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❘ JANUARY 6, 2017
WEDNESDAY EDITION
Siuslaw News
NED HICKSON , EDITOR
Opinion
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
VIEW FROM UPRIVER
❘ 541-902-3520 ❘
NHICKSON @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
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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.
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Copyright 2017 © Siuslaw News
Our future is downstream
W ESLEY V OTH
For the Siuslaw News
I
saw a car the other day
with a bumper sticker
that read, “We all live
upriver.” Because the sticker
was in the shape of the state
of Oregon, with what looked
like the Willamette River and
major tributaries highlighted,
it probably has a regionally
specific meaning.
But the statement is true in
a larger sense as well.
Whatever we do greatly
affects those who live down-
river from us, especially
downstream in time.
People with gas and oil to
sell — and flush with money
all of us have paid all of our
lives for light and heat and
transportation — have been
using a lot of that money to
influence elections, control
the information we receive
and to keep this country far
more dependent on their
products than necessary.
Or good for the planet.
They have sown doubt —
not really within the science
community but within what
is publically accepted and
agreed on — in much the
way that the tobacco industry
did with smoking and the
dangers of second-hand
smoke.
This is not to the public
benefit.
This is not good for any-
one or anything downriver
from us; our children and
children’s children will sure-
ly judge us critically when
they suffer the consequences
of our willful complacency,
ignorance and stupidity.
Available right now to
anyone with Internet access
is a document produced by
13 federal agencies (paid for
with our tax dollars) called
the U.S. Global Change
Research Program Climate
Science Special Report.
It is a “draft” only in the
sense that it hasn’t been
signed off on by politicians
who may have no interest in
doing so. As a result, the
report had to be “leaked” to
reach the people who paid for
it.
I would encourage every-
one to read the explanation
on page 10 of the varying
confidence levels attached to
the findings, and the
Executive Summary (pages
12-37) of the 673-paged
report.
Even just reading the bold
headings in this summary is
sobering.
Where can we go to
escape?
Alaska or Hawaii or some
other islands are generally
considered “Planet B” in
most of our minds. Yet, as
this report points out, Alaska
is suffering negatively at a
much higher and faster rate
than the rest of the U.S. In
fact, any island in the ocean
will suffer from rising sea
levels, changing seawater
chemistry that destroys reefs
and threatens anything with a
shell, as well as larger and
more frequent hurricanes.
Anyone who lives on a
river, near the ocean or eats
food grown on soil is at risk.
This report was written by
our nation’s best and bright-
est, compiling studies and
analyzing measurements and
conclusions; it was produced
for Congress and the
American people, including
local planners who need to
know:
How high the bridges and
seawalls must be;
What sorts of emergency
planning are needed;
What to expect and what
to do to prevent even greater
disaster.
This is not about liberal or
conservative, or what politi-
cal party controls what for
how long.
It is about our future.
It is about our present.
It is about our children and
our survival as a species.
Let’s stop quibbling while
our home burns.
We must leave a place
downriver where life is still
possible on this planet.
LETTERS
F AR FROM BEING
‘ WILLFULLY IGNORANT ’
I take exception to several statements
David T. Eckhardt made in his letter
“Supporting the Law Isn’t Being a
Hater” (Aug. 5), which was critical of
Judy Preisler’s letter “Hoping For a
Hate-Free City” (Aug. 2) regarding the
Trump administration’s change of ICE
policy that permits its agents to arrest
— seemingly without exception —
unauthorized immigrants.
I did not appreciate Mr. Eckhardt’s
insult that the Lane County commis-
sioners, the state legislature and citizens
like Mrs. Preisler (and me) are “willful-
ly ignorant of the facts” and “make
judgments based on feelings.”
“I do not support unfettered and unre-
stricted hordes of people just coming
here,” Mr. Eckhardt declared. This
statement infers that immigration across
our southern border prior to President
Trump’s inauguration was just that:
“unfettered” and “unrestricted.”
He is wrong.
An August 2016 NPR article
(/www.npr.org/2016/08/31/491965912/
5-things-to-know-about-obamas-
enforcement-of-immigration-laws) dis-
cussed President Obama’s immigration
enforcement policy, encapsulated in this
statement: “The Obama administration
says it doesn’t have the resources or the
desire to deport millions of immigrants
whose only crime was entering the
country illegally. So, it has focused its
enforcement efforts on particular targets
— namely, those caught near the border,
those who’ve committed crimes and
those who appear to have arrived in
2014 or later.”
