4 A
❘
SATURDAY EDITION
❘ APRIL 1, 2017
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
NED HICKSON , EDITOR
Opinion
❘ 541-902-3520 ❘
EDITOR @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
The First Amendment
C
ongress shall make no law respecting an estab-
lishment of religion or prohibiting the free exer-
cise 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.
VIEW FROM UPRIVER
Not left, not right — but straight
W ESLEY V OTH
For the Siuslaw News
F
or me, the natural rhythms of the seasons
and the local heralds of the changes in
light ground me to the earth, to what
matters most, and connect me to the people
who first lived here and noted such things.
And, connect me to the Creator.
It is a mystery to me how and why caring
about the earth and the environment, clean air
and water, has become more identified with
“liberal” than “conservative” values; I learned
these as Lesson 1, part of the first command-
ment, from my decidedly conservative fore-
bearers.
The first swallows of the season showed up
at our place this year on March 19, coinciden-
tally the same date — St. Joseph’s Day — that
cliff swallows famously arrive each year at San
Juan Capistrano in southern California. This
year, as usual, the first of the five species that
we commonly see here was the violet-green
swallow, the one that most often uses our nest
boxes. Typically, they make it by the first day
of spring. This year by that date, they were
already exploring the boxes, thinking about
being fruitful and multiplying. Sensibly, they
plan their parenthood: first, choose a mate;
then, build the nest when food is abundant;
then, lay the eggs and incubate them.
If all goes well and the eggs hatch, they care
for them with all their might. If all does not go
well during incubation — conditions around
the nest change, food becomes scarce or one of
the parents dies — the nest is abandoned.
The wonderful pink or coast fawn lilies that
seem to appear in fewer local places each year
are now in bloom, prominent in one public
place that I know of along Sweet Creek Falls
trail, including a wonderful patch near a bench
at the beginning and easiest part of path. Of all
of the variations of fawn lilies I’ve seen, the
ones around here are the most striking: large
pointed green leaves with purple “fawn”
blotches, a 6- to 8-inch swan-necked slender
stem with a single hanging deep pink, six-tined
flower — and then inside, deep yellow delicate
parts.
The first of the big leaf maple edible blos-
soms are emerging on the limb tips of
Mapleton’s signature trees, and it won’t be
long before the resurrection ferns and mosses
on the trunks and branches of these beauties
begin to brown before going into their shaded
summer siestas beneath the deeply darkened
leaf canopy.
Kim Stafford has published a small new col-
lection entitled, “The Flavor of Unity: Post-
Election Poems.” In case you don’t know Kim,
he did a local oral history project here in 1975-
76, interviewing such Mapleton old timers as
Bill Karnowsky and Hazel and Charlie Camp,
which are still available from our library.
According to Elizabeth Flock of PBS News
Hour, Kim wrote this book to answer the ques-
tion raised by the Inca Kola slogan: “What is
the flavor of unity?” that he saw on the side of
a truck.
Kim says, “What is it that really unifies peo-
ple? For me it’s something about home ground,
the earth, our common treasure of wind and
tree and grass and light and water.
“Because we are all earth citizens.”
In the first common words of the Judeo-
Christian scriptures, God creates the heavens
and the earth. In successive days realms of
habitation are created, in the sea, on the earth,
and in the air. Creatures for each realm are cre-
ated, and their food, and God sees that it is
good. And tells these creatures to be fruitful
and multiply. Last of all, humankind is created
in God’s image, to be caretakers of the earth
and its creatures. In the commonly understood
summary of God’s expectations for
humankind, the first admonition is to love God
with all of our heart, mind and soul (which I
understand to at least mean do the work for
which we were created), and the second admo-
nition is to love our neighbor as we do our-
selves.
If I seem to care more about the earth, or
more about birds than I do people, that is actu-
ally the order of the commandments.
Destroying, or allowing the destruction of
any habitat critical to one of God’s creatures is
a slap in God’s face. Ultimately, when we take
care of the earth, we take care of each other;
the way in which we take care of the earth is
the way we take care of each other.
The flavor that makes us one
cannot be bought or sold,
does not belong to a country,
cannot enrich the rich
or be denied to the poor.
The flavor that makes us one
emanates from the earth…
The flavor that makes us one
we must feed to one another with songs,
kind words, and human glances
across the silent square.
— From the title poem in “The Flavor of Unity”
LETTERS
A PPRECIATIVE FOR
COMMUNITY SUPPOERT
The Florence Emergency Cold Weather
Shelter (ECWS) program would like to thank
the people of Florence for their overwhelming
L ETTERS TO THE
E DITOR P OLICY
The Siuslaw News welcomes letters to
the editor as part of a community discus-
sion of issues on the local, state and
national level.
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views and platforms or to ask for votes.
This also constitutes paid political advertis-
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As with all letters and advertising con-
tent, the newspaper, at the sole discretion
of the publisher, general manager and edi-
tor, reserves the right to reject any such
letter.
The newspaper is particularly sensitive
to organized “letter-writing campaigns.”
The newspaper reserves the right to reject
any such letter.
Write to: editor@thesiuslawnews.com
USPS# 497-660
support of our work this past winter.
