Opinion
4A
Saturday, Aug. 1, 2020
Other Views
Why Black
lives matter
would like to write my fellow non-Black East Orego-
nians as to why I feel we must engage in diffi cult con-
versations regarding race in America. No longer can
small towns be tucked away, only engaging in monologue.
Now is the time for dialogue.
Why can’t “All Lives Matter” suffi ce? Simply put,
because all lives will only truly matter when Black lives
matter equally.
When people say Black Lives Matter, they are illumi-
nating a painful
reality that many
non-Black Amer-
MITCH
icans ignore.
THOMPSON
African Ameri-
HERMISTON
cans experience
severe health care
disparities compared to white Americans. They experience
poverty and homelessness at far greater rates than their
non-Black counterparts. Our Black brothers and sisters are
exponentially overrepresented in our prison system and
experience racial profi ling from police offi cers in ways that
white Americans have never experienced.
If we can establish that, yes, it is true, African Ameri-
cans have been historically disadvantaged and these social
inequalities remain as prevalent as ever, one must come to
the conclusion that white Americans have then been histori-
cally advantaged.
One analogy that is helpful understanding why “All
Lives Matter” is an insuffi cient and reactionary response: If
I were to mention that breast cancer research matters, your
fi rst reaction wouldn’t be to say, “No it does not, because
skin cancer also matters.” Now what if breast cancer was
killing exponentially more Americans while its research for
a cure was woefully underfunded? Wouldn’t it be important
to raise a level of awareness around the crisis?
We have Breast Cancer Awareness Month because it’s
a public health crisis and we need to address it. We don’t
wear pink in October in spite of skin cancer, but because
we know this is a means to bringing awareness to a cause
that needs our collective support to save lives. Black Lives
Matter is doing the same thing. Trying to save lives.
This brings me to protest. Protests aren’t intended to
make us feel comfortable, they are to shock those whom
systematic ills do not impact into consciousness and action.
It comes from a deep place of privilege to think there is not
a crisis simply because it doesn’t directly impact you per-
sonally. This is why we need protests, to call us into action.
Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Freedom is never volun-
tarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the
oppressed.”
Did women just get the right to vote? Did our gay and
lesbian brothers and sisters just get the right to marry? Did
Black school children just get the right to learn in a class-
room with white students?
No. It was demanded.
Now you might say, we are fi ne with protest, but not
violence. I have heard, “It’s terrible that Black man died,
but the burning, looting and destruction of property needs
to stop.” I would counter, “It’s horrible that property is
being destroyed, but the killing of unarmed Black Ameri-
cans needs to stop.” As white Americans, we must priori-
tize Black American life over property. Humans are more
important than things. Period.
We as a society should not approve of riots, and there-
fore we must not approve of the circumstances that lend to
such desperation that people feel rioting is their only voice.
Collectively, we must think critically about the centuries of
failed social and economic systems that have disproportion-
ately impacted Black Americans. We must ask ourselves
uncomfortable questions about our past and how the inter-
sectionality of racial, social and economic inequalities have
contributed to the situation we are in today.
Now for my white brothers and sisters who feel they are
allies. One of the most important things is to understand
we do not speak on behalf of the African American com-
munity. We need to listen, support and follow directions.
We cannot ever understand what it feels like to be Black in
America, trust them.
When we see injustice, become engaged. Subscribe to
podcasts, support bail funds, read books, watch documen-
taries that challenge our biases. Most importantly, join local
organizations and vote for politicians who are serious about
ending white supremacy and fi xing a system that maintains
institutional racism. This includes having a serious conver-
sation about the militarization of our police force and the
amount of funding they receive.
As a white American, I ask my fellow non-Black Amer-
icans to join the struggle of racial equity.
Black Lives Matter.
I
About the Author
Mitch Thompson is from Hermiston and has previ-
ously worked as a community organizer, and now works in
basketball.
Letters
Students should go back to
school only if it’s safe
I am writing in response to
Carson Yancey’s My Voice in the
July 25 edition of The Observer
newspaper (“Kids should go to
school like they used to”). As a
rising seventh-grader at La Grande
Middle School, remote school was
incredibly hard for me and many
people I know. But I think it’s a hor-
rible idea to go back to school in
person if it means putting people in
danger.