Justifying his opposition to the shel-
tering of unauthorized immigrants, Mr.
Eckhardt wrote: “… we are a nation of
laws. … It is not our duty to ignore the
law or subvert the law as is currently
being done in our state and cities.”
My “ignorant-of-the-facts” response
is laws are as good or as bad as the
politicians who make them. Our coun-
try has suffered awful laws that have
cried out for repeal — slavery, Jim
Crow legislation, segregation of schools
and voter disenfranchisement, to cite
just a few examples.
An additional GOP Senator’s vote
two weeks ago to repeal Obamacare
would have led to millions of people
being deprived of their medical cover-
age.
There is something very wrong about
ICE agents in the middle of the night or
any time seizing for deportation unau-
thorized immigrants who entered this
country to escape certain death; who
have lived here five or more years; who
are the parents of children born here;
who become contributing participants
in a strong American economy; or who
have never committed a crime other
than having entered the country illegal-
ly.
In a democracy, high-minded civil
resistance to bad laws and executive
branch policy must occur. Especially
now, with our current President foment-
ing what I feel is so much hate.
—Harold Titus
Florence
B EHAVIOR OF PORT
IS SHAMEFUL
I was sickened when I learned of the
sexual harassment claim that was used
in what I feel was a vendetta against
Port Manager Steven Leskin as what I
would guess is payback for exposing
certain behaviors by individuals in your
community.
Even now as the headline in the Aug.
9 Siuslaw News article states, the sexu-
al harassment claim was unsubstantiat-
ed. However, Steven’s life as he knew it
is pretty much over. I hope those
responsible come to realize what a des-
picable thing they have done.
The behaviors of some are shameful.
It’s no wonder that state legislators
shake their heads about ports and port
commissions after reading articles like
this.
The end result of that, as stated by
one port commissioner, is that Steven
should have taken his money for pay-
ment and none of this would have ever
happened.
Really?
I have known Steven for three years,
as an employee and now as a friend.
I’ve worked in a public port environ-
ment for 29 years. Steven wanted what
was best for the port he was hired to
manage and, more importantly, for the
taxpayer and facility users who support
it.
I encouraged Steven to apply for the
Port Manager position there. Knowing
what I know now, I wish I hadn’t.
—Gina Dearth
General Manager
Port of Bandon
T HINGS ARE GETTING DONE
BUT OVERLOOKED
In response to Win Jolley’s letter
“Never Seen Things Worse Than Now”
(Aug. 9) statement “I am confused on
how we got to this point:”
The media gave Trump billions in
free publicity and were unable to stop
the juggernaut once they’d got it
rolling. Now, they’re mad as hell and
determined to bring down the very man
they helped elect.
They have abandoned almost all pre-
tense of impartiality. It’s an old joke,
but if Trump walked on water, it would
be headlined “Trump Can’t Swim!”
We are an ill-educated, self-absorbed
populace. How many times have you
seen people at dinner all checking their
smartphone and not a single word pass-
es between them?
We are held incommunicado in the
thrall of communication technology.
Recall Andy Warhol’s words that, “In
the future, everyone will be world-
famous for 15 minutes.”
We live in a celebratocracy.
Every loony pronouncement by peo-
ple who fake it for a living is immedi-
ately scrolled for our consumption. And
we keep gobbling it up.
The previous administration, loved
by the media, spent a trillion dollars in
stimulus and gave us eight years of
stagnation — yet not much was said.
I say things are being accomplished
by the Trump administration, but one
has to search because they won’t be list-
ed on Page 1 of the paper of record.
Specifically:
• Illegal immigration is down
• Employment rising
• Food stamp enrollment is down
• Some NATO partners are commit-
ting to paying 2 percent
• Gains against ISIS
• VA Reform
• Stock Market rising
HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson said
“Let me put it this way, I’m glad that
Trump is drawing all the fire so I can
get stuff done.”
Joseph de Maistre wrote in 1811:
“Every nation gets the government it
deserves.”
Or, put another way:
“We have met the enemy and he is
us.” — Walt Kelly, POGO cartoonist
— Ian Eales
Florence
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L ETTERS
TO THE
P OLICY
E DITOR
The Siuslaw News welcomes letters to the editor
as part of a community discussion of issues on the
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Libelous, argumentative and anonymous letters
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Send letters to:
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WHERE TO WRITE
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, Ore. 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
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
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
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