Karczewski Food Strike Taking Its Toll At JoCo Jail

John Taft Investigative Reporter Op/Ed

GRANTS PASS, Oregon – (Sept. 7, 02) Raymond Karczewski’s life is in danger. He has fasted for 26 days losing almost a pound a day. He is 65 years old and the prognosis is not good. Ray is a man of unusual character, he has principles that guide his life. It is these principles that direct this food strike. Ray believes he is being illegally detained in the Josephine County jail. Judge Allen H. Coon issued an arrest warrant and Sheriff Dave Daniel’s deputies Justema and Malin arrested him. The saga of the food strike begins at this point in time, September 12th, 2002. Readers can obtain detailed background information on this story at StrobeZone and Behind the Scenes in JoCo

Food Strike Causes Vomiting and Dizziness

The following e-mail was received from Mrs. Karczewski Monday evening October 7, and I obtained her permission to print it on StrobeZone.

"Ray phoned me a short while ago and said he was examined today by practicing nurse Dan Hughes who was accompanied by Bob Krumrine of the mental health dept.
Ray's weight today - 256 lbs. (A loss of 24 lbs. Since his arrest.)
He says they tried to talk him into taking nourishment in the form of Ensure.
He told them of his request for salt and of being refused.
They said it was more important to get potassium into his system to support his heart than to have salt. Ray told them he has been experiencing some dizzyness for the past several days and has vomited twice now – once yesterday and once the day before. I told Ray that according to the info … regarding hunger strikes, vomiting is common when a fast has lasted as long as his has.


Ray told them that he was very concerned for my health as he had taken me to the Three Rivers Hospital emergency room for breathing problems less than two months ago.
Bob Krumrine asked Ray to ask me if I would give him permission to contact me to discuss both Ray's and my health. I have agreed to talk to him.


Last night I faxed notice of the press conference to KTVL, KOBI, KDRV, KAJO, KROG, the Grants Pass Courier, the Illinois Valley News and the Medford Mail Tribune.

I've made up packets of printed material to pass out to whomever shows up and am trying to rummage up some warm bodies for additional moral support."
Anita Karczewski

Can The Daily Courier Be Trusted To Report Local Political News?

As of Tuesday morning, October 8, 2002, the Grants Pass Daily Courier, has not informed the public about Ray Karczewski’s food strike. Why have the Courier’s President John Voorhies and Publisher Dennis Mack taken this action? Can it now be proven that these men control and manipulate local news (within their ability) to fit their own views on how Josephine County should be run. Other issues have surfaced in the past that lend credence to this theory. If there was an honest effort to keep their readers informed on local political happenings then it would seem reasonable that the Ray Karczewski story would have been reported. Unfortunately, the public doesn’t know about Ray Karczewski’s food strike in the Josephine County jail, and the pubic should be informed. This is news, and the public has a right to know what’s happening in the county jail. It’s their jail and tax dollars that pay for it. In this case the Courier’s management seems to parallel the Chinese news media and other totalitarian regimes. The rulers of these countries do not print stories that cast a negative light on their agenda. In a controlled press you only get the point of view those in power release. They decide what’s in their best interest for the subjects to know.

JohnTaft can be reached at joconewsline@hotmail.com StrobeZone is at http://www.strobezone.homestead.com