Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 7, 2018)
4A • COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL • NOVEMBER 7, 2018 The First Amendment O PINION Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridg- ing the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition their Government for a redress of greivences. Letters to the Editor Policy Th e Sentinel welcomes letters to the editor 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 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. Letters that are anonymous, libelous, argumentative, sarcastic or contain accusations that are unsourced or without documentation will not be published. Letters containing poetry or from outside Th e Sentinel readership area will only be published at the discretion of the editor. Political/Election Letters: 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) Ensure any information about a candidate is accurate, 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 campaign-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 publisher, general manager and editor, reserves the right to reject any letter that doesn’t follow the above criteria. Send letters to: nhickson@cgsentinel.com or cmay@cgsentinel.com Voting is more than just a privilege diff erent reasons. Sometimes it was be- cause I connected with the ideals of one candidate over an-other. Other times it was represent us. For that reason, this time it wasn't about enjoying the privilege of voting as much as it is about accepting the From the Managing Editor’s Desk Th ere have been mo- ments over the last several weeks where the thought of casting my vote for a candidate or measure left me shaking my head. I’ve spoken with several people who have told me that the the political rhet- oric from both sides has soured them to the point that they would not vote in the midterms. I understand this. However, I have always believed that our right to vote is not merely a privi- lege we enjoy as Americans; it is an obligation. Most years, it has simply been a privilege as I went to the voting booth or mailed in my ballot in support of candidates or measures for Ned Hickson because I felt their vision or reason behind a particular measure was better defi ned and more suited the tem- perament of our changing world politically, economi- cally or socially. Over the years, I have vot- ed for Democrats, Republi- cans and Independents. I even voted for Ross Per- ot, whatever he was. In each case, voting was a privilege I enjoyed because, no matter who won, I still felt our country or state would be in capable hands. Th is time, I’m not so sure as the importance of par- tisanship seems to outway the needs of those elected to obligation I have, as an American and Lane County resident, to educate myself and make an informed decision — not by relying on spoon-fed rhetoric, headlines, carefully staged interviews, rants on social media or even some of the news sources that claim to be unbiased. I had to roll up my sleeves, dig in and do the work so that, come Election Day, I could do the right thing instead of the easy thing. It still means I will have to accept — and live with — the results, no matter who is elected to which positions or what measures do or don't pass But to not vote would mean compromising my own ideals as an American, as well as the expectation our forefathers had for each of us when they fought for our right to vote in a democracy protected by the Constitution. As I said, there have been moments where the thought of casting my vote in this midterm election has left me shaking my head. But when the votes are fi nally tallied, knowing that I took the time to cast my vote will keep me from hanging my head instead. And regardless of the re- sults, I support your choice Not as a Democrat. Not as Republican or Independent. But as an American. Write to Ned Hickson at nhickson@cgsentinel.com HOW TO CONTACT YOUR REPS Oregon state representatives Oregon federal representatives • Sen. Floyd Prozanski District 4 State Senator PO Box 11511 Eugene, Ore. 97440 Phone: 541-342-2447 Email : sen.fl oydprozanski@ state.or.us • Rep. Cedric Hayden Republican District 7 State Representative 900 Court St. NE Salem, Ore. 97301 Phone: 503-986-1407 Website: www.leg.state.or. us/hayden Email: rep.cedrichayden@ state.or.us • Rep. Peter DeFazio (House of Representatives) 405 East 8th Ave. #2030 Eugene, Ore. 97401 Email: defazio.house.gov/ contact/email-peter Phone: 541-465-6732 • Sen. Ron Wyden 405 East 8th Ave., Suite 2020 Eugene, Ore. 97401 Email: wyden.senate.gov Phone: (541) 431-0229 • Sen. Jeff Merkley Email: merkley.senate.gov Phone: 541-465-6750 C ottage G rove S entinel (541) 942-3325 Administration Jenna Bartlett, Group Publisher Gary Manly, General Manager ..................................................... Ext. 1207 gmanly@cgsentinel.com Allison Miller, Multimedia Marketing Specialist ....................... Ext. 1213 amiller@cgsentinel.com Gerald Santana Multimedia Marketing Specialist......................Ext. 1216 gsantana@cgsentinel.com Editorial Ned Hickson, Managing Editor...............................................541-902-3520 nhickson@cgsentinel.com Caitlyn May, Editor. ....................................................................... Ext. 1212 cmay@cgsentinel.com Zach Silva, Sport Editor ................................................................. Ext. 1204 zsilva@cgsentinel.com Customer Service Mandi Jacobs, Offi ce Manager ...................................................... Ext. 1200 Legals, Classifi eds ................................................ Ext. 1200 mjacobs@cgsentinel.com Production Ron Annis, Production Supervisor ............................................... Ext.1215 graphics@cgsentinel.com (USP 133880) Subscription Mail Rates in Lane and Portions of Douglas Counties: 10 Weeks .........................................................................................$11 One year ..........................................................................................$41 e-Edition year .................................................................................$35 Rates in all other areas of United States: 10 weeks, $15; 1 year, $53; e-Edition $35. In foreign countries, postage extra. No subscription for less than 10 weeks. Subscription rates are subject to change upon 30 days’ notice. All subscritptions must be paid prior to beginning the subscription and are non-refundable. Periodicals postage paid at Cottage Grove, Oregon. Postmaster: Send address changes to P.O. Box 35, Cottage Grove, OR 97424. Local Mail Service: If you don’t receive your Cottage Grove Sentinel on the Wednesday of publication, please let us know. Call 942-3325 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Advertising Ownership: All advertising copy and illustrations prepared by the Cottage Grove Sentinel become the property of the Cottage Grove Sentinel and may not be reproduced for any other use without explicit written prior approval. Copyright Notice: Entire contents ©2017 Cottage Grove Sentinel