February 2005


Demanding Accountability


John,

I read your story about discrimination by the Elks Lodge. It is my understanding that discrimination exists when a person is treated differently based on an immutable characteristic (something with which they are born and cannot change: sex, skin color, etc.). How is this case "discrimination?" I would think it is rather a case of petty politics gone awry. Any insight you can provide would be helpful.

Thanks for your consideration.

Jon Ryan

Reply to above letter:

Hello Jon,

Thanks for your interest in the Elk's article. The answer to your comment is in the definition of the word. The word discrimination appears to be broader in scope than the way you are using it. Wordweb dictionary defines discrimination, as a noun: "Unfair treatment of a person or group on the basis of prejudice." Prejudice as a noun: "A partiality that prevents objective consideration of an issue or situation" Prejudice as a verb: "Influence (somebody's) opinion in advance." It appears the sheriff did all these things, so we can plug in the word discrimination.

John Taft

To The Editor,

During 2001-02 I was the topic of numerous articles and letters published in the Observer. At the time I was an admittedly frightened and confused man. I had been unexpectedly arrested, jailed and charged with Child Sex Abuse. No experience in my life, including serious times of combat in Viet Nam could have prepared me for that de-humanizing and threatening experience.

During that trying and troubling time in my life many of my so-called friends turned their backs on me. I was left feeling lost and abandoned by humanity. Then I contacted Ed Snook of the US~Oregon Observer. Things started to change almost instantly. Ed Snook took on the job of investigating my case and he soon found out that the charges leveled at me were false and malicious. Thanks to Ed Snook’s devotion and dedication to my case I was able to get rid of my highly questionable Attorney Pat Wolke of Grants Pass and employ Attorney Richard Cohen of Portland. Mr. Cohen is another dedicated professional, like Ed Snook. With Mr. Cohen on one side and Ed Snook on the other, I was able to ferret out the corruption and sloth in our court system and prevail. I was acquitted in October of 2002 and finally vindicated thanks to the professionalism and dedication of two men who are both truly committed to truth and justice.

This letter is a Thank You to these men and to all you readers who kept me in your thoughts and prayers during that very troubling time. Thank you and may God bless you all for seeing that this innocent man was able to retain his freedom.

Steve Andrews
Portland, Oregon

Dear Editor,

Josephine County voters were outraged over the nine-week paid leave for county managers. This one issue was a key factor in Commissioners Harold Haugen and Jim Brock losing their positions. The county is revenue short and the people want efficient use of every greenback available and no new property taxes. .

The man who calls himself the sheriff just lost two lawsuits. $230,000 plus legal fees is a lot of money to pay out for the firing of two good deputies because the sheriff wanted to dump them. The money came from insurance paid with tax dollars and taxpayer county funds. This is like the nine-week paid leave fiasco, bad decisions by elected officials. Some may say incompetence. The fact is Dave Daniel is not an administrator as he has repeatedly shown. Former DA Tim Thompson warned the voters about him in a letter to the editor dated October 29, 1998. Too bad we didn’t listen.

Daniel spent over $20,000 dollars to have Steve Kent show him how to be a better sheriff. Wasted money! Daniel spent several thousand dollars remodeling his office when the sheriff’s office was underfunded. Daniel played big shot by sending deputies to the Olympics. Editor Roler said, "It’s the fact the sheriff chose to spend local taxpayer money to protect strangers when facing a huge budget deficit that has hurt his case."

As treasurer for Friends Protecting Family Homes I would like to invite Daniel to a going away party, his.

John Taft

Dear Editor,

What is it with you and Gabbs? You seem to spend a lot of time “investigating,” and I use the word loosely. I remember in our past e-mails your “reliable sources” couldn’t even find out who I was or where I lived, even with all the hints I gave you! You refer to Gabbs as “the little forgotten town.” Obviously you haven’t forgotten it. I haven’t either. I grew up here and returned in retirement, along with my husband of 43 years. So have a couple of other people. More are on the way.

Yes, we have some bad guys here. So does Grants Pass, so does every other town in the world. But in Gabbs, they are far outnumbered by decent, caring intelligent people who are working to make our town a better place. And we’ll succeed, in spite of them, and you.

I notice that you print whining letters to the editor. You print letters from people who care little for personal hygiene or the condition of their homes or anything else besides blaming others for their lot in life. Will you print a letter that carries hope and optimism and states that you are for sale to the highest bidder?

