Last modified: Tuesday, April 10, 2007 1:15 PM PDT Letters to the Editor April 10, 2007 Loss of Sweet youths reminder of other local losses Editor, Recently we have all been deeply saddened by the tragic loss of five outstanding youths from Sweet, to whom this poem is dedicated. But, in addition to those, we, in this area, have had an unusual tragic loss of youth this past year, as well as last year, from Borah, Payette and other high schools through out the region. If you choose to publish this tribute poem, let it honor the memory of those children also. Furthermore, for those parents who have suffered the loss of a child in childhood or in youth, at any time, let this poem also be for them in the hope that, in memory, it offers hope, peace and comfort. Farewell, Oh Beloved Children Farewell, oh valiant children, Thou art with God, this day. Pray for us, that you leave behind, That we too, will find our way. Farewell, oh noble children, Thou was't true to who thou art, We know thy death's no ending, But a new, eternal start. Farewell, oh faithful warriors, Thy shields of virtue, burnished be. Sheathed righteous swords-brighter still, Through time, and eternity. Farewell, oh beautiful children, Short while-your lives of grace. The way they were, their radiant smile, Blessed each one's loving face. Farewell, oh happy children, Thy musical voices-silenced now. But sounds of your laughter linger, Helping us go on-somehow. Farewell, oh youthful children, Though old our eyes grow to be; Frozen in time, forever young, Is the memory of you, we'll see. Farewell, oh vibrant children, Joyful spirits, bold and free! You'll bring the same joy to heaven, That you brought friends and family. Farewell, oh gentle children, May thy sweet presence linger here, Comfort your parent's aching hearts, Let them know, that you are near. And so, farewell, oh beloved children, Thou shalt yet live, and never die! You'll live within our shattered hearts, And in the lonely tears we cry. Farewell..... Farewell..... Farewell..... Ormond E. Howell Retired school teacher and principal Boise Nyssa girls worked hard to face challenges and achieve goals Editor, I don't remember what the controversy was about, but I felt sad for the Nyssa girls team. These girls worked hard before and after the competition. These girls became women - getting their goals and working to again be champions. The challenge and their persistence have been the greatest achievement - not just winning. Their coaches helped them face the challenge and having goals to achieve will serve them well all their lives. Congratulations! Norma L. Simpson Ontario Saving Private Ryan, and Jones, and Smith and Lopez Editor, “The Cold Side of a Hot Housing Market” is the title of an Oregonian article this morning (April 2) about how the influx of people to Bend, Ore., is driving up housing costs and forcing some to live on the streets. Some of those newly homeless are veterans recently returned from the Iraq war. At first it might seem as a stretch to link Oregon's land use laws with this problem, but be assured there is a link. You can argue whether Oregon has zoned 87 percent or 98 percent of its land into blocks too large for the average Joe to afford a piece of land to live on or to cut their living expenses by building a middle class dwelling or to even raise a garden or a beef or two to cut living expenses. What is not arguable anymore is the fact that Oregon has been saved for the rich. A recent article in the Oregonian, “A fat Wallet runs Through it,” documents Wallowa County's new role as a haven for absentee land owners, the yuppie from some place else that has lived an urban lifestyle with the increased incomes from that lifestyle that now wants to enjoy the amenities of rural living. Longtime residents can't compete with the increased land values. It's the same with Deschutes County it appears, and I'll make the charge it's the same for all of rural Oregon. Private Ryan, Private Jones, Smith and Lopez are caught up in this squeeze. Trying to live on a VA disability check because they were physically or emotionally wounded doesn't allow for the American dream of home ownership anymore. Restricting the amount of available land has a definite tie to their conditions. My own father came home from World War II and found a quiet place on 200 acres to live, work and raise eight children. I have no doubt his life and mine would have been much different if fairly affordable land would not have been available. The nonveteran urbanite could never understand just how arrogant they are in their drive to zone everyone into an urban utopia. They have no idea just how different they are. The banging of a dumpster lid means nothing to them, but it can drive a combat vet nuts. Around the Fourth of July, kids like to pop fire crackers and celebrate. Vets like to leave town. Tom Cruise starred in “Born on the Fourth of July” and portrayed one aspect of PTSD pretty well. He was flinching at the fire crackers while being in the parade. My dad once went into a tizzy when a cousin of mine who was learning to fly buzzed our ranch in an airplane. He went off the handle. “Airplanes coming at me mean just one thing” he said after the Kamikaze rush was over. While researching agent orange at Eastern Oregon State College, I accidentally pulled up a quote from a director of the Veterans Administration in the 1950s. He said that 󈭊 percent of the bums on skid row are World War II combat Vets.” Who knows what the actual numbers were, but it now seems that American public is catching on to the fact that war produces some psychological problems. The sergeant, Lipton, I think his name was, in the mini series “A Band of Brothers,” about the 101st Air Borne, said after taking the beaches at Normandy, “I told God that if I survived Normandy and the war I would find a quiet place to live out the rest of my days and never leave.” You see that's one of the problems with saving the environment at the expense of not saving a quiet place for Private Ryan, Jones, Smith and Lopez. In Oregon we zone all of them into an urban environment where there is no quiet, no peace. Thirty years after Oregon showed the nation how to save the environment that was being destroyed by too many people, we are 100 million more, about 90 million of that is due to an insane immigration policy. A policy that lets in more legal immigrants than the rest of the world combined and an absolute farce on illegal immigration. In the next couple of weeks or months, our new Democratic congress will prove that George Bush truly is a uniter and will vote amnesty for as many as 20 million people who just wandered on in and made themselves at home. They will have children and the population will expand and the urban environmentalist elite will remind us that “we are a nation of immigrants” and push for more laws that make sure Private Ryan, Jones, Smith and Lopez will continue to live behind an urban growth boundary. A few years after I returned from Vietnam, Tom McCall pushed his save the land agenda. McCall was one of those transplanted urbanites who had the bucks to play rancher. He had the name recognition to get the job done. The urban elitists at the Oregonian pushed it hard and have continued to do so to this day. Our governor followed the same path. He made a career out of saving the land but didn't think to save his counter part Vietnam veterans in the process. Now he says that after his political career is over he wants to come and live in my county that has been zoned for the urban elite. Governor you should stay and live in the utopia you helped to build. Maybe volunteer at a homeless shelter. Steve Culley Baker City