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
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ongress shall make no law respect-
ing an establishment of religion or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or
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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)
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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
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