The Berkshire Eagle from Pittsfield, Massachusetts • 4

The Berkshire Eagle Opinion ON THE WEB: www berkshireeagle.com A4 Monday. May 5. 2008 rttCQJfSrt leu. lb BE UTILE TSO lATt. VIE YOU SH0U.P HWt UT R3LY CLOBBERED HA MK 06WA WEafKlEAWED HEM CLASS HWl.

"KODtD NOUTCOK 9 TOO rCKSrKWrnie quflt Qirt CAW The BsSHfte Eagle Published dail since May 9. 1892. with weekly newspaper roots suiting with The Western Star published in Stockbndge beginning December 1. 1789. 75 S.

Church Pittsfield. MA 01201; Circulation. (413) 496-6355: All other departments. (4131 447-731 Outside local calling area: (800) 245-0254. Andrew H.

Mick. Publisher President Tim Farkas, Executive Editor Bill Everhart, Editorial Page Editor Kein Moran. Managing Editor Theresa M. McCoy. Chief Financial Officer Robert Chapman, Vice President of Ad ertisms Mikel Saunbv.

Vice President of Circulation rrnMTJ IT IfMS TO WE dnd in view op tws.we vkondek If PtKHAPS, A PERSON SUCH NtolrtSaJ HAS SHALL WE 5W, WHKT "WES TO TAKE. TME REINS. WERE. Of THIS CJUKW IN A LEADERjWP OPN3TV ASfcuNrtMTSW Editorials Downsized drivers PTOPtKLY PHRASED ANDttlJVEKP WW NEED IN A sC 'V? i Letters to the Editor No audience for anti-evolution film are stalled on the side of the road. It is difficult for the American car industry to switch gears, in part because of the physical realities of assembly lines and factories but also because of the industry's refusal to drop its "big is better" mentality.

Ford (down 18 percent in sales) has been making that adjustment, but General Motors (down 22 percent) is only now playing catch-up ball and Chrysler (down 29 percent) is still spinning from a series of ownership changes. American car companies are also perennially bogged down in union negotiations, often over rising health care costs, putting them at a disadvantage to car companies based in countries whose governments provide universal health care. For decades, Washington has been an enabler for the car companies, refusing to give them the tough love in the form of stricter fuel economy regulations that would have awakened them from their dream world. Representative John Dingell, an influential Michigan Democrat who has long led the fight against tougher fuel standards, sees himself as Detroit's friend but will more likely be remembered as its worst enemy given its near collapse in recent years. Congress finally managed to pass legislation increasing fuel-economy regulations to 31.6 miles per gallon by 2015, but that is seven years off and astronomical gas prices are here with us today.

Those prices are a powerful incentive for Americans to buy more fuel efficient cars. We hope they will provide a similar incentive to American car manufacturers to remove their blinders and join their European and Japanese counterparts in producing the fuel efficient cars Americans now want to buy. The numbers shouldn't be startling, but given Americans' long resistance to adjusting to higher and higher gas prices, they arc surprising. Based on April sales data, car industry analysts believe that one in five vehicles sold in the United States was a compact or subcompact, the highest percentage ever, and in another first, four-cylinder engines surpassed six-cylinder models in sales. The escalation of gas prices over $3.50 a gallon is a terrible hardship for Americans, but it is apparently causing a welcome and overdue change in their car-buying habits.

If only American car companies had been poised for it. Honda and Toyota, predictably enough, are the primary beneficiaries of this change in buying habits, according to industry statistics published last week in The New York Times. Honda's Fit recorded 54 percent higher sales than it did in April of 2007, and Toyota's Yaris climbed 46 percent in sales. Ford, courtesy of the 32 percent increase from April of a year ago for its compact Focus, was better able to take advantage of this trend than its counterparts at Chrysler and General Motors. All three of those cars average better than 30 miles per gallon on the highway.

With sales of small cars up, sales of SUVs and pickup trucks are down about 17 percent, further crippling an American auto industry that has struggled for much of this decade. The large SUV is a symbol of the conspicuous consumption that is as American as apple pie, and many buyers undoubtedly shared the auto industry's belief that the good times would always roll for Detroit's gas guzzlers. Now they Write to us Mail: 75 S. Church Pittsfield, MA 01201 Fax: (413) 499-3419. E-mail: lettersberkshireeagle.com.

