Letters, letters, letters

The Nugget welcomes contributions from its readers, which must include the writer's name, address and phone number. Letters to the Editor is an open forum for the community and contains unsolicited opinions not necessarily shared by the Editor. The Nugget reserves the right to edit, omit, respond or ask for a response to letters submitted to the Editor. Letters should be no longer than 300 words. Unpublished items are not acknowledged or returned. The deadline for all letters is noon Monday.

To the Editor:

Re: Craig Eisenbeis' articles about Zaher Wahab and why the Arabs hate us.

Military minds like Eisenbeis seem unable to accept blame, to believe the Arabs have cause to call us terrorists -- for our support of Israel, the Shah of Iran, the corrupt Saudi regime, our lawless disregard of a World Court order in favor of Nicaragua against our military action there, and other acts of force.

Bush says he wants to forbid the ultimate weapon of death to those who have no respect for human life. TOO LATE! -- Israel already has nuclear weapons, and if an "official retribution policy" of 10 Arabs for one Jew isn't disregard of human life, I don't know what is.

Our attitude toward terrorist life is just as callous, and our arsenal larger. Abundant U.S. money enables Israel to develop lush farms and rich cities.

Eisenbeis says he abhors blaming, yet he clearly blames Arabs as lazy and irresponsible folk who'd rather blame us than improve themselves. Well, you can't buy irrigation systems or build new, clean housing without money, and we sure as heck ain't giving any!

Nor do we encourage the few oil-rich Arabs to give to their own needy. Palestinian farmers work hard to grow a good crop, only to watch it wilt in the hot sun because of Israeli restrictions preventing them from taking the crop to market.

Israel STEALS land from Palestinians, bulldozing homes to build Israeli settlements. They shell and slaughter and justify it as "suppressing terrorism," just like big brother Bush. And all Bush can muster is, "They were NOT HELPFUL."

The truth is, those in power are murderous bigots, as full of hate for Palestinians as Hitler was to Jews.

We should withdraw aid to Israel until they remove settlements, vacate occupied land, and negotiate in good faith for peace. Force Israel off the battlefield and to the bargaining table.

But instead of open-minded listening to Arab complaints, Texas Ranger Bush and gang seem intent on blowing us all to kingdom come, ala Walter Miller's A Canticle for Leibowitz. Force overrules law and reason.

I am ashamed to be an American now.

June Forsyth

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To the Editor:

I have been amazed and dismayed by the negative reaction some Tollgate residents have toward the proposed multi-use pathway.

The pathway would be built across a large section of the common ground that borders our property. Pedestrians and bikers on the pathway would be about 10 feet closer to my house than they currently are when acting as supposed speed-control obstacles in the roadway. This hardly seems like a major invasion of my privacy.

Speeding in Tollgate is a serious problem now and I fail to see how moving people off the road will make this problem worse. Children should NOT be used as traffic control devices! The proposed pathway would in fact require little maintenance, and I would rather it not be plowed in winter so it could be used as a ski trail.

The value provided by a multi-use pathway to the Tollgate residents for improved safety and enjoyment of our neighborhood clearly exceeds the reasonable expected costs.

I am voting "yes" on the pathway and I hope you will too.

Kris Calvin

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To the Editor:

I am in agreement with Mr. Collum's letter of March 13. Our money would be better spent finding a solution to the speeding problem in Tollgate. (Speed bumps, perhaps?)

A pathway will do nothing to stop people from speeding and that is really what is at issue here. If people would obey the posted speed limit we all could use the roads of Tollgate safely.

To all you speeders: I am the driver of the green Isuzu Rodeo that annoys you by driving the speed limit.

Susan Beterbide

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To the Editor:

It was heartwarming to see a Passover display at Ray's this year. Thank you Ray's and thank you Kerry (at Ray's) for your concern that this be done respectfully -- it is a great display.

For the last three years, Sisters Community Church lent its facilities for large scale Passover "Seders."

But since we will be having Passover privately this year, I would like to invite friends and neighbors to "experiment" with some of the Passover items:

Macaroons -- just as you would expect, but moist and really good.

Mandel Bread -- similar to biscotti, very nice with tea.

Gefilte Fish -- My personal favorite, but an acquired taste. It is like the hamburger meat of the fish world.

Matzo -- is just a cracker, but if you put cheese and tomato sauce on it, and put it in the oven it reminds you of "Pizza." Also good with very hot horseradish and gefilte fish!

These foods are inventions to help one get through the full eight days of Passover in a happy mood. There are actually only two requirements for Passover:

1. That one eats nothing with yeast in it.

2. That one recites (remembers) the story of G_d's (sic) miraculous deliverance from Egyptian bondage -- and teaches it to the children.

Passover begins on March 28 this year. In my lifetime, I do not remember a time when I have felt more urgency than now for miracles and deliverance in the land of Israel -- for both Jewish and non-Jewish people living there. With confidence that G_d (sic) will deliver His people once again, I ask that you "Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem."

Toni Schulke

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To the Editor:

When I was a boy, we didn't drive around with a flag on our antenna or a United We Stand sticker in our window. Those things were in the hearts and minds of Americans. More importantly they were in our schools. We were taught to respect flag and country.

We were taught to respect each other. Even though we might punch it out with the boy next door now and then we all knew we were Americans.

Our grandfathers, fathers and uncles had fought and some died for that privilege.

We were also not afraid to mention God. This freedom together with real patriotism made our country strong and brought our flag home.

Over time it seems the flag and faith have become less a part of what they were and should still be the foundation of. Our freedom and our pride as a nation.

Now we are spreading ourselves thin with our belief that we are the world's salvation against terror. Our children are learning that we are a mighty military force. They hear Generals and Politicians saying we should be proud that we have killed more than the other side. That killing and dying are good and part of our job as a nation.

As a Vietnam veteran this is disturbing. I have seen killing and dying and this is not where the pride lies with a service man. It is not a solution.

We as a nation believe material wealth, our technological mastery and our superior military might are our real symbols of strength.

If we stand only on the foundation of capitalism and the egotistical belief that we can endure without the flag and God in our minds, hearts and in the forefront of our children's education we are in a downward spiral.

Monty Fisher

Sunriver