4 A
The First Amendment
Letters to the editor
and press releases:
E-mail:
pressreleases@thesiuslawnews.com
To contact the editor:
editor@thesiuslawnews.com
C
ongress shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion or prohibiting the
free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom
of speech, or of the press, or the right of the
people peaceably to assemble, and to petition
the Government for a redress of grievances.
WEDNESDAY
JANUARY
7
•
2015
National, local groups partner in support of law enforcement
On Friday, Jan. 9, partnering
organizations in support of law
enforcement officers nationwide will
promote
a
National
Law
Enforcement Appreciation Day.
In light of recent negativity direct-
ed toward law enforcement national-
ly, there is a need to show law
enforcement officers that our citizens
recognize the difficult and some-
times impossible career they have
chosen, in public service to us all.
Each day, 780,000 police officers
across the country put a badge on and
go to work knowing they may face
extremely dangerous situations. On
average, between 105 and 203 offi-
cers die in the line of duty each year;
50,000 officers are assaulted in the
line of duty each year; 14,000 offi-
cers are injured in the line of duty
each year; and more than 300 officers
commit suicide each year.
Citizens who appreciate law
enforcement and are discouraged
about the negative attention being
given to law enforcement are encour-
aged to take time on Friday to show
their support, and can do so in any
number of ways, including: changing
profile pictures on social media to
the image provided at www.facebook
.com/nationalcops, by wearing blue
clothing in support of law enforce-
ment, sending a card of support to
our local Justice Center, Oregon
State Police or Lane County Sheriff’s
Office, sharing a story about a posi-
tive law enforcement experience on
social media, asking children in your
community to write letters in support
of law enforcement, by participating
in Project Blue Light and displaying
a blue light in support of law
enforcement, organizing an event or
a rally in support of law enforcement
officers, advertising support through
local media outlets/billboards, or
posting the public service announce-
ment supplied by “COPS” to your
organization’s webpage or social
media pages.
Most important, if you see a police
officer, thank them for their service.
Wives and friends of Florence
police have organized a decorating
“party” for a major intersection to
honor
the
Florence
Police
Department and will bring lunch and
snacks to the department.
Police officers most often misrepresented in media, public eye
To Theresa Baer and to the Florence
community we serve:
As of late I have seen some harsh
criticisms in the national and local
media regarding the men and women
of law enforcement. There is a vil-
lainization of police taking place that
far outweighs the post Rodney King
era of some years back. The tragedy
of that incident affected the whole of
law enforcement for years.
Today, however, the unfounded
accusations against police officers as
murderers of young black men, accu-
sations that police somehow are pro-
viding a criminal disservice to
Americans or that police in general are
some sort of jack-booted thugs are sad
and hurtful misrepresentations.
The vile expressions of hate and dis-
respect for our police, for those who
daily risk their lives on behalf of the
public they serve, is the worst I have
ever seen. I have invested over 40
years as a member of the law enforce-
ment community and have worked
with both large and small agencies. I
shall state, with conviction, that I have
never seen or personally been involved
with any police officer who was intent
on killing anyone.
I understand that within any organi-
zation you may end up with a bad
actor. But in police work, it is the
exception and a rare one at that.
If a perpetrator is intent on inflicting
bodily harm to an officer and threaten-
ing the officer’s life or the life of oth-
ers, then the officer is left with little
choice. We know that
most officer-involved
shootings erupt and are
over in seconds, not
minutes. The intent of
the officer becomes one
of self-preservation or preservation of
the life of someone else.
Being a cop:
It’s all about what they do and occa-
sionally how they die.
The men and women of law
enforcement are your neighbors.
Their kids go to school with yours.
They attend your church or place of
worship. They believe in living in a
safe community and have made it part
of their lives to make it happen. They
see the worst and the best in a commu-
nity and, above all, they respect the
laws they are charged with enforcing.
They desire to go home at night (or
at the end of their shift) just like every-
one else in their community, yet they
work in a profession that can take
away that opportunity in the blink of
an eye. They know there are people in
the community that care not whether
they live or die; they know that some
have no problem with pulling the trig-
ger. They know that if the “bad guy”
wants to hurt you or kill you, he has
the advantage.
They know that they may have only
a split second to make a decision that
will decide whether they live or die,
will ever see their children again, or
their wives or their parents. They also
know if they make that split-second
decision and take the life of another
human being, they will be subject to
review boards, grand juries and prose-
cutorial decisions that may take weeks
or months to determine if they, in their
split-second decision-making, com-
mitted the crime of murder or were
justified in the shooting.
