Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 2021)
6 Wednesday, December 1, 2021 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Commentary... Out on the edge By Erik Dolson Columnist One can become detached, hunkered down on a rock in the middle of nowhere, or in a boat out on the edge. It9s a lifestyle with consequences, even if not consciously embraced, it9s often pointed out. But there9s a perspective in that detachment, though it should not be called objective. There9s no such thing. Let9s get that out of the way. Yesterday I gave up my membership in the Democratic Party and became <unaffiliated.= Not Independent, and God knows, not Republican 4 even though I tend toward fiscally conservative. Honestly, I9m not sure I actually walked away from the Democrats. It9s more like the party left me, a shell left to dry by a tide receding from shore. Though I disagree with much of the <progressive agenda,= that wasn9t what drove me away. It was the realization that I simply can9t fight the condescen- sion of true believers, and that their arrogance is going to keep them from creat- ing the change I believe America so desperately needs. Democrats are becom- ing a left-handed reflec- tion of the true believers that worship Trump. Just as distasteful as Donald, Jr.9s smirk as he gloats about <triggering the libs,= Dems are shaking their heads at the simpletons of America who <vote against their own interests.= I won9t repeat the litany describing their arrogance. It9s enough to say they believe anyone who does not embrace all of their val- ues and accept their ortho- doxy without challenge is less smart, less moral, less informed, less woke, less, less, less. Confirming their suspi- cions about me, I9ll say to them, <How9s that work- ing for ya?= A year ago they did not win close to what they had hoped in the national election. They just lost another election in Virginia. Yet, utterly incapa- ble of honest introspection, they blame the people they hoped to represent. We are too stupid, too ignorant, too inbred to vote for our own good. They just can9t help us if we insist on not buying what they are selling. Which includes a blend of hope mixed with accusation into a frothy view of the world unhinged from history and human nature. And dishonesty. They blame racism for their losses, rather than the hollowness of their own message. They blame Republican dishonesty (which certainly exists) rather than exposure of ele- ments of their own agenda that threaten liberty. They deny that they assemble facts to fit their narrative, rather than let facts guide their words and actions. So, yesterday I went into the county clerk9s office and changed my voter registration to <unaf- filiated.= It9s only symbolic, if I know what that even means, because I haven9t really changed at all. My hopes for America haven9t changed, either, but as the Democratic Party recedes deeper into divisiveness and partisanship and lies while clamoring incoherently for unity, I no longer identify with what the party has become. Sitting on my rock in the middle of nowhere or on a boat out on the edge, I9ve lost a bit of optimism, along with my belief that America will always be better than she was and that our ide- als will survive for another generation. For more from Erik Dolson, visit https://erik dolson.substack.com. INDOOR & OUTDOOR SEATING AVAILABLE ORDER ONLINE for takeout at SistersSaloon.net The Law Offi ce of Sun-Wed 11-9 • Closed Thurs • Fri-Sat 11-10 JOHN H. MYERS, S LLC C — Downtown Sisters — WILLS & TRUSTS Make it easy for you and your loved ones. Call for a free 30-minute consultation. Protect what you’ve worked for. 541-588-2414 204 W. Adams Ave., Ste 203 www.centraloregonattorney.com DOT & FAA PHYSICALS WALK IN OR SCHEDULE YOUR APPT. TODAY! 541-548-2899 3818 SW 21st Pl., Ste. 100 Redmond • Open every day yourcaremedical.com URGENT CARE • OCCUPATIONAL MED • TELEMEDICINE • X-RAY 541-549-RIBS | 190 E. Cascade Ave. Volunteering for Sisters Trails Alliance By Jim Cornelius Editor in Chief Sisters trails are subject to wear and tear from heavy use and from the impacts of weather. Volunteers keep them in good shape, in work parties organized by Sisters Trails Alliance (STA). This fall, a cadre of 21 volunteers put in 240 hours working on winter trails to the south of Sisters (see related story, page 1). According to STA Volunteer Coordinator Greg Vandehey, the organiza- tion has no problem finding people to lend a hand. <I didn9t have to work very hard to find volunteers, to put it plainly,= he told The Nugget. Many of the volunteers who brush out trails and log out deadfall trees and maintain shelters and the like are long- time residents of the Sisters area, people who use the trails and want to contribute to their maintenance. But especially over the past year, there has been an influx of newcomers eager to help out. <Ten to 20 percent of our volunteers are new to Sisters,= Vandehey reported. Like their veteran peers, they are motivated to maintain the trails they use 4 but they also find volunteering a way to meet people and integrate into the Sisters community, Vandehey said. The work is physical, but well within the capabilities of active trail users. <The people who come out to volunteer are people who like to hike and be out in the outdoors, so they9re in pretty good physical condition,= Vandehey said. He did acknowledge that the day spent cutting firewood to stock the Jefferson Shelter was pretty demanding for everyone involved. Volunteers who put in 16-plus hours with STA are rewarded with a Northwest Forest Pass from the U.S. Forest Service 4 though Vandehey said that that9s just a nice perk; the incentive is the work and its results. STA welcomes new mem- bers, but you don9t have to be a member to volun- teer for work parties: www. sisterstrails.org/Volunteer.