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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us September 26, 2005 ‘Bleep’ brings out freedom of speech By Robert Plain Ashland Daily Tidings State Rep. Peter Buckley speaks Saturday at the Lithia Park bandshell. Julie Munafo | For the Tidings There was a party in Lithia Park this weekend, and what was being celebrated was no less than free speech itself. Walk in Peace’s annual Free Speech in the Park day, when people are invited to share their thoughts, hopes and concerns with the public, attracted residents from all walks of life — from people living in their cars to elected state leaders. And although this year’s theme was “What the Bleep Is Happening In Ashland,” people came and spoke freely about what the bleep is happening in both Ashland and all over the world. From the war in Iraq, to old-growth logging, to cigarette butts in the park, everyone there, it seemed, had a positive idea on how to improve society. Ashland’s state Rep. Peter Buckley offered some solutions on how to keep Ashland affordable for some of the people who make it such a pleasant place to live. He talked of growing up in a pleasant town in California that was called the Valley of Hearts of Delight and is now known as the Silicon Valley. “Now I live in another city that if I moved here today I couldn’t afford to live in,” he said, referring to his current hometown of Ashland. He said one way to ensure that the people who work in Ashland and love Ashland continue to get to live here is to provide more affordable housing, possibly through a real estate transfer tax. Police Chief Mike Bianca, who received the loudest ovations of the day, noted that there was at least one way in which he hopes Ashland does not change. “We enforce the law. That’s what we do,” he said of the police department’s role in Ashland. “But I want a little more. The principles of freedom and justice should always supersede enforcing the law. It doesn’t matter who is the chief as long as we never waver from those responsibilities.” And City Councilor Jack Hardesty said Ashland may be changing but that doesn’t mean anyone needs to see this as a negative thing. “There is a lot of romanticism about the way Ashland was in the ’60s and ’70s,” he said. “Change can be either destructive or productive. I believe we can do the right thing here if we all get involved and work to make the changes we want to see. I see some positive changes happening already, so let’s have at it.” Some people even talked about the change they wanted to see occur to the event itself. Suzie Aufderheide and JoAnn Eggers both mentioned that the keynote speakers all happen to be men. “There were seven men and no women,” Eggers said. “I would like us to be aware of who we include up front.” Although the event was mostly geared around the open forum to speak, with Charles Carreon dressed as the colonial free speech maven Tom Paine, there was also plenty of revelry and fun. After the speaking, several live bands, such as War Stars, entertained the audience. Prior to the speaking, 10-year-old Chris Peterson, a budding Native American musician who is putting together his first CD, entertained the audience by improvising a song on his flute. “I don’t really know any songs,” he said. “I just play what comes to me.” This was somewhat in the spirit of the day. Many people used the event as a sort of soapbox for their individual cause; some plugged their organizations, and others advertised free meals in the park. A woman from Switzerland named Tara said she had but one day in Ashland during her visit to the states. She said she was more than happy to spend it talking about how to improve our collective society. “We from Europe are looking with sorrow at the country we love,” she said. “But if this is going on in this country, things can’t be that bad.” Staff writer Robert Plain can be reached at 482-3456 x 3040 or [email protected]. DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Free Music Downloads Slippers Ceramic Piggy Banks Online Casinos FREE Entertainment Guide Calenders 2006 Calendar Women's & Men's Slippers Accelerate Weightloss Products best online casino tcg student loan consolidation teleconferencing Myspace Layouts cortisol; weight loss Diamonds Futures Broker Bad Credit Loans Auto & Personal Loans Search Engine Optimization Southern Oregon Loans Sportsbook Ztech Media Hosting Student Loans Hotel & Airline Reservations African Safari Security Systems Helzberg Diamonds Online Casinos Community Student Loans Bonus Casino ink cartridges Mortgage Calculator Mailing Lists Mystery Shopping Jobs Debt Consolidation Loans Canadian Pharmacy Casino Gambling Sites Backpacks Click Here .:Advertisements:. Site Search: RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams