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BEING PART OF IT Now that the dust has settled, I wanted to share some thoughts on this election, focused through the lens of having been a first-time-ever phone bank volunteer for the Democratic Party of Lane County. In all, I estimate I made around 3,000 phone calls. A most humble and sincere thank you to the vast majority of people who were incredibly nice to me on the phone. I heard some great messages (my favorites were the musical ones — and only one scream!), talked to some sweet kids and became privy to the changes that affect our lives, including family illnesses, births, deaths, divorces, moves and the pain of having kids away at college or serving overseas. I used to be rude to people like me who called on the phone, but no more. This experience has changed me forever. I was gently taught by so many people that it doesn't take long to be nice. Still, it was hard for some people to be patient with a process they didn't fully understand. I often explained that it wasn't me or the DPLC who had called five times in the same evening, but many groups, all working for their candidate or issue. One woman angrily concluded that we were all sexist because, although she didn't like the calls, they were all for the male members of her family, never for her. It was good for her to hear the reason — she didn't get calls simply because she had voted early. I talked with several 90-something voters who were still grappling with the issues and taking the time to vote and with 18-year-olds who were excited about voting for the first time. My hero is one 25-year-old woman I called Tuesday night. When I asked her if she had voted yet, she said, "I feel just terrible. I left work today and left my ballot in my desk." It had been a long day. She lived in Springfield, her office was in Eugene, it was dark and rainy. But she decided she'd get in her car, drive to Eugene to retrieve it and get it in a drop box in Eugene with less than an hour to spare. On the other hand, one 20-something woman told me she'd voted twice in her life and "it didn't work," so she didn't plan to bother voting anymore. I told her that when I felt discouraged, I thought of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, who worked for 50 years to get the right to vote for women and both died before they could vote themselves. I said I figure if those women could work at something for 50 years, I could probably hang in there for a couple more. I doubt I convinced her, but who knows. Elections are exciting, confusing, exhausting, frustrating and sometimes mystifying. I feel happy today because this election went mostly the way I wanted it to, but even if it hadn't, I know that being a part of the process, both as a volunteer and as a voter, beats sitting on the sidelines. Special thanks to coordinators Autumn Wilburn and Sara Chieffo, to all the other hard-working volunteers, and most of all to the people I called who made the process such a rich learning experience for me. Sharon Franklin, Eugene
WHO SET THE FIRE? I have appreciated your series by Kera Abraham on Warner Creek and the movements that came out of that campaign. I appreciate the way that Abraham has pulled together events that I remember in a way that ties them all together. I found it particularly interesting that the fire at the Oakridge Ranger Station destroyed Tim Ingalbee's research. I always thought that ELF had been framed for setting that fire. The fire occurred shortly after the Forest Service had given in to the demands of the Cascade Forest Defenders who occupied Warner Creek. Why would environmental activists attack the Forest Service at this particular time? It seemed more likely to me that the fire had been set by the same arsonists who had tried to profit by setting fire to Warner Creek in the first place. These arsonists lived near the Oakridge Ranger Station and had just lost a potential source of income through the decision not to let Warner Creek be logged. It seemed to me that they had more reason to torch the ranger station than did ELF. Now I don't know what to think. A confession from ELF members would not be convincing, since this could be a price willingly paid to protect their associates. However, Abraham seems to attribute the arson to ELF on the basis of other ELF actions at that time. If ELF really did torch the Oakridge Ranger Station, what a tragic misuse of good intentions! Carol McBrian, Eugene
PERSISTENT BULLDOZER Thank you for the excellent article "Close to Home" in your Nov. 16 issue. I am one of the concerned citizens who saw the whole bulldozer fiasco. For me it was upsetting to learn that our city staff was going to allow this un-permitted and unsupervised bulldozer destruction. Planning staff originally told us that no permits were needed because the developer said they were not going to do any tree removal, grading or soil disturbance. Of course, a bulldozer moving through a thickly forested and heavily vegetated site will end up doing all of the above, and we were successful in stopping the bulldozer without permits. However, they were back later in the week with an erosion permit and a supposedly less invasive excavator. There was still devastation. Trees and other vegetation were knocked down, roads that did not previously exist now exist, foot paths that were only 2 feet wide are now 12 feet wide and the soils are indeed chewed up and a muddy mess that now, when it rains, will run into the Goal 5 stream corridor. Erosion staff assessment of the damage claims that the damage is acceptable, but they also claim that no trees were removed and we have eyewitness to the contrary. City staff has the attitude that the site will be built on, so destruction is OK, while supporters for Save Amazon Headwaters have the attitude that as long as there is still a chance to stop the development, destruction is not OK. Kathleen Leonard, Eugene
