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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2018
editor@dailyastorian.com
KARI BORGEN
Publisher
JIM VAN NOSTRAND
Editor
Founded in 1873
JEREMY FELDMAN
Circulation Manager
DEBRA BLOOM
Business Manager
JOHN D. BRUIJN
Production Manager
CARL EARL
Systems Manager
OUR VIEW
If you’re serious about gun
control, adopt NRA’s tactics
T
he renewed national debate over
gun control in the wake of the
high school shooting last week in
Parkland, Fla., has a different feel this
time around.
The arguments for and against remain
the same. But prominent GOP politi-
cians and President Donald Trump are
actually talking about some modest gun
control proposals, such as raising the
legal age to purchase a gun from 18 to
21 and limited strengthening of back-
ground check laws.
People also seem intent on hold-
ing their elected officials accountable
in ways we haven’t seen recently. In
Florida, Republican Sen. Marco Rubio
said he now is open to raising age limits
for long-gun purchases — the day after
he was confronted at a CNN town hall
by Parkland students and parents over
his pro-gun votes and support from the
National Rifle Association, according to
the Associated Press.
We remain skeptical that any sub-
stantive change will occur. Trump has
no choice but to appear willing to listen,
given the horrible optics of his weekend
spent tweeting about the Russia inves-
tigation from his Mar-A-Lago resort,
only 40 miles away from the scene of
the Parkland carnage. The Trump who
stressed the importance of mental health
and school safety improvements is the
same Trump who signed a resolution
last year blocking an Obama-era rule
designed to keep guns out of the hands
of certain mentally disabled people.
In fairness to Trump, he is only the
latest in a long line of presidents who
have failed to lead on this issue. He
and the rest of the GOP will eventually
acquiesce again to their overlords at the
NRA, whose leader, Wayne LaPierre,
said Thursday that gun control advocates
“hate individual freedom.”
Well, we don’t believe “individ-
ual freedom” includes the right to mow
down 17 students and teachers in their
school, or to massacre 58 innocent con-
certgoers from a hotel window. For real
change to occur, responsible gun owners
who profess to love America will have
to agree that not all Americans are capa-
ble of responsibly bearing arms.
We’re not suggesting the repeal of
the Second Amendment or taking guns
away from law-abiding citizens. The
Daily Astorian’s editorial board includes
gun owners — a lifelong NRA member,
a former Army captain and an ex-Ma-
rine. They are aghast at what the NRA
has become over the years and its refusal
to compromise on common-sense pro-
tections for our fellow citizens.
Much has been written over the past
week about the $30 million the NRA
donated to the Trump campaign, and the
hundreds of millions more pumped into
the coffers of politicians on both sides of
the aisle.
Less-often mentioned, though, is
that candidates are required to kiss the
NRA’s ring when running for office.
They are asked to fill out detailed ques-
tionnaires stating their positions on the
NRA’s platform. Should they fail the test
or refuse to bend the knee, rest assured
that the organization will underwrite
their opponents’ campaigns and mobi-
lize an army of single-issue zealots to
punish their heresy.
Politicians have everything to gain
and nothing to lose by going along, as
there isn’t a comparable ruthlessless
among the gun control lobby.
One prominent GOP donor who real-
izes this is Al Hoffman Jr., a Florida
real estate developer who was a leading
fundraiser for George W. Bush’s cam-
For real change
to occur, responsible
gun owners who profess
to love America will
have to agree that not
all Americans are
capable of responsibly
bearing arms.
paigns. He will seek to marshal support
among other Republican political donors
for a renewed assault weapons ban,
according to the New York Times.
“I will not write another check unless
they all support a ban on assault weap-
ons,” he wrote in an email to half a
dozen Republican leaders, including Jeb
Bush and Gov. Rick Scott of Florida.
“Enough is enough!”
Voters who support gun control
should take the same cue. Turn those
coveted “A” and “B” grades from the
NRA into an albatross around politi-
cians’ necks, and the “F” into a badge of
honor. Register to vote and then actually
cast a ballot. Low election turnouts his-
torically favor well-organized single-is-
sue constituencies, such as the NRA.
Whether you love or hate the NRA, it
is extremely successful at what it does.
No level of outrage will come to any-
thing if it is allowed to continue its stran-
glehold on our democracy. Adopting its
tactics would be good place to start.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Don’t force Medicare on
Postal Service retirees
When did life stop
being so precious?
s a member of the federal community
who served our country for years, I am
concerned with an attempt to force current
Postal Service retirees onto Medicare Part B,
after they previously declined this coverage.
While hailed as a way to improve USPS’
finances, this is nothing more than balancing
the books on the backs of seniors. Why should
retirees, who spent their careers serving this
nation, be forced to pay an additional $134
per month, or more, for health coverage they
previously deemed unnecessary?
Mandatory Medicare Part B coverage
was never part of the agreement made upon
employment, and it should not be forced on
any postal retiree, especially retroactively.
Congress is currently attempting to fix the
Postal Service’s problems by shifting costs to
Medicare.
