Bicyclists, pedestrians and drivers all must heed safety rules

Talk about overreacting and missing the point. Mark Knapp’s Dec. 17 response to Jolene Ballentine’s Dec. 12 letter (about bicyclists’ responsibility), is a classic case of both.

I agree with Ms. Ballentine’s point that the bicyclist is more damaging than the vehicle. It was simply there are people who believe rules don’t apply to them. It’s about the law and common sense — not Ms. Ballentine’s personal perception of the manner in which people should ride.

I see many people ignoring safety measures, such as the light at the fairgrounds. I am amazed how many times it is not being used while someone is crossing.

Further down at both Reservoir Road and 53rd Street, there are stop signs for cyclists on the path. I never trust that the cyclist is going to adhere to those signs; some think traffic signals do not apply to them because they are on a bike and blow right through.

Then there are the pedestrians who walk against lights, jay-walk only a few feet away from a controlled intersection or who walk out of a store off a curb without even looking both ways, as we teach our children.

No matter the mode of transportation, there is a growing sense of “I’m the exception to the rule” and “I’m not responsible for my own actions.” These are the attitudes that need to be removed from today’s society.

There are many who don’t have this attitude, and I thank them for their responsibility for themselves and others.

Aly Welkley, Corvallis

Return of her lost book bag is this student’s Christmas wish

’Tis the season to give, and I want my book bag back.

On Wednesday, Dec. 10, I left the library at Oregon State University around 8 p.m. to come home with my school bags. Unfortunately, one of my bags fell off of my electric powered-wheelchair, and I didn’t know it (at the time).

I retraced my path several times, checked with OSU library circulation staff and notified the Corvallis Police Department and OSU campus security about the incident — all to no avail.

My bag is black with an abstract design on the front, and it contains all my research papers and library books. If anyone finds my bag, please return it to the OSU library or to the Gazette-Times. The research papers are very important to me, as I am a graduate student. I would be very grateful for this Christmas gift.

Rita Sawyer, Corvallis

Ineffective and inactive leaders are risking anarchy, chaos, ruin

It is time for our elected representatives to put aside their personal interests and show some honor, self sacrifice, and duty to this nation and its citizens. The longer they wait to do so, the bleaker our future.

If our leaders wait too long, they will find themselves hanging from trees, lynched by mobs of starving, desperate folks. Our representatives need to take back control of our economy from international bankers and put it back into the hands of the American people where it rightfully belongs.

The bankers — all patriots and protectors of The American Way — have done what the terrorist Osama bin Laden was unable to do: cripple the American economy. The true patriots will reveal themselves soon enough.

We have been living in a financial fantasy land long enough. This generation must accept the responsibility of this mess and rise boldly to meet the challenge. It is time we pay off our debt both individually and nationally.

We must save our money, and because the market is so uncertain and the banks don’t pay enough interest on savings to keep up with inflation, hard assets such as gold and silver are the only viable alternatives to wealth preservation.

We are the ones responsible for this mess; we must suffer the consequences. We idly stood by and did nothing to stop this trainwreck. It is time we took our medicine. Let’s not pass it off to future generations.

Yannick Merlet, Corvallis