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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 8, 2016)
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, 2016 FRIDAY EXCHANGE Thanks, but no ear Bernie, Thanks, but no thanks for your offer of $15 per hour. That is small potatoes compared to your salary, and even smaller potatoes compared to Congress’ ability to vote for its own pay raises, which you did in 2009. Furthermore, your total emolu- ment is extracted by law from your employer, the tax-paying public, whether or not that pub- lic thinks you have earned it. , will not be satis¿ed with anything less than the equal au- thority to vote, along with my fellow employees, to legally re- quire our employer to raise our wages, and to have it extracted from him by law, with or with- out his approval, and regardless of his appraisal of our value. Yours sincerely, LOUIS SARGENT Gearhart Guns, tears and Republicans D New year, new you he four Rs for new life in the new year are Reach, Risk, Rescue and Receive. Every new year, I try to write something to inspire myself and hopefully others. So here’s what popped into my aging head. First, Reach: Reach out and learn something new. I don’t care how old we are. Learn something new. Do something new. A famous quote says, “We don’t grow old, we get old by not growing.” The Bible offers us this sage advice, “Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” Every time we learn something new, we become something new. Second, Risk: Risk looking foolish. Risk sticking your neck out. Risk standing up for what you believe in. Shakespeare said, “Our doubts are traitors and cause us to lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt.” Risk and receive the good we oft might win! Third, Rescue: When we Reach and when we Risk, we Rescue the yet unrealized poten- tial within us. Henry David Thoreau said, “Most lead lives of quiet desper- ation.” But not so, for if we Reach, Risk and Rescue, we will Re- ceive a new lease on life for the new year. JIM BERNARD Warrenton T 2016 resolution f you haven’t made your New Year’s resolution yet, allow me to suggest one for your con- sideration. I believe politicians always like to hear from the public (of- ¿cial name, constituents, espe- cially at election time. Let me think — are there any elections coming up in 2016? Hmmmm. Anyway, back to the resolu- tion. I propose that we all (one by one resolve to call Gov. .ate Brown at 503-378-4582 and ask her to use her authority, the clean air and water acts and the Coast- al Zone Management Act to stop the proposed lique¿ed nat- ural gas terminal on Warrenton’s Skipanon Peninsula. The way I see it, if I don’t do something, I won’t have any complaint coming when I’m breathing polluted air (carbon dioxide and methane gas — cough, cough. Nor would I be able to complain when house in- surance rates go up and property values go down or when I can’t go out ¿shing because of the security zones around the LNG tankers. Oh well, even though I love locally caught grilled salmon, I didn’t want to go out ¿shing, because somehow the ¿sh don’t seem to taste as good when they have been swimming around in chemically polluted water. I also promise not to com- plain about the hundreds and hundreds of trucks rumbling through downtown Astoria, for four years, hauling construction materials from Tongue Point to the Skipanon. No sir! I won’t. I’ll just bite my tongue while remembering the increased traf¿c congestion last sumer. If you are like me, or not, I’m guessing that you didn’t like that frustrating inability to ¿nd a parking place and conges- tion any more than I did, huh? So, if you are looking for something to do, now is the time. Please consider attending an anti-LNG meeting (6:30 p.m. every third Thursday at 3 Cups I 5A By NICHOLAS KRISTOF New York Times News Service resident Barack Obama shed tears Tuesday as he called for new gun safety mea- sures, and some critics perceived weakness or wimpishness. Really? P Coffee House, under the bridge and/or write a letter to the editor and please call Gov. Brown. As for me, I’m calling be- cause: 1 In our democracy, I can, and I still believe in it; 2 Clatsop County matters; 3 I consider it a civic duty, and after reading Laudato Sí (the second encyclical of Pope Francis, I believe it’s even more than just civic; 4 This beautiful and rela- tively unpolluted Lower Colum- bia area is my home! By the time you read this, I will have thought of another reason. So, let’s attack this. Call the governor at 503-378-4582 with the same determination that we voted 68 percent “no” on the LNG pipeline in Clatsop Coun- ty. CARL DOMINEY Astoria Freemasons hey walk among us. When I was a child I asked my dad about a building in town with a Square & Com- passes emblem on it. I was told that it was where the Freema- sons meet, and that they are a se- cret organization, and one needs to be a blood relative to become a member. My dad was totally misin- formed. The Freemasons are not a se- cret organization, they wear the Square & Compasses