Letters to the editor: Salem Alliance Church parking, wildfires

An idea for Salem Alliance Church

Now that Salem Alliance has all of the real estate around its church, the elders should follow Peoples Church's lead and provide parking for all of its parishioners in a nice, beautiful parking lot or parking structure. That would free up the parking in the Grant neighborhood for family and friends to visit without having to walk two or three blocks to go see a friend or go to a family function.

All the best to the Salem Alliance Church. I know you will do the right thing with all of that property.

I am sure the city will help you with that endeavor. I know you are trying to be a good neighbor.

James Mogle

Salem

Irresponsible to not trying to reduce forest fuels

The editorial “Logging forests not answer to wildfires” (Sunday, Aug. 18, page 6C) is flawed in many regards. First, I know of no foresters who have said that logging is “the” answer, but it is one of the practices that can assist in wildfire control efforts. 

The writer states that “climate change factors such as high temperatures, low humidity, drought and high wind, not fuels, are responsible for all large (catastrophic) blazes.” Certainly, all these conditions are factors but forest fuels are what is burning. Fuel loads, which in unmanaged forests can reach many tons per acre, make wildfires extremely difficult to control.

During my five summers on a wildland fire crew and nearly 30 years with the Oregon Department of Forestry, including serving as an Incident Commander, the basic strategy in combating wildfire was and remains to remove fuel from the ignition source by constructing fire trails around the fire. 

Not attempting to reduce forest fuels is irresponsible and certainly puts more communities and wildland firefighters at risk, not to mention the many benefits of our forests. By the way, most of the catastrophic fires in this state in recent years have been in wilderness areas, including the largest fire Oregon has had in modern times.

H. Mike Miller

Aumsville

Initiate impeachment hearings 

Long overdue, Trump gets a history lesson.

The United States is a republic, with a constitution that speaks to the ideals of a democracy with a President, not a dictator or king as its head. It has three co-equal parts: the executive, the congressional and the judicial branches.

We are Americans, people whether white, people of color, immigrants, those seeking asylum in this country, without regard to religion, national origin or gender. Wealth is not a determinate of a person's value for anyone living within the boundaries of this nation.

The president, upon being sworn in, pledges to uphold and defend the Constitution. When the president fails to uphold that pledge, he or she should be removed from office.

The process for that to happen is impeachment.  At the very least, impeachment hearings should be initiated.

Gary L. Hollen

Salem

Trump advisor aims to anger and enrage

There are what appear to be some rather out-of-place characters occupying the halls and offices of the White House. One of these is Senior Advisor for Policy to President Donald Trump, Stephen Miller.

Miller has made himself known not only as Trump's speechwriter but also as someone who has displayed extreme anti-social behaviors and lack of conscience. This 33-year-old man seems to harbor as much hate and contempt for persons of color and immigrants as Trump, as well as the nation's worst white supremacists.

From reports on his youth, Miller has been known for devoting a great deal of his time and energy to angering and enraging other people.

Ironically enough, his grandparents came to the U.S. as immigrants. And he's a Jew himself but indicates by his interests and actions to be a belated protégé of Joseph Goebbels, Adolph Hitler's Reich Minister of Propaganda.

A very unattractive public employee working in our nation's capital and one who disgraces every value and principle America has stood for since its founding.

Our nation has been and must continue to be a haven for those who seek a better life in a land of justice and freedom for all, not a hate center and proponent of human suffering.   

Gene H. McIntyre

Keizer

Elections don't always result in leaders you prefer, trust

Many of my Republican friends have ginned up a revulsion for Governor Brown. I hold a different opinion.

I think she's terrific. A true American patriot. A real Oregonian. A great governor. And a darned fine human being. Her policies are my policies. Her beliefs are my beliefs.

And that's the deal with representative democracy, folks — your vote doesn't always result in the election of leaders you prefer, admire, trust or believe in.

You're a decent person with common sense, intellect, a capacity for empathy and a sense of justice? Sorry, but your president is still Donald Trump.

You're a political conservative who believes that "climate change is a hoax," you think white supremacy is rather convenient, you wink at bigotry, xenophobia and homophobia, and somewhere in your dark inner recesses, you revile the poor, the disabled and the immigrant, while yet you revere and enable wealthy and powerful corporate CEOs and financiers "who only want what's best" for you? Sorry, but Kate Brown is your Governor.

Kevin C. Nortness 

Willamina