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December 01. 2014 12:01AM Letters to the Editor, Dec. 1 Pass Carbon Free Act Burning fossil fuels (coal, gas, oil) is changing our air quality and our climate for the worse. Drought, wildfire, disappearance of fish and spread of disease all are consequences we see — now. And they are using up our tax money as well as our personal income. Fossil fuel companies have offloaded these costs onto society. By making their carbon pollution be free, we rig the game, giving them an unfair advantage over newer and cleaner sources of energy. U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D, RI) and Sen. Brian Schatz (R, HI) have introduced the American Opportunity Carbon Fee Act. I hope that our senators Merkley and Wyden will sign onto it and get a much-needed debate going. It's a market-based plan, leveling the playing field in energy. The bill will charge fossil fuel companies a carbon fee and suggests several options for returning the money to the public. The best option, it seems to me, it to pay it directly to us citizens, because that puts the money back into the economy. Ken Deveney, Ashland   Riots make no sense I'm trying to understand what logic is being used by some of the citizens of Ferguson. You have a community that has a lost a young person. Whether he deserved to be shot or not doesn't even matter. Not only that, you have an officer who likely will lose his job and possibly his career — not only that, but he also gets to live with the choice(s) he made that fateful night. Then, to top that all off — with the stuff mentioned above — you clearly have a community that is grieving, do you not? And what do some of the citizens do? They destroy the property and livelihood of others! Because why? What sense does that make? It makes no sense. Why would you destroy the property of your fellow citizenry? Am I the only one confused? Steve Ryan, Medford   Prejudice is out of line Many people have different accounts on what they themselves saw and heard in Ferguson. It is quite obvious to me, that discrimination and prejudice is still very strong in this fine country of freedom. I, myself, have experienced such prejudice and discrimination in Southern Oregon. In Jacksonville, an art gallery, against my stained glass. Prejudices are often seen between religions, color and just about anything and everything. I always thought art is in the eye of the beholder, but discrimination and prejudice against my art form is way out of line. Discrimination and prejudice of any sort is way out of line, too! Jeff Kassman,  Ashland   What's true is true In response to the Mail Tribune's Nov. 26 article, wherein the gay rights groups objected to the letter written by Dace Cochran. Let me say right off that those of us who see homosexuality for what it is do not hate homosexuals. I have a granddaughter who is homosexual. I do not hate her; I love her. However, I do pray that God will show her His truth and change her heart and lifestyle choice. The best-selling book of all time is the Bible, and it is true. That book is very clear about homosexuality. Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 clearly states that the act of homosexuality is an abomination to God. In the New Testament, Romans 1: 26 and 27 also speaks of this life choice. Learn from this word of God. Jeannie Gladson, Medford   Spinning out of control At the end of World War II, America was at her greatest: She was the greatest financial power, the greatest industrial power, the greatest commercial power, the greatest military power and was a great spiritual nation. Why are we no longer the "greatest" nation? In the 1960s, we said, "God is dead," and we took prayer and the Bible out of our public schools. In 1973 the Supreme Court legalized the death of the unborn. Since then, over 55 million little ones have been destroyed. The Bible says, "I will hold that nation accountable for the shedding of innocent blood." We are now the "greatest" debtor nation with a national debt nearing $18 trillion, we're fighting no-win wars, we've turned our back on our best friend, Israel, and the Almighty One. Our only hope is II Chronicles 7:14. This underscores a society spinning out of control! Gordon DeVos, Medford http://www.mailtribune.com/article/20141201/Opinion/141209996 © 2015 Copyright © 1995-2011 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use Privacy Statement -->