Spoiled fun
has become
a way of life
B e h in d
by Michael Burgess
By Martha v Morgan
I
something, someone *iU find a
way " Even a plastic toy Even
. ■
Marsha V. Morgan is a free
lance writer in Chicago.
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H O ltX V O
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H alt O .D .O .T . A rro g a n c e
P re se rv e Scenic R eso u rces
T h e r e h a v e b e e n , in t h e f o r g i n g
o f my p e r s o n a l r e a l p o l i t i k , tw o
s e m in a l e v e n ts .
T he f i r s t w as K e n t
S t a t e , w hen e n q u i r i n g m in d s l e a r n e d
t h a t y e s , t h e N a t i o n a l G u a rd w o u ld
f i r e o n u n a rm e d s t u d e n t s .
The s e c
o n d w as t h e G u lf W ar, w hen t h e p o
l i t i c a l l y new i n to w n d i s c o v e r e d
( a lo n g w ith th e a g in g L e f t) t h a t
th e fo r c e s o f t r u t h , j u s t i c e , a n d /o r
t h e A m e r ic a n w av c o u l d bomb t h e o l d
e s t c i t y on th e p la n e t to r u b b le and
m u r d e r 1 0 0 ,0 0 0 h u m a n s b e f o r e t h e s a n e
c o u ld m o b iliz e and s to p i t .
No m o re
V i e t n a m s , w as t h e wav G e o r g e p u t i t .
S i n c e O p e r a t i o n D e s e r t f 'a r n a g e ,
I h a v e n 't w a tc h e d a m in u te o f t e l e -
v i s o n n e w s , e i t h e r l o c a l >r n a t i o n a l .
I f i n d CNN u p s e t t i n g a n d , m o re i m p o r
ta n tly , c o u n te rp ro d u c tiv e .
i f you
w a tc h m a d n e s s lo n g e n o u g h , i t s t a r t s
lo o k in g n o rm a l.
T h i s i s , t o my way
o f t h i n k i n g , t h e o n l y way t h e p s y
c h o tic » a t tiie c o n t r o l j in e l c a n w in .
I r e a d t h e n e w s p a p e r s now , a n d
t e n d my own g a r d e n , n u r t u r i n g t h e
s a n i t y o f fa m ily , f r i e n d s h i p s , and
w o rk .
S t r e n g t h e n i n g , i D y la n p u t
i t , th e th i n g s th .it re m a in .
I can
n o t k e e p g r e e d m o n g e r t fr> m s t e a l i n g ,
o r h a t e m o n g e r s fro m k i l l i n g , b u t I
c a n t e a c h t h e c h i l d r e n a r o u n d me
n o t t o h i t o r ta k e s o m e th in g t h a t ' s
not th e ir s .
I c a n , by p r a c t i c i n g
c o m p a s s io n an d lo v e , e n c o u r a g e com
p a s s io n and lo v e .
A;; I g e t o l d e r
I r e a l i z e t h i s i s t h e o n l y m a g ic
t h a t w o rk s.
I h a v e , in a way m uch
m o re p r o f o u n d t h a n t h e S i x t i e s ,
d ro p p e d o u t a g a in .
T h is tim e f o r
good.
So i t w as o n l y by a c c i d e n t t h a t
I w a tc h e d a n h o u r o f t h e R e p u b l i c a n
N a t i o n a l C o n v e n t i o n on PB S.
R u n n in g
b a d ly o v e r t i m e , th e n e tw o rk k e p t
b r o a d c a s tin g t h i s m essag e a t th e b o t
tom o f t h e s c r e e n :
"T h e C i v i l War
w i l l b e s e e n in i t s e n t i r e t y im m e d i
a t e l y a f t e r th e c o n v e n tio n ."
I s i t j u s t m e, o r i s i t a l l l o o k
i n g l i k e a K u rt V o n n e g u t n o v e l a g a i n ?
