Opinion
4A
Tuesday, April 21, 2020
The Observer
OTHER VIEWS
Charlotte’s
Web; the awful
price of this
pandemic
he pandemic has turned our world upside down.
We work from home. School is canceled indefi-
nitely. Weddings, graduations, baptisms and all of
the other indicia of the normal trajectory of a human life
are suspended. This is what it must like to be in Limbo,
that now defunct Catholic state of existence without
boundary, but also without God. The anxiety is real,
palpable and weighs on all of us. On some, though, the
weight is much heavier.
There is a little girl who should have had no weights
on her young shoulders. She should, after so many
years of sorrow and pain, have been well and happy
and enjoying the budding spring. She earned her hard-
bought happiness through a sacrifice that no one antic-
ipated. But the coronavirus stole from her the life she
should have had.
Charlotte Figi was a child when she started having
terrible seizures. Nothing could stop them, and their
violence and
unpredict-
CHRISTINE
ability caused
FLOWERS
her desperate
SYNDICATED COLUMNIST
parents to look
everywhere for
a cure, or at least some respite from the tremors and
the terror. Her condition, called Dravet Syndrome, was
a rare form of epilepsy that couldn’t be controlled by
any known medication. She wasn’t expected to live
past the age of 10.
But her parents heard of the beneficial effects of
medical cannabis, and moved to Colorado, where the
drug was legal, to see if it might be able to help their
little girl. And it did. Her journey was documented
in the film “Weed,” which showed the ways that the
non-psychotropic drug helped her. A special strain of
it was created, and named in her honor, “Charlotte’s
Web.” And she inspired thousands of other people,
children with seizure disorders and the parents who
loved them, providing hope that there might finally be
a cure for this debilitating condition.
Tragically, Charlotte was unable to resist the dev-
astating impact of COVID-19. While it was not con-
clusively established that she had died of the virus
because initial tests came back negative, it is likely
that she became infected in early March and by the
time she was tested for the condition, it was too late.
Because of the respiratory problems brought on by the
virus, Charlotte began to have seizures again, one of
which caused her to go into cardiac arrest. She passed
away on Tuesday. She was 13.
Like Ryan White, the child who provided a face for
the AIDS crisis a generation ago, Charlotte Figi human-
ized the struggle for those who sought solace in revo-
lutionary and controversial treatments. Because of her
willingness to go public with the illness, and because of
her parents’ deep love, Charlotte was able to remove the
stigma that had been unfairly placed on medical can-
nabis. People were finally able to see just how this treat-
ment, in its many variations, could save lives.
I watched a segment on CNN where Sanjay Gupta
spoke about Charlotte, and could barely keep his com-
posure. The doctor had been a vocal and notable critic
of the benefits of medical cannabis, doubting its effi-
cacy (although rarely its safety). However, after having
spent significant time with Charlotte, and telling her
story, he became convinced of the truly therapeutic
impact CBD could have, particularly on children
whose immune systems are much more delicate.
It is particularly cruel that Charlotte Figi could sur-
vive and become a success story at such a young age,
and give very substantial hope to other children who
suffered from seizure disorders, but then would suc-
cumb to the pandemic that is swirling around us. In
words that approached poetry, Charlotte’s mother
announced her death by writing “Charlotte is no longer
suffering. She is seizure-free forever.”
While there is some comfort in the knowledge that
this warrior child is finally at peace, the price that she
had to pay is far too high. This virus has stolen far too
much, far too many moments of joy, far too many lives,
and even the unappreciated pleasures of normalcy.
That Charlotte Figi was among these losses trig-
gers a sadness that transcends normal comprehension.
But her legacy, as that of Ryan, lives on in the memory
of those who themselves will live on, because of their
journeys, and their courage.
About the Author
Christine Flowers is an attorney and a columnist for
the Delaware County Daily Times and can be reached at
cflowers1961@gmail.com.
T
Your views
Boyd Rasumussen is a
man of his word
We are pleased to support Boyd
Rasmussen in his reelection. Our
county has been fortunate to have
such an experienced, knowledgeable
and trustworthy sheriff.
Boyd is a man of his word who
cares about the welfare of the people
he works diligently to serve and pro-
tect. He has done an exceptional job
serving the citizens of Union County
as our sheriff. Let’s help that con-
tinue. Boyd has our vote.
Michael and Tracy Partney
La Grande
Boyd Rasmussen is
positive and helpful
I came to know Boyd Rasmussen
in 2012 when I was on the Elgin city
council. He was there to help us find a
new police chief for the vacated posi-
tion. We ended up choosing the Union
County Sheriff’s Office as our pri-
mary law enforcement.
As we worked on the task together,
I found Boyd to be a very profes-
sional and likeable person. We stayed
in touch afterward. He was always
very approachable and we respected
each other’s ideas. We became friends
and he made me feel like part of his
family. He has helped me through
some very tough times.
Boyd has always been helpful to
his neighbors and to his church. He is
also very involved in Union County
youth programs and is a mentor to
many kids. I believe he has touched a
lot of people’s lives in a positive way.
Being sheriff has allowed Boyd
to interact with people in a positive
and helpful way. I am glad Boyd Ras-
mussen is the sheriff. He has my vote
LETTERS DEADLINE
The Observer will not run can-
didate endorsement letters of
more than 400 words. The dead-
line for letters to the editor is noon
Wednesday, April 22. This allows
for responses before Election Day,
if necessary. We run the letters
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Letters must include the name of
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send letters to The Observer, 911
Jefferson Ave., La Grande 97850,
but we prefer you email letters
to news@lagrandeobserver.com.
