Ashland Daily Tidings :: Your Community News Source Since 1876

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Letters to the editor: Demand answers, accountability on WMD claims Citizens, editorial writers and journalists have written a great deal in the last weeks concerning the relevance of finding the "weapons of mass destruction" in Iraq. In the democratic U.S.A., the polls indicate we do not seem to be bothered that our government took us to war by way of deceit and misleading information claiming 'absolute knowledge of WMD and imminent threat.' Contrast our attitude to that of outrage or disgust frequently expressed by many of our European allies. Are we uninformed, gullible, too busy leading our lives? Are we afraid of truth or just afraid? Does our geography insulate us from world realities and opinions? Does our overwhelming military power make us right? Are these acceptable excuses for our inaction and our apathy? Do we claim moral justification because a murderous dictator was removed - what unlucky government is next? Before the first bombs were dropped 70 percent of Americans indicated opposition to a unilateral war. With "victory" inevitable our actions suddenly became "right." Winning is not a substitute for democratic principles and moral behavior. Everyone is accountable. Speak out! Demand answers! We cannot undo what has been done but we can begin to right an injustice by demanding accountability of ourselves and our leaders. Sharon Marler, Ashland   We don't need a size ordinance in historic districts To the City Council: This letter is to express my opposition to change the existing building size limitations. The present rules have served the city well. Since 1978 when I bought our first home in Ashland I have worked hard to make this the great city that it is. Originally I was appointed to be a member of the Citizens' Planning Advisory Committee (CPAC). Later its members elected me to be its chairman. For over two years we worked with John Fregonese and the rest of his planning staff on the Ashland Comprehensive Plan. We met with experts in city planning from other areas to gain information as to what our city would need and what to avoid. We had meeting after meeting with Ashland residents who told us what they hoped Ashland would be like in the future. We had no axes to grind and our only desire was to ensure that Ashland would be a great place to live. The result is that we are lucky to be able to live in a city that we can be proud of. Please leave the size limitations as they are. They have enabled us to have a beautiful city. "Don't fix what ain't broken." Al Teitelbaum, Ashland LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | 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 -