4 A
❘
SATURDAY EDITION
❘ AUGUST 19, 2017
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
NED HICKSON , EDITOR
Opinion
Sign on Hwy 101 shows that
no place is immune to hate
I never know what kind of
call it’s going to be when I
pick up my phone in the
newsroom. Often it’s a story
tip. Other times it’s feedback
on a story.
But the call I received
Thursday afternoon wasn’t
anything I expected — or
wanted — to hear in our
town. The woman was obvi-
ously upset and it took her a
while to express the reason
for her call. When she even-
tually did, I had to ask her to
repeat it.
“I said, there’s a large sign
on Highway 101 just north of
town, and it says...” she hesi-
tated for the second time
before asking me to excuse
the language she was about to
use.
When I asked if I could
have her name, she declined,
telling me she was afraid of
the kind of people who put
the sign there.
“I don’t want to get shot or
beaten up,” she said. “I just
thought you should know.”
She hung up.
I took the short drive north
on Highway 101 and imme-
diately spotted the sign, writ-
ten in black marker on the
vidual had enjoyed enough
free speech on my dime.
I currently have it at my
office if they’d like to come
get it. It will remain here until
Monday, after which it will
be gone much like the
eclipse.
It’s hard to say whether
From the Editor’s Desk
N ED H ICKSON
surface of a large piece of
white, pressboard shelving
which read:
F.U.!
N_ _ _ ERS
F_ _ _ OTS
B_ _ CHES!
I stared at it leaning there
against a power pole and fac-
ing the highway, like a sand-
wich board offering a list of
daily specials made from
soured ingredients of hate.
I snapped a photo and then
took the sign down, deciding
as a taxpayer that since it was
on public property, this indi-
this type of blatant hatred
toward others is becoming
more prevalent as a result of
the current climate of our
nation, or whether it’s simply
a matter of the vocal minori-
ty feeling more emboldened
by what they feel is a man-
date to hate supported by the
selectively ambiguous words
of our President.
It was our own country’s
ambiguousness during the
early stages of World War II
that played a role in allowing
the Nazi war machine to
reach full throttle before we
accelerated and overtook
them — but not before mil-
lions of civilians were sys-
tematically killed due to hate.
And let me say, had the
sign read any differently in
regard to hating any other
groups, racial slurs or reli-
gion affiliations, it would
have just as quickly made the
trip to my office.
Hatred resides in seeds
planted shallow in the soil of
ambiguousness.
It grows like a weed; easy
to spot and just as easy to pull
from the ground. However, it
also spreads quickly when
allowed to, which is its only
real means of survival.
To me, the sign I plucked
from the highway was one of
those weeds.
Ignore it and it will spread.
I hope you will join me in
saying: Not in my town.
Write Siuslaw News editor
Ned Hickson at nhickson@the-
siuslaw news.com or P.O. Box
10, Florence, Ore. 97439.
LETTERS
C LIMATE STATEMENTS LACK
OBJECTIVITY
The Wesley Voth opinion piece (“Our
Future is Downstream,” Aug. 12) has a
factual error about the climate report
being leaked. The writer was parroting
the New York Times, since corrected,
when in fact the December revision of
the mentioned report has been online
since January for any interested party to
read.
The report repackages a lot of prior
information with very little new. Over
and over, the report states that support
for its conclusions comes from the Fifth
Assessment Report published in 2013
by the United Nations
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change.
In too many cases, statements lack
objectivity. For example, “successful
implementation of the first round of
Nationally Determined Contributions
associated with the Paris Agreement
will provide some likelihood of meeting
the long-term temperature goal 2°C” is
based on a study that concludes that the
Paris Agreement marginally increases
the odds from zero to 8 percent.
Twelve-to-1 against are long odds
and more accurately described as “high-
ly unlikely” rather than “some likeli-
hood.”
I encourage readers to download and
read
“Seductive
Simulations?
Uncertainty Distribution Around
Climate Models” online at www.scien
cepolicy.colorado.edu/admin/publica
tion_files/resource-1891-2005.49.pdf.
This report highlights many of the
pitfalls of Global Climate Models
[GCM]: Complexity, inability of mod-
elers to test against actual data, models
built upon purchased models assumed
to be accurate, emotional attachment to
one’s model, etc.
At best, predicting the weather is an
educated guess — and has been ever
thus.
— Ian Eales
Florence
E RASING SYMBOLISM
IS ITS OWN KIND OF HATRED
Where do we stop? The new practice
of hiding history because it “feels”
wrong is quickly becoming the new
normal, a detrimental action that will
impact future study of factual history.
Should a line be drawn that separates
out the “good” history from the “bad”
history in order to protect some people
from being offended?
The fact is, history is what it is — it
has been made and recorded as it was,
and no amount of gnashing of teeth can
change that fact.
To re-fashion history in order to
make it fit within a particular paradig-
matic viewpoint is nothing more than
politically correct revisionism based on
an emotional — not pragmatic —
response.
The current atmosphere of cleaning
house of any signs or symbols of the
confederacy smacks of hatred, most of
this hatred being perpetuated by Black
Lives Matter and Antifa, two groups the
media refuses to name, instead calling
them “counter-protesters.”
