4A |
SATURDAY EDITION
| AUGUST 28, 2021
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
CHANTELLE MEYER , EDITOR
| 541-902-3520 | CMEYER @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
Opinion
The First Amendment
Congress shall make no law respecting
an establishment of religion or prohibit-
ing the free exercise thereof; or abridg-
ing the freedom of speech, or of the
press, or the right of the people peace-
ably 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)
USPS# 497-660
LETTERS
(Editor’s Note: Viewpoint submis-
sions on these and other topics are al-
ways welcome as part of our goal to
encourage community discussion and
exchange of perspectives.)
Food news
I’m disturbed about the latest news
from a University of Michigan study
(“Small Targeted Dietary Changes
Can Yield Substantial Gains For Hu-
man and Environmental Health” by
Katerina S. Stylianou, Victor L. Ful-
goni III and Olivier Jolliet, published
in “Nature Food” in August 2021),
losing 33 minutes for every hot dog
I’ve eaten. I did a quick calculation
and it’s scary, I died 2.5 years ago.
I’m making up for lost time, how-
ever; now, rather than ketchup and
mustard, I’m sprinkling my hot
dogs with peanuts and cashews, on a
whole grain bun to make up for lost
time.
— Tom Payn
Florence
Free from Non-Consensual
Medical Treatment
The “Right to Health” at the World
Health Organization states that
we have the right to be free from
non-consensual medical treatment.
The Nuremberg Code requires
respect for informed consent, with-
out “the intervention of any ele-
ment of force, fraud, deceit, duress,
over-reaching or other ulterior form
of constraint or coercion …”
The UN Universal Declaration on
Bioethics declares “Any preventive,
diagnostic and therapeutic medical
intervention is only to be carried out
with the prior, free and informed
consent of the person concerned.”
The American Cancer Society’s
Patient Bill of Rights states, “If you
are an adult and you’re able to make
your own decisions, you are the only
person who can choose whether to
get treatment and which treatment
to get. This is done through a process
called informed consent.”
The current practice of forcing
people to take an injection or lose
their job is a dystopian practice that
ignores these guidelines.
— James Sherwood
Florence
Of Masks and Men
I was dismayed to see the people
demonstrating on Saturday, Aug. 21,
for the right to not get vaccinations
and to not to wear masks during this
current COVID-19 Delta variant
surge here in Florence.
When I was a child, the only vac-
cination we had was the smallpox
vaccine. Before the vaccine was de-
veloped, smallpox had killed 300
million people worldwide. During
my early school years, I contracted
measles, mumps and chicken pox,
and when I was in high school, rubel-
la and the Asian flu. Later on in life, I
was found to have tuberculosis scars
on my lungs for which I required
treatment for one year.
I remember vividly being extreme-
ly sick with all but the TB.
Another scare in my younger life
was polio. Eventually the Sabin oral
vaccine was developed, but then a
more effective vaccine, the Salk vac-
cine, was discovered and we were all
re-vaccinated. Those who got a mild
case of polio and recovered were left
with “post-polio syndrome,” with
symptoms that lasted the rest of their
life.
When I had children and vaccines
were available, I made sure that they
were protected so that they would
not have to go through what I went
through.
People today are dying unneces-
sarily of the COVID virus because
they think getting a vaccine or wear-
ing a mask is a “violation of their
rights.” They do not understand that
this worldwide virus is a humanitar-
ian crisis —a “mass extermination
event,” if you will.
More than 600,000 people in the
world have already died and the
numbers increase every day.
Those people who think that get-
ting a vaccine or wearing a mask is
a violation of their rights must also
think that other people’s rights to not
get sick and possibly die are not of
equal value or concern.
I agree that masks can be a nui-
sance and sometimes uncomfort-
able, but it is the very least we can do
for each other and to help stop the
spread of this deadly disease.
— Pat Allen
Florence
Consider the Overworked
To the vaccine protesters pictured
on the front page of the Aug. 25 edi-
tion of the Siuslaw News: Please don’t
come to Peace Harbor Hospital for
treatment if you become dangerously
ill with COVID-19. Feel free to suffer
without the interference of the over-
worked nurses & doctors there.
—Lori Janowski
Florence
Anti-vaxxers and backward officials
grantee programs. I bought and circu-
gion.
