Heppner, Ore.. Gazette-Times, Thursday, April 11. I
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By
ERNEST V. JOINER
Last week we published a letter from a California reader
in which he invited this newspaper to follow the example of
the San Francisco Examiner and cancel the weekly religious
column written by the Rev. Lester Kinsolving, an ordained
Episcopal priest turned religious writer. First, we don't
follow the Examiner's example in anything, much less in the
selection of editorial writers. The fact that Mr. Kinsolving is
charged with being a "minor gadfly" is precisely why we
publish his column in the first place. Society owes a great
deal to its gadflies. Upton Sinclair was a gadfly. Jack
Anderson (who I like is a gadfly. Ralph Nader" (who 1
do not like) is a gadfly. But they all serve a great purpose in
getting the truth to the American people that would not result
if reporting were entrusted to "established journalism."
Gadflies question, probe, dig, sift, sort, verify and
analyze-all the things straight reporters ought to do but
don't. They keep people in politics, business, commerce,
religion, education and sports comparatively honest. They
therefore need to be fed. tolerated, encouraged and even
admired. Our reader stated that Mr. Kinsolving has
destroyed the reputations of a lot of innocent people. He was
not specific in this charge, and cited no instances. But I have
the feeling that the clergy has its share of vice and
corruption, just as does any organization with millions of
dollars entrusted to its care. Organized religion is big
business. It handles billions of dollars worth of property and
hundreds of millions in cash. The pension found a major
denomination may run into hundreds of millions of dollars.
That's a lot of temptation for those in charge of its
management and investment. That kind of money brings out
whatever larceny lurks in the human soul, none of which is
strangled by a clerical collar. Gentlemen of the cloth are
human beings first. It is our gadflies that keep them
reasonably honest, too. for power and wealth tends to erode
and corrupt otherwise moral men. So the fact that Mr.
Kinsolving is a gadfly is poor excuse for dismissing him.
Whether he deserves being dismissed for ruining reputations
of "innocent people" depends on just how innocent those
people are. or were. I doubt anybody wants to dismiss the
Watergate hearings just because some innocent people have
been hurt. When the time comes when Mr. Kinsolving's
columns emphasize rhetoric, pure literary style and
approval of the clerical establishment instead of writing the
behind-the-scenes story and reporting it without regard to
whom it may affront or injure, we shall fire him as a
columnist.
If Roice Fulleton plans on having any dental work done
within the near future he is advised to get it done out of town,
because Dr. Harold Huber is looking for him with buzzing
drills at the ready. Last week Roices new pickup and
camper was parked across the street from Dr. Ruber's tooth
laboratory. The dentist observed this fine new rig. and left
the patients he was attending long enough to cross the street
and get into the camper and inspect the marvel. Just as Dr.
Huber was inside and admiring the camper, Roice comes out
of his Chevrolet garage, climbs in the pickup and drives off
leaving Heppner s finest and onliest dentist pounding on the
door, beating the walls and screaming just like one of his
patients. Roice had the radio up high and didn't hear the
batterings and pleas from inside the camper (or so he said,
probably to avoid being killed by one of the maddest dentists
this side of the Mississippi). After about 10 minutes of
aimless driving Roice stopped and Dr. Huber seized his
chance to escape. A few minutes later Dr. Huber was back
attending to his patients, all of whom still had their mouths
open. It's a good thing for all of them that Roice wasn't
headed for California.
Ov er at Hermiston last week a student got expelled from
school for streaking. While the student must have known the
penalty for getting caught, the punishment seems a bit
drastic considering that our more hirsute psychologists are
busily informing the ignorant American masses that
streaking is healthy and desirable. For myself. I rather fancy
the practice. But I doubt if it is the unfettered spiritual
freedom it purports to be. It must have its drawbacks; for
example, wouldn't a streaker have deep-seated fears about
being tailgaied? I never thought I'd see the day when both
men and women wore the same one-button suits, and that
w omen w ould look so much better in i or out ) of them than the
men. If this thing continues it will certainly provide the
answer to that age-old query. "What's he got that I haven't
got ?" In Denver, a girl streaker who got snared by the ponce
complained that she was thrown into a cell, nude, while the
cops paraded by to check her measurements from time to
time That confuses me. for I thought that was the object oi
the game, or am I missing the deeper meaning of streaking?
In Sebastopol. Ca.. some irreverent kid streaked the First
Baptist Church a: the high point of last Sunday morning's
service But." the excited minister later told reporters, "we
caught him by the organ!"
