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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 10, 2016)
4 A ❘ SATURDAY EDITION ❘ DECEMBER 10, 2016 Siuslaw News P.O. Box 10 Florence, OR 97439 NED HICKSON , EDITOR ❘ 541-902-3520 ❘ EDITOR @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM Opinion E XTRAORDINARY P EOPLE Nin Sharyn Bebeau C ATHERINE J. R OURKE For Siuslaw News _____________ “W hen you find peace within yourself, only then will you create peace in the world.” That saying sums up the work and philosophy of Nin Bebeau, an artist, psychologist, author, teacher, lecturer and relative newcomer to Florence who dedicated her life to travelling the globe as a peace ambassador before relocating here from her native New York last year. “A very wise teacher once told me that to make a difference in this world, you must first make a differ- ence in your own life,” she said. “Then you can expand it to your com- munity and wider horizons.” While Bebeau has followed a diverse path of artistic, academic and diplomatic pursuits around the world, her unwavering compass has always remained focused on peace. “I vowed as a young woman to live my life without experiencing war,” she said. “That morphed into doing whatever I could to prevent it.” But Bebeau would have to stare at war in the face before developing her vision to promote peace. Born in a snowstorm and raised in Brooklyn by Holocaust survivors, Bebeau recalls how the loss of family members at a concentration camp cast a shadow on her early life. Like the young girl featured in the novel “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,” she grew up in Williamsburg, a danger- ous neighborhood overrun with hatred and violence during the civil rights era. Bebeau turned away from that dark world and to books instead, becoming a voracious reader and digesting advanced psychology tomes at age 10. “Instead of fighting the powers that be, I wanted to be the change I wished to see in the world,” she said. Bebeau set out to follow Gandhi's advice at an early age. By 17, she had joined a civil rights group — her first step toward a lifetime of promoting peace. Then came marriage and parenting and an unforgettable trip to Israel that forever changed her life. Bebeau arrived just two days before the Six Day War, a paradigm she had sworn to avoid at all costs. Now she found herself immersed in it, living and working on a kibbutz a mile from the Syrian border while her husband fought on the front lines. “We believed we were creating a world with freedom for all,” she said. “We wanted to support that idealism for equality.” Shortly after the war, the couple moved to San Francisco where Bebeau worked the switchboard of a Haight-Ashbury crisis center. Under the tutelage of inspiring mentors, she created peace “one person at a time” by developing a successful job pro- PHOTO BY CATHERINE ROURKE World peace ambassador Nin Sharyn Bebeau views Florence as “a mecca for helping people.” gram helping people get back on their feet. She also became a self-taught woodworker, selling her crafts at the Embarcadero and Fisherman’s Wharf. “It was a fantastic time,” she said. “We believed that anything was pos- sible and that love would save the world.” Bebeau moved to Boulder, Colo., where she established a supportive community for single moms after her marriage dissolved. There, her life and work would blossom. After attaining master’s degrees in transpersonal psychology, she worked as a teacher and therapist spe- cializing in archetypal life coaching with her second husband, psycholo- gist Charles Bebeau, Ph.D. “Within two years, I got married, had two children, wrote two theses, acquired two master's degrees, found- ed a graduate school and authored a book,” she said. “I never slept.” Over the course of 30 years, the couple established four graduate- level institutes for transpersonal psy- chology, developed curriculum, taught classes, facilitated groups, co- authored books and provided psy- chotherapy services. They also lec- tured on nearly every continent for several global peace organizations. “It was extraordinary to connect with people of various religions, races and social classes around the world,” she said. “Despite our differ- ences, we were all dedicated to creat- ing peace, understanding and uncon- ditional acceptance. It isn’t a process I try to do but a state I exist in.” Bebeau also started a peace move- ment involving women of all faiths and nationalities through United Nations forums and international conferences. In 2007, she went on a peace tour to the Middle East with military generals and Native American leaders and, on her way through Europe, Bebeau passed an exit sign to Dachau, where her fami- ly members had been killed. “I suddenly understood that even though I cannot go back in time to save my siblings, I work for peace so no more little children will die,” she said. After her husband passed away in 2008, Bebeau returned to New York until moving to Florence in October 2015. “Florence is a mecca of creativity and for helping people,” she said. “It’s an honor and privilege to live here.” Bebeau now dedicates her time to writing, volunteering for local chari- ties such as SOS and hosting a show called “Tomorrow's Child” at KXCR Community Radio. She is also work- ing on her first novel. With the current climate of politi- cal divisiveness, terrorism, violence, hatred, war and even climate change itself, Bebeau shares her philosophy for achieving peace. “Together, we can be heroes,” she said. “Each of us must clarify our val- ues, stand for what we believe and speak our truth. We can open our hearts to recognize how significant every life is, letting the light of jus- tice shine through us for the better- ment of all members of our commu- nity and society. That way we can carry the torch of freedom, equality