4A |
SATURDAY EDITION
| MAY 2, 2020
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
NED HICKSON , EDITOR
| 541-902-3520 | NHICKSON @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
Opinion
The First Amendment
C
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)
Selfl essness and peace require courage too
(Editor’s Note: Viewpoint sub-
missions on this and other topics are
always welcome as part of our goal to
encourage community discussion and
exchange of perspectives.)
D
oom and gloom are always at
the doorstep. So it seems with
each new generation.
In times like these when others
panic some rise up, stay steady,
stay positive, endure suffering and
move forward.
Col. Sam Spayd is one of many
dozens of hometown heroes in
Florence who comes to mind.
I wonder if, at this moment in
America, the basic struggle will be
how to rebuild a sense of individual
responsibility and collective duty to
a more socially responsible level of
personal consumption and corpo-
rate temperance.
I regret most leaders’ call for a
return to consumer spending so the
economy can return to “normal.”
This was the call of George Bush
after 911.
It’s the call of Larry Kudlow now.
Now is a time for rebuilding ba-
sic work ethics and skills to realize
the capacity in a healthier lifestyle
for everyone who can work in our
society.
Guest Viewpoint
By Bill Olson
Dunes City
Good, natural, locally produced
food.
Simpler, more efficient and safer
shelters.
Clean, abundant waters.
Cordial, supportive relationships.
Deeper, more cognitive spiritual
life.
Closer, more supportive family.
Infinitely more grateful and
graceful living.
Peace and prosperity, newly de-
fined, would be my greatest hope for
our great, great grandchildren and
their remembrances and celebra-
tions that our generation recalibrat-
ed what it is to be a responsible, pro-
ductive, courageous human being.
Peace takes courage, too!
Prosperity follows good living
and it allows for, it demands, volun-
tary charity to those in great need
with disabilities around us.
Selflessness and putting others
first are a few of the last and most
important teachings that Jesus
commended to his closest friends
just before he was arrested, suffered
and died.
It’s time our hearts recalled his
call to be servant leaders and mea-
sure ourselves not by what we ac-
quire in this world but by whom we
rescue and lift up out of misery and
oppression while we ourselves suc-
ceed and prosper.
Ambition and motivation to-
wards these ends, making us more
humble and charitable along the
way, is what will “save” our world
and — just as importantly — our
community.
I hope this for us all.
USPS# 497-660
Copyright 2020 © Siuslaw News
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.
Jenna Bartlett
Ned Hickson
Susan Gutierrez
Cathy Dietz
Ron Annis
Publisher, ext. 318
Editor, ext. 313
Multimedia Sales Director, ext. 326
Office Supervisor, ext. 312
Production Supervisor
DEADLINES:
Wednesday Issue—General news, Monday noon; Budgets, four days prior to
publication; Regular classified ads, Monday 1 p.m.; Display ads, Monday noon; Dis-
play classified ads, Friday 5 p.m.
Saturday Issue—General news, Thursday noon; Budgets, two days prior to pub-
lication; Regular classified ads, Thursday 1 p.m.; Display ads, Thursday noon; Display
classified ads, Wednesday 5 p.m. Soundings, Tuesday 5 p.m.
NEWSPAPER SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
In Lane County — 1-year subscription, $79; 6-month in-county, $56; 10-week
subscription, $25; Out of Lane County — 1-year subscription, $102; 6-month out-
of-county, $69; 10-week subscription, $35; Out of State — 1-year subscription,
$134; E-Edition Online Only (Anywhere) — 1-year subscription, $65.
Mail subscription includes E-Edition.
Website and E-Edition: TheSiuslawNews.com
Letters to the Editor policy
The Siuslaw News welcomes letters to the edi-
tor 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 sub-
ject to editing for length, grammar and clarity.
Publication of any letter is not guaranteed and
depends on space available and the volume of let-
ters received.
Letters that are anonymous, libelous, argumen-
tative, sarcastic or contain accusations that are
unsourced or documented will not be published.
Letters containing poetry or from outside the
Siuslaw News readership area will only be pub-
lished at the discretion of the editor.
Political/Election Letters:
LETTERS
Confront COVID with
facts not conspiracies
There is a lot of misinfor-
mation flying around about
COVID-19 and it can be really
hard to keep up. Keith R. Kraft’s
recent Letter to the Editor “Keep
COVID in Perspective” (April
29) citing past year’s flu-related
deaths prompted me to do some
research because the suggestion
that this pandemic is “no worse
than the flu” is a dangerous and
misleading one.
Here’s what I learned:
The CDC numbers on flu
deaths are an estimate — it takes
the actual number of deaths re-
ported and applies an algorithm.
You can go to the CDC website
to understand its reasoning for
that, but basically the CDC be-
lieves flu deaths are under-re-
ported for a variety of reasons.
So, it applies the algorithm to
come up with an estimate that is
many times higher than the ac-
tual number of deaths reported.
For example, in 2018-19, the
actual number of flu deaths re-
ported (the number used by the
CDC to come up with its esti-
mate) was around 7,000.
In comparison, the report-
ed number of deaths from
COVID-19 that we are seeing
are the actual number of deaths
reported. So comparing these
numbers to flu death estimates
in past years is comparing apples
to oranges.
While conspiracy theories
abound that the COVID-19
death count is being artificially
inflated, most experts believe
that they are being undercounted
— perhaps by tens of thousands.
I agree with Mr. Kraft that we
need to confront this problem
rationally, and we can only do so
if we understand the real effects
of the disease.
—Donna Mlinek
Florence
District should offer same
Internet access to all
It is outrageous to even con-
sider giving taxpayer funds to a
private company in exchange for
service to a limited number of
students.
If the school district wishes to
subsidize internet service to stu-
dents with financial needs, then
the district must provide that
subsidy directly to every student
in similar need. Internet service
is offered by many providers.
The district should not give
a handout to one company that
can not serve all students who
need internet connections.
—Paul Floto
Florence
Incumbent upon us to
maintain local news
My sincere hope and prayer is
that the Siuslaw News continues
in business. Through the recent
Paycheck Protection Program,
our first amendment rights can
and will be sustained as the Siu-
slaw News applies for this federal
largesse.
Normally, these grants of tax-
payer monies should be sac-
rosanct for general purposes.
However, in these unusual times
we need to continue the free ex-
ercise of press privileges to re-
main a free republic.
Local news is intensely im-
portant as it is usually the most
unfiltered and transparent of all
current event consumption.
We as a nation and communi-
ty are in tragically tough times
needing of positive reinforce-
ment and credible news reports.
It is incumbent upon a society
dressed with liberty to maintain
a free press.
Thank goodness we have a
local paper in such a tiny com-
munity as Florence that events
may freely flow and inform the
general public.
May the Siuslaw News and all
news outlets in America contin-
ue unabated and unsullied.
God bless America.
—Joel Marks
Florence
Primary lesson is how to
achieve peace
We are very familiar with the
belief that an anti-Christ will
deceive us with talk of peace
and justice (“These Times Were
Prophesied 2,630 Years Ago,”
submitted by John Griffin, April
29).
But what would the return-
ing Prince of Peace primarily
teach besides peace and how to
achieve it?
—Rollin Olson and
Madelyne Barnett
Florence
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) En-
sure 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
perspective rather than partisanship and cam-
paign-style rhetoric.
Candidates themselves may not use the letters
to the editor column to outline their views and
platforms or to ask for votes; this constitutes paid
political advertising.
As with all letters and advertising content, the
newspaper, at the sole discretion of the publish-
er, general manager and editor, reserves the right
to reject any letter that doesn’t follow the above
criteria.
Email 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
@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