes.
Andrew Jensen
Public Relations Director
Oregon Rangers Association
J
Michaels
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