TO THE EDITOR
cance in the natural world. Think possibilities
for President 2004 (There are only two because
we are brainwashed into a system that sucks.).
If Bush wins, the system that sucks will morph
into a system that pukes. If Kerry wins, we will
still have the suck but things will be enough
better so that we will have a chance to make the
changes necessary for survival in environmen-
tal and societal decency.
As to the 6/24 Slant: Hell will freeze over
before two hospital bureaucracies in one
town will work together to do the right thing.
Bob Saxton
Eugene
WHO NEEDS ENEMIES?
Speaking on NPR recently, Nader gave a
convincing rebuttal to arguments accusing
him of helping Bush in Florida: He pointed
out that many more thousands of Democrats
voted for Bush than voted for himself in
Florida, and he blamed the Democratic Party
for failing to win over those voters. Nader
went on to talk about the potential value of
his own campaign in forcing the Democratic
Party to move further to the left. The only
problem Nader didn’t and couldn’t explain
was how the Democratic Party could possi-
bly win over right-wing Bush-voting
Democrats while simultaneously giving in to
Nader’s pressure and moving even further
away from them, to the left.
For those who were worried that a Nader
vote might help Bush, Nader suggested they
campaign for him, then if the vote appears
close come election day, switch to Kerry.
Nader didn’t appear to notice the possibility
that a person campaigning for Nader might
persuade others to vote for Nader, and that
these others might not be willing to switch
votes on election day, so helping to elect
Bush after all.
There is an old saying: “With a friend like
this, who needs enemies?” Unfortunately,
there are very real and organized enemies of
the environment and democracy and justice,
and with our “friend” Nader helping them
out, we may soon be facing at least four more
years of destruction.
Ron Unger
Eugene
PAINFUL FAIR
In another week, I won’t flinch at the
radio’s joyful noise or feel aberrant because I
don’t feel the magic. From acquaintance rape
at my first fair to my restraining order against
a former board member, the Oregon Country
Fair has been marred by abuse for me. While
I am healing from the past and beginning to
see and change my own part in being drawn
to those who misuse power, I feel alone. Are
there others for whom the OCF has been
painful? I don’t wish to blame the fair or dis-
courage the good things that happen there. I
am not now writing to be told that it’s my
choice to be a victim, as someone wrote
about Kate Storm in response to her article
about Burning Man (5/27).
Alternative venues purport to present us
with a new and better world. Is it easier to ex-
amine the abuse of power by the police than
abuse by others whom we know? I add my
voice to the voices of the women who bravely
stood up against Roger Magaña. Male police
are not alone in misusing power. I would like to
know the number of rapes and other abuses re-
ported at the fair each year, and to hear from
women who have chosen not to make reports.
With all the facts, women can make an in-
formed choice about what to expect at the fair.
And to Kate Storm, I say, “Right on, sister!”
Ratina Wollner
(AKA Ruby the Resourceress)
Eugene
NOT A CHOICE
It is possible that there are people who can
choose whether to be gay or straight. There are,
after all, people who can choose whether to be
black or white, and people who can (with
rather more difficulty) choose whether to be
male or female. But most of us find ourselves
unambiguously in one group or the other.
Kathe Burt
Corvallis
A TREE GROWS IN EUGENE
William Blake wrote, “The tree which
moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of oth-
ers only a green thing that stands in the way.” I
was thinking of Blake’s words today as I
looked for the old trees lining 29th Avenue in
front of the Cascade Manor retirement home
and found instead a new clear-cut. The beauti-
ful trees apparently stood in the way of more
concrete apartment buildings.
The view I enjoyed the other day from Mt.
Pisgah was quite different. Looking out over
the City of Eugene, I remarked to my hiking
partner that it is the trees, not the architecture,
that make our city such an aesthetically spe-
cial place. Green Eugene.
More progressive places, such as some
New England towns, require sign-off by the
communities before trees can be cut down.
They find value in their trees beyond the
purely monetary. Enlightened thinking.
I wonder if our city leaders will ever see
the light? I wonder how the retirees at
Cascade Manor enjoy their new view? I won-
der if the owners of Cascade Manor treat their
old folks any better than they treat their old
trees? Just wondering.
Benton Elliott
Eugene
CORPORATE KERRY
EW editorialized on July 8: “Edwards is
an eloquent populist with humble roots, and
he’s a trial lawyer not afraid to take on big
corporations. The choice also shows that
Kerry, unlike Bush, doesn’t need an old war-
horse like Cheney to pull his strings and
cover his butt.”
In reality, Edwards is a conservative
Democrat who has a track record of changing
his support for contentious issues when cor-
porations apply pressure. In particular,
Senator Edwards changed his position on the
Yucca Mountain national nuclear waste de-
pository (or is that a suppository?) after
Carolina Power and Light (which operates
nukes) urged him to be more pro-nuclear.
Kerry is also pro-nuclear power (and pro-
depleted uranium weapons), so it is likely
that the upcoming Kerry/Edwards adminis-
tration will push for more nuclear energy, a
technology incompatible with human health
and a democratic society.
In early June, Senator Edwards was a
guest at the annual meeting of the Bilderberg
Society, perhaps the most powerful grouping
on Earth (it met in Italy this year). When the
news leaked out that he was a participant, it
was obvious that Kerry (who is a Bilderberg
member) was going to pick Edwards.
There are many indications that Kerry is
going to replace Bush. There are probably no
Gore or Nader voters anywhere who plan to
JULY 15, 2004 5