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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 2017)
4 A ❘ WEDNESDAY EDITION ❘ FEBRUARY 1, 2017 Siuslaw News P.O. Box 10 Florence, OR 97439 NED HICKSON , EDITOR ❘ 541-902-3520 ❘ EDITOR @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM Opinion Homoginized history dangerously dilutes the past Each year, our nation sets aside days in remembrance of events we deem important to remember as Americans. As a society. As people. We do this to ensure we will always remember the individ- uals, moments and historic events that helped shape our nation and the world around us — whether it be to cele- brate when we got things right or to learn from the lessons of getting it wrong. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Pearl Harbor Day, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, July Fourth — taking time to remember these days and other days like them assures that we never forget who we are and, more importantly, how we got here. To deliver a speech on Memorial Day without men- tioning the ultimate sacrifice paid by our veterans would be the first step in diluting the memory of the terrible cost of war and those who paid the price. The same could be said for speaking at the Pearl Harbor Memorial without mentioning those who remain entombed within the submerged hull of the USS Arizona. Imagine the outcry that would ensue in the wake of such an oversight, whether accidental or pur- poseful. If a pop star forgets the words to the Star Spangled Banner, the reaction is gener- ally swift and unforgiving. So I’m left scratching my head over the mixed reaction to the National Holocaust Remembrance Day speech delivered by President Trump, who failed to mention the 6 million Jews who were exter- minated as part of the Nazi Party’s “Final Solution.” I say “failed to mention” rather than “omitted” because I want to believe it was a rook- ie mistake. Over the course of the last 16 years, Presidents Bush and Obama have men- speech on television, I decided to find the speech and read it myself, expecting to find a ref- erence to Jews or anti- Semitism that he had mistak- enly overlooked. I found no such reference. Over the course of the next several hours, I listened to From the Editor’s Desk N ED H ICKSON tioned the genocide each year in their National Holocaust Remembrance Day speeches. I realize that they were essen- tially career politicians savvy with public speaking on the world stage. President Trump is not a career politician, which is one of the reasons he appealed to so many — and why I have been going against my gut instinct to give him the benefit of the doubt. After watching part of the White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer and Strategic Communications Director Hope Hicks defend the deci- sion to not specifically men- tion the Jews in order to be “more inclusive” of the esti- mated 5 million others who were also murdered — specif- ically, “Gypsies, the mentally ill, Jehovah’s Witnesses, resistance fighters” and others. While I agree that remem- bering the more than 11 mil- lion people who fell victim to the Nazi regime throughout Europe, not mentioning the 6 million who were specifically targeted for extermination is to miss the point of why we remember this day. As writer and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel said, “Not all victims were Jews, but all Jews were victims.” To omit the fact that the majority of those targeted for extermination belonged to a single group is to dilute the horrific history lesson we must never forget — that one man somehow wielded the power to decide the fate of an entire people in his bid for world domination. If we allow history to be homogenized, we lose the ref- erence points that guide future generations toward decisions that will either be used to either eliminate or emulate our mistakes from the past. Whether “rookie mistake” or purposeful omission by speech writer and newly appointed White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon, whose anti-Semitic stance has been well documented on his Breitbart News platform, we have an obligation to give our representatives at all levels a “gut check” when there’s rea- son to question their actions or inaction. I don’t disagree with every- thing President Trump has done, anymore than I agreed with everything done by President Obama. We are at an important crossroads as a nation, and I am hopeful that this beginning turbulence will stir up the things that will help us remember the things that identify us as Americans. A big reason for that hope is because, as Americans, we have always realized the importance of unflinchingly acknowledging our past. Write Siuslaw News editor Ned Hickson at nhickson@thesiuslaw news.com or P.O. Box 10, Florence, Ore. 97439. LETTERS L ACK OF AWARENESS Last Friday, there was an informative talk given by Florence resident and retired nurse Katie Prosser about the lack of awareness and action related to women’s heart disease. None of the women in the room (the talk fol- lowed a DAR meeting) were aware that heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women. Much of the press coverage and research go to breast cancer while a woman’s chance of dying from breast cancer is only 1 in 32 — whereas there’s 1-in-3 chance of their dying from heart disease. To make matters worse, women don’t get the typical “pain in the chest radiating to the shoul- der” like men do. As a result, 71 percent of women getting early warning signals of a heart attack don’t seek medical care because they don’t recognize the symptoms. If they do seek treatment, 1-in-7 women are misdiagnosed due to the lack of awareness and training on women’s symptoms. Attention to heart disease has really helped save lives for men; now we need to help educate women. Forty-two percent of women die in the first year after a heart attack, compared to 24 percent of men; in addition, 46 percent of women who are the victim of heart attacks become disabled while it’s only 22 percent of men. So, this Friday, Feb. 3, let’s wear red in sup- port of “Womens Heart Disease Awareness.” Sherry Harvey Florence T URNING LIFE AROUND We have an exceptional program here in Florence that deserves to have its praises shared far and wide. The Memory Loss Respite Center and its team of volunteers have completely turned my mother’s life around in just a month’s time. Prior to attending this adult daycare program located in the Florence Senior Center, my moth- er was struggling with depression brought on by her diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and the encroach- ing loss of her independence. Her interest in her own self-care was waning and she was with- drawn and uncooperative at home. After her first day there, I began to see imme- diate changes. The very next day she got herself up out of bed and took a shower on her own (something she hadn’t done in a couple of years). She didn’t know what she had to do, but USPS# 497-660 something deep inside her told her that she had somewhere fun to be that day. I take her to her “coffee club” three times a week now and continue to see improvements in her spirit as well as cognitive function. I used to have to literally coerce her into taking a shower and getting dressed. Now she showers on her own even on days she doesn’t have club and is beginning to choose her own outfits to wear. She had no interest in household chores and would often argue with me as to whether or not they needed to be done. Now, she does the dish- es daily, she drags her hamper out of her room and tells me it’s full and even asks if it’s time to change her sheets. Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Juels Larson Florence The First Amendment 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. Copyright 2017 © Siuslaw News Publisher, ext. 327 General Manager, ext. 318 Editor, ext. 313 Marketing 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 For those of you who haven’t experienced caregiving, these changes may seem trivial. However, for those of you who have someone you love with Dementia or Alzheimer’s, you know that they are milestones. When I ask my mother about coffee club, she’ll unemotionally say, “It’s ok,” and I know that’s her disease talking. When I go to pick her up, she will be laughing with the volunteers and insisting to stay a few more minutes so she can finish her round of dominoes because she has her next move planned out. I am eternally grateful to the wonderful vol- unteers who have made all this possible and who are there with smiles on Mondays, Pres. Donald Trump 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 202-224-5244 541-431-0229 www.wyden.senate.gov U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley 313 Hart Senate Office Bldg Washington, DC 20510 202-224-3753/FAX: 202-228-3997 541-465-6750 www.merkley.senate.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. Rep. Peter DeFazio (4th Dist.) 2134 Rayburn HOB Washington, DC 20515 202-225-6416 541-269-2609/ 541-465-6732 www.defazio.house.gov U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden 221 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg Washington, DC 20510 State Sen. Arnie Roblan (Dist. 5) 900 Court St. NE - S-417 Salem, OR 97301 503-986-1705 FAX: 503-986-1080 Email: Sen.ArnieRoblan@state.or.us State Rep. Caddy McKeown (Dist. 9) 900 Court St. NE Salem, OR 97301 503-986-1409 Email: rep.caddymckeown@state.or.us 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
