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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels August 30, 2004 Editorial states truth of games Commendations to you for your pertinent, accurate, and courageous editorial on the debasement of the Olympic games and on America's woefully damaged reputation within the community of nations. While it is true that nationalism, ideology, commercialization, and television hype have been involved in this declension for decades, America's hubris and overbearing jingoism have accelerated the process both in the Olympic Games and in the world at large with deplorable results for everybody, but especially for Americans. As the bearer of this harsh but truthful message, be prepared to duck. Gerald Cavanaugh Ashland 'Lobby Hero' is a wonderful play We would like to recommend the Oregon Stage Works production of Kenneth Lonergan's "The Lobby Hero," a play that is both provocative and entertaining. This production has pace, humor, and excellent performances. In a play which deals with the intertwined lives of four ordinary people, Lonergan raises a number of moral questions about honesty, loyalty, and betrayal. We see a young woman entering a "man's world, " and three men with varying versions of masculinity facing a series of tests of conscience, all of which makes for lively contrasts in personalities. Those familiar with Lonergan's excellent film "You Can Count On Me" will recognize his absorption with dilemmas involving responsibility, as well as his skill at comic timing in dialogue. With appropriate ambiguity, this play closes leaving the audience to resolve some of the issues raised in the drama and in their own lives. This play represents some of the best of contemporary theater, and the Oregon Stage Works deserves high praise for presenting it. Marc and Marjorie Ratner Ashland Giordano a good choice for council I favor Tom Giordano for Ashland City Council. Tom is an architect and planner who has been a community planning director and community consultant. As a consultant he devised a Highway 66 beautification plan much like what was finally implemented. He has served on both the city and county planning commissions. Tom knows the necessary complex components of infill so that the city is spared more habitat destroying/traffic-generating sprawl. He will be vital in formulating more affordability strategies, which is an ongoing top agenda item for the council. It is true that Tom often represents property owners in planning matters, but what he advocates is consistent with Ashland's policies of infill over sprawl and the holding in of Ashland's city limit and urban growth boundary. Tom is also a gentleman with integrity who conducts himself with civility and equanimity in meetings. He is a good listener and will offer the citizens of Ashland a councilor who is wise, available, informed, and open. Brent Thompson Ashland This Bush attack shows arrogance George W. Bush avoided the Vietnam draft with the help of his family and their political cronies. This was a typical approach to sidestepping service in the jungle in those days. Despite this reprieve, Bush nevertheless turned up "missing" in the air national guard. Vice president Dick Cheney avoided the draft and in response to recent questions about why he didn't serve at all in any capacity, he sneered, "I had better things to do!" (oooohh! I guess he must be real special!) Kerry not only served one stint in the Vietnam war as a volunteer, but he volunteered to return to service in Vietnam when that stint was up for a second go round. He did not have to do that. He chose to do that. His choices and his actions concerning serving his country, when compared to those of Bush and Cheney, were clearly the more selfless and valiant. Many would say, more patriotic. These undisputed facts speak volumes about his character, and also about Bush and Cheney. In attacking Kerry's service record, the Bush administration is taking the approach that the best defense is a strong offense. In doing this, however, they also reveal a great deal about themselves. They believe that the average voter is so stupid that he/she cannot see the facts as they are, and, they are such complete and total egomaniacs - so convinced of their own greatness - that they truly believe that the truth does not matter. They believe they are capable of ignoring even the most obvious facts and completely turning them around them to suit their own goals. (If you lie often enough, soon it will be accepted as the truth.) Their contempt for you, as a voter, as a citizen, is truly astounding. Even Nixon gave it up when confronted with the truth. You, my fellow Americans, should be very scared of any candidate for president and vice president who is so completely capable of such blatant self-serving attempts to distort obvious truth and fabricate a false reality to suit themselves. Very scared. Michael Balocca Ashland DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams