Participate in democracy

Abraham Lincoln said when he was elected president, and I paraphrase, that if the same divine power that guided George Washington didn't guide him he would not succeed.

Lincoln was marked for a special destiny. He was an imperfect man called to lead an imperfect people. Lincoln had a sacred belief in "government of the people, by the people, and for the people." He knew that democracy works best when people claim it as their own.

Participation in local city and county democracy is where the real fabric of our society is tested and becomes our own. Every citizen needs to voice their ideas and concerns, support their candidate and issues, give of their time, resources and money, and remember that we are all doing it with Lincoln and Washington for a "government of the people, by the people, and for the people."

Yes we take sides and join different political parties but never forget that "sacred belief" we have in common. Claim America as your own not by empty words and partisan bickering but by your dedicated actions for the common good; and pray your actions are guided as were Washington and Lincoln's. Democracy needs a renaissance in you.

David Anderer, Albany

McCain's judgment faulty

A shocking new video shows that in 2003, in front of the Council on Foreign Relations, Senator John McCain said he was more concerned with the war in Iraq, and that we could "muddle through in Afghanistan" without a large number of forces.

Senator McCain showed poor judgment and forethought, which is disturbing given that he says this area is his strong suit.

We cannot "muddle through" in Afghanistan. We have done that for the past five years, and all that has happened is that the Taliban has recaptured a large chunk of that country, al Qaeda is back at pre-9/11 strength, and Osama bin Laden is free and plotting against America.

McCain's strategy for launching a war in Iraq and staying there indefinitely, unlike Senator Obama's, is a policy of retreat in the war on terror. It has made us less secure, and allowed extremists in Afghanistan and Pakistan to regain their strength.

John McCain in 2003 was horribly wrong. There was no "muddling through" in Afghanistan. There was either taking the fight to the enemy, or not. He chose not. That was a grave error in his judgment.

Robert Denny, Albany

Legalize, regulate drugs

Retired Seattle police chief Norm Stamper is absolutely right about ending drug prohibition. How do I know? Because I know how alcohol prohibition ended. After 13 years of futile efforts to stop bootlegging, the criminals were put out of business by simply repealing the 18th Amendment and installing a regulated system for adult alcohol use. Suddenly there were no huge profits to be made selling outlaw booze and the bootlegging and the armed warfare it caused was over.

Legalizing and regulating drugs for adult use will put gangs out of the drug business within a week.

Without the subsidy provided by lunatic drug policies trying to overturn the law of supply and demand criminals will no longer be able to make millions selling products with a real market value comparable to honey or tofu.

Without millions of dollars at stake drug dealers will stop shooting each other the same way gangsters stopped shooting it out over beer routes in 1933.

Drug prohibition has failed for 94 straight years and it is time to stop the lunacy.

Ralph Givens, Daly City, Calif.

Place blame on Israel

Mr. England (Mailbag, July 17) places equal blame on Israel and Palestine in that conflict. I thank June Forsyth Kenagy for insisting on the truth. It is Israel's illegal and immoral occupation of the West Bank, destruction of 18,000 Palestinian homes, and other continuing atrocities that have caused Hamas, Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations to arise.

Nothing justifies terrorism. It's causes must be recognized and dealt with. Israel can have peace tomorrow if they'll pull their 140,000 troops out the West Bank. Of course the troops are there to protect the 200 illegal settlements. Israel needs to withdraw those as well, as they have repeatedly agreed to do, and then reneged.

Jimmy Carter lays all of this out factually, objectively and fairly in "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid." I urge everyone interested in this argument to read it. Noam Chomsky has also written a great deal on this. His writings are available online.

John Goodwin, Lebanon

Oregon needs LNG

Our state government says we do not need a liquefied natural gas terminal in Oregon.

A new pipeline is going to be built from somewhere so we will have plenty. I have heard no comments about the three largest natural gas suppliers in this area announcing a 40 percent increase in the price of that product. Forty percent?

We need all the choices that are possible. We need LNG. Otherwise natural gas consumers will be in the same condition as those burning diesel. Are our leaders blind?

The same leaders have forced us to burn 10 percent ethanol in our gasoline. We now are getting about 14 percent less mileage per gallon. We added 10 percent expensive ethanol to lose 14 percent? And they seem oblivious to the increasing prices of grains, poultry, meat, dairy and even farm-raised fish. This is not truly thinking green, but wasteful to the extreme.

If LNG is not competitive, people will not use it. But let's have it just in case. Otherwise we will all "get dieseled." That is a new term for getting "hosed" by government leaders trying to be politically correct by thinking green.

Roger Hawthorne, Albany

Overturn ethanol mandate

Our Linn County commissioners are trying to overturn the state's ethanol bill and need all of our support. Ethanol is costing all of us in many ways that is just starting to show up. Poor gas mileage, ruining equipment, rising food cost (because of food products that are being diverted to ethanol production) are a few examples. Ethanol was a poorly thought-out program ramrodded by our dear govenor like all his programs. Let our commissioners know they have our support.

Gerald Trask, Albany