4 A
❘
WEDNESDAY EDITION
❘ SEPTEMBER 21, 2016
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
NED HICKSON , EDITOR
❘ 541-902-3520 ❘
EDITOR @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
Opinion
This October, let’s avoid the baggage claim together
Anyone who reads my syn-
dicated humor column knows
I try to keep life in perspective
through humor. In fact, I’d say
it’s one of the reasons my chil-
dren are still alive today.
While I joke about that, for
many years humor was also
part of a coping mechanism
from a childhood witnessing
both verbal and physical abuse
by the men in my family —
specifically, my father and
older brothers.
It wasn’t until I became a
father that I realized the
impact that a childhood wit-
nessing abuse had on me, and
how some of those wounds —
as both a witness and recipient
— had never truly healed.
I know this because I occa-
sionally saw reflections of my
father and brothers in myself
as I fought to avoid making
the same mistakes with my
own children; I also know this
because I came to realize that
as much as we want to tell our-
selves we can choose not to
take any baggage with us on
our journey through life, ulti-
mately it’s always somewhere
waiting to be claimed.
There is no getting rid of it
completely, only a conscious
decision to leave it circling on
the carousel.
Especially for young men,
their teens and early 20s are a
time when they are defining
themselves and establishing
their place in what is still a
mostly
male-dominated
world. At the same time, they
are also trying to understand
the intricacies of communicat-
ing with the ones they love.
How do I know this?
Because, statistically speak-
ing, I was a young man once.
Trying to appear tough among
your peers while still holding
on to the part of you that is
thoughtful and caring feels
contradictory to what we’re
taught about being a man. We
see it in movies and advertis-
ing; we hear it in music: Being
But not of others.
It means being in control of
yourself enough to under-
stand, acknowledge and
accept your strengths and
weaknesses.
It also means never using
your strength — physically or
From the Editor’s Desk
N ED H ICKSON
a man means being in control.
In charge.
In command.
Of life and our relation-
ships.
It’s a social stereotype per-
petuated mostly through
media and advertising because
it sells body wash, music,
movie tickets, clothes and
video games.
It’s baggage our culture has
been carrying for generations.
It’s true that being a real
man means being in control.
verbally — to overpower oth-
ers. Particularly the women in
your life, whether it be your
wife, girlfriend, mother or
daughter.
A real man provides protec-
tion, safety and acceptance; a
weak man dishes out pain,
insecurity and denial.
In either case, they are
reflections of your inner self.
The question is: What kind
of reflection do you want to
see when you look in the mir-
ror each day?
At Monday night’s Florence
City Council meeting, Mayor
Joe Henry officially pro-
claimed October as “Domestic
Violence Awareness Month”
in Florence. I made a point to
be there as a show of support
and was somewhat disappoint-
ed to see only a few others in
attendance.
Each
year,
Siuslaw
Outreach Services assists
more than 150 victims of
domestic abuse. As wonderful
as our community is, it isn’t
immune to domestic violence
against women, men and chil-
dren.
I had planned to hold off on
this editorial until a little clos-
er to October. But if you’re
anything like me, time passes
quickly and, with it, the best of
intentions unless I can plan
ahead.
So here are a couple of
dates I hope you will join me
in putting on your calendar as
a show of support for victims
of domestic abuse:
• Saturday, Oct. 1 — There
will be a special page here in
the Siuslaw News with guest
viewpoints on the subject of
domestic violence
• Sunday, Oct. 2 — The
annual Domestic Violence
Awareness March will take
place at 12:45 p.m., beginning
at the Veterans Memorial on
the west end of Bay Street
There’s no denying that the
cultural threads of domestic
violence are woven into the
fabric of our society.
Though we have certainly
made strides in some areas by
recognizing and discussing
matters of physical and verbal
abuse, that baggage is still out
there circling on the carousel.
As a culture, we must each
make our own proclamation to
do what we can to avoid
claiming it.