Taiwan’s government, after keeping lated copies of the definitive book on
COVID-19 deaths down to just ten for the epidemic, “And The Band Played
2020, through social distancing, con- On,” by an old acquaintance, report-
tact tracing and quarantines, failed to er Randy Shilts. In 1989, I went to an
obtain or use a vaccine supply. They let AIDS conference in San Francisco
I was speaking to a friend of 54 years down their guard. Now, after a Lions where a former employee of mine was
whose stepdaughter is an anti-vaxxer. Club convention this year where the presenting on needle exchanges, chat-
ting there with Shilts.
My friend called me from Tuc-
A few years later, after Hep-
son with her concerns two weeks
A community member’s
atitis C virus was identified, I
ago. My friend’s husband is in the
perspective
networked on creating national
Philippines on business. He’s fu-
By
Frank
Smith
awareness of that virus as well,
rious with his daughter, because
writing an article about treat-
she and her family have avoided
Florence
ment, education and prevention
vaccination.
The stepdaughter, a professional, superspreader leader may have infect- for Counselor magazine, a trade pub-
works for a school system near Clear ed more that 100 attendees, they have lication.
This brings us to now.
Lake, Calif. She, her husband and had 15,939 cases and 830 deaths.
Friends of mine in Florence were
In Vietnam, with a population of 98
mother-in-law are anti-vaxxers, so the
grandchildren, in their late teens, have million, and employing vigorous so- extremely cautious about not getting
cial measures, they limited deaths in the coronavirus at work. Yet they
not gotten shots either.
They contended that being an- 2020 to just 35. They relaxed this year, caught it after a cautious year when
and now have had 381,363 cases and they went to their church for a no-
ti-vaxxers is their business.
mask, superspreader event.
I got hold of the school district, since 9,349 fatalities.
PBS had a wonderful show on
Contrast that with New Zealand,
the woman should not be around stu-
dents when she refuses to abide by which had 25 deaths nationwide be- Wednesday, Aug. 25, about the begin-
precautions. So a week later I got a call fore they locked down. They have had ning and spread of the Wuhan virus
back from my friend. Her son-in-law only one single person die this year. in China. The major problem was de-
was by then in an ICU in Clear Lake. They have pushed vaccinations this nialism.
We’ve had our fill of it here, with
Her stepdaughter and grandchildren month, given what’s happened else-
were all ill with the virus, as is the where in the Far East, and quickly got then-President Donald Trump saying
last year COVID-19 would “go away,
husband’s mom. Circumstances have to 20% fully vaccinated.
I’ve had some experience with dead- like a miracle.”
worsened. Her son-in-law was trans-
He held Rose Garden superspread-
ferred to a hospital in Vacaville a week ly viruses. In 1957, I wasn’t given the
ago, and he’s been on a ventilator all vaccine for the “Asian flu” because er events, touted quack remedies,
that time. His prognosis is extremely I was told that it was cultured in egg injecting bleach, inserting UV light
yolks, and I was thought to be allergic tubes and taking hydroxychloroquine.
poor.
When I spoke to another friend, I to eggs. I got that flu, the only one from He’s finally come around, but many of
compared an anti-vaxxer to a drunk the 172-man crew on my ship who did his acolytes are angry now with him
driver. It’s the drinker’s prerogative to so. I wound up spending weeks in a for getting his shots in January, and
take a few drinks — but driving after military hospital. I got a walloping now with him emphatically recom-
case of the Hong Kong flu in Viet Nam mending the same for everyone this
four within an hour is criminal.
The difference is, while drunk driv- In 1968, was horribly feverish for days, week. But he can’t get that genie back
in the bottle.
ers usually only kill themselves, too It did some permanent damage.
Douglas County Sheriff Hamlin
Later, I ran the third largest out-
often those in a car they’re driving die
feels
that the situation of reckless,
patient
alcohol
and
drug
abuse
treat-
as well.
The drinking drivers may even kill ment, prevention and education pro- maskless, non-vaccinated people who
some other motorists, but it’s limited gram in Alaska from 1988 through work with the public are different
to that, though they may leave chil- 1990. I had been horrified to find from those drinking drivers who are
dren without parents and families out that in Wasilla, there was no HIV in denial about the potential conse-
counseling and awareness program. quences. He says he won’t enforce that
without loved ones.
Anti-vaxxer superspreaders can be IV drug use had been common in law.
I know that drunk driving is against
infinitely more lethal. Near the start the halcyon mid-1980s pipeline con-
of the epidemic, a Korean churchgoer struction bonanza. I went to get tested the law, but those masks are mandated
to a U.S.-based church in that coun- for HIV to experience it, so I could as well.
