4A |
SATURDAY EDITION
| JULY 28, 2018
NED HICKSON , EDITOR
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
Opinion
| 541-902-3520 | NHICKSON @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
C
The First Amendment
ongress shall make no law respecting an es-
tablishment of religion or prohibiting the
free exercise 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.
“I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend.” —Thomas Jefferson (1800)
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Copyright 2018 © Siuslaw News
Published every Wednesday and Saturday at 148 Maple St. in Florence, Lane County, Oregon.
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Jenna Bar tlett
Ned H ickson
Erik Chalhoub
Publisher, ex t. 318
Editor, ex t. 313
Co n s u l t i n g E d i to r 8 3 1 -7 6 1 -7 3 5 3
echalhoub@register-pajaronian.com
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O ffice Super visor, ex t. 312
Pro d u c t i o n Su p e r v i s o r
Pre s s M a n a ge r
Su s a n G u t i e r re z
Cathy Dietz
Ron Annis
Je re my G e n t r y
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Letters to the Editor policy
LETTERS
Be careful when casting
stones at animal shelter
“Let him among you who is without
sin cast the first stone ...”
— John 8:7
What animal lover in this town has
never had to choose euthanasia for their
own family pet? It is a heartbreaking
decision that can only be rationalized
by knowing the loved one will suffer
no more ... that this is a humane choice
compared to the alternative.
Many of us still wonder, years later, if
we did the right thing at the right time.
Our humane society is comprised of
human people put in tough positions
and asked by our community to car-
ry out Herculean tasks with very little
thanks. Its mission pledges to “... ad-
vance the goal of a no-kill shelter ...”
In my mind, this is different than
claiming to be a no-kill shelter.
Death is part of life. Every living crea-
ture will face it, whether by gentle means
in a supported setting or by some other
means. An elderly, ill animal depends on
its caregivers for mercy. It cannot plan its
own check-out date, like we humans can
here in Oregon — or perhaps it would?
I am amazed that all the good done by
The Oregon Coast Humane Society is
washed away by the fact of euthanasia.
Let’s be kind and patient — and get
our own pets fixed so that fewer of their
offspring end up needing others to care
for them.
—Ivy Medow
Florence
What ‘no-kill’ means
With the recent controversy of Ore-
gon Coast Humane Society (OCHS) eu-
thanizing two reportedly treatable dogs
in the past few months, and two board
members recently resigning due to “no-
kill” issues, it is obvious that we need to
explore what “no-kill” really is.
A no-kill community is one that acts
on the belief that every healthy, adopt-
able dog and healthy cat should be saved,
and that its focus should be on saving
as many lives as possible through com-
prehensive adoption programs, rescue
partnerships, active volunteer programs,
public relations/community involve-
ment, functioning foster programs,
spay/neuter programs, trap-neuter-re-
turn of feral cats, pet retention advocacy,
medical and behavioral rehabilitation
programs, a dedicated/capable/compas-
sionate shelter director, and other com-
munity support programs rather than
achieving a specifi c numerical outcome.
No-kill does not mean that shelters
haven’t reached no-kill; that their em-
ployees are willing killers; that danger-
ous or sick animals will be released into
the community; or that shelters will start
warehousing animals indefi nitely.
Th is is why I believe OCHS is not a
no-kill shelter. It warehouses animals,
some for more than 10 years, mean-
ing it lacks the basic foundations of the
no-kill equation as stated above. It also
euthanizes what are arguably adoptable
animals. For example, Karma needed a
leg amputation, but her medical records
state “because of age and disposition eu-
thanized.” Th is is not defi ned as no-kill if
her long-term prognosis was good.
I’m certain Karma would never have
been killed under Barb Hall’s true no-kill
leadership. Donors need to know that
OCHS is no longer no-kill anymore.
—Julie McDonnell
Eugene
national interests to the Russian Feder-
ation in what appears to be an attempt
to vindicate a sense of injured self-pride.
So, at the very least, if the president
and his supporters persist in their sup-
port of an avowed U.S. enemy, they at
least owe an apology to Jane Fonda for
her signifi cantly less egregious off enses.
—Steven P. Bidlake
Reedsport
Apologies for “Hanoi Jane?”
