4 A
❘
SATURDAY EDITION
❘ DECEMBER 17, 2016
Siuslaw News
NED HICKSON , EDITOR
❘ 541-902-3520 ❘
EDITOR @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
Opinion
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
VIEW FROM UPRIVER
Serving all
W ESLEY V OTH
For the Siuslaw News
S
usie and I recently made a day of going
up the coast while there were high surf
advisories. What a froth seawater can be
whipped into; in places, what coated the rocks
and floated in the surf eddies was the color and
texture of whipping cream, in other places the
foam collected in high banks, creating drifts
that looked like snow.
It was seawater not looking like seawater at
all.
People seem in a similar frenzy following
the election, amid rumors and fears, hopes and
dire predictions.
I find myself in an awkward place here
as an older white male, one who has ben-
efitted all his life from something he
wishes did not exist — race, class, reli-
gious, majority and gender privilege. At
the same time, I’m trying to be open to
the election and efforts of someone I did
not support and whose public posturing is anti-
thetical to my true tribe and family — all who
yearn and strive for liberty and justice for all,
and who practice a culture of kindness and
inclusion.
I’m challenged by trying to disassociate
myself from the practices and rhetoric of other
older white males who somehow feel threat-
ened by the empowerment of anyone not like
themselves, while at the same time not being
unkind or unfair in my dealings with any actu-
al people.
I remember my alarm eight years ago when,
upon the election of Barak Obama, some of the
most vocal conservative pundits were saying
that they could not allow the new president to
succeed or they would all be doomed. They did
such a good job of casting aspersions on his
status as a native-born citizen and actual prac-
ticing Christian that many people I know (and
otherwise find sane) still believe he is a
Muslim and born on foreign soil.
And I heard many racist remarks thrown in
for free by some who claimed that their major
disagreement was about policy.
I refuse to be a part of that kind of treatment
of Donald Trump, while at the same time being
clear that I do not — and will not — tolerate
exclusionary words, policies and behavior. Nor
will I tolerate backsliding on hard-fought rights
and protections of any class or group, includ-
ing the right of all to clean air and water.
Donald Trump won the presidency and
Republicans the power in every branch of gov-
ernment.
However, there is no majority mandate at
work — even, as some claim, in rural America.
Trump did not achieve 50 percent of the
vote in the Mapleton precinct, nor in any other
precinct in our area except for Dunes City
proper. In the Mapleton precinct, which
includes Swisshome, Indian Creek and
Deadwood, 6 percent voted for Green Party
candidate Jill Stein.
Detailed results can be found on Lane
County’s new website under “elections,”
although it is not currently possible to see back
any further than the primary into previous his-
torical data.
Because of this lack of majority approval,
and therefore more people in opposition than
for some of the Republican platform ideas, I
am hoping that pragmatism will prevail — and
that priority will be given to things which
either have a broad consensus or enough com-
promise hammered out to achieve it.
I wish our president-elect well, and hope he
can rise above some of what he has said in
order to serve us all.
LETTERS
Elvis is still alive
Fake news? There’s nothing new about fake
news. How long has “The Globe” and “National
Enquirer” been around publishing fake news?
Aliens taking over the world; Elvis still alive;
two-headed babies with long tails; Hillary los-
ing the election because of false FBI reports;
Hollywood actors moving to Canada; grandma
gives birth to octuplets at age 85; Nick Saban
leaving Alabama to coach the Ducks.
And people really believe that stuff!
Dana Rodet
Westlake
Can’t be quiet
In response to the letter from Donna Dobson
(“No More Fighting and Hatred,” Dec. 7)
regarding disrespect of Donald Trump, I feel
compelled to note a few facts.
Eight years ago, when Barack Obama was
elected, the people who “weren’t happy” did
anything but “give him a chance,” as we are
being told Trump deserves.
The Republican plot to obstruct President
Obama began before he even took office. This
obstruction included meetings by Republican
leadership in the House and the Senate for all-
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out resistance to a popular
President-elect.
Throughout his Presidency, if
President Obama was for it,
then Republicans were against it
— even if it meant opposing
their own proposals. This came
regardless of the impact on the
country and included everything
from clean energy to Medicare
cost savings.
Many in the Republican
party even voted against their
own bill to create a deficit-
reduction commission in order
to thwart President Obama’s
efforts.
We have spent the last year
listening to Donald Trump’s
own words which, more often
than not, could only be
described as bigoted and divi-
sive. We’ve listened to him
foment violence with his
inflammatory language and
have witnessed his blatant disre-
spect for women and the dis-
abled.
We have heard him declare
intentions to suppress certain
religious freedom and discriminate against
minorities. His Cabinet selections confirm a
disregard for the environment, a commitment to
helping the rich get richer as the poor become
poorer, and a willingness to disenfranchise stu-
dents, people of color, low-income populations,
seniors and so many others.
All this and so much more, and some would
like us all to sit down and keep quiet?
Really?
Dolly Brock
Florence
Saving our salmon
The Umpqua region once abounded with
free-ranging salmon. Now it does not. Perhaps
it’s partly due to overfishing. But I also believe
it’s in large part due to government agencies
creating a monopoly on salmon rearing that
continues to strangle the potential that privately
funded free-range salmon rearing affords.
It’s time Oregon voters demand legislative
changes that can re-establish prosperity and
support a privately funded free-range salmon
rearing project on the lower Umpqua to feed our
regions families.
The Lower Umpqua Free-Range Salmon
Project is an eight year, $15 million project that
region’s commercial salmon industry; and cre-
ate hundreds of jobs feeding thousands of peo-
ple.
But the project requires public input.
Legislation is required to break the govern-
mental monopoly and amend laws that prevent
the regional prosperity this project could afford.
I hope everyone will support this project and
the legislation required to make privately fund-
ed free-range salmon rearing legal.
Demand our Congressmen, Senators and
their parties to support the project with emails,
letters or phone calls.
If they can’t or won’t support such legisla-
tion, we shouldn’t support them.
A’eron Blackman
Reedsport
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the free exercise thereof; or abridging the free-
dom of speech, or of the press, or the right of
the people peaceably to assemble, and to peti-
tion the Government for a redress of griev-
ances.
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John Bartlett
Jenna Bartlett
Ned Hickson
Susan Gutierrez
Cathy Dietz
Ron Annis
Jeremy Gentry
entails building a salmon rearing facility near
Gardiner, Ore.
At the facility, Chinook and steelhead will be
hatched and reared in tanks (similar to the oper-
ation at Turner Creek on the Columbia) until
they are sea worthy. Once sea worthy, they will
be freed through a non-navigable artificial
stream that feeds into Umpqua River.
After release, they will then be allowed to
range freely and mature in the pacific being
treated no differently under law than either
native or government reared fish — with
respect to commercial and sports fishing —
until their return to the private facility’s artifi-
cial non-navigable stream.
Upon entering the facility’s artificial non-
navigable stream, ownership of the harvest will
become the sole and unlimited property of the
project.
The facility will then breed and/or wholesale
the harvest into the local and regional commer-
cial salmon markets.
Additionally, like the Turner Creek facility,
the project facility intends to be open to visitors
and tourist for the purpose of education.
If successful, the project expects to generate
in excess of $5 million annually from the sale of
harvested returns; re-establish threatened
Chinook and steelhead runs to commercially
viable and sustainable levels; revitalize the
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