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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 29, 2012)
LET TERS Office visits starting at $99 Same Day Appointments Justin Montoya, MD 1410 Oak St, Ste 102 in the Keiper Spine building kjg7hhn7ihmf5R51118*,)"&." '#&3'##(8)' 6FDQZLWK\RXUSKRQH WRGRQDWHRQOLQH LETTER CARRIERS FOOD DRIVE This Saturday! First 2 Saturdays in December! Put a bag of canned or packaged food by your mailbox. Your Letter Carrier will pick it up. Make a cash contribution online at foodforlanecounty.org or call (541) 343-2822. Obesity, asthma, diabetes and heart disease are all aggravated by the auto-centric way we live our lives today. It’s no secret that today’s generation of children are likely to have shorter lives than their parents because of their unhealthy lifestyles. Currently, Willamette Street is unhealthy to motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists and does not appear to be ADA compliant. Changes made to this public right-of-way need to consider all modes of transportation and what is the best usage for kids, elderly, wheelchair bound, blind folks and bus riders. Walking on the sidewalks is not pleasant and therefore severely limits those numbers. We need to visualize an environment where we can walk to shops, dining, visit with our friends, neighbors; and at the same time support local businesses. Making the street safer for bicycles will not only increase the number of cyclists, but will allow pedestrians the full use of sidewalks. This section of Eugene should be a destination, not just a place to pass through. Richard Hughes GEARs President Eugene EASY AS ABC Anyone who has a hard time understanding why local activist Curtis Taylor and others haven’t hopped onto the “no-kill” bandwagon should take a look at this long list of failures of limited- admission (i.e., “no-kill”) shelters and rescues. There have been so many raids, busts and seizures that PETA can’t even be sure that it has kept up with them all. See http://bit.ly/LipPSv No one wants to euthanize animals, least of all people who dedicate their lives to helping them. And we should all be deeply upset that in this day and age, shelters must still resort to euthanasia — but breeding and buying animals from pet shops is still legal in most places. The reality is that there are more animals in need of homes than there are people ready to adopt them. Even if we could build enough shelters to hold all of them, these animals need real homes and families to love them. They can’t be warehoused forever just to make us feel better. Euthanasia prevents suffering — it is, by defi nition, humane. But turning away animals in need of shelter is anything but humane. Forcing animals to exist in cages, joyless, for months or years or their entire lives, is inhumane, too, as is allowing animals to suffer in squalor, loneliness, deprivation and illness. There is an answer, and it lies in prevention. We can reduce euthanasia and the need for it by taking the smart, effective approach that’s as easy as ABC — animal birth control! Ken Barnhart Eugene THE WHOLE TRUTH Please help me understand. Rockets have been fi red from Gaza for well over a decade and more than 800 missiles and mortars have been fi red into Israel in 2012 alone. I didn’t see any outrage in our news media. On Nov. 10, Gaza-based terrorists fi red an advanced anti-tank missile at an IDF jeep traveling on the Israeli side of the Gaza border. I didn’t see any outrage then. Not even an article. A barrage of more than 120 rockets and mortars followed the attack on the jeep, falling into Israel. Still no outrage. In response to the attacks and to prevent further rocket fi re on its civilians, Israel launched Operation Pillar of Defense and killed the top Hamas commander, Ahmad Ja’abri, who was responsible for the deaths of scores of innocent Israelis. Suddenly, we have outrage; Israel has attacked Gaza. Israel has made a concerted effort to avoid civilian casualties by dropping leafl ets over Gaza, in addition to making thousands of automated calls, advising residents to avoid areas that may be targeted. As of Nov. 16, some 64 trucks of food were transferred from Israel into Gaza; 16 trucks of medical supplies were sent into Gaza; and 26 patients from Gaza have entered Israel for medical care. Loss of life is deplorable. Palestinian children should not die. Why do the Palestinians lose more than the Israelis? Because Israelis hide their civilians in bomb shelters instead of hiding their bombs in civilian areas. Israel has the right to defend itself. The world needs to educate itself on the whole truth. Rae LaMarche Eugene RUMOR MILL In a stunning twist, Papa John’s employees have pledged to EAT his pizza if they get health-care benefi ts. Glenn Leonard Eugene 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. Wall to Wall Winter Cycling Gear Weatherproof jackets, pants, gloves, packs, and shoe covers. Ibex warm, soft, wool layers, bright lights, fenders, reflective vests & tapes. ‘Rain’ bicycles. December Sale starts 12/6 arrivingbybike.com & facebook ÓÇäxÊ7>iÌÌiÊ-ÌÊUÊx{£°{n{°x{£ä °qÀ°Ê££qÇ]Ê->Ì°Ê£äqÈ]Ê-Õ°Ê£Óqx 6 November 29, 2012 • eugeneweekly.com
