Letters to the editor: Sept. 4, 2020
Time to move on
I was really upset by statistics Tom Henderson listed in his Viewpoints article about the Willamina protest, appearing in the Aug. 21 issue.
Vanport was one of many communities built to house the influx of shipyard workers who came from all over the U.S. during World War II. They included every race and nationality of families seeking well-paying jobs provided by the war effort.
No Blacks were relegated to shacks in the marshlands, and 17,500 were not swept away by the flooding in 1948. There were no shacks in Vanport, Blacks did not make up a majority of the population and there were very few deaths due to the flood. I’m a native Portlander and former resident of Vanport, so I ought to know.
These protests have gotten out of control. They have lost their purpose.
Gerrie Winter
Newberg
Unhappy with paper
I see this newspaper claims to have no bias against the Republican Party and our great president, Donald Trump. But it does.
Read the letters you choose to print, the cartoons you choose to print and the editorials you choose to print. They are virtually all anti-Republican and anti-Trump.
I just received my annual renewal letter today in the mail. I would love to keep subscribing to the newspaper, in order to keep abreast on what in going on in my fair town. But my wife and I cannot in good conscience continue to support a newspaper that’s this left wing.
Mike & Barbara McGuire
McMinnville
Editor’s note: The News-Register does not select letters for publication. It prints all letters meeting its basic guidelines.
Food for thought
I live in rural Yamhill County.
Gunfire is not unusual here, and it has never bothered me until now. But shots fired recently while I was working in my yard sparked an unusual reaction — fear.
This time, the sound of gunfire brought to mind the senseless shooting of a human being seven times in the back by law enforcement. He was not a threat, as he was moving away from everyone attempting to enter his vehicle.
Yet seven shots later, this human being is maimed for life. If that isn’t enough to provoke fear, the victim — now fighting for his life, paralyzed from his waist down — was shackled to his hospital bed as per police procedure.
Wow, law and order. I should feel safe.
A short time later, a 17-year-old who had traveled from out of state with an assault rifle opened fire during a protest march, injuring and killing fellow human beings.
Beforehand, he had been greeted by law enforcement officers, who offered him water and words of appreciation. Afterward, he walked right past officers while people were shouting that he had just killed someone.
Currently being held in Illinois on a Wisconsin murder warrant, donations are pouring in for his defense. The claim will be self-defense.
If the sound of gunshots don’t scare you, these two events surely should. Police shooting people in the back and armed vigilantes roaming the streets in the name of law and order?
For me, it provokes thoughts of the wild west, chaos and a police state. What’s even more concerning is the reaction and dialog coming from our leaders
Jim Frelka
McMinnville
No sale here
Every four years, Americans get to bicker back and forth, pretending to have all the answers, while buying the snake oil the side they choose belittles them into needing.
Consumerism is the real American dream. We buy things we don’t need. If we can’t afford them, we take them.
We break things and simply throw them away. Then we rinse, repeat. And we supersize our entitlement to convenience with middle fingers in the air, joining like-minded keyboard warriors in shouting “Freedumb!” from the comfort of toilet seats.
I’ve sold people so much crap they didn’t need over the years. It’s quite easy to do.
You start with a hook, something that catches their attention. Next, you bait them by making it feel personal to them. When you get someone to nibble on what you’re selling, you make the bait the most important thing you could talk about.
Decisions need to be made instantly for me to make money, so GAME ON! It never mattered if the bait would benefit someone since my goal was simply a sale. That is where ethics, morals, and character come in. And possibly why I hate sales.
Whomever you choose to vote for does not define you. We are smarter than that, right? I certainly hope so.
Educate yourself with less news and more research.
Television, radio, magazines, newspapers, social media, movies — how do they all make money? Advertising. Sales.
We are being hooked when we go about our lives. We are being baited by fearmongering for profit.
It’s screwed up. It’s even more screwed up when people wanting our vote encourage us to boycott American businesses that don’t seem to agree with a candidate’s ideals.
Josh Sager
McMinnville
Childhood memories
I want to thank County Commissioner Mary Starrett for awakening childhood memories of the safety rules my parents instilled in me. I remember my indignation at being told not to run into traffic or touch a hot stove, and how I righteously rebelled against their right to tell me what to do.
When I grew up, I in turn admonished my children and they in turn admonished their children. If we are all here to bear witness today, it is because we understood when we became grown-ups that we were responsible for the safety and well-being of our charges.
So, will I now run into traffic? Will I refuse to wear a mask?
Tony Roder
McMinnville
Sign the petition
I am a member of Yamhill County Taxpayers for Home Rule, authorized to circulate a petition to establish a local home rule charter committee.
The committee would consist of local residents appointed by the board of commissioners and local legislative delegation to develop a charter. It would solicit and incorporate public comment. If approved by voters, the resulting charter would become the Constitution for Yamhill County.
Why are we doing this?
Because under the present general law structure, Yamhill County’s governmental system is dictated by state law. Thus, we have little flexibility to enact laws to meet our county’s specific needs.
Nine of Oregon’s 36 counties have opted for home rule. They have structured their charters to reflect their residents’ preferences.
Yamhill District, one of four original Oregon districts, was established in 1843. After more than 175 years under the state’s restrictive system, we believe it is now high time for us to convert to home rule. The residents of Yamhill County would greatly benefit from a more localized government structure.
Success with our petition drive would allow formation of a committee in which each member would bring to the table a unique perspective for reimagining our local government.
Please join us in signing the petition being circulated by Yamhill County Taxpayers for Home Rule so we may allow this option for local government. We want to see Yamhill County emerge from the clutches of state oversight from Salem and provide its residents with the right of local self-determination.
As one of the chief petitioners, I realize signature-gathering will be more difficult this year because of coronavirus. So if you are an active registered voter in Yamhill County, I urge you to seek out the places where petitions are available.
I am one of the owners of Currents Gallery in downtown McMinnville, and we have the petition available there. Other locations will soon be announced.
Phyllice Bradner
McMinnville
Give us the light
I’ve lived in McMinnville for many, many years now, and have always enjoyed the trees that we have been blessed to see and sit under when the weather is warm and nice. McMinnville has such beauty all around.
But now that more and more housing developments are popping up, that beauty is giving way to tract homes. They are destroying nature’s beauty.
The trees on Baker Street were taken down to make room for those homes. It’s sad to see what has happened over there.
How much more of nature’s beauty will be taken, folks?
Our world is dark enough. Give us the light.
Judy Williamson
McMinnville
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