Remember to honor fallen peace officers

As the daughter of a fallen officer, I would like to remind the public that May 15 is Peace Officers Memorial Day.

Forty-six years ago, President John Kennedy proclaimed this day to honor the officers killed in the line of duty.

Let's not forget the men and women who work so hard in behalf of the public and to those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.

Ann Cataldo, Corvallis

Dog owners: Do what's right for pets

I have been accused by Al Moss of not liking dogs ("Most Corvallis parks do not allow dogs," Letters, April 22).

Not so. I like dogs, owned one, and even had a dog-walking service to relieve the stress of animals originally bred to work that ended up spending most of their time pent up in suburban homes.

I do have a problem with some dog owners, though.

The riverfront has always been a place to walk dogs. Occasionally one bandanna-clad mutt would break loose and show off his frisbee at the farmers market. This was kinda cute.

The last few years has shown a substantial increase in dogs though, particularly expensive, pedigreed animals that are loaded into cars and brought downtown or specifically to the farmers market.

This event is packed with strollers, small children, wheelchairs, etc. Add to this mix 50 dogs that are newly sprung loose from their week-long stay in the back yard and you have a prescription for trouble.

Taking them shopping or tying them up to a bicycle rack while you have a latte at Sunnyside Up is also not a good idea nor does it constitute sufficient exercise.

Do what's right for your dog.

Joy Hagler, Corvallis

Hillary has solutions, not just slogans

There was an Obama ad on TV recently that was basically a public service announcement that said: "Parents should read to their children. It is good to read to kids."

Of course, Obama is saying this and at the end he says we should vote for him for president … presumably because he knows it is good to read to your kids?

This is just another example of how this race is more about celebrity and warm fuzzies, than about how to make our country better.

Does he have a plan to be sure more parents can read to their children - by improving literacy rates in our country, preventing child abuse, and lifting families out of poverty?

Does he have a pay equity plan that will allow single moms to work less so they can get home to read to their kids?

Does he have a plan to improve access to health care so that kids can be comfortable when they are hearing their stories, and so that parents have access to family planning services to plan when and whether to have their kids?

The answer is no. Hillary Clinton is the only candidate who sees we need real, tangible solutions, not feel-good slogans.

Barack Obama for spiritual leader. Hillary Clinton for president.

Joan Demarest, Corvallis

Pope best choice for state representative

Craig Pope has been an active member of our community as a small businessman and a volunteer.

His business experience will be vital as a state representative; he knows the pressures regulations and taxes can put on small businesses.

He also knows how to make sure that expenses do not exceed revenues, which is sometimes lost in government decisions.

Craig believes in the community and the idea that to be a strong community takes commitment.

He has served as a volunteer firefighter, a member of the fire board, a member of the local water utility board, and a mentor to local youth through the FFA.

By electing Craig as a state representative you are choosing a representative with a strong work ethic, high moral standards, and someone who will fight for the concerns of small towns and rural areas of our state.

When you fill out your ballot this May choose Craig Pope; he is the best representative we could have.

Andy Tofflemire, Monmouth

Two claim the land that now is Israel

Regarding the historical accuracy of Frank Howard's letter ("1 million Arabs live peacefully in Israel," April 25):

The United Nations did not restore Israel to the Jews in 1948. It granted them land that was not theirs in the first place.

Notwithstanding the questionable Biblical grant of Canaan to the Israelites, the '48 grant was the fulfillment of a World War I English promise, the Balfour Declaration.

This declaration promised land that the English neither controlled, owned or occupied for monetary support from European Zionists.

At the same time, English-Arab negotiations promised the Arabs the same area under the MacMahon-Sheriff Letter.

Thus, mired in British double-dealing, there are two claims to the land.

The Arabs were not invaders. As shown above, they had as good or better claim (by dint of two millennia of occupation and the British agreement) than the Jews.

But, as we know, might makes right and the winners write the history, albeit inaccurately.

Martin R. Mulford, Corvallis