4 A
❘
WEDNESDAY EDITION
❘ JANUARY 24, 2018
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
NED HICKSON , EDITOR
❘ 541-902-3520 ❘
NHICKSON @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
Opinion
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
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Ned Hickson
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DEADLINES:
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classifiedad,sThursday 1 p.m.; Display ads, Thursday noon; Boxed and display classified ads, Wednesday 5 p.m.
Soundings, Tuesday 5 p.m.
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L ETTERS
LETTERS
P OWER OF THE PRESS
On New Year’s Eve, I received a
letter from my landlord stating that as
of Feb. 1, my rent will increase by
$210 per month (62 percent). In his
letter, my landlord explained that he
“recently chose to take advantage of
the favorable market conditions ...
that exist in Florence.”
He explained that “In 2016, the
state legislators tried to initiate a
freeze on what landlords could
charge, and allow only minimal per-
centage increases. This is a scary
thing for property owners, and one
would not want to get caught below
market conditions. Though the initia-
tive did not pass, the issue of afford-
able housing has become very politi-
cal, and Oregon tends to favor ten-
ants.”
I have lived here for 11 years and
never missed a rent payment.
Having researched Craigslist,
Facebook, area classifieds, talked
with local realtors and after network-
ing with friends, I am suddenly faced
with the reality of Florence’s lack of
affordable housing for anyone work-
ing for minimum wages.
I think the issue of affordable hous-
ing has become “political” thanks in
large part to the excellent reporting of
the Siuslaw News and its “Is Coastal
Living in Jeopardy?” series.
—Michael Simmons
Florence
I applaud those who fight for racial,
gender, religious and environmental
justice; more power to them.
I would hope that my grandchildren
will be able to experience the wild
lands and our national parks free of
pollution, and enjoy the many people
of different ethnic backgrounds that
help make our country great.
God help us all to take care of each
other.
—Julie MacFarlane
Florence
F OOD FOR THOUGHT
“Give me your tired,
your poor,
your huddled masses
yearning to breathe free;
The wretched refuse
of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless,
tempest-tossed to me;
I lift my lamp
beside the golden door!”
—Emma Lazarus, inscription on the
base of the Statue of Liberty, 1903
“Why do we want
all these people
from shithole countries
coming here?”
—Donald Trump, 2018
—Judy Kinsman
Florence
‘U NDERSTANDING ’ OF NRA IS
JUST PLAIN WRONG
M ISGUIDED , INSATIABLE
APPETITE OF ADMINISTRATION
Our current American administra-
tion in Washington D.C. represents
the epitome of greed and exploitation.
Its mantra seems to be destroy any-
thing necessary — the Earth, people
or other countries — to accumulate
more wealth for a select minority.
They condemn those who are less
fortunate or struggling, whether it be
those who already live here or those
who come here to escape war and cor-
ruption to pursue the American ideals
of equality, justice and hope.
I believe everyone’s basic needs —
housing, utilities, healthcare and a
safe environment in which to live —
should be met rather than devouring
the world to satisfy the administra-
tion’s misguided and insatiable
appetitie.
It’s obvious from her Letter to the
Editor (“NRA’s Long Arm Reaches
Beyond Membership,” Jan. 20) that
Dolly Brock does not like the NRA.
So be it; it is her right.
I, on the other hand, am a Life
Member of the NRA and proudly so.
It is often misunderstood among the
general public, which has little if any
interaction with the organization. The
NRA does not reach beyond it’s mem-
bership but, to the contrary, goes right
where members want to go.
So to say that the NRA is not an
advocacy group like the many others
noted is just plain wrong, and to state
that just because it has multiple fund-
ing sources somehow proves her point
is a straw dog at best and a lie at
worst.
Not only does Ruger have a round-
up program as we call them, but so
does Midway USA, where I buy my
supplies. I choose to use these compa-
nies not only for their fine products
but also because they support the
NRA.
Some may think us to be disingen-
uous when we say we are like-mind-
ed, but that simply is not true. As with
any organization, many will have dif-
fering opinions but we all agree on
our need to protect the Second
Amendment from those who misrep-
resent it.
I smile at the ignorance shown in
thinking all the NRA did or does is
teach marksmanship. I suggest read-
ing its membership charter. The NRA
is not only the best teacher of gun
safety for our children (Eddy Eagle)
but also teaches many first respon-
ders, police departments and others
— which none of the so called “safe-
ty organizations” (read Gun Control)
do. You may be surprised to know that
the NRA came to the aid of our fellow
citizens to make sure they weren’t
denied their rights just because they
were black, way back when that drew
the ire from so many who thought
they were less than a person.
Yes, we lobby for our rights just the
same as any other organization. And
yes, we are proud to do so. I for one
have Life Membership stickers on
both corners of my windshield and
Blue Lives Matter stickers on my side
windows. And yes, I fly the flag with
pride.
You may find this to be narrow
minded when, in fact, I don’t just
swing right; I also swing with all the
Constitutional rights, which is what
separates us from the rest of the
world.
God Bless America.
—David Eckhardt
Florence
TO THE
P OLICY
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 discretion 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
Amendment
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden
221 Dirksen Senate Office
Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5244
541-431-0229
www.wyden.senate.gov
ongress shall make no law
respecting an establishment 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.
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
The First
C
E DITOR
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