TO THE EDITOR
DANGEROUS WORDS
I’m deeply moved by the Rev. Gregory
Flint’s recent sermon reprinted in the
Weekly (11/18). Thanks to Rev. Flint for his
words of wisdom, and thanks to EW for
making them available to its readers.
Lately, I’ve seen some bumper stickers
asking us to pray for the safe return of our
troops in Iraq and elsewhere. Wonderful.
May they all return home to their loved
ones soon and safe. But I haven’t seen a
single bumper sticker asking us to pray for
the people our troops are being ordered to
kill. The death of a loved one to senseless
violence is an irreplaceable loss to any
family, whether they be American or
Iraqi.
The primary purpose of war propa-
ganda is always to dehumanize the enemy,
and to do it as often as possible. Both sides
engage in horribly dehumanizing hate
propaganda intended to justify even more
horrific acts of violence. Jesus tried to
teach us to break the cycle of violence.
Jesus’ teaching of tolerance and social
reform are as dangerous to the modern rul-
ing elite as they were to the temple priests
2000 years ago. So his words have to be
carefully modified or ignored to prevent
them from being practiced too widely.
Lowell Rundle
Eugene
NOT SO SIMPLE
Maria M. Berg’s letter (11/4) takes
Irwin Noparstak and Joan Bayliss to task
for “ignoring history.” Berg herself shows
disrespect for the historical record, pepper-
ing her letter with historical inaccuracies
and attributing ungenerous positions to
Noparastak and Bayliss, which are simi-
larly at odds with their record of service in
pursuit of justice locally and in the Middle
East. The origins of Israel and the failure of
a similar Palestinian state to emerge are
more complicated than Berg suggests.
Criticism of Israel is appropriate, but Berg
gains little credibility by inflating Israel’s
offenses and ignoring the failures among
Palestinian leaders, not to mention those of
Arab nations which have too often aban-
doned the Palestinians.
Berg is wrong to suggest that
Palestinians have only rocks and bombs at
their disposal; they have diplomacy. Let’s
hope — and let’s push— for a new engage-
ment in the peace process in the post-
Arafat world to achieve peace and justice
in the Middle East. Historically, Israel has
been prepared to share this land with a
Palestinian state. Israel should again coop-
erate in efforts to create a viable
Palestinian state. Will the new Palestinian
leadership be willing and able to accept
one?
Matthew Dennis
Eugene
UNJUST INSULT
Shame on your music reviewer (12/2)
for basically insulting the world-famous
classic rock band Wishbone Ash that re-
cently appeared and put on a wonderful
concert in Eugene. It is obvious she is more
interested in the regurgitated, formula-
matic, teenybopper, fake, talentless
garbage that is promoted as music today,
than listening to and witnessing true musi-
cians who are as popular today as they
were over the past 30 years.
Shame on allowing a “journalist” ( and
I definitely use that term loosely) to write
such a shallow and egotisical, self-serving
article. Wishbone Ash has more relevance
today in the music world that anything this
writer probably knows about, and even
calls music. Obviously she is the one need-
ing the enema, and to allow her to basically
insult the band without ever seeing or hear-
ing them is a slap in the face.
Your paper ought to be ashamed and
embarrassed to allow such a frivolous
commentary to be published and she
should issue an apology to the band and its
fans. She has a right to her opinion, and she
obviously has one that has no insight or
semblence of accuracy based on factual re-
search. What a sorry state of affairs for a
“writer” to print a column of drivel based
on no knowledge whatsoever of what she
is writing about. But hey, that fits the
media in the U.S. today anyway!
Steve Koontz
High Point N.C.
BY SALLY SHEKLOW
Sleepy Seekers
In search of regime and sheet change
D
espite setbacks in our federal government, Wifey and I continue right
on progressing through middle age. Simultaneous hot flashes and night
sweats keep us sleepless enough; now we find ourselves beset with odd sleep-
ing habits that, like our commander in chief, don’t make any sense.
Wifey’s inexplicable need to sprawl on the diagonal conflicts with my penchant for
stretching out like a free-falling skydiver. Then we compete for opposing fetal-curl
room. The way we sleep, we’re one of the few American families who are actually mak-
ing ends meet.
Not that cuddling up in a double bed is all bad. When we have to, Sweetie and I
can even manage in a twin for a night by simply employing the handy entwine-and-
cling method. But how I long for the freedom to fully extend. I’ve outgrown small beds
and I hate to retreat to the couch when I’m too middle-of-the-night cranky to work out
a peace accord. Even without any political capital, I’ve got a clear mandate for a bigger
bed.
We didn’t change the presidential regime this time, but we can change our bed.
It’s a values-based decision. I value a good night’s sleep. Until democracy is restored, I
won’t rest easy. But I would rest better in a comfy bed. Unlike the dismal prospect of
four more years, I look forward to the end of our small-bed days. I’m plenty blue about
the elections, but I’m optimistic that Wifey and I can actually achieve nocturnal com-
fort. I’m feeling hopeful and I intend to keep hope alive.
Being good lesbians, we’re processing all the issues. We’ve shared our feelings
about what changing bed size means to us, to our bank account, and to our chakras.
We’ve considered that a bigger bed will narrow the aisle to the bathroom and increase
the incidence of night stumbling. Bigger sheets will require re-choreographing our tra-
ditional sheet-folding dance. While we don’t like the current bed, we’re used to it. I can
see why folks prefer the incumbent: Change is scary.
And bed diversity is overwhelming. There are so many choices — plush, ultra
4 DECEMBER 16, 2004
plush, pillowtop, soft, firm, extra firm, ultra firm, flip-floppy and
resolute. Size is important too. You’ve got your queen (not for
actual size queens), king, and California king — soon to be
known as The Schwarzenegger.
How will we know which mattress is right for us? Which will
really support us over the long haul? Can we have them debate
each other? Can we change beds in the middle of a war?
What about those high-end memory-foam beds? We won’t even
go there. The way things are with national defense, Bush will have
Homeland Security smoke out the Tempur-Pedics and extract intelligence on
what private nighttime activities the memory foam actually remembers. They have
their ways.
I worry that a Bush-appointed Supreme Court might not defend our inalienable
mattress-sampling rights. Who will protect our freedom to simulate real-life bed-use in
the sleep shop? Can we spoon? Bounce on all fours? Exactly how thoroughly can two
big dykes test drive a Sealy before we’re detained and hauled off to some mattress-
violators’ Guantánamo?
This is supposed to be the land of the free and the home of the brave. We’re free
to choose our own bed — even if our choice for president fell victim to “voting irregu-
larities.” We’re brave to fall asleep at night while the terrorist alert needle quivers into
code orange.
But who can buy a new bed when you can’t even afford insurance? The special
rights of spousal health coverage are reserved for heterosexually married people only.
One man, one woman or else. We’ve still got a way to go before our equality mission is
accomplished.
So, everybody, let’s keep at it. Don’t tune out and doze off. Four years from now
we’d better elect a progressive, pro-choice, LGBTIQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans, Intersex,
Queer)-friendly, anti-racist, environmentally sensitive, diversity-embracing, peace-pro-
moting, education-funding, science-believing regime.
Then, we’ll all sleep better.
Sally Sheklow’s Living Out column began in EW in 1999 and now appears in alternative and queer publications
worldwide. She teaches writing at LCC Downtown Center— to enroll, contact www.lanecc.edu , 463-3100 or e-mail
sally@wymprov.com