TO THE EDITOR
so, as we use the environment for most of our
economic growth (more people consuming
more resources). We depend upon many
plants and animals, water, oil, clean air and
many other resources — all coming from the
environment — to grow our economy.
Unfortunately for us, there are limits to
how much we can take from the environ-
ment, and how much we can pollute it. We
are already stressing some of those limits, yet
continue to support growth as if there’s no
end to it.
There is no end to our wants and desires
though! If we continue to take more and more
from the environment, we will take too much
and pollute too much to continue our growth.
We are quickly heading in that direction and
when we reach that point, it will be bad for us.
It’s already bad for many other species, as
human growth is causing their extinction rate
to rapidly increase. Economic growth is un-
sustainable, and we are already reaching lim-
its to more growth. While some people bene-
fit from growth, most suffer. Like cancer, it
seems we don’t know when to stop. Doesn’t
it make more sense to not take it all now, and
seek a long-term plan that works for the envi-
ronment and the human race? Never-ending
economic growth is not the long-term plan,
despite what those who benefit the most from
it tell us.
Patrick Bronson
Eugene
FAITH VS. FACTS
It’s obvious that the Republicans have the
Democrats beat when it comes to the present
government in D.C. Simplicity is the key.
Republicanism today is a faith- and trust-
based philosophy. There is and was faith that
a 135,000 man army can invade, subdue and
control a country of only 45 million or so
Muslims. Faith that tax cuts, primarily affect-
ing the wealthiest, though putting the country
into a sea of red ink for only 10 to 50 years,
would be taken care of eventually, somehow.
Trust in the new judicial system, basically run
by one man, who promises to do what’s best
for the party, and who cannot be swerved
from this goal by some 200-year-old docu-
ment.
The Democrats, on the other hand, are
saddled with all those gray-area philosophies
and questions of morality that only a later day
Solomon or Lincoln could answer. What
good are facts in the face of overwhelming
ideology, based on a sure sense of what is
right and wrong for the other guy? The
greater good for the majority is a nice
thought, but sometimes your friends just have
to come first.
So, which are you going to choose? A phi-
losophy based on faith and trust, or one based
on questions, verifiable facts and foresight?
The answer is simple, isn’t it?
John DeLeau
Springfield
THE LITERATE SKINNER
I use our new library frequently and I al-
ways notice the statue of Eugene Skinner. I
think about how he must have worked hard
and suffered many physical and emotional
pains but, of what I have read, he wasn’t
alone in his suffering — his wife was there
also. I’d like to see a statue of Mrs. Skinner
sitting next to Mr. Skinner — sitting by her
man. I also read that Mr. Skinner was illiter-
ate and his faithful wife read poetry to him by
candlelight sometimes. I know that she
would have loved our new library. What an
even more powerful sculpture that would be.
Sorry, but all I can offer is my suggestion
— my pocketbook wouldn’t cover the
cost.
Duke Cantrelle
Eugene
LOWER THE FLAGS
It occurs to me as I see the flags at half-
mast for a dead former president, it would be
appropriate during wartime for those same
flags to fly continually at half mast.
Michelle Holman
Deadwood
ENSHRINING REAGAN
While working in Silicon Valley during
the 1980s, I listened to a nightly talk show on
KGO Radio, hosted by a wonderful man
named Ray Taliaferro (we had both attended
a Dr. King speech in 1964: He was the music
director, I was 8). For the entire span of the
Reagan years, Ray fielded calls by Reagan
worshipers, who would attack Ray for speak-
ing ill of their idol. But Ray always won the
debates simply by asking callers to “name
one thing Reagan has done; one accomplish-
ment.” No one could ever successfully pro-
vide an answer.
It is interesting that Reagan is credited
with ending the Cold War merely by being in
the White House at the time and spending our
money wastefully. The Cold War was ended
by grassroots people like us, who followed
people like Carl Sagan and Vladimir Posner
behind the president’s back to hook up satel-
lite TV systems so regular Americans could
talk with regular Soviets (Sagan’s “Space
Bridge” project).
Enshrining Reagan is a neocon ploy, per-
fect for hiding the daily atrocities of Cheney’s
White House Gestapo, and the fact that Bush
and Cheney have retained defense counsel
for leaking the identity of CIA operative
Valerie Plame, among other crimes.
Brian Bogart
Eugene
MEANINGLESS LABEL
In his letter “Being Gay is a Choice”
(6/10), Steve Twede tells a story of a friend
who “elected to leave” the gay lifestyle after
“many years.” First, would he please define
the buzz phrase “gay lifestyle?”
There may be a perception that this must
include things like unsafe sex with multiple
partners, but in reality “gay lifestyle” is about
as meaningless as “straight lifestyle.”
As for the issue of choice, people like Mr.
Twede seem to think homosexuality is simply
a behavior, but as with heterosexuality,
there’s a variable drive behind it. People can
be somewhat flexible in their sexuality, but
most have a preference that is curiously mag-
netic, and hardly a choice.
The fact that a percentage of gays (or per-
haps bisexuals if they can truly switch) at
least try to be “straight” doesn’t change this.
Some gay people who are hammered with
negativity might try to bury those feelings,
but with how much success and at what cost
to their mental health if they fail? And how
many heteros have been successful at re-
pressing their sexuality? But then, gays are
nothing like pure and natural straight folk like
Mr. Twede, right?
Ryan L Newburg
Eugene
JULY 1, 2004 5