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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Guide Weather Subscribe Contact Us November 5, 2004 Scenes from Jacksonville I've heard the media didn't give fair coverage of the protests in New York City during the Republican Convention. So why am I surprised when our local TV channels don't fairly report our "unwelcome Bush" protest in Jacksonville? I saw first hand hundreds of people of all ages peacefully carrying signs "Get your church out of my state." "Your time is up." "Could be prouder." One little girl made her own sign of Bush with a Pinocchio nose. We chanted "more lies, more die." At eleven p.m. we had two TVs on and watched all three local news stations. One said there were 60 to 80 people protesting. Another said there were far more supporters and didn't show a single picture of the hundreds of peaceful objectors. A female news correspondent said "The protesters got out of hand in Jacksonville." What is she talking about? I saw one unarmed man on the ground and the swat police were covering him like a dozen ants on a tiny piece of food. The police made announcements with a speaker, I for one could not understand because it was over amplified. One officer in the line, while urging us backwards down the street, said "Please keep moving thank you." All the others I saw were angry and aggressive, and at one point used rubber bullets with pepper spray. Earlier when the motorcade with the president was ready to drive past, pro-Bush people were allowed to stand a block closer. This administration doesn't mind if we have an opinion and they'll tell us what it should be. Marilynn Young Ashland Identifying those truly in need Several years ago, in the parking lot of a Tower Records store in Palo Alto, I observed a man trying to make a buck cleaning windshields. A bottle of watered-down cleaner in one hand a rag in the other, he chased down every vehicle that turned into the lot. But he wasn't getting any takers. Including myself. An hour later he was still hard at it. Despair ingrained in his face, he looked a pitiable figure. So wrenching was it, I walked over and pressed a five-dollar bill into his hand. His face lit up, the anguish drained a little. I felt good too; I had helped someone in dire straits. He had made my day as sure as I had his. But did the money go toward buying more drugs, another bottle of booze? I have often wondered. In and around Ashland, such destitute people are in our face every day. As they are in many other towns, increasingly it seems, at freeway off-ramps and traffic intersections holding up signs like "homeless vet, please help," "desperate, must feed family," or most recently, "visions of a cheeseburger." Are these people genuine we wonder? Are they bona fide health sufferers, people so wretchedly down on their luck they feel compelled to beg? Or are they freeloaders, exploiters and abusers of charity, drug addicts and alcoholics - people we know will convert every penny to acquiring more of the same, perpetuating their own misery? Some form of ID might help. A badge maybe or photo-document that confirms a health problem or poverty condition that cannot be helped. Some might think it a stigma to be issued such a thing. But how much of a stigma is it to hold up an unverifiable sign? There is no perfect solution. Such a program might be difficult to implement fairly. It might prove tricky to police and monitor. But how satisfying it would be to be able to ignore the known scrounger, yet instantly gratify some poor soul we know to be in genuine need. Instead of guiltily turning the other way and driving right on by. Stanley Jones Ashland A letter of sincere thanks My name is Julia and this letter is written to thank the man who helped put out an accidental fire and called the fire department. I don't think we could have prevented any serious damage without him. We are very grateful and we wish we could thank you in person. You did a good deed for us and someday maybe we can repay the good deed and pass it along to another in need. Thank you, sincerely, for helping us. The accidental fire that the girls refer to occurred during the summer of 2004. Both of them believed that they needed to thank this man for his kindness and his help. Their letters are submitted with the hope that the anonymous man will see them. Jan Janssen Ashland Police Department An open letter to Mayor DeBoer I want to congratulate you on your candor and leadership concerning the council's decision to adopt a resolution opposing measure 36. I will say that I fully agree with your comments opposing such a resolution in the context of city government. I find it inappropriate and unfortunate that certain councilors found it necessary to negotiate behind the scenes to pass this resolution that is both a polarizing issue and one that is outside the scope of city government. As you mentioned it was precisely that sort of maneuvering in Multnomah County that pushed the issue of same sex marriage to the point of generating the creation of Measure 36. As you rightly observed, Measure 36 is the results of a statewide grassroots movement and therefore should be left to the voters to decide. It is not really a function of city government to comment upon or involve itself in political endorsements. 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