4 A
❘
WEDNESDAY EDITION
❘ JUNE 7, 2017
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
NED HICKSON , EDITOR
Opinion
❘ 541-902-3520 ❘
NHICKSON @ 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.
Old battlefields of racism run deeper than the Deep South
Nearly 30 years ago I
stood in the shade of a wil-
low tree overlooking a Civil
War battleground in Georgia,
contemplating the blood that
had been spilled on those
now lush, green grasses car-
peting the rolling hills of
Kennesaw Mountain.
After living in the Deep
South for close to 10 years,
the last several of which
were spent in Atlanta, I felt I
had a different perspective
from many southerners
regarding that period of our
nation’s history. Admittedly,
having come from Oregon, I
felt a certain kinship to The
South’s identity as a rebel.
Yet at the same time, I
found it hard to walk the thin
line between recognizing
The South’s undeniable his-
tory while overlooking the
shadows of racism inter-
twined with it.
Last week’s senseless
murders of two Good
Samaritans in Portland who
were trying to defend a pair
of teenage African-American
girls — one of whom was
wearing Muslim attire —
served as a reminder that the
battlefields of racism run
deeper than the Deep South.
In the mid 1800s, when
the Oregon territory was
larger than Texas and includ-
ed portions of five western
states, the “Lash Law” of
1844 decreed that any black
person, free or slave, could
be whipped twice a year until
he or she left the territory.
Eventually, a law was passed
simply prohibiting “black
people” from living in the
territory altogether.
By the 1970s, hate groups
like the Aryan Nations had
followed suit, jackbooting
themselves into areas of
Oregon to spread their mes-
sage of racial purity and the
notion of establishing a
From the Editor’s Desk
N ED H ICKSON
It was a climate that
harkened extremists, racists
and socialists to establish
communities throughout the
Pacific Northwest, along
with an Oregon Legislature
in the 1920s which, rife with
Ku Klux Klan members,
passed legislation that for-
bade Japanese immigrants
from owning or leasing land.
white utopian society known
as “Cascadia.”
At a time when increased
scrutiny of each other is
slowly approaching that of
the McCarthy era, the shad-
ows cast by Oregon’s early
history of racism are also
slowly creeping over the les-
sons of our past.
The attack by Jeremy
Joseph Christian on that
Portland Metro Train wasn’t
the result of a concerted
campaign of hate. It didn’t
stem from organized recruit-
ment.
It erupted from within a
vein running just beneath the
surface of our society, pulsed
by an ever-increasing expo-
sure to suspicion, mistrust
and blame offered up as the
“new normal” through media
— social and otherwise.
Christian expressed his
rage against immigrants,
Saudi Arabia, liberals,
blacks, Muslims and a myri-
ad of stereotypical targets of
hate cherrypicked from an
endless buffet of extremist
ideologies available on the
Internet.
Ricky John Best, Taliesin
Myrddin Namakai Meche
and Micah Fletcher repre-
sented a different kind of
ideology when they stood up
against Christian, in defense
of two strangers who were
being threatened by hate.
Best and Meche each died
from stab wounds inflicted
by Christian.
As we polarize ourselves
and choose sides to be
aligned with, we can’t risk
forgetting the thing that
defines us as Americans:
The strength that comes
from our unity rather than
our division.
It’s the kind of kinship that
I want to have as an
Oregonian and believe in as
an American.
Write Siuslaw News editor Ned
Hickson at nhickson@thesiuslaw
news.com or P.O. Box 10,
Florence, Ore. 97439.
LETTERS
S TREET PAVING PROJECT IS TOP NOTCH
Having spent several years as a county
paving inspector in California, I recognize a
beautiful paving job when I see one. The recent
paving of our roads is absolutely excellent.
Thanks to our Public Works Department
staff, and especially to the outstanding job done
by their inspectors.
— Bill Craig
Florence
L ABELING ONLY
PERPETUATES DIVISION
It has been disturbing to read some of the let-
ters directed towards Florence citizens. It has
gotten so bad that people are being maligned
because they attend speaking engagements and
write newspaper columns.
What’s really baffling to me is the outrage
expressed at those who simply state the details
of policy that many Republicans in the House
voted for.
For example, the health care proposal passed
by the House on May 4 threatens to end
Medicaid expansion along with many subsidies
for working families, the disabled, the homeless
L ETTERS TO THE
E DITOR P OLICY
The Siuslaw News welcomes letters to
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national level.
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Send letters to:
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and even veterans.
President Trump ran a campaign on these
cuts and on increasing military spending. I don’t
understand why some are offended by others
who merely point out the possible consequences
of these policies.
Ultimately, labeling opponents of Mr.
Trump’s policies as “anti-patriotic” or “anti-
American” does little but perpetuate the ani-
mosity dividing our country.
I believe Florence residents will continue to
stand for fair budgets that protect our security,
but also for the environment, education, seniors,
working families and health care for everyone.
popular vote in Florence. It is the truth and can
be found at Lane County Elections.
The Florence area precincts are 4500 (Dunes
City), 4601 (town) and 702 (north and east).
Within those precincts, Trump won by 3+ per-
cent.
There were some votes for other candidates
as well.
So, I don’t know what all the hate was about.
But in a time when Florence is continuing to
pull together for the good of Malakai Kirk and
other caring community priorities, I think we
will work together better if we don’t let this
kind of bullying get between us.
— Sandy Todd
Florence
— Sherry Harvey
Florence
L ET ’ S WORK TOGETHER WITHOUT
DIVISONS
I admit that I was the one who was booed at
Sen. Wyden’s Town Hall. Not only booed, but
called a liar and yelled at.
I simply said that Donald Trump had won the
I attended the David Barsamian lecture (May
19). I feel Barsamian’s was an accurate review
of government spending lavishly on weapons
and Pentagon expenditures while cutting social
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WHERE TO WRITE
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— Mary Lehman
Florence
Copyright 2017 © Siuslaw News
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James Rand
Jenna Bartlett
Ned Hickson
Erik Chalhoub
F IND COMMON GROUND WITHIN OUR
THE BULLYING
services across the board.
Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, disabil-
ity benefits, Meals on Wheels, mental health
and housing expenditures all are now funded
below need and severe cuts are expected with
the House’s new healthcare proposal.
Evidence of that here in Florence can already
be seen in growth of social service agencies
attempting to fill the gaps with limited funds,
staff and volunteers.
One of the “wedges” suggested in the lecture
was for each of us to cease separating ourselves
from others who have a difference of opinion.
We can and must begin to speak with each other
and find our common ground, which likely has
to do with what we see as the future of the next
generations.
As for Socialism and Karl Marx, there was
some enthusiasm for both, which I’m sure must
have sounded alien to someone not accustomed
to such thoughts.
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
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
www.merkley.senate.gov
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 ( 4 th Dist.)
2134 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-6416
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