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Letters to the editor: Say no to 'starter castles' in city The issue of home sizes has been raised again in Ashland, and we have a prominent citizen saying that homes over 12,000 square feet "will be treasures of the future." More appropriately, future citizens will view such grandiose homes as arrogant excess during a time when it was clear that the Earth's resources were being rapidly and sadly depleted. Ashland's increased number of "mansions" in the last several years is appalling in a town that takes pride in considering itself fair-minded and environmentally progressive. This, coupled with the fact that working class residents can no longer afford to buy homes in Ashland, ought to be a cause for alarm and action. I have a suggestion that will address both issues. Building permits for homes in excess of 2500 square feet should be progressively taxed with the funds which are generated being managed to provide affordable housing. Property taxes should also be progressively increased on large homes so that those choosing to live in excess can also provide sustenance to the working poor. The formula would include a reduced rate when a large home includes a large or extended family. This simple plan would reduce the construction of "starter castles", generate funds for working class folks to remain a part of our community, and allow the city's residents to unhypocritically consider themselves fair-minded. Kathy Huntley, Ashland Guest forum: Kucinich will offer a change By Dot Fisher-Smith Ashland After reading the AP article in Friday's (June 6) paper about the Take Back America Conference in Washington, I received an e-mail from a friend in D.C. who attended. He wrote: "I just saw Dennis yesterday at the Take Back America meeting of progressives in Washington. All the presidential candidates came to talk to us except Lieberman. Dennis was by far the most well received and the most dynamic. I am sending money today." While your account acknowledged that Kucinich's speech was "repeatedly interrupted by standing ovations," the journalists seem so blinded by their preconceived notions of who is a "front-runner" or "contender" or "leading candidate," that they have difficulty reporting objectively on what happens in front of their eyes. Dennis is reduced to little more than a footnote at the end of the article. Having heard him speak last week in Berkeley, I urge you and everyone who wants to see a change in direction - a return to democracy - to pay attention to this dark horse. He is a man of integrity, spirit, courage, and is outspoken and unafraid to declare that "fear is a weapon of mass destruction." He believes he can overcome the media blackout, and I do too, because he is saying what so many of us have been longing to hear. He needs support from all of us who dance with hopelessness, cynicism, rage and despair. He needs to raise lots of money before June 30 to stay in the race. Check out his Web site for his position on every major issue, and respond appropriately. www.kucinich.us Goldfish are meant to be fed to other animals By Megan O'Donnell Ashland News must be dead. After all, how else could the death of feeder fish get on the front page? I'm ashamed of the headline and the large color photo on the front page of the Tidings today regarding the death of feeder fish in the Schneider Museum of Art. I'm a junior at SOU, an art major, and a fish owner, so this is a particular thorn in my side. I saw the show when it first opened, and thought that the piece "Heaven and Earth 2003" was wonderful. I have also have had interactions/confrontations with Rosen, the single protester in front of the museum, none of which have been pleasant. And personally I think that it's rather disgusting that the newspaper is encouraging someone to loiter all day in front of the museum. Nor does Rosen stop harassing people who pass by after the museum has been closed. This is pure harassment and I see it as an unjustified attack on anyone who walks by. Since they can't enter the museum to see if what she says is true, they might just sign the blasted paper to get her to stop following them around. A really thoughtless example of her protest occurred this afternoon, the day of the article, when the Art department had their annual B.B.Q and she prominently displayed herself, and her sign that read "Stop the Animal Torture" during the middle of the activity. That's just plain rude, no excuses. Moreover, the type of fish used in the exhibit can be bought for 15 cents each at places like Wal-Mart and other pet stores, I know, I've done it myself. These fish also have a very high mortality rate. Usually there will even be a couple of "floaters" in the store tank. Quite frankly these fish are cheap because they are meant to be FED to other animals. That's my take on it, and I know that at least 100 other people will disagree with me, but that's too bad. Personally if I had to choice to die in Wal-Mart or in an art museum, I would choose the museum. Causing death goes too far By Hilary Stetson and Jack Coelho Ashland After attending the recent faculty show at SOU, my friend and I discussed at length the controversial fishbowl piece. At the opening for that show, we recall feeling very uncomfortable upon not only seeing the fish being used to make a statement, but also upon seeing one of the fish going belly up. We left there feeling like an injustice had been done, but we weren't quite sure what to do about it. Then after reading the article on the front page of the Tidings, it became clear to us that it was not only the artist who was advocating the use of animal lives in art, but also the museum as well, whose director stated that the goldfish are merely "feeder fish" which are not expected to live long and that "death is a natural part of the process with these animals." This really got us fired up! Being graduates of the SOU art department and also art teachers, we feel a strong connection with what goes on in the local art community, and thus would like to express an opinion about the show. As art teachers, we are of course advocates of using art as a vehicle to encourage thought, however, we do not align ourselves with the idea that art justifies everything. The idea that 'art' justifies any behavior is archaic. It is important as artists, art advocates, and art teachers that we not only are able to distinguish between the appropriate and inappropriate use of materials, but also that we are able to teach and demonstrate respect for the materials that we use. In our opinion, there is a line that needs to be drawn here, and causing deaths, no matter how seemingly insignificant, is going too far. We are not implying that the artist's intention was that the death of the fish be part of his performance/installation, however, when it became apparent that death was playing a part (as made clear by the Tidings article), the responsible act would have been to immediately move all of the remaining fish to a sustainable environment. 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. 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