DUE DILIGENCE? In regard to the article, "Close to Home" (11/16) by Adrienne van der Valk, Ms. van der Valk did a very good job covering this story and all of our supporters appreciate the writers and EW for their contribution and commitment to keeping this story in front of the citizens of our community. The effort for Amazon Headwaters preservation has been a long, emotional and financial draining task, and EW has always been right there helping to spread the word and for that we would like to thank you. In response to the comment from Joe Green's attorney Mark Hoyt, "The city has been very careful to make us follow the letter of the law," I have to ask, if this were true then why on earth was the city going to allow Green's crew to go out to this sensitive site with a bulldozer, no permits, no utility located and no oversight from the city? This bulldozer was going to plow right through the protected Goal 5 resource until we, the neighbors, stopped the bulldozer crew. It was the neighbors, not the city, that made due diligence happen on this day. If it had not been for concerned citizens getting involved, the developer, Joe Green and his crew, would have been allowed to engage in illegal activities. Public hearing for Green Valley Glen is at 5 pm Dec. 13 in the Council Chambers, 777 Pearl St. Lisa Warnes, Eugene
SURREAL WAR I am irritated by this article's ("Flames of Dissent") slant on eco-anarchy and the continued glorification of that time period. For those of us not worthy of the title "radical" it was a nightmare of drunken egos, misdirected anger and undue targeting. While I stand behind defending yourself, especially against the state, the surreal war they waged in that neighborhood was not remotely "revolutionary," and lacked political drive and intelligence. During the months of attack on the Red Barn, I remember a "black-clad bad ass" whispering suggestions of assault to the counter girl. Another woman, a single mother who worked at the barn, was traumatized when her home telephone lines were snipped in the night after an argument with a group of young activist men. Years later, one guy apologized. Often I would witness abusive language or behavior. When trying to discuss issues with some of the "anarchists," their response would be anywhere from condescending to belligerent. It seemed like the issues took back seat to the egos that tried to expose them. I also think eco-anarchy rising looked different depending on who you were, what you wore and who you knew. James Black, Springfield
BEER BARBS? This is in response to Chewie's letter of Nov. 22. Huh? In my letter of Nov. 9, I criticized the EW staff writer for writing from his bias and for his laziness in not verifying facts. I did not attack Ninkasi. I have no reason to attack any brewery in Eugene as we are all good friends. I have no contention with Jamie Floyd; in fact I have told him more than once that I am proud of him for starting his own brewery. I wish Jamie, Nikko, and Tom the best of luck in their new enterprise. How fitting that I was in the middle of doing quality control lab work at Steelhead when Chewie's letter was brought to my attention. Quality is not an issue with Steelhead beers, nor with any other beers brewed in Eugene. I am proud of Egene for being the best beer town of its size on the planet. The difference Chewie perceives between Steelhead's and Ninkasi's beers is a matter of style, not quality. Different customers look for different flavors in their beers. Eugene has something for every beer drinker. For the past 16 years, Steelhead and I have provided a training ground for many talented brewers, several of whom have gone on to open their own breweries, including Jamie Floyd. I am very proud of their successes upon leaving Steelhead. Eugene has a very cooperative and friendly culture of brewing, and I think I speak for all the brewers in town when I say that we'd like to keep it that way. The enemy is not us, Pogo, it is non-Eugene and non-Oregon breweries. Micro doesn't necessarily mean local. Your local breweries are (in order of opening), High Street, Steelhead, Eugene City/Rogue, Ninkasi, and Willamette. Please support all Eugene breweries! Teri Fahrendorf, Brewmaster, Steelhead Brewing Company
