2 Wednesday, August 5, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon O P I N I O Editorial… Restoring the Hatfield legacy The Mark O. Hatfield Courthouse in downtown Portland, which has become the epicenter of more than two months of pro- tests and clashes between rioters and federal law enforcement bears the name of one of the truly great Oregonians. Mark Hatfield was not a mere politician 4 he was a genuine public servant; a states- man, in fact. A state representative, state senator, governor and U.S. Senator, Hatfield served Oregon and America for almost a half a century, and was, with notable (and honorably-earned) exceptions, loved, trusted and respected by Democrats and Republicans alike. Hatfield was a Republican, but of a stripe that, sadly, no longer has a place in the GOP. He9d be known today as a RINO (Republican In Name Only). He was pro-business (par- ticularly small business) and favored limited and fiscally responsible government and the sacred rights of all individuals. But he under- stood that government has an important role in civil society, and that political divides can and must be bridged in order to do the peo- ple9s work; that politics and policy are about good governance, not ideological and cultural warfare. Gerry Frank, who knew Hatfield for decades, wrote a guest column in last Sunday9s Oregonian contemplating what his friend would think about the current state of affairs in Portland, the state of Oregon, and the United States (https://www.oregonlive. com/opinion/2020/08/opinion-what-would- mark-hatfield-think.html). It9s worth taking the time to read. There9s a certain symbolic poignancy to seeing the landmark federal building named after this towering figure in its current state.