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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (June 13, 2018)
Wednesday, June 13, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon 19 High court to consider gun-control measure By Andrew Selsky Associated Press PORTLAND (AP) — A proposed ballot measure that would restrict ownership of assault weapons and large- capacity magazines wound up in the Oregon Supreme Court after a gun rights proponent on Wednesday petitioned for a review of the ballot title, say- ing it was politically charged and deceptive. The state’s high court received the review one day before the deadline, said Phillip Lemman of the Oregon Judicial Department. The topic has become incendiary amid a flood of school shootings, many of them carried out with AR-15 semi-automatic assault rifles. Backers of the statewide initiative told a news confer- ence in a church in Portland, Oregon, they are ready to launch a statewide campaign to gather enough signatures to put the measure on the November ballot as soon as the court finishes its deliberations. “We want to move for- ward and give Oregonians the chance to vote,” said Pastor Mark Knutson of the Augustana Lutheran Church, one of the three chief peti- tioners. “We are ready. As an organization we are building tremendous capacity through- out the state to get the 88,000 signatures that are required in the time that we are given, by July 6.” The campaigners are count- ing on the participation of youth, who protested across the nation to demand stricter gun laws, to help gather signa- tures, and on places of worship. In his request to the Supreme Court for a review, gun rights advocate Roger Beyer said the ballot language “uses the politically charged and emotionally laden words, ‘assault weapons,’ and ‘large capacity magazines.’ The description is also misleading, argumentative, and deceptive because it implies the measure applies only to a limited and belligerent group of ‘assault weapons’ gun owners.” The proposed measure, known as Initiative Petition 43, would go before voters in the November election if enough verified signatures are collected in time. If on the bal- lot, a “yes” vote would require registration with the Oregon State Police of “assault weap- ons,” defined to include cer- tain semi-automatic rifles or pistols with a detachable mag- azine; pistol or rifles with a fixed magazine holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition and certain semi-automatic shotguns; and magazines with a capacity of more than 10 rounds. Background checks would also have to be conducted. Weapons would have to be disposed of if they’re not reg- istered. The attorney general’s office on May 23 issued its review, edit and approval of the ballot initiative’s caption, statement and summary. But Beyer had issues with it. “A fair read of IP43 leaves only one reasonable impres- sion as to its major effect and intended purpose, and that is to criminalize the posses- sion, purchase or transfer of most semi-automatic firearms and their magazines,” Beyer wrote in his petition with the Supreme Court. In the press conference in Knutson’s church, Knutson joined with a rabbi and a Muslim imam to announce that from Friday, June 29 through Sunday, July 1, a signature- gathering campaign will be launched at churches, syna- gogues and mosques around the state — if the Supreme Court has finished assessing the request for review. State law says the court’s review “shall be conducted expeditiously” so the signa- tures can be collected. The Supreme Court can either approve the certified ballot title as-is, rewrite it or order the attorney general to make changes. Your Story MATTERS Audry Van Houweling, PMHNP Columnist A woman’s desire for control One of my goals in my practice is to heighten insight and self-awareness among my clients. Many of my female clients come to me with complaints of feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and underappre- ciated. These symptoms are often married to perfection- istic tendencies and attempts to control the external to compensate for internal chaos. Now for some con- troversy. When it comes to control and gender, it seems that a double stan- dard exists. Men are often chastised for seeking con- trol in a relationship as it seems akin to emotional abuse and patriarchy. This sense of disapproval is war- ranted; however, I question whether women are judged by the same standard. It seems more acceptable for a woman to voice emotional distress over a controlling man, yet if a man were to voice his emotional distress he would need to overcome a societally reinforced bar- rier of embarrassment and defeat. A man may feel pressure to acquiesce in order to not “rock the boat” and conse- quently, similar to a woman in the same position, resent- ment can flourish. When I ask women — many of whom laud equal- ity as a core value — to put themselves in the shoes of their partner or children or inquire whether they would tolerate the same level of control from their partner, a good healthy pause and then reflection ensues. Ironically, these women often voice that their partner is too pas- sive, yet simultaneously insist on “doing it all” and have difficulty delegating even simple tasks. A woman’s desire for control certainly is not born in a vacuum. Often, the origins of her control- ling tendencies are rooted in trauma. Trauma is an insidi- ous and almost universal experience among women. Taking control and main- taining order may have been critical to emotional and physical survival at times, which can be a hard pattern to shake even when emo- tional and physical safety are secured. This can leave well-meaning spouses, chil- dren, coworkers, and others in the path of the “control storm.” Putting aside individual experiences, our society alone perpetuates the persis- tent unease among women that “we are not yet good enough until…” This by itself can cause a strong fear of disapproval and ongoing attempts to control partners, children, co-workers, food, appearances, and money, among other things. A woman may have experienced times of chaos or abuse or dysfunction that left her feeling desper- ate for a sense of control. Micromanaging, demands, and persistent critique are often secondary to a sense of emptiness or internal tur- moil that fuels uncertainly, self-doubt, and the need for external validation, praise, or a sense of order. In some cases, a woman experienc- ing abuse from a spouse or partner may seek to regain a sense of power or control by displacing her anger and resentment onto her chil- dren. It comes as no surprise that the children who have absorbed emotional impacts from their mother and father then also start display- ing concerning behaviors. Children may then be chas- tised, given that they are not fulfilling desired outcomes and yet in trying to correct the behavior, it is only fur- ther reinforced. Control is about being attached to an outcome that will somehow, per our per- ception, dissipate fear of the unknown. Yet despite our best efforts to plan, manage, and control, the unknown will always exist a minute from now, an hour from now, tomorrow, and so on. Letting go of outcomes is not giving up, but rather trusting yourself enough to navigate the unknown — whatever may come your way. Please join us for the 2nd Annual City of Sisters BBQ Tuesday, June 19 • 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Smile, Sisters! We’re committed to your dental health! Exceptional Health, Prevention & Aesthetics For Your Family! Trevor Frideres d.m.d. Ben Crockett, d.d.s. p 541-549-9486 f 541-549-9110 410 E. Cascade Ave. • P.O. Box 1027 • Sisters Hours: Mon., 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Tues.-Wed., 8 a.m.-4 p.m.; Thurs., 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Sisters City Council l invites you to join them h for f a BBQ at City Hall. l You will have a chance to meet and talk with your City Councilors, City Staff, and the folks from Sisters Country Horizons. We will have hamburgers, hotdogs and all the fixins! Bring your family and join the fun! City Hall parking lot | 520 E. Cascade Ave.