WW welcomes letters to the editor via mail, e-mail or fax. Letters must be signed by the author and include the author's street address and phone number for verification. Preference will be given to letters of 250 words or less. Sitting Up the Wrong Tree I'd like to add a different perspective to "Out on a Limb" [WW, Sept. 1, 1999]. As a former forest-landscape architect, I helped design what I viewed as a relatively environmentally benign project. As planned then, the Eagle Creek Timber Sale selectively cut second growth timber, with no new road construction. Streams were buffered. It was at least 25 miles from the intake for the Clackamas Water District serving the southern metro area. At the heart of this protest is that the left wing of the environmental movement says timber should not be harvested from national forests. Granted, forests of the continental United States have been exploited, and we and our native wildlife could use more wild lands. But I would like to see this debate take place honestly. Environmental groups like Cascadia Forest Alliance and Oregon Natural Resources Council use propaganda, sensationalism and theatrics to make their case. "Environmentalism," like other "isms," is an ideology. It forces otherwise intelligent people to wear blinders. Park your brain at the door. This is great for recruiting zealots, but not for fostering constructive dialogue. Willamette Week's responsibility is to present the bigger picture in an even-handed fashion. Part of the bigger picture is that all timber cutting is not equal in its effects on the environment. When an agency like the Forest Service finally gets the message and starts designing timber sales that are environmentally progressive, we ought to offer encouragement instead of beating them with the same worn-out stick. Dean Apostol Gresham Free Advertising How generous of Willamette Week to sponsor a nine-page advertisement for radical environmentalists ["Out on a Limb," Sept. 1, 1999]. I agree that the activities of the groups featured in the story are interesting, and I am open to their points of view. But I find it extremely irresponsible to present such a one-sided article on a subject that holds such high stakes for so many in the Northwest. Your article takes the easy way out by vilifying big industry and overlooking facts to appeal to people's feel-good save-the-world emotions. There was no mention of any responsible logging occurring on public lands (yes, it does happen), no explanation of the stringent regulations of the Oregon Forest Practices Act, which is among the toughest and best followed in the world, and no elaboration on Americans' consumption of lumber products, which really is the reason why anything is cut in the first place. I admire people like those in your article, who believe in something strongly enough to take action beyond that of the average citizen. But your story really reads more like an oversize brochure for Cascadia Forest Alliance than an intelligent article on protesting federal timber sales. Richard Krieger Southeast Portland Help Me Help You Two of the activists featured in the "Out on a Limb" article [WW, Sept. 1, 1999] complained about Portlanders not doing or caring enough about timber sales and forest issues. Yet they offer no suggestions on what the average middle-aged city-dweller can do. Certainly we can't all move into the forest canopies. People "recycle and ride bikes to work" because they're given that as something they can do. The passion and commitment of the tree-sitters is admirable, but it seems as if they alienate themselves from many people who could help if only provided with some suggestions. Tracy Modde Southeast Taggart Street Politics of Religion As a thoughtful Christian, I was pleasantly surprised at your "Down by the Riverside" piece [WW, Aug. 25, 1999], as you somehow found the willpower within your monkey-wrenching liberal hearts not to take up a hatchet against Luis Palau (unlike most of my friends). It was interesting and hopeful to see the politics of church being examined, as it is the politics of religion that creates troubles, and I hope that your readership cut out the small glossary you included so they can have half a clue of what they're talking about when they shit on Christianity. As for the message, I'd like to congratulate you on taking a neutral stance, understanding that you can never make the Tom Soppes and Alan Barkmans of the world happy. It is people like these that have made the Middle East such an unpleasant place for the better part of the modern age, shamefully using religion as a cover for their selfish political aims. As far as "religions who think they are the only way have been responsible for the bulk of wars and violence in world history," I'd like to take Mr. Stoppe on a brief tour of history. Let's start with the Roman Empire, which promulgated religious tolerance and made a good bash at conquering the world. There was Alexander the Great, who didn't care about religion at all (and was gay) and took a better stab at global hegemony than even the Romans. Of course there were the Crusades, which were about grabbing land from the Arabs. There was World War I, which was about nationalist pride, and World War II, which was about one really crazy German on a bender. Against these monumental slaughters, we have the Wars of Religion in France (1562-1598) and the forcible expansion of Islam. So, as we see, war is generally about politics, not dogma, and God is just one more tool of hawkish officials and leaders to get recruits. For the record, evangelists give a good number of Christians the creeps, and not all Christians are evangelical or fundamentalist. For those WW readers who might still have an open mind, try visiting a few churches and decide for yourself--just the way Jesus wanted you to. Doug Ricketts Southeast Holgate Boulevard Don't Judge the Book by Its Coverage I hope the letter you published from Mike the Christian regarding the Luis Palau event isn't typical of letters you received from Christians; his caustic tone and meanspirited letter doesn't represent Christ, or Christians, very well [Letters, Sept. 1, 1999]. So I'm writing to you, since I think there are areas of your coverage of the event that are lacking. First, the assumption that pervades your article that Palau is greedy and power-hungry appears to be completely unsubstantiated. If there is evidence of this, where is it? Could it be that he truly believes in what he is preaching, that he feels "called" to teach and preach? Second, as critical journalists you miss out on the real flaws of an event such as Palau's Portland Festival '99. A valid criticism, for example, is that the event packaged the Gospel in a slick, glitzy, culturally palatable package, while the Christianity presented in the New Testament is at radical odds with our Western culture: It is anti-materialistic; it is a call to be instruments of God's healing and redemption by reaching out to meet both the physical and spiritual needs of people; it is about reconciling us to God and to each other. Despite the event's failings, I think that the positive effects of Palau's teachings are felt around the world. I would welcome good, critical coverage of highly visible Christian leaders such as Palau--they need to be held accountable for their words and actions--but your article just doesn't measure up. Darryl Brown Newberg Crime Wave In last week's Letters, Melissa Chernaik wondered how anyone could be against hate-crime legislation, accusing those who oppose more laws as people who just "don't get it" [WW, Aug. 25, 1999]. We do get it. Assault and murder are crimes against another person, and as such they are wrong and have been made illegal. Current laws make provision for punishing behavior that society deems to be wrong. Hate-crime laws, however, take that one step further. They not only punish behavior that's already punishable, they punish someone because of his or her thoughts or beliefs. We don't need government to punish opinions or ideas; that is totalitarianism, not the mark of a free society. If ideas are repugnant, stand up and say so; don't try to legislate what people think. As Thomas Jefferson said, "The boisterous sea of liberty is seldom without a wave." Eric S. Carter Northeast 76th Avenue Give Customer Service a Chance I appreciate the opportunity to respond to Mr. Kearney's article regarding his difficulty in finding clothes that fit his tall frame as well as his sense of style ["High and Dry," WW, Sept. 1, 1999]. I do sympathize with his problem. However, if all he saw in my stores were Hawaiian shirts (made by Tori Richard, a line carried in depth at Rochester's Big & Tall--a store cited in his article, quite correctly, as an example of a stylish men's big and tall clothing store) and striped shirts, most likely by Cutter & Buck (a Pacific Northwest manufacturer of high-quality golfwear and sportswear) before he "bolted" for a stiff drink, then I suggest he did not give my staff the opportunity to work with him to help him find items he found suitable. Many men's stores catering to "conventional-sized" customers can focus their selection to target a specific style of clothing and to specific customers. Examples include: updated traditional, fashion, European, young men's, streetwear, sportswear, activewear, suits, sports coats, dress furnishings, etc. Other stores concentrate on price--be it high- or low-end. At Sizes Unlimited, we cater to big and tall men and try to appeal to the broadest market possible, without bankrupting ourselves with excessive inventory costs. Our customers have a wide and varied range of interests, occupations, opinions, lifestyles, beliefs, wants and needs, and preferences in clothing. The only thing they do have in common is that, for the most part, they cannot be fitted properly in a store catering to conventional men's clothing sizes. Try as best we can, we cannot be all things to all people. I am the first to admit we cannot make 100 percent of the people in our market happy 100 percent of the time. No one can. On the other hand, one man's "schlock" is another man's Tommy Hilfiger, Pelle Pelle, Tallia, Mondo, Axis, Jhane Barnes, Gant, Docker, Savane, Levi and so on--all fashionable, quality lines (again, most of which are carried at Rochester's in San Francisco). I would hope that the purpose of the article was to instruct and to satisfy, not to criticize or belittle. To this end, rather than have Mr. Kearney spend a few minutes in one of my stores and "bolt," I invite him to call or e-mail me. I would be happy to meet with him--or any man who wears a size larger or longer than the conventional extra-large carried in men's clothing stores or departments--to discuss his clothing needs. I will do my best to satisfy them. By the way, corduroy trousers are a seasonal item. I believe Mr. Kearney will have more luck finding them in September and October than he did over the summer. Also, I hope he is enjoying the 2XT fleece shirt he purchased from us--it was not an XXXL. Finally, I've never carried jumpsuits in my store, in this or any previous season or decade--although I'm sure that some big or tall man somewhere is sorry I don't. Jon Greenblatt Owner, Sizes Unlimited - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Willamette Week | originally published September 15, 1999