Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 23, 2021)
4A | SEPTEMBER 23, 2021 | COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL Cottage Grove Sentinel 116 N. Sixth St. Cottage Grove, Ore. 97424 damien Sherwood, editor | 541-942-3325 | dsherwood@cgsentinel.com 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) USPS#133880 The Birth of Modern Liberalism Letters to the Editor Policy ers began pondering society and government: Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) wrote Leviathan asserting that people need a “social contract” to secure safe lives. In a dog-eat- dog natural state, he said, ev- eryone suffers from “continual fear and danger of violent death; and the life of man [is] solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short.” Therefore, he said, people must yield power to a sovereign gov- 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anonymous, libelous, argumentative, sarcastic or contain accusations that are unsourced or without documentation will not be published.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. Guest Viewpoint 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. a church procession passed. He was sentenced to have his tongue torn out, his head chopped off, and his remains burned. Voltaire wrote bitter protests against this savagery. He helped appeal the youth’s case to Parliament, which showed “mercy” by affording alues that later grew into the blasphemer a quick death by liberalism began stirring beheading — with a copy of Vol- in the epoch now known as The taire’s Philosophical Dictionary Enlightenment, starting more nailed to his body. than three centuries ago, chiefly Voltaire’s protest writings in England and France. It was an roused ferment across era when kings still ruled Europe and won reversal brutally by “divine right,” By James A. Haught of a few cases. He freed and the church still Editor Emeritus of The Charleston Gazette-Mail Jean Espinas, who had sought to execute “her- spent 23 years aboard a etics” holding irregular penal galley ship because beliefs, or jail skeptics for blasphemy. Most people were ag- ernment to enforce order and he sheltered a fugitive Protestant ricultural serfs, working on lands protect them. Hobbes supported minister for one night. Likewise, inherited by wealthy barons and a king as the sovereign — but the he freed Claude Chaumont from counts. The bottom-rung major- tide away from absolute kings a galley bench, where he had ity had virtually no rights. already was flowing. Hobbes been sentenced for attending a But The Enlightenment roused raised awareness that the social Protestant worship service. In The Rights of Man, Thomas a new way of thinking: a sense order is made by humans, not by Paine wrote that Voltaire’s “forte that all people should have some God. control over their lives, a voice In his many writings, Hobbes lay in exposing and ridiculing in their own destiny. Absolute repeatedly affronted the clergy. A the superstitions which priest- power of authorities — either the bishop accused him of atheism, craft, united with statecraft, had throne or the cathedral — was possibly punishable by death. interwoven with governments.” challenged. Reformers asserted The allegation subsided, then At first, Enlightenment ideas that human reason and the sci- flared again. Nearing 80, Hobbes were somewhat suppressed in entific method can improve soci- hastily burned some of his pa- Europe, where kings and arch- ety and benefit nearly everyone. pers and eluded prosecution. bishops still prevailed, but they The 1600s were a time of ugly John Locke (1632-1704) found fertile ground in Amer- intolerance, much of it stemming hatched notions of democra- ica’s colonies. Brilliant radicals from alliances between church cy, arguing that all people, male such as Thomas Jefferson, John and throne. In England’s notori- and female, deserve a degree of Adams, Benjamin Franklin and ous Star Chamber, controlled by equality. He dismissed the divine James Madison read them ar- the Anglican archbishop, Puritan right of kings, and advocated dently and adopted them as a and Presbyterian dissenters were separation of church and state to pattern for the first modern forced to testify against them- avert religious conflict. democracy, the United States selves, then sentenced to have John Milton (1608-1674) was of America. In the Declara- their ears cut off or their faces more than an epic poet who tion of Independence, Jefferson branded with markings such as wrote in four languages. He also summed up the essence: S.L. (for seditious libeler). One supported popular government “All men are created equal and victim, John Lilburne, became and attacked state-mandated endowed by their creator with a public hero because he wrote religion. When Parliament im- certain inalienable rights, among pamphlets claiming that all peo- posed censorship on writings, he these life, liberty and the pursuit ple deserved “freeborn rights” defied a licensing requirement of happiness.” not subject to king or church. and published an Areopagitica Less-known founding father Europe was emerging from pamphlet claiming that all think- George Mason incorporated the horrors of religious wars and ing people are entitled to free ex- principles into the Bill of Rights, massacres between Catholics and pression of their beliefs. keeping church and state apart, Protestants. Catholic France per- “Books are not absolutely guaranteeing free speech, and secuted Huguenot Protestants. dead things,” he said. “He who protecting each person from Jews were attacked cruelly and destroys a good book kills rea- abuses by the majority. Similarly, banned from certain nations, in- son itself.” The principle of free the personal liberties were reiter- cluding England. Sporadic exe- speech and free