TO THE EDITOR
and helped give Little Elmo an 86 to 90 per-
cent approval rating.
Kerry, perhaps because incredibly
wealthy, attacks incompetent Little Elmo
mainly on given issues and seems incapable
of galvanizing voters. Little Elmo promotes
warfare by trying to instill terrorism hysteria
in the populace. In fact, the U.S. has at times
engaged in terrorism, e.g., Nixon’s sending
the CIA into Chile to help bring down
Allende and install Pinochet. On the phone, a
greater Seattle friend rightly called the politi-
cal situation in this country “frightening.”
Paul J. Green, Ph.D.
Eugene
BLAME THE R’S
In the 8/12 News Briefs, Rep. Phil
Barnhart’s opponent would have us believe
that Barnhart is responsible for the problems
of Oregon’s schools and health care systems.
In fact, the hard right wing of the Republican
Party, in control of the Oregon House for the
last 14 years is responsible for the mess.
Barnhart has been a champion of our
schools since 1994 when he was first elected
to the Eugene School Board. Barnhart knows
our state is moving in the wrong direction,
but has been consistently outvoted in the leg-
islature. Barnhart’s right wing Republican
opponent wants to run against the policies of
his own party while blaming Democrat
Barnhart for Republican failing.
Don’t let him get away with it! In a
Democrat-controlled Legislature, Assistant
Democratic Leader Barnhart will be an im-
portant part of the solutions we need.
Jeremy Hall
Eugene
STRUGGLING TO SURVIVE
I’m a person living on SSI disability. My
income is $564 a month. I’ve reached the
point where my limited income won’t make it
through the month anymore. Groceries, gas,
electric, and medications that the insurance
won’t pay for anymore are bigger than my
check. I’m slowly going under and I know I
can’t survive another four years of this. Does
anyone else have the same problems?
Ruth LeBrun
Eugene
NO LEADERSHIP
Why would someone vote for Ralph
Nader as an “alternative or protest choice” for
the presidency? During the past four years, as
far as I’m aware, Nader has not shown leader-
ship or contributed to any national programs,
other than, possibly, auto safety. He has no
background to manage the broad range of do-
mestic affairs of this country, nor does he
have the knowledge and experience to man-
age foreign affairs. Nader has not demon-
strated leadership qualities in any area.
Of course, the Republicans, who are help-
ing finance Nader’s campaign, would love to
see votes for him — that would ensure the
election of the deceitful, greedy Bush admin-
istration and friends.
Robert Rubinstein
Eugene
ticle by Kera Abraham on the “Window on
War” (profile of Peshwaz Faizulla, 9/9) and
was thankful for finally getting a different
perspective on what is happening in the
Middle East today. I am sick and tired of the
U.S. media giants inundating us with garbage
information and commercials. To most in the
U.S., life has become a numbing unfulfilled
daily trip to unsatisfying work to pay credit
card company bills for the things we pur-
chased that we for the most part don’t even
need. I for one have learned a lot from this ar-
ticle — that we Americans are missing the
point on living a more fulfilling life.
Live within your means. Do not become a
“slave” to material things. Sure, the huge
house on the hill looks nice and man would
that be nice to have (you think?). I am losing
hope for America as long as corporations
have bought Washington, as long as people
live in poverty amidst colossal government
waste.
I will as of this day, cancel my cable TV
and newspaper, start to garden more, take
more walks with my wife and listen to the
birds and most of all slow down. I am com-
pletely satisfied with what I have and I want
no more as I have all I need and then some. I
do not want to create any more impact on the
Earth than I already have. I see no value in
that.
Thank you Peshwaz Faizulla for provid-
ing a view of life here in the U.S., your obser-
vations hit to the core of all of us.
Steve Brasch
Oconomowoc, Wis.
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UNDERFUNDED
Head Start needs more funds. Currently in
Lane County, Head Start is only serving 50
percent of those children eligible due to lack
of funding. Research has shown early educa-
tion programs like Head Start can prevent
school failure and crime. John Kerry has a
plan to save Head Start. The No Child Left
Behind Act created new requirements for ed-
ucators but did not give them the funding
they needed to complete them. The No Child
Left Behind Act was underfunded by $27 bil-
lion. John Kerry has a plan to fully fund edu-
cation programs that teach kids, not just test
them.
After-school programs are in danger of
losing funding. Kerry is a strong supporter of
after school programs. I am in high school
and I have witnessed how after school pro-
grams can save lives. I know two different
people who were considering suicide and did
not go through with it because they made
friends in an after-school program. I know
other students who did not drop out of high
school because of an after school-program
they were in.
In the last three years college tuition has
risen 35 percent and 220,000 people were
priced out of college. Many more felt they
had no hope of affording college. Kerry has a
plan to bring college education to all
Americans. Send me to college. Vote for
Kerry.
Peter Howland
Springfield
SEEING SMOKE
LESSONS FROM A KURD
I read your paper regularly as I used to
live in Oregon many years ago. I read the ar-
After the attack on our country on 9/11,
President Bush promised that he would make
the hunt for Osama bin Laden the number one
OCTOBER 21, 2004 7