So t h e r e t h e y w e r e , t h o u s a n d s o f
th e s e l f im p o rta n t and s e l f r i g h t e o u s ,
f u e l e d bv t h e s o r t o f z e a l o n l y m oney
can buv, g ro p in g each o t h e r ’ s ch eck
b o o k s a n d c h a n t i n g , " T o u r M ore Y e a r s " .
Had i t b e e n s h o t in g r a i n y b l a c k a n d
w h ite , i t c o u ld h av e b een any b e e r h a ll
in 1 9 3 2 M u n ic h .
I f K in g G e o r g e a n d t h e
I d i o t P r i n c e h a d l o c k e d a rm s Tammy F a y e
B a k e r a n d s u n g New O r d e r U b e r A l l e s ,
i t ' d j u s t h a v e b e e n f r o s t i n g on th e
cake.
A t l e a s t t h e r a b i d , God t h r e a t e n i n g
r i g h t h a s fra m e d th e i s u e s , o r i s s u e ,
c le a rly .
O ne i s now e i t h e r R e p u b l i c a n
o r G o d le s s .
T h o s e who a r e n o t w i t h
w h a t t h e p a r t y o f A b ra h am L i n c o l n h<is
becom e a r e n o t th e d i s t i n g u i s h e d o p
p o s i t i o n , t h e y a r e t h e sp aw n o f t h e
d e v i l , o r " D e m o n c ra ts " , a s P a t B uchanan
d u b b e d th e m p l a y f u l l y .
O n ce God h a s
p ic k e d a s i d e , p o l i t i c s becom es w hat i t
h a s a lw a y s b e e n f o r th e p o w e r f u l:
a
r e lig io n .
T h is i s , s a y s a b o rn a g a in R e p u b lic a n
P a r t y , n o t j u s t an e l e c t i o n .
I t ' s a w ar
b e tw e e n c u l t u r e s .
I m a g in e o u r s u r p i s e .
And o u r e a g e r n e s s f o r th e m t o t r o t i t
o u t.
T h e G u lf War w a s n ’ t V ie tn a m a n d t h i s
i s n 't th e S i x t i e s .
The E m p e r o r 's b e e n
n a k e d now f o r 30 y e a r s .
F or th e l a s t
1 2 , w e 'v e w a t c h e d t h e r i h l o a d o u r m oney
i n t o t r u c k s , w a tc h e d a w a r o n d r u g s f u e l
a p o l i c e s t a t e m a k in g w a r o n t h e B i l l o f
R i g h t s , w a tc h e d t h e g r o w th o f a g l o b a l
c o r p o r a t e m i l i t a r y g o v e rn m e n t w i l l i n g
a n d a b l e t o p a t t e r n bom b t h e c o m p e t i t i o n
and s e l l th e v id e o f o r $ 4 9 .9 5 .
W e 'v e
w a tc h e d a s y lu m s c l o s e and p r i s o n s o p e n ,
w a tc h e d h o m e le s s c h i l d r e n s e l l t h e i r
b o d i e s , w a tc h e d t h e i r p a r e n t s b u ry d re a m s ,
w a tc h e d r a p e s r i s e and a b o r t i o n s f a l l ,
w a tc h e d c r o s s e s b u r n in g a g a in an d o u r
f e llo w c i t i z e n s b e a te n f o r th e c o lo r o f
t h e i r s k i n o r who t h e y c h o o s e t o l o v e .
W e 'r e o u t h e r e , G e o r g e -----t h e p e o p l e
o u r p a r e n t s w a rn e d u s a b o u t t o g e t h e r w ith
t h o s e who c a n o n l y b e f o o l e d f o r s o l o n g .
like to think I spend tome
time on the cutting edge, but
being a trend tetter in the
cnm evictim department
never hat been high on my
lut. U ntil recently.
How could anything made of
Day-Glo plastic be dangerous—
except to the environment— 1
wondered when I first read
about the super squirt guns You
know, the ones that look like
rocket taunchc.. and have a
huge water capacity
My first clue came when I
read about a murder police
attributed to a squabble over
one of these aunt But water
Buns don't kill people, do they?
