Opinion
4A
Tuesday, July 7, 2020
The Observer
MY VOICE
How we exercise
our rights is a choice
ndependence Day — a time to celebrate the
founding of our great nation and all that has
passed to secure our freedoms. Our democ-
racy. Our rights.
Perhaps our most important rights as Amer-
icans are the ones secured by the First Amend-
ment. Maybe that’s why it’s the First. It is where
I’m secured the right to write about being right,
even if doing so isn’t right.
This piece was origi-
ROGER
nally a lengthy eviscer-
BARNES ation of the reasoning
LA GRANDE
behind the recent news
there would be no
charges filed in a certain case involving a cer-
tain church and their actions. The dissertation was
flawless in logical trajectory and biting in satirical
reductions to the ridiculous. It proved beyond any
reasonable doubt that I am right, and there are few
things I enjoy more than proving myself right.
But I tossed it out. A few words from someone
I’ve come to respect reminded me of a few words
from someone else I’ve come to respect. Some-
times you have to choose between being right and
doing right.
While I know I’m right about what should
have happened regarding that certain church and
some certain laws, carrying that torch around any
longer and inviting or inciting others to join me
wouldn’t be right.
When choosing between being right and doing
right also involves what someone may believe is
their right, things can get even messier, right? I
know, this is getting silly. I’ll stop soon.
Exercising a right isn’t always right.
You may have the right to not wear a mask as
you’ve been asked to and to gather in numbers and
ways that you’ve been asked not to. You may have
these rights even though exercising them risks the
life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness for everyone
around you and everyone who will be around
them. By refusing to wear a mask you are making
a statement, we all understand that. You should
also be aware you are saying more than you might
think. What you are really saying is you care more
for your right to make a statement than you care
about anyone else.
If you insist on exercising these rights,
remember that I have the right to point this out to
you and everyone around you. Oh, and if you have
the right to not wear a mask, I have the right to not
wear pants. Think about it.
For the sake of those you care for and those
who care about you, the next time you plan to
exercise a right consider how those who founded
our nation and enumerated these rights for you
would ask you to exercise those rights with due
respect.
PS: If anyone from a certain church wishes to
exercise their right of free speech and freedom to
apologize, I’m certain The Observer would offer
space in their publication.
I
About the Author
Roger Barnes has lived and worked and
sometimes voiced his opinions in La Grande for 25
years. He welcomes your comments and criticisms.
Your views
Don’t take a chance with
lethal virus
Please remind the youth of Union
County that getting COVID-19 is a
terrible, life-threatening thing. We
know it attacks internal organs and
blood. We don’t know how lethal it
will be over the ensuing 10, 20 or 30
years. Nobody should want to take a
chance on getting a virus that could
kill us miserably in 20 years, though
there are little or no symptoms now.
Nicholas Smith
La Grande
Time to show flexibility in
keeping local businesses
afloat
My reason for writing is two-
fold: First to voice my disappoint-
ment in the recent La Grande Land-
marks Commission’s vote to delay
the opening of the bowling center,
Brickyard Lanes, and second, to
rally support for getting this com-
munity space open and available for
family use as soon as possible.
As a lifetime resident of La
Grande, I know full well the benefit
of access to healthy, family-friendly
activities, and I believe bowling is
a great example. The many years I
spent as a patron of Blue Mountain
Lanes yielded many benefits: exer-
cise, the opportunity to participate
on a team, cherished memories and
lifelong friends. My children par-
ticipated in bowling leagues as well
and share my regard for this positive
family experience.
The Kiesecker family has
invested deeply and worked tire-
lessly to bring the sport of bowling
back to our community. Their reno-
vations of the old Eagles building on
Jefferson Avenue have been tasteful
and conscientious with regard to the
building’s inclusion in the Down-
town Historic District. It saddens me
that while we watch our city strive
to provide a substantial range of
activities for our families the Land-
marks Commission has failed to find
a suitable solution to avoid addi-
tional financial burden and construc-
tion delays to the completion of the
bowling center.
With all due respect to the ideal
of preserving the historic value of
our sweet town of La Grande, I
should hope those regulations would
not become more important than the
practical needs of our own residents.
