4A • COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL • MARCH 13, 2019
The First Amendment
O PINION
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HOW TO CONTACT YOUR REPS
Oregon state
representatives
LETTERS
Thanks, Cottage
Grove!
After the “snowstorm of
’19,” I determined that my
wife and I were short on sta-
ples and decided to make an
“emergency run” to Safeway.
I cobbled together a make-
shift sled and asked a couple
neighbors if they were also
running short of necessary
supplies.
During this trip, at least a
half dozen people asked if I
wanted a ride or if they could
help! I was delighted by all
these offers. And although I
declined the offers, I thought
that I would express my grat-
itude.
What a great little town
(I’m a newcomer)!
I should admit that my
sled fell apart on my return
trip once the cardboard box
got soggy.
One woman offered a plas-
tic carrier, which would have
done very well, itself, as a
sled. I accepted it and used it
to carry the groceries.
In a car right behind her
were three more nice ladies
who took me, my dilapidat-
ed makeshift sled and my
groceries home!
Thank you, one and all!
I hope you are representa-
tive of this wonderful town!
—Daniel Gilman
Cottage Grove
Use common sense
when clearing streets
Why is it when people
have their driveway cleared
out enough so they can get
to an appointment did the
City shove another 3 1/2 feet
of snow back into driveways?
Many of us are seniors and
some of the people who live
around us are disabled.
Our street was good
enough for people to drive
through, but we had to
spend another day digging
out frozen snow after we had
already cleared our drive-
ways.
There are a lot of people
I talked with who had the
same problem.
If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.
I just wonder if the did
the same to their own drive-
ways?
Where is te common
sense?
I believe there is a lever to
lift up the blade and put it
down, so please use it.
I feel better now that I’ve
gotten that off my chest for
myself and a lot of others.
— Diane Zavich
Cottage Grove
Oregon federal
representatives
• Sen. Floyd Prozanski
District 4 State Senator
PO Box 11511
Eugene, Ore. 97440
Phone: 541-342-2447
Email : sen.floydprozanski@
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
Our future depends on a generation
that is anything but silent
ploy urged on by a liberal
agenda: Discouraging our
youth from exercising their
civic duty fosters the kind of
apathy and disengagement
that led us to where we are
in the first place.
The one common denom-
inator among the majority
on issues, and then vote on
those issues as well as for
those who they believe will
best represent them, means
we have no one but ourselves
to blame for the current state
of government — because
saying nothing says it all: We
are willing to let those elect-
responsibility, as citizens, to
engage in civic dialogue that
ensures everyone has a voice
in our democracy.
I will never forget the
In a time when our teen-
looks on their faces as they
agers are often labeled as
stood there, excitedly waving
addicted to the digital world
their signs — and then
and unwilling to engage be-
watching that excitement
yond the confines of social
fade as passers-by began
media, I find it inspiring and
yelling disparaging remarks
From the Managing Editor’s Desk
hopeful to see the contrary
and obscenities from their
as our students take it upon
cars.
Ned Hickson
themselves to get involved in
These children, along with
civic responsibility.
dozens of others, were 8 to
At the same time, I find
of Americans regardless of
ed to represent us operate
10 years away from voting.
it disheartening to see so
political affiliation, right or
unchecked.
Yet the individuals passing
many who are willing to
left, or racist or humanitari-
Back in 2008, my wife and by that day felt it was more
criticize students for doing
an, is a frustration with Con- I took our four children to a important to squelch the
so, with much of this criti-
gressional leaders and their
small, family-friendly politi- enthusiasm of these young
cism taking place on social
apparent inability to govern cal rally in our community.
Americans than it was to
media and spewed from the beyond special interests and
Our oldest was 12.
foster the notion of being
same fingertips of those who self-preservation.
As they made finger-print- engaged in one of our coun-
routinely bemoan how the
Since 1972, according to
ed signs and headed toward try’s most important rights.
“younger generation” is too
a study by the Bipartisan
the sidewalk overlooking
As we begin the long and
busy texting and tweeting to Policy Center, voter partici- the highway, I was proud
what expect to be an ardu-
do anything productive.
pation went from nearly 61
of them for participating in
ous approach to the 2020
Whether you support
percent in 1968, to hovering a fundamental right estab-
elections, I hope we will re-
tougher gun legislation or
around an average of 53 per- lished centuries ago by our
member, as Americans, that
see it as a threat to the Sec-
cent, including a low of just forefathers through the U.S. disparaging the next gen-
ond Amendment; whether
49 percent in 1996 — the
Constitution.
eration into silence would
you believe it’s their First
lowest since records began
I was glad to know that we be a tragedy for our nation’s
Amendment right as stu-
being kept in 1828.
were doing what we could,
future.
dents to voice their opinion
Without Americans will-
as parents, to raise our
or merely see it as a political ing to voice their opinions
children to be aware of their
S entinel
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