4 A
❘
SATURDAY EDITION
❘ JUNE 24, 2017
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
NED HICKSON , EDITOR
❘ 541-902-3520 ❘
NHICKSON @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
Opinion
VIEW FROM UPRIVER
What kind of nation are we going to be?
W ESLEY V OTH
For the Siuslaw News
I
’m writing this on Father’s Day, from the
front range of the Rocky Mountains just
west of Denver, where our only grand-
child, now 7, lives. I’m looking out a win-
dow, watching prairie dogs foraging in an
open grassy area, while taking turns keeping
watch for hawks and anything else of con-
cern. Researchers have found that these crea-
tures use a language of alarm calls that dif-
ferentiate between varying levels and types
of threat.
The rapid coordination of who is watching
and who is eating is a study in group benefit.
Each adult serves watch in turn, and each
one gets to eat in turn — and the young
work at getting this cadence right.
I learned how to watch and think about
wildlife from my own father, Elver Voth.
Although much about his life remains a mys-
tery to me, I am very grateful that he, and
not anyone else, was my dad. I never doubt-
ed that he loved me, and was trying very
hard to do what was right. He valued educa-
tion and life-long learning above all else,
and made great sacrifices to see that all of
his children went as far academically as they
could — and that we did so without student
debt.
He seemed driven to try and be worthy of
— and pay back — what society, his culture,
his family had invested in him, giving him-
self relentlessly to teaching, to science and
to volunteer effort. His example, high expec-
tations and belief in me continue to make me
want to live a life of service to others.
I want to live by the belief that one works
not to build up money for one’s own, but to
improve the life of all, which includes pro-
tecting the natural world; a social contract by
which I try to live.
I did not expect to be a father myself, hav-
ing neither the belief in the world around me
nor in my own abilities that it would be a
good idea. But the time came when my
thinking changed, and I’m so glad it did. My
own two children and three step-children
have enriched my life immeasurably, and
despite my parenting blunders, they are lov-
ing and forgiving, patient and tolerant. Those
are characteristics I most hoped to foster.
Well, that and trying their hardest to make
the world a better place.
Susie and I have been able to spend won-
derful time with each of them in the last cou-
ple of months, and it has been incredibly
heartening.
I realize that by the time you read this,
Father’s Day will be past. But the mantle of
responsibility remains year round, and any
day is the right time to talk about it. The day
is a reminder that what benefits my children
also benefits me in every way that matters.
In the same way, what hurts or threatens
my children is of great concern to me. Our
children and their partners have educations;
some still have student debt; most have poor
or no — or extremely expensive — health
insurance.
Only one of our children has a job that
will result in a pension if enough years are
given, while most have no retirement
accounts at this mid-to-late 30s point in their
lives.
The prospect that Social Security and
good national healthcare and Medicare won’t
be there for them even to the degree that it is
now for us is something I find unacceptable.
Four of five of my children are female, and
there is what I would describe as a religious
war in Congress against women’s healthcare
and reproductive rights.
I don’t understand why we are allowing
Congress and the current administration to
shift programs designed to care for people
and broadly share costs to either stop doing
so entirely, or do so in a way that mostly
benefits the wealthiest among us — includ-
ing themselves and their children and/or top
financial backers.
What kind of nation are we going to be if
the expectation is that we each get all we can
for ourselves?
I have been reading the “brief history” of
how we came to have the safety nets and the
Social Security system we do at the SSA
website (www.ssa.gov/history/briefhistory3
.html). I recommend for anyone interested; it
is easy to skip to the parts of most relevant
interest. Especially striking are the com-
ments made by Franklin D. Roosevelt as the
originating 1934 legislation was enacted:
“Security was attained in the earlier days
through the interdependence of members of
families upon each other and of the families
within a small community upon each other.
The complexities of great communities and
of organized industry make less real these
simple means of security. Therefore, we are
compelled to employ the active interest of
the Nation as a whole through government in
order to encourage a greater security for
each individual who composes it... This
seeking for a greater measure of welfare and
happiness does not indicate a change in val-
ues. It is rather a return to values lost in the
course of our economic development and
expansion...”
