4 A
❘
SATURDAY EDITION
❘ OCTOBER 7, 2017
Siuslaw News
NED HICKSON , EDITOR
Opinion
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
❘ 541-902-3520 ❘
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
Cultural threads of domestic
violence need to be unraveled
Those who read my syndi-
cated humor column know I
try to keep life in perspective
through humor. But for many
years humor was also part of a
coping mechanism from a
childhood witnessing both
verbal and physical abuse by
the men in my family —
specifically, my father and
older brothers.
It wasn’t until I became a
father that I realized the
impact that a childhood wit-
nessing abuse had on me, and
how some of those wounds —
as both a witness and recipient
— had never truly healed.
I know this because I occa-
sionally saw reflections of my
father and brothers in myself
as I fought to avoid making
the same mistakes with my
own children; I also know this
because I came to realize that
as much as we want to tell
ourselves we can choose not
to take any baggage with us on
our journey through life, ulti-
mately it’s always somewhere
waiting to be claimed.
There is no getting rid of it
completely, only a conscious
decision to leave it circling on
the carousel.
This is especially true for
young men in their teens and
early 20s, when they are defin-
ing themselves and establish-
ing their place in what is still a
mostly male-dominated world
while, at the same time, also
trying to understand the intri-
cacies of communicating with
those they love.
How do I know this?
petuated particularly through
media and advertising because
it sells body wash, music,
movie tickets, clothes and
video games.
It’s baggage our culture has
been carrying for generations.
It is true that being a real
man means being in control.
But not of others.
It means being in control of
yourself enough to under-
stand, acknowledge and
From the Editor’s Desk
N ED H ICKSON
Because, statistically
speaking, I was a young man
once. Trying to appear tough
among your peers while still
holding on to the part of you
that is thoughtful and caring
feels contradictory to what
we’re taught about being a
man. We see it in movies and
advertising; we hear it in
music: Being a man means
being in control.
In charge.
In command.
Of life and our relation-
ships.
It’s a social stereotype per-
accept your strengths as well
as your weaknesses.
It also means never using
your strength — physically or
verbally — to overpower oth-
ers. Especially the women in
your life, whether it be your
wife, girlfriend, mother,
daughter or neighbor.
A real man provides protec-
tion, safety and acceptance; a
weak man dishes out pain,
insecurity and denial.
In either case, they are
reflections of our inner self.
The question is: What kind of
reflection do you want to see
when you look in the mirror
each day?
Every year, our local
Siuslaw Outreach Services
(SOS) assists more than 150
victims of domestic abuse,
including providing shelter for
victims more than 500 times
in 2016. As wonderful as our
community is, it isn’t immune
to domestic violence against
women, men and children.
There’s no denying that the
cultural threads of domestic
violence are woven into the
fabric of our society.
Though we have certainly
made strides in some areas by
recognizing and discussing
matters of physical and verbal
abuse, that baggage is still out
there circling on the carousel.
During this month of
Domestic Violence
Awareness, as a culture each
of us must make a commit-
ment to avoid claiming the
baggage that perpetuates vio-
lence on our families and each
other — and we must be will-
ing to carry that commitment
well beyond the final, crisp
evening of October.
Victims of domestic abuse can
call the SOS hotline at 541-997-
4444; abusers seeking help can
call SOS at 541-997-2816.
LETTERS
C LEAN UP AFTER YOUR
OWN DOG IN PARK
We have been going to the local dog
park for six months and the dogs have a
great time.
Our first visit, we picked up 19 piles of
dog waste, in addition to our own dog’s.
Last week, we picked up 29 piles.
There are free bags and the garbage can
is located right at the exit. It is a park rule
to pick up after your dog, so why don’t
some people do so and keep the park
waste-free for dogs and people?
Who wants to step in that stuff?
Please be responsible, people.
— Kim Greenwood
Florence
G UN ISSUE DEEPER THAN
WHERE WE BUY THEM
In response to the Letter to the Editor
from Mark and Cynthia Chandler (Oct.
