4A |
WEDNESDAY EDITION
| AUGUST 21, 2019
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
NED HICKSON , EDITOR
| 541-902-3520 | NHICKSON @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
Opinion
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Letters to the Editor policy
LETTERS
Immigrate to the U.S.
but wait your turn
Th e election season is starting
to rev up and there is a lot of talk
about immigration. As an immi-
grant myself, my liberal-leaning
friends and acquaintances are sur-
prised to learn that I’m adamantly
opposed to illegal immigration and
fi nd all talk of amnesty ludicrus.
Why is that?
I came to the U.S. in the win-
ter 1998 but didn’t earn my citi-
zenship until 2006. And I use the
word “earn” because it is a lengthy
process with many hoops to jump
through to prove that you know
your adopted country’s language,
history and civil system.
You also have to prove that you
are not a criminal, can support
yourself and are willing and able
to become a productive member of
society.
Fail any of the above, and you’re
out.
It even comes with a lifetime rid-
er that revokes citizenship in case
you turn to a life of crime decades
aft er obtaining your U.S. passport.
As a result, legal immigrants like
myself tend to value the right to
live here simply because we had to
earn it. We make it a point of pride
to never have received a dime from
any welfare program, we teach our
kids to respect the laws of the land,
and we fully embrace the American
way of life.
I suspect many of those who are
more liberal-leaning don’t appreci-
ate what they have, much like rich
kids who don’t realize how bless-
ed they are. Such kids tend to be-
come brats who take everything for
granted, sometimes squandering a
family fortune that took previous
generations much sweat and toil to
accumulate.
You don’t appreciate what you
have until it’s gone.
Th at is why I am wholly support-
ive of continued legal immigration
while opposing illegal immigra-
tion. It is not “racist” to enforce the
law. It is the foundation of our soci-
ety. If we start to undermine our le-
gal framework, we are on a slippery
slope to become exactly the kind
of countries all these illegal immi-
grants came from — and the diff er-
ence can be observed in the mere
fact that they want to come here in-
stead of the other way around.
If we did indeed open the bor-
ders and declare general amnesty,
the fl ow across the border would
soon cease.
Why? Because I believe the U.S.
would degenerate to the same lev-
el of corrupt misery they want to
leave behind.
Again, race is hardly a factor.
Th e key determinant is whether the
person is willing to step up to the
responsibilities that come with the
privileges.
It can also be boiled down like
this: Imagine you are in an amuse-
ment park in the summer with long
lines. It stinks, but that’s how the
system works — and has to work,
since everybody can’t go at the
same time.
But aft er having waited patient-
ly for 20 minutes, someone thinks
they are special and tries to jump
the line up front. Do you cheer
them on or do you tell them to get
to the back of line and wait their
turn like everyone else?
—Matt Danielsson
Florence
Smaller flag
or bigger pole
Dear City Hall, either get a larger
flag pole or a smaller flag.
“Our patriotism should not be
reflected by the size of our flag, but
the size of our hearts”
—Ensign Stanley Smullen, survi-
vor of Pear Harbor and my Uncle.
Thank you.
—Edward Gunderson
Florence
Thank You to community
from Florentine Estates
On behalf of all the participants
in our Biennial Florentine Estates
Garage Sale, I want to extend a big
Th ank You to our guests for their
cooperation in following the di-
rectional signs, fl agger instructions
and parking regulations. We hope
everyone had as positive an expe-
rience as we did. You all helped to
make this a successful event, and
we look forward to seeing you
again in two years.
—Kathy Schimmelman,
Garage Sale Coordinator
Florence
Curious homeowner
on 20th Street
I noticed that there have been
some streets being repaired around
the city. The only problem is they
missed the one street in dire need
of fixing.
If you have ever driven down east
20th from Spruce to the end of the
street, you would understand why I
am wondering why this street was
overlooked?
The one street in need of fixing
didn’t get it done — Just saying.
—Dusty Anderson
Florence
More communication
needed on school bond
In the Saturday Siuslaw News ar-
ticle “Facility Advisory Committee
Presents New Plan For High School
Bond” (Aug. 17), Bob Orr is quoted
as saying “we’re trying to make sure
we have a lot of community mem-
bers from a lot of diff erent worlds
helping us along the process.”
Orr said the results only included
responses from 350 residents. Th at
doesn’t seem like a lot of resident
input considering they have been at
the process from last November to
the present (as stated in the article.)
Perhaps more eff ort needs to be
made to communicate to commu-
nity members. Th is seems to be a
common theme in other communi-
ty issues also, i.e. the recent mural
project.
Th ere could be survey sheets at
many of the public buildings along
with collection boxes. Th e more
information we can share with the
residents about their perceived
concerns, the greater the chances
we will have in resolving these con-
cerns.
— Bruce Jarvis
Florence
Impressed by ‘darkhorse’
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse
I was watching CNN yesterday
and of course there was discussion
about the Democratic contenders
for president.
One guest said that [Elizabeth]
Warren and [Bernie] Sanders
would cancel each other out, that
[Joe] Biden did not have a chance
in hell and [Kamala] Harris would
be the only one standing — but
could not win.
Th e guest said someone would
come out as a “darkhorse” and
would step up and run with War-
ren as his running mate. Th en, last
night, I watching Bill Maher and
the U.S. Senator from Rhode Is-
land, Sheldon Whitehouse, was his
guest.
I was completely blown away
and impressed by his intelligence,
knowledge and demeanor. Hope-
fully he will run, not as a “dark-
horse” but as a whitehorse with
wings. I believe in a one-on-one de-
bate with Trump, Sen. Whitehouse
would destroy him.
—Win Jolley
Florence
Socialism or Social
Democrat? I pick neither
What is the diff erence between
socialism and a Social Democrat?
Socialism: A theory or system
of social organizaton in which the
means of production and distri-
bution of goods are owned and
controlled collectively or by the
government; the stage following
Capitalism in the transition of a so-
ciety to Communism.
Social Democratic Party: A Ger-
man political party formed in 1875
advocating a form of cosial organi-
zation based on Marxist ideology.
Reference: Webster’s College
Dictionary.
Who on Earth would want either
of these? Not me.
—Lynne Furby
Florence
Editor’s Note: Th e Merriam Web-
ster’s Collegiate Dictionary in our
newsroom defi nes Social Democ-
racy as: “(1888) A political move-
ment advocating a gradual and
peaceful transition from capitalism
to socialism by democratic means.”
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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