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Letters should be on issues of interest to the general public. most other non-mainstream films. It just so happens that global warming (AJ Gore), and guns, Sept. 1 1, and health care (Michael Moore) are hotter topics than religion. Rev.

England shouldn't confuse his own preoccupation with religion as something shared by most Americans. It isn't. Finally, Rev. England is mistaken if he believes that flaws in the theory of evolution somehow lead directly back to Presbyterianism. While his own particular institutionalized mythology, based on primitive, ignorant, pre-scientific ideas, doesn't necessarily negate the idea of some incomprehensible organizing force in the universe, such a force certainly bears no resemblance to England's version of reality.

England made a snide reference to aliens from outer space, but the fact is that the alien hypothesis is no more outrageous than his own of God" fantasy. ARNE WALDSTEIN Housatonic No celibacy-pedophile connection Joel Stein Six bucks and a cookie challenge, I was told, was that a lot of people from Latin America were going to think that "democracy" and "Democratic Party" were synonymous. And there might be other misguided ideas too, warned Bishop Juan Carlos Mendez from Centro Cristiano Betel in South Gate: "The perception is that only rich people are in the Republican Party. It's not true." It was my job to inform them that the Republican Party is also for people who want to be rich. I found Mendez's party-of-the-poor speech slightly less convincing when he told me that he brought 10 teenagers from his church and that the party paid them $6 for each person they registered.

I had lots of good suggestions, like hiding the life-size cutout of Bush. "I think you're right," said Linda Boyd, the chairwoman of the LA. County Republicans and, more impressive in terms of party LOS ANGELES There's an emotional ceremony every month in which 3,500 newly naturalized citizens pledge their loyalty to the United States, and it really feels like they've joined a community of shared values, goals and purpose. Then, as soon as they pass through the gates of the Los Angeles County fairgrounds and enter the parking lot, they are charged from the right by Republicans and from the left by Democrats, begging them to register to vote. It is a bit like kissing the bride and being told your new father-in-law is a Capulet and your mother-in-law's a Montague and they've each registered you for a Glock.

Signing up new citizens is a huge battleground because, according to a study released this week, immigrants and their kids will make up 29 percent As an agnostic, I'd love to follow Rev. England's advice and watch Ben Stein's film critique of evolution (Letter, April 29). I've long believed that atheists are the flip side of fundamentalists. Fundamentalists are certain there is a God, while atheists are certain there isn't. We agnostics lead a much less stressful life because we simply shrug our shoulders and admit we have no idea.

I've accepted doubt as a way of life, and it's really not that bad. While the comfort of religious self-deception may appeal to some, I've found that being part of an ancient journey toward some unknown future allows me to feel as connected to humanity as those who belong to a congregation. As far as liberal conspiracies to suppress Stein's film are concerned, Rev. England should understand that the media is controlled by large, greedy, conservative corporations. If Stein's film lacks exposure, it's because capitalists don't think they can make a buck, it's as simple as that.

Sorry, but we'll just have to wait until it comes out on DVD, like Obama trusts common man For elitism and the truth, this past week has seen a great example. Hillary Clinton and John McCain offer voters a torn Band-Aid in a gasoline tax rollback that depends on and presumes that the average American voter is plug stupid. Barack Obama, in stark contrast says, "You guys who want change; let's start right here. This gas tax rebate gimmick is simple pandering and serves no positive economic purpose for the country you love and wish to set on the right road again." Obama trusts the intelligence of the voters, blue collar Catholics included, to have plenty of good old American common sense to sniff out pandering politics. Only Obama trusts the melting pot cast of Americans.

That is 180 degrees from the yammerings that he is elitist. CRAIG A. JOHNSON Dalton No obligation to push propaganda Rev. Brent England (letter, April 29) apparently needs more members at the Berkshire Reformed Presbyterian Church. Not being successful with all the government assistance to religious doctrinizing, he is advocating that our commercially run movie houses screen "Expelled" so that more people can be brainwashed into believing they need to advocate for our government to teach Genesis in the public schools.

