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 Unpublished items are not acknowledged or returned.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:

An article in the June 18 edition of The Nugget has caused some confusion among rodeo fans in the Sisters area. A number of people have asked me why the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) has "dropped" the Sisters Rodeo.

The only PRCA activity that has been dropped starting in 2002 was our participation in the PRCA Cup Tour, a series of 20 rodeos spotlighted on ESPN television throughout the year.

The Sisters Rodeo Association has been a member of PRCA since 1988 and continues to be sanctioned by that organization. All 381 of our participants this year registered for our rodeo through PRCA headquarters in Colorado, our judges are PRCA certified, we follow the PRCA rules and scoring standards and the dollars earned at our rodeo add to the total points earned by participants seeking to qualify for the National PRCA Rodeo Finals in Las Vegas in December.

After a great experience as part of the PRCA cup tour in 2001, we were disappointed that oral agreements made for 2002 were not kept. Therefore, by mutual agreement, the Sisters Rodeo did not participate in the 2002 Cup Tour. And contrary to some comments, the issue was primarily about money.

We still had our most successful rodeo ever this year. The Sisters Rodeo is the third largest rodeo in Oregon in terms of purse and we are the largest rodeo operating completely with volunteers.

I invite all rodeo enthusiasts to mark their calendars now for June 11-13, 2004 for the 64th annual PRCA Sisters Rodeo, "the biggest little show in the world."

Glenn Miller,

President, Sisters Rodeo Association

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To the Editor:

In response to Craig Eisenbeis, (The Nugget, June 25). Craig interviewed Olivia Wallulatum in another of what can be called a non-constructive problem description. The gist of this type of article, (and there are many) is that Indians are victims and that we should all feel guilty. All of our ancestors no matter what ethnic group were hunters and gatherers at one time. So what. This is no reason for entitlements. The problem with sympathetic messages as they are played over and over in Hollywood movies, Tom Brokaw books and Craig E.'s articles is that they never confront the problem with ethical solutions.

Being on a guilt trip with the Indians as the victims is to perpetuate a dysfunctional relationship. To retain such a relationship is not only unethical it is inhumane. Influenced by such emotionally loaded rhetoric the public is given to more ethnic pandering, more gambling concessions, and more birthright stipends.

The real solution is that no ethnic group in our country should ever be protected, preserved, and supported by the public, nor should they be encouraged to separate as in our repeated reference to reservations as sovereign nations. The whole unethical treatment of these people is a human rights tragedy.

We don't need more Eisenbeis articles to tell us we have a social problem. We need articles to face up to the ethical solution. That solution is to apply our principles of equal rights for all citizens with absolutely no allusions to separating this country into sovereign nations for reasons of ethnic preservation. Ethnic preservation in our country is by freedom of choice not by birthright entitlement.

What a tragedy that we have lost sight of our guiding principles. Ask yourself, Which are more credible as defining values, treaties and reservations? Or, human rights which are essentially equal rights? Equal rights of course.

Doug Wood

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To the Editor:

I am writing to protest the Les Schwab Amphitheater's misguided water policy.

At the Independence Day concert at the fine outdoor venue we were treated to a lesson in corporate tyranny. To start, we were told at the gate that no outside food would be allowed in. Okay, annoying, but understandable. We didn't begrudge the food vendors for wanting to maximize their sales.

But we were shocked to also be told that our personal neoprene water bottles would be confiscated. Huh? On an afternoon when the temperature reached 85 degrees and the only shade to be found was in those lucky enough to have VIP tent passes?

When there is no drinking fountain accessible? When we had our six- and eight-year-olds along, who were planning to work up a sweat playing soccer on the open lawn? When we'd already shelled out $124 including ticket service charges for our family of four? When we carry water wherever else we go during the high desert summer because it's the smart and healthy thing to do?

Who is responsible for this asinine water policy? I was given quite a run-around during the show trying to find out.

Turns out the blame for the water policy lays squarely with the Oregon Liquor Control Commission. Of course! It's the government's fault!

(Reportedly) the OLCC forces Monqui Presents to disallow our water bottles, because people might try to sneak clear liquor into the amphitheater. The agency would have to require that every water bottle be opened and smelled to make sure it's not liquor.

A rational person might wonder, "Would this take any more time than searching people's belongings, explaining the water policy over and over to irate concertgoers, and confiscating all the found water bottles?" --which is the current policy. The same rational person might try to think of a single other public entertainment event where free water is not accessible and come up empty.

It must be noted that the Fourth of July concert, with major headliners Taj Mahal and Susan Tedeschi, on one of the biggest holidays of the year, was fairly poorly attended. The announcers between acts were fairly pleading with the audience to buy tickets for upcoming big-name shows such as Ben Harper/Jack Johnson.

There are plenty of other opportunities for quality, family outdoor music, either free or cheap. Could it be that amphitheater attendance might be better and those concerned with putting on the shows and selling concessions might actually make more money by reducing concession prices -- and letting the people have their free water and drink it, too?!

Sincerely,

Merry Ann Moore

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To the Editor:

Somehow you just knew it would get this weird: While we have been at war for more than three months now, against a nation 1/10th our size, losing on average a soldier a day, with no end in sight, our macho President blusters:

"There are some who feel like that conditions are such that they can attack us there," Bush told reporters at the White House. "My answer is bring them on. We have the force necessary to deal with the situation."

This from our "Commander in Chief" who was AWOL during his wartime service, flew over Baghdad at 30,000 feet while Tony Blair walked the streets of Basra, and sits in his comfy fortress in D.C. safe and sound.

There should be a constitutional requirement that the Commander in Chief of the armed forces must lead those forces into battle along with his Secretary of Defense ... or maybe it should be Secretary of Offense in this case.

How weird does it have to get before the citizens of this country get a sense of outrage at this administration? We have been lied to, which was an impeachable offense during the last administration, thousands of people are dying because of our administration's arrogance, we are racking up massive debts while our states are going bankrupt and our Constitution is being gutted.

Dean Billing

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To the Editor:

This weekend I had the pleasure of attending a performance of the play "The Last Rehearsal."

Sisters Community Theater held performances at 2nd Street Theater in Bend. I wanted to support quality theater in Central Oregon and it wasn't hard with the enjoyable acting displayed.

Acting has been a positive experience for my children and me, both in performing and in watching others perform. There are many venues emerging here in Sisters and I look forward to those experiences.

I think we sometimes forget how lucky we are in Central Oregon to have the rich array of art and performing art and being able to share the diversity with our children.

I was reminded of that this weekend. Thank you to those hard working actors and all involved with the production of "The Last Rehearsal" for their time and sharing their gifts with us.

Respectfully,

Jackie Kolb