People kill people
Recently, however. I
experienced one o f those
polarizing events that tum
radicals into insurance salesmen.
On a bright warm day I was a
passenger on a packed bus
caught in a traffic jam As I
edged my way to the back o f the
bus, a small jro u ; of passengen
engaged in fricndiv chatter A
voung woman moved over and
helped me stow my suitcase out
of the aisle She was talking with
two young men who were
carrying leather bound Bibles
As 1 turned to look out to the
park, a red Mustang moved
under the open window The
young lad in the back seat
nearest me gave me a big smile
As I smiled back he aimed his
super squirt gun at me and shot
me in the face I turned away as
he continued to pump streams
through the open windows of the
bus. My face felt very warm
Several people were hit.
Suddenly, the happy atmosphere
shifted to confusion. One o f the
Bible students cried out,
“ Bleach It's bleach.' I wiped my
face and my glasses on my
blouse and looked back at the
car, which was beginning to
move ahead I wrote down the
license plate number. Other
passengers contributed Red
Mustang. Illinois plates. Four
males. Late teens, early 20s
I asked the driver to report the
incident and gave him the
information id jotted on the
back of a paperback He picked
up the phone but said he
couldn't guarantee the report
would get to the police.
When I got home I washed my
face and put drops in my sore
right eye Then I dialed 911.
Minutes later a police officer
appeared at my door I invited
him in and I told him about the
incident. He told me that I was
battery victim
He expressed his concern and
asked me whether I wanted to
go to the emergency room Then
he called in the license number
(Police eventually did find the
shooters and their gun. but
found only water, no bleach, in
it. One o f the young men w ill
face a judge in c o u rt)
Later, after watching the
Chicago Bulls take the NBA
championship, 1 saw the joyous
crowd remain in the stadium
until the team came out for an
intense love in. I continued to
watch as the special news
reports moved to the streets. A
drunken crowd on Division
Street rolled a taxi through the
plate glass window o f an ice
cream store. Young girls ran
through the night with armloads
o f plastic-covered dresses trailing
alter them like wedding veils I
switched it o ff
I thought about the mindless
mobs and the youth with the
water gun 1 wondered about the
policeman and hoped he had not
been called back to the streets.
Then I recalled something he
had said “ I'm no longer
surprised by much o f anything.
If there is a way to abuse
o
Save Scenic 101
T he T im es
f ll 4C«
J
c o o d iu m
------------------------- ------------
FREE BUMPERSTICKER
W o u ld y o u lik e to h e lp p re s e rv e
w h a t r e m a in s o i C la ts o p C o u n ty 's o p e n
fa r m la n d s , flo w e r fie ld s , m a r s h la n d s a n d
o th e r v ib r a n t w ild lif e h a b ita ts ? Y o u r h e lp is
n e e d e d to r e d ir e c t O D O T (O re g o n D e p t o f
T r a n s p o r ta tio n ) .
O D O T s a ttitu d e is o n e o f a rro g a n c e
to w a r d n a tu r e O D O T is w e d d e d to th e fie
c a lly ir r e s p o n s ib le , e n v ir o n m e n ta lly o u td a t
ed v ie w th a t "b ig g e r is b e tte r ." O D O T p la n s
to re p la c e U S 101 a t S u n s e t B e a c h R oad in
C la ts o p C o u n ty w ith 8 la n e s o f a s p h a lt
t h a t w ill d e s tro y e v e r y th in g in it s p a th . T h is
in c lu d e s a 4 la n e fre e w a y
n o t j u s t a n o th
er 4 la n e h ig h w a y lik e th a t to th e n o r th a n d
s o u th , h u t a f u ll fle d g e d fre e w a y , fre e o f
flo w e ra ta n d s , f r u it s t a n d s , g ra n g e h a lls , a n d
p r iv a te d riv e w a y s
p lu s 4 la n e s o f fe e d e r
r o a d s lin k in g in t o a v a s t fa u n d e s tr o y in g ,
m u l t i a cre , s p r a w lin g o c to p u s o f a n in t e r
c h a n g e , a t a c o s t th a t h a s m u s h ro o m e d to
$ 2 0 m illio n .
