Posted: Thursday, May 29, 2008 12:00 am
Better bus schedules would add riders
Since the price of gas has hit the roof and is causing a lot of woes in our pockets, I want to suggest increased transit service in Corvallis.
There are now only two half-hour bus routes, and the rest of the routes are an hour.
I would not mind paying extra for bus fare (and I am a senior), if the bus routes were 15 minutes apart and, in the outlying parts of the city, a half- hour apart.
More people would use the buses, leave their cars home, and fewer cars mean cleaner air. We really need 15-minute routes to the hospital and shopping areas in town.
Also, Dial-A-Bus may want to think of adding more services for the seniors and disabled.
The bus to Philomath, also, can have more runs during the day.
We cannot wait for the government to help us. The price of gas will just keep creeping up, and it is time for the transit department of Corvallis to help the city and its citizens.
We need to work together to overcome some of the problems citizens all over are facing.
Regina Berman, Corvallis
We can't 'comfort' an undefined enemy
We hear a lot of talk from the GOP about "appeasement" and "lending comfort to the enemy."
What we don't hear from them is a definition of the "enemy."
We are supposed to associate anti-war protests with Neville Chamberlain who accommodated Hitler - a defined threat.
In Iraq, we have both aligned with and fought against every indigenous military group within the country. (No, al-Qaida is not indigenous and is despised as much - if not more - than our presence.)
Who is the enemy?
We achieved victory in the last declared war by defeating Hitler and his armies, along with the armies of Japan and Italy.
We were not allowed to do that against North Korea due to Chinese intervention and against North Vietnam due to the possibility of Chinese intervention.
This caused great angst and anger among those who supported our involvement in those interventions.
Obviously, since China intervened later against Vietnam, that threat was imaginary.
The invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan had simple stated objectives: topple dangerous governments. We did that easily.
Since then, we have allied and opposed every indigenous group within Iraq. Al-Qaida is just another outside group even more reviled than us.
That's why George Herbert Walker Bush warned us against foreign interventionism. It seems that only the protesters have taken his thoughtful message seriously.
By definition, we can't "lend aid and comfort to our enemies" since they are deliberately undefined. And that's why victory is impossible - by (lack of) definition.
Jeff T. Barrie, Philomath
Fourth Amendment quote missed mark
Let me begin by stating that I have the utmost respect for law enforcement, and have been personally acquainted with several Corvallis officers.
I would love to participate in some of the community police activities that Hugh White applauded in a recent letter.
However, Mr. White quoted an excerpt from the Fourth Amendment in such a manner so as to nearly completely invert its meaning. While I doubt that harm was intended, the full clause ought to be presented to avoid confusion, especially in light of certain other controversies:
"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated … " (emphasis added).
While on the topic of the Constitution, it might be useful to consider what it has to say about the conduct of the president, given the recent letters regarding President Clinton.
From Article II, Section 1:
"(He) shall take the following Oath or Affirmation: 'I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.'"
Article II, Section 4 articulates the basis for removal from office, which for brevity I will not repeat here.
I would hope that future discussions of impeachment - of any president - keep the principles of constitutional law in mind.
Conrad Shultz, Corvallis
Push superdelegates to end this charade
Every day, every minute that goes by since we made our Democratic presidential primary preferences known that our superdelegates don't make theirs emboldens the clearly desperate, disingenuous, dissembling Hillary Clinton to say or do something even more ghastly than the day before.
There are only six uncommitted Oregon superdelegates holding out: Sen. Ron Wyden, Secretary of State Bill Bradbury, Democratic Party of Oregon leaders Frank Dixon and Wayne Kinney and Oregon Education Association leader Gail Rasmussen.
Please join me in encouraging them to step up and end the charade.
John W. Ross, Corvallis
Editor's note: Kinney on Wednesday endorsed Obama.
Next president must deal with big mess
I am not one to gloat over someone else's misfortune.
In this sad coda to the Cheney-Bush reign of error, I will not reminisce on those heady days of "Shock and Awe" nor on the photo-op of one who shall be nameless, under a "Mission Accomplished" banner.
And neither will I dwell on the unfortunate turn of events that finds the "liberated" Iraqis embroiled in a vicious civil war that a 300,000-man U.S. force (if we include the off-book mercenaries) has yet failed to contain.
Let us all hope and work with the next Democrat in the White House to clean up this gigantic mess left by the "Republicans Gone Wild" (now out on DVD in a 6-disc set at the unheard of price of $3 trillion - or 3 million if you pay in Euros).
Remember what the late, great Bette Davis once said: "Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy ride."
Leo de Vogel, Corvallis