4 A
❘
SATURDAY EDITION
❘ OCTOBER 1, 2016
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
NED HICKSON , EDITOR
❘ 541-902-3520 ❘
EDITOR @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
Opinion
VIEW FROM UPRIVER
A shared experience... and concern
W ESLEY V OTH
For the Siuslaw News
T
his is my favorite time of year here:
leaves turning color, harvest and abun-
dance, frequent warm sunny days and
clear nights and salmon in the river. But I
wouldn’t feel the same appreciation if there
were no seasons, and everything always
remained the same. As I write this, I’m looking
out the window at the same view of the river
as is shown in the photograph that accompa-
nies this column; today the river is low and
clear and barely flowing.
Also shown in that photo is a white stake
with a black mark that indicates the highest the
water has come in the time we’ve been here.
There is no guarantee it will never come
higher. I am willing to take the risk and live
here anyway, to get to experience days like
today on a regular basis.
It is also election season; I am beginning to
see the first absentee ballots in the mail, mean-
ing the end is near. I grew up in a family that
did not, for religious and political reasons,
have a television.
The summer I was 16 I stayed in a house
that had one and I could watch what I wanted.
It was 1968, immediately following the assas-
sinations of Martin Luther King and Robert
Kennedy, and so my first television experience
was watching the Republican and then
Democrat National Conventions.
I watched as Nixon, and then Humphrey,
were nominated. And then I watched Civil
Rights marches and riots, and the coverage of
the Vietnam War, and felt politically moved for
the first time.
That was a much worse period of time in
this country than what we are experiencing
now.
When Susie and I moved to our house on
the river, we decided not to have television. It
is partly about simplicity, but there is also
something about the frenetic tone. It always
sounds to me like a toddler that isn’t getting
enough attention and keeps ramping up the
drama — look at ME, listen to ME.
So to watch this past week’s presidential
debate in real time, we had to go to the house
of some friends. We weren’t alone; there were
other friends there who don’t have television at
home either. I went in part because I knew
many others would be watching at the same
time, to share a common experience with mil-
lions of others in this country.
I am not undecided, but wanted to try and
grasp some of the thinking and appeal of
someone I haven’t taken seriously enough. To
be able to listen to entire answers rather than
soundbites.
I came away shaking my head at a number
of things. The debate did not measure up to my
standards of civility; I have a low tolerance
when people interrupt one another, or for a
debate format that seems to permit — and then
force — that lack of civility in order to achieve
some fairness.
I was not impressed, either, by the glower-
ing looks on the one hand or the laughing at
some private joke or texting on the other.
Donald Trump doesn’t pay taxes because he
is “smart?” And then complains that the U.S.
doesn’t make other countries in its military
alliances “pay their fair share.”
What kind of double standard is that?
The critical question of the night, not only
for the candidates, but also for each of us
watching is this: “If the will of the people”
turns out to select the other one, will he/she/we
support that person?
Do we have faith in our system, and show
good faith by respecting the selection process
of our form of government?
May our collective answer to that be more
positive and generous than either candidate
was able to articulate the other night.
LETTERS
Tax code of ethics
During the presidential debates, Secretary
Clinton brought up the subject of taxes, and the
so called fact the Mr. Trump has paid none. I
can make a guess that Mr. Trump, being a savvy
businessman, has paid very little in taxes over
the years.
This is probably true because our tax system
was written by millionaires and billionaires at
the start of the 20th century as a means to get
money to expand the government attached to a
Post Office Bill passed on Christmas Eve.
So why not have loop holes for the wealthy
to reduce or eliminate their tax burden?
Before the turn of the last century, charity
was just that: Charity. Now, it’s big business
and a way to skirt the tax system for every
wealthy group or individual to pay less or no
taxes.
Take, for instance, the case of Warren Buffet
(who, by the way, is or was on President
Obama’s Economic Council). He gave half of
his wealth to Mr. and Mrs. Bill Gates’ charity to
educate African children.
The Clintons’ charities are another example
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Not a case of
‘Political Correctness’
I remember the fascination and excitement of
learning about the explorers in history. About
the rewards presented to the explorer for claim-
ing new territory. The thrill of rubbing elbows
with royalty and receiving rewards of gold and
property (Of course, the value of property went
completely unnoticed by my fifth grade mind.)
But the vision of adventure, of gold and
being presented to the queen... WOW.
As it turned out, my fifth grade history infor-
mation proved to be more than just a little
scanty.
