Opinion

In Mike Epstein's bashing of the Jesus basher, Steve Humphrey, he asserts that St. Augustine argued God allowed Rome to become a great nation and did the same for the U.S. Neither Epstein or Augustine nor anyone else can prove this. It is merely Augustine's and Epstein's belief that this is so, not empirical fact. Therefore to call Humphrey "stupid" and "uneducated" is to open Epstein himself to the charge that he is also "stupid" and perhaps brainwashed as well by religious dogma that has no basis in fact.

"Easter" celebrations, really festivals honoring Spring, existed in many forms and civilizations long before the alleged existence of Jesus Christ. Mr. Epstein exposes his "stupidity" in asserting that the Constitution and Bill of Rights are "god-driven." The word "God" does not appear in the Constitution. The Pledge of Allegiance" did not contain the word "God" in it until conservatives in Congress during the Eisenhower administration changed it. As a kid in school in the late '40s and early '50s I learned the old Pledge that ended, "one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all." God was not mentioned.

Hey there to all you fellow riders out there, roadies, mounties and commuters.
How about a biker coalition that patrols the roadways and the mountain biking trails? The purpose? We all get flats, have mishaps and need support - even medical aid. Out on the trails, such as Phil's Trail, a coalition would be wonderful with the millions of people coming from every planet around the universe to bike in Bend since this is the best place in the world to bike! (ha,ha…NOT) There are bike coalitions in northern California for a reason, mainly the population of riders being large. There are a lot of riders on the trails and a biker coalition would help educate riders on the right of way, friendliness, littering etc.

I would like to send a tune of gratitude for a couple of un-sung heroes of our community. They will be moving on to new ventures and a life near Ashland. Richard Ziff and Helene Bisnaire are the owners and creators of "Of The Earth."
They are taking a break after many years of building and developing one of the world's first organic clothing and fabric businesses. I remember when they came to town and immediately took a leadership role in supporting causes, charities, and fashion events through their OTE Foundation. Although they did little of their business in Bend directly, they came in with open hearts to make their contribution to our community and town.

I'm one of those reflexive anti-war guys, the type with one answer for everything. Stop the war. Bring the troops home from Iraq. Right now. Bring'em home from Afghanistan, too, and if you ask me, it's high time that the US ends its brutal occupation of North America, as well. When confronted with the notion that the immediate departure of all US troops from Iraq and Afghanistan could lead to chaos, I'll respond that whatever happens next couldn't be any worse than if we remain. What if the various sides in Iraq start going at it? Doesn't America bear some responsibility? 'Yes,' I say, but the single solution is to bring home all troops.

This afternoon, I thought of writing a letter pointing out that every gunman responsible for his share of last month's carnage had the legal right to own a gun. The officers killed in Pittsburgh? Their shooter was a registered gun owner. The eight killed at a nursing home in North Carolina? He owned his gun legally. The family of five killed in Washington? The ten in Alabama? The shooters were all signed off as responsible citizens with full rights to their firearm.
But we've all heard the comebacks: guns don't kill people, people do. If someone set someone else on fire with gasoline, do you outlaw gasoline? I thought, yah, enough of that debate. It never goes anywhere.

I start by saying I love the Source Weekly-it brings some great things to light. Like the article a couple of weeks ago about homelessness in Deschutes County.

Ostensibly, the potential implementation of DUI checkpoints/roadblocks in Oregon is a righteous moral mission undertaken by the state to liberate sober drivers from the overwhelming threat of tyrannical, legally drunk drivers on the road and unburden taxpayers of the associated costs of consequent accidents. Similarly, the pretext for the U.S. invasion of Iraq was to liberate oppressed Iraqi individuals, spread democracy, displace a brutal, threatening dictator and encourage freedom across the globe.
In both cases, these claims look great on paper. But anyone who hasn't surrendered or atrophied her natural capacity for critical thought and who has but a vague awareness of historical events beyond the weekly conclusions of American Idol, can see that beneath these official motives lies a thinly cloaked impetus of some kind.