The Death of David "Gypsy" Chain

The people at Pacific Lumber, the California Department of Forestry, the Humboldt County Sheriffs Department and all who support the continued rape of the last of the once vast forests of the North Coast need to be aware that the death of David "Gypsy" Chain will reinforce the movement to protect the trees. I send these words from across this nation, on the East Coast, where Earth First! and other defenders of the land are redoubling their efforts. Already vigils and events are taking place back East. I have no doubt that defenders of the Earth are even now planning their departure west, to stand with their sisters and brothers at Headwaters.

That angry logger did much more than kill a non-violent warrior. His error in judgment has added more fuel to our fire. Pacific Lumber and its employees would do well at this point to stop and rethink their current direction. I assure them no good will come from the course they have presently set, no good at all.

Don Ogden, Massachusetts Earth First!

I am grateful that the activists are out there protecting our interests in the forests and raising the nation's awareness. How tragic that the struggle to save what little old growth we have left has come to this -- the death of an idealistic young person, and the logger's knowledge that he has killed a man. Our consumer culture must share the guilt. We still seem to believe and act as though humans are somehow "above" nature.

I hope David Chain's death will be a catalyst for changing destructive timber practices. My sympathy goes to his family and friends.

Phyllis Mervine (Ukiah, CA)

Barbara Yaley

Thank you for your in-depth reporting.

Stacey McGurk, Citizen for Environmental Harmony

The Ethics of Henry Hyde

There is so very much more at stake than simply the Republicans versus the Democrats. This new wave of Republicans that came into office with Newt Gingrich are virtual fanatics. They are no longer members of a loyal opposition. It's not so much that they are willing to risk the destruction of our country to achieve their agenda, but that they genuinely believe their agenda is the heart and soul of our nation's survival. I think this is only explanation for their rabid, mean spirited and duplicitous conduct.

All of the anti-Clinton forces are strategically manipulating this impeachment process in such a way as to steel the presidential election in 2000. And they intend to do it in such a way as to overwhelm both the Senate, the House, and the state legislatures. The Christian Coalition is heavily invested in this outcome and they are heavily in bed with these fanatical Republican "true believers." These people are certain that the end justifies the means. Their mission is a crusade to save America from everything their paranoia tells them is lurking out there -- including Americans.

We are witnessing the violent overthrow of our government by a majority of the U.S. Congress.

Kind regards and good wishes towards the Monitor,

Richard 'Dick' Hudson

Roger Helbig

Christopher Murray

Judi Bari

Many thanks for your efforts to make the truth available. I am encouraged and inspired thereby.

Tom Parsons (New Zealand)

"Workers" is a word you bandy about so carelessly that you're most assuredly Reds, it's so easy to spot your ilk. Are you an even worse splinter of the dead CWP? Maoist, Leninist, Marxism? Jews are in your midst and you're thoroughly infested with these termites. The FBI are principled men and women of very decent and moral character MOST HIGH.

"TheUnaNazi"

Just read your pepper spray "torture" article on the Internet. Your editorial fails to mention the real issue: use of 1/4 inch steel lock-down devices by the protestors (1) How would you suggest removing the protestors from the lock-down devices? (2) Do you honestly believe that the use of the grinders to saw through the devices within inches of hands and fingers does not raise legitimate safety concerns? Oh -- I forgot -- it was all a conspiracy between PL and redneck cops to torture hippies.

"William" (Humboldt County)

Its not the police. They are only reacting to the protesters. To the protesters I say get a life (and maybe a job) then pay taxes and run for office to change policy.

Right cause wrong actions

Greg & Karen Bergfeld

U.S. War On Terrorism

Waging a violent war against terrorism is fighting fire with gasoline. Every person killed or injured has relatives -- a father, mother, sister, brother, child or lover that will want to avenge the pain and suffering and equal vengeance in an unequal world is impossible.

As long as U.S. economic and foreign policy has undeniable lethal and debilitating effects on millions of people beyond our shores we can expect bloody consequences. The more we try to end it with our high-tech, kill- from- a- distance technology, the more likely retaliatory strikes with low-tech conventional, chemical or biological weapons will disrupt our relatively peaceful and open America.

Every day, even when there are no terrorist bombs, more than 30,000 parents experience the greatest terror known to humanity: The loss of a child. Most are related to poverty -- a result of malnutrition and infection and could be prevented for a fraction of what the U.S. public spends on gambling each year. Our economy may be booming, but unless the rest of the world prospers there will be other things exploding. Seeking truth and justice will, in the long run, bring the greatest relief from terror in all of its forms.

Chuck Woolery (Maryland)

Blaming gays and feminists

Once again, disinformation from radical right hate-mongers is being distributed to the press. Mr. Richard Moss may seem like just another crank, but actually he represents a facet of the Christian Coalition's "Kinder, Gentler Gay Bashing." Besides the use of unattributed psuedo- references, Mr. Moss involks the latest Big Lie of Nazi revisionist history, blaming the rise of Hitler on gays.

In a pamplet entitled "The Pink Swastika" written by Oregon Citizen Alliance -- which has, incidentally, placed several extremely homophobic initiatives on the Oregon ballot -- author Scott Lively blames gays for starting the Nazi party on the slimmest of evidence. One of the first acts of the Nazi party when it took power was to raid the "Institute for Sexology," which operated a sex offender diversion program in cooperation with the democratic government of Germany from 1919 until 1933. Records there would have implicated high- ranking Nazi Party officials as non-gay sex offenders: Rapists, sexual sadists, and pedophiles.

Lili Elbe