Obviously, when it’s a matter of
self-preservation, and the officer’s
decision to shoot or don’t shoot is
immediate, then mistakes can happen;
for example, a person chooses to disre-
gard the officer’s order to show his
hands and instead pulls an object from
his jacket pocket and raises it in a
threatening manner. Under such a cir-
cumstance, how long would you wait
to make a shoot/don’t shoot determina-
tion?
How many of you, while on your
way to work, would ever think about
having to defend yourself or others,
and in the process, take a human life?
Cops do.
How many of you think about keep-
ing yourself in good physical shape so
you can handle a drunk at the local
bar? One who stands 6 feet, 2 inches,
works in construction and tells you he
is going to pull your head off and stick
it where the sun doesn’t shine?
How many of you would ever won-
der about how you’re
going tell a young moth-
er that her 8-year-old
child was hit and killed
by a drunk driver?
How many of you
would wonder how you are going to
explain to an elderly couple, in their
80s, that it was two 14-year-old boys
who burglarized and trashed their
home and their American Indian
arrowhead collection, numbering in
the hundreds, which they had collected
over every wedding anniversary for
the past 60 years, had been thrown into
the Siuslaw River by the two young
burglars?
How many of you would be up to
delivering the death message to par-
ents of three teenagers who died in a
tragic accident?
How many of you can even imagine
walking up to a vehicle to advise the
driver that the license tabs are expired
and the next thing you see is a handgun
pointing at your face?
How many of you can imagine
being sent on a suicidal person welfare
check and upon arrival you find what
was once a family of four are now all
deceased?
How many of you can imagine
being there for your community, being
there because police are needed, being
there because who else would protect
our citizens and their families?
The men and women of law
enforcement are there because being a
law enforcement officer is an
admirable profession. They find the
lost 5-year-old who elected to crawl
into the clothes hamper to take a nap.
They spot the smoke at 3 a.m. and if
possible get you and your family out of
the house. If you are a victim, they
work diligently to arrest the “bad guy”
and recover your stolen property.
They remind you when your tags
are expired, your taillights are burned
out or when your driving exceeding
the posted speed. Not always with a
citation, often with just a verbal
advisement. They spend time in our
schools and work at building rapport
with our children.
They come when you’re in immedi-
ate need or will be there to assist you if
you need long-term help. And, they
give you their best 24 hours a day,
seven days a week, 365 days a year.
They are vigilant while you sleep and
they are on duty when you are enjoy-
ing your holiday.
They are truly the “good guys.”
They are our warriors, and all too
often our warriors make the ultimate
sacrifice. For that, we must all be
thankful.
If there is ever a time to recognize
such sacrifice, it is now. Americans
need to support their police.
Please reach out and honor them on
Friday, Jan. 9, Law Enforcement
Appreciation Day. If you should have
the opportunity, thank them personally
for what they do for us. Right now
they could use your vote of confi-
dence.
the edges of the lumber.
As for Joanne, who had enriched so
many lives, she was stricken with
Parkinson’s disease and confined to
her bed with round-the-clock care.
Tragically, her caregiver was convict-
ed of first-degree criminal mistreat-
ment and aggravated theft of over
$61,000 plus unspecified charges
made to credit cards stolen from
Tipler’s home. Joanne, 74, died July
2011 while the investigation was still
underway.
On a lighter note, this is from a let-
ter sent to our daughter-in-law Janeen
Jackson, who now lives in San Diego:
Dear Neen, Do you remember the
Tom Hanks movie “Castaway”?
Marooned on a deserted island, he
found a volleyball, which was
imprinted with the trademark Wilson,
that had floated in on his beach.
Hanks drew eyes on it and sort of
adopted it for something to talk to,
and naturally he called it Wilson.
Eventually he lost the ball to the
ocean and was devastated. Well, the
other day we lost our “Wilson.”
When we moved to Greentrees
nearly 10 years ago, there was a long
log with the stump still attached hung
up on the beach in front of our home.
When we had the big rip-rap rocks
brought in to protect the bank, the log
was moved out of the way by the big
excavator. Because it was rotten, half
of it broke away.
All these years, because of the long
projecting roots, the stump and
remaining log stayed there, surviving
high tides, boat wakes and fierce
wind storms.
Seagulls, crows and funny little
top-knotted kingfishers found it to be
a fine resting place. It was the first
thing we saw every morning, and we
watched it disappear into the darkness
every night.
Much as in the musical “My Fair
Lady,” “like breathing in and breath-
ing out,” we had “grown accustomed
to its face.”
And yes, when we came home
from town the other day something
was missing.
