Credit Bush for no attacks since 9/11

Today is Wednesday, July 16. It probably will turn out to be a fairly ordinary day, much like the ones that preceded it. The residents of Corvallis will go about their usual daily business, and the Gazette-Times will publish a list of events around town that might pique their interest.

The Gazette-Times also will publish letters to the editor, as they do every day. Many of the letters, particularly the ones of a political nature, will contain much in the way of opinion, belief and supposition, and little or nothing in the way of cold, hard fact.

While the majority of the political letters will tend to be extremely critical of the current administration, it must be noted that shortage of facts applies generally to all of them, no matter one's political persuasion. And it must also be admitted that the ratio of letters from critics of Bush to supporters probably accurately reflects the political demographic of the community.

Allow me, however, to state one indisputable, irrefutable fact. Wednesday, July 16, marks the 2,500th consecutive day in which radical Muslim terrorists have been unable to successfully carry out an attack within the United States. Whatever your thinking on the administration, that is fact.

Now please allow me to add some opinion, belief, and supposition: Tomorrow will be 2,501; Friday will be 2,502; Saturday will be 2,503 …

John Brenan, Corvallis

Read resolution to understand vote

The author of the July 10 editorial, "City Council has enough to do at home," has really done a disservice to the community by passing judgment on something he does not fully understand.

I have been quoted twice by this paper, but no one has spoken to me about HR 808, The Department of Peace and Non-Violence, nor has anyone from the Gazette-Times spoken to any of its advocates. The paper would better serve the public if someone from the G-T staff had actually read the proposed legislation and reported on its contents. Or perhaps they could have asked our U.S. Reps. Peter DeFazio or David Wu why they have signed on as co-sponsors, along with 68 of their peers.

If the G-T had read HR 808, or interviewed any of its supporters, they would understand its relationship with local government. I suggest that the G-T publish an informative article (rather than an opinion piece) about the purpose and content of the proposed legislation so that its readers will know why our City Council supports it.

Leah Bolger, Corvallis

A gun in the hand can be a good thing

Concerning the current debate over gun rights and the argument over the definition of militia: I find it hard to believe that when The Constitution was being written, the Founding Fathers were referring to a group of professional soldiers of any sort. Wasn't that the era of the "Minutemen," a group of armed and organized private citizens?

Wikipedia says the Second Amendment is to protect the right to bear arms, not by professional soldiers, but to (defend against) an army of professional soldiers wielded by a tyrannical government, such as we have today.

To those such as Drew Foster, who seem to think only the professional military should have the right to defend themselves, I hope the "militia" is there for you when your home is invaded, because the cops won't be to your house in Wren till the intruders are gone.

Personally, I believe a gun in the hand beats a cop on the phone.

Sandi Revell, Kings Valley

OSU's spending priorities skewed

I'm fascinated, and more than a little puzzled, by the spending priorities at Oregon State University under the leadership of Ed Ray.

The Gazette-Times gives us an overview of planned campus construction projects:

Included in the list of projects, with estimated state funding for each project: $28 million for a College of Business building, $55 million for a "student involvement center," $52 million for an international residence hall (an effort to segregate "foreign" students?), $19 million for a "student health facility,"

$9 million for a new building in Newport, $12 million for a new practice gym … the list goes on and on.

Recent news from OSU featured the closure of a large portion of the foreign language department at the state-supported "educational" university. Lack of funds - about $250,000, as I recall - was given as the reason for the cuts.

(Ed Ray's salary will be $425,000 this year, as amended - equivalent to perhaps a dozen jobs in the foreign language department?).

And someone was able to scrounge $4 million to buy a big TV for the football stadium.

I've been suggesting for some time that the university has a moral obligation to capture the methane generated by the dairy operation operated by the school. This is a common procedure at other universities and private dairies, and cuts the greenhouse-gas emissions of the farms immediately.

I'm told again and again: No funds for methane capture (the initial investment might be as high as $750,000, but the captured gas could be used to generate electricity for the university).

I find it curious that many millions of tax dollars are available for fun stuff like new buildings, but that no funding is available for foreign language instruction or eco-sustainability projects.

Ed Ray and his administration are functioning as if there's no tomorrow which, if they continue as planned, may well be the case.

Kirk S. Nevin, Corvallis