This Activist Loves Oregon More Than He

Quality Of Life Is The Sum Total Of The Fairness Of Our Tax Structure; The Caliber Of Our Homes; The Cleanliness Of Our Air And Water; And The Provision Of Affirmative Assistance To Those Who Cannot Assist Themselves. True Quality Is Absent If We Allow Social Suffering To Abide In An Otherwise Pristine Environment.

We Want You To Visit Our State Of Excitement Often. Come Again And Again. But For Heaven's Sake, Don't Move Here To Live. Or If You Do Have To Move In To Live, Don't Tell Any Of Your Neighbors Where You Are Going.

If The Salmon And Steelhead Are Running, Then As Far As I Am Concerned, God Knows That All Is Well In His Worldthe Health Of The Environment Is Good If The Salmon And Steelhead Are Around. It Is That Simple.

We Who Are Privileged To Be In These Chambers Today Can View The Challenges We Face As Opportunities, Not As Reasons For Despair. We Can Do This Only If We Blend Our Independent Spirits In Terms Of Reverence For The Life And Respect For Nature. Each Of You Might Suggest Different Words, But Our Goal Certainly Is The Same: A Better Oregon.

You All Know I Have Terminal Cancer—and I Have A Lot Of It. But What You May Not Know Is That Stress Induces Its Spread And Induces Its Activity. Stress May Even Bring It On. Yet Stress Is The Fuel Of The Activist. This Activist Loves Oregon More Than He Loves Life. I Know I Can't Have Both Very Long. The Trade-offs Are All Right With Me. But If The Legacy We Helped Give Oregon And Which Made It Twinkle From Afar—if It Goes, Then I Guess I Wouldn't Want To Live In Oregon Anyhow.