Opinion
4A
Tuesday, June 15, 2021
OUR VIEW
Mob violence
has no place
in American
democracy
S
ome called it an historic moment, but the
expulsion of Rep. Mike Nearman from the
Oregon House of Representatives was really
more about making a clear statement regarding
unbecoming conduct by a lawmaker and its
consequences.
GOP lawmakers united with majority Demo-
crats in the House and voted to expel Nearman on
a 59-1 vote. The only vote in support of the law-
maker was his own. The expulsion is the fi rst in
the 160-year history of the House.
Readers probably remember the undisciplined
political brush up that occurred last December
when Nearman let a group of protesters into
the Capitol building as legislators convened an
emergency session to decide on a path forward
through the economic hit from the coronavirus
pandemic.
Protestors barged into the building — closed
because of COVID-19 restrictions — tangled
with police and sprayed them with bear spray.
Nearman maintained he only let the protestors
in because he believed the Oregon Capitol should
be open to voters. Nearman would be correct if
the individuals seeking to enter were not carrying
guns, brandishing bear spray and generally acting
like a mob. A group of voters who seek to peace-
fully commune with elected leaders is not a mob.
Nearman’s actions point to a far larger problem
that manifested itself on a larger stage and in a
more serious manner in January when another
mob stormed the nation’s capital and threatened
lawmakers.
The larger problem is a sudden loss of common
sense and discipline among those of us who
should know better. Actions such as the Near-
man’s stunt in Salem and the attack on the
nation’s capital in January are not part of democ-
racy. The two incidents are prime examples of
mobs running amok.
No doubt there are those who believe the
actions by protestors in both Salem and Wash-
ington, D.C., were justifi ed. They are opinions
that should be heard. That is what democracy in
America is all about. Disagreeing over a political
issue is part of our American DNA. We should
never be afraid to debate.
Toting guns and screaming rhetoric and then
running wild through the halls of Congress,
though, is not productive. Already there are
extremely stringent security measures in place
at the U.S. Capitol. Those security measures
mean access to the government is restricted. Not
because of a foreign security threat but because
of an American mob.
Oregon lawmakers made the right call with
Nearman but in the end they did not have much
choice.
Mob violence has no place in American
democracy.
LETTERS
• The Observer welcomes let-
ters to the editor. We edit let-
ters for brevity, grammar, taste
and legal reasons. We will not
publish consumer complaints
against businesses, personal
attacks against private individ-
uals or comments that can incite
violence. We also discourage
thank-you letters.
• Letters should be no longer than
350 words and must be signed and
carry the author’s name, address
and phone number (for verifi -
cation only). We will not publish
anonymous letters.
• Letter writers are limited to one
letter every two weeks.
• Submission does not guarantee
publication, which is at the discre-
tion of the editor.
SEND LETTERS TO:
letters@lagrandeobserver.com
or via mail to Editor, 911 Jeff erson
Ave., La Grande, OR 97850
LETTERS
American Jobs Plan is
our chance to do right by
future generations
In Union County our moment to
recover from the COVID-19 pan-
demic and Build Back Better is
now. We must meet the scale of the
crises we face with big investments
in our economy, infrastructure
and climate action with justice and
equity incorporated throughout.
Clean energy is the fast-
est-growing industry in America
and provides a huge opportunity
for high-quality jobs that help
rebuild the middle class while
simultaneously taking much needed
action on climate and putting us
on the path to 100% clean energy.
The Oregon Legislature is doing its
part by working to pass House Bill
2021, and it’s time for Congress
and even our local leadership to do
their part. I’m grateful to my rep-
resentatives in D.C. for their lead-
ership in partnering with President
Biden toward ambitious climate
justice goals.
To ensure a just transition, we
must prioritize equitable solu-
tions, and not just in large cities,
ensuring that at least 40% of ben-
efi ts go to those who need it most
— in Union County, the commu-
nities most harmed by toxic pollu-
tion are low-income and agricul-
tural workers. We will also need
a national clean energy standard,
along with tax law that incentiv-
izes clean energy and good jobs for
Union County workers.
