HALT AID TO COLOMBIA

I appreciated The Register-Guard's publication of the articles on Colombia
(commentary, March 4), especially the article by Pam Fitzpatrick and Paul
Dix. I was among the packed house on March 5 at Harris Hall for their
public presentation.

Fitzpatrick and Dix are to be commended for many reasons - not the least of
which was traveling to a dangerous area of our hemisphere to cover the
effects of U.S. aid there. Their article is well written and covers a lot
of ground. Their presentation was excellent. I think many people were
shocked at the violence and environmental devastation portrayed in the
authors' words and photos.

U.S. aid in the form of Plan Colombia goes mostly for military hardware,
coca eradication and training of Colombian military personnel. Dix's photos
offered grave testimony to the lie of accurate spraying of the herbicide
glyphosphate (aka Monsanto's Roundup) by graphically showing ruined food
crops and pastures. Our presence in Colombia is resented by the people
there and not supported by our allies in Europe.

What can Americans do? We can write our U.S. representatives and senators
and tell them to oppose continued or expanded aid to Colombia. Boycott all
Monsanto products. Boycott cocaine and demand an end to our drug war. Get
educated!

Allan Erickson, Eugene