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Letters to the Editor: Inspections are the best route to prevent war If our president really wants to prevent war it's easy, just keep inspecting. It's cheap, too, and no fuss about body counts, or hitting women and children. If our president doesn't want people to get an itch to attack us, those inspectors could also cut our risk. Being out there they imply that we are still trying for peace, and it still might happen. We need to convince folks that we're not coming after them next. It could take a while, given what's been said. If our president is simply after oil wells, God forbid, war looks like a pretty chancy way to go. Saddam has said he would destroy them first. He does know the territory. He might do it. However, if we go for more inspections we can sit back and buy the same amount of oil, even if we have to pay. (Also, as a citizen I'm not convinced that the people paying for this war would get the oil. Our president sees "privatizing" as the ideal way to run a government. I bet the oil would be privatized as fast as possible, and we would be left with just the bill.) Maybe I'm too skeptical. Anyhow, I still say, let's keep inspecting till the cows come home. Barbara H. Bean, Ashland Bush's attention needs to turn to national interests DANGER ALERT � If the president doesn't come up with some kind of financial assistance to the individual states in this terrible time of economic crisis, our whole economy is headed for collapse. George W. Bush has spent so much time thinking and talking about Iraq that he has put himself in the same vulnerable position as Clinton did with his attention to Lewinski. When someone's thoughts, time, and efforts are channeled into one central theme, all the other areas suffer. It is up to the Congress, and mainly the senators, to get hold of this administration in a bold way, and get its attention back on us, the people they are supposed to be serving. Our state of Oregon is a prime example of what is going on around the country in our health care crisis. Just one small portion of this is our mental health system which is being slashed completely, so that those in the most need of care will be out on the street with no medications to sustain them. Will SOMEONE take notice of this terrible thing that is happening and stand up to this horrible compassionLESS administration which spouts out such lovely phrases which are meaningless to hurting individuals over this whole land. Tell Bush to give up his sweetheart Lewinski by the name of Saddam and get with the program of taking care of US, the citizens in this country who need this same kind of determined will to help which he is giving to this guy. Get us some badly needed financial aid. Leila L. and Elwyn D. Mahurin, Ashland Guest forum: Our police need protection, even at the counter By Doug Fergus, Ashland A couple of weeks ago, you printed a letter from someone who had written about the new entry and bulletproof glass being installed at the Ashland Police station. (I am sorry, I don't have that days paper anymore- so I don't have the persons name) I was going to write right away, but decided against it. It was obvious that this person was writing purely from an emotional standpoint and had done no homework/research or used any logic/common sense in making the statements that he did. I am a contractor serving Ashland and surrounding areas. Occasionally I am called to perform repair work at the Ashland Police station. So I have an outsiders inside view of the goings on there. Yesterday I was called again to the police station to do some repair work and I witnessed the construction of the new entry. I spoke to the highly capable, intelligent people (who are LOADED with common sense, logic and peacemaking skills) who work the front counter area about the letter that had appeared in The Tidings. They said they were going to write a letter to try to make him understand what it is really like at the police station, but they realized that they were letting their emotions get the best of them, so they used their logic and decided not to write. First of all, the police station is not "full of people with guns." There are several people who work there who are not trained policepersons and do not carry weapons: front counter, dispatch, maintenance, etc. Secondly, and perhaps most importantly: No matter how small any town is, there are a certain number of citizens who are grade A certified (maybe even free range and organically fed) "crazies." Ashland is no exception. (Just look at me) Not only does the police station seem to attract these crazies, but when any citizen needs to go there, it is usually not for pleasant reasons. The front counter people told me of incidents when people have yelled, threatened and attempted to climb over or jump over the counter. That is too close for my comfort level. If my spouse were working there, I would want the bulletproof barrier in place. In closing let me say, again, from an outsiders inside view: The men and women of the Ashland Police Department are all nice, peace-loving people just like you and me. They do not want to invite trouble or create a feeling that there is trouble. They would much prefer to sit at one of the many coffee houses and sip free range, organically brewed tea and munch on a free range, pesticide and sarcasm free muffin than to chase a bank robber on a dirt bike. (Sheesh! can you believe THAT one?. Only in Ashland!) 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