COMING AND GOING You know, you don't have to be a big gardener to benefit from a small rain catchment system. When I built my house out of largely rescued lumber, I included a couple of barrels, a bit of PVC and a tap in the bathroom as well as out of doors. With only a 100-gallon capacity, I am able to water the houseplants and, well into the summer, keep healthy the trees and grapevines I have been planting. I also, in the winter when the water is clear, start loads of wash with a couple of two-gallon bucketsful and maintain the humidity in my woodstove-heated home with fresh rainwater — the large pot which sits on the stove goes through about a gallon every couple of days. For those inclined to "let it mellow," flushing with a bucket of rainwater is a good alternative to the smell of stale urine. None of these things require chlorine which, when we can spare it, we are just as well off without. Finally, water purchased isn't too expensive around here, but remember you pay more for it going than coming and that your sewer bill is based on the quantity in your water bill. Kyle DeBord, Eugene
MOSS ST. CONSPIRACY Now that Frohnmayer has shown that he and our Nike-supported governor will rush low-income student families out of state-owned housing without any real discussion, he ought to be forthcoming with his future schedule for liquidating the remaining 85 UO east campus vintage homes. This sale is to clear the homes and trees from the 10-block area to make way for his "dream" east campus research park. It is an ideal time to have an open conversation with the community on uncontrolled, predatory growth of the university because laws that may reign in eminent domain abuse have been approved by voters. $27.4 million public dollars have already been spent by Frohnmayer (with the R-G's blessing) to acquire the Williams Bakery site, and the president hopes to secure more than $50 million more public dollars to subsidize his project. Phil Knight's long-awaited $130 million check is running late, so there is still time before the Nike corporate research land grab is complete. Zachary Vishanoff, Eugene
NO CONTEST To James Ready's letter ("It's Just Sports," 11/9): I'll go further than to question "lethal" as an appropriate billboard caption for a sports team. Competition itself is harmful and leads to violence. Our words and actions are important. Sensitivity is what we need. Our entertainment, education, politics, military and sports have all helped to condition us to value obedience and enjoy violence. I study and help others learn Nonviolent Communication. I enjoy competitive sports less and less and value cooperation more. I'm concerned with being dismissed as crazy and thus invite you (all) to read No Contest: The Case against Competition by Alfie Kohn, and Marshall Rosenberg's Nonviolent Communication. Please enjoy your sports, but let's also take responsibility for perpetuating our enjoyment of violence. Mark Roberts, Eugene
PARITY IS NOT HATRED This is a brief note to all the Bush lovers out there. From the onset I believed that #43 is a good man. I think his view of our "enemies" and his solutions are heartfelt. His liberal interpretations of his pie in the sky for the rich guy is doctrine in a convoluted kind of way. To sum up GWB is to say his heart in both policy and solution are what G-d has told him to do. I don't hate GWB but find his policies disastrous. Had 9/11 not occurred, business would have gone as usual. After 9/11 he was looking for somebody to blame. Why not go after that guy who wanted his dad killed? With no truthful data, he plunged our nation in a wasteful, horrific, poor use of our resources. Add to that he took a region that was stable and banked on the notion we could change thousands years of their history to suit the U.S. Our dead and wounded have exceeded our eye for an eye retribution/retaliation modality and our efforts to prop up a weak civilian government regardless of the cost. Sound familiar? I see so many indicators that are dead on. As far as Oregonians being out of their minds, please consult the constitutions of the state of Oregon and that one in Washington, D.C. Trickle down actually means that the top 1 to 5 percent of our populace gets tax breaks while 70 to 80 percent pay for our government with little or no relief in sight — until two weeks ago. In closing, parity is not hatred, nor is dissent the same as disloyalty. Attacking the majority will not mitigate the challenges ahead. In reality it makes them worse, and we as a people are punished for it. George Brooks, Eugene
ANTI-SEMITISM? When nice Jewish boy Sacha Baron Cohen creates a racist stereotype character named Ali G, or another named Borat, he gets rewarded with an appearance at the Nevada test site. Hollywood's response is to turn his skit into a full-length feature movie. I have yet to hear a single comment from our local Jewish community about the vile nature of his act. When certain members of our community choose to redefine our language, as Irwin Noparstak does (R-G , 11/7), they should be aware of the degree of hypocrisy they are engaging in. Most Jews are not Semites, and most Semites are not Jews. The profoundly "unJewish" decisions and actions by the government of Israel are far more anti-Semitic than any of the local public discussions I've heard. If pundits like Charles Krauthammer and Paul Greenberg can suggest in nationally syndicated columns that it is worth waging a world war so Israel can allow Jews to live securely in a Jewish community, maybe it's time the local community, all of us, hear different points of view. Jim Guthrie, Eugene
FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS We had some great results in the '06 election, especially on the national level. Some good progressives will have committee controls in the U.S. House and will hopefully fix a lot of things that are wrong. We got good results in spite of numerous heavy voter suppression and other errors because so many people were fed up with corrupt and sleazy government. The first job of the new Congress should be to completely investigate all of the millions of errors that occurred in election 2006, both human and machine, publicize every cause of every error and legislate an effective and accurate solution to every error so that in 2008 we can have a free and fair and accurate election. This is possible because a lot of good people did poll watching and video taping. The shameful details of elections 2000, '02, '04 and '06 must be laid bare and ended in '08 else the U.S. will remain merely a disastrous cancer on the body politic of the world. Bob Saxton, Eugene
FAULTY REASONING I am puzzled and bemused by David Wade's Nov. 16 letter, which refers to one I recently wrote about Brett Campbell's "Bach on Track" viewpoint article of Oct. 19. Mr. Wade seems confused by the fact that I admired and appreciated Mr. Campbell's piece, yet also noted one of its obvious omissions (Penderecki's "Credo") that led to a curious inconsistency among its otherwise constructive suggestions for the Oregon Bach Festival's future. I could take Mr. Wade's comments more seriously were it not for their faulty reasoning, based on blatant and perhaps wilful disregard of simple facts. On the most mundane level, Mr. Campbell's cited article appeared in EW on Oct. 19, not Oct. 9. More substantively, it's absurd to refer to "Four modern works, all tonal oratorios, in the 30 year history of OBF," in Mr. Wade's words, as if they constituted the sum total of OBF's "contemporary programming." I needn't review OBF's entire performance history to refute this fatuous notion; in fact, UO music professor Robert Kyr oversees a biennial Composers Symposium in conjunction with OBF, and it's devoted exclusively to works of contemporary music. I've heard UO music professor Marc Vanscheeuwijck perform on numerous occasions on various stages in the Eugene/Springfield area and in Portland. I've not been alone in the audience, so it's rather odd to read Mr. Wade's complaint that "There is no excuse to deprive Eugene audiences of this experience." Professor Vanscheeuwijck has ample company among UO music faculty members who either have or haven't performed with OBF, thus whether he has or hasn't done so strikes me as irrelevant and unworthy of note. The UO and OBF have a mutually beneficial relationship together with a shared educational mission, hence it's simplistic and misleading to write, as Mr. Wade does, that one "own[s]" the other. Suffice it to say that neither is in the entertainment industry to "sell millions of CDs," even though both are justly proud that an OBF recording of Penderecki's "Credo" earned a Grammy award. I find it ironic that both Mr. Campbell and Mr. Wade overlook this, if only because it's a major contemporary work, commissioned and premiered by OBF at considerable expense and toil. John E. Heintz, Eugene
COPS OUT OF CONTROL The scene is really hard to believe. One distraught teenager outside with a knife, obviously worn out from trashing his family's home. He is confronted with the cops from six police cars, which means there were from six to ten cops — a situation that could only increase his rage and fears. When the kid is ordered to drop the knife, he refuses and welcomes the confrontation, which is not abnormal for someone in his position. The cop decides that his life is in danger and deliberately kills the kid. Given the legal definition that a cop can kill if he feels his life is in danger, our law enforcement leaders conclude that the killing was justified. It is interesting that they comfort themselves by labeling the kid "mentally ill," as though this might justify their irrational actions. However, is it really possible for any intelligent person to think this killing of another teenager is justified? There were many options here: Six or more cops could have surrounded the kid and taken the knife from him; he wasn't a trained killer. They could have used their pepper spray or clubs to subdue him. He wasn't chasing them aggressively, so they could have simply backed away and given him time to cool off. And of course, if they just had to shoot, they could have aimed for his legs. Eugene's police are out of control, and our police chief and mayor seem ill prepared to deal with the problem. Complaints are ignored, mostly because the cops stick together. Our district attorney passes up opportunities to correct problems such as this one and sticks with the chief and the mayor. Though this killing of a momentarily deranged teenager might be justified in the legal sense, it is far from being justified in common sense. The Eugene Police Department remains dysfunctional and out of control. Wayne Pierce, Eugene
RICE IS NICE She is a remarkable, charming, intelligent and highly educated woman! She was the first African-American to become national security advisor, the first African-American female to be secretary of state; she is also a master piano performer and was the former provost of Stanford University! She has served under two different presidential administrations, she has twice the resume of Hillary Clinton, and she has done it all on her own merit, without help from anyone! She at least to me is the embodiment of what Dr. Martin Luther King's version of America was: opportunity for all! My theory is that she will be running mates with Sen. John McCain, to create a strong moderate Republican ticket for the presidency in 2008! Tom Busch, Eugene
DOING JUST FINE The president has been taking a lot of criticism for not having a post-invasion strategy for Iraq. This is unfair because he had a strategy all along. What we see now is the strategy. The most sophisticated infrastructure in the Arab world (abundant water, electricity, a higher education system) lying in ruins. A strong secular government with a potential for uniting the Middle East as Egypt did in the 1950s plunged into chaos and civil war. One hundred thousand U.S. troops on the ground in the center of the Arab world. A prosperous nation held in poverty and squalor, and the second largest known oil reserves in the world surrounded by a ring of tanks. We haven't turned the electricity back on because we don't wish to. Iraq today is a neo-con playground: no tariffs, no regulation, no wage controls or worker protection laws. And there's money to be made: With billions of dollars in reconstruction money flowing in, Halliburton and its subsidiaries are raking it in. Profiteering? Price gouging? Please, don't be unpatriotic. Sure, the casualties are higher than expected. But Bush and Cheney's kids will not be among them. To use Cheney's phrase, they have "other priorities." No wonder the president and veep tell us that things are going well. As far as they're concerned, we're doing just fine. William (Chico) Schwall, Eugene
SPEAKING FOR THE EARTH I read with interest Michael Terrance's letter ("Radical Loonies") in the Nov. 16 issue. While I share some of his dislike for the methods used by these eco-saboteurs, I can certainly relate to the frustrations that led to their actions. A few of his comments, though, I feel are misguided and I am compelled to respond. In this society the notion that the Earth owns property is not even considered. It's too bad, because property owner rights seem to be the prime rationalization for resource exploitation. So who speaks for the Earth? Mr. Terrance's comment that they "destroy for the sake of telling these big logging corporations 'look at me, look at me'" is erroneous. That is proven by the fact that they worked anonymously, only taking credit as a group name. I think it is more likely that they destroyed for the sake of saying "Look at what you're doing to the Earth!" I will allow them that platform from which to act, but I don't condone their actions. I agree with him in that the current administration has a vague definition of "terrorism." I feel most Americans associate terrorism with the unconscionable targeting and wanton destruction of innocent human lives to affect change. Yet we are now being influenced to believe that destruction of property is terrorism. One can only speculate as to why. Mr. Terrance appears convinced these arsons were terrorism, so I would ask him why these buildings and businesses were, but the churches burned in Georgia and Alabama earlier this year weren't? I'm sure those good parishioners felt terrorized, but I never saw the T-word mentioned in any of those reports. It was exceptionally fortunate that no lives were lost by any of the emergency responders to these fires. The consequences could have been much more severe. Terry Moore, Corvallis
THE VALUE OF OUR FORESTS What's it going to take for people to understand the value of our (standing) forests and demand an end to their liquidation? Is the creation of pure water not enough of an incentive? How about clean air? Carbon storage, anyone? Maybe fertile topsoil, erosion and flood control? Recreation, then? Tourism dollars? Are none of these vital — and free — services provided by our forests enough to make their protection a priority for Americans? OK, what if we found a cure for cancer in our forests? Would that incite the public to rise up and demand an end to the slaughter of the greatest concentration of life on Earth? Well guess what? We already have found a treatment for ovarian cancer in our forests. It's called taxol, and it's derived from the yew tree, a tree that the criminally incompetent and corrupt Forest Service once classified as — now get this — a "trash" tree! In fact, almost a quarter of drugs prescribed in the U.S. contain compounds from or based on those found in the forest. Are we so foolish a species as to stand idly by as the insatiable corporate extraction industry lays waste even to our own medicine chests? Our government takes the public's silence on environmental issues as permission to destroy our planet. Please, take a stand and let your voice be heard! Now is the time to get involved! Josh Schlossberg, Native Forest Council
FRIEDMAN'S GIFT The news media has recently stated the wonderful things the late Dr. Milton Friedman, a Nobel Prize-winning economist has done to improve our economy and to improve our standard of living. I beg to differ in regard to his impact on the standard of living in Oregon. Friedman was indirectly responsible for the damage done to Oregon's infrastructure, including the reduction of state funding resulting from Measure 5. Two large holders of commercial real estate in California had been trying unsuccessfully for years to cap the state of California property tax. In the mid-1970s, they had another such effort on the ballot known as Proposition 13 and had the bright idea to ask Mr. Friedman, a Nobel Prize-winning economist, to help them pass their measure. Friedman, as a well-known advocate of reducing the public sector, agreed to help them campaign for Proposition 13 in California, and with his help it passed, and this directly led to the passage of Measure 5 in Oregon. The voters in California didn't seem to understand that Prop. 13 was about fiscal policy since it was concerned with taxes and spending, while Friedman's Nobel Prize was for his work in monetary policy and he had no expertise in the area of fiscal policy at all. To have relied on Friedman for advice regarding an issue such as fiscal policy is similar to visiting a proctologist for a sore throat! Wrong end of the field! Too bad the voters of California couldn't tell one end from the other because, if they had disregarded Friedman's advice, the public sector would not be suffering the problems associated with its declining infrastructure that is Friedman's gift to the citizens of Oregon. Dennis Shine, Springfield
BUSH READY TO RUN While Bush and his ditto head pundits like to accuse the Democrats of wanting to "cut and run" from Iraq, they conveniently like to forget that Bush has already cut the check and plans to run out of Iraq. Six months after we bombed Iraq into the stone age, Bush promised Iraq "the greatest financial commitment of its kind since the Marshall plan". After paying $38 billion to his no bid contractor buddies, Bush has apparently decided to quit the rebuilding and pull out. Laura Bush's pet project, a $50 million children's hospital, is just an empty uncompleted shell. A $75 million police academy to help train Iraq civilians so they "can stand up, so we can stand down" is uninhabitable because of fecal matter dripping from the ceilings. These examples are just the tip of the iceberg of Bush's cut the check and run policies that will cause our titanic nation to slip forever into the abyss of debt. Michael T. Hinojosa, Drain
WAKE UP, SHEEPLE! Fisheries scientists predict the world's ocean fish are expected to go functionally extinct in less than 30 or 40 years. Much of the harm currently is done by huge drift nets and bottom trawling that drag the bottom of the ocean floor, sweeping up everything in their path. This is not to mention the damage done to ocean fish populations by pollution, pesticides and global warming. Can you even fathom the great oceans devoid of great fish like shark, bluefin tuna and marlin? I suppose when the great fish stocks start running out the industry will switch over to whale and seals to feed the masses. Then we'll drive them into extinction, too. This is not a problem you can just throw technology at and expect a relatively instant fix. Wake up, sheeple! The people who are making these decisions and mining the oceans in the name of bigger profits think that they are somehow immune from the earth's food supplies dwindling. Somehow they think their money can buy them a way out. These same people consider you, the average college student, union worker, teacher, doctor, professor, social worker, as cattle. A resource to be manipulated, exploited and used up just like oil, coal, or the ocean's once vast fish populations. So, you can be a part of the solution (boycott and divestment) or bury your head in your iPod or PS3 or 24-hour sports channel and continue to act and be treated like cattle. Shannon Wilson, Eugene
UPRIGHT HUMANS I hear so much talk on the radio and television about left and right and assigning people to the some name or another so they can be dismissed as having worthless opinions. It is as if the welfare of our families, our country and the world depended on a popularity contest. Can you believe our lives should be run by the winner of a beauty contest? I can't. So I made a list of issues I thought should be addressed by those who want to lead us; questions that can define an upright human being: 1. Do you live in a country that even considers morality or the consequences of its actions on the people in other countries? Has your country learned as a nation to live the kind of life made possible by its own natural and economic resources? 2. Do you live in a country that possesses a government that sees society as existing to not chiefly benefit a few but answer to the whole of its people? Are clean water, prenatal care, general health care, a basic education and enough to eat available to everyone? 3. Does your religion lead its believers in a spiritual life? Does it lead people in taming their own lives and seeking peace within, or does it lead its people in establishing control over other peoples' lives as both individuals and groups? 4. Are you a good person? Can you imagine a situation in which the suffering of another can be an acceptable price for some profit to you? Leo Rivers, Cottage Grove
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