Community Voices: June 7th
Three Perspectives on Science, Progress, and Accountability
RE: The Night the Forest Wars Came to Corvallis
Original article here
“Thanks for bringing this up. My wife and I remember this well, but have a somewhat different picture than the one presented in the article.
The event in question occurred near Clatskanie, and the connection to Oregon State University was primarily through one College of Forestry professor, Dr. Steven Strauss.
My wife worked at the USDA Agricultural Research Service Horticultural Research Laboratory on the edge of the OSU campus. While her lab was only peripherally involved, it conducted research on horticultural pathogens and some crop genetic modification efforts. Following the attack—which focused on hybrid poplars grown elsewhere, not in Corvallis—the laboratory immediately began taking threats against researchers much more seriously.
At the time, I had just finished a tree-climbing research project in the lower Columbia River Basin studying heron and eagle nesting success. We found reproduction rates there were significantly lower than in other parts of Oregon. Environmental contaminants were identified as a cause, but the potential escape of hybrid poplar genetic material was also, and remains, a concern. These bird species sometimes nest in native black cottonwoods, including those found in Willamette River bottomlands.
Dr. Strauss strongly disagreed with concerns about genetic escape while conducting experiments in the field. In my view, one need only look at management practices within the MacDonald-Dunn Research Forest to see that the College of Forestry often conducts experiments with limited controls and minimal monitoring of non-tree impacts. That has long seemed to be part of the college’s operating culture.
I have never endorsed violence. However, I believe it is important not to automatically conflate unlawful or destructive actions with “domestic terrorism,” particularly in journalism. Our country is already witnessing acts that threaten or take human lives becoming normalized, and too often those actions are not described as terrorism when they should be.”
— J.F.
RE: Forest Wars and Data Centers
Original article here
“A sobering reminder: every generation is told some version of the same story. The future is coming, resistance is futile, and the changes ahead are inevitable.
Sometimes that story is true, at least in the sense that the machinery has already been set in motion before the public has had much chance to reckon with it. People living inside that future eventually come to regard it as normal. They inherit its benefits, its conveniences, its new powers, and also its losses. What once would have inspired both wonder and alarm becomes part of everyday life.
That doesn’t mean every consequence should be accepted with a shrug.
The problem, as always, is that we are seduced by the technology and driven by profit while remaining only dimly aware of the unknown unknowns. New inventions arrive with promises, efficiencies, and opportunities. The risks often reveal themselves later.
Who benefits? Who pays? What improves? What disappears along the way?
Progress has a long history of presenting us with benefits up front and invoices later.”
— C.K.
RE: Good Samaritan… A Daughter’s Search for Answers After Her Father’s Death
Original article here
“I am writing because I believe there is a serious patient safety issue within Samaritan Health Services.
My father died on May 23, 2023. I have medical records, documentation, and a detailed timeline of his care. On the anniversary of his death, I plan to publicly share his story.
My father was transferred to Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Corvallis for urgent surgery after developing gangrene and infection. According to our family’s understanding of the events, his surgery was repeatedly delayed. During his hospitalization, he was prescribed cefepime despite having Chronic Kidney Disease. We believe he developed antibiotic-related neurotoxicity that was not properly monitored or recognized.
When he became unresponsive, our family repeatedly raised concerns. We were told he was frustrated because his surgery had been delayed. During this period, he was experiencing frequent seizure activity that, in our view, was not recognized or treated quickly enough. An EEG later confirmed seizures, and we were eventually told the antibiotic may have been responsible.
One of the most alarming moments came when a surgeon arrived to take him to surgery without realizing he had been unresponsive and actively seizing. Had I not been present, I believe he could have been taken into surgery in that condition.
As his condition worsened, our family requested additional testing after his oxygen levels dropped. Those requests were denied. Hours later, he went into respiratory distress, and imaging reportedly showed his lungs were filled with fluid. He later aspirated, required intubation, and was Life Flighted to Portland. As his medical power of attorney, I was not notified before the transfer. He died shortly afterward.
Since my father’s death, I have become aware of other families who describe similar experiences involving delayed surgeries, delayed escalation of care, and poor communication. Some stories involve relatives who allegedly waited days for procedures while their conditions deteriorated. Others involve patients whose families believe earlier intervention may have changed the outcome.
I am still working to verify many of these accounts, and I understand that every medical case is different. However, the similarities have raised concerns that I cannot ignore.
I am sharing my family’s story because I believe these experiences deserve scrutiny and discussion. If others have experienced delayed surgeries, medical neglect, or serious breakdowns in care within the regional healthcare system, I encourage them to come forward.”
— M.D.
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