So, maybe their sheriff will tell us
try infected 89 people in a few days. incorporate it into my program, then
The church believed that illness was a pushed the state to require it as a treat- how those situations are actually dif-
product of sinfulness, not viral conta- ment component throughout state ferent?
(Editor’s Note: Viewpoint submis-
sions on this and other topics are al-
ways welcome as part of our goal to
encourage community discussion and
exchange of perspectives.)
Copyright 2021 © 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
Chantelle Meyer
Front Office
For Advertising: ext. 318
Publisher, ext. 318
Editor, ext. 314
541-997-3441
For Classifieds: ext. 310
DEADLINES:
Wednesday Issue—General news releases, Monday noon; Classified line
ads, Monday 10 a.m.; Legal Notices and Display Ads, Friday noon.
Saturday Issue—General news releases, Thursday noon; Classified line ads,
Thursday 10 a.m.; Legal Notices and Display Ads, Wednesday 5 p.m.
NEWSPAPER SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
In Lane County — 1-year, $84; 6-month , $61; 3-month subscription,
$37.50; Out of Lane County — 1-year, $107; 6-month, $74; -month subscrip-
tion, $50; E-Edition Online Only (Anywhere) — 1-year, $65; 6-month, $35;
3-month, $15. Ask about our senior discounts.
Mail subscription includes E-Edition.
Website and E-Edition: TheSiuslawNews.com
Siuslaw News
Office:
148 Maple St./PO Box 10
Florence, OR 87439
Office Hours:
Monday to Thursday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Friday: 8 a.m. to noon
Letters to the Editor Policy
The Siuslaw News welcomes Letters to the Editor and
Guest Viewpoints as part of a community discussion
of issues on the local, state and national level. Letters
are subject to editing for length, grammar and clarity.
Publication of any letter is not guaranteed and depends
on space available and the volume of letters received.
Email letters to cmeyer@thesiuslawnews.com
To be considered for publication:
Letters must address pertinent or timely issues of
interest to our readers at-large. In addition:
• Letters reflect the opinion of the writer. The Siuslaw
News cannot verify the accuracy of all statements made
in letters. Authors should ensure any information is ac-
curate, fair and not from second-hand knowledge or
hearsay, and include sources where possible.
• Letters have a suggested 300-word limit and may be
edited for grammar and clarity.
• Authors must sign their full name and include their
street address (only city will be printed), as well as a
daytime phone number and/or email address for verifi-
cation. The person who signs the letter must be the ac-
tual author. Siuslaw News does not accept anonymous
Letters to the Editor.
• Siuslaw News will not print form letters, libelous
letters, business promotions or personal disputes, poet-
ry, open letters, letters espousing religious views with-
out reference to a current issue, or letters considered in
poor taste. Letters also may not be part of letter-writing
campaigns.
• Writers are limited to one published letter every
two weeks.
To submit to the Siuslaw News:
Emailed submissions are preferred. All letters need
to include full name, address and phone number; only
name and city will be printed. Handwritten or typed
letters must be signed.
The newspaper, at the sole discretion of the publish-
er and editor, reserves the right to reject any letter that
doesn’t follow the above criteria.
WHERE TO WRITE
President Joseph Biden
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20500
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
TTY/TDD: 202-456-6213
www.whitehouse.gov
900 Court St. NE - S-417
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1705
Email: Sen.DickAnderson@
oregonlegislature.gov
Oregon Gov.
Kate Brown
State Rep.
Boomer Wright (Dist. 9)
State Sen. Dick
Anderson (Dist. 5)
160 State Capitol 900 Court St.
900 Court St. NE
Salem, Ore. 97301-4047
Salem, OR 97301
Message Line:
503-986-1409
503-378-4582
Email: Rep.BoomerWright@
www.oregon.gov/gov
oregonlegislature.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
Lane County Dist. 1
Commissioner
Jay Bozievich
125 E. Eighth St.
Eugene, OR 97401
541-682-4203
Email: Jay.Bozievich@
co.lane.or.us
313 Hart Senate Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-3753 | 541-465-6750
Florence City Council
www.merkley.senate.gov
& Mayor Joe Henry
Florence City Hall, 250
U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio Highway 101, Florence, 97439
(4th Dist.)
541-997-3437
2134 Rayburn HOB
ci.florence.or.us
Washington, DC 20515
Email comments to Florence
202-225-6416
City Recorder Kelli Weese at
541-269-2609 | 541-465-6732 kelli.weese@ci.florence.or.us
www.defazio.house.gov