LETTERS AND COMMENTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING JAN. 13, 2007

What a deeply insightful Community Comment, "The Myth of Free Trade," by Chris Perry, Oregon Rural Action director.

I am especially supportive of his conclusion that we here in Northeastern Oregon would benefit greatly by further developing our local food production. As he said, "We need regionalized food independence," which, in other words, is local sustainability.

A couple of years ago, my late husband, Bill Oberteuffer, and I read the life story of Vinoba, who is referred to as Ghandi's guru. Vinoba traveled throughout India, getting the larger landowners to give of their land with the intention that every family would have enough land to grow their own food. And he was successful in his endeavor.

I would love to see a similar movement in our Grande Ronde Valley, where we can again see small family farms thrive and help by growing much of our local food

supply.

Speaking of Bill Oberteuffer, I am looking for a home for the typewriter on which he composed and typed all of his Letters to the Editor. If you are interested, call

963-6349.

Jacque Lee

Island City

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Do we want to dry up all the springs and creeks in our forest by removing everything that helps keep the mountains cool, just for a gallon of "biogas''?

Think about it.

Essie Wagoner

Summerville

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My first day of Christmas break began with a tragedy that I feel others should know about in order to avoid a similar experience. I took my best friend, my 16-month-old 100-pound puppy, hiking in the hills above La Grande. He was happy to be out and ran ahead, then back to check on me before galloping back down the road.

The next time I saw him he was caught in a snare trap. Every movement he made tightened it more around his neck. By the time I got to him, he was taking his last breath. I could not free him, so I returned to town to get wire cutters in order to bring him home.

After talking with a state game officer, I learned that I should have known that it is trapping season and should be aware of where to have my dog on a leash. I had no idea! From him, I learned that there is no law, in Oregon, that requires trappers to post where they are trapping.

This is not a judgment on trapping but a request for warnings of where it is happening. Most of us who use the hills and mountains around La Grande for recreation have no idea when trapping season is or where it is going on. I now know that the Owsley Canyon area is not a safe place to go.

I feel there should be some sort of notice for the general public so that others do not have to experience what I have gone through.

Please help us protect the ones we love. Post your trapping areas!

Cathy Diacetis

La Grande

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There has recently been some discussion concerning the removal of the truck route from the downtown area. I suggest that the issue be re-established for pedestrian safety. I would like to support this with a near hazardous experience I was involved in recently on Adams Avenue involving a delivery truck and a pedestrian.

I was proceeding west along Adams Avenue behind a delivery van. It had a snub-nosed cab and a high engine compartment. The driver of that van wanted to turn right and had the proper flasher blinking at the corner in front of Radio Shack. There was apparently a pedestrian crossing in one direction or another at that time. The driver remained still for the pedestrian, as he or she should have.

I was wanting to turn left in front of the Highway 30 coffee shop and went into the center turning lane. I proceeded to begin my left turn and suddenly out from behind the truck stepped a pedestrian whom I had been unable to see due to the truck cab. That gentleman had to jump back to avoid being hit by my car.

My point is that the big rigs can hide pedestrians from view and place them in danger of being struck by another automobile. The delivery van was not nearly as large as the trucks that use a truck route.

As a side comment, if the fellow I nearly hit reads this, I would like him to know that I parked and came back to apologize but couldn't find him. I apologize now.

Gene Erwin

La Grande

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A recent Republican opinionist said that he was ashamed of U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith because he stated before Congress that the United States war in Iraq was unfounded. I, too, am a Republican, but I commend the senator for standing firm in his beliefs. He, like 75 percent of the population, believe the same.

The president snowballed Congress into allowing U.S. armed forces to side-step the United Nations and wage war upon Iraq with his hog-wash claims. There was no connection found that Iraq had any part in Sept. 11, nor were any weapons of mass destruction found by the U.S. or U.N. inspectors.

It is true that Saddam Hussein should have been deposed, but that was the responsibility of the U.N., not the U.S. self-appointed police force.

President Bush won his war after Saddam Hussein was pulled out of a spider hole in Tikrit, but he will lose the battle to bring democracy to Iraq.

Among other things, our Constitution provides for separation of church and state. Islam does not abide by those principles. The message of Allah stated: "Islam is your religion, it is your society, it is your government, it is your every act in life" (source: The Encyclopedia Americana).

Who are we to interfere with another country's beliefs?

We are not only meddling with Iraq. One-seventh of the world's population is Islamic.

What is now Iraq was partitioned from western Iran and recognized as a republic by the League of Nations in 1932. The reason for the separation was the constant strife between Shiites and Sunnis, plus the nomadic Kurds, who would not be governed. Sectarian violence between the Shiites and the Sunnis has been ongoing since for 1,675 years, since 632 A.D.

Our trouble with Islam has only begun.

Cecil E. Mecham

Summerville

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I write in response to Gary Poole's letter published Jan. 2. Mr. Poole states that many modern musicians look as though they "fell out of the back of a truck on the way to the city dump." Bands such as the Hives, Raveonettes and Ladytron perform wearing ties, French cuff shirts, wingtips with spats or couture dresses.

However, assuming appearances have any bearing whatsoever upon the actual quality of a band's music is a fallacious presumption. In cases such as musicians like Madonna and Britney Spears being "thinly disguised pornography," it would be suggested that perhaps more attention be given to the music they are producing rather than their figures.

Mr. Poole also compares modern music to the "primitive ritual drumming and dancing found in the jungles hundreds of years ago." The musician most comparable to ethnic music of bygone eras would be Tom Waits, who frequently creates music through the use of banging trash cans together or pounding away on a piano with no real attention paid to the notes being played. It should be noted, though, that Mr. Waits performs in these "noisy freak shows" in addition to being a medical doctor.

Comparing a music album to a manufacturing plant that "OSHA would shut down" is weak. Music is played at a volume determined by the listener, whereas workers in a factory have no such choice.

Furthermore, comparing music awards to awarding a prize to someone who has spread the greatest number of AIDS cases is not only a feeble argument, it is an affront to all AIDS victims.

Music is bought with knowledge of its contents, whereas no one willingly contracts AIDS.

Drew Kelly

La Grande

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Thank you for printing the Daily Astorian editorial on Jan. 1, 2007, in The Observer. Forest plan revisions are an important subject for all who care about public land management. As the three forests in Northeast Oregon are in the process of revising forest plans, it is important the public is not taken out of the process. A robust planning process is key in protecting the public's assets such as wildlife, salmon and steelhead, old growth, clean water and recreational opportunities.

Nationally, the Forest Service has tried to downplay the importance of these forest plan revisions and has eliminated any meaningful public input. The American people need to insist on full disclosure of the facts and support the public's right to shape the planning process and appeal if they disagree with the plan. I hope that the Blue Mountain Forest Plan's revision process is fully inclusive of the public's right to participate.

We all own the public land and should have a say in future management. Excluding the forest plan revisions from the National Environmental Policy Act will effectively cut the public out of the process.

We all should be very grateful for the public lands in our area and not take them for granted.

Let the Forest Service know why you care about our forests and why you should have a say in the future planning process.

Larry McLaud

La Grande