Welcome to Oregon, the State of Teenage Sterilization!

Catholic World Report ^ | 8/21/12 | Carl E. Olson

[marshmallow]

I've now lived in Oregon for over twenty years, having moved here in the summer of 1991 from Montana. I lived in Portland for a few years, during the craziness of the Measure 9 controversy, then in Eugene (my wife's hometown) since 1995. In 1997, the year that we entered the Catholic Church, Oregon became the first to state to legalize assisted suicide, via the "Death with Dignity Act". As I've sometimes dryly noted, when giving talks in other parts of the country, Oregon is that surreal place where you aren't trusted to pump your own gas, but if you'd like to kill yourself, the State is there to assist you.

Oregon is indeed a curious place, politically and culturally: generally speaking, it likes to present itself as a liberty-loving, eccentric haven for free-thinkers who thumb their nose at convention, tradition, religion, and the mores of middle America. In reality, it is more like a State-operated insane asylum in which the inmates are reassured of how open minded, cutting-edge, and truly liberal they are, while their political masters continuously and confidently promote a culture of death, secular homogenization, and narrow minded bullying that is equally breathtaking and bizarre.

As odd as it might sound, I suspect that one reason Oregon's political leaders are able to pull many of the deadly, anti-life stunts they do is because of how jaw-dropping beautiful this state is. People are willing to put up with a lot of craziness in order to live in one of the most gorgeous places in the United States, where they have access to the ocean, beaches, streams, rivers, forests, mountains, and farmlands without the worries of tornadoes, (large) earthquakes, hurricanes, and humidity.

[stormer]

We’re not talking about a little runoff - he had stored 13 million gallons of water...

[firebrand]

Oregon [. . .] a state that was taken over by Californians who were smart enough to leave California, but too stupid to remember why they left.

Very good line. I confess to being an Oregon visitor (3 times and may be going for a 4th this fall). Not enough time to really understand the place, but I see a difference between the East and the West in the public behavior and private attitudes of the people I see and meet. Seems like it's a natural place for libertarians, so there is hope.

[Larry - Moe and Curly]

“We’re not talking about a little runoff - he had stored 13 million gallons of water...”

His land. Rainwater. Still don’t see the crime here. To my knowledge he was never accused of diverting a river or a stream, was he?

If he hadn’t captured the rainwater, it would indeed have been runoff.

[Larry - Moe and Curly]

” I confess to being an Oregon visitor (3 times and may be going for a 4th this fall). Not enough time to really understand the place, but I see a difference between the East and the West in the public behavior and private attitudes of the people I see and meet.”

Oregon is one of the most beautiful states in the Union. It has 3 distinct regions with 3 different sets of people. The coast where it rains 11 months of the year and is populated by hippies. The central part between the Coast range and Cascades where it rains 10 months of the year and is populated by socialists. And East of the Cascades where it rains 1 month of the year and is populated by self-reliant people who just want the government to leave them alone (except Bend) :-)

I’d love to move back - my sister still lives there. It is a beautiful place and I love the mountains. But after living in the freedom of Texas, I just couldn’t put up with the politically correct Barbara Streisand - or the outrageous land prices, or not being able to pump my own gas.

[jimtorr]

To my knowledge he was never accused of diverting a river or a stream, was he?

Yes, he was, and that was the entire point. He was diverting one of the tributaries of the stream that Medford gets it's drinking water from.

[jimtorr]

After reading your post about regions and 3 sets of people, I see that you don’t know Oregon at all. I grew up in Eugene and have family all over the state. I may just move back in a few months.

I plan on moving in with my sister to help her out with her land on the east side of the Will. Valley. If you call people in most of the Willamette Valley outside the University towns and Salem socialists, you’d better run far and fast.

[Larry - Moe and Curly]

“Yes, he was, and that was the entire point. He was diverting one of the tributaries of the stream that Medford gets it’s drinking water from.”

This was not the stories I read. If this is what he was doing, then he was wrong.

[Larry - Moe and Curly]

“After reading your post about regions and 3 sets of people, I see that you don’t know Oregon at all.”

I do know Oregon - didn’t know I needed a \sarc tag. I thought it was a wild enough generalization that would explain itself.

My sister also lives in the Willamette Valley and she is no socialist either. Probably 10-20 non-socialists in the center of the state. \sarc - just in case.

[jimtorr]

Okay, I took you seriously when I shouldn’t have.