emblem on jewelry, clothing, proudly put it on their automobiles, and of course it identi¿es the buildings where they meet. Usually the names and phone numbers of the Lodge of¿cers are posted in the window of the lodge. Obviously, it’s not a very se- cret organization. Membership is not restrict- ed to relationship with existing members. The only require- ments to become a member are: Be an 18-year-old man, (it is a fraternity, women may join the Eastern Star, a concordant organization; He must ask of his own freewill; He must hold a true belief in deity/God and not currently be a felon on pro- bation. Freemasons support many philanthropies, and believe that education is key to the future for all of us. In our area, some of the lodg- es provide the Child Identity Program (ChIP, where we use a computer to take a child’s photo and thumbprints. Then a paper is printed with the information and given to the parents, so that they may have information available for authorities should the child ever go missing. Another program is called Bikes For Books, to encour- age elementary school students to read. They read grade-level books, and submit their names for a drawing. At the end of the year, a drawing is held and the Masons provide a free bicycle to one girl and one boy in each of the participating schools. The lodges encourage scho- lastic excellence by recognizing students who achieve 3.5 GPA or better. We also award several scholarships, some to graduat- ing seniors, some to continuing education students and some to students in nursing programs. Freemasons support a local Boy Scout troop, the food banks, and women’s shelters. Freemasons are quietly working in our community, sup- porting education and helping the needy. Yes, they walk among us. To be one, ask one. CLEVE ROLFE Seaside T Startling starlings s one of the residents of the Columbia House and one who blows the whistle, I feel I must respond to Mr. Haist’s letter (Stop the whistle, Jan. 1, The Daily Astorian regarding the “whistle” (the whistle is ac- tually a small air horn we blow A to control the starlings trying to roost beneath our home. We do feel his pain as we live above the horn and are without the advantage of being a few blocks away from the noise. I’m reasonably certain he has gone to City Hall and found we have a permit for this action, ob- tained after explaining the need for such action. I take exception to being called “rude and thoughtless” when I, and certain of my neigh- bors, have had his interests in mind, as well as ours. Mr. Haist’s concerns have been part of all our actions relating to the noise. We have reduced the soundings to less than 12 seconds with a break of more than 3 minutes for about an hour, the time between the ¿rst starling sighting and the last in the late afternoon. That’s a total of less than 4 minutes of noise. On top of that we have relocated the horn placement to minimize the sound reaching beyond our home. The noon event Mr Haist referred to was the testing of equipment and was of even shorter duration. These actions are the best advice we could ¿nd. They are found at “G9447 Controlling Nuisance Blackbirds in Roosts | University of Missouri Exten- sion.” After reading that study you will ¿nd our method quieter and less brisant. The goal is to avoid the hor- rible diseases that go with accu- mulations of bird droppings and allow inspection of the structure unimpeded with an encrustation of feces. The Columbia House has spent thousands of dollars previously for cleanup of these feces. I’m fairly certain Mr. Haist wouldn’t wish the plight asso- ciated with these droppings on us residents. And, if the starlings were roosting in his neighbor- hood by the thousands, as they try to do here, I would fully rec- ommend this horn system for him, as well. After all, he is my neighbor and we are a commu- nity that usually stands together quite well. CHARLES STUART Astoria Whistleblower totally agree with Paul Haist (Stop the whistle, Jan. 1, The Daily Astorian regarding the whistle at the Columbia House condos. I live ¿ve blocks from there and it is truly annoying. Some blasts are short but many last longer than 20 sec- onds and repeat every 5 to 10 seconds. I also wonder about the ef- fect on other wildlife in the area, and I am surprised that the city allows this noise pollution. CAROL THOMAS Astoria I Paying it forward bountiful end to the year! I dared to go gro- cery shopping at Fred Meyers mid-afternoon on New Year’s Eve. It was a madhouse with long lines. As the checker was ringing up my purchases, I realized I had left my wallet at home. How embarrassing. The checker kept my groceries at the end of the check stand while I scurried home. Upon returning the clerk in- formed me that the woman in line behind me had paid for my groceries, a total of a $53.92. Wow! What could I do? I paid $53 for the very apprecia- tive two gentlemen in line be- hind me, telling them we both had a big thank you for the woman that paid for my grocer- ies. Being on the receiving end of “paying it forward” is