In this light, I encourage the com-
mission members to reconsider their
recent decision with the hopes of
finding a less costly and more timely
solution that will get Brickyard
Lanes open for business.
No doubt our community is now
facing its share of economic burdens
as the result of COVID-19. Isn’t this
the perfect time to show flexibility
and support in keeping our local
businesses afloat?
I have decided to donate $500 to
the Kieseckers to assist with their
renovation costs. I would like to
encourage others to make contri-
butions as well. Communities by
definition require people to work
together for the benefit of all, and I
believe this is a worthy cause.
Thank you, in advance, to the
commission, for your consideration
of this matter, and to the citizens of
La Grande for your support of our
businesses.
Karen Van Blokland
La Grande
Be aware of what your
political party leaders are
saying
As an unaffiliated voter, I often
receive mail from political par-
ties seeking my vote, my donation
or both. Usually I merely read the
entreaty and recycle it. However,
recently I was struck by the language
from a particular organization, ref-
erencing the “irrational hatred” of
another party as well as accusing
them of “propaganda campaigns,”
“bogus witch hunts,” “vicious
attacks” and “non-stop spewing.”
I was sufficiently disgusted to put
this question out to affiliated voters:
Do you know what your party leaders
are sending out in print? And do you
understand that the words these orga-
nizational powers use implicate their
members by association? These par-
ticular words were rude, inflam-
matory and manipulative. Are you
choosing to be members of that club?
Each of us has the job of checking
that the leaders of our chosen groups
represent us in the way we want to be
represented. Please take the time to
ensure the messages of your chosen
party align with how you want to
present yourself in the world.
Patrice Barreto
La Grande
Beneath the protective
equipment, keep dancing
You can dance, go ahead and carry
on.
In a pandemic world consumed
with survival we can hide from
death by hiding from life, or so it
seems. Drawing inward and hiding
from life gives a sense of security
and insulation, I suppose, but does it
really and what kind of a life is that?
I don’t think we were meant to
exist as an ostrich with tail feathers
in the air and head in the sand, and it
can’t possibly be good for the mind
nor the soul. We were meant to lead
a “Full Monty” life, and it’s up to
each of us: We can either get after it
or hide from life with all its crooked
roads, detours and dangers.
During these hard times, no
amount of pleading or begging can
lure the apprehensive out of their
cocoons, so to ease their troubled
minds (those unwilling to leave the
comforts of isolation), the Montys
need to keep their distance and wear
the appropriate protective equip-
ment. But underneath it all, the
Montys are doing the Hokey Pokey,
trusting we will all turn ourselves
around at some point to dance the
dance.
And that’s what it’s all about.
Mike Hayden
Cove
CONTACT YOUR PUBLIC OFFICIALS
President Donald Trump: The
White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.,
Washington, 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. Port-
land office: One World Trade Center,
121 S.W. Salmon St. Suite 1250, Port-
land, 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 Dis-
trict): 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.
oregonlegislature.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.oregon-
legislature.gov/barreto. Email: rep.
gregbarreto@oregonlegislature.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
Clements, City Manager Robert Strope;
P.O. Box 670, La Grande, OR 97850; 541-
962-1309; fax 541-963-3333.
Union County Commissioners:
Donna Beverage, Matt Scarfo and Paul
Anderes; 1106 K Ave., La Grande, OR
97850; 541-963-1001; fax 541-963-1079.
Wallowa County Commission-
ers: 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,
mayor@cityofelginor.org; Mary West,
councilor3@cityofelginor.org; Kathy
Warren, councilor6@cityofelginor.org;
Risa Hallgarth, councilor2@cityofelgi-
nor.org; Rocky Burgess, councilor1@
cityofelginor.org; David Reed, council-
or4@cityofelginor.org; Ryan Martin,
councilor5@cityofelginor.org.
La Grande City Council: Mayor
Steve Clements, Gary Lillard, Nicole
Howard, Corrine Dutto, Mary Ann
Miesner, Jim Whitbeck, Justin Rock;
through the city manager’s office, 541-
962-1309.