NED HICKSON , MANAGING EDITOR |
COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL | JANUARY 21, 2021 | 3A
541-902-3520 | NHICKSON @ CGSENTINEL . COM
Cottage Grove Sentinel
116 N. Sixth St.
Cottage Grove, Ore. 97424
Opinion
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)
Lessons learned from students of democracy
A peaceful transi-
tion of government
has been a hallmark
of our nation since
George Washington
took the first and very
same Oath of Office
some 231 years ago. At
the time, Washington
remarked that it wasn’t
his inauguration but
the second inaugura-
tion that would be the
most significant.
He recognized one
of the first and most
important tests of
Democracy would be
the peaceful transition
of power — something
that had never been
achieved in human his-
tory in such a way or
on such a grand scale.
And while the events
of Jan. 6 sadly chal-
lenged that test, I still
ultimately believe that
the principles of our
democracy will hold
fast during today’s
transition.
When Washington
handed over the pres-
idency to the new-
ly-elected John Adams
in 1797, it was proof
that the “grand exper-
iment” of Democracy
was more than a no-
tion; it was a reality.
But, more important-
ly, it was an example of
how a nation of people
could participate in
a process of discus-
sion, debate and even
disagreement — but
still emerge unified as
Americans thanks to a
shared belief in our na-
tion’s Constitution and
what it represents.
Just four years ago on
this day, as I sat listen-
ing to coverage of the
inauguration taking
taking place in our
nation’s capitol.
No crowd control.
No military bands.
No live coverage
on media platforms
around the world.
It’s because of this,
we often forget that
the heart of democracy
isn’t in Washington
From the Editor’s Desk
Ned Hickson
place in our nation’s
capitol, I was struck by
the notion of another
inauguration taking
place almost simul-
taneously just a few
miles away at our local
elementary school.
As then-President
Trump addressed
the American peo-
ple promising a new
direction, a “return to
greatness” and more
accountability in gov-
ernment, 8-year-old
Grace Dotson stood
before her third-grade
constituents and spoke
about the basic prin-
ciples that make a
Democracy.
Grace and her
classmates already
understood and had
participated in the
fundamentals of a
working and successful
Democracy. Like every
American president,
an Oath of Office was
administered to “Presi-
dent Dotson.”
It was done so with-
out the level of fanfare
D.C. It beats within the
hearts of Americans of
all ages through their
faith in, understanding
of and commitment to
the ideals we share as a
nation.
Those ideals don’t
begin in grandeur
within the halls of
the Capitol Building.
Instead, they start
small, with citizens and
communities willing
to voice those ideals to
their elected officials
at the city, county, state
and, eventually, federal
level.
It’s important to
remember that the
biggest part of democ-
racy is that it starts
small. It’s not a large
rock being lobbed into
the center of a lake; it’s
the ripple effect caused
by Americans willing
to take the time to toss
enough small pebbles
into the same lake.
For that reason,
those who supported
President Biden have
a right to be happy;
those who didn’t sup-
port him have a right
to be unhappy.
But as Americans,
we have a much more
important right, which
is to be active partic-
ipants in our democ-
racy now and in the
years ahead — not
through mobs, factless
rhetoric spewed on
social media platforms
or through mass media
news outlets whose
primary goal is to cater
to political audiences
and advertisers, but
through honest and
respectful discussion
based on facts, not
hype.
Four years ago, while
our nation participated
in another peaceful
transition of power in
the aftermath of one
of the most polarizing
elections in American
history, a small group
of students some 2,883
miles away in Florence
participated in their
own version of the
democratic process
and began their own
ripple effect by em-
bracing the ideals that
have served us well for
more than two centu-
ries.
Thankfully, they are
ideals that live on in
the hearts of small peb-
bles like Grace Dotson.
It’s a lesson we
could all learn from
and would do well to
remember at a time
when we need each
other more, not less,
than ever before.
USPS#133880
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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
2021
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
LETTERS
Mt. David for sale
A recent Zillow advertise-
ment has an iconic Cottage
Grove property, “Mt. David” for
sale. Its development likely in-
volves the City of Cottage Grove
but am unsure input from near-
by citizens will be considered.
The Northwest Neighbor-
hood adjacent to Mt. David will
be impacted significantly by
development of Mt. David. I do
not look forward to increased
congestion, more pollution and
traffic, as well as loss of an in-
credibly beautiful open space.
I can only hope whoever buys
Mt. David will retain some of its
wild natural quality treasured
by residents and visitors in Cot-
tage Grove.
My personal prayer is for the
City of Cottage Grove to buy
Mt. David and make it a park.
—Linda Yellin
Cottage Grove
What would our
Founding Fathers think?
I am wondering where this
country of ours is heading since
the Election?
With Democrats in both
branches — The Executive and
the Congressional — I feel that
this country is heading down a
slippery slope with a political
agenda to either become a So-
cialist or Communist country.
I wonder when they will start
taking our rights away, from our
religious freedom to our right to
bare arms, freedom of speech,
etc., along with letting illegal
immigrants into the country
and providing them with free
education, medical care, etc.
What about our own citizens
that are in need of help — the el-
derly, handicapped, disabled —
and our veterans who put their
live on the line for this country.
I admit, I never served in the
military or public office, and
that I’m a simple country man
with simple needs.
But I’m seeing red when the
political establishment turns its
back on its own people.
I wonder what the Founding
Fathers would think of the USA
now?
—Russell C. Brenchley
Cottage Grove
Pride allows a con artist
to weaponize followers
I think everyone, at some
point in their life is taken in by
a con artist. There is no shame
in this.
To be conned does not
mean we are not intelligent,
good-hearted people. It just
means someone knew exact-
ly how to say what we wanted
to hear and used that ability to
convince us to believe some-
thing that was not true.
Some people quickly catch
on, reject the con and become
smarter and hopefully a bit
more cautious.
Some never see it happen-
ing until after the con man has
achieved his desired goal.
The most coveted prize
though for a con artist is not the
person who never sees it com-
ing. It’s the one who eventually
sees the con but is too prideful
to admit they were fooled. They
will say or do almost anything
to save themselves from the
shame of having to admit that
they have been conned.
Prideful people are the ulti-
mate conquest for a truly gift-
ed con artist because they will
excuse and explain-away any
behavior to protect the con art-
ist that they have aligned them-
selves with.
Pride allows a con artist to
enslave and weaponize their fol-
lowers. The more a person tries
to protect their pride, the more
fervently they will serve their
master. A con artist needs no
chains or fences to bind follow-
ers to their will. They only need
pride.
This is where the true shame
lies.
—Travis Palmer
Former Executive Director
Cottage Grove
Chamber of Commerce
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