Write Siuslaw News editor Ned
Hickson at nhickson@thesiuslaw
news.com or P.O. Box 10,
Florence, Ore. 97439.
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LETTERS
Deplorable
I think I’m finding myself to be included in
the basket! Last Friday at a fund raiser, Hillary
Clinton referred to Trump supporters — half of
them — to be a basket full of “deplorables!”
That’s pretty harsh, to describe a group of
people that way. Hillary Clinton isn’t consider-
ing that these people who she is calling
deplorable are blue collar workers who are
keeping America afloat, working on cars, haul-
ing truck loads of food across America, fixing
our teeth, hauling the trash, and on and on.
Two days later, we found out there was a
cover up about Hillary being diagnosed with
pneumonia on Friday before the 9/11 event.
The lies just continue with her campaign.
This is America at stake! Let’s get a grip and
do even more than make America great again.
Keep us free and make a future for our chil-
dren.
Donna Dobson
Florence
Grateful to City Lights
Being a TV viewer who does not subscribe
to HULU, I would like to give a shout out to
USPS# 497-660
our little movie theater, City Lights Cinemas,
here in Florence. It was one of few theaters in
Oregon that showed “Eight Days A Wee: The
Touring Years” of the Beatles on a limited
basis. It was truly a blast from the past for us
boomers who grew up with the “lads” to be
able to see and hear the music and commen-
tary on the large screen with thunderous sound.
As one who viewed the movie twice, I am
grateful to City Lights Cinema for being able
to show Ron Howard’s documentary here.
Thank you for your continuous offerings of
art films as well as big name movie releases.
Florence is fortunate to have City Lights
Cinemas as a consistent source of great enter-
tainment.
Jennifer White
Florence
Guthrie Wilson,
Florence
Dumping on Donald
Why is it that the media and political pow-
ers that be, are against the most electable?
Why is it that time after time the main stream
media dumps on Donald and supports Hillary?
Rolling Stone was anti-establishment. Now
Rolling Stone can’t even express the other side
fairly! Nothing about the important issues
Show integrity
country, I plead with you to hear your calling
as you did in the first place. Hear the calling
that sparked your desire to represent us.
You and I know that until we overturn the
Supreme Court’s wrong decision in the
“Citizens United” case, and amend our
Constitution, we’re stuck with horrendous
wastes of money that candidates need to com-
pete.
Money is not “Freedom of Speech” in 2016;
it has turned politics into the stupendous drama
it seems to have become.
So, those of you who still have a glimmer of
hope for all of your original desires to aid the
people, I plead with you to step aside from that
drama and consider this first in all your efforts:
“Will this be the best thing for most citizens?”
Never worry about your contributors.
They’ll either continue to support you or
new contributors will materialize.
If every one of you will ask yourself “Will
this be the best for the most?” before every
decision, then all your ventures will be suc-
cessful — and you will show integrity.
This letter is to all candidates for office, leg-
islators, councilmen and councilwomen: I’m
pleading. As they did in the early days of our
Wendy Jarman
Florence
Copyright 2016 © Siuslaw News
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John Bartlett
Jenna Bartlett
Ned Hickson
Susan Gutierrez
Cathy Dietz
Ron Annis
Jeremy Gentry
Donald is letting us in on. Our gross national
product is less than 0 percent.
Don’t we want our money valued? We are in
slavery, with families destroyed. Both parents
work and stepfamilies are the norm. The sys-
tem is bringing up our children. You’ve come a
long way, baby!
Let’s do what Ron Paul set out to do and
clean the barn and make government for the
people by the people. There’s people in
Congress for 30 years or more. Left and right
are wings of the same bird and we are one
republic for which we stand — we are one
nation under God. This is why we are different
than the other nations our constitution is based
on the word of God.
Let Donald Trump help us out of what we
are headed for: One world government.
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. Kate Brown
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