I also notice that you love to blow your own horn, even where no horn is evident. You take partial credit for the recent narcotics arrests. You shouldn’t do that. How do you know when the investigation started, or in which direction it proceeded, or who contributed? You also state that your newspaper is Gabbs’ only hope to clean up “this drug racked and immoral community.” What is wrong with you? How can you possibly and fairly define Gabbs like that when you’ve only met the worst of us? I invite you to come to my home, if you are ever in Gabbs, and determine for yourself if I am drug “racked” (you used the wrong word; in this instance the word is “wracked”) and immoral, or if my husband and brother are, or my friends, or the people who have lived here for most of their lives. Be fair (fair is defined as free from bias, dishonesty or injustice). I challenge you to live up to that definition. I know it’ll be difficult, but you must try.

Sincerely yours,
Jan Basinger
Gabbs, Nevada

To the Editor

There once was a man who was brought to the hospital, dead on arrival. An Autopsy revealed he had internal organs of an 80-year-old man, but he was only 28. He had been doing methamphetamines for the past twelve years. The drug methamphetamine (meth) is Hitler’s legacy. Hitler used a form of it to make soldiers of the Third Reich work harder, faster and longer. Never mind that it eats away the mind, body and soul.

These days it’s not uncommon for children to be hooked on the stuff. To those supplying meth to kids, well, you might as well line up the kids and shoot them. You’re destroying innocent lives. Stop it!

To the kids: You don’t know with what substance that stuff is cut. It could be rat poison, who knows. At any rate, that stuff is bad, bad, bad. Be very scared.

To the adult user: Respect your body. You’re the one living in it. Or, are you the one dying in it? Be good to yourself. Take time to heal. Help is out there.

Janene Rayburn
Tonopah, Nevada

Edward Snook’s Note: Well put Janene. To bad others, like Jan Basinger of Gabbs don’t practice concern and positive action as opposed to hypocrisy. If there were more Janene’s out there we would see a much greater decline in drug abuse among both children and adults. Thank you.

Open Letter
To Oregon Legislators

Dear Oregon Legislators,

Below please find a resolution sent recently to California House and Senate. The same problems exist here in Oregon. We need a similar resolution. Thank you for taking the time to read the California proposed resolution regarding CPS abuse, and considering its implementation by Oregon House and Senate.

Susan Detlefsen
Portland, Oregon

California House and Senate Resolution:

WHEREAS recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,

WHEREAS disregard and contempt for human rights and parental and children's rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and what has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,

WHEREAS it is essential if a mother is compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, and if after five years the judicial system has failed to resolve a gross injustice inflicted upon Mother and Child, and that human rights and parental and children's rights should be protected by the rule of the law,

BE IT RESOLVED,

I That Motherhood and Childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All Children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection;

II That Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their Children;

III That Parents have a prior right to choose whether or not psychotropic pharmaceuticals be administered to their children;

IV That every Parent and Child has the right to life, liberty and security of person;

V That no Parent or Child shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment;

VI That no Parent shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or imprisonment;

VII That every Parent should have affordable access to quality child care in order to make a living and provide for her child;

VIII That every Parent charged with a penal offense has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he/she has had all the guarantees necessary for his or her defense; That DIANE BOOTH was never afforded the opportunity to have a trial or even a fair hearing;

VIIII That no Parent shall be held guilty of any penal offense on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offense, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offense was committed.

X That no Parent shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his or her privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his or her honor and reputation. Every Parent has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.

XI That every child has a human right to have contact with his biological parent and must not be separated from his family, heritage, cultural traditions or religious values;

THE UNDERSIGNED, finds that Child Protective Services, The State of California and the United States Government which oversees said Agency has violated the human rights of DIANE BOOTH and VINCENT BOOTH and has subjected them to indignities, abuse, terrorization, and have violated the sacred bond of Parent and Child by illegally kidnapping and illegally detaining VINCENT BOOTH AND DIANE BOOTH without probable cause or without due process of law.

THE UNDERSIGNED does hereby Petition the government of the State of California and the United States Government for Relief and remedy to have VINCENT BOOTH returned to his natural parent, DIANE BOOTH, consistent with the laws of the U.S. CONSTITUTION, the laws of God and Nature.

FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED, that Restitution be appropriated in a monetary sum comparable to the amount of pain and suffering endured by said gross injustice to DIANE BOOTH and VINCENT BOOTH.

Judicial Cannons

Dear Editor,

The following are some of the rules from the Revised Oregon Code Of Judicial Conduct. Can anyone name a judge that has not violated all those rules?

JR 1-101:
A judge shall not engage in conduct that reflects adversely on the judge’s character, competence, temperament or fitness to serve as a judge.

JR 1-101 (d):
A judge shall not engage in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation.

JR 2-104 (A):
A judge possessing knowledge that another judge or lawyer has committed a violation of the rules of judicial or professional conduct or law that raises a substantial question as to that individuals honesty, trustworthiness, or fitness as a judge or lawyer shall inform the Commission of Judicial Fitness and Disability or the Oregon State Bar Disciplinary Counsel.

JR 2-107:
A judge shall be faithful to the law and shall decide matters on the basis of the facts and applicable law.

Roger Justice
Portland, Oregon

Ten Steps To Freedom

To the Editor,

Most Americans are growing extremely weary of the malgovernance, ineptitude, and legalized corruption perpetuated by the legal profession, bureaucracy, & lobbyists. However, only a few are focused on the core problems causing this sickness.

Too many patriotic Americans concentrate on treating particular symptoms rather than curing the disease. If the patient has AIDS, he/she does not need to be treated for sores only. When the fascists, monarchs & communists ruled nations, the people had to make the removal of its system of governance their number one priority. Yet the whole nation is immersed in a maze of issues, however important, without addressing these basic matters simply because everything has been unnecessarily complicated.

Listed are probable solutions.

1. America needs verifiable and traceable elections which are tabulated on a grassroots level. Paper ballots should be used. Preferably, the secret ballot process should be abolished.

2. The United States is not an unbridled democracy. Practicing judicial advocates should not serve in legislative and executive branches due to obvious conflict of interest. It is highly unconstitutional because it flagrantly violates the Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances concepts.

3. Non-attorneys should be eligible for judgeship at the state and local level. Judges and prosecutors should be banned from belonging to private organizations, comprising solely of advocates, in which its purpose will obviously be the advancement of its agenda.

4.All bar associations should be stripped of their authority to license counsel. No permission from a private organization should be necessary for a truly private sector citizen to assist another citizen in any manner on any legal matter. Judicial advocate organizations should be excluded from the judge-selection process.

5. All regulatory agencies should be abolished and all regulations repealed. Only lawmakers or the people through direct referendum should regulate society with laws. Laws should be written in plain English and it should not be exclusively written by judicial advocates in "legalese". All enforcement of laws should be borne by state and local police. The only exception should be issues involving vital national security interests, which includes espionage.

6.All contributors and contributions to political campaigns should be made public record. Only American citizens should be allowed to contribute. While reasonable limits can be placed on direct contributions, any other restrictions would be a blatant infringement on an individual's First Amendment Right.

7.Repeal the Federal Reserve Act and abolish the Federal Reserve. The printing and coining of currency should be the sole responsibility of a U.S. government agency, the U.S. Treasury.

8.Allow the military to manage the military. Civilian legislators and the Commander-In-Chief should only decide when to use the military and how much funds it should receive.

9.America must protect its sovereignty by restricting the role of the U.N. as a meeting place for all nations to voice their opinions. All taxpayer funding of the IMF & World Bank must be stopped. If government wishes to contribute foreign aid and loans, it must do so on an ad hoc basis. No member of the three branches of government can belong to any private organization that is foreign based five years before and five years after public service.

10.The United States Constitution must be reinstated as the supreme law of the land. Portions of the 14th Amendment must be repealed along with subsequent legislation, executive orders, and court decisions which reaffirm the gold-fringe flag in all government(including the courts).

The threat of instant bankruptcy and poverty due to outrageous healthcare, education and legal costs will erode civility/trust and has promoted panic and social tensions. As more people are working two jobs and longer hours just to make ends meet, the ability to earn an honest productive living will decrease significantly. This has already adversely affected the family structure. With recession, joblessness, and even war looming on the horizon, it is imperative these proposals are implemented.

Harsha Sankar
Covington, Virginia

  
 

 

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