4 A
❘
WEDNESDAY EDITION
❘ JANUARY 31, 2018
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
NED HICKSON , EDITOR
Opinion
❘ 541-902-3520 ❘
NHICKSON @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
The First Amendment
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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.
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.
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Ned Hickson
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DEADLINES:
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Soundings, Tuesday 5 p.m.
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L ETTERS
Finding common ground rather
than losing out on opportunity
On the one hand, I’m
never quite sure what to
expect when my phone
rings here at the editor’s
desk. On the other hand, I
do know it’s always an
opportunity to share an
exchange of viewpoints,
ideas or — sometimes — a
point of contention with
someone in my community.
Many years ago as a
restauranteur, I learned that
when a guest wants to talk
to a manager about a bad
experience, they aren’t
seeking excuses, or reasons
as to why you couldn’t meet
their expectations.
They want two things:
1) To be heard.
2) Some form of resolu-
tion.
My servers always knew
I was willing to address
issues at a table because I
viewed every situation as an
opportunity to build a rela-
tionship with a guest — the
kind that reaches well
beyond a meal and table
service.
If you can turn a dissatis-
fied guest around, you build
a certain kind of loyalty
through that shared experi-
ence.
Did I always manage that
feat?
Of course not.
But I always tried.
It’s the same approach I
take to your phone calls as
editor. Each is an opportuni-
ty to build a relationship
which, in this case, reaches
beyond Wednesday’s and
these kinds of conversations
are important ones and a
necessary part of our own
system of checks and bal-
ances as a community —
here in Florence and
beyond.
It was through this dis-
cussion that we also found
other common ground,
quite literally in Atlanta,
where we had both spent
time.
From the Editor’s Desk
N ED H ICKSON
Saturday’s
newspaper
pages.
One morning, I got a call
from “John,” who wanted to
know why we allowed one
letter writer to use the
phrase
“admitted anti-
Semite” on our Opinion
page.
This led to a discussion
about our differing points of
view on whether guilt by
association is or isn’t a
proper indicator of intent.
John had some very good
points that I took to heart.
Though our viewpoints dif-
fered, we could agree that
It was the kind of conver-
sation that left us both feel-
ing heard and, more impor-
tantly, resolved in the sense
of understanding one anoth-
er’s perspective.
A short time later, I got a
call from “Sharon,” who
wanted to let me know
about a troubling trend
involving the destruction of
certain “adopt-a-highway”
signs that seemed to be
politically motivated.
Eventually, our conversa-
tion turned to our joint con-
cern about how political
affiliation has begun to
supercede our affiliation as
Americans, within its citi-
zenry as well as within our
government.
It was clear that we had
supported different candi-
dates in the past.
However, the common
ground we shared about our
nation’s polarization went
beyond election results.
Naturally, not every
phone call ends that way,
any more than I was able to
exceed the expectations of
every guest who ate at my
restaurant.
But I also know that for
every conversation that did-
n’t take place, there was a
lost opportunity.
I want to thank the
“Johns” and “Sharons” out
there who take the time to
call and provide an opportu-
nity to turn things around
and, most importantly, build
relationships that reach
beyond these newspaper
pages.
Write Siuslaw News editor
Ned Hickson at nhickson@the
siuslaw news.com or Pc/o
Siuslaw News, 148 Maple St.,
Florence, Ore. 97439.
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 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
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