In the article on the aerobatic plane ("Russian Thunder," Dec. 16) the Gazette-Times betrays a distressing provincialism that is all too common in the United States.

The plane is not "decked out in all-American red, white and blue," but in the colors of the Russian Federation, which happen to be white, blue, and red.

I know that it may seem picayune to point this out, but, unfortunately, the insularity that this kind of error indicates is symptomatic of the poverty of the geographical and historical knowledge which the school systems in the U.S. engender in its citizens.

Becoming familiar with world outside the borders of the U.S. in an era of globalization is imperative and without that understanding the U.S.-centric attitude that this represents will redound to our collective detriment.

Martin R. Mulford, Corvallis

'Gun-free' zones can be dangerous places

I begin this letter by stating that the misleading title of my last letter ("Americans all should be carrying firearms," Dec. 11) was given by this paper.

This title, I think, explains why Sharon Nixon was so shocked in her letter ("Arming everyone won't make us safer," Dec. 13), although no doubt she would disagree with me anyway.

I believe she called the idea of arming everyone an "insane premise." I agree. But why do people call on the police? Because the police are armed.

Unfortunately, they are not omnipresent. But wherever there is random violent crime, people are present. Logically, to fight this crime effectively you need only equip the people to protect themselves.

If the police could always keep me safe wherever I am, that would be great. But, given how soon authorities arrived in Omaha and at Virginia Tech, I am skeptical as to how well they would rise to the occasion.

Police are responsible for the safety of the public, not the safety of the individual.

I am not blaming the victims for being unarmed, as Ms. Nixon suggested.

I do blame Westroads Mall for imposing a false sense of security, and forcing folks to play along with the illusion.

Lone gunmen continue to attack "gun-free" zones, and in response some people would make the entire nation a gun-free zone. Does this make any sense?

Reid Demarest, Corvallis

Don't deify president for Civil War wrongs

I appreciate David Prichard's refreshingly controversial opine that "South's secession was not rebellion" (Letters, Dec. 18)

He demonstrates how the bloodiest war in our nation's history could have been avoided.

History books often justify the war by saying it freed the slaves. But Lincoln said that was not his motivation, admitting that he only freed the slaves to facilitate victory over the South.

Most Southerners did not own slaves and scholors agree that slavery would have fallen under its own weight within 30 years.

Then why did we fight?

Congress passed laws before the war demanding that cotton and other raw materials from the south be sold only to the North. Then they heavily taxed the finished goods in return.

Lincoln said the Mississippi River runs the wrong way for us to be two nations. In other words, it was about trade and imperialism for the industrialized North, not slavery.

Was this potential wealth for the North worth the slaughter of 600,000 American soldiers? I say no.

It's time to stop deifying President Lincoln or any president who commits a war of aggression.

Jim Sackinger, Corvallis

Death penalty has proper legal role

Ron Coffey discusses five arguments he asserts are reasons to abandon the death penalty ("It's time to do away with death penalty," Letters, Dec. 17).

He is wrong. They are not arguments against the death penalty but to be more careful before execution.

If after strict due process, examination of all evidence, a trial properly conducted and with full appeal, a person is found guilty of capital murder it is not vengeance but punishment to execute.

Such an act by a government is the very definition of lawful and is in no way murder (the unlawful killing of a person).

Would fining a thief who stole $1 million a mere $10 be just punishment? Likewise, how can jail only be adequate and just punishment for one who with malice aforethought cruelly kills another?

It is a matter of equality and justice.

P.M. deLaubenfels, Corvallis

Iraq violence story just disinformation

I was surprised by a Dec. 17 Gazette-Times front-page headline suggesting some "lowered violence" in Iraq, but after reading the story I learned how it was that the story had the slant that it did.

The Associated Press story was basically a thinly disguised re-write of a handout - in 15 paragraphs, some just a sentence long.

It contained 10 direct or indirect quotes from Lt. Gen Ray Odierno, "the man responsible for the ground campaign in Iraq."

This appeared to be a handout or a report from a press conference with no questions asked - the type of thing that, several decades ago, I, as a journalism student at Indiana University, was warned not to print or give credence to, certainly not without including other perhaps more objective, non-biased perspectives.

What is going on in American media? True, this was not a local story or the product of local writers. However, taking material from the AP is not a sufficient excuse.

At least a minimal perspective (e.g. the Dec. 18 story in The Oregonian, courtesy of Los Angeles Times/Washington Post, discussing a few varied interpretations on Iraq events) could suggest that non-local sources and authors can be used without relying totally on handouts.

If a story comes in that is not nuanced, that indeed is a press-release rewrite, I say, toss it.

Better no mention of a topic than disinformation, as clearly the Dec. 17 front-page story is.

Roberta Hall, Corvallis

CH2M's Hayes was a remarkable man

Reading Jim Howland's words, describing his good friend Burke Hayes, brought back many wonderful memories ("CH2M cofounder dies," Dec. 18).

As an employee, I enjoyed looking at drawings of early projects (done a few years after founding the company) with PE stamps and signatures of CH2M founders on the documents.

Many years later, as a budding small business owner, my partners and I sought out advice from the person we knew could help us: Burke Hayes. Even in his 80s his counsel was clear and concise.

These four remarkable men (Cornell, Merrifield, Howland and Hayes) created a company that has exceeded all expectations. Their vision and simple good nature were responsible for this. Each contributed in his own way to make CH2M special.

Burke provided expertise in electrical engineering and invention of equipment. Without his contributions (and those of his partners) the company simply would not have succeeded.

I doubt that Burke Hayes and his friend Jim Howland could create a similar company today. Now there is too much emphasis on company financial performance, and little regard for treating employees as partners, responsible by their enthusiasm for the health and well-being of the company.

Joe Mackey, Corvallis