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December 4,1991...The Portland Observer...Page 3
HEALTH
The Three Things In Life You Can’t Avoid
BY GREGORY OLIVEROS
The old expression, “ There are
two things in life that are unavoidable,
death and taxes," is in fact, not wholly
accurate. There are three things in life
that are absolutely unavoidable: death,
taxes, and the law. This article will first
examine why many people go out of
their way to avoid the law and will con
clude by offering a compelling reason
why this attitude should stop.
We Eve in a society that is driven
by countless laws. Our lives are gov
erned by the Constitution, federal and
state laws and in many cases private
law (ie. contracts). With literally hun
dreds and hunderds of laws enacted,
year in and year out, it is not surprising
‘that most of the public, including attor
neys, are simply overwhelmed with the
law. It is this phenomenon that has me
concerned. I suspect that few are not
confused by the complexities of the
law, including the lawmakers them
selves.
As a practicing attorney, I come
into contact with fairly bright people
that have given up trying to interpret
the law. I don’t blame them. While
legal principles are, for the most part,
conceptually straight forward and easy
to understand, statutory law, (those laws
written by the legislature), is without a
doubt confusing to the reasonably
competent person. For example, a par
ticular statute (Oregon revised Statute
112.025) indicates:
I f the decedent leaves a surviving
spouse and issue, the intestate share o f
the surviving spouse is:
(1) I f there are surviving issue o f
the decedent all o f whom are issue o f
the surviving spouse also, the entire net
intestate estate.
I understand the meaning of this
statute and perhaps you do too. How
ever, I have had to spend hundreds of
hours to know what this (and other
laws) means. The point is, while the
law is written for the masses, the law is
not written for the masses to under
stand. This is sad but true.
The statute states that if a person,
who is married, dies without a will, the
surviving spouse will inherit the entire
estate even if the couple has children
who are living. Under this law what
would happen if: (1) The surviving
spouse has been missing for twenty
years and is mistakenly presumed dead?
(2) Or if two surviving spouses come
forward claiming the right to the es
tate? (3) Or if the surviving spouse dies
one minute later?
As you can see, being knowledge
able about the law requires more than
just having the ability to understand the
meaning of a statute. One must also
posses the ability to analyze key facts
and determine whether those facts apply
to a particular law. Earlier in this
article, I indicated that one can not es
cape the effect laws have in our daily
lives. Its impact is felt by all and for the
most part is understood by very few.
For good reason I can appreciate why
most folks rely on attorneys to guide
them through their legal problems. It
only makes sense.
However, this method should not
relieve anybody of their duty to keep
generally abreast of current legal trends
and hot legal issues. It is in your best
interest to learn as much as you can
about the law, especially when you are
making decisions which can have dire
HINTS
legal consequences.
Here are three things you can do
to protect yourself from unnecessary
legal problems down the road. Num
ber one, use what’s out here. You will
be surprised to find that there are many
resources available to the public which
explain, in “ plain English,” the legal
implications of entering into a given
transaction or situation? Number two,
do not be afraid to ask the other side
tough questions when entering into
any agreement or contract. Honest
people are never afraid to respond to
such inquiries. Finally, don’t hesitate
consulting an attorney over what ap
pears to be a small matter. Many of the
large cases that attorneys work on were
small cases that grew only because the
client thought he knew the intricacies
of the law. Getting your law degree by
watching * *L. A. Law’ ’ just doesn’t cut
it
One final thought. I am certain of
the following propositions; number one,
all of us will pay taxes. Number two,
none of us will live forever. Number
three, at least one of you will take this
advice and as a result will avoid some
form of legal grief at some time in the
future.
In my next article we will explore
strategies for selecting an attorney. As
a contributing writer to The Portland
Observer, I hope to explore the various
legal issues that have an impact on our
collective and individual lives. I per
sonally invite you to let me know which
issues you would like discussed in
upcoming editionsof the paper. Please
send your request to The Portland Ob
server, attention Gregory Oliveros. See
you next month.
Don't ignore these symptoms: fre
quent heartburn; chest pains that could
be mistaken for angina; difficulty
swallowing; belching; regurgitation
of acid fluid into your throat. These
symptoms could be signs of a serious
digestive problem.
* * *
Gastroesophageal reflux disease
(GERD) is the most common malady
of the esophagus. Symptoms occur in
an estimated seven percent of the
adult population daily, and 29 per
cent of the adult population monthly.
Left untreated, reflux disease can lead
to ulcers of the esophagus and to di
gestive disorders.
* * *
If you think you have reflux dis
ease, see your doctor. If the symp
toms are mild, you’ll probably be told
to take antacids, lose weight if you’re
overweight, avoid smoking and alco
hol, and, eat smaller but more fre
quent meals, and elevate the head of
your bed—reflux problems are more
common during the night. For more
serious symptoms your doctor can
prescribe an H, receptor antagonist—
a drug that increases the speed with
which food passes through the stom
ach and into the intestines. Nizatidine,
one H, receptor, has recently been
proven effective for symptomatic re
lief and healing of reflux esophogitis,
at 150 mg twice a day. Only your
doctor can tell you which treatment
is best for you.
Historic Four-Square
503 NE Thompson
*2,336 Sq. Ft. Single Family
(Upstairs could be separate living unit).
3 bedrooms with very large walk-in closets
2 kitchens. Upstairs kitchen could be 4th bedroom
2 Baths
Formal dining room with fireplace
Red Oak entry hall floor
Basement has 922 sq. feet-50% concrete floor
Pretty Front lawn with rose hedge
Storm windows and attic insulation
Modern Gas furnace
Easy Commute - Close to Convention Center
Large lot: 50' x 125'
Six blocks to Irvington Grade School & Lloyd Center
Old Portland Four-Square has gracious hardwood entry with formal open
staircase and leaded glass windows. The dining room has a built in beveled-
glass china cabinet and a wood burning fireplace. Original old gas lighting
pipes in attic. Early style hanging light fixtures in each room. Wall to wall
carpeting throughout the house. Large kitchen with attached pantry and back
porch. Large bathroom on main floor. Friendly large front porch and swing.
The upstairs, including kitchen could be a separte apartment.
Terms: $88,900 - Cash/Conventional/Contract
Owner: Sandra: (503) 286-3714.
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