Letters to the Editor for November 7

Tears come to my eyes as I write this. I am part Jewish; more than that, I am human, with human emotions. Death is a sting, so says God’s word; it is a sting that lasts for a very long time. For some, it feels like an eternity. Personally, I have lost millions of my human family:

1.5 million — Armenian genocide, 1915, by big bullies

2 million — Cambodia, 1975-79, big bullies

6 million — Jews, homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and on and on — unspeakable atrocities, 1933-45, killed by bigger bullies

60 million — The untold African holocaust, killed by the biggest bully of them all? I don’t know; I don’t know enough. Google it!

Let God’s kingdom rule, to put an end to all of mankind’s pain, sorrow, sickness and death. No man, no woman, no earthly government can end mankind’s pain. Listen to the truth, not men’s lies.

The world is not coming to an end; the wicked are having their day in court with the Messiah. I hope to see you in Paradise, on earth.

Psalm 37:10, 11 and 29. The righteous will live forever. This is the truth.

Carol Oji

Hood River

Retorts losing sting?

It seems that the 2-3 percent of nationwide voters supporting Trump feel like he’s getting soft … his retorts are somehow losing their stern and startling sting. Will the president feebly sink to “Oh yeah!” or “Says you?” I’m here to say don’t worry, be happy. This just in! Donald Trump is reading from cover to cover a book with a hockey puck flavor, “The Art of Powerful Persuasion” by Don Rickles.

Bill Davis

Hood River

‘No truth’

Does truth matter? Dr. Patrick Michaels gives some interesting information about climate change. He is the director of the center for the Study of Science and the Cato Institute. He was a research professor at the University of Virginia for 30 years. He said that global warming is real and that “the rate of global warming during the past several decades has been about .18 degree centigrade per decade.” The actual increase in global surface temperature during the 100-year period ending in 2005 was .74 degrees, plus or minus .18 degrees C.

The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, he said, had subverted the peer review process and “left out plenty of peer-reviewed science that found it inconveniently disagreeable.”

He points out that there is no basis of sea levels rising. He states that there is a publication bias. The positive results are published, but the negative ones are not. This tends to draw money to the positive scientists. But it is incomplete and is hard to counter.

A very important point he makes is that the computer models are showing an increased difference from the actual measured values. He said that it is due to an error in the method. These 31 different computer models in the world are false and skewed. Only the Russian model is close to the actual measured values.

So why should we be concerned about this? Regulations that are not based on truth are being foisted upon us with no benefit, but much harmful potential.

Donald Rose

Hood River

Opioid bill failure

Rep. Greg Walden sponsored a bill addressing the opioid epidemic that was recently signed by the president. Walden and many Republican colleagues tout it as a significant achievement, but public health officials around the country are disappointed it has neither the focus nor the funding necessary to have any meaningful effect.

The bill Walden presented in the House was a “catch-all” of pieces from 50 other House members’ proposals, creating an unfocused hodge-podge for which 50 House members could take credit. In the Senate, similar additions were made.

Walden’s bill focuses on continued reduction in opioid prescription but neglects the need for expanding access to effective treatment. The treatment section of the bill focuses on short-term inpatient care while the gold standard in treatment of opioid addiction is long-term, medication-assisted outpatient treatment with a comprehensive, team based approach.

Even had the bill been better informed and more cohesive, the funding provided is wholly inadequate. Public health policy experts state funding should be on par with the more than $20 billion a year spent on HIV/AIDs. This bill provides a maximum of $8 billion over five years.

Mr. Walden is well aware of the funding problem. While voting for this bill in the House, he voted AGAINST funding for it. Last June, Walden voted against an amendment to appropriate $995 million, over three years, for opioid grant programs. He voted to allow Medicaid coverage of up to 30 days of inpatient opioid addiction treatment but voted against federal funding to cover it. Without adequate funding, the perfect bill would not likely make significant headway against this epidemic.

