Another strange Peace Prize

That rumbling you heard last Friday was Alfred Nobel rolling over in his grave. A man so racked with guilt about the carnage his invention of dynamite had brought to the world that he endowed the Nobel "Prizes" to reward those who worked to improve society.

His guidelines concerning the Peace Prize included that it go "to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between the nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses." Looks like Al is zero for three on those.

Al now joins a select group of Nobel Prize recipients which include the murdering thug Yasser Arafat. The literary fraud Rigoberta Menchu, whose largely fabricated autobiography described the pain of watching her brother die of malnutrition although the New York Times reported a little inconvenient truth when they later found him alive and well.

There was also Wangari Maathai who won the award in 2004 for planting trees. Trees? But then again; what can you expect from a committee of five (yes only five) Norwegian politicians who decide who receives these awards.

This "award" has mostly been brought about by an over-hyped movie based on a lot of bad science and scare tactics, primarily used when claims can't be backed up with facts.

I've got a gut feeling that in 30 years or so some news report will come out on the anniversary of this "award" and we'll be looking back on "An Inconvenient Truth" and giving it the same respect as we now give the movie "Reefer Madness." We all know how accurate that movie was.

Ted Salmons, Lebanon

Illegals have right to leave

In response to the recent letter "Do we need laws like these," I would like to say bravo, Mr. Hawthorne. It is nice to see that someone else has a brain and is willing to use it for a change.

When someone that is illegally in our country stands up and "demands" their rights, as a nation we should be infuriated and let them know the only "right" they have is a ticket out of this country. Instead we allow them to have children here who are then automatic citizens and call people like myself a bigot and narrow-minded.

I'm not opposed to immigration or immigrants as long as they immigrate into this country legally and they come here to be a productive member of our country.

It took me eight months and $4,000 to bring my wife and children into this country legally. It is time for the taxpaying American citizens of this country to stand up and in a united voice say NO MORE, we will not tolerate this insanity. No more illegal immigration, no more overstaying on a visa.

It is time to secure our borders and crack down on illegal immigration and send the illegal immigrants back home. Some politicians have been talking about the illegal immigrant's right to Social Security; well, what about the rights of the American citizens who have been paying into the system for the last 30, 40 or 50 years? The Social Security system is in trouble and the social programs are a huge burden on the working taxpayer. I believe the time has come to remove some of that burden.

Dick Creaser, Corvallis

More about that crash

Thank you for the picture (Oct. 7) of the Cuban cadets at the memorial for the 1976 airliner crash. Some further info may enlighten.

Yes, the plane exploded - it was bombed. Over 70 people were killed including the entire Cuban Olympic fencing team. The man responsible recently entered the U.S. illegally, was detained for a time, then released and he is currently living in Miami where reside several other terrorists I could name.

This same man had escaped from a Venezuelan prison and should be extradited back there, but our government has ignored the request. So much for our mighty efforts to combat terrorism.

June Hemmingson, Albany

Measure 49 is no 'fix'

Measure 49 does not fix Measure 37. It repeals it and the sponsors know this.

Measure 37 corrected the missing (and promised) part of the 1970 land-use legislation by paying eligible landowners for the loss in property value caused by a land-use regulation.

Measure 37 was passed by more than 61 percent of Oregon voters, who understood this, and was immediately challenged in court. That failed. So the governor, special interest activists and the Democrats in the last session of the legislature crafted Bill 3540, now on the ballot in an expensive special election as Measure 49.

This is an insult to the thousands of Oregon citizens who worked hard to pass Measure 37 and to the millions of individuals who own property.

The intent of Measure 49 (destroying property rights for everyone) is disguised with clever buzz words about being fair and saving farmland. Measure 49 will put property decisions back in the hands of central committees and special interest groups with their own selfish political agendas with no intention of compensation for the loss of the value of your property.

Vote no on Measure 49.

Deanna Dyksterhuis, (Retired Corvallis farmer), Newport

Attitude does not help

I just wanted to remark on Larry Crompton's letter of Sept. 29. I agree totally - a great letter.

I'm so tired of all the hatred expressed toward Bush and now our generals and leaders. Those who feel this way should go to Iraq and see how far they get; they'd probably be beheaded.

It's suggested to those who feel this way - turn to a channel on the television that gives the good points of our troops and quit putting them down. This is shameful. Our troops would love to be home. We all want peace, but this bad attitude doesn't help matters. I wonder, where is their patriotism?

Marvis Dolan, Albany

Let citizens pick produce

The argument for lessening the response to illegal immigration to avoid increased prices for produce at the grocery stores is flawed. Some say that we can't get the produce picked without illegal immigration. The U.S. has an unemployment rate over 4.5 percent. I would be more than happy to pay more for apples and strawberries and less taxes paying for illegal immigrants' free health care and schooling.

We could actually pay more for products picked and manufactured by U.S. citizens and save money in the long run.

The issue of illegal immigration is a supply and demand issue. If there is a demand for jobs in Mexico and a good supply here they will keep coming. We need to get the unemployed U.S. citizens to the fields and exhaust the supply of jobs. We could save money going and coming. No more social hand outs for the jobless or the illegals.

Adam J. Blagg, Albany