heart- warming and brought me close to tears. Thank you, very kind wom- an who was in line behind me. I hope we meet again. You are an angel with a very special message for all to enjoy. JEANINE WITTC.E Warrenton A On the contrary, we should all be in tears that 225,000 Americans have al- ready died of gun violence in his seven years in of¿ce. The shame is not a presi- dent weeping a bit, but that he has not been able to prevent roughly as many people dy- ing from guns in America on his watch as have been killed in the Syrian civil war (where estimates range from fewer than 200,000 to more than 300,000. Yes, the U.S. gun toll includes suicides and, yes, Syria is a smaller coun- try, but it’s worth a cry that a “peaceful” America during Obama’s tenure has lost roughly as many lives to gun- ¿re as Syria has in civil war. Ted Cruz responded to the president’s executive actions with a Web page showing a scowling Obama in a helmet, looking like a jackbooted thug staging a home invasion, with the warning, “Obama wants your guns.” Chris Christie protested that Obama was be- having like a “petulant child.” Jeb Bush decried Obama’s “gun-grabbing agenda.” Donald Trump warned that Obama was moving toward banning guns. The upshot of all this scaremongering will be more Americans rushing out to buy ¿rearms. Look, let’s acknowledge that liberals have not handled gun issues well over the years. Liberals often antagonize gun owners by coming across as patronizing or insulting — as well as spectacularly unknowledgeable about the guns they seek to regulate. But on the basic question of whether more guns create more safety or more risk, the evidence seems clear: Most gun owners use ¿rearms re- But blocking ac- sponsibly, but with cess to guns by more guns there people subject to are more tragedies. current domestic Exclude guns violence restrain- and the U.S. has a ing orders does rate for many vio- reduce killings of lent crimes similar to that of other rich intimate partners. countries. But be- We need an ev- cause we have 300 idence-driven pub- million guns slosh- lic health approach, Nicholas ing around, some modeled on our Kristof in the hands of highly successful high-risk individu- regulation of cars als, we have a gun homicide to reduce auto deaths. That’s rate that is about 20 times that the approach the Obama ex- of Australia (which cracked ecutive actions pursue. Re- down on guns after a mass publicans have said for years shooting there. that we should focus on en- Gun advocates say crim- forcing existing laws. That’s inals will always have guns, what Obama is doing. so regulations make no dif- Likewise, Obama is push- ference. But increasingly ing to investigate the feasibil- we have evidence that this is ity of smart guns that operate wrong. with a ¿ngerprint or a PIN. The states with the most This may or may not work, restrictive gun laws have but it’s worth a try in a nation the lowest gun death rates where perhaps 300,000 guns (including suicides. Take are stolen annually. A toddler Massachusetts and New in America shoots someone York, which have some of on average once a week be- the tightest gun restrictions cause guns are so easy to in America; they have 3 or 4 pick up and ¿re. If our cell- gun deaths per 100,000 in- phones can be made to work habitants per year. At the oth- only with a PIN, it’s crazy er extreme, two of the states that anyone can use a stolen with the most permissive gun assault riÀe. regulations are Alaska and There’s no magic wand to Louisiana, and both have gun solve gun violence in Ameri- death rates about ¿ve times ca, but neither is it immutable as high: more than 19 per fate that 32,000 Americans 100,000 inhabitants. die from ¿rearms each year. Republican presidential We know from the experience candidates should look at of states like Connecticut and the natural experiment that Missouri that sensible regu- occurred when Missouri lations save lives. And why eased restrictions on buying wouldn’t we want to keep handguns. The result was a guns from men subject to do- 25 percent rise in the ¿rearm mestic violence restraining homicide rate, according to a orders if the result is fewer study in the Journal of Urban women murdered by jilted Health. boyfriends? In contrast, Connecticut The Republican presi- tightened regulations on buy- dential candidates are on the ing handguns, and gun homi- wrong side of history here. cides there fell by 40 percent, While even Republican vot- according to the American ers overwhelmingly say in Journal of Public Health. polls that they favor sensible This is not to say that reg- steps like universal back- ulations always work, or that ground checks, the Republi- ¿xing the problem is simple. can candidates are politiciz- Daniel W. Webster of Johns ing what should be a public Hopkins University cites re- health issue, and they are search that keeping guns from scaring Americans into buy- people with past convictions ing more guns, which mag- for domestic violence doesn’t ni¿es the problem and causes make much of a difference. more carnage.