A ll t h is is b e in g d o n e w h e n th e
e x is tin g h ig h w a y c o u ld be im p r o v e d fo r le s s
th a n $ 10 m illio n , w ith o u t in f r in g in g o n th e
a d ja c e n t e c o s y s te m o f la im la n d s a n d u s s o
C ia te d m a r s h la n d s a n d w o o d la n d s th a t are
th e h a b it a t o f o ve r 30 s p e c ie s o f m a m m a ls ,
5 0 s p e c ie s o f b ir d s , a d o z e n a m p h ib ia n s
a n d r e p tile s , in n u m e r a b le in v e r te b r a te s ,
and h u m a n s
a ll e n jo y in g th e O re g o n
C o a s t s s lo w e r pa ed b u t s u s ta in a b le q u a il
ty o f life .
W h a t s o u i p e r s o n a l a n g le ? W e liv e
h e re We re la m ih a i w ith th e la n d a n d th e
p e r m a n e n t d a m a g e ca use d by su ch a need
le s s ly m a s s iv e fre e w a y p r o je c t -• d a m a g e to
o r c h a r d s , d a ffo d il fie ld s , a n d th e q u ie t
m a r s h y d itc h e s w h e re w ild d u c k s n e s t a n d
ra is e th e n y o u n g (a n d we k n o w th a t 'w e t
la n d m it ig a t io n " is O D O T 's w a y o f s a y in g
th e y 'll ta k e a ll th e w e tla n d s th e y w a n t a n d
p a c ify th e p u b lic
us
w ith m a n m a d e
" w e tla n d s * We k n o w th e t r a ils th e e lk h e r d
fo llo w s at n ig h t , l ig h t in t o th e p a th o f
O D O T 's p la n n e d fre e w a y . A n d y e s , we d o
h a v e a flo w e r s ta n d , w h e re p e o p le s to p a n d
ta lk to u s . T o u r is t s a n d n a tiv e s r e t u r n in g
h o m e fin d th e O re g o n C o a s t H ig h w a y in
n o r th e r n C la ts o p County d e c id e d ly le s s -
s c e n ic e a c h tu n e th e y c o m e b a c k
a fa r
c r y fro m w h a t th e y re m e m b e r fr o m e v e n
th e re c e n t p a s t T h e y , a n d w e, e s p e c ia lly
lo a th e th e id e a o f a fre e w a y s y s te m h e re
th a t it s e lf d e s tro y s th e a e s th e tic a t t r ib u t e s
a n d e c o s y s te m th e y c o m e h e re to e n jo y .
H e lp a w a k e n o th e rs to O D O T 's a rr o
g a n t w a s te fu ln e s s . C a ll o r w r ite u s to re
c e iv e a free b u m p e r s t ic k e r . A t y o u r r e q u e s t
w e w ill a ls o s e n d y o u o n g o in g n o t if ic a t io n o f
O D O T 's li t t l e p u b lic iz e d p u b lic m e e tin g s
c o n c e rn in g t h is c o n s tr u c t io n p r o je c t. C a ll
o r w rite :
Stricklin Farm
Route 2, B oi 539
Warrenton 97146-9X02
tel 503 X61 3277 (voice or fa»)
U n d e r th e w in d m ill
a t U S 101 >*k S u n s e t B e a c h R oad
D a n a A n d e is o n
z
---------------------------- \
Victor H. Plucy, M.A.
Counseling
Psychotherapy
Individuals
Couples & Families
W e 'r e y o u r w o r s t n i g h t m a r e , G e o r g e .
W e 'v e s e e n y o u r New W o rld O r d e r a n d
w e 'r e w a r n i n g e v e r y o n e a b o u t y o u .
* 4
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.. —
Acupuncture — ( hineie Herb» — Matiagr
436-9225
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O » d a n d O a u g h t e r K lc c tr lc
Box 995 - Cannon Beach, OR 97110
r . o •<>« re t
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