and peace to illuminate and inspire others around the world.” Catherine J. Rourke is an award-winning journalist, author and book editor who teaches creative writing at the Florence Regional Arts Alliance. Email CJReditor@gmail.com. LETTERS Good Samaritan and see if it’s for the better or worse. Gail Katz Hanson Florence A big thank you to whomever found and turned my ring in at the Fred Meyer store here in Florence. The ring was left to me by my best friend of 50 years after she passed away. Thank you again! Betty Scarborough Florence Health care corporate money pot Sorry for rude remarks In response to Donna Dobson’s letter (Dec. 7), I am sorry for the man’s rude remarks to you. I am also sorry for my own rude remarks over the past several months during what was the most contentious campaign I can remember in my 66 years. Emotions on both sides have been very strong. Like you, I have had people respond rudely to me. After some pretty intense experiences on Facebook, I have decided to just let it all go because, really, it isn’t me; it’s the fact that I don’t agree with them. Some people don’t like to hear “let’s agree to disagree...” That being said, an awful lot of people voted for Secretary Clinton. At last count, she received over 2.6 million more votes than Trump and they aren’t finished recounting. Those of us who voted for Hillary did so because she was the complete opposite of Trump. I’m not going to list her points because after this very ugly campaign season, we know what her platform was. However, I’m a bit confused about President- elect Trump’s platform. I know he said he wants to build a wall between America and Mexico and send all the “illegals” home. I know he is against Syrians coming to America and has essentially declared war on Muslims. I know he has been accused of being a sexual predator and I feel he promoted vio- lence and bigotry during the campaign. USPS# 497-660 I know he wants to make business pay big time with what I believe is a 35 percent tax for moving overseas — and yet he manufactures many of his own products overseas. He said he wants to unite the country, to iden- tify with middle class and poor Americans, yet many of those who have been appointed to his cabinet are millionaires and billionaires. He appointed Oklahoma’s Attorney General to head up the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) even though he has close ties to the fossil fuel industry — something that seems like a conflict of interest. General Flynn has retweeted a fake news post about Hillary Clinton being connected with a child sex slave ring at a pizza parlor, prompting a man with an AR-15 to “self investigate” the Copyright 2016 © Siuslaw News Publisher, ext. 327 General Manager, ext. 318 Editor, ext. 313 Advertising Director, ext. 326 Office Supervisor, ext. 312 Production Supervisor 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: In Lane County — 1-year subscription, $71; 10-weeks subscription, $18; Out of Lane County — 1-year subscription, $94; 10-weeks subscription, $24; Out of State — 1-year subscription, $120; Out of United States — 1-year subscription, $200; E-Edition Online Only (Anywhere) — 1-year subscription, $65. Mail subscription includes E-Edition. Website and E-Edition: www.TheSiuslawNews.com WHERE TO WRITE 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: Siuslaw News, P.O. Box 10, Florence, OR 97439; phone 541-997-3441; fax 541-997-7979. All press releases may be sent to PressReleases@TheSiuslawNews.com. John Bartlett Jenna Bartlett Ned Hickson Susan Gutierrez Cathy Dietz Ron Annis Jeremy Gentry pizza parlor and shoot into the business while families were inside. To be honest, Donald Trump frightens many of us but I agree that it doesn’t give any of us the right to be rude to each other despite the rudeness Trump himself has displayed at times. In the four years ahead, he’s going to need to develop a thick skin. Saturday Night Live will probably satirize him the same as other presi- dents. For everyone’s sake, I hope he is successful, but I think his vision for the country is different than the majority of voters in America. His pos- turing towards North Korea and fondness of Putin concern me. I can’t imagine how different this country will be in four years, but we’ll just have to wait After years of promising to do away with President Obama’s Affordable Care Act, Republicans now have their chance. Their attempts will create a different set of winners and losers as big insurance crafts a for-profit business plan that will have little to do with health — and much to do with the corporate bottom line. Inevitably, the model fails because of the large segments of the population who will be left to fend for themselves. Insurance corporations’ insistence to keep their hands in the health care money pot will be the downfall of the GOP attempt. You might be surprised to learn the answer is waiting in the wings in Oregon in 2020. A ded- icated array of doctors, nurses, health profes- sionals, business men and women, and thou- sands of citizens of all ages have been tirelessly organizing for a health care system that serves everyone in Oregon, is equitable, affordable and able to provide high quality universal health care — all while saving millions of dollars by employing a Medicare-for-All (single payer) system. Please get used to the concept of single-payer and research the success of countries that have employed it for decades. Visit the Health Care for All Oregon website at www.hcao.org and get involved. When the time comes, we will need every enlightened vote to overcome the vested inter- ests and misleading advertisements authorized by big insurance and their corporate and politi- cal allies, like those that helped defeat a similar measure in Colorado this year. Stuart Henderson 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