I urge our legislators to reject the current
postal reform bill, HR 756. Retired postal
workers proudly served our community, and
promises to them should be kept.
STEPHEN RAYMOND
Long Beach, Washington
B
A
Elect presidents
by popular vote
ne person. One vote. Every vote equal.
Knowing that Russians strategically
attacked our elections and targeted swing
states, it is more important than ever that Ore-
gon join the National Popular Vote Interstate
Compact, which ensures that the winner of the
popular vote nationwide be elected president.
The Oregon Senate is considering this
legislation now. Contact Sen. Betsy John-
son today, and ask her to vote yes on a clean
National Popular Vote bill. One person. One
vote. Every vote equal.
BEBE MICHEL
Gearhart
O
ut for the gun, Officer Jason Goodding
would still be patrolling Seaside. But for
the gun, newspapers would not be printing
the pictures of 17 beautiful kids who are no
longer walking amongst us.
All my life I’ve wondered how people
in the Middle East could tolerate so much
death and destruction on a daily basis. Where
are their leaders? Where are our leaders
when there is so much carnage everyday in
America?
Fifty-eight thousand soldiers died over
a 10-year period in Vietnam for no reason.
Thirty thousand Americans die in our country
every year from guns. Who, and what, is the
enemy? It’s guns, it’s always guns.
Our culture is becoming more toxic, and
easy access to guns is madness. Until gun
owners show they care, show they are willing
to endure a few more inconveniences, and
even strictly regulate weapons of war, noth-
ing will change.
When did life stop being so precious? Do
we really have a president who can’t even
articulate the most basic human empathy?
Tears streamed down Obama’s face. Presi-
dent Donald Trump smiles for the cameras.
We have a long way to go, but we can fix
this.
Those who don’t care enough, please look
at the 17 faces I saw in the paper today. Then
tell me about your rights.
JIM SPURR
Cannon Beach
Spirits crushed by re-
enactment’s cancellation
received some news yesterday that was
devastating. I was informed that our annual
Civil War re-enactment on Labor Day week-
end will not be held at Fort Stevens this
year. The reason given was that my re-enact-
I
ment club cannot meet the park’s financial
demands.
I was there for the first re-enactment my
club held at Fort Stevens. That was way back
in 1990, 28 years ago. I was 15 years old at
the time. It was my first full event. I have
attended every Fort Stevens re-enactment. It
was my favorite event. I loved the location,
the ambiance, the scenery, the journey to the
event. It was the first re-enactment my wife
and I ever attended together, back in 2009.
Now it’s gone.
I feel like a part of my soul, the re-enacting
part, has had a huge piece torn away from it.
I always looked forward to every re-enacting
season, because I knew I would top out the
year with Fort Stevens, our largest event. Not
happening this year.
I am still undecided at this point, but this
may be my last year in the hobby. My interest
in the hobby was waning, and now with the
removal of my favorite event … the last nail
in the coffin, as it were.
My spirits are crushed. I have feelings of
sadness and anger at the same time. My favor-
ite event, gone.
DARIN RICHARDSON
Eugene
Voters’ pamphlets necessary
for healthy democracy
oters’ pamphlets are necessary for a
healthy democracy. I will not be vot-
ing for any county commissioner candidate
who does not support the creation of a vot-
ers’ pamphlet for local elections in odd-num-
bered years.
In Clatsop County, these elections typi-
cally have 120 positions to fill. Without a vot-
ers’ pamphlet, the electorate has little infor-
mation by which to compare candidates.
This critical election includes candidates for
school boards, transportation district boards,
health district boards, and the Port of Astoria
Commissioners.
V
Oregon Statute 251.365 states that county
clerks “may apportion the cost of preparing,
printing and distributing the county voters’
pamphlet as a cost of the election.” This does
not preclude the county from paying for part
or all the voters’ pamphlet.
The mission statement of the Clatsop
Elections Office includes “supporting
the democratic processes.” This means pro-
viding a voters’ pamphlet, just as other coun-
ties do. Whatever the cost, it is a small price
to pay if it results in the election of better
candidates.
LARRY TAYLOR
Astoria
Time to replace the
Sunset Empire board
n Tuesday, I attended the February board
meeting of the Sunset Empire Park and
Recreation District. During the public com-
ment portion of the meeting, several pool
patrons voiced a variety of complaints they
have regarding Sunset Pool, and the dete-
rioration of its operations over the last few
years.
One patron who spoke referred to the
changes made in the men’s locker room as
being more appropriate for a “gay men’s bath-
house.” At the end of the public comment seg-
ment, one of the board members said that he
had a problem with the reference to a “gay
men’s bathhouse” and the rest of the board
agreed. Really? That was the only thing they
took away?
I find it disconcerting that not one of the
board’s members responded to any of the con-
cerns that were mentioned by the others who
spoke at that meeting. To say that the board
is ineffective is an understatement. For start-
ers, not even one of its members uses the pool
on a regular basis. Perhaps it’s time we looked
into how to go about replacing the board.
MARTI WAJC
Seaside
O