It’s just that there are entirely too many people who rip all three pacific coast states for the actions of extremists, without considering the many conservatives, who are actually the majority in most areas. Overwhelmed by the dense urban populations who think harvesting onions is murder, dairy cows are enslaved, and owls really care where they nest.

[dixiechick2000]

“True enough. But now we’ll have to listen to some folks who spent a week in Portland 10 years ago and will present themselves as experts on all things Northwestern...”

Did you read the article? He’s lived here for over 20 years, as have I.

I read the article, and totally agree with every, single word written, especially this...

“But, in the end, Oregon seems deadset on being California, Jr.—or even outdoing California in some ways...”

If you are a native Oregonian, and haven’t lived anywhere else, I can understand you being indignant.

However, as much as you might hate to hear this, Oregon is a bastion of liberalism, and is not the wonderful place you think it is, nor is the wonderful state I moved to over 20 years ago.

And, it was a lovely state 20 years ago...

[dixiechick2000]

There are 24 hour gas stations here.

Frankly, with the bad weather most of the year, I don’t mind not pumping my own gas.

So....NO....I will not go all Spartacus on them. ;o)

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

...he had stored 13 million gallons of water.

He worked for it, which is something not allowed in this socialist utopia...

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

This “native Oregonian” nonsense is just irritating to me...

Too many “native” Oregonians act as if this is their own little fiefdom and not part of the United States of America, so they feel they are free to violate people’s natural rights liberty with impunity.

The term “kangaroo court” comes right out of Oregon, where Australian immigrant miners were having their mining claims stolen through the local courts.

Oregon has the most corrupt civil courts in the country.

[stormer]

This “native Oregonian” nonsense is just irritating to me...

Too many “native” Oregonians act as if this is their own little fiefdom and not part of the United States of America, so they feel they are free to violate people’s natural rights liberty with impunity.

Pretty funny coming from a guy from the South...

The term “kangaroo court” comes right out of Oregon, where Australian immigrant miners were having their mining claims stolen through the local courts.

Wrong - it's from Texas...

Oregon has the most corrupt civil courts in the country.

You're entitled to you own opinions, you're not entitled to you own facts. Do you have a source for your preposterous claim?

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

I live in four different states...

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

“Do you have a source for your preposterous claim?”

Your former flaming leftist supreme court judge / governor Turd Colonoscopy is just one example.

[Rio]

Just a few facts I would like to point out to the (rightfully so) scathing comments on PORTLAND/SALEM politics of the state of Oregon.

About 1/2 to 2/3 of this state deeply resents the rulings that the “State of Portland” puts out. We refer to ourselves as “State of Jefferson”. This is the historical reference to when northern CA and southern OR nearly seceded from the remaining portions of the respective states to form their own new state, called “Jefferson”. The proposal was scheduled to be voted on in Congress - two days after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Needless to say, Congress was a bit distracted by that point, and the new state was not formed. So there is a history of dissatisfaction with not only Salem/Portland, but also Sacramento. The problem is that the mostly rural areas don’t have a high enough density in population to effectively make a difference via voting.

So if you need to slam (again, rightfully so) the State of Portland, please remember that the State of Jefferson is suffering from the idiots in control, and do not include them in the slam.

[dixiechick2000]

“Do you have a source for your preposterous claim?”

“Your former flaming leftist supreme court judge / governor Turd Colonoscopy is just one example.”

No kidding? I missed that!

Do you have a link?

I don’t like him one bit.

In reply to your response upthread...I have to come to Oregon’s defense.

The problem has been a huge migration of SoCal folks. They didn’t like property values and taxes down there, so they moved here.

They brought their liberal politics with them, and voted accordingly. It’s a shame.

However, we had a move back to the right in the 2010 election.

This time, as hard as it is for me to believe, my husband’s long time and extremely progressive attorney is going to vote for Ryan.

LOL! Go figure...

[MarilynBr]

No it isn’t a one-party state, only Portland and Eugene.

[baa39]

By requiring stations to provide gas attendants, Oregon creates 20,000 jobs per year. It is illegal for you to pump your own gas, or even exit your vehicle, at the pump. If, like me, you’ve always hated pumping gasoline because it gets your hands dirty and you can accidentally spill a drop on your clothes (girly reasons), then this is a great service. It’s also nice to have someone politely greet you and help you if you need oil or water, instead of dealing with a rude Arab inside. Somehow, if does not increase the gas prices, they are in line with surrounding states, based on regional, etc, factors.