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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 10, 2008)
TO THE EDITOR any self-discipline or rationality would say such a thing. McDonald’s CEOs do not come to your home, hold you hostage and threaten your life until you eat a cheeseburger and french fries. We live in America; you have the right to walk away from the deep fried foods. One more thing, in your description of McDonald’s as being “one of the worst deci- mators of our planet,” you fail to mention all the wonderful contributions McDonald’s ac- tually has control over. I am sure you have never heard of the Ronald McDonald House. To enlighten you, it is one of the most charita- ble and supportive organization directed to- wards families of serious ill children. Now, I am not saying McDonald’s is the greatest corporation in history, but deeming it responsible for obesity? No way. And for all of our sake, obese people are single handedly contributing to obesity in this country; there is some sensibility. Kathleen Konrady Eugene WOPR DEADLINE I was disappointed that EW didn’t cover the Dec. 21 rally against WOPR, the BLM’s plan to clear-cut their old-growth forests in Oregon. I was particularly disappointed be- cause EW has given plenty of coverage to global warming; and the deforestation caused by WOPR would accelerate global warming. Other than running paid ads from groups op- posing WOPR, EW’s major contribution to this issue was an article in September regard- ing the Rogue River. While WOPR does threaten some particularly beautiful areas, its impact would be felt all over western Oregon in the form of habitat loss, water quality degradation, flooding, and major losses to the recreation and fishing industries. It would also accelerate climate change around the globe by turning 2.6 million acres of old growth into clear cuts. We can do several things to fight WOPR. First, we need to comment to the BLM by Jan. 11. Comments are important because they will help the environmental lawyers try- ing to stop WOPR, since their evidence will be restricted to citizen comments. For com- ment strategies and a link to the BLM, visit www.oregonheritageforests.org Second, we need to tell our congressional delegation to actively pursue legislation that protects Oregon’s old growth, to seek county payments that are de-coupled from logging, and to come out publicly against WOPR. Third, we need to give this information to friends outside of Eugene. Since the BLM is a national agency, comments on WOPR will be accepted from around the US. Please help protect Oregon’s forests. Carol McBrian Eugene PLAY BY THE RULES I’d like to make a couple of things clear to those so-called immigrants’ rights advocates. First, you’re lying when you say immigrants’ rights; it’s all about “illegal” immigrants rights. Second, there is very little if any, as Ken Neubeck of the Amigo Multicultural Services Center puts it, “anti-immigrant hos- tility;” there is, however, anger towards “ille- gal aliens,” those who think they can ignore the requirements to enter this country — legally. Last I heard, this entire planet is divided into territories and tribes, and all of us have to play by the rules for travel no matter how ab- surd they may be. Yes, there are supremacists of all colors who hate others. They will al- ways exist and don’t use them as an excuse to promote your self-serving agenda. Now, on to the “Ask a Doofus” column writer Gustavo Arellano. He claims to “slam people and challenge everything they believe about Mexicans.” He also says he goes after Mexicans who are racist against darker skinned Mexicans. My reading of Arellano’s column is that he spends most of his time slamming people who are not of Mexican heritage. How much time has he spent slam- ming Mexico’s imprisonment of Guatemalans and El Salvadorans and others JANUARY 10, 2008 7