He tries to convince us his argument is about openness, seeing both sides of an argument, but do not be fooled. These "Intelligent Design" advocates want Genesis taught in our public schools. If not, why the comment "These Darwinian scientists will be teaching our kids soon, if they aren't already." Well, they are. I was taught evolution a long time ago and thanks to our Constitution, not one thin dime of this taxpayer's money is going to be used to teach young children Genesis. That should be up to their parents.

The movie theaters are going to screen movies they feel will make them money, and so they should. Our schools are not going to teach Genesis, so that leaves the editorial page of The Eagle for Mr. England, and of course his pulpit. Too bad the scarce space on this page needs to be used for this purpose with so many issues this community should be discussing. But rest assured, even as Mr.

England says this issue is not going away, neither is our Constitution. DAVID WIMBERLY Pittsfield loyalty, the mother of a girl named Reagan. I also suggested we get some kind of food to bribe people with, a technique 1 noticed was very effective at the Iowa caucuses. "We've tried several different gimmicks," Boyd told me. "We've had lemonade and balloons for the kids.

We're of potential voters California by 2012. To see how this fight is going down, I spent Wednesday with volunteers recruiting new citizens to join the GOP. They were a happy bunch, 27 well-dressed people sitting at a table covered with a cloth decorated with a subtle pattern of the fire I had lots of good suggestions, like hiding the life-size cutout of Bush. In the wake of Pope Benedict XVTs recent visit to the U.S., there have been several letters to the editor regarding the pope's comments and actions regarding the clergy sexual abuse scandal in the United States. Mr.

McCarthy's letter of April 27, "Chastity at root of pedophile issue," explains that celibacy is the cause of pedophilia. Similarly, Eric Biss's letter of April 26, "Church policy invites more scandal," explains that statistically the Roman Catholic Church's policy requiring celibacy will produce pedophiles. There's something 1 don't understand. How could Alden C. Hewett (a former law enforcement officer just sentenced to 15-20 years in prison) be a pedophile since he's not a priest? Where is the logic in the idea that being a priest and celibate turns a man into a pedophile? Roman Catholic priests are not the only religious people that practice celibacy.

Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam all have requirements for celibacy amongst clergy. Where are the stories of Buddhists, Hindus, and Muslims being accused of sexual assault? Applying Mr. McCarthy's and Mr. Biss's logic, there should be serious pedophile problems within the Buddhist, Muslim, and Hindu religions. Can anyone remember hearing about Mohandas Gandhi being sued for sexual assault? Gandhi took a vow of celibacy at age 37, even though he was already married.

Why didn't Catholics still blaming victim In her letter of April 26, Eleanor Keegan has the audacity to blame the families of the children raped by pedophile priests and covered up by other priests and the hierarchy. I bet the writer also blames a woman for getting herself raped. She thinks the priest who was murdered in prison was tob good to be with his own ilk? Priests, especially the pedophiles and the ones who covered up for them, are not divine connectors to the hereafter. They are common criminals just as anyone who commits this crime. As for the pope, he didn't even have the guts to come to Boston and meet with the families of the abused.

He took the coward's way out. It was amazing enough to watch Catholics stick their heads in the sand when this abuse happened, but this letter really takes the cake. To all the abused and their families, we wish you all well, and as most intelligent people know, it wasn't your fault. Morality is doing what is right no matter what you are told. The Catholic religion is about doing what you are told, no matter what is right.

JEFFREY KOPEREK SHARON KOPEREK Housatonic he start raping young boys? It must be because he wasn't a psychopath before becoming celibate. Normal men don't become priests so that they can become pedophiles. Similarly, normal men who are priests don't "turn into" pedophiles because they've become priests. Why don't we hear of Catholic nuns becoming child molesters? They take vows of celibacy also. We no longer accept the stereotype that a black man is a drug dealer simply because he's black.

A Jew isn't stingy simply because he's a Jew. The Mexican man working the kitchen of a restaurant isn't going to steal my hubcaps simply because he's Mexican. Why do we allow people to assume that a priest is a pervert, simply because he's a priest? This casts negative light on all parish priests. It is time for this terrible stereotype to be stopped. PATRICK SMITH Sheffield An alternative to airport plan The Eagle informs us the boondoggle that has become Pittsfield's airport project has hit another snag.

