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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the Editor, Oct. 25 Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Oct. 25, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Oct. 25, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News Grow hemp, save forests A recent road trip along our glorious Oregon Coast was great except for one thing: miles and miles of slashed hillsides behind the few remaining trees left at the roadside meant to disguise the destruction. It brought to mind Dr. Seuss’ "The Lorax" — obviously no one was speaking for the trees. In the Albany Democrat-Herald editorial reprinted in the MT on Oct. 17, “Feds should get out of the way on pot”, it was lamented that the continuing Schedule I federal status of marijuana should be changed, at least in part to allow research on hemp uses. We are cutting our trees down and planting fake forests that will never deliver the strong, usable timber of a real forest. We could be making “hemp lumber” that, due to its long fibers, is stronger and lighter than wood. What a shame. Hemp is a renewable crop that can be harvested annually. Instead, we are cutting down our forests and destroying habitat for not only ourselves, but all the plants, animals and ecosystems that make our planet livable and beautiful. Claudia Little Ashland Respect for life In 1994, the Mail Tribune had a commentary written by Cal Thomas. It was about a speech given by Mother Theresa. "On Feb. 3, 1994, at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., Mother Theresa delivered the most startling and bold proclamation of truth and power I have ever heard in my more than 30 professional years in Washington. The 83-year-old nun who is physically frail, but spiritually and rhetorically powerful, cut to the heart of the social ills afflicting America. She sad that America, once known for generosity to the world, has become selfish. And she said that the greatest proof of that selfishness is abortion. Tying abortion to the growing violence and murder in the streets, she said if we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill each other? Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what they want." We are now seeing this come to pass. if we want God to bless America, we need to bless God and keep his commandments. "Thou shalt not kill." Stop supporting abortions. Reenie Vaughn Central Point Treating the symptom? The tragedy in Roseburg is that, and not to be discounted. Are we missing the point in emphasizing the gun issues? For the year 2013 the Centers for Disease Control reports about 33,000 firearm-related deaths: 11,208 homicides, 21,175 suicides, the rest "other." When twice as many deaths are suicides and after-the-fact commentary about shooters such as in Roseburg tilt toward "loner," "quiet," "reserved," "shy," it should not be dismissed that this problem is more of society not dealing with people as people, leaving many to feel estranged and angry. We are dehumanizing our social interaction. Witness Facebook "friend/unfriend" terminology and cyber-bullying. We don't talk; we text and tweet. A recent visit to Applebees introduced us to an automated ordering system that separates the customer from staff if utilized as explained, tending to treat social interaction as unneeded. Reasonable laws regarding gun ownership are needed, but at the margin new laws will most likely yield minimal results. We need to revisit our mental health services as well as our overall path of removing personal, face-to-face interaction with the same or more vigor than our vocal and somewhat strident discussions of gun control. Jerry Sands Medford MailTribune.com Writer Posted Oct. 25, 2015 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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