In the late 1970s in Oregon, I fought forest fires and burned slash after logging operations. I thereby got first hand experience of large clear-cuts and other abuses of the logging industry. Today, there are very strict regulations leading to intelligent and responsible logging. Through innovation, an estimated 50% of the lumber produced by the Owens and Hurst Mill was from harvested dead timber. This particular mill was doing well, and its closure is not due to “weak markets and the inability to effectively compete”, “technological advances”, or “unsustainable logging”, as proponents of the closure would have you believe. These smoke screens are used to cover up the injustice and absurdity.

      Since most of us care deeply about the environment, and burning this dead timber is worse for the environment than selective logging, those who have forced the closure of this mill are better called obstructionists than environmentalists. They have been victorious in forcing 90 out of work in the small community of Eureka. How amusing, ironic, and totally predictable that after their victory that deeply wounded these families and their entire community, the obstructionists want “dialogue about our shared future” (Thomas Power’s 2/27 letter).

      I am confident that most of the obstructionists that rejoice over their successful imposition of “morality” are just as passionate and quick to state that we don’t have any right to impose our morality on others when we protest such things as killing unborn children. They are either blind to their inconsistency or it doesn’t matter to them.

      In the 1/20/05 issue of the Daily Interlake, there was an article by an AP Medical Writer regarding the top causes of death in the U.S. It is notable that the number that die from the top nine causes of death combined is less than the total number that die from abortion. The number that die from abortion is more than three times the number listed as our leading cause, cancer. If abortions were reduced by 50%, the savings of lives would be greater than finding a cure for all cancer. The enormous effort and billions of dollars put into research for cures of and protection against these diseases suggests that we believe that there is intrinsic value to human life and the eradication of human suffering. Nevertheless, our laws allow the brutal slaughter of millions of the most innocent and helpless of our human family.

      Capacity for rational thought and conscience distinguish us from other animal species. These distinguishing traits are not being manifest when individuals value dead trees more than live unborn children and working families. It is notable that many of these irrational individuals have advanced educational degrees and alarming that they wield such tremendous power and influence in our government and educational system. No wonder we have become such a bazaar, nonsensical, and contradictory nation!

Annie Bukacek MD