Opinion
4A
Saturday, October 24, 2020
My Voice
It’s time
to rename
EOU’s library
I
decided to research Walter Pierce, Cornelia Pierce,
and the decisions to name the library after Walter
Pierce, then rename it for both Pierces.
In the 1920s, the Ku Klux Klan was active across
Oregon, with chapters in Portland, Eugene, Medford, La
Grande and other communities. Its members intimidated
Catholics and other minorities. In 1921, Klan members in
Medford nearly lynched two African Americans.
Walter Pierce ran for governor in 1922. He accepted
support from
the Klan during
his campaign,
ANNE
and in return,
MORRISON
he supported
LA GRANDE
an anti-Cath-
olic, anti-Se-
mitic, Klan-backed bill to eliminate parochial schools and
require Oregon children to attend public schools. In 1923,
Pierce supported Klan-endorsed legislation prohibiting Jap-
anese immigrants from owning or leasing land in Oregon.
Pierce’s tenure as governor was characterized by discrimi-
natory policies against multiple minority groups.
In the early 20th century, the eugenics movement pro-
moted child-bearing by whites of northern-European
descent while discouraging propagation by people con-
sidered to be “inferior.” In Oregon, the movement led to
the longterm violation of the rights of thousands of dis-
abled and incarcerated Oregonians. Pierce was an advo-
cate of eugenics. As governor, he signed laws allowing the
forced sterilization of “all feeble-minded, insane, epileptics,
habitual criminals, moral degenerates and sexual perverts
who are a menace to society.”
A like-minded prominent Oregonian, Cornelia Marvin,
lobbied for sterilization bills in the Legislature. Marvin and
Pierce married in 1928.
Pierce became a congressman in 1932, but remained
an outspoken proponent of eugenics. At the same time
that eugenics theories were gaining traction in Nazi Ger-
many, the Pierces advocated similar ideologies in Oregon.
Eugenics lost credibility in Europe at the end of World War
II as the world learned of the horrific consequences of Hit-
ler’s policies.
In Oregon, the legacy of policies endorsed by the Pierces
lasted longer. For nearly 60 years, Oregon law authorized
the involuntary sterilization of thousands of prisoners and
the mentally ill, based on legislation Cornelia Pierce advo-
cated for and that Walter Pierce signed into law. Oregon’s
last involuntarily sterilization occurred in 1981. The law
was not repealed until 1983. As a senator, Pierce opposed
immigration quotas that would have allowed Jewish chil-
dren fleeing Nazi Germany to enter the country.
Pierce retired from politics in 1942, but continued to
advocate for racist polices, particularly against Oregonians
of Japanese descent. The Pierces were actively involved in
the anti-Japanese movement during World War II. They
supported the incarceration of Japanese-Americans after
Pearl Harbor, then campaigned in 1944 and 1945 to deport
individuals of Japanese heritage — resident aliens and
American citizens alike.
In 1999, Eastern Oregon University created a committee
to review the name of the Walter Pierce Library, and ulti-
mately renamed the library as the “Pierce Library” to honor
Walter and Cornelia Pierce — utterly ignoring that Cor-
nelia Pierce advocated the same xenophobic, racist and
eugenic theories as Walter Pierce.
We struggle with the issue of how to portray and inter-
pret our nation’s history as we grapple with changes in soci-
etal values. But institutions of education should be places
where people from all backgrounds feel welcome and safe.
That doesn’t happen when institutions openly honor those
who have advocated discrimination against people of dif-
ferent racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds, or sup-
ported the most brutal civil rights violations against people
who are homosexual, developmentally delayed or mentally
ill.
Walter and Cornelia Pierce advocated for political poli-
cies intended to create a majority white, majority Protestant
Oregon population. Their policies caused real harm to real
people. They helped to create the highly homogeneous state
we live in, even now, depriving Oregonians of the richness
of a culturally diverse population.
The Pierces were important players in Oregon history
and their actions should be remembered — but not cele-
brated. EOU should refuse to honor people who have advo-
cated for discriminatory policies and for the cruelest, most
intrusive violations of human rights. Renaming the library
would acknowledge it matters whom we choose to recog-
nize, and would demonstrate the university aspires to wel-
come students, staff and faculty of diverse backgrounds.
———
Anne Morrison is a La Grande resident and retired
attorney who has lived in Union County since 2000.
Letters
Pandemic response bill
should be priority
People struggling in Union County
and around the world have been
waiting for months for Congress
to pass an emergency COVID-19
response bill. What is Congress not
understanding about this emergency?
Projections are that global hunger
will double, and thousands of infants
will suffer or die of severe malnutri-
tion. An estimated 80 million chil-
dren are at risk of vaccine-preventable
disease for lack of access to reg-
ular health services. AIDS, TB and
malaria cases and deaths are projected
to rise to levels we haven’t seen in
10-20 years. Not to mention the con-
tinued COVID-19 pandemic that has
rocked our country.
