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Letters to the Editor: Patridge is not on the right track Rep. Rob Patridge, R. Medford wants to levy a tax on monthly auto insurance premiums to establish a stable source of money for the OSP patrol division. I do not think he is on the right track. Officers need to enforce fines on drivers breaking the speed laws to establish a source of money to secure their jobs, and non-offenders wouldn't be burdened with an extra tax. Patridge's comparison of Oregon trooper ratios and California trooper ratios is irrelevant. If their fines are higher, California would collect more revenue from drivers breaking the speed laws. The same argument regarding law enforcement is true in my experience with the Fire Department. I have reported illegal camp fires, and fireworks near Emigrant Lake, only to hear the firemen warn the law breakers. If firemen want to secure their jobs, they too, need to enforce a fine on the law breaker. The fine for lighting fireworks is $50. It should be $5,000, considering the damage that could be caused by a fire started by fireworks. Mary Catherine Davalos, Ashland Think internment like Japanese Americans can't happen again, think again Here's a shock story that has been unreported locally: US Representative Howard Coble, R-N.C., said Feb. 4 on a radio talk show that the security needs of the United States were served by interning 120,000 Japanese Americans during WWII. All Japanese Americans from the West Coast were, in case you didn't know, herded up following Franklin Roosevelt's executive order 9066 and kept in internment camps for up to four years. They were deprived of due process, even though 75 percent of them were United States citizens. Most lost everything they owned and the bitter taste of that galling injustice remains in the memories of the survivors today. Representative Coble thinks that was just fine, comparable to what is being done or can be done to Arab Americans in the wake of 9/11. Coble (ignorant as he is) says some Japanese Americans were probably saboteurs "just as some Arab-Americans are probably intent on doing us harm today." He continued "We were at war. They (Japanese-Americans) were an endangered species. For many of these Japanese-Americans, it wasn't safe for them to be on the street." Coble is unaware that of the thousands of Japanese Americans who remained in Hawaii and thousands more relocated further inland that not a single act of sabotage was reported. In fact Japanese American soldiers of the 442nd Regiment and the 100th Battalion were the most highly decorated troops of WWII, a great many who paid the ultimate sacrifice to defend the liberty of the USA, while their parents were imprisoned unconstitutionally. Think it can't happen again? Think again. Terry Doyle, Ashland Guest forum: Oregon victorious: Money Fairy to the rescue By John Riordan Ashland With all the brilliance and foresight of an ostrich, Oregon has once again demonstrated the burgeoning sentiment of "Let somebody else take care of the problem." It seems we have finally realized that challenges are to be paid for by the Money Fairy. You know the one I'm referring to - that wonderful fairy that arrives in our lives whenever we have unexpected expenses. Isn't it lovely that just when we think we have personal financial problems, the Money Fairy comes along and drops a pile of dough on our doorstep. It really is a great feeling to know that we don't really ever have to sacrifice or dig deep to keep our house in order. The magic of the universe will always come to the rescue. We can comfort ourselves, disabled persons, state police, teachers, and students knowing that the defeat of Measure 28 is really just an opportunity to once again watch the miracle of "The Good Life Without Commitment" unfold. There really is a free lunch. And free law enforcement. And free schools. I can't believe the audacity of some people who actually believed that we the people should have to pay a little extra during an emergency just to help children get a decent education. What, are they crazy? Everyone knows there is no correlation between adequate funding and quality education. Everyone knows that the concept of self sacrifice for the good of others is outmoded and runs counter to the wildly successful dynamic of "Taking care of number 1." I'm very encouraged to see that most Oregonians have come to their senses and realized that spending money frivolously only leads to spending more money frivolously. You just know that if we had agreed to help out during this time of crisis we would only be committing to help out in the next time of crisis. It could go on and on. We could end up setting a ridiculous precedent of investing in the future welfare of our kids and communities. We could send the dangerous message to our children that we are willing to fork over a few bucks in order for them to have access to fully staffed and well equipped schools. Worse yet, we might inspire hope in those selfish, overpaid teachers who are amassing personal fortunes as a result of our heretofore na�ve largesse. Thank goodness we awakened in the nick of time and remembered that the Money Fairy would become unemployed if we stupidly began to spend money nilly willy whenever a crisis arose. And to those political neophytes who don't understand that the defeat of Measure 28 will cause the Legislature to solve this "Education Problem" once and for all, I have only this to say. Watch. You just watch how quickly this problem disappears now that the Legislature knows that we are holding them, and the Money Fairy, accountable. Congratulations Oregon. We didn't cave in just because of a little crisis. Taxes? More taxes? Are you crazy? This is Oregon! Who were the flag-burners at the peace rally? By Janee Chandler, Troll Henderson, Caroline Schaffer, and Cynthia Bower Ashland We have just arrived home from the peace rally in downtown Ashland, and hurried to get a word in edgewise before the media focuses their reports only on the disturbance created by the fringe group who burned the flag and effigy. We hasten to declare that their actions were not at all representative of the general attitude, opinion and atmosphere of the gathering. What a drop in energy their actions created. It sure put a damper on the event, and succeeded in dispersing a lot of people who were there to join their presence and voices together with other citizens appalled at the prospect of a war in Iraq. It was not in any way an action that made a point of coalition and peace. There was no constructive effect of the anger and intensity that they brought to the gathering, but rather they negated the voices of the people who had come together. Yes, we should be outraged. Yes, we should be making noise. Yes, we need to create spectacle. But we can do so much better than this display. This is a town noted for its creativity, and street theatre could be a powerful tool in getting an anti-war message across. We need to create new songs, new chants, new actions, bring up the color and the volume, all the while maintaining a peaceful intention. We would have loved to have had someone creative and brave enough to bring that local crowd together and really get charged, so that the media could see how diverse and committed the anti-war movement is. But instead the rally dropped like a rock when the flag burning protesters stole the show. The question begs to be asked: Who were those people, and are they really from our community? LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -