On a glorious Oregon morning, I step onto my deck and watch Venus and Jupiter linked in the dawn sky. In the vastness of the universe, how lucky we are to live in the one and only place where intelligent life flourishes. How wondrous it is that God created all this and that Jesus both knows and cares whether my espresso is regular or decaf.

In my reflection, I see the face of God. He is white, male, middle-aged, needs a haircut and admonishes me not to have an abortion today. I won't!

Jesus teaches me to hate all things unholy, like Arabs, queers, liberals and those funny characters from The Iliad. Oh, and blasphemers. My heart rejoices at the thought that they are burning in hell. Damn them.

What love He gives us! What soaring guidance!

I thank him for America's stash of nuclear weapons. Our tool to end the world in His name.

I will get a bigger car, some credit-card debt, eat more fat and watch more television. I will reject literature, poetry and art and learn to love football, country music, executions and George W. Bush. I will praise His name.

I will become a "mainstream" American.

God Bless You!

Michael Bailey
Northeast Halsey Street

DON'T LET THE SONG END

I am writing concerning David Shafer's "The Day the Music Died?" [WW, Oct. 27, 2004].

Budget cuts have destroyed music-education programs over the past 10 years, leaving most elementary students without music in their schools. Ethos was created in direct response to these cuts in order to make the benefits of music accessible to every child. If music is dying in public schools, Ethos is one of the only life-support systems out there to insure equality of opportunity for every child.

Ethos' after-school programs, while very affordable, cannot be considered a replacement for district-funded programs. Schools, PTAs and community groups that sponsor Ethos music classes likely wouldn't have any music at all if it weren't for our after-school programs. Ethos was created in response to budget cuts, not in order to encourage more cuts.

Ethos firmly believes that every school should have district-funded music programs. Music increases scholastic achievement, decreases discipline problems, and makes for a well-rounded learning environment. In the face of continued cuts, Ethos' programs should be considered a temporary stopgap measure until districts are able to once again fully fund their critically important music-education programs.

Find out more about Ethos' programs online at www.ethos-inc.org.

Charles Lewis
Founder and Executive Director,
Ethos Music Center
Northeast Killingsworth Street