I agree with Carson Yancey’s fi rst
three points: that online school was
annoying to students, that parents
struggled to help kids learn and that
technology issues can undermine
learning. However, I fi nd his fi nal
point — that school should open in
person because kids are less suscep-
tible to the coronavirus — fl awed.
While the current scientifi c evi-
dence does say the virus is less dan-
gerous for children, in-person school
would put all the adults who serve
those kids at risk — some of them
at considerable risk. Even if chil-
dren are less likely to suffer a sig-
nifi cant illness from the virus, they
could pass it on to family members
who are higher risk for signifi cant
illness. Lastly, even if children are
less likely to get very sick from the
virus, if even one child were to get a
serious case and die, that would be
too many.
So, in order to open schools in
person, I believe strongly that we
would need rigorous safety mea-
sures in place for everyone’s safety,
such as washing hands often, main-
taining space between people even if
it means students attending in part-
time shifts, and wearing masks.
As much as I want to go back to
school in person, we should only do
so if it is safe for everyone.
Miri Koltuv
La Grande
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.
Don’t take children to
protests
A protest is no place for a child.
It is, purely and simply, child endan-
germent. Whether the subject be
racial equality, homelessness, mar-
riage, abortion, socialism, fl ag
burning, Second Amendment rights
or any other controversy, a child does
not belong smack in the middle of it.
Groups of people gathering in
public asseveration often induce vio-
lence. Certainly, basic facts behind
an event should be explained to a
child who asks. That is part of the
learning process. But they cannot
defend what’s below the surface,
and may suffer personal attacks for
taking a public stance.
They need to be allowed to form
their own opinions about their world,
which is ever changing, through
observation and their interaction
with other children. Once they are
adults, they will have a set of expe-
riences to draw from, at which time
they will bring the in-depth ques-
tions, if they still trust you.
Involving children in such orga-
nized events teaches children to
blindly follow a cause.
Rather, teach them critical
thought, to build a set of personal
values, to objectively analyze their
world and, eventually, to choose or
lead their own causes. Uniqueness
in thought is the truth of diversity.
Teach them that peaceful change
is made through the hard work of
petitions, not lazy confrontational
protests.
Janet Hollibaugh
La Grande
Congress must act now
to prevent millions from
being evicted
Millions of low-income renters
face the threat of eviction and
homelessness unless Congress
acts soon. According to the United
States Census Bureau, in 2019,
13.9% of Union County residents
were living in poverty, and these
numbers have without a doubt
increased due to the COVID-19
pandemic and an inability
for many to maintain gainful
employment.
COVID-19 has cost more than
40 million Americans their jobs.
When people cannot work, they
cannot pay the rent. As local evic-
tion bans expire this summer,
low-income renters will owe thou-
sands of dollars in back rent.
Without help, these renters will
be forced out of their homes in
the middle of a pandemic, exac-
erbating the already dire situation
faced by many in our community.
The House has passed several
bills that would enact a national
moratorium on evictions and pro-
vide $100 billion to help low-in-
come renters pay the rent. This
will help millions of renters stay
housed, and their landlords will get
paid, until the economy improves.
It is time for the Senate to do the
same.
Congress must act now to pre-
vent millions from being evicted.
I urge our members of Congress
to push for quick passage of a
COVID-19 bill that includes at
least $100 billion for emergency
rental assistance and a national
moratorium on evictions. I also
urge every member of Union
County to contact our members
of Congress and make our voices
heard.
Brittany Pryce
La Grande
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. 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, Wash-
ington, 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 Dis-
trict): 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 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/Athena): Salem offi ce:
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 Dis-
trict/Cove): Salem offi ce: 900 Court St.
NE., H-384, Salem, OR 97301; 503-986-
1458. Website: www.oregonlegislature.
gov/barreto. Email: rep.gregbarreto@
oregonlegislature.gov.
State Rep. Greg Smith (57th Dis-
trict/Heppner): Salem offi ce: 900 Court
St. NE., H-482, Salem, OR, 97301; 503-
986-1457. Heppner offi ce: P.O. Box 219,
Heppner, OR 97836; 541-676-5154.