The Clemens Foundation deserves kudos for outing the sustainability movement at Oregon State University. "Sustainability" is a social movement that is centrally planned and directed by the United Nations through the Commission on Sustainable Development. They openly advocate the undoing of present day social orders and institutions and seek to replace them with their version of "sustainable" forms of governance and behavior. It shouldn't surprise anyone that many in the mainstream of this global movement openly target capitalism as an "unsustainable system."

Universities are supposed to challenge and stimulate their students, not brainwash them. One of the core objectives of a university education is to allow students to develop independent thinking skills. OSU violates its charter by shoving this social movement down their students' throats without a critical examination of the motives of the sponsoring body. It is pure immorality to use students as a means to the achievement of a political organization's ends.

Count me in as one small voice in support of the Clemens Foundation.

Gordon L. Shadle

Albany

Repealing drinking age is the answer

Yes, Virginia, there is an easy fix to underage drinking.

Alcohol has been glorified in this country. Reaching a milestone of age is the goal of most teenagers. However, there are a few among us who choose to imbibe before it is "legally" permissible.

In other civilized (and many uncivilized) countries, there is no minimum drinking age. Alcohol use is monitored by parents, not the government and law enforcement. Drinking a beer with your buddies is not glorified in commercials, but characterized as just another product for consumers to buy. It is very interesting to look at alcoholism rates in European countries n all lower than the United States!

Abolish the minimum drinking age in this state and country n and the fix is in place.

Of course, if our elected officials maintain alcohol use is an "adult" activity, then we should have parity in the legal minimum age for all "adult" activities. These would include driving a car, tobacco use and joining the military. Why do these "adult" activities have a lower legal minimum age than alcohol use?

One last observation: Two weeks ago, the police report in the Gazette-Times had an item about a 20-year-old male cited for minor in possession of alcohol. If he's a minor in the eyes of the law, why did he have to appear in adult court?

Kenny Davidson

Alsea

Morse embodies leadership traits

Our state legislators, when elected, usually wear a badge with an "R" or a "D." This is appropriate. When elected and commencing service, this legislators' responsibility is to represent all of the people.

Sen. Frank Morse (R-N. Albany), exemplifies this responsibility. There is pending Senate Bill 1073, which had to do with personal relationships between people. Sen. Morse supports this bill and should be respected for it. He will receive criticism, which is appropriate.

This is an example of Sen. Morse respecting all of God's children.

Robert G. Ringo

Corvallis

Creation, evolution theorists are dug in

Fascinating letters have recently debated evolution, intelligent design and statistical odds of the order of cards. More fascinating, however, would be a discussion of the implications of their beliefs.

For example, the creationists (aka, "intelligent designists") commit themselves to viewing the natural world as a sacred, priceless, awesome work of God (aka, "Intelligent Designer"). Humans, therefore, should not readily indulge in tinkering with and destroying God's Creation. I'm sure they exist, but I've yet to meet a religious environmentalist (unless recycling qualifies as environmentalism.)

As for Darwinians, they often claim to believe in Nature's sacredness. Secular, reductionist evolutionary theory doesn't readily lend itself to reverence, however. The scientists' and bureaucrats' analysis, engineering and "wildlife management" contradicts their proverbial perception of sacredness.

The odds of anyone in the creation/evolution debate convincing another to change viewpoint are approximately one in eight, with 64 zeros. Perhaps acting on our beliefs could create slightly better odds for our grandchildren to see God's work/evolution's product.

Wil D. Hormann

Corvallis

Fight bill that targets the U.N.

A very damaging bill will shortly come to the floor of the House of Representatives. Proposed by Rep. Henry Hyde, it is HB 2745, the "United Nations Reform Act of 2005." This bill represents an unnecessarily adversarial, uncooperative approach toward the United Nations. It would withhold U.S. dues unless the U.N. reforms in some very specific ways. (This is on a par with appointing John Bolton, who doesn't believe in the U.N., to be our U.N. ambassador.)

If the ongoing tragedy in Iraq teaches us anything, one lesson should be that we needed to cooperate with the United Nations. Threatening the U.N. budget will win us no friends there. This approach would only increase our isolation in the world community at a time when we need international allies. Instead, we should engage with the United Nations in its reform process, already initiated by Secretary-General Kofi Annan. A summit is planned for this September, where Annan's proposed reforms, "In Larger Freedom," will be considered for enactment by world leaders.

As a June 14 article discussed, a bipartisan report of the U.S. Institute of Peace Task Force, funded by $1.5 million in U.S. dollars, presents a number of recommendations for U.N. reform. It supports many of Annan's proposals for reform and indicates that U.N. officials are receptive to reforms. Led by Republican Newt Gingrich and Democrat George Mitchell, the task force does not support the Hyde bill. We should call or fax our representatives, asking them to oppose the Hyde bill.

Bob and Rachel Ozretich

Citizens for

Global Solutions

Corvallis

Even a rope bridge would be spendy

The current location of Martin Luther King Park is not usable as a park. I suggest the proponents of improving this site go take a good look at it. I did yesterday, and here are some impressions:

1. There are orange-flagged stakes indicating the building of a new higher speed right-hand turn onto the bypass road, and widening the bypass road. Resulting in loss of land area, and any possibility of an entrance.

2. They propose a footbridge across the river. Who has the money for that? The City of Corvallis doesn't.

Maybe a rope bridge, ala Tarzan, could be built by those who wish to relegate MLK to the swampy area across the river in Linn County, but how many are strong enough to to hang on that long?

3. Putting up a "memorial of some type there and making it a place where people who work downtown would like to go, etc." has already been done with Riverfront Park. What would induce folks to "cross over the bridge?"

The ideal, and much more logical solution is to take the current MLK sign from its almost invisible site and move it to Walnut Park. This could be done by volunteers at no cost to the city. The best thing is, all this could be done before the Fourth of July.

Elvin Todd Allen

Corvallis