TO THE EDITOR
destruction of corporate property is consid-
ered violence, when individuals who have
harmed no one are considered a top domestic
terrorist threat, and when true violent offend-
ers walk free on our streets. Such misuse of
law enforcement resources demonstrates that
these prosecutions are motivated by a desire
to distract the public from real threats of ter-
rorism, threats that the government has con-
tinually shown it is unable to handle. To
waste resources on this kind of FBI activity
means that I can expect that my experience of
the horrors of terrorism won’t be the last.
Leah Todd
Brooklyn, N.Y.
AMERICA WRAP
An open letter to the finest burrito produc-
ers on Earth: When I first moved to the
Northwest from New Mexico, I thought I
knew what good Mexican food was all about.
Was I ever misinformed. The problem with
the food I was used to was that it was too au-
thentic, too flavorful and too spicy. Eugene’s
unique soft-edged sensibilities have pro-
duced taquerias that get around these prob-
lems with the abundant use of two magical
ingredients: lettuce and sour cream. How
simple, how genius! Just thinking about it
makes my mouth water.
Shredded iceberg, mmmmm! I know many
Eugeneans complain that it’s too crunchy and
it hurts their teeth, but I say, “Caution be
damned, bring on the watery flavorlessness of
iceberg!” “And what of the second ingredi-
ent?” you ask. What of that elixir of whiteness,
that dairy ambrosia, sour cream? What can I
say? It’s like whipped cream in every way, but
it’s sour. Pure brilliance.
I know I stand humbled in the presence of
such culinary daring, but I would like to make
a suggestion for an additional menu item.
Perhaps these fine establishments could put
together a tortilla filled with mayonnaise and
hot dogs. It could be called an America wrap.
Just a suggestion.
Jason Torres-Morrow
Eugene
CHAINS VS. CHARMS
My husband and I moved here in 2005
after living in Tucson for almost 20 years.
Initially we were delighted to see that the
unique flavor that Eugene was known for was
still part of the landscape. We are dismayed,
however, with the way the city seems to be
going with the downtown development. It is
true that people “like” to shop at big chain
stores (they shop at chains because they be-
lieve that it is cheaper to do so, which isn’t al-
ways true). It is also true that if chains go into
the downtown area they will probably do all
right, but that isn’t the only point to consider.
We watched as Tucson, a city that had a
very unique history and lots of local color,
gradually become McCity. One small area
near downtown kept local shops afloat
(mostly due to the semi-annual street fair),
but slowly the Old Pueblo become an amal-
gamation of high-end shops the locals could-
n’t afford and chain after chain of shops and
restaurants. By the time we left, you could
blindfold someone from the Midwest, drop
them off on Broadway, and the only way
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