4A |
WEDNESDAY EDITION
| JANUARY 30, 2019
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
NED HICKSON , EDITOR
| 541-902-3520 | NHICKSON @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
Opinion
The First Amendment
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ongress shall make no law respect-
ing an establishment 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 Govern-
ment 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 2019 © Siuslaw News
Siuslaw News
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Letters to the Editor policy
LETTERS
Are those really
Christian oalues?
As much as I am worried about the
president and what he may have up his
sleeves, I am even more worried about
those who seem to support his legacy
of hatred and bullying.
In a recent Letter to the Editor from
David Eckhardt, he said he agrees with
the president and had no problem
with the shut down “...in the least bit.”
Is he OK with the hatred toward
our neighbors? And is he ok with the
fact that federal workers could not buy
groceries to feed their families?
Christ did not promote hatred. He
believed in love, saying to “Love your
neighbor.” That includes our neigh-
bors next door and those living in the
country next door.
Immigrants are not the problem in
this nation. “Not in the least bit.”
The biggest problem this country is
facing is greed and a government con-
trolled by selfish billionaires whose
only concern is to increase their
wealth — without the “least bit” con-
cern for the 99.9 percent of their fel-
low Americans, the environment, the
planet and the animals.
Are those really Christian values?
—Liat Meller
Florence
Share your outrage ASAP
If Siuslaw News readers listened last
evening to Captain Sullenberger’s as-
sessment of the dire risk to the public
and the aviation system that the last
shutdown produced (not to mention
the estimated $11 billion dollars it cost
the public), then they ought to be part
of a public outrage to the suggestion
that another shutdown may be on the
horizon.
Washington needs to hear from all
of us before that becomes a reality.
ASAP.
—Nan Harvey
Florence
Wall is 19th-century
solution to 21st-century
problem
I was sorry to read that some had
“No Problem with Government Shut-
down” (David Eckhardt, Jan. 16). It
cost taxpayers billions of dollars, hurt
our economy and caused hardship for
hundreds of thousands of people.
It was a total failure on the part of
the president because Donald Trump
is incapable of governing. Governing
requires a leader who can negotiate,
compromise, understand complex is-
sues from multiple perspectives, and
work with others to find creative solu-
tions.
For two years, members of Con-
gress abdicated their responsibility
as a co-equal branch of government
by allowing him to dictate. The pres-
ident clearly is a wannabe strongman
who loves and praises dictators (Putin,
Kim, Mohammed bin Salman).
But dictating isn't how we roll here
in America, and now that Democrats
control the House, the president’s in-
competence is glaringly obvious.
The shutdown was 100 percent on
him; he initially said so himself before
deflecting the blame later. Democrats
and even some Republicans have
offered compromises and bills that
would have reopened the government
sooner while negotiations on border
security continued. Meanwhile, the
president has offered nothing but re-
peated demands for exactly what he
wants and nothing else — much like a
petulant child.
I, too, would like to see an end to il-
legal immigration. But a wall is a 19th
century solution to a 21st century
problem and I know we can do better.
My heart does go out to people who
have lost loved ones in crimes com-
mitted by people here illegally; but I
am also saddened by the many more
people who have lost loved ones to the
opioid crisis and to gun violence com-
mitted by legal citizens born right here
in this country. Opioids and guns are
two problems that two years of Repub-
lican rule have failed to address.
I hate that the shutdown hurt our
country, but I think Democrats are
right to send the message to our pres-
ident that America is not a dictator-
ship.
Thank you, Speaker Pelosi, for rein-
stating the balance of powers that our
founders implemented.
—Donna Mlinek
Florence
The Siuslaw News welcomes letters to the edi-
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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
@oregonlegislature.gov
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