Thursday January 9, 2025
| |||
SNc Channels: HomeNews by DateSportsVideo ReportsWeatherBusiness NewsMilitary NewsRoad ReportCannabis NewsCommentsADVERTISEStaffCompany StoreCONTACT USRSS Subscribe Search About Salem-News.com
Salem-News.com is an Independent Online Newsgroup in the United States, setting the standard for the future of News. Publisher: Bonnie King CONTACT: Newsroom@Salem-news.com Advertising: Adsales@Salem-news.com ~Truth~ ~Justice~ ~Peace~ TJP |
Jul-29-2009 09:11TweetFollow @OregonNews Reverend Benny & Mister Sid's At Your Service #55Glen Bledsoe Salem-News.comA large billboard on I-65 near Indianapolis made it clear to all drivers that Darwinian evolution was wrong.
(Oregon/Indiana) - I went back to Indiana to visit relatives and old friends this past week. Have you ever noticed how many Hoosiers (what people from Indiana are called) there are in Oregon? Not nearly as many as former Californians, but more than might otherwise be expected. Why (you might ask yourself) are there so many people from Indiana eager to relocate in Oregon? Some people are born in Indiana and find after they grow up that they just don't fit. Let me give you some examples. For me to get an internet connection where my mother lives I had to drive 30 miles to a public library. Most of the people I talked to (including my family) "just didn't get computers." There are times when computers overwhelm me, too, I suppose, but not enough to live in a technology black-out zone. Then my mother's neighbor lectured me about why Obama's plan was going to fail. He told me it was in the Bible "just as plain as day." A large billboard on I-65 near Indianapolis made it clear to all drivers that Darwinian evolution was wrong. After returning our car rental my wife and I sat in a van waiting to go to the airport. The driver was waiting on another traveler to finish a cigarette. The driver said to me that the laws about smoking in Indiana had changed. He said that it was no longer legal to smoke in restaurants. I told him that I was in a restaurant just the day before and a couple of people were filling the air with side-stream smoke which I didn't appreciate. (My father died of lung cancer from smoking.) The driver said, "Well, you can smoke if it's okay with the restaurant owner." How nice that the restaurant owner gets to make the decision as to whether I get to breath cancer-causing side-stream smoke. See why I live in Oregon? Frame 1 | Frame 2 | Frame 3 | Frame 4 Articles for July 28, 2009 | Articles for July 29, 2009 | Articles for July 30, 2009 | Quick Links
DININGWillamette UniversityGoudy Commons Cafe Dine on the Queen Willamette Queen Sternwheeler MUST SEE SALEMOregon Capitol ToursCapitol History Gateway Willamette River Ride Willamette Queen Sternwheeler Historic Home Tours: Deepwood Museum The Bush House Gaiety Hollow Garden AUCTIONS - APPRAISALSAuction Masters & AppraisalsCONSTRUCTION SERVICESRoofing and ContractingSheridan, Ore. ONLINE SHOPPINGSpecial Occasion DressesAdvertise with Salem-NewsContact:AdSales@Salem-News.com | |
Contact: adsales@salem-news.com | Copyright © 2025 Salem-News.com | news tips & press releases: newsroom@salem-news.com.
Terms of Service | Privacy Policy |
All comments and messages are approved by people and self promotional links or unacceptable comments are denied.
August 2, 2009 6:42 pm (Pacific time)
go into the light
Henry Ruark August 2, 2009 3:31 pm (Pacific time)
Armentrout: "Killer fact" re yours is your obvious or intentional failure to differentiate between dialog and debate. Dialog, by definition, is "conversation", starts with mutual recognition, procedes with factual exchange, may analyze, dissect and exchange points, but is devoted to share and learn attitudes. Whole history of S-N channel demonstrates, for those who pay attention and are willing to learn and share. Debate, esp. in political terms, is confrontation designed to defy, deny, then defeat opponent, logically if possible, by rhetoric and obfuscation if necessary. In American politics, since 1800, this has led to "Win by ANY means, no matter what cost to principle or commonweal." Inevitably, universally, it has always led to stalemate and often to increasing violence and failure to apply any of the remedies available by ready democratic means. Which is WHY we have the near-failure and hellish mess we now confront,nationally and internationally; WHY we have malign billions blasting away at ANY reform, and at ANY possible-target to undermine Obama; WHY "defy, deny, delay and somehow defeat" him and his programs in ANY way is now the order of the day, as demonstrated by leaders of the attacking gang; and WHY the obvious final one is recurring constant threat not only to him but to our whole system of governance.
