4A | OCT0BER 15, 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
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)
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Copyright 2020 © 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.
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As with all letters and advertising content, the newspaper,
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LETTERS
Role of councilors,
community are key
A city council election does
not typically address the duties
of a councilor. It may be normal
democracy at work but it does
not address the wide-ranging
responsibilities of a councilor.
Cottage Grove is an outstand-
ing community for those who
can enjoy it. Everyone can bene-
fit when it functions as a unified
whole.
A key role for a city council-
or is to understand its moving
parts and attempt to take action
when necessary in the interests
of constituents in all wards.
A councilor needs to be well
informed, a good communica-
tor and able to work collabora-
tively with other council mem-
bers and the city administration.
That generalization does not
reflect the hard work, intelli-
gence, skill and moral character
needed for a councilor to fur-
ther the interests of the commu-
nity.
It demands a special person
who is willing to relegate per-
sonal interests to serve his or
her fellows.
Elections are not single events.
They are a community’s judg-
ment about specific people at
a particular time. The real test
comes over an extended period
and depends as much on indi-
vidual community member’s
involvement as the actions of an
individual councilor.
It is not good sense to select
a person or name and then pas-
sively experience whatever hap-
pens.
That is too often what hap-
pens at the national level but it
should not be allowed to hap-
pen in our neighborhood.
Communication and concern
are essential but only participa-
tion demonstrates responsibil-
ity.
It is never too late.
—Alan Jackson
Cottage Grove
Can Dems be counted on
to protect our nation?
If Democrat leaders will not
even defend the nation’s cities
that have endured the disgrace-
ful violence and destruction
perpetrated upon them during
the past several months, then
on what basis should we believe
that Democrats — who may
soon gain control of the Execu-
tive and Legislative branches in
Washington D.C. — will defend
our nation from an attack by a
foreign adversary should one
occur in the next few years?
Think about it.
—Steve Jackson
Cottage Grove
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
Cultural threads of domestic violence need unravelling
of communicating with
those they love.
Even as a teenager some
40 years ago, I can tell you
that appearing tough and
“manly” among your peers
while still holding on to the
part of you that is thought-
It wasn’t until becoming
a father that I realized how
a childhood of witnessing
verbal and physical abuse
by the men in my family —
specifically, my father and
brothers — had impacted
me and left wounds which
had never truly healed.
I know this because I oc-
casionally saw reflections
of my father and brothers in
myself as I fought to avoid
making the same mistakes
with my own children.
As much as we want
to tell ourselves we can
choose not to take any bag-
gage with us on our jour-
ney through life, there is no
getting rid of it completely
— only a conscious deci-
sion to leave it circling on
the carousel.
Ultimately, it is always
somewhere. Circling. Wait-
ing to be claimed.
This is especially true for
young men in their teens
and early 20s, when they
are defining themselves
and establishing their place
in what is still a male-dom-
inated culture — all while
simultaneously trying to
understand the intricacies
erations, repackaged and
presented in more ways
than ever before.
The fact is, being a real
man does mean being in
control.
But not of others; it
means being in control of
From the Editor’s Desk
Ned Hickson
ful and caring feels contra-
dictory to what we’re taught
about being a man.
The stereotypical defi-
nition of manhood was in
movies, advertising and
music: Being a man means
being in control.
In charge.
In command.
Of life and our relation-
ships.
Seeking true equilibri-
um is even more difficult
today because, unlike 40
years ago, the unhealthy
stereotypes that define
“manhood” are relentlessly
perpetuated through social
media and the near-con-
stant presence of advertis-
ing that sells body wash,
music, movies, clothes and
video games by depicting
what it looks like, sounds
like and feels like to “be a
man.”
It is baggage our culture
has been carrying for gen-
yourself enough to under-
stand, acknowledge and ac-
cept your strengths as well
as your weaknesses.
It means never using
your strength — physically
or verbally — to harm the
women in our lives, wheth-
er it be your wife, girl-
friend, co-worker, mother,
daughter or neighbor.
A real man provides pro-
tection, safety and accep-
tance; a weak man dishes
out pain, insecurity and
denial.
In either case, they are
reflections of our inner self.
The question is: What kind
of reflection do you want to
see when you look in the
mirror each day?
As wonderful as our
communities in Cottage
Grove and surrounding
areas are, they aren’t im-
mune to domestic violence
against women, children
and men.
There’s no denying that
the cultural threads of do-
mestic violence are woven
into the fabric of our soci-
ety. Though we have made
strides in some areas by
recognizing and discussing
matters of physical and ver-
bal abuse, that baggage is
still out there circling on
the carousel.
As we observe Domes-
tic Violence Awareness
Month through October,
whether you are a survivor
of domestic abuse or want
to show your support for
those who are, I hope you
will participate — either in
area marches, community
meetings, by supporting
legislation or volunteering
to help victims of abuse.
As a culture, each of us
must make a commitment
to avoid claiming the bag-
gage that perpetuates vio-
lence on our families and
each other; as a communi-
ty, we must make a com-
mitment to each other to
support — and when nec-
essary speak up for — our
friends, family members
and neighbors who we sus-
pect may be victims.
Most importantly, to end
the cycle of domestic vio-
lence, we must be willing to
carry on with that commit-
ment well beyond the last,
crisp evenings of October.
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