4 A
❘
WEDNESDAY EDITION
❘ SEPTEMBER 6, 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.
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
LETTERS
K UDOS TO O REGON
D EPARTMENT OF F ORESTRY
I have been a fan of Smokey Bear
ever since I visited the forest in south-
ern New Mexico where the original
Smokey was found. This past Labor
Day weekend, I was privileged to see
Smokey at Harbor Vista Park along
with the children and families who
spent the three-day weekend at the park.
I wish to thank the team of firefight-
ers from the Oregon Department of
Forestry in Florence for bringing
Smokey and one of their fire trucks.
Smokey greeted all the children with
hugs and lots of photos were taken by
smiling parents.
The team leader, Tom, described the
important role his department plays dur-
ing this dangerous fire season,
described fire prevention tactics and
displayed his firefighting equipment. A
big treat for the children was when a
team member and Smokey helped chil-
dren spray down a mock fire with water
from a fire hose.
The event ended with children select-
ing mementos to take home.
I also want to thank Mike Stewart,
the Park caretaker, for his thoughtful
invitation to the ODF. This was a sec-
ond event put on at the park this sum-
mer, the first being a presentation by
Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue.
Mike has involved the Friends of
Harbor Vista Park in these events and
several local residents helped with
greetings to the campers.
The event ended with everyone
remembering Smokey’s famous charge:
“Only you can prevent wild fires.”
—Michael Allen
Friends of Harbor Vista Park
Florence
W HAT I APPRECIATE IN A
NEWSPAPER EDITOR
Do you know what I appreciate in a
newspaper editor?
Accuracy and fairness, and adher-
ence to facts. That is what I appreciate
about Ned Hickson.
I was shocked to read about Pamela
Richardson’s declaration that he was
unfair about calling the president’s
response to Charlottesville “ambigu-
ous.”
Although she may find support
among the 28 percent of Americans
who support the President’s speech and
actions, there are about 56 percent who
disagree with them. Some of the promi-
nent conservatives who were appalled
at President Trump’s response include
Sen. Orrin Hatch, Sen. Cory Gardener,
Sen. Marco Rubio, Sen. John McCain,
Charles Krauthammer, Karl Rove ...
should I go on?
Those are facts, real news, and I
applaud Ned Hickson for connecting
the dots that a majority of people plain-
ly see.
I must assume Ms. Richardson sup-
ports who I believe is a deeply flawed
man and incompetent President.
That is just an opinion — my opinion
— based on the facts of his actions.
Ms. Richardson’s analysis that Ned
Hickson was unfair is her opinion —
not a fact.
Having many prominent conserva-
tives say that the President’s response
was insufficient is also fact. So our edi-
tor has tied his assertion to an idea,
though not popular with you, that is
based in factual consensus. And, by say-
ing it was ambiguous, Ned Hickson was
actually being diplomatic (It was called
worse).
I’d like to add that Sen. Hatch tweet-
ed that his brother did not fight Nazis in
WWII so that their ideas would go
unchallenged here at home.
Neither did my uncle Gilbert, who
gave his life in the Push, KIA Nov 7,
1944, the Netherlands (104th,
Timberwolves out of Camp Adair). He
rests there in the American Cemetery at
Margraten.
When our country asks our young
men to lay down their lives to fight
Nazis, their sacrifice should never be
disrespected by not condemning Nazis
and all they represent.
That’s something I will never let any-
one forget.
I feel it was remarkably underhand-
ed to call for conservatives to think
twice about advertising in the paper. A
dishonorable threat, in my opinion, that
smacks of intimidation and the stuff of
bullies.
Personally, I think Ned Hickson leans
to the right, to my consternation. But he
is always fair and deals in facts.
That is what good editors do, to the
consternation of bullies.
—Stephanie Spradling
Florence
A RPAIO PARDON AN ABUSE
OF POWER
“Remember, I can do anything to
anyone.”
This was the precept by which
Caligula ruled Rome in disregard of its
governing institutions and traditions. In
my opinion, it might well be the open-
ing words of the Arpaio pardon.
Before my wife and I moved to
Florence 15 years ago, Joe Arpaio,
America’s self-proclaimed “Toughest
Sheriff,” was our sheriff. He bragged
about housing prisoners (mostly
Hispanic) in Army surplus tents next to
garbage dumps in Arizona’s summer
heat, dressing them in prison black and
white stripes (and pink underwear)
while sending them out to work in chain
gangs, feeding them green bologna
sandwiches and making racial profiling
Standard Operating Procedure.
His “toughness” got him reelected
five times, even though it cost Maricopa
County taxpayers $140 million in court
judgments and legal fees, including $6
million and $8.25 million to the fami-
lies of two men killed while in Arpaio’s
custody.
We moved back to Scottsdale eight
months ago. Sheriff Joe had just been
voted out. But, he still faced federal
charges for his refusal to enforce a 2011
court order to discontinue racial profil-
ing practices. Two months ago, a feder-
al judge found Arpaio guilty of criminal
contempt of court.
Meanwhile, President Trump has
insulted judges because of their ethnici-
ty, disparaged their rulings, attempted to
interfere with a federal investigation
and tried to have the Justice Department
drop Arpaio’s prosecution.
However, the Arpaio pardon sets a
new standard of disrespect for the
courts and the rule of law.
Arpaio’s pardon demeans the role
and authority of the judiciary that, as
chief executive, he is constitutionally
bound to uphold.
Yes, the U.S. Constitution gives the
president power to pardon people con-
victed of federal offenses, even an elect-
ed official who has violated people’s
constitutional rights.
But, it is an abuse of that power when
the offense for which Arpaio was par-
doned was being contemptuous of a
federal judge’s order.
President Trump’s abuse is being
contemptuous of the interdependence of
separate but equal branches. It is an
affront to every federal judge, whether
nominated by a Republican or
Democrat.
With his pardon, the President has
essentially told us, “Remember, I can
do anything to anyone.”
—Arnold Buchman
Florence/Scottsdale
D ISLIKE OF HATE MAKES ME
EXTREMIST ?
In response to the letter from Stephen
Johnson (Sept. 2) about liberal extrem-
ism (“Liberal Extremism Destroying
Our Fabric,” Sept. 2), it is not accept-
able for my neighbor, or anyone else, to
suffer even one incident of hate — and
sadly, it has not been only once. It is just
wrong that in this country anyone
would be subject to an ugly comment
based on race or culture. This happens
in school with bullying, racist jokes in
social settings and many places where
one may not feel safe with some hateful
remark.
Way back in my mother’s family is a
grandfather, John Rolfe, who married
Pocahontas. They had one son, Thomas
Rolfe, in 1611.
My father’s parents came from
Istibna, Austria, which is now Poland.
My father was born in Wyoming in
1915. On this side of my family I am
only a second generation American.
So, I don’t appreciate slurs against
people who are different in any way by
name or looks.
If my dislike of hate of any kind
makes me an extremist liberal, than I
would wear that badge with honor.
—Nancy Rickard
Florence
See
MORE LETTERS 5A
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