President Roosevelt said that to Congress
on June 8, 1934. Then, after signing the
Social Security Act, he noted something that
I find particularly insightful more than 80
years later:
“We can never insure 100 percent of the
population against 100 percent of the haz-
ards and vicissitudes of life, but we have
tried to frame a law which will give some
measure of protection to the average citizen
and to his family against the loss of a job
and against poverty-ridden old age.”
Is it any wonder why our parents had
more optimism about the future of their chil-
dren than many parents have for theirs
today?
LETTERS
R EMEMBERING HARLEY
There was real sincerity in Harley
Youngblood’s velvet voice on local radio that
will surely be missed here in his beloved
Florence.
I know because I had the honor of writing
radio news copy for this famed broadcaster;
L ETTERS TO THE
E DITOR P OLICY
The Siuslaw News welcomes letters to
the editor as part of a community discus-
while also serving as Harley’s adjutant back
in early 2000 at our Florence VFW Post.
As a radio personality and leader of local
veterans, Harley was seamless in how he
transitioned from his folksy monologue into
reading radio commercial messages with real
passion. This translated as fierce loyalty to
fellow citizens and veterans who joined this
wonderful man in celebrating patriotism;
because “our” Harley was all about duty,
honor and country.
He was the real deal and this veteran will
miss his always-friendly greetings when run-
ning into Harley around our town.
sion of issues on the local, state and
—Dave Masko
Florence
national level.
Emailed
letters
are
preferred.
Handwritten or typed letters must be
A LLOW OUTREACH EFFORTS
signed. All letters need to include full
TO CONTINUE
name, address and phone number; only
Hunger is alive and present right in
Florence. Food for the weekends is provided
to hungry children because of the kindness of
a church in our midst.
Lunch is served to hungry folks at the
United Methodist Church through efforts of
several churches in town, as well as the
Helping Hands Coalition.
I have been a volunteer at Helping Hands
for several years. I know many of the folks
who come for a noon meal. Most are food
insecure due to a disability and/or lack of
income to provide the funds for food, shelter,
medicine, etc.
I am hopeful that the City of Florence will
name and city will be printed. Letters
should be limited to about 300 words.
Letters are subject to editing for length,
grammar and clarity. Publication of any
letter is not guaranteed and depends on
space available and the volume of letters
received.
Libelous, argumentative and anony-
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lished.
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WHERE TO WRITE
Susan Gutierrez
Cathy Dietz
Ron Annis
Jeremy Gentry
— Jan Hirsch
Florence
R EACHING OUT NOT THE SAME
AS A ‘ HANDOUT ’
My son-in-law works for the USAID
extension within the State Department. He
has visited more than 40 cities in 17 coun-
tries. I asked him what his definition of a
vagrant was. He talked about the millions of
people who live in the illegal slums around
the cities in Pakistan, Mexico and South
America. He said those governments have
given up trying to disband these communi-
ties, and churches have set up schools for the
children.
Sanitation is minimal and electricity is
scarce.
What is the American version of a slum?
Inner-city tenements and subsidized hous-
ing are only available for some of the people
who need them. Where do the rest of the
homeless people live here in our country?
Wikipedia defines the word “vagrant” as:
The condition of living without a home or
regular emplyment.
The terms “handout” and “humanitarian
aid” are both defined by Wikipedia as:
“Something given freely to those in need.”
The true definition of each is determined
by human perception and belief.
Should disabled veterans who live in their
cars be defined as “vagrants?”
How about families who have lost their
home because of medical bills from extensive
hospitalizations?
Shall we categorize teens who have been
forced out of their homes from abuse or drugs
as “vagrants?”
Let’s come up with a term for young cou-
ples struggling to pay rent and utilities while
working minimum wage jobs.
Helping Hands Coalition for the homeless
has been tirelessly searching out a building in
Florence in which to serve hot meals for these
same types of “vagrants.”
I hope our community and the Florence
Planning Commission will reach out in sup-
port of these efforts.
— Sue Thornton
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
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.
James Rand
Jenna Bartlett
Ned Hickson
Erik Chalhoub
allow Helping Hands a place to continue its
outreach to serve those in need.
I can’t imagine how any caring person
would object.
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