THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017
FRIDAY EXCHANGE
United
ets and killings, they invade,
remove the rocket caches,
blow the million-dollar Ira-
nian funded tunnels and return
home, after much expense and
loss of life.
On the other hand, the
“occupied” West Bank goes
about its day to day business
with no need for invasions.
Until Hamas, Hezbol-
lah and Iran loudly recog-
nize Israel’s right to exist, quit
teaching their children to hate
Jews and start prosecuting
their own terrorists, there will
be no peace.
This isn’t about Jew-
ish houses being built in the
“Jewish Quarter” — this is
blaming Israel, just as Hit-
ler did.
WAYNE MAYO
Scappoose
T
he American people, on
Nov. 8, elected a new
president because they were
unhappy with the direction
America was heading. To
most, that was very exciting,
because, the president’s plans
included more jobs, personal
and business tax relief, secu-
rity, affordable health insur-
ance, balanced budgets, debt
reduction and continued con-
stitutional freedoms. Don’t
you believe we are all in for
some wonderful and exciting
times ahead?
But there are those who
were not so happy about this
election, for whatever rea-
son. A few still want to see
the president-elect fail. If you
don’t believe that, just turn
on the TV or read the news-
paper. Are we that different in
what we stand for and believe,
in that we can be so easily
persuaded by the media, or
others?
Throughout President-elect
Trump’s campaign, his pol-
icies were exactly what the
voters wanted for this nation.
Most Americans, I believe,
want the same things out of
life, “a government of the
people, by the people, for the
people, shall not perish from
the earth.” To keep our free-
doms and securities this is the
only solution, and President
Trump’s campaign was all
about the American people.
Don’t you believe we
live in the best country in
the world? Let us enjoy and
reap the benefits of this great
nation together. Let us com-
plement and lift each other
up with positive attitudes,
gestures and gratitude every
day. Let us restore our nation
with the values and honor
that made this nation great.
Remember, our forefathers,
who began this great nation,
were not all men of the same
faith. But they understood
what those values meant, and
honored those values above
all else, and were united.
Together they accomplished
an enormous task. There is no
better time than now to learn
from their example.
Let’s continue to build on
it together and keep it that
way. This nation has been
too good to you and me to
let division and unrest hap-
pen. Let us stand and work
together. God, bless America.
RAY GARDNER
Warrenton
Welcome, Walmart
I
t is a pleasure to see
Walmart survived the
numerous unneeded hurdles
that they had to go through.
They succeeded, and passed
the biased opposition of the
RiverKeepers, conservation-
ists, tree huggers, etc.
In this modern age, more
competition in business
helps all of the shoppers. In
the minds of my neighbors,
friends and I, the smaller busi-
5A
Big thanks for gifts
F
nesses in our area that are
friendly, treating customers
correctly and running their
stores right will all survive.
First of all, if you have a
problem in your mind with
Walmart, you don’t have to
patronize them.
The Warrenton area has
been growing in a very good
fashion since the 1970s, and
this will be a very good asset
to our community. Further-
more, this will really help out
on eliminating some of the
heavy traffic on U.S. High-
way 30 that occurs at the pres-
ent time, from all of the peo-
ple on the North Coast who
travel to Longview, Washing-
ton, to shop.
KEN CROW
Warrenton
Smoke and mirrors
I
t’s a familiar story in Clat-
sop County: A private cor-
poration wants to use public
land for its own gain. It prom-
ises immediate financial gain,
jobs and a boost to the econ-
omy. It ignores the complex
damage and destruction it
would inflict.
It provides inaccurate,
incomplete and misleading
information to the public and
government about its pro-
posal. It responds to oppo-
nents with personal attacks
and to supporters with illusory
promises. It falsely denies that
taxpayers would pay the costs
and bear the losses.
This was the county’s
experience with Oregon LNG.
Our county commissioners
saw through the smoke and
mirrors in 2013, when they
denied the company’s pro-
posed pipeline. They provided
the leadership that acknowl-
edged the major flaws in the
company’s proposal, and the
public’s widespread opposi-
tion to it.
