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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Guest Opinion: Forest Practices Act can (but doesn't) do the job ... Beer-hauling semi crashes, gridlocks traffic near Wolf Creek ... Ashland tests synthetic grass to save water ... Guest Opinion: Forest Practices Act can (but doesn't) do the job ... Beer-hauling semi crashes, gridlocks traffic near Wolf Creek ... Ashland tests synthetic grass to save water ... LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the Editor, Sept. 21 Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Sep. 21, 2014 at 12:01 AM Posted Sep. 21, 2014 at 12:01 AM » Social News Too many are blind My husband and I are big NFL fans. We have rooted for the San Diego Chargers for at least 30 years, and our fall Sundays are devoted to watching NFL games. Having said that, it seems to me that too many people have blinded themselves to what should be a top priority for us all — caring for our fellow human beings, particularly those who are unable to care for themselves. Two big, strong football players have assaulted a small woman and a young child. Yet, I hear over and over again cries of support for both of these men who in reality have committed a crime that under any other circumstances would be considered appalling to those who have offered their support. It makes me want to cry out in horror at the attitude that if you are a member of a professional sports team it's OK to commit violence against a 4-year-old child or a woman. People need to wake up and get their priorities in order. Nancy Kaylin, Jacksonville Some observations ObamaCare legislation seems to have been written on an Etch-A-Sketch because of all the frequent, politically motivated, illegal changes to it. Obama's diet? Let Putin eat your lunch. Not all Southern Democrats were members of the Ku Klux Klan, but all members of the Klan were Democrats. Some went to Congress: Robert Byrd and William Fulbright. Some decades ago, the IRS took over the Mustang Ranch, a legal brothel in Nevada, for non-payment of taxes. Within months it was out of business. yet some believe the federal government, which cannot run a whorehouse, can operate our nation's health care system. Oregon has prevented industries from setting up shop because the Democrats are beholden to unions, not to the people. "Right-to-work states" have had huge influxes of industries, while Oregon has not. The United States has the highest corporate income taxes in the world. Successful industries, like successful people, go where there is more liberty. The Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Commission called Hamas' actions war crimes, as did others, yet some people support Hamas as if it were a humanitarian, not a terrorist enterprise. Mitch Rofter, Medford Sticking with Bates Colonel Dave Dotterrer's No. 2 priority is to "provide needed leadership." He adds, "Through my 27 years with the U.S. Marines, I gained unique leadership experience ...". I assume that Col. Dotterrer showed fine leadership as a Marine. However, I'm wondering how that would translate to leadership in Salem. If the colonel were elected, he would be a freshman senator — bottom of the pecking order. In the military, leadership and decision-making are "top-down": the officer in charge gives an order and those under him obey it. As a freshman senator,  nobody is going to obey the colonel — nobody is going to salute and nobody is going to be taking orders from him. To become effective will require working collaboratively, forming alliances and building bridges. But wait, that's what Dr. Alan Bates has done very effectively for the last 10 years. I'm sticking with Bates. David Lane, Ashland 'Error-correcting errors' The process surrounding the issue of the Ashland Plaza and the recommendations of the Downtown Beautification Committee are a perfect example of what Joseph Chilton Pearce called “error-correcting errors." That is, a major mistake is made, and then many attempts are made to correct the mistake while leaving the major mistake intact. The major mistake is this case is obviously the gray pavers used in renewal of the Ashland Plaza. No small “fixes” will change the fact that the dark-gray pavers are ugly and make the entire area look like a large swath of blacktop. There is no delineation, no character, no color to distinguish it from the roads on either side. It is a matter of scale; tiny “improvements” with mosaics, planters and the like do nothing to change the effect of large areas of dark-gray ground. The original error needs to be addressed first: The gray pavers must be removed and replaced with pavers of a terra cotta color that complement the colors of the older buildings in our downtown. It’s the only “fix” that will really make a difference and restore the sense of a true plaza. Marea Claassen, Ashland MailTribune.com Writer Posted Sep. 21, 2014 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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