It is indeed high time that the opioid epidemic is addressed. I appreciate Rep. Walden’s focus on bipartisan support for this issue, but truthfully, it should not be difficult to garner bipartisan support to deal with an epidemic lethal to our communities; 5,000 Oregonians have died from opioid overdose since Rep. Walden took office. Passing an unfunded mandate and using shiny key words as a distraction is not enough for our country and our communities.

Molly Fauth, MD

Hood River

Survivors of suicide

One of every six people has lost someone close to them to suicide. To all those who have lost a child, parent, sibling, partner or friend, here are some questions for you: How have you been coping with this death? Grief has no standard timeline; for each person it is different and complex. Have you found it easy to talk with family and friends about your loss? Did you find comfort and support?

Has someone truly listened and understood your evolving feelings around your loved one’s death? Whether it has been six weeks, six months, six years or much more, have you heard there is one day each year dedicated to survivors of suicide loss? Annually, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) hosts a Survivors of Suicide Loss program in over 350 locations around this country; always the Saturday before Thanksgiving. I lost my 21-year-old daughter to suicide in 2010 and have been partnering with YouthThink and the Hood River County Prevention Department since 2011 to hold a local Gorge program. In odd years, it has been held in Hood River and in The Dalles in even years. Will you consider joining me and others who have experienced the tragedy of suicide in their lives at this year’s program? Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018 from 9:30 a.m. to noon in The Dalles, Bldg. 3 of the Columbia Gorge Community College. For more information, contact me at susanbgabay@gmail.com or Debby Jones, debbyj@co.wasco.or.us.

Susan Gabay

Mosier

Clarification

I am writing to clear up a statement made in the Letter to the Editor on Nov. 3 titled “False Claims.” The wording “(Chuck Thomsen is) ... strongly supported by Helping Hands ...” The more accurate way to have written it would be “Chuck Thomsen strongly supports Helping Hands.”

As the former director of Helping Hands Against Violence, I was witness to Chuck’s support to survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and stalking over and over again. My participation in the ad was not in any official capacity with Helping Hands, it was a personal need to share what I know to be true. As a non-profit, Helping Hands Against Violence does not participate in any political campaign activity.

Lee Montavon

Parkdale

It’s in the Tweets

Trump states he is a nationalist. Trump it white. Trump is a white nationalist. Don’t believe me?

Just listen to him talk or access his Tweets.

Gary Fields

Hood River

‘Addams’ kudos

Wow! Kudos! Don’t miss “The Addams Family” at Hood River Valley High School. What a show! Fantastic music, dancing, acting, direction, sets and props and lighting and ... just everything. And it’s one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. My face hurt from laughing so much. Poignant, too, just as Trisha Walker’s great coverage in the Hood River News (Oct. 24 Kaleidoscope) made clear. Altogether an amazing production. Just two more performances, Nov. 9 and 10, 7 p.m. at the Bowe Theater in Hood River.

Tina Castañares

Odell

Tasty treats

I enjoyed reading Tassie Mack’s letter honoring the wonderful community of talented teenagers in Hood River County. I agree 100 percent with her recommendation to attend the HRVHS fall musical, “The Addams Family.” What a wonderful production with an extremely talented cast, orchestra and crew!

Thanks, too, to Mike’s Ice Cream for more than 30 years of hiring teenagers (mine included), oftentimes for their first job. Mike’s Ice Cream continues to support this community in so many ways, including free ice cream on Halloween. Thanks to the owners and their team of hard working teens, see you in the spring!

Julie Byers

Hood River

Beware of owl

Every morning at daybreak, my brother walks the section of Indian Creek Trail by the high school. For the last several mornings, he has been enjoying the company of an owl that usually perches near the area where the golf cart path intersects the trail. This morning, when he passed the owl, it flew low over his head, circled around, and grabbed his head from behind. It lifted off, then flew ahead of him and landed on a branch. When he got to the branch, it circled him again.

If you see an owl on Indian Creek, please be alert and look behind you. Lions and tigers and ... owls? What’s next, flying monkeys? Oh my!

Norma Cordry

Hood River