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4A | WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 2019 | COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL Cottage Grove Sentinel 116 N. Sixth St. Cottage Grove, Ore. 97424 NED HICKSON , MANAGING EDITOR | Opinion 541-902-3520 | NHICKSON @ CGSENTINEL . COM 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) USPS#133880 Copyright 2019 © COTTAGE GROVE SENTINAL Letters to the Editor Policy The 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anonymous, libelous, argumentative, sarcastic or contain accusations that are unsourced or without documentation will not be published.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 The Sentinel readership area will only be published at the discretion of the editor. Political/Election Letters: Opposition for opposition’s sake serves none of us well As most parents will tell you, every child goes through a stage where they seem to suffer from oppositional personality disorder, fervently op- posing even the slightest difference of opinion as if the future of the world depended on it. Whether it’s the “ter- rible twos” or teens (or both, Lord help you) it’s part of a necessary step toward independence and establishing personal perspective on the road to maturity. However, opposition it- self isn’t a sign of maturity. Opposition for the sake of opposition only limits our opportunities, our perspectives and the kind of understanding that helps us grow as individ- uals. True maturity happens with the recognition of this fundamental truth. Over the last two years, I’ve heard what was at first a growing — and now continuous — rhetoric from Democratic and Re- publican leaders about the need to either “support” or “reject” everything the current administration also runs the risk of dele- gitimizing future challeng- es within our system of checks and balances when they could matter most. This isn’t the time to overreach or grandstand simply for the sake of being in opposition or ministration has put into play since taking office? Absolutely not. Truth be told, I haven’t found myself in support of most decisions made so far. But for every Neil Gorsuch that members of Congress fervently oppose purely for the sake of op- position, a Betsy DeVos is From the Managing Editor’s Desk confirmed to a post with- out any real qualifications Ned Hickson thanks to divisiveness and the mindset of settling old scores. A little more than 200 to that statement that Re- playing it safe within party years ago, our nation publican leadership in our politics. nation’s capitol did some- Americans are divided opposed tyranny in order thing similar by refusing to pursue the dream of because their represen- being free. It was part of to consider then-President tatives in Congress have a necessary step toward Obama’s nominee, Mer- allowed themselves to rick Garland, for the very become divided, simply on independence. Our forefa- thers were mature enough the merits of which side same appointment. And the beat goes on. of the aisle they happen to to recognize that opposi- While I agree that any sit on. tion itself wasn’t enough to One of the most basic secure our nation, but that nominee seeking congres- it would take perspective sional approval should techniques of winning a be scrutinized for their war is to divide and con- and understanding to help quer. Without question, us grow as individuals and qualifications, to enter a people united. we are already a nation into that process with a divided. Our represen- preconceived conclusion As we continue through the early part of our na- and public promise to au- tatives in Congress must tion’s own “terrible twos,” tomatically deny approval put aside their need to merely continues the kind conquer each other and we need to remember that remember that the true fundamental truth. of partisan politics that casualties of this kind of Because unlike that have turned the wheels political war are those of government into the stage we must deal with as who they are supposed to parents, in the case of our rusted grind of rickety nation we really do need gears that Americans have be representing. lost faith in. Do I agree with or even to act as if the future of the support all of the deci- Perhaps more im- world depended on it… sions, executive orders and portantly, this kind of “obstructionist” mentality nominees the current ad- proposes. This includes our own Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley, who once told Politico that he would automatically “filibuster any and all Supreme Court Justice nominees Trump puts forward.” It was only a year prior 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 HOW TO CONTACT YOUR REPS Oregon state representatives Oregon federal representatives • Sen. Floyd Prozanski • Rep. Peter DeFazio District 4 State Senator PO Box 11511 Eugene, Ore. 97440 Phone: 541-342-2447 Email : sen.fl oydprozanski@ state.or.us (House of Representatives) 405 East 8th Ave. #2030 Eugene, Ore. 97401 Email: defazio.house.gov/ contact/email-peter Phone: 541-465-6732 • 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 • 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 S entinel C ottage G rove 541-942-3325 Administration Jenna Bartlett, Group Publisher Gary Manly, General Manager... Ext. 1207 gmanly@cgsentinel.com Allison Miller, Multi-Media Sales Consultant... Ext. 1213 amiller@cgsentinel.com Gerald Santana, Multi-Media Sales Consultant... Ext. 1216 gsantana@cgsentinel.com Veronica Brinkley, Multi-Media Sales Consultant... Ext. 1205 vbrinkley@cgsentinel.com Carla Summers, Inside Multi-Media Sales Consultant... Ext. 1203 csummers@cgsentinel.com Editorial Ned Hickson, Managing Editor... 541-902-3520 nhickson@cgsentinel.com Damien Sherwood, Lead Reporter... Ext. 1212 dsherwood@cgsentinel.com Zach Silva, Sports Editor... Ext. 1204 zsilva@cgsentinel.com Customer Service Meg Fringer, Office Manager, Legals, Classifieds... Ext. 1200 mfringer@cgsentinel.com Production Ron Annis, Production Supervisor... 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