As sure as the glad Easter season rides in on springtime
- breezes: as certain as sap rises and buds burst in the warm
I sun : so comes the perennial summons from Washington that
adherents of the Willow Creek Dam project smear
, themselves with dung and ashes and hie unto the
;; Abomination-by-the-Potomac. there to give testimony in
behalf of dear old Willow Creek. April 23 is the appointed day
when harried Heppner citizens are asked to expend some
1500 each for the pilgrimage; and there, for the 99th time, to
plead with government bureaucraps to give us what all of
them have already said we need and deserve-a small dam.
for our lives' sake. If ibe Lord were in the dam business it
would be proper to pray in silence at home and save the
money. But since it is our "public servants" from whom this
bounty must flow, it is required that the ritualistic
pilgrimage be made, that our delegated pilgrims genuflect
tow ard the prev ailing political wind, be contrite, humble and
meek enough to inherit a dam. The Washington knotheads
have decreed that the project needs more 'citizen input."
Our citizens have already "input." and mightily. For 40
years they have put out the "input." Every county and city
organization of consequence has inputted pleas for the dam.
No organization has done otherwise. Our most influential
citizens have made the trek to mecca before, and for tbe
same reason. There they have commingled their tears with
those of our senators and congressmen in supplication for the
dam. There have been years of testimony, studies, endorse
ments, polls and reasoned thought favoring the dam. We
have been rewarded with lies, false starts, forked tongues,
black hearts and hot air from our senators, our congressman
and our Corps of Engineers. It has come to the point where
the only way we can gain our self-respect is to tell one and all
the aforementioned gasbags to lake their dam and stuff it.
We can now take out $20 million flood and disaster insurance
on our homes and businesses cheaper than we caa make tbe
annual trail ride to Washtngton-and let tbe damned
government pay us the $20 million at flood time that wouldn't
have cost it but $10 million if the dam had been built. That's
the kind of reasoning the government can appreciate.
$450,000 Is A Lot Of Money To Borrow.
How's Your Job Security?"
The mail pouch
EDITOR:
Morrow County CowBelles would like to express their
appreciation for your wonderful cooperation in publicizing
the Beef-A-Rama.
Thanks to your front page picture story and the excellent
advertising throughout the Gazette-Times, more than 200
attended the event. We really appreciate your help in
promoting the beef industry.
CLAUDIA HUGHES,
Secy.-Treas.,
Morrow County Cow Belles.
EDITOR:
There seems to be a misunderstanding and I would like to
clear the records as to who invented the so-called "Dirty
Trick Bag."
At present, the vast majority both here and around the
world seems to think that Mr. Nixon was the inventor. That's
not true at all, but this I will say, he's a Technician First
Class" as an operator of this "kit."
The true inventors of the "Dirty Trick Bag" was the
Chamber of Commerce. It was first used about 200 years ago
when the Chamber of Commerce took taxation from the rich
and pushed it down the necks of the poor, and to this day most
of the people in the world as well as the United States cannot
figure out why the rich don't have to pay taxes. That is why.
If you doubt my word, and if you care to, you may dig down
through the pile of millions and millions of laws and you will
find it on the bottom.
Now I don't know whether the Chamber of Commerce sells
these "kits" or leases them to operations like the IRS, FHA,
AF of L, CIO, CIA, city hall, county commissions, state
governments and bureaucrats: and of course, uncle and his
boys, and let 's not forget the Veterans Affairs. But whether
they sell or lease these "kits" I would like to say that the
Chamber of Commerce must have a very enterprising
project for the profits most certainly go into the billions of
dollars, because there must be thousands of these "kits" in
use, not only in the United States but Russia and other parts
of the world, like Vietnam, Korea, and Chile.
So in closing, I feel the Chamber of Commerce should get
the credit where credit is due. They invented the "Dirty
Trick Bag Kit." and I'm paying more than my share of taxes.
OTTO H. JORGENSEN JR.,
Scappoose.
Flood . . .
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the group. The flood season for
the Heppner area is the month
of May. The group felt that in
regards to setting up the
warning system, "the sooner
the better."
The Morrow County Court
has been requested to send a
letter to the Defense Civil
Preparedness Agency telling
of the urgent need for the
system. The agency will be
working with local groups to
establish and install the sys
tems. Heppner will serve as the
first installation of such sys
tems. According to Dave
Bauman, Heppner was first
chosen to initial these flood
warning system programs
because it was a "prime site"
due to its past history.
Mrs. Venice Hendericks
accompanied Mr. and Mrs.
Dale Chick to Eugene to visit
his parents.
"Maybe we'd better wait
.'. . I've got the hiccups!"