I urge the current county
commissioners to provide
similar leadership now, and
opt out of the Linn County
lawsuit. Under the guise of
advocating for financially
strained counties, timber com-
panies are counting on gaining
unlimited access to our pub-
lic forests for their own gain,
with the bill ultimately paid
by Oregon taxpayers.
Our healthy forests provide
us with clean air, clean water,
fertile soils and an ongoing
essential life cycle that bene-
fits every Clatsop County resi-
dent and the planet.
Clearcutting and monocul-
ture tree farms — the basis of
the timber companies’ scheme
— provide profits for the com-
panies, and leave us noth-
ing but sterile soil, toxic water
and air and a vastly depleted
future. Oregon LNG believed
we were rural hicks it could
easily fool. Is that what these
timber companies believe, too?
I urge our county commis-
sioners to continue working
for the long-term vitality of
Clatsop County, and all Ore-
gon counties, by opting out of
the Linn County lawsuit.
LAURIE CAPLAN
Astoria
iticians in Washington still
blamed Russia for meddling
in the election.
To see how hypocriti-
cal those politicians are, just
Google “American inter-
ference with foreign elec-
tions.” Amazingly, you’ll get
19.2 million results. And do
Democrats remember Pres-
ident Obama’s direct med-
dling to defeat Prime Minis-
ter Netanyahu in Israel’s 2015
election? Even the left-lean-
ing Huffington Post wrote in
July that “meddling in foreign
politics is a great American
pastime.”
Computer hacking of one
kind or another seems to be
normal spying activity these
days for most modern world
governments. But the estab-
lishment’s frenzy about Rus-
sian hacking and the election
is focused in the wrong place.
Russians reportedly tried to
hack the Republican National
Committee (RNC) too, but
Republicans had very strong
security, while the DNC had
practically none. If Demo-
crats don’t want WikiLeaks
or somebody else to expose
the truth behind their opera-
tions, they need to focus more
on computer security. That’d
be much better for Democrats
and the country.
President Obama’s recent
political retribution against
Russia for election meddling
is pointless, and reminds me
of an exasperated parent say-
ing to a child, “Donald! Don’t
do as I do! Do as I say!”
DONALD HASKELL
Astoria
Is Kerry serious?
ecretary of State John
Kerry said, “But we cannot
in good conscience do noth-
ing, and say nothing, when
we see the hope of peace slip-
ping away.” (“U.S. Escalates
Tension with Israel,” The Wall
Street Journal, Dec. 29)
Can Secretary Kerry be
serious? Rockets, tunnels and
terror have been regular fare
coming from Gaza since its
independence was granted,
under pressure, in 2005. When
Israel has had enough rock-
S
or “warming up” an audi-
ence, there is none better
than sweet-spirited “leave ’em
laughing” personality Shirley
Marie Patterson, daughter of
Seaside resident Laura Meek.
For a loyal, “get ’er done”
partner, who shares my com-
mitment to the homeless com-
munity, and proves it year
after year, there is none better
than Laura Meek, herself.
So it is with sincere grat-
itude that Laura joins me in
thanking all others who gave
of their product, time and
hearts to support our annual
Christmas gift giving to Sea-
side’s homeless shelter res-
idents. These include The
Dress Barn and, among other
merchandisers, store man-
agers and department heads
such as Troy Kerr and Tracy
Hudson. It also includes Alli,
who donated enough pre-
mium quality wrapping paper
to make almost 100 Christmas
presents “pop.”
Finally, and foremost,
Laura and I wish to thank both
Seaside’s homeless shelter
founder Alan Evans and his
wife, homeless shelter man-
ager Susan Evans, for pro-
viding us the forum, together
with their love, encourage-
ment and support.
Thank you. And God bless
you as you continue to change
lives for the better.
ANNA RYAN
Seaside
Meddling politicians
D
emocrat angst about Don-
ald Trump’s election has
reached a mindless crescendo.
Although the WikiLeaks orga-
nization said some time ago it
didn’t get the infamous Dem-
ocratic National Committee
(DNC) Podesta emails from
Russia, establishment pol-
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Weddings is inserted into The Daily Astorian and
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January 28, 2017 at The Loft in Astoria.
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Deadline
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Inserts
January 25, 2017
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• Cardiac/Pulmonary Rehab 503-338-4052
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