2012 conventions 2012 election 2013 session arts arts and culture author ballot measures basketball bomb books boy scouts budget bullying business charlie hales children clackamas climate change coal college courts crime culture culture club democrats drugs economy education environment family film fluoride food gay rights guns handguns health health care health insurance high school history housing immigration internet kitzhaber law legislature lgbt literary arts living marijuana marriage media medicine mental health military minor parties mohamed mohamud movies music native americans news newspaper obama olympics oregon our town parenting pers photography police politcs politics port portland portland business journal president prevention public safety religion republicans rnc romney rural salem sam adams sandy hook schools science shooting sports suicide supreme court taxes technology terrorism theater third parties transportation union university of oregon washington wildfire women

Lest some of your listeners would think that the majority of Fossil residents who opposed this facility are a group of unfriendly, fearful Oregonians, let?s be clear that our local concerns have been based largely on the severe impact this facility would have on our community due to its remote location and small population.

The definition of civilly insane sex offenders states that such persons are a danger to themselves and/or to others. A community of just a few hundred people ? in our case, 400 persons ? simply isn?t large enough for effective assimilation of such sex offenders into our local society.

Fossil and similar rural communities of this size cannot offer job opportunities, discreet socialization experiences, or promises of anonymity for these committed persons. We have no police department, a tiny volunteer ambulance, limited medical services and inadequate law enforcement.

?Out of sight, out of mind? placement in the smallest, most distant Oregon places isn?t fair to these communities and also places unfair limitations on the care and societal opportunities needed by the mentally ill.

posted 4 years, 11 months ago
view in context