4A | AUGUST 27, 2020 | 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
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)
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Political/Election Letters:
Women provide crucial voice in true democracy
a personal level, there is no ques-
tion that the wisdom and insight
they offer each day as part of my
own life has a profound impact
that could never be duplicated by
a men-only mentality.
Ask any of us male journalists
in the newsroom and we will
One hundred years ago, Or-
admit that the cumulative IQ
egon ratified the 19th Amend-
in the newsroom seems to
ment in 1920, joining 35
drop considerably without
other states in ensuring that
the influence of our publish-
the right to vote could not be
From the Editor’s Desk
er, Jenna Bartlett, and front
denied based on gender.
Ned Hickson
office manager Meg Fringer.
It’s important to note that
On the home front, my
this came some eight years
1906, 1908, 1910 and finally 1912 wife Alicia, as well our daughters
after Oregon had already begun
Elyse and Elizabeth, have always
(more times than in any other
permitting women to vote in
provided much-needed perspec-
state elections in 1912. Ironically, state) — before women’s voices
became part of the discussion in tive in family discussions and
this was the result of a narrow
decision making that help assure
state decisionmaking.
approval of 52-percent of voters
we don’t devolve into an old epi-
It was a campaign that began
— all of them cast by men — to
sode of “King of the Hill.”
as early as 1870 as part of the
guarantee that right as part of
I say all of this to illustrate how,
Oregon suffrage movement led
Oregon’s state constitution.
on just an individual level, the
Today, it’s hard to imagine our by Abigail Scott Duniway, who
value and importance of women’s
utilized her Portland-based
democracy without the crucial
perspectives impacts my own
representation of women’s voices suffragist newspaper The New
life every single day — and why
Northwest to fuel the debate in
in a nation where, according to
I can’t imagine not having those
the last census, women outnum- favor of securing women the
influences and perspectives as
right to vote.
bered men 161 million to 156.1
part of our national discussion.
In a not-so-subtle twist of
million — for a nearly 1-to-1
What an incredible loss it
irony, it was her brother, Har-
ratio.
would have been if not for the
vey Scott, who was her biggest
In fact, there are only nine
determination of those like Abi-
states where males make up more detractor, thundering his oppo-
sition in the pages of The Orego- gail Scott Duniway to assure that
than 50 percent of the popula-
we as a state — and eventually a
nian, where he was editor from
tion: Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii,
nation — can benefit from the
Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North 1866 to 1872.
voices of women in the discus-
Simply looking at the impor-
Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.
tance of women’s perspectives on sions that define our democracy.
In all the rest, including here
in Oregon, women represent
the majority of individual voices
and perspectives that make up
our decisions as a state — and
ultimately as a nation.
However, even in Oregon,
which was among the first to
provide that right, it took six
ballot attempts — in 1884, 1900,
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
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