Letters to the editor for Wednesday, Sept. 8: Of testosterone and car scratches

Scratch that

A few weeks ago, I was shopping in Junction City. And my old 1999 Dodge pickup was all scratched on both sides.

For whatever reason, I feel sorry for them. They had hate for it. I would like to know why. It has never done anything to anyone. The only thing might have been the decals it had on it. One was a U.S. Marines decal, an old NRA one, Save the Bees, USA on the back fenders and an Oregon state stamp on the tailgate.

I only wish that whatever it was, they would have waited for me to come out to talk. I would have taken anything they didn’t like off or talked about why it was on.

I’m 80 years old and on Social Security. I will never be able to pay to repaint it. It will go to the junk yard that way. In the few weeks it has been scratched, people ask me what happened.

I just say someone hated the pickup. I hope the people who scratched my truck read this. I sure feel sorry for them.

J.L. Dodge, Halsey

Condemned for a singular failing

Columnist Kathleen Parker (R-G, Aug. 10) joins in on the skewering of Mario Cuomo. Though she mentioned Gary Hart, she didn’t include Bill Clinton, John F. Kennedy or even Dwight Eisenhower or the beloved FDR. There has been a multitude of famous (as well as infamous) men who have dabbled in philandering.

Blame it on testosterone, which is a foremost component in the male gender. I’m convinced that the aforementioned men, as well as others, had hubris. But hey also had a whole lot more: intelligence, excellence, strength. Capabilities that included honor, decency and courage.

And for all their good qualities and accomplishments, how unjust it was (and is) to define them by a singular failing.

On the contrary, why should these extraordinary men be condemned when an inane, dangerous deviant such as Donald Trump blithely skates on, and on, and on.

Deborah Amann, Eugene

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