We have a moral responsibility
to our children and grandchil-
dren to pass along to them a safe,
cleaner and healthier planet. The
American Jobs Plan is our chance
to do right by future generations.
Randy Knop
Union
Musical idea for renaming
EOU library
I would like to propose we start
a mail-in to suggest a new name
for the EOU libary. Here are my
four suggestions: 1. Sharon Porter
Library, 2. Carla Arnold Library,
3. Matt Cooper Library, 4. Eastern
Oregon University Library.
If No. 4 is selected, maybe we can
get 1, 2 and 3 to gather on the library
steps and play us some tunes. What
do you think?
Jabe Merricks
La Grande
Bentz’s reasoning seems
wrong
Cliff Bentz, in his recent news-
letter, wrote that he voted against
H. R. 1333, because it “weakens
our national security by preventing
the President from suspending
immigration from unstable regions
of the world.”
I wonder what bill Bentz read
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
STAFF
SUBSCRIBEAND SAVE
NEWSSTAND PRICE: $1.50
You can save up to 55% off the single-copy
price with home delivery.
Call 800-781-3214 to subscribe.
Subscription rates:
Monthly Autopay ...............................$10.75
13 weeks.................................................$37.00
26 weeks.................................................$71.00
52 weeks ..............................................$135.00
because H. R. 1333 states the pres-
ident may temporarily restrict
the entry of any alien if the State
Department makes a determination
that the restriction would address
specifi c and credible facts that may
threaten our security or public
safety. Obviously, the bill does not
prevent the president from sus-
pending immigration.
The bill also states that any
restriction must address a compel-
ling government interest; it must
use the least restrictive means to
achieve that interest; and it pro-
hibits religious discrimination
unless there is a statutory basis for
such discrimination.
Since there is nothing in the
bill that would weaken the Pres-
ident’s ability to suspend immi-
gration, then why did Cliff Bentz
write what he did? Either Bentz did
not read the bill or he is intention-
ally misleading his constituents,
and if he is misleading his constit-
uents then one must ask, why is he
doing so?
In his newsletter, Bentz also
provided reasons for not voting
for other bills, such as allowing
the marijuana industry to use
the banking system, but given
his stated reasons for not voting
for H.R. 1333 and what that bill
actually states, one must now
question the truthfulness of our
congressman, and that is not some-
thing we should need to do.
Steve Wallaert
Bend
Anindependent newspaper foundedin1896
www.lagrandeobserver.com
Periodicals postage paid at Pendleton, Oregon 97801
Published Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays
(except postal holidays) by EO Media Group,
911 Jefferson Ave., La Grande, OR 97850
(USPS 299-260)
The Observer retains ownership and copyright
protection of all staff-prepared news copy, advertising
copy, photos and news or ad illustrations. They may
not be reproduced without explicit prior approval.
COPYRIGHT © 2021
Phone:
541-963-3161
Toll free (Oregon):
1-800-781-3214
Email:
news@lagrandeobserver.com
POSTMASTER
Send address changes to:
The Observer,
911 Jefferson Ave.,
La Grande, OR 97850
Regional publisher. ...................... Karrine Brogoitti
Multimedia journalist.........................Alex Wittwer
Regional circulation director .................. Kelli Craft
Home delivery advisor ............... Amanda Fredrick
Interim editor ....................................Andrew Cutler
Advertising representative ...........Juli Bloodgood
News clerk ........................................Lisa Lester Kelly
Advertising representative .................... Amy Horn
Reporter....................................................Dick Mason
National accounts coordinator ...... Devi Mathson
Reporter............................................Davis Carbaugh
Graphic design .................................. Dorothy Kautz
Intern ...................................................Carlos Fuentes
A division of