As the project staggers on, the costs to Pittsfield's taxpayers continues to grow. Why? Because the initial planning was faulty. Our airport manager, in concert with the airport's operators, opted for the full nine yards a runway extension plus unnecessary overruns on each end. This resulted in taking several properties by eminent domain. The loss of the tax base, naturally, is spread among the rest of Pittsfield's property owners.

Meeting the FAAs requirements does not necessarily entail 1,000 foot overruns. The FAA issues waivers in cases where 1,000 feet is not practical. However, in 2001, when I asked if a waiver had been seriously considered, the answer was no. Apparently, the refusal is still in place. The prestigious Air Lines Pilots Association (ALPA) dedicated its March, 2006, issue of its monthly magazine, "Air Line Pilot," to 2006's "Safety and Security issues." On page 29, it shows a photograph of an existing vastly shortened overrun using a fill designed to bring a skidding airplane to a stop.

The ALPA identified the material as "Engineered Materials Arresting System" (EMAS). EMAS meets the FAAs requirements for a waiver that would save much of our wetlands and save Pittsfield's taxpayers a lot of bucks. Sometime back, I distributed copies of the ALPAs article among the members of our City Council. It is unconscionable to continue to ignore less expensive alternatives in bringing our airport into compliance with the FAAs overrun mandate. ROBERT W.

ALLARDYCE Pittsfield fighters raising a flag at ground zero. They were all smiles and pamphlets and life-size cutouts of President Bush and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator. As soon as 1 arrived, I was besieged by controversy. The Democrats, who sat 10 feet away at a table covered with no cloth, had accused my new Republican friends of being overly helpful in filling out the registration forms for these new voters most notably the box for party affiliation.

Sadly, the one person uniquely qualified to fairly resolve an intraparty dispute had left the GOP table just minutes before: Ken Starr's wife, Alice. When I asked for advice on how to persuade new citizens to join the party, I was told that I shouldn't have bothered bringing Milton Friedman's "Capitalism and Freedom" because I wasn't going to have time to quote from it, getting only about two minutes with each potential recruit. My biggest Bizarro shameless." We looked through the coolers Boyd bought that morning for the volunteers and found one half-eaten box of chocolate chip cookies. I was armed with a clipboard with a sticker on the back that read, "Los Republicanos Registrense Aqui," which going by the Spanish I learned from "Sesame Street," means "The Republicans 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12." Shirley Baldwin, who has volunteered at naturalization ceremonies 10 times, told me to congratulate everyone walking by and make eye contact. After 10 minutes of pure failure, 1 finally locked eyes with Guadalupe Anguiano, who agreed to come by and fill out the forms for her blind mother.

The daughter told me I was doing a fine job, but when it came time to fill in the bubble indicating party affiliation, she chose the Green Party. I had not only failed the GOP, I had failed phenomenally. "You did fine," Baldwin said. "You got her to be a part of the American system. Then it's up to the candidates." The Obama-Clinton fight really is making these Republicans cocky.

Next, I lured Michaeline Wilkins to the table. She was a harder sell, even after I gave her a cookie. "Tell me about Rush Limbaugh," she said. I explained that Rush knew a lot about recreational drugs, an issue Democrats usually get all the credit for. Then stupid Bishop Mendez started talking about how the Republicans are the party of the poor.

I countered that it was actually the party of the filthy rich people she wanted to be around. I told her that Republican country clubs are way better than Democratic ones. "I don't think Republicans are the party of poor people," she said to Mendez. "That would be a bad thing." She finished her cookie and filled in the GOP bubble. By the end of the day, we'd registered about 300 people.

And although I didn't get into any deep philosophical debates about libertarian principles, unless you count the Rush Limbaugh thing, I felt good about registering new citizens to vote. Because even though they were being bombarded at a celebratory moment when they were confused and vulnerable, they got to see how vibrant the democracy they signed up for really is. In America, their vote is worth $6 and a cookie. Joel Stein wntes for The Los Angeles Times. Before you undergo kair replacement tkerapyj, find out wkat tkevj intend to replace it witk, oeSTOT.coM s-s.