Opinion
A4
Tuesday, July 19, 2022
OUR VIEW
Be mindful
of summer’s
heat impact
N
o one can do much about the weather
except note its severity — in the next few
weeks the region will enter one of its typ-
ically hot periods, so area residents should be
aware of how to stay cool and safe.
That might be a tall order for some. Those of
us who must work outside on a regular basis do
not have the opportunity to simply stop our labors
and go fi nd some shade or an air-conditioned
building.
Others — such as those who lack housing
— are also in the bull’s-eye when it comes to
extreme weather conditions, whether it is dan-
gerous cold temps or a severe heat wave.
Hopefully, we will not face the kind of high
temperatures we experienced last summer. Then,
a seemingly endless heat blanket descended on
the Pacifi c Northwest and baked the region.
The tips to avoid an injury from heat are
simple and relatively easy to adopt. Residents
should wear light, loose clothing, avoid high-en-
ergy, outdoor activities and, perhaps most
important, drink plenty of fl uid, including water.
It is also a good idea to keep a close watch
on each other to ward off a serious heat injury.
An injury from heat often can manifest itself in
cramps, headache or dizziness and confusion.
Those types of symptoms are the body’s way of
warning it is in serious distress, and they should
not be ignored.
These all seem like simple — almost
no-brainer — types of steps and suggestions, but
as we roll into the deep summer it can be easy to
forget that heat is as dangerous as extreme cold
temperatures.
In a way we all can get complacent regarding
how quickly heat can sap our body and poten-
tially create a serious medical situation.
We all want to enjoy the great vistas and
mountains our area off ers every summer. Finding
a great place to camp or spending a day out in the
woods is one of the key attributes to our region,
why it is such a great place to live, work and play.
But we also want to make sure we don’t underes-
timate how fast extreme heat can injure.
EDITORIALS
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opinions of the authors and not
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OTHER VIEWS
Idaho Power lacks adequate planning
for Boardman to Hemingway power lines
For 13 years Idaho Power has been trying to rail-
road the 310-mile-long B2H Boardman to Hemingway
power lines through Eastern Oregon. No one wants it
but IPC keeps pushing, trying to outfl ank the public
and government agencies, state and federal.
By the time the power lines go into service they
will be archaic, but IPC gets a bonus of around 10% of
building cost, most of which will go into stockholders’
pockets. Nor does IPC have an adequate fi re plan, not
if but when the lines break and start fi res. Re: The Par-
adise fi re was ignited by PG&E. Death toll: 85 people.
Nor has weed control from building the project been
properly addressed. The power lines cross the Oregon
Trail numerous times but IPC could care less about
preserving it or the heritage that goes with it. Their
plan is to place their lines directly in front of the $16
million Oregon Trail Interpretive Center outside of
Baker City. The list goes on.
Whit Deschner
Pendleton
Love and compassion vs. hate and control
It’s been clear for years the “far right” is fi ghting
to secure minority rule. It’s working. Both Trump and
George W. Bush got fewer votes, and fi ve of the cur-
rent Supreme Court justices were confi rmed by sena-
tors representing a minority of citizens. Can you guess
which ones?
The eff ort is in tandem with the religious right,
which is now explicitly embracing the theology of
CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES
U.S. PRESIDENT
Joe Biden
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20500
Comments: 202-456-1111
U.S. SENATORS
Ron Wyden
221 Dirksen Senate Offi ce Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5244
La Grande offi ce: 541-962-7691
Kate Brown
160 State Capitol
900 Court St.
Salem, OR 97301-4047
503-378-4582
Bobby Levy, District 58
900 Court St. NE, H-376
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1458
Rep.BobbyLevy@state.or.us
Cliff Bentz
2185 Rayburn House Offi ce Building
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-6730
Medford offi ce: 541-776-4646
STATE SENATOR
Greg Smith, District 57
900 Court St. NE, H-482
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1457
Rep.GregSmith@state.or.us
Bill Hansell, District 29
900 Court St. NE, S-415
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1729
Sen.BillHansell@state.or.us
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dominionism — the belief that they should control all
aspects of government based on their beliefs and inter-
pretation of the Bible. Hence their elation with the end
of Roe and talking up ending more “evils” like birth
control and marriage equality.
The battle lines are clear: love and compassion vs.
hate and control.
The Founding Fathers didn’t help our situation by
giving each state, regardless of population, two sena-
tors, and creating the Electoral College. But those are
the compromises it took to get the Constitution passed.
However, the founders were spot-on regarding their
fear of Christian nationalism, which they made explic-
itly clear and sought to prevent by insisting govern-
ment “make no law respecting an establishment of reli-
gion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Thomas
Jeff erson labeled the concept the “separation of Church
& State.”
Here’s what this boils down to: A minority of rabid
Christians, aided by the Christian nationalist wing of
the Supreme Court, wants to tell you, no, force you, to
live by their values and beliefs. They want the world to
mirror their preferences and validate their prejudices.
Paul Miller, a professor of international aff airs at
Georgetown, noted Christian nationalists feel they
have a right to defi ne what America is. Katherine
Stewart, who has reported on the religious right for
more than a decade, said, “Breaking American democ-
racy isn’t an unintended side eff ect of Christian nation-
alism. It is the point of the project.”
We must stop them. Vote.
Hal McCune
Pendleton
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