For this discussion, let’s stick to the subject
first introduced. It’s not a case of political cor-
rectness, but the history that we did not learn.
We did not learn that exploration was not to
discover, but to enrich the power and wealth of
the most wealthy and powerful few.
We did not learn that the treatment of the
native populations in these lands was without
any exception brutal beyond any standard.
When the islands of Haiti and Cuba were dis-
covered, the generous and friendly Arawaks
were required to collect gold by anyone over
age 14.
In two years, through murder, mutilation or
suicide, half of the 250,000 Arawak Indians on
Haiti were dead. By 1650, there was not one of
the original Arawaks or their descendants left
on the island.
In Cuba, 7,000 children died in three months.
We did not learn that the cruel policies initiated
by Columbus and pursued by his successors
resulted in complete genocide.
Our Nation observes this discover-date as an
October holiday. But our small community of
Florence can proceed as a leader of truth.
Let us lead by showing honor to the first peo-
ple of this nation. It is the job of thinking peo-
ple, as Albert Camus suggested, not to be on the
side of the executioners.
I call on our community not to honor the first
slave trader of the Western World but, instead,
to honor truth and compassion instead of polit-
ical correctness by renaming this October day
in honor of the First Nation’s People.
Maris Robison
Florence
Unfit for presidency
I learned the hard way, that people tell you
who they are, but sometimes you see who you
want, or wish them to be, instead of who they
really are.
Big mistake.
So it is with Trump.
The AZ Republic and Dallas Morning News
papers have both endorsed Hillary. These con-
servative papers haven’t endorsed a Democratic
candidate in 50 years or more.
But this election is different because of the
Trump threat. Many dyed-in-the wool republi-
cans have also come out for Hillary.
They didn’t become liberals; it’s because
Trump is unfit for the presidency.
He is a dangerous demagogue who won’t
save America.
Forget his words and pay attention to his
actions.
He’s a bully. Some of you like that. Maybe
you imagine that he will bully all people you
don’t like — and you’re safe because you are
part of his club?
Wrong.
In the end, Trump the bully will eventually
bully you as well. History proves it time and
time again. We see that Donald loves Donald,
not America.
His words are empty promises, and his past
actions show us what to expect if we give him
power.
Some hate Hillary for emails.
How does her email scandal compare to
Donald’s? Did she praise Vladimir Putin or
cheat hardworking Americans?
Nope. But Trump has.
Those of us not under Donald’s spell hope
and pray you see his actions, not empty promis-
es. He’s not what you dream he is.
He’s what he tells you he is: A nightmare for
America.
Stephanie Spradling
Florence
MOMENTS
IN TIME
The History Channel
• On Oct. 6, 1866, in Indiana, the
Reno gang carries out the first robbery
of a moving train in the U.S., making
off with over $10,000. Holding up mov-
ing trains in remote locations soon
became popular in the American West.
• On Oct. 5, 1947, President Harry
Truman makes the first-ever televised
presidential address from the White
House, asking Americans to cut back
on their use of grain in order to help
starving Europeans. He asked that the
public voluntarily forgo meat on
Tuesdays, eggs and poultry on
Thursdays and to save a slice of bread
each day.
• On Oct. 4, 1957, the “Space Age”
begins with the Soviet Union’s launch
of Sputnik, the world’s first artificial
satellite. Other firsts for the Soviet
space program included first man in
space, first woman, first three men, first
space walk and first to orbit the moon.
• On Oct. 3, 1961, the United Auto
Workers union goes on strike at Ford
plants across the country to win higher
wages and better benefits. It was the
first company-wide strike since Ford
had agreed to a collective-bargaining
deal in 1941.
• On Oct. 8, 1970, Matt Damon, the
future star of a long list of hit movies,
including “The Bourne Identity,” is
born in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Damon, who left Harvard University
before graduating to pursue an acting
career, made his big-screen debut with a
small role in 1988’s “Mystic Pizza.”
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John Bartlett
Jenna Bartlett
Ned Hickson
Susan Gutierrez
Cathy Dietz
Ron Annis
Jeremy Gentry
YESTERDAY’S NEWS
of getting around the tax liability laws.
So this goes on every day, year in and year
out, for the wealthy to not pay their fair share.
What we need is a new tax code instead of
thousands of pages in the filing of a wealthy
person’s taxes — which only an accountant can
understand anyway.
Jimmie Moe
Florence
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