4A |
SATURDAY EDITION
| DECEMBER 8, 2018
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
NED HICKSON , EDITOR
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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to PressReleases@TheSiuslawNews.com.
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
M ar k e t i n g Di re c to r, e x t . 3 2 6
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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The importance of never forgetting our ‘Day of Infamy’
a world at war.
In an age when many
entertain themselves with
gaming systems that center
around violent acts of war,
the lessons learned from
the sacrifices of the past
Ray Chavez was a quar-
are in danger of becoming
termaster on the USS
From the Editor’s Desk
diluted by pre-packaged
Condor stationed at Pearl
Ned Hickson
and rewards-driven “acts of
Harbor the morning of
valor.” Underscoring this is
Dec. 7, 1941. This past
Thanksgiving Day, he died 98; Ken Potts, 97; Lou Con- the morning was filled with the gradual and inevitable
silencing of those voices
as many acts of heroism
ter, 97; and Don Stratton,
at the age of 106, quieting
and sacrifice as moments of who lived through that in-
96. This year, old age and
one of the few remaining
famous day in our history.
failing health prevented
unimaginable horror.
voices from that horrific
As a result, the lessons
Over the years, images in
“Day of infamy” that jetti-
any of those USS Arizona
survivors from making the text books, commemorative learned from those sacrific-
soned us into the heart of
es in our past aren't digging
issues from publications
trip to Oahu.
World War II.
nearly as deep a groove in
As a child, I was only
like Time magazine and
Yesterday, Americans
the minds of our children
stories captured in movies
took time to remember the peripherally aware of the
and our culture as they
impressed upon me the
Vietnam War and even
sacrifice made by those
once did.
virtues of valor.
less so of the Korean War,
2,403 servicemen killed in
History forgotten is
At the same time, and
which ended before I was
the attack, along with the
born. Yet, as the last shot
perhaps more importantly, history bound to repeat
1,178 who were wounded
itself. As the voices of Pearl
was being fired in Vietnam, those images and stories
But this year’s remem-
Harbor grow silent, it is
that surface each year —
brance also marked another I already knew what Pearl
much like the slowly recur- more important than ever
Harbor was. I knew how a
somber occcasion: It was
quiet Sunday morning was ring “black tears” of oil that that we ensure the black
first time a USS Arizona
tears slowly surfacing from
still bubble to the surface
survivor wasn't present for transformed into a fiery
the USS Arizona are never
from the USS Arizona —
the 7:50 a.m. commemora- nightmare by Japanese
forgotten — nor those for
serve as a reminder of the
planes — and how, in less
tion of the more than 900
ultimate price demanded by which they are shed.
than nine minutes, more
servicemen who remain
entombed in the battleship.
All told, only five crew
members are still alive from
that mornng attack: Lauren
Bruner, 98; Lonnie Cook,
than 900 men became
entombed in the wreckage
that now rests like a shadow
below the harbor's surface.
I also came to know how
LETTERS
‘It takes a village’
I know I have used that analogy
previously when describing some
element of our military museum’s
mission over the years. After a very
successful Festival of Trees, I simply
cannot name each individual or lo-
cal business who contributed to that
success.
Six different miscellaneous spon-
sors, over a dozen tree designers and
18 different dessert sponsors; table
sponsors numbered 19, tree spon-
sors numbered 40; and while the
core committee numbers only seven,
sub-committee members add anoth-
er 33.
Of course, this doesn’t include all:
our museum board members, at-
tendees who spent their dollars, FEC
staff or media partners — as you can
see, the analogy that it takes a vil-
lage certainly fits, and we thank each
and every one who helped with this
year’s event for their time, talent and
contribution in keeping our museum
doors open.
There is one individual I must
name though. It wouldn’t have hap-
pened at all without the tireless ef-
forts of the committee chair, Sue
Gilday.
As the original architect of this
event six years ago while serving on
our OCMM board, she knows full
well the commitment it takes, and
she stepped up to that task.
Thank you Sue!
—Cal Applebee, Executive Director
Oregon Coast Military Museum
Memorial service for Bush
probably difficult for Trump
I am not one of those who watch
coronations or funerals on the tube.
Trying to find some news for the
past two-and-a-half days, all the net-
works were dialed into the memorial
services for former President George
H. W. Bush.
In one memorial service, I was
actually captivated by three of the
speakers: Historian Jon Meacham,
former senator from Wyoming
Alan Simpson and former Canadian
Prime Minister Brian Mulroney
In a nutshell, they said that Presi-
dent George H.W. Bush was strong,
gracious, loving, loyal and had great
leadership, humility, humor and
could laugh at himself. It must have
been difficult for President Trump
knowing that the Bushes did not vote
for him, and being seated next to the
Obamas — and realizing that he does
not possess any of the personal quali-
ties expressed by the speakers about
our former president.
—Win Jolley
Florence
Cold Weather Shelter is
gift to our community
When the temperature dips be-
low freezing, prized plants are often
covered to protect them. Here in
Florence, the Florence Emergency
Cold Weather Shelter (ECMS) offers
warm blankets to cover up in and a
safe place to spend the night to any-
one who has no warm place to be.
Dinner and breakfast are provided
along with unconditional love.
This past week, the doors of the
Presbyterian Church were open to
give shelter and respite; guests were
appreciative and grateful.
Two guests commented on how
wonderful it was to sleep stretched
out rather than sleeping while seated
in a cold car.
A couple stranded here in Florence
on their return to Kansas, due to car
trouble, couldn’t say “thank you”
enough.
I believe that the Florence Emer-
gency Cold Weather Shelter is a gift
to this community in helping meet
the needs of people who are facing
desperate situations that most of us
can’t begin to imagine.
—Janet Hirsch
Florence
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Emal 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
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