To those groups, history is nothing
more than “white privledge” which
must be countered and defeated in any
manner deemed necessary. If that does-
n’t meet the definition of racism, I don’t
know what does.
This censorship of history is a smack
in the face of America; it is a reduction
of historical context to its emotional
foundation, removing the importance of
that history and replacing it with the
“feel-good” mantra of the progressive
left.
What’s next? The removal of any-
thing related to George Washington,
Thomas Jefferson, John Quincy Adams
or Alexander Hamilton because they
were white men who owned slaves?
History must never be defined
through a 21st century lens, yet that is
exactly what the progressive left is forc-
ing on the public.
Lane County, where we live was
named after a racist member of the Klu
Klux Klan. Do we remove his name just
because 160 years ago slavery was still
accepted? Or do we say, “Well, history
is sometimes messy, but to understand
that history is to understand who we are
today and see it as it is, warts and all.”
The former will do nothing but pre-
vent a clear and understandable defini-
tion of historical context; the latter will
enlighten, inform and bring knowledge
to those who care enough about history
to keep it alive.
George Santayana said it best:
“If we refuse to see history for what
it is, we are doomed to keep repeating
it.”
If we keep selling our history for the
payout of “warm fuzzies” we will get
what we deserve — an empty cultural
definition based in nothing more than
feelings.
— Barry Sommer
Florence
M AKING OCHS LOOK
BAD IS UNFAIR
After reading the Siuslaw News arti-
cle about The Oregon Coast Humane
Society (“Past and Present Volunteers,
Board Members Clash Over Care,”
Aug. 12), I was shocked and saddened.
I felt that the newspaper had only nega-
tive things to say about the shelter that
cares for so many homeless and aban-
doned animals in our community.
I am a member of The Oregon Coast
Humane Society and a foster parent for
the OCHS. I have adopted a dog from
OCHS and volunteered two to three
days a week for the last eight months. I
read that 16 volunteers had been inter-
viewed from the OCHS for the article
but I was never contacted for an inter-
view. Instead, the reporters used quotes
from a disgruntled former volunteer and
failed to reach out to other, non-dis-
gruntled volunteers like myself.
I can tell you that I have seen all of
the current dog-workers and their inter-
actions with these animals and it’s far
from abuse.
I would not volunteer any of my time
to OCHS if I felt that the animals were
being mistreated.
The article mentioned that they have
concrete floors, but fail to mention that
the floors are heated and the dogs have
blankets and beds that are distributed at
night, while older dogs have orthopedic
beds at all times. The article also stated
that the dogs have small kennels but
failed to report that they have exercise
time in the large fenced area, multiple
times a day, often with other dogs that
are friendly with each other.
Volunteers are allowed to take the
dogs on the trails around the humane
society and socialize with the dogs in
the fenced area.
Did the reporters even notice that
most of the dogs at the shelter know
basic commands such as sit and stay?
This is because the dedicated workers
spend countless hours working on obe-
dience in hopes that the dogs will some
day find a forever home.
The newspaper can try to make the
OCHS look bad for having too many
cats on every level, but each cat is loved
and cared for with ample space to spend
time outside of cages.
The workers at the humane society
truly care for these animals and want to
see them go to wonderful homes to
spend the rest of their lives.
I encourage anyone who is interested
in helping these animals to take some
time to volunteer at the humane society,
or consider adopting/fostering an ani-
mal.
OCHS was voted the No. 1 place to
volunteer in Florence and its not just
because of the precious animals; it’s
also due to the outstanding staff.
—Candace Degman
Florence
See
MORE LETTERS 5A
❘ 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.
USPS# 497-660
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.
Oregon Group Publisher 541-265 8571
Publisher, ext. 318
Editor, ext. 313
Consulting Editor 831-761-7353
Email: echalhoub@register-pajaronian.com
Marketing Director, ext. 326
Office Supervisor, ext. 312
Production Supervisor
Press Manager
James Rand
Jenna Bartlett
Ned Hickson
Erik Chalhoub
Susan Gutierrez
Cathy Dietz
Ron Annis
Jeremy Gentry
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
classifiedad,sThursday 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 subscrip-
tion,$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
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
local, state and national level.
Emailed letters are preferred. Handwritten or
typed letters must be signed. All letters need to
include full name, address and phone number; only
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 anonymous letters
or poetry, or letters from outside our readership
area will only be published at the discression of the
editor.
P OLITICAL /E LECTION L ETTERS :
Election-related letters must address pertinent or
timely issues of interest to our readers at-large.
Letters must 1) Not be a part of letter-writing
campaigns on behalf of (or by) candidates; 2)
Ensure any information about a candidate is accu-
rate, fair and not from second-hand knowledge or
hearsay; and 3) explain the reasons to support
candidates based on personal experience and per-
spective rather than partisanship and campaign-
style rhetoric.
Candidates themselves may not use the letters to
the editor column to outline their views and plat-
forms or to ask for votes; this constitutes paid polit-
ical advertising.
As with all letters and advertising content, the
newspaper, at the sole discretion of the publisher,
general manager and editor, reserves the right to
reject any letter that doesn’t follow the above crite-
ria.
Send letters to:
nhickson@thesiuslawnews.com
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