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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (July 11, 2020)
Opinion 4A Saturday, July 11, 2020 Th e Observer OUR VIEW Masking up in public not optional nion County had a second resident die because of COVID-19, and the county’s cases continue to trickle up, reaching 368 Friday. The Oregon Health Authority on Thursday reported a record number of new cases statewide, 389, with 55 of those coming from neighboring Umatilla County. Yet you can walk into local stores and some drinking establishments and still see people not wearing a mask or other facial coverings. The number of those not wearing a mask are dwindling, to be sure, and they tend now to stick out in the supermarket. Yet there they are. Others seem oblivious to social distancing, no matter how many fl oor markings show us how to stay 6 feet apart. The majority of Union County residents appear to take the threat of the virus seriously. We have received plenty of letters and social media com- ments from locals who advocate for wearing a mask not necessarily out of concern for them- selves but out of concern for others. One man recently expressed his frustration with another customer at the local Oregon Driver & Motor Vehicle Services offi ce. He followed health regulations only to see another customer holding a mask and telling offi ce staff she would not wear it in spite of the notice on the door requiring its use. He said because one person refused to wear a mask, he now did not feel safe enough to attend is father’s birthday. He was so frustrated he wanted to out the customer in a letter to the editor. Defi ance and rugged individualism are defi ning characteristics of the American character. But so are compassion and dedication to community. Not covering your face in the midst of a pandemic that shows no signs of slowing is not an assertion of that defi ance but of ego. It’s not rugged individu- alism, it’s “me fi rst.” As others have pointed out, the virus does not discriminate. Anyone can catch it and spread it. To borrow from Chuck Palahniuk’s novel “Fight Club,” “You are not special. You’re not a beautiful and unique snowfl ake,” at least when it comes to the virus and masks. Fighting this enemy takes all of us. The excuses for not covering your face are weak at best. Masking up in public spaces is no longer optional, and not because the government has told you so. Wearing a mask in public is simply the right thing to do. That also is a defi ning facet of the American character. U CONTACT YOUR PUBLIC OFFICIALS President Donald Trump: The White House, 1600 Penn- sylvania Ave., Washington, D.C. 20500; 202-456-1414; fax 202-456-2461; to send comments, go to www.white- house.gov/contact. U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley: D.C. offi ce: 313 Hart Senate Offi ce Building, U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C., 20510; 202- 224-3753; fax 202-228-3997. Portland offi ce: One World Trade Center, 121 S.W. Salmon St. Suite 1250, Portland, OR 97204; 503-326-3386; fax 503- 326-2900. Pendleton offi ce: 310 S.E. Second St. Suite 105, Pendleton 97801; 541-278-1129; merkley.senate.gov. U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden: D.C. offi ce: 221 Dirksen Senate Offi ce Building, Washington, D.C., 20510; 202-224-5244; fax 202-228-2717. La Grande offi ce: 105 Fir St., La Grande, OR 97850; 541-962-7691; fax, 541- 963-0885; wyden.senate.gov. U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (2nd District): D.C. offi ce: 2182 Rayburn Offi ce Building, Washington, D.C., 20515, 202- 225-6730; fax 202-225-5774. La Grande offi ce: 1211 Washing- ton Ave., La Grande, OR 97850; 541-624-2400, fax, 541-624- 2402; walden.house.gov. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown: 254 State Capitol, Sa- lem, OR 97310; 503-378-3111; www.governor.oregon.gov. Oregon State Treasurer Tobias Read: oregon.treasur- er@ost.state.or.us; 350 Winter St. NE, Suite 100, Salem OR 97301-3896; 503-378-4000. Oregon Attorney General Ellen F. Rosenblum: Justice Building, Salem, OR 97301- 4096; 503-378-4400. State Sen. William S. Hansell (29th District/Ath- ena): Salem offi ce: 900 Court St. NE., S-423, Salem, OR 97301; 503-986-1729. Website: www.oregonlegislature.gov/ hansell. Email: sen.billhan- sell@oregonlegislature. gov. State Rep. Greg Barre- to (58th District/ Cove): Salem offi ce: 900 Court St. NE., H-384, Salem, OR 97301; 503-986-1458. Website: www. oregonlegislature.gov/barre- to. Email: rep.gregbarreto@ oregonlegislature.gov. State Rep. Greg Smith (57th District): Salem offi ce: 900 Court St. NE., Salem, OR, 97301; 503-986-1457. Heppner offi ce: P.O. Box 219, Heppner, OR 97836; 541-676-5154 MY VOICE Ethical response does not violate rights hat’s done is done. fessionals actually have this conver- COVID-19 has raised its sation. Really disgusting. ugly head in our commu- Cynicism, conspiracy and rumor nity and, in spite of early national mongering don’t help anyone but and local warnings as to its level