Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 27, 2015)
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2015 Make it clear T hank you for the article and edi- torial concerninJ the dif¿culty in making use here of Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act (“Death with dig- nity,” “Death with dignity harder in rural areas,” Nov. 17, The Daily As- torian). Columbia Memorial Hospital is among the most important and com- mendable institutions in our commu- nity, but it is also in some respects among the most opaque about poli- cy decisions. The hospital needs to make clear to those it serves the na- ture of its af¿liation with the /uther- an Church. Does the church (local or national?) decide what services the hospital can or should provide, even when those services have been endorsed by a substantial majority of Oregon voters? On a not unrelated matter, I hope the directors of the hospital will ex- plain their apparent decision to con- tinue to build within the tsunami in- undation zone. One remembers that a signi¿cant number of patients in New Orleans hospitals were aban- doned to die during the hurricane and Àood there. And that the chair of the Oregon Seismic Safety Poli- cy Advisory Commission has stated (The New Yorker, July 20) that when faced with a tsunami, “you don’t go back to save anybody. You run for your life.” ROBERT ADAMS Astoria Thanks for articles A ll the friends of “Professor” Pe- ter /indsey thank Nancy Mc- Carthy for her impressions in The Daily Astorian and articles in Coast Weekend and the Cannon Beach Gazette which drew attention to the FRIDAY EXCHANGE fundraiser for “Professor” /indsey at the Cannon Beach Chamber of Com- merce on Nov. 10. This fundraiser drew a packed house, where donations towards the republication of Peter’s storyteller’s history of Cannon Beach, “Comin’ in Over the Rock,” raised enough money to print more copies of the book than had been anticipated. Much credit goes to Nancy Mc- Carthy for her articles about Peter, which showed what an extraordi- nary person he is and how much he is loved by citizens of our area. Therefore, all of Peter /indsey’s friends applaud Nancy McCarthy for reminding the public that we are blessed with not only a ¿ne storytell- er, but with a man who fully inhabits the stories he tells. She, in turn, told his story well. REX AMOS Cannon Beach A heck of a guy I don’t know the reasons for his ter- mination, nor do I understand the way his termination happened. But what I do know is that Mike Balzer is one heck of a guy. I’ve known Mike and his family for more than 20 years, 19 of those I’ve been a fel- low ¿re¿ghter. I’ve fought ¿re with Mike, trained with him, and taught ¿re¿ghting classes with him. Mike is one of the most knowledgeable, highly trained emergency services providers in our county. Thirty years of dedication to his community does mean some- thing. Mike and his family made huge sacri¿ces for their community. Can- non Beach, and the rural ¿re pro- tection district are better because of them. Hold your heads up, be proud of what you’ve given to this commu- nity. May this issue be resolved, and you ¿nd yourselves in a better place. Thank you for your service, Chief Balzer. And to his family, thank you for supporting Mike for the last 30- plus years. I tip my helmet to you. CHAD SWEET Warrenton Little Free Library I was delighted to see the Nov. 17 piece about /ittle )ree /ibraries, and am delighted /ibraries Reading Outreach of Clatsop County is en- couraging them (“Tale a book, leave a book,” The Daily Astorian). The article contains one small and one major error. There are four (not three) regis- tered /ittle )ree /ibraries in Clatsop County, two in Knappa and two in Gearhart. I’m steward for No. 18979 in Knappa. The larger error is the statement by Esther Moberg, “The concept is sharing with your community. You’re supposed to take one and leave one (book) of equal value.” And the reporter’s comment, “That means if a person takes a literary classic, they should try not to replace it with a cookbook or Harlequin ro- mance novel.” The ¿rst statement is absolute- ly true ² /ittle )ree /ibraries are all about sharing, in all ways, but are never about money or value of books. The concept, as explained on the /ittle )ree /ibrary website, is to share books: Take a book and pass it along in any way one wants (for