In light of President Trump’s recent
endorsement of the Putin government’s
illicit invasion of U.S. elections, I believe
that GOP voters and others who harbor
hatred and condemnation of Jane Fon-
da for her 1972 visit to wartime Hanoi,
owe her a heartfelt apology for their un-
relenting traducement of her honor and
reputation.
I vividly recall the visit when it oc-
curred. While I was actively against the
war and convinced of its fraudulent,
unjust basis, I did not approve, and felt
very uncomfortable about her visit to an
active wartime foe of the USA.
I did not condemn her, as I believed
she acted from conscience. But I person-
ally felt that U.S. citizens should not give
support to our nation’s avowed and man-
ifest enemies.
In the case of president Trump, no
credible defense can be off ered that he
has given aid and support for a proven
enemy of the U.S. from any cause other
than personal vanity and venal self-in-
terest. However, reams of evidence and
terabytes of data have clearly demon-
strated that military personnel of the
Russian Federation under the direction
of Vladimir Putin have attacked the U.S.
with the aim of subverting our electoral
processes.
And yet our president, despite the
counsel of his own appointed intelli-
gence chiefs and law enforcement lead-
ers — along with all the information
they command — has chosen to side
with Putin and against those charged
with the protection our nation and its
vital interests.
Th is is unforgivable and decisively
invalidating. Yet President Trump’s sup-
porters along with his lackeys in Con-
gress persist in seconding him in this
betrayal of U.S. security and sovereignty.
Th is too is unforgivable and arguably
treasonous. I understand that there are
grievances among the largely white,
middle-aged demographic that makes
up president Trump’s “base.”
But there are also grievances among
the female, the young, the Afri-
can-American, Latino, Asian and other
elements of our great, diverse American
citizenry. Grated, grievances alone are
not a permissible pretext for treason.
Who knows? Perhaps the president
himself has grievances over his lack of
recognition, access to bank credit or
other slights he believes he may have
suff ered in his travail through life.
Th ese are immaterial, however. When
he swore to “protect and defend the Con-
stitution,” he was required to set these
aside. And there can be no excuse for
him or his supporters in selling out our
Roe vs. Wade a masterpiece
of obfuscation
Marybeth Marenco wrote an extreme-
ly engaging letter on our rights as in-
dividuals and a nation (“Rights Under
Fire,” July 14). All our rights come from
a Divine Creator and I believe Marybeth
is mixing up her desires and what is law-
fully allowed by society’s moral code.
For instance, she said, “women’s rights
are under direct attack” by taking away
a “woman’s right to choose” given under
the Supreme Court decision known as
Roe vs. Wade.
Is the choice legal and moral? If not,
it is still a choice but not necessarily a
good choice. If a man or a woman in-
gests drugs into their bloodstream it is
generally illegal.
Th ere is no right there.
Also, a woman or man cannot do any-
thing they want with their bodies like
drink, drive and have an accident or
DUII.
Roe vs. Wade should be read by one
and all and it would then be understood
that Justice Blackmun and six other Jus-
tices on a 7-2 vote wrote a convoluted
history on health by hospitals, Greeks,
Persians, U.S. history, etc., having noth-
ing to do with the abortion as it applies
to constitutional jurisprudence.
Since there is no mention of this so-
called right in the Constitution, it has
been made up by nine lawyers in black
robes. Roe is a masterpiece in obfusca-
tion and a justice trying to be intellec-
tually relevant without citing any con-
stitutional certitude. Th e law clerks were
astounded at the literary deals the jus-
tices were making as if they were a super
legislature.
If or when Roe is ever overturned,
each state legislature would decide “yea”
or “nay” on woman’s health.
No rights would be lost.
On the First Amendment freedom of
the press and the president, he or she has
every right to do to the media what the
media does to the them.
It’s about time that our presidents use
their right to state bluntly what the press
is doing. By the way, they have just as
much constitutional rights as the pomp-
ous press. Th e First Amendment is not
unlimited and certainly slander by the
news is on the margins.
We have great constitutional rights.
Let’s learn and preserve them for as long
as we and our posterity live. Th e Consti-
tution is a formidable document that has
— and will stand — the test of time for
we the people.
1787 was a very good year.
—Joel Marks
Florence
The Siuslaw News welcomes letters to the editor as
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Emal letters to:
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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
Oregon 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
(4th 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@
oregonlegislature.gov
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