Henry Ruark August 2, 2009 8:08 am (Pacific time)
Glen: Bloomington "different" You are so right...which emphasizes the difference,as you will know. My "four men from VA" who brought IU its early work on propaganda analysis were at first shocked and then saw the humor of that fact. But that did little to ameliorate the damage done to those constantly surrounded by the political naivete and the large impacts on understanding thus continued and supported. Esp. by media-there, even in renowned university town. Again large kudos for you strip, which continues to conjure up considerable bright illumination on deeply painful if essential events, issues and the problems so produced.
Henry Ruark August 2, 2009 8:01 am (Pacific time)
Armentrout: You wrote:"my educational background and experience is not relevant to that documented Oregon state history, for it is what it is." Again, sir, your own words display the naivete involved for those who do not know, nor are they willing to learn, that they do not know. Your open assumption is that educational level makes no difference whatsoever on your abilities to distinquish recorded fact in public records from your reading of what they may mean. That is further colored by your previous statements clearly demonstrating inherent bias in your own personal feelings --with other Comments here reflecting that fact. Forgive me, but demand here is thus unavoidably to contrast statements we both made --which invariably means checking out "right to speak" which must be based on background, experience, motivations and intimate knowledge of both this situation and the surrounding complementary and essential other components. That has been civilized and informed pattern for public statement ever since the impact of the Enlightenment removed the royal right to unsupporable declaration. SO dialog demands you now present further proof of your assumptions and especially of your personal reading of what the public record on votes does mean. Without that we are back to Square One, rationally and reasonably, which is why such open, honest, democratic dialog is so worthwhile and valuable to any democracy --it forces reliance on solid and trustworthy known sources, while making difficult the life of those who have already demonstrated their willingness and malign intention by simple reversal of reality to fit their political debate requirements. That in itself proves the point re need for knowing sources by something more than personal declarations and the usual single name, meaningless in providing what every normal civilized conversation starts with: knowledge of the speakers involved. We have long ago at S-N well demonstrated the pattern we chose, with solid documented proof of its effectiveness and absolute essentiality here. See upcoming Op Ed for still further analysis and our usual documentation here, as in "see with own eyes", then "evaluate with own mind", for each and every statement here, including this one. (Sorry, Glenm, but you will understand necessities here.)
Glen August 1, 2009 8:31 am (Pacific time)
Henry: Bloomington is very different than the rest of the state as I'm sure you'd agree. I grew up in industrial Gary, but the bulk of the state is big farming. Indianapolis is a center for insurance. The state is so divided that it exists in two time zones. (While I'm at it: DOWN WITH DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME!) Gary is really a part of the greater Chicago community (broadcast TV and radio) and so resides in Central Standard Time. While living in Gary I knew all about Illinois politics and nothing about Indiana politics. Indianapolis is Eastern Standard Time. Topographically the upper two-thirds of the state was scrubbed flat by a glacier in the past. The lower third is rolling hills and to me the pace of life more relaxed. I made more friends in my five year residence in Michigan than all the years I spent in Indiana.
Armentrout August 1, 2009 7:45 am (Pacific time)
To the below questioner on why I say enough Portland voters come through at the ballot box to stop many of the state legislatures tax increases? Because it is documented voting history, and my educational background and experience is not relevant to that documented Oregon state history, for it is what it is. I of course would like to see all of our state departments and agencies have enough funds to fullfill their mandated missions, and a more transparent use of those funds should be made available to the voters on the net and elsewhere for public consumption. It does seem that during each state budget cycle there is an increase in funding beyond the inflation rate. But back to the artist's statement regarding Portland and urban areas in Indiana, my earlier statement was accurate, I believe. I don't know if there are more uninformed voters in urban areas in comparison to the suburbs and rural areas, but that sounds like an interesting area for some research. Of course urban areas do have some pretty serious social problems that lead me to believe that many voters there are ill informed about many issues.
Henry Ruark July 31, 2009 8:37 pm (Pacific time)
Glen: Very glad you had good sense to leave Hoosierland and join us in Oregon. Did grad work at IU in Bloomington, visited widely in state and region, found most persons there great personally but still in later 18th/early 19th century in far too many ways. Had great run with some of worst of natives via exchanges in daily there...even made a friend or two among that tribe proving up their personal worth while in no way lessening their lassitude in learning about the modern world and life therein...
Henry Ruark July 31, 2009 8:33 pm (Pacific time)
Armentrout: Au contraire, sir ! You wrote:"Yes we can always count on enough Portland voters to do the right thing with their informed vote." "Been there, done that" in OR for some 50 yrs. off/and/on as educator (OrDeptEd,Ptlnd Schools, PCC) and free/lance jrnlst, magazine writer, wires correspondent), Yr statement reflects ONLY your own values; most decision votes have been rational and reasonable but not by any means all, esp. on educational matters. Like any metro area, Ptlnd has more than its share of the less-educated, less informed and many misinformed, with noise machine-distorted views, and too open to canny manipulation by dollar-driven interests. That's my personal view, but also built from professional background, long pertinent experience, research in those positions on public opinion demanded, and many other major constituents --so open to check as "source" --see STAFF section here on S-N. SO, what's yours, sir ? No possible gain or kudos for me involved, simply challenge the statement you make. Lay out what makes yours more valuable here than mine, if you can do so. That is simple open, honest, democratic dialog, I believe you must agree. Have you ever run public opinion surveys at national level ? Ever been in D.C. assigned to national association ? Ever worked in consultant role with schools and school boards ? Best possible way to "see with own eyes" realities involved in decisions on costs affecting every family and every child --thus revealing of attitudes and values. Open here to see what you can tell us OR consider yours matched and reversed. Many persons now sick to death of ongoing constant "conservative cant" after 40 years of failures now clearly seen as cause of current and extremely damaging national and international economic, social and cultural crisis.
Armentrout July 31, 2009 12:55 pm (Pacific time)
Glen I agree with you about Portland, especially when it comes to bringing about enough votes to overcome legislation aimed at increasing taxes, or pumping our own gas, creating a sales tax and on and on. Hopefully it will be the same scenario during the next state election which will include a ballot that will once again stop the over spenders. Yes we can always count on enough Portland voters to do the right thing with their informed vote.
Glen July 30, 2009 10:33 pm (Pacific time)
Indiana is changing, I should add. The state voted Democrat this past election for the first time since Lyndon Johnson was elected in 1964. Gary and Indianapolis have growing urban populations which don't see things the way the conservative farmers (and the insurance companies) do. In that way they're not so different than Oregon. The people of Portland dominate election results.
Daniel Johnson July 30, 2009 1:49 pm (Pacific time)
Rereading my comment I meant to say "if the North had just let them go." On the WSJ story the error was a typo but, on reflection, I wonder if it wasn't a Freudian slip. I'm hoping for some knowledgable feedback on this issue.
Daniel Johnson July 30, 2009 10:52 am (Pacific time)
Anonymous: I think what you are saying is that the U.S. is not a culturally homogenous nation, but is really two or three (or more) different cultural areas. We have the same here in Canada. Quebec has been trying to actively separate for decades (first separatist government elected in 1976). I'm wondering if, when the South wanted to secede in the 1850s, it wouldn't have been better all around, if the North hadn't just let them go. This is more a question on my part and if I stand to be corrected on it. What makes me think of this is an article I read in the Wall Street Journal (of all places) a few years ago where the author referred to the "Untied States". It was a typo, but it got me thinking.
Anonymous July 30, 2009 1:42 am (Pacific time)
The Midwest can only be seen as some kind of a contradiction. The people are nice and all of that, they have great manners, but they are scary as hell when it comes to religion, etc.
Daniel Johnson July 29, 2009 1:26 pm (Pacific time)
Deja vu ain't what it used to be!
[Return to Top]©2025 Salem-News.com. All opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Salem-News.com.