‘Beach Brothers’ were courting danger near surf

I was horrified to see the photo and caption that appeared on A4 of the Sept. 10 edition, titled “Beach Brothers.” For those who missed it, it showed a 6-year-old boy buried up to his neck in the sand on the beach near Winchester Bay, and his 10-year-old brother working on a “breakwater for the rising tide.”

Given the unpredictable nature of the Oregon coast with its well-documented rogue waves, printing this photo without a cautionary caption seems extremely irresponsible.

I’d like to see the photo reprinted, with an admonishment that this type of activity on the Oregon coast is NOT a good idea.

Susan Wechsler, Corvallis

Field burning still best for seed farmers, environment

For 12 years, I suffered from asthma, sitting up summer nights feeling like each breath would be my last. I can sympathize with those who want to end field burning so that they don’t have to suffer.

Fifty years ago, I can remember seeing a farmer walking around a field with a flaming oily rag on the end of a pole lighting the straw as dense smoke swirled across a nearby road.

More recently, I witnessed a field burn rapidly ignited from vehicles creating a faster burning and hotter fire carrying any smoke and particulates high into the sky. This burn, conducted according to state regulations, produced much less smoke, which rose rapidly and was soon dissipated.

Now, for health purposes, there is a movement to ban all field burning. But what will take its place?

Field burning serves an important purpose: removing the straw and ridding fields of pests and diseases. Will farmers use compounds to chemically achieve this? And will these compounds then be found in soils, streams and ground water as well as in the air? And could such pollution be more detrimental to health than the smoke from well regulated field burning?

Our local land grant institution should be able to give us an answer.

Arne Landsberg, Corvallis

Support local single mothers rather than global military

While our tax dollar’s “ability to afford” supporting growing numbers of single mothers may “come to an end,” as the Sept. 12 article, “Experts: Spike in unmarried births will create class gap” lamented, I think it’s quite important to shift our thinking on this subject slightly.

While 30 percent of our tax money goes to human resources in general (encompassing married couples, men, and childless women as well as single mothers), a massive 54 percent of tax money is spent on current and past military. Hence, the majority of our money is actually leaving our country.

Rather than alienating a growing demographic of our population and continuing to perpetuate the myth of single mothers “abusing” the welfare system, we should take pride in supporting our neighbors.

As life is full of surprises and isn’t always cookie-cutter perfect, children born to single mothers are going to continue to be born and continue to need our support. Personally, I would much rather have my money stay within the community, supporting the up and coming generation, helping their struggling mothers to stay afloat so that they can more easily pursue what they need to get on their feet independently, than to spend it on building weapons that are poisoning foreign environments and minds.

Furthermore, isn’t one of the most blatant outcomes of war an increase in single motherhood? Not every soldier who is shipped out marries his girlfriend first.

Heidi Boyer, Corvallis

Columnist Trudy Rubin consistently insightful

Thank you for the excellent column by Trudy Rubin on 9/11, “The post-9/11 ‘war’ has no single enemy.”

Ms. Rubin is consistently professional in her knowledge of the facts and interpretation of them. Even when I disagree with her analysis, I learn from her.

Not only does she carefully refute all the claims of “victory” and point out the consistent failure of the Bush/Cheney invasion of Iraq and phony “war on terror,” she uncovers far more for the attentive reader to appreciate.

She avoids being partisan as she does this. She counsels the need for a long-term, smart strategy to deal with a real problem, but she also puts the blame for the problem of terrorism where it belongs in a failed foreign policy which only makes criminals into heroes.

Anyone who thinks a vote for more of this “get tough” approach to terrorism makes America safer needs to read what those who know what is going on have to say. This is what a column on the editorial page should provoke, and Rubin does it without being provocative.

Don Caughey, Corvallis

Whole election process is fancy, engineered sales pitch

Have we, the American people so often mentioned in political rhetoric, become so stupid that we actually believe that rhetoric truly represents the beliefs of the politicians spouting it?

Surely we know by now that they all have speech writers who deliver the material based on the target audience. As for the “change” that both presidential campaigns are touting: Didn’t we all learn in middle school civics classes about the balance of power in the three branches of government?

No president can walk into office and immediately effect sweeping changes; just ask any former president!

As for the tone of this election, I for one am heartily sick and tired of the sports mentality hysteria manifested by both sides. This country needs to grow up.

Angela Carlson, Corvallis

Looming election signals time for the faithful to pray

Election season is in full swing. Both candidates have accepted their parties’ nominations, and the campaigning continues in earnest. How blessed we are to live in a country where political transitions are carried out democratically.

I would encourage all people of faith to pray. We live in a critical times. As we choose our next leader, may conscience take precedence over party line. We need to be Americans first and foremost.

The tragic events of 9/11 brought us together as never before. Well may we remember the heroes, as well as those whose lives were lost. My hope is that we’ll be drawn together again, united as a nation and strong in our resolve.

God in his mercy has kept us safe from another terrorist devastation. May he keep us from complacency. In the words of a modern hymn: “It’s time to pray, it’s time to pray; America, it’s time to pray.”

Joseph Novak, Albany

Consider all the factors in a child’s academic success

If a student scores well on state tests, it is because, according to (tax activist Bill) Sizemore, the teacher has taught him/her well and should be monetarily compensated for this (Article, Sept. 5, “Coalition to fight Sizemore school bills”).

If the student does not score well, the teacher has not taught him/her well, and should not be paid well. Please consider the following as we look to the November elections:

I greet each child at the door of my second-grade classroom in the Willamette Valley with a handshake and a warm “good morning.”

A day in April, (a student) shook my hand and said to me, “I didn’t get much sleep last night. We had to leave in the night to go ... and get my dad who was at the gas station where (my aunt) was shot in the bathroom of the gas station. I’m hungry.”

Did he learn anything from my sterling lesson on regrouping with two digits at 9 a.m.?

Did he understand the author’s purpose of the novel during literature class circles at 10:30 a.m.?

Did he score well on his oral fluency test at 11 a.m.? Or was, perhaps, his mind pre-occupied?

I may be a highly educated, well-trained and effective teacher worthy of getting a very large paycheck in Sizemore’s eyes. But was that student able to show it that day?

Diana Mollahan, Corvallis