example, to a friend, to another /ittle )ree /ibrary) and drop off books that you think others might like. It is never required that a reader donate a book in order to take a book to enjoy. And if someone wants to donate a cookbook or romance novel after enjoying a classic, that’s dandy. Each steward can manage their li- brary however they want, but /ittle )ree /ibraries are about sharing all kinds of books, and encouraging ev- eryone to read whatever they want. I hope the new /ittle )ree /i- brary stewards install, register and stock their libraries with all kinds of books, so readers can ¿nd them wherever they are. TERESA DE/OREN=O Astoria Time to give thanks S ince we are into the holiday sea- son, we at PennyWise Thrift Store would like to extend our thanks to all our loyal customers who continue coming back to support the store and the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance of North Oregon and South Washington Coast. Additionally, we would like to thank all those who have donated their new and slightly used items for us to recycle, plus the many monetary donations that have been made. PETER and PATRICIA )ESS/ER Astoria Ban the Okies S hocked by the attack on Par- is, I’ve become increasingly alarmed regarding our own security. In reÀection, I reconsidered Timothy McVeigh’s bombing of the Oklaho- ma )ederal Building. How that event concentrated my thoughts. Now, with laser focus, I keep an eye out for vehicles with Oklahoma plates, and any driver who might 5A carelessly tip his hand with a care- less sign-of-the-cross. It’s impera- tive we deny Christian Oklahomans from settling in Oregon. Wednesday, such a driver pulled into )red Meyers on the dash sat a plastic Jesus. Memorizing the li- cense plates, I drove over to Star- bucks in search of law enforcement. Approaching an uniformed of¿cer, I reported my concern. He stared at me, taking in the depth of my thought. Then, in no uncertain terms, he told me, “Move on.” Climbing back into my Corolla, it occurred to me: He must be one of them. How many have already in¿l- trated our community? How many? DA/E )/OWERS Warrenton Whit of difference? I f the billionaire K Street lobbyists and Wall Street ¿nanciers con- clude that they can maximize their return on investment by building a lique¿ed natural gas facility in War- renton, do you think petitions and phone calls from local people will make one whit of difference? After all the deals have been cut in Washington and Salem, do you expect /NG to signi¿cantly fatten the local tax receipts? When all the petroleum and chemical engineers and industrial control programmers have been hired, do you think /NG will provide more local jobs than a new supermarket or fast-food outlet? If you answered yes to any of the above, you really need to talk with me about acquiring my equity posi- tion in the Astoria Bridge. MICHAE/ )A//ERT Warrenton The Syrian debate has been derailed into a cul-de-sac Obama’s own of¿cials have admitted that the absence of thorough data makes it near- ly impossible to properly vet Syrian refugees. In response, ASHINGTON — many Republicans (and some The Syrian refugee Democrats) called for a pause in admitting Syrians until al- debate has become a na- ternate vetting procedures are tional embarrass- developed. In my view, it would have ment. It begins been better to dif- with a president, ferentiate among desperate to de- the refugees: Admit Àect attention women, children and the elderly un- from the collapse der the current pro- of his foreign cedures, while sub- policy, retreating jecting young men of ¿ghting age to a to his one safe Charles zone — ad ho- Krauthammer new regime of far stricter scrutiny. minem attacks on The concerns of critics, this time for lack of GOP of¿cials were quite rea- compassion toward Syrian sonable. But there was no need for the Republican candidates widows and orphans. to allow the Syria debate to be This, without a glimmer of derailed into a cul-de-sac on acknowledgment of his own immigration — as if the es- responsibility for these unfor- sence of the Middle East issue tunate souls becoming wid- is a relatively small number of owed and orphaned, displaced potential refugees rather than the abject failure of Obama’s and homeless, in the ¿rst policies. place. A quarter-million deaths Terror is rising around the ago, when Bashar al-Assad world — Sinai, Beirut, Mali, began making war on his own Paris. Brussels was shut down people, he unleashed his air by fear itself. The president, in force and helicopters. They denial about the collapse of his Syria policy, denounced those dropped high explosives, nail- demanding a change in course. ¿lled barrel bombs and even His secretary of state actually chemical weapons on helpless acknowledged a rationale (if civilians. President Obama not legitimacy) for the ma- chine-gunning of a room full lifted not a ¿nger. of Charlie Hebdo cartoonists In the earliest days, we for offending Muslim sensibil- could have stopped the slaugh- ities with a drawing. ter: cratered Assad’s air¿elds, Beyond that is the strate- taken out his planes, grounded gic surrender of the Middle his helicopters and created a East, for 40 years dominated nationwide no-Ày zone. (We by the United States, to Rus- successfully maintained one sia and Iran, who now dictate over Kurdistan for 12 years the terms. Which is why, for between 1991 and 2003.) example, we dare not impose a At the time, Assad was tee- protective no-Ày zone. It’s too tering. His national security dangerous. Russia has ¿lled headquarters had been pene- the Obama vacuum. trated and bombed. High-level )acing a massive failure aides were defecting. Military of seven years of Democratic of¿cers were forming a )ree foreign policy stewardship, Syrian Army. the GOP candidates have in- Against the advice of his stead tried to outbid each other top civilian and military aides, in being tough on Syrian ref- Obama refused to intervene. ugees. This descent into xeno- The widows and orphans he phobia was led, as usual, by now so ostentatiously cham- Donald Trump. Amid bushels pions are the product of his of word salad, he concurred cold-hearted refusal to do with registering American anything that might sully his Muslims, raised alarms about peacemaking image. Arab-American treachery Obama has also charged (“thousands and thousands” on the Republicans with coward- TV cheering the World Trade ice, afraid to grant admittance Center collapse) and promised to “3-year-old orphans.” He not only to deny entry to Syr- gave zero credit to the very ian refugees, but to send back real concern of governors and the ones already here. other of¿cials that terrorists Can you see it? Packing could be embedded amid the them onto his 757, the one refugees. This is no theoretical with gold-plated seatbelts, proposition. At least one of the then dumping them — or- Paris attackers came to )rance phans, widows, the lot — into by way of Greece. a war zone to await the next By CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER Washington Post Writers Group Syrian refugee child, Moham- med, center, sits on his uncle’s shoulder while lining at the port of Mitylene on the northeast Greek island of Lesbos, waiting their turn to get on board a ferry traveling to Ath- ens, Wednesday. W Muhammed Muheisen AP Photo CO M IN G IN FEBRUARY! 2016 ED ITIO N Amber Baesler/The Journal-Star An American flag waves above the crowd of people attending the candlelight vigil at Tower Square in Lincoln, Neb., Monday. The vigil was held for Syrian refugees in downtown Lin- coln a week after Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts joined other Republican gover- nors expressing concern over federal screening of Syrian refugees who want to enter the United States. Some have advocated shutting out all the refugees or taking Christians only. regime barrel bomb. Other GOP candidates have issued Trumpian echoes. The Muslim registry had no tak- ers. But some have advocated shutting out all the refugees or taking Christians only. They are chasing the polls showing strong anti-refugee sentiment. How deeply shortsighted. It may work in the GOP pri- maries. But Trump-like an- ti-immigrant, anti-foreigner, now anti-Muslim, anti-Arab rhetoric — and don’t forget those cunning Chinese steal- ing our jobs and ruthless Mex- icans raping our women — will not play well in a general election. Politically, it will be fatal. John Kasich has forcefully denounced this slide into the swamp. Where are the others? of th e a w a rd-w in n in g publica tion from th e publish ers of Coa st W eeken d T h e on ly region a l m a ga zin e focused on just th e Colum bia - P a cific region RES ERVE YO UR S PACE TO DAY! Advertisin g dea dlin e: D ecem ber 18th , 2015
