I would just like to warn anyone who goes to Chip Ross Park to be extra careful parking in the lot.

My car was broken into. The window frame was bent, and the window was broken out.

According to my friend, who is a Chip Ross dog-walking regular, this happened to another car last week. A window was broken, and a purse was taken.

In my case, it appears that nothing was taken. I guess I or my dogs scared the intruder away.

I did make a police report. Although nothing was stolen, the cost of the broken frame and window will be nearly $500.

Please be careful when using the parking lot at Chip Ross and take all your valuables out or just don't put them in.

Margaret J. Lubkin, Corvallis

Bicyclist complains of uneven treatment

I have been visiting Corvallis for a few months. Corvallis people are wonderfully friendly and the area is very pretty. Unfortunately, I feel you live in a police state.

Cycling is my mode of transportation. On a recent night, I was blinded for a block by high beams from an oncoming vehicle. I could not see, and knowing piles of wet leaf piles often lay in the road, I rode onto the sidewalk.

The vehicle angled toward me and kept its high beams in my eyes. Riding blind on a bicycle is a very dangerous. When I absolutely could not see, I was forced to stop. Seconds later, a Corvallis police officer stepped out to interrogate me about my actions.

Later, another officer informed me that the traffic laws are strictly enforced regarding cyclists at any time of the day or night.

Now there seems to be a double standard here. So I went to the law enforcement building to determine the legality of purposely blinding an oncoming cyclist with high beam headlights at night, never mind the legality of a forced random stop.

I was stunned when I could not get an answer. It seems that safety is of no concern when a police officer is stopping cyclists without probable cause, while the cyclist is held to the strictest law-abiding standard.

I recommend forming a local bicycle advocacy group that would work to improve conditions for the local cycling community.

Garrick Sitongia, Corvallis (member of Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition)

Minority forcing will on holiday majority

In response to Dave Picray's Dec. 20 letter, and his issues with my previous letter:

Can I ask why it is OK for the minority to force their beliefs or nonbeliefs on us but not OK for us to stand up for our beliefs?

We have already been "forced" to change. We gave up the Pledge of Allegiance, Halloween celebrations, Christmas pageants and much more. But it is never enough. Do we have to give up Christmas in its entirety so those who do not believe are not offended?

Well, I am offended by the notion that we who believe in Christmas are the ones in the wrong. We live in America, where Christmas is celebrated. It is as simple as that. We should be allowed this time of the year to have our celebrations.

I am not indifferent. My wedding was during the Sabbath. One of the groomsmen, being Jewish, was not allowed to drive to the wedding. I did not "force" him into the limo; I gladly allowed extra time for him to arrive on foot.

I am not hostile. I teach my daughter that people are different in many ways including our religious beliefs, and that we need to respect people's differences. I just want the same respect for our beliefs that he wants for his; it's a two-way street.

Alyson Welkley, Corvallis

Apply 'good will' toward all people

As a member of a religious minority, I am amazed by the number of people who have written in to express the view that it detracts from their enjoyment of Christmas when they are expected to be more "politically correct" in their greetings and wording at this time of year.

It is true that the majority of people in the United States and in Corvallis are Christians. However, our Founding Fathers wisely recognized the importance of "separation of church and state." As my husband has often pointed out to me, the purpose of a democracy is to protect the rights of the minority. The rights of the majority will always be protected.

During this time of year, when all of us are constantly bombarded with the sights and sounds of Christmas, is it really that difficult to greet people with the phrase "Happy Holidays"? (Although not all of us even celebrate a holiday at this time of year.)

Is it so much to ask that the present school vacation be called "Winter Break" so that our children don't feel like outsiders in their own schools? These small but inclusive gestures may be "P.C." but they also show us that you recognize and respect the diversity among us.

It is my understanding that a major theme of Christmas is "good will toward men." If this truly applies to everyone, then people of good will should be more than willing to make these minor changes in their vocabulary so that none of us feel excluded. Happy holidays to all!

Susan Aronson, Corvallis

Preparation key to mountain survival

The most recent presumed deaths of the three climbers on Mount Hood prompted me to recall my own survival training.

I went through survival schools in the 1950s and '60s while flying in the Air Force. Our basic survival kits included pocket pencil flares, signal mirrors, police whistles and assorted first aid supplies.

Our instructions were you might be there for quite a while, so plan ahead and take care of yourself. You are responsible to yourself.

We were told that if we could not plan for our own welfare, we should at least think of those folks coming out to look for you.

The hidden crevasses, avalanches and all manner of dangers are everywhere, waiting for whoever comes along. You can't count on cell phone security.

Jack Gallagher

Corvallis

Who can legally inflict death?

Dr. Jack Kevorkian has been in prison for more than eight years for assisting a man in avoiding a truly horrible death.

George Bush, Dick Cheney, et al., appear smiling, happy and all set to enjoy the holidays safely with their families.

Something is wrong with that picture.

Ursula Barry, Corvallis

Bush should listen to his advisers

According to the Dec. 20 edition of the Washington Post, President Bush is considering "expanding the overall size of the 'stressed' U.S. armed forces to meet the challenges of a long-term global struggle against terrorists."

Here's a thought: How about drawing down the troop levels in Iraq as recommended by the Iraq Study Group? Then we wouldn't need to increase the size of the Army and Marines and we'd save money. Fewer troops would be caught in the crossfire between Shias and Sunnis, America's prestige in the world would improve slightly and maybe - just maybe - there would be some light at the end of this tunnel.

Philip Scott, Corvallis

War in Iraq is an all but lost cause

We've clearly lost the war in Iraq. Our only realistic military options involve more than 100,000 additional troops and the draft necessary to raise them. Our only diplomatic options involve making chancy deals with sleazy and unreliable local powers like the Syrians and the Iranians. We've lost.

Only one real question remains: How to extricate our troops.

We may think our technologies, training, etc., will protect us. We forget that relatively simple Iraqi tactics could take an enormous toll. For example, multiple attacks focused on our fuel supplies could strand our units in place. At the very least, confusion will arise, units will take wrong turns, command and control will degrade, and we'll suffer casualties and captured soldiers.

We broke Iraq. We can expect the Iraqis to take revenge. We'll probably be seeing some disgusting videos.

But wait; there's more:

We face the same risks in Afghanistan, which has a bigger population than Iraq. In the first Afghan war, the English took the country easily. A few years later, the Afghans attacked a British garrison at Kabul and drove the whole force from the country. Only one Englishman escaped alive (Dr. William Brydon).

We need to taste the reality of defeat. Roll it around in our mouths. Spit it out. Make plans to salvage what we can, then get ready for the next round. This time, let's do something that makes sense.

David Fiske, Corvallis