Having the letter directly in the
body of an email makes it easier to
place it in the paper.
Saturday, April 25, is the last
day we will publish endorsement
letters. Letters we receive after
the deadline will not run. Election
Day is May 19.
and my friendship.
James Brainerd
La Grande
Sheriff Rasmussen
leads with passion and
commitment
I have been a longtime teacher and
coach at Cove schools, now retired,
and am in full support of Boyd Ras-
mussen being reelected as Union
County sheriff.
We all love our county and want
what’s best for it. Having a safe place
to raise our families is of paramount
importance to us. It’s important that
our law enforcement is there to pro-
tect us when we need them the most.
Sheriff Rasmussen has been doing an
amazing job of this over the past 16
years. He and his deputies have been
doing their jobs valiantly and giving
us peace of mind.
I first became aware of Boyd as
an outstanding athlete at Imbler High
School many years ago. What stood
out to me was his intensity to be the
best player on the court. What a com-
petitor he was. You could see that his
teammates looked for him to give
leadership. He was a total player who
knew what his role was in the success
of his team.
These many years later nothing has
changed. He leads his team of dep-
uties with passion and commitment.
That is clear in speaking with him
about his people and his efforts to put
the best “player,” “on the court.” His
most recent hire was patrol deputy
Kyle Witty here in Cove. Sheriff Ras-
mussen and his highly trained depu-
ties prove themselves every day. They
are a shining example to our county.
We are very lucky to have this depart-
ment working for us.
Boyd is a local-grown boy who
grew up in Imbler and was raised by a
loving, caring family. This gives Boyd
a good understanding of the people
he is working for. He understands our
community and how important it is to
keep it safe, as he has a vested interest
in maintaining the rural lifestyle we
enjoy in this valley.
For these reasons I urge you to
vote for Boyd Rasmussen for Union
County sheriff. We need his expe-
rience and management skills for
another four years.
Skip Pereira
Cove
CONTACT YOUR PUBLIC OFFICIALS
President Donald Trump: The White
House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., Washing-
ton, D.C. 20500; 202-456-1414; fax 202-
456-2461; to send comments, go to www.
whitehouse.gov/contact.
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley: D.C. office:
313 Hart Senate Office Building, U.S.
Senate, Washington, D.C., 20510; 202-224-
3753; fax 202-228-3997. Portland office:
One World Trade Center, 121 S.W. Salmon
St. Suite 1250, Portland, OR 97204; 503-
326-3386; fax 503-326-2900. Pendleton
office: 310 S.E. Second St. Suite 105,
Pendleton 97801; 541-278-1129; merkley.
senate.gov.
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden: D.C. office:
221 Dirksen Senate Office Building,
Washington, D.C., 20510; 202-224-5244;
fax 202-228-2717. La Grande office: 105
Fir St., No. 210, La Grande, OR 97850;
541-962-7691; fax, 541-963-0885; wyden.
senate.gov.
U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (2nd District):
D.C. office: 2182 Rayburn Office Building,
Washington, D.C., 20515, 202-225-6730;
fax 202-225-5774. La Grande office: 1211
Washington Ave., La Grande, OR 97850;
541-624-2400, fax, 541-624-2402; walden.
house.gov.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown: 254 State
Capitol, Salem, OR 97310; 503-378-3111;
www.governor.oregon.gov.
State Sen. William S. Hansell (29th
District/Pendleton): Salem office: 900
Court St. NE., S-423, Salem, OR 97301;
503-986-1729. Website: www.oregonlegis-
lature.gov/ hansell. Email: sen.billhansell@
oregonlegislature. gov.
State Rep. Greg Barreto (58th
District/ Cove): Salem office: 900 Court
St. NE., H-384, Salem, OR 97301; 503-986-
1458. Website: www.oregonlegislature.gov/
barreto. Email: rep.gregbarreto@oregonleg-
islature.gov.
State Rep. Greg Smith (57th Dis-
trict): Salem office: 900 Court St. NE.,
H-482, Salem, OR, 97301; 503-986-1457.
Heppner office: P.O. Box 219, Heppner,
OR 97836; 541-676-5154; Website: www.
oregonlegislature.gov/smithg. Email: rep.
gregsmith@oregonlegislature.gov.
City of La Grande: Mayor Steve Clem-
ents, City Manager Robert Strope; P.O. Box
670, La Grande, OR 97850; 541-962-1309; fax
541-963-3333.
Union County Commissioners: Don-
na Beverage, Matt Scarfo and Paul Anderes;
1106 K Ave., La Grande, OR 97850; 541-963-
1001; fax 541-963-1079.
Wallowa County Commissioners:
John Hillock,Todd Nash and Susan Roberts;
101 S. River St., Room 202, Enterprise, OR
97828; 541-426-4543, ext. 11; fax 541-426-
0582.
Elgin City Councilors: Mayor Allan
Duffy, 501 N 11th St., 541-437-1016, may-
or@cityofelginor.org; Mary West, 260 N
5th Ave., 541-805-0443, councilor3@city-
ofelginor.org; Kathy Warren, PO Box 697,
541-786-9611, councilor6@cityofelginor.
org; Risa Hallgarth, PO Box 525, 541-437-
9462, councilor2@cityofelginor.org; Rocky
Burgess, 800 N 14th St., P.O. Box 854, 541-
786-2417, councilor1@cityofelginor.org;
David Reed, 1011 Detroit St., PO Box 368;
541-975-3306, councilor4@cityofelginor.
org; Ryan Martin, councilor5@cityofelgi-
nor.org.