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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (March 22, 2012)
letters TO THE EDITOR attitude that, “You go to war with the army you have,” they were warned that “if you break it, you own it.” Now that Johnny comes marching home again we must face the reality of war. Michael Thomas Mason, war veteran paralyzed from the neck down from a police offi cer’s bullet, trying to put him down like a rabid dog as he sat in his car. Benjamin Colton Barnes, war veteran found frozen to death, being hunted like a wild animal after killing a park ranger. Sgt. Robert Bales, war veteran facing the fi ring squad for going on a killing spree that left 16 innocent Afghan villagers dead. These are just three of the 300,000 returning vets who suffer from PTSD. Our wounded eagles are coming home to roost and the only thing that we hear are the chickenhawk war drums, wanting to send “Johnny” off to another war. God bless America? No, no, no! These are human beings being treated like “pink slime,” ground up and put back in as fi ller so we can go back to war with the army we have. Michael T. Hinojosa Drain optic technology and the other alternatives. Clearly, EWEB must quit pushing the idea that we need microwave emitting meters on our homes. If the health effects are un- proven, let us wait until they are. Michael E. Lee Eugene UNEXPECTED POLL DATA BECKONINGS AND BEGINNINGS We now have the results of the EWEB pilot study on “smart” meters. A number of volunteers and some staff members were given the meters, and then asked about their experience. The poll results are now posted at www. eweb.org/smpilot for all to see. Some of the results were probably not expected by EWEB as they designed the poll. As expected most of those participating said they turned some appliances off or down, and they did check the information from the meters several times a week. The image is of people constantly checking and saving — they don’t. But of course the majority liked the meters, generally. They were not asked if they liked the meters after they got a bill for them, however. So we need to fi nd that one out later. The most surprising fi nding was a slight majority, 51 percent used the word “concern” in their answer about health effects. That is clearly not what EWEB had in mind. So in the summary results it is stressed that only 4 percent were very concerned. After that the results section tries, sadly, to cover up the fact that so many people were concerned about health problems at some level. It is easy to fi nd out if I am right or wrong. Go to the EWEB website and see the results of the poll. Compare the summary “results” section with the actual numbers. Maybe it is a bad study? Or maybe it is a good study and a lot of people are concerned about health. No matter what — it clearly shows that EWEB must stop pushing RF microwave technol- ogy exposure on customers and take a sec- ond look at how to spend many millions of dollars. Perhaps it is a time to look at fi ber It has begun! Spring eternal! There ... just there, in the pastel sighs of the crocus, the surprise of sunlight spilling from each daffodil’s yawning cup and the growing, green, puppy dog grin of the garden’s fi rst few rows of hearty onions and beets. Dead stick blueberries suddenly drip greening ut- terances of renewal as the nightly assump- tion of frogs “chirrumph” sweet blossoms from cherry trees, too long now skeletal. Infrequent sun, shy but no longer timid, shoulders it’s way through the thin spots in the shaggy cloak worn by most of these burgeoning March days. Winds no longer howl but whistle, challenged now by the tea kettle scree of the fi rst osprey drawn home to our Willamette. There comes a quickening within the human soul as well. The vault of the Earth beckons. The sweet pungency of rot awakens an itchy longing in the fl esh of the hands for the dryness that only wet dirt can bring. Worm hieroglyphs script mysteries along the West Bank Bike Path. And even these oldest of loins roil briefl y and twitch, diving rods afl utter with unfathomable, anticipatory quiverings. Yearnings unknowable, passions unde- niable, shared with the stalwart salmon and raucous goose and answered in seed. Plant; anticipate, germinate, cultivate, propagate, herald! this newborn season of seasons. Ah! sweet, fl owing fl ower of spring! Glory be to Earth in her highest! Spring eternal! It is begun! David Perham Eugene WORSE THAN LIMBAUGH As expected, EW has joined the con- demnation chorus against Rush Limbaugh (“Slant” 3/15). Yes, Rush was out of line as he often is and deserves the backlash. But why have I never seen any condemnation in EW of Keith Olberman, Ed Shultz, Bill Maher and other left-wing commentators who regularly resort to the same and sometimes worse vitriolic, crass rhetoric aimed at conservatives? EW is not alone in this sin of omission. We see it throughout the media by those who preach the loudest about “tolerance.” Hypocrisy, anyone? Double standard? Oh yeah — big time. Jerry Ritter Springfi eld Give Me Sight The Ungar- Mason Family Band A benefit concert featuring Marty Chilla w/ Concrete Loveseat + Strange Desserts - Fri, March 30 The Shedd Institute 03.29 The Ungar/Mason Family Band 03.30 Give Me Sight Benefit: Marty Chilla with Concrete Loveseat + Strange Desserts 04.07 Moombah! Rumbles’ City Hop 04.27 Miguel Dehoyos & Alex Depue 04.28 Keola Beamer & Raiatea Helm 05.04-13 The Jazz Kings: On The Road 05.05 Zoë Keating 05.09 DeJohnette, Corea & Clarke Tickets/more info: 541-434-7000 - theshedd.org 868 High Street (E Broadway & High), Eugene Thu, Mar 29 DeJohnette Corea Clarke Wed, May 9 7 p/9:15 p HOW MANY EYES ARE ON EUGENE WEEKLY? YOU MIGHT BE SURPRISED & THE NUMBERS ARE GROWING! 114,047 READERS F R E E E V E RY TH U R S DAY ! NOW AVAILABLE IN 792 LOCATIONS IN THE VALLEY AND ON THE COAST Go from the river, river to the trail, trail to the city all a without changing shoes! The sporty Fuse-Ion from Teva has a fast drying upper and grippy rubber sole. LETTERS POLICY: We welcome letters on all topics and will print as many as space allows, with priority given to timely local issues. Please limit length to 200 words, keep submissions to once a month, and include your address and phone number for our files. Email to letters@ eugeneweekly.com fax to 484-4044, or mail to 1251 Lincoln, Eugene 97401. W FOLLOW IS THE TIME FOR FEET NEW TO SHOES YOUR COMFORT WWW.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM • BLOGS.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM Downtown Eugene &#SPBEXBZt 'BDFCPPLDPNGPPUXJTFFVHFOF .PO4BU4VO Downtown Corvallis 48.BEJTPOt 'BDFCPPLDPNGPPUXJTFDPSWBMMJT .PO4BU4VO EUGENE WEEKLY MARCH 22, 2012 5