4): Being that Fred Meyer has sold guns
for at least the four years my husband and
I have resided here — and by the way, Bi-
Mart also sells guns along with milk —
not shopping somewhere where guns are
sold would limit you to Grocery Outlet,
Safeway or trips to the valley.
I’m curious as to whether the
Chandlers have addressed their concerns
regarding gun sales and their location next
to the toy department with Kroger or Fred
Meyer, as opposed to submitting a Letter
to the Editor for what appears to be dra-
matic effect?
What is disturbing is the underlying
implication that anyone who sells guns or
participates in the gun culture is somehow
complicit with the Las Vegas mass
killings.
So what constitutes a lethal weapon?
I looked up in Wikipedia “Items that
are considered lethal weapons,” and their
definition was: firearms, knives, switch-
blades, slingshots (Dave & Goliath?),
Stiletto, javelin, sword, dagger, brass
knuckles, etc. Baseball bats also make
excellent weapons, along with the frying
pan.
On a bigger scale, there are bombs
(Boston marathon bombing), grenades ... I
could go on. Take a good look at items in
the kitchen: butcher knives, metal skew-
ers, scissors, or how about the garage,
where there are hammers, screwdrivers,
etc.
The thing about gun control or boy-
cotting grocery stores selling guns is that,
even if there becomes a law where every
citizen (and does this include illegal
immigrants?) that has a gun in their pos-
session is ordered to turn in their gun,
only the law-abiding citizens will do so.
Meanwhile, citizens like the recent Las
Vegas shooter will not be turning in their
guns.
If you remove firearms completely
from society, all that will happen is that
the people with murder or hatred in their
hearts will continue to use their now ille-
gal-to-own guns — and unarmed citizens
will more easily become victims.
Is boycotting grocery shopping at Fred
Meyer going to solve the problem of
criminal misuse of guns in this country?
No.
But trying to fix what ails the human
heart might.
—Virginia Reynolds
Florence
Y OU CAN ’ T LEGISLATE
WHAT ’ S IN THE HEART
All this talk of gun control...
I seem to be missing something here...
I don’t own a gun and am not fond of
them, but I really don’t think the guns are
the problem.
Years ago, gun laws were far less
restrictive than they are now, yet kids
went to school without fear of assault.
People did not rampage through shopping
malls shooting total strangers. Snipers did
not hang out on rooftops ready to demol-
ish their neighborhoods. And suicide by
gun shot was not among the most com-
mon modes of death.
On the contrary, folks kept gun cabinets
in their rec rooms for hunting season; in
rural areas, kids drove pick-ups to school
with loaded gun racks in the rear window.
We honestly did not think anything
creepy was going on.
So what’s really changed?
Laws have changed, but that hasn’t
solved anything.
That’s because you can’t legislate the
heart. And folks, that is what has changed
for the worse; the human heart has
changed.
Don’t give me any godless rationale. If
you cannot see truth plainly written in the
news of the day, you are blind.
The human heart has changed. Evil is
tolerated, even called “good.”
God has been evicted from the public
square and we are living with the conse-
quences.
No, guns are not the problem.
Murdering fingers on the triggers are the
problem.
And no man-made law will fix that.
—Ellen Traylor
Florence and Gardiner
H UMANS MAKE
WEAPONS LETHAL
In regard to the Chandlers’ Letter to the
Editor, “Groceries and Guns...” (Sept.
30), such pointless grandstanding is mis-
guided.
Boycotts are seldom effective and often
follow the Law of Unintended
Consequences. A successful boycott here
would have next to zero effect on Kroger,
Inc., but an enormous effect locally —
particularly on our friends and neighbors
who work at Fred Meyer.
Our community as a whole would suf-
fer any diminution of the terrific Fred
Meyer staff.
We all feel anguish and grief for the
victims and survivors, but I think society
is better served by directing our efforts to
those who exploit mass killing for enter-
tainment: movie studios, television and
video game manufacturers for a start.
The mainstream media revel in
tragedy: If it bleeds, it leads.
Firearms per se are not lethal.
But humans definitely are.
—Ian Eales
Florence
NHICKSON @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
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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