There had been an unusually high
tide and unbelievably after all these
years, our Wilson was gone. Did it
make it all the way out to the Siuslaw
bar and the open ocean? We will
never know.
Recently we were eating lunch
while sitting by the big windows
overlooking the river.
Peggy remarked, “I miss our old
stump.”
Does Wilson miss us? I wonder.
Remember, I told you we were going
nuts.
GUEST VIEWPOINT
B Y L YNN F. L AMM
C HIEF OF P OLICE , F LORENCE
NEIGHBORS
Potpourri
B OB J ACKSON
N EIGHBORHOOD C ORRESPONDENT
For the Siuslaw News
USPS# 497-660
told me that he operated something I
think he called a triple saw. He
remembered there were around 500
settings to choose from. It boggled
my mind! I am thinking, maybe five
decisions without those extra zeroes
would have been my limit. He also
had foot controls to manipulate.
Every trade has its own jargon.
Merle told me how Don Davidson
would sometimes stand behind him
and suggest leaving or adding more
“wane.” I sort of understand waxing
and waning of the moon, but I won-
dered, what’s wane?
Turns out it would be trim for
defects like bark or even taper along
Copyright 2015 © Siuslaw News
Published every Wednesday and Saturday at 148 Maple St. in Florence, Lane County, Oregon. A member of the National
Newspaper Association and Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association. Periodicals postage paid at Florence, Ore.
Postmaster, send address changes to: The Siuslaw News, P.O. Box 10, Florence, OR 97439. Phone (541) 997-3441 (See
extension numbers below). FAX (541) 997-7979.
John Bartlett
Publisher, ext. 327
Jenna Bartlett
General Manager, ext. 318
Theresa Baer
Editor, ext. 313
Susan Gutierrez
Advertising Director, ext. 326
Ryan Cronk
Features Editor, ext. 314
Cathy Dietz
Office Supervisor, ext. 312
Ron Annis
Production Supervisor
Jeremy Gentry
Press Manager
DEADLINES:
Wednesday Issue—General news, Monday noon; Budgets, four days prior to publication; Regular classified ads, Monday 1
p.m.; Display ads, Monday noon; Boxed and display classified ads, Friday 5 p.m.
Saturday Issue—General news, Thursday noon; Budgets, two days prior to publication; Regular classified ads, Thursday 1
p.m.; Display ads, Thursday noon; Boxed and display classified ads, Wednesday 5 p.m. Soundings, Tuesday 5 p.m.
NEWSPAPER SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
Lane County, 1 yr manual pay, $71; 1 yr auto pay, $62.10. 10-wks manual $18; 10-wks auto, $15.42.
Out of Lane County, 1 yr manual $84.75; 1 yr auto, $80.95; 10-wks manual, $21.35; 10-wks auto, $20.05.
Out of State, $120; Out of U.S., $200.
MAIL includes E-EDITION
E-EDITION RATE (ONE YEAR): Anywhere, $60.30
Website and E-Edition: www.thesiuslawnews.com
WHERE TO WRITE
P
otpourri is best described as
any mixture of unrelated sub-
jects; and such is the state of
my muddled whimsical mind as I
scatter thoughts to the wind during
this holiday season.
You may recall that for years Merle
Tipler accompanied his wife Joanne
on her Travel Tyme bus tours. What is
not generally known is that this affa-
ble gentleman had another life, far
different than cruises and casino tour
buses.
For something like 45 years he was
employed at Davidson Industries on
the Siuslaw River near Mapleton. He
Pres. Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20500
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
TTY/TDD Comments: 202-456-6213
www.whitehouse.gov
Gov. John Kitzhaber
160 State Capitol
900 Court St.
Salem, OR 97301-4047
Governor’s Citizens’ Rep.
Message Line 503-378-4582
www.oregon.gov/gov
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden
221 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5244
541-431-0229
www.wyden.senate.gov
FAX: 503-986-1080
Email:
Sen.ArnieRoblan@state.or.us
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley
313 Hart Senate Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-3753/FAX: 202-228-3997
541-465-6750
State Rep. Caddy McKeown
(Dist. 9)
900 Court St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1409
Email:
rep.caddymckeown@state.or.us
U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio (4th Dist.)
2134 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-6416/ 800-944-9603
541-269-2609/ 541-465-6732
www.defazio.house.gov
State Sen. Arnie Roblan (Dist. 5)
900 Court St. NE - S-417
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1705
West Lane County Commissioner
Jay Bozievich
125 E. Eighth St.
Eugene, OR 97401
541-682-4203
FAX: 541-682-4616
Email: Jay.Bozievich@co.lane.or.us