Each time we opened there were donations of
supplies, food and money to assure that we
could be open and operating. Local businesses
came to our aid, particularly Safeway, Grocery
Outlet, Big Dog Donuts and Peace Harbor
Hospital, which provided generous help
through the winter.
In all, the shelters were open 22 nights and
averaged 13 to 14 people per night. On the two
coldest nights of the season, we had a total of 52
guests.
We would also like to thank Jennifer Weier
for playing a magnificent concert as our spring
fundraiser.
We are deeply appreciative of the support we
have received and look forward to serving the
Florence area next winter.
Greg Wood
ECWS board president
Florence
N O ONE SINGLED OUT
I was saddened to read in the March 25 edi-
tion of Siuslaw News that Florence City
Councilman Priesler’s motion to make Florence
a “sanctuary city” was met with such resistance.
You might believe that the designation would
give thousands of dangerous criminals safe har-
bor, even right here in our own town.
But that is not true.
Local police will never let a criminal, regard-
less of immigration status, escape the “long arm
of the law.” In fact, upholding the precepts of a
“sanctuary city” guarantees that local police
will have the resources to investigate local
crimes and arrest and jail the perpetrators,
regardless of immigration status.
Oregon is not allowing criminals to hide in
this state, flout the law and go unpunished. If
you don’t believe me, go up and ask any police
officer and they will certainly tell you that if
they see someone commit a crime, they will
arrest them.
The right to be free in our person is one of the
founding principles of our Constitution.
The right to live peacefully in our homes; the
right to travel; the right to be presumed innocent
as we go about the business of our day.
No one should be singled out for scrutiny
based on their last name or color of their skin.
I NSIGHT INTO LIVES OF IMMIGRANTS
I believe that many people have a misunder-
standing about what being a felon or criminal is
when it comes to “illegal immigrants,” or
immigrants at all for that matter.
My intention isn’t to start an argument with
others, but maybe provide them with an insight
into what it is to live as an immigrant in the U.S.
I am now a U.S. citizen and have the privi-
lege to come out of the shadows to help speak
for those who can’t or are afraid to do so.
There are many things that people don’t
know about us and many believe that we are
felons because we crossed the border illegally.
Maybe we are. But aside from that, the majori-
ty of us try to follow the laws and have being
doing so for many years.
I know I may not change the thinking and
opinions of others, especially those who won’t
take a chance to listen.
But maybe some insight into the lives of
immigrants — illegal as well as those who are
now citizens — could offer some perspective.
Karla Sanders
Florence
S TATE DEPARTMENT CUTS PUT
A MERICANS AT RISK
I am in total agreement with everything in
Marybeth Marenco’s Letter to the Editor
(Siuslaw News, March 22). I’d like to offer my
perspective regarding what I feel is the gutting
of the State Department.
My son (who was born and raised in the
Florence area) and his wife both work in the
State Department’s Foreign Service. Every two
to three years, they move to a different country
and currently they live in Nairobi, Kenya, and
work at the American Embassy.
For 12 years, they have faithfully and loving-
ly represented America all over the world;
there is a good reason they are called diplomats.
This is especially true now as they find them-
selves in the position of having to explain the
current controversies under the Trump
Administration.
The State Department requires Foreign
Service Employees to return to America for 30
days every two years. This August, they will
return to the U.S. for four weeks with their two
sons. When they return to their jobs, they will
be moving to Brussels, Belgium, which will be
their new post for the next two years.
However, because of the hiring freeze
imposed on the State Department by the Trump
Administration, my son will no longer be work-
ing for the actual State Department. Instead, to
remain employed, he will be transferring to
NATO. My daughter-in-law will no longer be
employed as there is no position available for
her.
After 12 dedicated years representing
America overseas in various countries, she is
now going to be unemployed. This is a direct
result of President Trump’s job freeze, which
included cutting at least 31 percent of the State
Department’s budget. These people represent
America — they represent us. Their jobs can
have a direct effect on the safety of Americans
traveling overseas.
I can tell you that, overseas, people are not
just laughing at us; we are also making enemies.
I pray not only for our country, but for all
Americans who represent us overseas.
Gail Katz Hanson
Florence
L IFTING THE LAMP
The plaque on the statue of liberty reads:
“Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!”
cries she with silent lips. “Give me your tired,
your poor, your huddled masses yearning to
breathe, free the wretched refuse of your teem-
ing shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-
tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden
door.”
— Emma Lazarus (1849-1887)
Most of the Latino families are not rich and
are here to work, pay taxes and have a better
life. I believe Emma Lazarus would agree.
Keith J. Walker
Florence
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Postmaster, send address changes to: Siuslaw News, P.O. Box 10, Florence, OR 97439; phone 541-997-3441; fax
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John Bartlett
Jenna Bartlett
Ned Hickson
Susan Gutierrez
Cathy Dietz
Ron Annis
Jeremy Gentry
Standing up for this most basic principle of our
Constitution should be something the city coun-
cil and mayor are proud to do, especially in the
face of unprecedented intimidation by the cur-
rent administration.
Sandy Todd
Florence
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