What can be more important for
members of Congress right now
than doing their job? I’m calling on
our senators and representatives to
get creative, fight, prioritize and not
give up on passing an emergency
COVID-19 bill that helps Ameri-
cans who are desperately struggling.
Winter is coming.
Brittany Pryce
La Grande
Sheriff election shouldn’t be
a popularity contest
I was asked by a friend this week
if I didn’t like Cody Bowen. I replied,
“Of course I like Cody, but I firmly
believe the sheriff’s office is a pro-
fessional place and voting for sheriff
should be considered carefully.”
The sheriff is a very pow-
erful individual and voting for one
shouldn’t be taken lightly. Five years
of experience as a school resource
officer doesn’t qualify an individual
to run an office that investigates the
worst of crimes, makes the decision
to lock up or release criminals on a
daily basis, manages a million-plus-
dollar budget, protects our constitu-
tional rights and heaven forbid may
be dealing with rioters like we see in
Portland.
Cody is very likable and a really
good guy whom I like and I admire
his rapport with kids and adults. But,
I think voters need to ask if he would
make the cut if he was going through
a hiring process instead of a good old
boys popularity contest?
I encourage those voting for Union
County sheriff to look who the pro-
fessionals are endorsing. The pro-
fessionals endorsing Bill Miller are
individuals with the knowledge of
what makes a good law enforcement
manager/sheriff. These are the pro-
fessionals we would ask or expect to
be on the hiring board if there was
a hiring process. For these reasons
I will write in Bill Miller for Union
County sheriff. I encourage you to
join me.
Dana Wright
La Grande
and work to find solutions.
Denise is very community
focused and wants to create a sense
of unity. No one can be sad around
Denise. Her personality lifts those
around her. She is fantastic to
work with and is a team player. I
am excited for La Grande to have
Denise on the city council. She will
do amazing things.
Lauren Hulme
La Grande
Vote for the one ready to
help — Wheeler
Contractor backs Moyal for
city council seat
We are voting for Denise Wheeler
for La Grande City Council Position
2. She is a wife, mother, grandmother
and musical theater educator with lots
of energy to share.
Wheeler moved to La Grande in
2002 and helped initiate the first per-
formances at the Elgin Opera House
with her husband, Kenn, who teaches
theater at Eastern Oregon University.
Wheeler directs musical theater per-
formances at La Grande High School,
works as a life enrichment assistant
at a local retirement home and is a
leader in a faith-based service orga-
nization, serving more than 2,000
women in the region.
With Denise, what you see is what
you get, a kind, loving and honest
person who is ready to help wher-
ever needed. Now she is ready to help
the city of La Grande. She will be a
breath of fresh air, someone who will
be there to serve our city and do it
well, because she loves to serve.
Denise truly cares and will be a
wonderful asset to the city council.
Vote for the best, vote for Denise
Wheeler — we are.
Russell and Wendy Perry
La Grande
I rarely write letters to the news-
paper. However, I have chose to
write in support of David Moyal for
La Grande City Council Position 6.
La Grande has had several leaders
who have served on the city council
over the years. David would be
a great and fresh addition to the
leaders of our community. I believe
David has a vision and is willing to
take the initiative to make important
decisions to improve our community.
David is full of integrity and
adversity to stay strong during tough
situations and definitely has the
knowledge and is willing to do the
research of how to better our com-
munity. David is approachable and
open-minded. I believe he has our
community in his best interests for
he has decided to move to our valley
with his family to raise his child.
I am a local business owner (con-
tractor) who has personally worked
with David on the renovation of a
few old homes around the city. He is
definitely a history buff of our com-
munity. He knows a lot more about it
than I do, and I was raised here and
have lived in this valley for 45 years.
I have known David for 10 years, and
I know that he loves our community
as much as I do.
He is hands-on and not afraid to
put in the blood, sweat and tears to
accomplish goals. These homes that
he renovates are pretty rundown,
sometimes even abandoned, but he
doesn’t do these for the money. He
does this to help with the housing
issues in this community by renting
them to families.
I consider David a bit of a mentor,
being that he has helped me be a
better person. I and my entire family
fully endorse David Moyal for city
council.
Brian Willcoxon
La Grande
Wheeler is a compassionate
go-getter
I am writing to endorse Denise
Wheeler as a candidate for La Grande
City Council. She is an amazing
person and will be an incredible addi-
tion to the city council.
I have worked with Denise and
have seen her leadership skills first-
hand. She is a go-getter and is full of
love and compassion for people in all
walks of life. I am confident she will
work hard to seek out the needs of the
city of La Grande and work to meet
those needs. She will get out there and
meet people and seek out problems