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Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
November 26, 1970     Shelton Mason County Journal
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November 26, 1970
 
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A jangling telephone and a faint whiff of tar and feathers has convinced us that we should add a few words to last week's editorial comment. We want to assure the aroused members of the Golden Age Club that the views attributed to the non-existent Pat Reottick are the exact opposite of those held by this writer. It is sickening to realize that the outrageous statements we put in Mr. Reottick's mouth are so close to the truth that the satire was lost on a large number of readers. We had hoped the editorial would produce reaction, but did not have in mind dismemberment of the writer because of misinterpretation. We believe the elderly citizens of our country will be the next victims of a greedy, fearful, confused society that has not learned to live with affluence. It may be that no society can survive affluence; history certainly points to that conclusion. But we could give it a better try than we are making. It is obvious that the answers to the problems of building a nation of affluence are not the same answers needed once that exalted position is reached. Yet, for fear of losing what we have, we attempt to make them suffice. A nation of dreamers and innovators has turned into a nation of seWmh paranoids, suspicious of new ideas and now, worse yet, of each other. At a time when we are most in need of leaders who will reconcile the diverse elements within our society, we have saddled ourselves with Neanderthal men who, using tactics that built fortunes and political empires during the country's expansionist period, are tearing us apart by pitting group against group - youth against adult, affluent against poor, black against white - by an appeal to fear and prejudice. Instead of being led, the people are manipulated. The administration hires top behavioral scientists, not to tell it how to bring the people together, but how to divide the populace while keeping the majority on the side of the manipulator. Television, which could be used as a direct link between the country's leaders and its citizens to explain problems and heal wounds, is cynically employed by those leaders to arouse, divide and confuse the electorate. The patsy at the moment is American youth. Convinced by demagogues that young people are a group apart from the rest of society, parents have become suspicious and fearful of their own children. Common sense tells us that if a fourteen-year-old is alienated, his parents must have caused the alienation. But the screamers blame all sorts of dark forces, including the kids themselves. Because of the outrageous actions of a few thousand young hotheads and hoodlums, our society is seriously thinking of curtailing the education of its 7,000,000 college students. Legislatures are full of bills that will "show these young punks that they can't mess with us." Us being the parents who raised the "young punks." What a sickening predicament. The adults of the richest and most powerful nation in the world have been whipped into such a frenzy they are deathly afraid of their own children. It would be unbelievable if it weren't happening. We raise our children in an alcohol- and drug-oriented society in which self-indulgence is the highest measure of success and then react with horror and revulsion when we see our own excesses mirrored in them. And well we might. If we are lucky, the nation will be pulled back together by the growing number of young people who have rejected the worst aspect of our societY, the selfishness that both led to, and is the product of, our affluence. They will have to do the job because we are not really trying. And the elderly should pray the new generation is successful, for they will be the next targets in the war against compassion. We offer, as proof, the quote we printed last week from the report of a study commissioned by the government and paid for by the taxpayers: "Old people suffer the special disadvantage of being easily identified as a group and, therefore, subject to categorical treatment. In this sense, at least, a community under stress would be better off without its old and feeble members." Those who question the direction our country is taking believe that drastic changes must be made in the system if we are to prevent further alienation of our young people. They also believe that a country which spends $2 billion a year on golf and more than a billion dollars a year on the care and feeding of dogs can afford to take care of its "old and feeble members." oo0 tt • 1 .t, ~,,,-ik,l>'O ,' t tt.0 t I I /I By ROBERT C. CUMMINGS No seasoned observer was surprised when Rep. Tom Copeland, Walla Walla, decided to remain as speaker pro tern following his defeat for the speakership by Rep. Tom Swayze, Tacoma. Copeland always has been a team player. Meanwhile, decision to form a policy committee consisting of Copeland, Swayze and Stewart Bledsoe, the floor leader, was a wise move. Copeland's experience will be needed. He will be starting his eighth consecutive term. Only one member on the Republican side of the aisle tops him in seniority, Ed Harris, Spokane, who first came here in 1955. Tight Minority It will be a case of a rather loosely-knit, lean Republican majority facing one of the toughest, tightly-knit Democratic minorities in legislative history. The minority is tough, and it is hungry - hungry for victory in 1972,~its one and only goal in the coming session. Its floor leader, Leonard Sawyer, Lake Tapps, will be starting his ninth term. He can be ruthless. When down, he asks no quarter. When on top, he gives none. The organization leader, Gary Grant, Renton, is strictly partisan all the way. Behind these two will be Robert Perry, a master strategist, who holds the new position of campaign organization chairman and coordinator, and former Speaker John L. O'Brien, whose legislative experience dates way back to 1941, holding another new position, chairman of the executive committee. Some May Wander The Democrats, with 48 votes, need lure only two votes away from across the aisle to scuttle anything the Republicans might try to pass. The so-called class of '67 which includes Speaker Torn Swayze, will be in control of the Republican side of the aisle. Consisting of 18 members out of 51, two or three of these have wandered off the reservation from time to time in the past, and can be expected to do so again. As reported last week, holding that thin Republican majority together won't be easy, but last week's column contained one miscount. Instead of 14, there are only 12 members who never have had experience serving with a minority. Another 12 will be only /I -in their second terms. The remainder of the majority is composed of the 18 from the "class of '67" and nine freshman who fall somewhat short of being completely compatible. Teachers Have Chance Three factors spell dark clouds on the horizon for school teachers in the coming session. These include the present anemic condition of the state general fund, the voters' statewide resistance to new taxes, and the fact that the supply of teachers now exceeds the demand. But these clouds may have a silver lining, fashioned by none other than the legislators themselves. Numerous key legislators still have their hearts set on a pay raise for themselves. A proposal to boost their pay from $3,600 to $9,600 a year, with proportionate increases for other elective officials, had enough votes to pass the House last time, but never was drafted into bill form when the necessary votes weren't forthcoming in the Senate. If the law-makers have the temerity to raise their own pay, they won't have much choice but to vote a pay boost, also for teachers. Shhhhhhh You can expect a lot of noise in both homes of the Legislature during the coming marathon session, but there are indications the law-makers aren't going to want much of it once they get home: At least two bills to control noise already are on their way. Sen. Brian Lewis, R., Bellevue, has a measure in the Joint Committee on Highways to control the noise level on motor vehicles. Still to be worked out are the basic standards. Some favor the California law, while others like the New York law, which sets a lower decibel level. But some contend any level lower than that set in California is impractical with present technology. , Letter box: 'the beginning,' en ' g' Editor, The Journal: din The editorial of November between. 19th (about the elderly and Now that "I haV~ it~~. babies) furrowed some brows hand , let me express C "~ with puzzlement. It sounded word of appreciation "cold blooded as a snake." excellent ads run in tll ~.j f---] f But we can relax. It strikes me about a month ago t as a nightmare from which we are Debban to help al / - wakened by the unmistakablecontinuance of I touches of irony or sarcasm - at unpolluted Shelton watl {mma II Bus1 " ud- Editor, The Journal: picture 'in the paper BUSTER IS DEAD[ Buster account of the cruel , t~.~,~ ~.l/ ~ 0 which would make the tax freeze a permanent part of the constitution. A proposed constitutional amendment to lower the assessment base from 50 to 25 per cent of value already has been prefiled by Senator Durkan. With approval, the property lax limit would be moved back to 40 mills. (Twenty mills on 50 per cent value is the same as 40 mills on 25 per cent). The 25 per cent amendment received 29 votes in the Senate in both 1969 and 1970, just four short of the necessary two-thirds majority. With tax reform out of the way, it shouldn't have any trouble mustering a two-thirds vote in both houses. Interest Ceiling Eyed An experienced lobbyist has been retained to seek liberalization of the present 12 per cent interest ceiling on retail credit, enacted by Initiative 245 two years ago. Sen. Martin Durkan, D., Issaquah, has pre-filed a measure which would cover the entire spectrum of noise. It was filed by title and preamble only, but the title is broad, and the preamble gives a preview of what's to come: "The purpose of this act is to alleviate this hazard by establishing maximum allowable standards for noise volume, times for noise making activities, and to encourage voluntary programs to lessen noise volume and incidents of noise making." Assuming Initiative 44, freezing property tax levels at 20 mills, will be certified to the Legislature, it probably will be enacted into law during the session. The Legislators will have the option of referring the measure to the voters in the next general election, in which case the 21-mill limit enacted by the 1970 session would remain in effect. But the Legislature instead probably will refer to the voters a resolution whose most serious offence was to sneak in from the surrounding woods and mischievously carry away our dog Jeff's dish and eat the contents while hiding in the small grove we call the "Park", or perhaps if the grain shed door was left open he would eat half a sack of cattle fattener which he dearly loved because of the molasses content. Every other thing he ever did was of benefit to us, his neighbors, and to the forest which was his home. He spent most of his time tearing rotten logs and stumps apart so that he might eat the termites and grub worms there available. Another service he performed was to keep the footpaths and trails open, this making ready access to the back country possible to everyone. We are going to miss our good friend, Buster, and to him a far happier lot in that land where all good bears go. "How do we know that Buster is DEAD"? We saw his his passing. It seems feasting upon a termites and having no', fear of mankind, Buster upon by city, who after with a high-powered upset that he allowed become jammed so ,was complete the thing he Buster, in the became highly breach of faith on the man and expressed administering a mild to his attacker attempted to escape. however hunted down by two com instigator of the whole I feel that if we. preserve the ecology the company of ourselves upon this that we as necessity, going to have the right and the everything that occupi~ earth along with us. Robert Editor, The Journal: Now that the month of Thanksgiving is upon us, and also Veterans' Day, my day of thanks came early for me this year. It was early morning on November 7 when the phone rang. It was from the last of my two sons, saying he was back in the States. I was one of the fortunate ones; both of them came back. I am not saying they wanted to do what was asked of them. They, like all others, had mixed "emotions about it. But did their part. I am of them. But I still think families that lose their or still have them will say God be Now I will say and his blessings an, everyone who sons while they were have two sons-in-law who have and are tiriae. Mrs. I The new federal law which permits narcotics agents and officers of the law to break down the door of a home without warning has been the subject of comment in this space before. We have opposed that law on the grounds that it is unconstitutional, that it runs counter to the honored tradition that a man's home is his castle, and because we think that imprisonment for possession of marijuana, for example, is not the solution to the drug problem. Now it turns out that there is another valid objection to the law which occurred to us but which we have not earlier mentioned. It is a point illustrated by a modified "no-knock" incident last week in Phoenix, Ariz., in which there was a shoot-out between invading police and the occupants of a house - and the occupants of the house turned out to be wholly uninvolved in any narcotics violation. They were victims of mistaken identity, apparently the result of a bum steer by a police informer. In brief, what happened was that police went to the house - which had been watched for some time as a possible drug traffic center - on the strength of a tipoff that its occupants had marijuana. When police arrived, previous occupants had gone and an innocent moved in. The wife shut the door on a 1~ believing him to be a law officer - whereupon in and, as the saying goes, hell broke loose. After the exchange of shots, the hospitalized with a body wound and a policeman finger and part of another. It was only the marksmanship that no one was killed. We do not pass judgment on the conduct of the this episode. The point here made is that the 1 provision, besides being of doubtful deplorable because it will surely lead to tragic violence involving innocent people. Perhaps persons who use drugs live with the of unannounced raids and do not react violently to innocent people do not and you can imagine what reaction might be if you were wakened from sleep crashing through your door in the dark of night. The Phoenix incident emphasizes the need for in the use of this questionable law enforcement from the BR rtton law its Abortion's been voted in. And the cry goes up throughout the state: "Mommy, what's an abortion?" And, fumbling for an answer, the reply comes: "It's what you aren't, dear." Obviously, we're going to need some kind of educational ap- paratus to explain to the youngest generation the ins and outs of abortion. Devices that will explain abortion to children from the earliest ages. To win acceptance among the population. I, for one, have long been an advocate of abortable Barble Dolls. You can tell she's Mattel, she swells, sure, but then what? Is a kid to grow up thinking that either Barbie and Ken get married or Ken Jr. gets put up for adoption without any other 9 ' alternative. Let s be frank, if the Barbie Pill docsn t work that night in the Ken Hot-Wheel she could, under the law, consider an abortion. When the Barbie Rabbit tells her secret, Barbie could ago- nize over the decision. She could go see her Barhie Ob & G. It would, of course, mean lower sales for the Barbie Travel Agent, but if we're going to be true to life let's not get weak- kneed at the crucial moment. Why not a Barble Abortion Game? Complete with the exelt- ing Barble I)&C. I mean, why not? Don't get the idea, though, that I think the abortable Barbie Doll is the final solution. Not by any means. Dick and Jane, too, have got to do some recently aghast when I found that Dick and Jane's still consists of seeing Spot run. Kids don't buy that stuff anymore. If you doubt vae, the next sixth grader you see. He'll tell you things when Spot stops running. There's a great deal those trips to the park and everyone knows it. Why not Jane Gets an Abortion? "See Jane. Where is Jane? Jane is "Why is Jane crying? Jane is crying because Dead, dead, dead. Doctor Welby looks concerned. concerned? Was Hoppy his pet ?abbit? Well, kind of. "See Jane and Dick. See them talk. Jane is Hoppy is dead. Is Dick sad? No, Dick is not sad. as hell. "Why is he so scared? Is he afraid Hoppy's ghost him? "Well, kind of. "See Spot. See Spot run and play. Run, Spot, run. play. See Dick kick Spot. "See Dick and Jane and Jane's Mommy and DaddY. J just told them about Hoppy. See Jane's Mommy Mommy, cry. See Jane's Daddy kick Dick. "See Jane's Daddy sign the funny paper. See Jane paper to Doctor Welby. What is the funny paper? Is it make up for Hoppy's death? i¸ il "Well, kind of." And so on. Give the kiddies a true understanding of Issue and all of Its lmpUeations, t And ff the kids don't get aronmi to reading the always the movie. I'm sure there'll be a movie. "Beyond Jane Gets an Abortion," produced b] Starring Annette Funieello as Jane. Frankie Avalon as Dick. Paul Lind as Doctor Welby. And Wally Cox as Hoppy. Or, for the post-adolescents, Jane Fonda, Elliot Gould and Arlo Guthrie. Wake up, Sesame Street. / Page 4 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, November 26, 1970