Alcohol seminar here April 15
The growing use of alcohol
by all ages hi society is a
growing problem. Alcoholism
has affected more than nine
million people in America. It
is considered to be the second
largest disease nationally.
The people of Morrow Coun
ty are not isolated from these
problems, and because of this
the Morrow County Extension
Service is sponsoring a special
public program, "Alcohol,
Everybody's Business." Tbe
program is scheduled for
Monday, April 15, beginning
with coffee at 1:30 p.m. in the
Methodist Church basement in
Heppner. The program will
begin at 2 p.m.
A panel of three will present
the program: Dick Takei,
alcohol co-ordinator for the
Eastern Oregon Mental
Health Center; David Mitch
urn, Mental Health Director
for Morrow County; and
Pastor Mark Johnson, chair
man of the Morrow County
Alcohol Committee. Pastor
Johnson has had experience
as a counselor in the Hazel ton
Alcohol and Treatment Center
in Centercity, Minn.
Birdine Tullis of the County
Extension Office, sponsoring
the program, said this is not a
"preaching session" telling
people not to drink. Rather, it
will identify problems sur
rounding excessive drinking
and discuss ways of handling
these problems. There will be
an opportunity for those
attending to ask questions, she
said.
Crossroads
Report
DEAR EDITOR:
It appears that numerous
crusaders are working these
days to do away with prisons
because these institutions are
inhumane and don't make
honest citizens out of crimi
nals. We don't put tigers in cages
to make tabby cats out of
them, but the do-gooders
seeing thugs are still thugs
after a spell in stir want to do
away with prisons.
Then, with all thieves and
murderers running loose,
everybody else will have to
live behind bars and locked
doors for the rest of their
natural lives.
D.E.SCOTT,
Crossroads, U.S.A.
Drugs . .
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hospital is not the place for
treatment. Most hard drug
users come to the hospital
for help; however, care must
be exercised in approaching
them, as they are in a state of
retreat. They must be talked
to quietly and with care to win
their confidence, and if pos
sible made to lie down in a
partially dark room. Once
lying down, medicine can be
admininstered, but only after
the nurse has won over the
patient. Addicts do not know
who they are or where they
are. In some instances they do
not even know the month or
year. They are susceptible to
any quick move or sudden
change in routine.
"In many cases, after a
nurse has succeeded in quiet
ing a patient, the doctor will
want the patient's blood pres
sure taken. This usually
causes the patient to become
upset.
"One of the best methods for
treating drug addicts is the
use of every day common
sense. Listen to their pleas for
asked by Betty
Burnet te: "If youngsters have
been using alcohol and are
now using drugs, what is the
reason behind it? Are they
going through a drug stage
because il is the "in thing" to
do. or are they troubled with
school or home ' activities?
Perhaps many parents fail to
understand the seriousness of
the drug problem. While a
mother may use diet pills on a
doctor's prescription and
think nothing of it, what would
the same mother think if she
knew her 13-year-old daughter
was taking 8 to 10 of the same
diet pills per day?"
The panel: Although most
people fail to recognize tnat
alcohol is a drug, we have a
greater alcohol problem than
we have in drugs. When the
two are combined they pro
duce a bad trip, perhaps that
is one reason youngsters
rarely use Ihem together.
Mitchum concluded the
meeting by saying. "There
are no magic answers to the
drug problem, all we can hope
for is a greater understanding
between teenagers and their
parents."
Mrs. Tullis said each exten
sio study group should send at
least two leader-teachers to
the session if their members
can not attend en masse.
Because alcoholism is a diffi
cult subject to deal with, she
said, the panel of experts
method is being tried.
"Whether this method of
presentation will be tried
again will depend on the
response of the public."
the SOVEREIGN STATE of AFFAIRS
The public is invited
attend this meeting.
BOYD and WOOD
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Amazing
Bishop
Goo den
BY
LESTER KINSOLVING
LOS ANGELES - He is very possibly the oldest bishop it
the world - and. unquestionably, one of the mos
irrepressible.
The Rt. Rev. Robert B. Gooden, who will celebrate hit
100th birthday this year, continues his frantic pace by tearinf
all over Southern California to preach, confirm, counsel
baptize, marry and bury the flock.
Officially, this diminuitive dynamo is the retired Suffragan
(assistant ) Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles.
He can be no means be described as retiring, however at
authorities of one hospital discovered when he smuggled
himself out in the front seat of an ambulance, after
convincing the driver that he had fully recovered.
In actuality he is living proof that (Da Christian need
never retire from good works, and (2) the Senior Citizenry
ought never to be underestimated.
They were underestimated four years ago. A group of way.
way out young social activists entrenched themselves in the
diocesan power structure and attempted to run over Bishop
Gooden.
It was at a time in which the property of much of organized
religion had become a tempting target for hungry hierarchs
whose treasuries had been depleted through wild and wooly
S'jcial engineering.
The way outs in the Los Angeles diocese concocted a real
estate deal with the giant Boston firm of Cabot, Cabot and
Forbes; a golden goose proposal to sell the land under St.
Paul's Cathedral for a giant high rise.
The Cathedral, an attractive Spanish style edifice, nestled
among hotels and office buildings downtown, was "seriously
damaged" by the San Fernando earthquake - they claimed.
Not only w'ere there observers who strongly disputed that
ths damage was serious, but the schemers soon learned that
the generally smiling Bishop Gooden had gotten wind of their
plan - and was no longer smiling.
So they cleverly arranged to cut him off speechless at the
Diocesan Convention - which proved to be a disastrous
blunder.
For the widely beloved Bishop's announcement that he had
bee "suppressed" caused headlines all over Southern
California - right along with his trenchant observation that
income from the sale of St. Paul's "would be frittered away,
and we would have neither money nor property ... To tear
down a House of God in the city for money would be wicked ! "
When the Bishop helped organize "The Citizens Committee
to Save St. Paul's," the schemers made their second major
error. One of them described this organization as "a small
dissident group."
Vet, when the wreckers were preparing to level the
Cathedral, and the social engineers had all but spent the
resultant income in advance, they learned to their horror,
that their profitable demolition had been stopped in its
tracks.
It seems that Bishop Gooden, and his elfin band of "small
dissidents" had gotten to the City of Los Angeles' Municipal
Arts Commission. This official agency obligingly proclaimed
St. Paul's a "Cultural Historical Monument," which cannot
be touched, much less demolished.
There are many bishops in history who have built
cathedrals. But how many - as they approached their own '
centennial year - have saved one?
Mayor of Hardman
DEAR MISTER EDITOR:
They say that discussion is light without heat and
argument is heat without light, and I've heard it said that
discussion is a exchange of ideas, while argument is a
exchange of ignorance. Mister Editor, I ain't figgered out
complete what Saturday night's session at the country store
was. unless it was a exchange of some well-lit ignorance.
Fer instant, there was Bug Hookum recalling the days
when skinny dipping was the only way to swim. Bug said he
was bom about two generations to soon. In them days,
segregation was the rule and swimming was the reason.
Now, naked running is co-ed, and the only reason Bug said he
has heard is to be looked at. Bug said he was of a mind that
the best reason fer all this running around naked is to show
that we don't have to have a reason fer everthing.
Zeke Grubb was quick to swap that piece of ignorance fer a
report in your newspaper about where the Environmental
Perfection Agency found that burping cows is polluting the
air. The EPA said the cows in this country burp 50 million
tons of hydrocarbons into the air ever year, and that 10 cows
burp enuff gas ever year to heat a small house. Now that's
the kind of information we turn to Washington fer, Zeke
allowed. If you can figger out a reason fer it, you're either a
cow or you work fer the Guvemment, was Zeke's words
Actual, Mister Editor, the fellers spent practical all the
session coming up with reports that sounded a heap like
swapping ignorance. It was like a question and anser
program without the ansers. Most of the talk was like them
cows burping in the atmosphere. They was a lot of hot air and
not much to do about it. Like when Josh Clodhopper said he
had heard where a scientist has figgered out how to tell what
a chicken is saying when it cackles. Josh said he reckoned the
best way would be to be another chicken, and he wondered
along these lines if it takes a politician these days to figger
what a politician is saying when he cackles
Josh said if the EPA could measure the cackles of a
Congressman on a swing through his district this spring,
hey d find he was burping enuff gas to run his car from town
to town, special if he's a Republican trying to run on his
record out of one side of his mouth, deny all association with
he Nixon Administration out of the other, and in between try
to convince us he's working on Willow Crick Dam
Clem Webster broke in to say he was feeling out of sorts on
account of this being the month most folks have to send in
E?!U pV3? aem Mid he keePs ,ninki"g f much
better President Nixon is at filling out his 1040 than he is at
I'tVT0 at,'he Grand 01 Pry like he him trying
P,Ztr,ng h'S SW'ng around the counlry lt month to
let folks see he u jest a regular feller. Clem said Nixon's
oTKeVgaTe mre f the Presidential statements
Yours truly,
MAYOR ROY.
GAZETTE-TIMES
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