press was fur- ated in the Rights of Man and the cutions of “heretics” and “witch- thered. Citizen adopted by the French es” still occurred. England’s last In France, Baron de Montes- Revolution, and eventually in the accused witch was put to death quieu (1689-1755) championed Universal Declaration of Human in 1684. A few others were ex- democracy and envisioned an Rights that Eleanor Roosevelt ecuted around Europe and the elected government with power helped craft for the United Na- New World for another century. divided between executive, legis- tions. This was the background that lative and judicial branches. Thus democracy became helped spawn Enlightenment re- Francois Marie Arouet (1694- self-contradictory. A basic prem- form. 1788) — “that consuming fire ise is majority rule — yet a bill of England was shattered by civil called Voltaire,” as Will Durant rights prevents majority rule. For war in the 1640s between Parlia- called him — was a brilliant example, the Christian majority ment and Puritans on one side French writer who became a he- cannot vote to banish minority versus King Charles I and An- roic champion of human rights. Jews or skeptics. Personal beliefs glicans on the other. Charles was Endlessly, he denounced cruel- are exempt from majority rule. The Enlightenment was the beheaded and the power of kings ties of bishops and aristocrats. seedbed that sprouted most of was reduced — expanding an Here’s an example: In the devout town of Abbev- the liberal freedoms now enjoyed erosion that began four centuries earlier when barons forced King ille, a teen-age youth, Francois in democracies everywhere. It John to sign the Magna Carta, de la Barre, was accused of mar- projected a model for humane, ring a crucifix, singing impious safe, fair modern life. yielding certain rights. By the late 1600s, some think- songs and wearing his hat while (Editor’s Note: Viewpoint sub- missions on this and other topics are always welcome as part of our goal to encourage community dis- cussion and exchange of perspec- tives.) V LETTERS In need of more heroes Thank you to the Cottage Grove Sentinel for sharing the heroic deeds of Pat Gartman and Jim Jen- kins with us — two local heroes who rushed to New York City in the aftermath of that horrific as- sault on America. Copyright 2021 © COTTAGE GROVE SENTINAL They must have been a great comfort to those that lost so much. We are very proud of you! We need more people to rush into dangerous situations to rescue those in need. We need more people to get the shot and wear a face mask to pro- tect their friends, family and others they come in contact with. Children could return to school to learn, be with friends, do sports and not worry about getting sick or dying, so do it for them! Working together, we can rid our town of this virus. Let’s do it! Political/Election Letters: Send letters to: dsherwood@cgsentinel.com HOW TO CONTACT YOUR REPS Oregon state representatives • Sen. Floyd Prozanski District 4 State Senator PO Box 11511 Eugene, Ore. 97440 Phone: 541-342-2447 Email : sen.floydprozanski@ state.or.us • Rep. Cedric Hayden Republican District 7 State Representative 900 Court St. NE Salem, Ore. 97301 Phone: 503-986-1407 Email: rep.cedrichayden@ state.or.us • Rep. Peter DeFazio (House of Representatives) 405 East 8th Ave. #2030 Eugene, Ore. 97401 Oregon federal representatives Email: defazio.house.gov/ contact/email-peter Phone: 541-465-6732 • 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 • Heather Buch Lane County Commissioner - District 5 Email: Heather.Buch@lane countyorg.gov 125 E. Eighth Ave. Eugene, OR 97401 Or call 541-682-4203 S entinel C ottage G rove 541-942-3325 Administration Jenna Bartlett, Group Publisher Gary Manly, General Manager... Ext. 1207 gmanly@cgsentinel.com Advertising Gerald Santana, Multi-Media Sales Consultant... Ext. 1216 gsantana@cgsentinel.com Carla Skeel, Inside Multi-Media Sales Consultant... Ext. 1203 csummers@cgsentinel.com Editorial Damien Sherwood, Editor... Ext. 1212 dsherwood@cgsentinel.com Kendrick Murphy, Sports/Education Reporter... Ext 1204 kmurphy@cgsentinel.com Sophia Edelblute, Features Intern sedelblute@cgsentinel.com Customer Service Office Manager, Legals, Classifieds... Ext. 1200 mfringer@cgsentinel.com Kurt Krueger, Circulation... Ext. 1213 kkrueger@cgsentinel.com Production Ron Annis, Production Supervisor... Ext.1215 graphics@cgsentinel.com Subscription Mail Rates in Lane and Portions of Douglas Counties: 10 Weeks ....................................................................................$11.50 One year .....................................................................................$43.50 Senior 62+ .................................................................................$35.00 e-Edition year ............................................................................$35.00 Rates in all other areas of United States: 10 weeks, $16; 1 year, $56.50; e-Edition $35. In foreign countries, postage extra. No subscription for less than 10 weeks. Subscription rates are subject to change upon 30 days’ notice. All subscritptions must be paid prior to beginning the subscription and are non-refundable. Periodicals postage paid at Cottage Grove, Oregon. Postmaster: Send address changes to P.O. Box 35, Cottage Grove, OR 97424. Local Mail Service: If you don’t receive your Cottage Grove Sentinel on the THURSDAY of publication, please let us know. Call 541-942-3325 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Advertising Ownership: —Patsy Couturier Cottage Grove All advertising copy and illustrations prepared by the Cottage Grove Sentinel become the property of the Cottage Grove Sentinel and may not be reproduced for any other use without explicit written prior approval. Copyright Notice: Entire contents ©2021 Cottage Grove Sentinel