rather create unnecessary fear and of threat to lives and communities, confusion among citizens doing responses were their best to disappointing to fi gure out how DAVID say the least. to deal with the ARNOLD The president virus. Arrogant LA GRANDE of our country, overconfi dence desperate to and willingness maintain his tough-guy image, min- to ignore the best health care guide- imized and dismissed the danger, lines can kill us. And government even going so far as to fl aunt the overreach? Really? What about the Centers for Disease Control safety common good? guidelines by refusing to follow There are rules in place in our social distancing and masking pro- society to protect us all from harm. tocols. Likewise, as though fol- We don’t pass unsafely when driving lowing the president’s lead, I wit- and the solid yellow line is in our nessed, more than once and up close lane. We (hopefully all of us) don’t and personal, local leaders mock and throw cigarettes or our burning be dismissive of not only the threat material out the window of a car of this virus to our region but the because range and forest fi res hurt efforts some of us were taking to all of us in this beautiful state. We protect not only ourselves but those keep the noise down at night so our around us. neighbors can sleep undisturbed. Others politicized the virus by Do most of us try to follow these spreading the narrative (without fac- rules? Yes. tual foundation) that the focus on the Do these actions violate our con- disease was part of a “deep state” stitutional rights? No. conspiracy to undermine our consti- And yet there are those who tutional rights or at the very least to manipulate the notion of constitu- make it a referendum and character tional rights for their own purposes assassination on the leadership of by claiming social distancing and our state. wearing of protective masks violate I witnessed local health care pro- their rights. W Does how we respond to this crisis dignify the Constitution or disgrace it? If we follow other rules of society without claiming they violate our rights, then what harm is there in following recommended health safety guidelines by wearing protective masks and giving others a little space for the common good of us all? Wearing a mask is only mildly inconvenient and my constitutional rights still are intact. I also assume, especially in view of the increased tourism traffi c through our region, that I may come close to those car- rying the virus in the course of everyday activities. I follow the health guidelines not only to protect myself but in doing so I am protecting others. It is likely this virus is going to be with us for a while. If wearing a mask and giving people space is one of the few incon- veniences in my lifetime, then life is pretty good considering the alter- natives. Our leadership should have stepped up to the plate and modeled the correct and ethical response to this very dangerous disease. About the Author David Arnold, 74, of La Grande, enjoys being a mandolinist and vocalist for Blue Plate Special, a bluegrass band. Your views Refl ections on July 4, 2020 In my 70-plus years of life I have experienced a lot and learned enough to enjoy the good in life in spite of the bad I have seen. My grandparents raised their fam- ilies in the hardships of the Depres- sion. They learned to rely on the common decency of their neighbors and acquaintances, hand helping hand. My parents and aunts and uncles raised their families in the years of World War II, making extreme sac- rifi ces to defeat the fascism of Hitler and the ambitions of Hirohito. I raised my family during the Cold War, under the threat of nuclear war, where ideology took a step back from the certainty of global annihilation. Write to us The Observer welcomes letters to the editor. Letters are limited to 400 words and must be signed and carry the author’s address and phone number (for verifi cation purposes only). Email your letters to news@ lagrandeobserver.com or mail them to the address below. I witnessed the actions of the civil rights movement that opened the eyes of the nation to the hypocrisy of the segregation of our Black brothers and sisters. I know people who suffered under the lying promises of social enlight- enment and the mass killings of mil- lions of people in Russia, China, Cambodia, Laos and many others around the world. And now I see the streets of the cities of America littered with burned-out police cars, looted store- fronts, destruction of historical mon- uments that pay tribute to the suc- cesses of freedom and the failures of license. Children of these destructive acts, what is it you offer us that we should use as a pattern for our lives? Should we wipe clean our human history and kneel before you as the only purity in the land? I pray we will never forget our his- tory, the good and the bad, and will continue building on the promise of Life, Liberty and Justice for ALL. If we fail at that, we too will live under tyranny. Joe Garlitz Elgin
