Don't change our flag

Mrs. Cobb (March 17, A2), I fully support your right to your opinions and to demonstrate on behalf of them. That's one of the privileges many lives have been spent for by people like my father, my late and present husbands, my brother-in-law and too many relatives and friends to name. That covers World War I and II, the Vietnam War and the Korean Conflict. Thank God their lives were not lost in the wars they fought in for our freedoms.

I agree with you that the war in Iraq should not have been entered into, nor should it be prolonged.

Having said that, I must now say that you and anyone else in your group who has modified my flag should be ashamed of yourselves. Our flag is a symbol, Mrs. Cobb. It has been fought for and has given solace to the men and women who put their lives on the line for us.

We honor our departed veterans by draping our flag on their casket. And you take it upon yourself to modify that? I ask you, by what authority you did such a despicable thing?

And, I further ask why you don't create your own flag? Oh, I guess you want to call attention to your protest. Well you did. But you also lost support, Mrs. Cobb, if you are really protesting the Iraq situation and not just wanting to play for some media time.

Make a sign, create your own flag, write a song or whatever it takes to get your message out. But, Mrs. Cobb, leave my flag alone!

Mary A. Martin, Albany

The letter refers to a photo showing a woman holding a flag in which the stars had been replaced by a peace symbol. It was the D-H caption writer who used the phrase "modified flag."

Whose land is it anyway?

Reading Peter Kenagy's letter of March 19: He continually writes about Measure 37's effect on "our" land and "our" resources. He has no concept of property rights.

History has shown that societies that preserve and protect the property rights of individuals thrive while those that ignore these rights perish. Happily, our Founding Fathers adopted the English legal system.

In order to have "value" property must have a system for protecting ownership in that property. Without such a system the person with the strongest arm and the biggest club can appropriate any item he desires at a whim. The English system, refined by John Locke and Adam Smith, became firmly established after the revolution of 1688. Under that system the property rights of the most common man were protected from encroachment by the most powerful. As a result, the English economy flourished as citizens could trade items for "value" they owned.

Senate Bill 100 began the erosion of property rights in Oregon. Measure 37 demonstrated that the people realized the Legislature had gone too far in depriving property owners their "value." The measure simply required the state pay money for its appropriation of "value."

News flash for Mr. Kenagy: What is mine is mine, not your or ours. I earned mine as an airline pilot for almost four decades. The sacrifices my family and I made were for our property. The missed Christmas, birthday and anniversary celebrations, the long periods away from home invested "value" into our property.

The fieldwork in good and inclement weather added "value." I must have missed your contribution of money and sweat, Mr. Kenagy.

I would agree with Mr. Kenagy that Measure 37 is not the complete answer. The complete answer would include repealing Senate Bill 100 and putting the state and the individual on an equal level to establish the value of property.

Until then, Mr. Kenagy, keep "our" porch light on and "our" refrigerator full of snacks so when we decide we need a place to spend the night we can feel comfortable in "our" home for the night.

Mike Downs, Lebanon

That fund-raising complaint

Congratulations to Jacquelynn Dettra (Mailbag, March 17) for having the courage to expose Calapooia Middle School and the PTA for extortion. Doesn't the PTA have rules in its bylaws against something like this? You all should resign in shame. What about the school district?

By the way, what do you charge for an A?

Kathleen T. Miller, Brownsville

This is a letter of explanation for Jacquelynn Dettra regarding the Calapooia Middle School Fun Day. When I first read your letter, I was outraged. What were the authorities of the school thinking to OK this abuse to happen? Where were the mothers and fathers of all these children? So I took the weekend to really think this through from what I presume is the education system's logic, and it became crystal clear that there were lessons to be learned from this project.

Vocabulary lesson:

1. What is it called when the governing body makes you conform to their ideas or face punishment? Coercion.

2. What is it called when to "grease someone's palm" results in special favors? Bribery.

3. What is it called when, through no fault of their own, the innocent are injured for the good of the many? Collateral damage.

This type of education has no place in our country, much less in our school systems.

Shirley Higgins, Lebanon