Posted: Monday, May 30, 2005 12:00 am
With Memorial Day here, I wanted to put in my two cents and say thank you to all the veterans and their families.
My mother was born in 1936 in Nancy, France. I could go into great detail on what her childhood was like, but I'll just say, "WWII."
Those who are veterans of war know what I mean. They've possibly seen children helplessly caught in the midst of war. My grandfather died in that war. My mother was
8 years old.
Thankfully, there were people - many people - who put an end to that war.
My parents married in 1955. They later divorced, and she married my dad, an American soldier stationed in France. We came to this country when I was 7 years old.
My mom never took for granted the freedom that this country allows us. She also never forgot the sacrifice made by so many during that war.
I'm not interested in making a political statement. This is about gratitude. It's kind of like the film, "It's a Wonderful Life," only I'm one of the people whom you (the veterans) affected through your service. "Thank you!" to the veterans of all the wars, past and present.
Catherine Denluck
Corvallis
Punish owner of this vicious dog
I am outraged after reading the May 25 story, "Pit bull attacks Lebanon man."
Not only should this "dangerous dog" be either destroyed or relocated to an area where it cannot endanger people or pets, the owner of the dog should face stiff penalties for her irresponsibility in not maintaining control of her "pet."
These penalties should be above and beyond simply paying for medical and veterinarian expenses.
Brad Upton
Corvallis
Play not suitable for PHS students
I would like to take issue with the writers of several letters to the editor regarding cancellation of the play "Rumors," which was to be performed at Philomath High School.
One wrote saying that the educators (responsible for the play being performed) were highly professional educators. Can one imagine going to a doctor or a dentist and having them use that kind of language 10 times during the visit? They're professionals too, you know.
Another said that people in every country in the world swear. That makes it OK? (All the other kids are doing it, Mom.) There are murderers and sex offenders in every country on the planet, too. That makes it OK?
The third writer wrote that Neil Simon is one of our greatest American playwrights. That makes using that kind of language in public acceptable?
Number three also stated, "Our constitutional freedoms are eroding away." What's really eroding away is good manners and a sense of decency. Can you imagine what would have happened if this event had happened 75 years ago?
The May 24 letter to the editor, the writer listed numerous advantages of theater classes being available at the school. I wonder if the "life skills they learn" include how to use obscene language in a discreet, mannerly way. I also wonder if all those skills would have ben left unlearned without the profanity.
I realize it was very poor judgment to wait until the last minute to decide to cancel. Those making the decision should have done so before students become involved.
Paul Faxon
Toledo
Column misstated SSA's situation
Peter Sepp begins the first paragraph of his May 15 analysis, "Social Security needs surgery," with incorrect premises.
First, the president's proposal does nothing to "fix" Social Security (even though it's not broken), so rather than jump-start, it stops debate.
Second, the "remaining government part would pay out proportionally larger benefits to middle income workers" not only doesn't make any sense as written, it is patently false.
In fact, if you remove money from the fund for private investment, you will reduce the benefits of someone born in the 1990s by 37 percent (per the Congressional Budget Office) and no telling by how much for disability benefits.
As for the AARP position: It is one of the best-documented studies by professionals done to date on SSA and is not filled with meaningless references to water heaters and leaky pipes. Is Mr. Sepp's mindless analogy supposed replace data and facts?
Here are some facts, care of CBO: 2010: Boomers begin to retire. Trust fund surplus equals $3 trillion; 2018: Social Security begins to spend trust fund interest; surplus is now $5.2 trillion; 2028: SSA begins to cash in trust fund bonds; 2042 or 2052, depending on growth of economy; Trust fund exhausted; pay-as-you-go provides 75 percent of benefits.
Our elderly and disabled citizens and our youngest workers need clean information based on our economic scientists' best data and forecasts, not information supplied by some anti-government, anti-tax, paid spin lobbyist with a political ax to grind.
For a combination long-term care disability/retirement program, it is the best thing going.
William Switzer
Corvallis
Was 'Pure' best use of $30K?
So I see that once again Calvary Chapel put on "Pure Choice" at Gill Coliseum on the Oregon State University campus (to promote sexual abstinence outside of marriage).
According to the OSU student paper, this was done for a cost of more than $30 thousand for the event.
Given the rate of disadvantaged individuals in the county, couldn't that money have been better spent?
Also, I would like to suggest handing out safe-sex information to those attending, as it has been reported that those participating in these abstinence shows have a higher rate of having sex.
After all, those attending should be fully informed.
Allen J. Burton
Corvallis
ESD overlooked in coverage, column
In the May 20 "Roses and Raspberries" column, I noticed in the congratulations to the new school board members that you did not mention those board members that won election to the Linn-Benton-Lincoln Education Service District (ESD).
I have also noticed in the past weeks that you have not mentioned the ESD as having candidates running for office.
Certainly your staff must be aware of all the public agencies that are providing services to K-12 public education. The ESD is an important agency in providing these services.
The Linn-Benton-Lincoln ESD traces its history back to the office of the county school superintendent that existed before there were independent school districts as we know them today.
David Dowrie
Corvallis
Editor's note: The Gazette-Times regrets the oversight. Belated congratulations to ESD board members Peter Tarzian, David Dowrie and Melvin Larkin.
Newsweek flunked Journalism 101
The headline in the May l7 Gazette-Times read, "Newsweek: Quran story erred," referring to a Michael Isikoff story alleging U.S. interrogators at Guantanamo Bay desecrated the Quran. Newsweek retracted the story.
In the 1990s, Michael Isikoff uncovered a blow by blow account of the president of the United States having an affair with an intern and then pressuring her to lie about it under oath. Newsweek sat on the story; Matt Drudge got the scoop.
When Isikoff had an eyewitness account of Kathleen Wiley's unwanted sexual encounter with Bill Clinton in the Oval Office, Newsweek again wouldn't run the story, and was scooped by Matt Drudge.
Isikoff was first with detailed information of Paula Jones sexual harassment charges against Bill Clinton, but Isikoff's employer, The Washington Post - which owns Newsweek - decided not to run it. The American Spectator and the Los Angeles Times did.
About the only Clinton sex scandal Isikoff didn't uncover first was NBC News, Lisa Meyers' very credible story regarding Juanita Broaddrick's rape allegation against the former president.
One might ask the question why Newsweek wouldn't pause for reflection or fact-checking before running a story they had to know would incite violence in the Muslim world. Their anonymous, one-sourced story was similar to Dan Rather's National Guard story; a story based on forged documents. These stories wouldn't pass muster in a journalism 101 class.
The liberal media seems more than willing to compromise standards in order to gin up negative stories that would disparage our military and our president.
Larry A. Smith
Shedd