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Letters: Re-defining democracy? I call attention to the writings of the brilliant, prolific author Noam Chomsky, who wrote in 1991, the following observations. "You will notice in my books I never criticize corruption. I think it's a wonderful thing. I'd much rather have a corrupt leader than a power-hungry leader. A corrupt leader is going to rob people but not cause that much trouble." Further, later on: "But suppose one of them (i.e. a leader) comes along who's a Hitler and who doesn't care much about sex and Cadillacs, who just wants power. Then we are going to be in real trouble." And further: "But I think the United States is right for a fascist leader. It's a very good thing that everyone who's come along so far is impossible. Joe McCarthy, for example, was too much of a thug; Richard Nixon was too much of a clown; the fundamentalist preachers are ultimately too corrupt. In fact, we've escaped, but it's only by luck. If a Hitler comes along, I think we might be in serious trouble." Well, he has come along and we are in serious trouble. Now what do we do? Unfortunately, our present leadership consists not in one man (whom we can eventually get rid of through our voting system if it is not corrupted this time), but in a whole crew of them. How do we protect ourselves from this incredible group of self-styled "leaders"; and, more difficult, how do we get rid of them before they destroy everything that the United States of America is supposed to stand for and uphold? Make no mistake: We the people are in very serious danger. Duane Sample Jacksonville *** 'Snuff' will be sorely missed Snuffy Smith hired me right out of college as an English and journalism teacher. That was more than 30 years ago. I'm now a college president, and I have quoted "Snuff" more times than any other colleague in my professional life. I worked with him for seven years and I have never met a more caring professional in my life. Snuff will be sorely missed in my and thousands of other households. Clifford M. Brock President Bainbridge College Bainbridge, Ga. *** Guest forum: SUVs versus activists: Who wins on the road? By Shelley Elkovich Ashland I've been thinking about the recent arrests of activists and in addition to police overreaction, two cases also have in common angry motorist response to demonstrators. The Wes Brain case of March 5 stems from allegations that peace marcher and press observer Brain "terrorized" a woman in her vehicle. Brain alleges that the woman was driving her SUV in a manner that was dangerous to student peace activists. I'm not sure who the woman is, but I also witnessed two frustrated drivers, one in a late-model SUV and one driving a minivan, attempt to drive into the crowd of high school and middle school kids who were converging on the Plaza. I too yelled, "Watch out!" to these drivers. I was not arrested. During the April Critical Mass ride, a young woman cyclist was arrested from the bike lane, even as an unruly SUV driver was seen (and videotaped) driving in the wrong lane and running stop signs. No charges were filed against the driver. The cyclist spent the night in jail and is facing multiple charges. It should also be noted that cyclists don't block traffic; they are traffic, with the same rights to the road as motorized vehicles. Who said, "Americans will put up with anything so long as it doesn't block traffic?" Are demonstrators being arrested in part because they are annoying motorists? This seems to be the case, when dangerous drivers don't even receive a citation for their aggressive behavior. This attitude reminds me of the way female victims of sexual harassment or assault have at times been blamed for the actions of their attackers; by dressing provocatively, the women "asked for it." In my view, a car is potentially a lethal weapon. Anyone using a motorized vehicle should be extra cautious during challenging situations such as road construction or political demonstrations in the streets. Using a vehicle to threaten, endanger or intimidate a demonstrator should be a crime. In a recent anti-war demonstration in Portland, an activist was run over by an angry motorist. Is this what it will take before Ashland police wake up and see who are the real perpetrators in recent clashes between demonstrators and motorists? 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 -