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CapitalPress.com
Friday, May 14, 2021
Editorials are written by or
approved by members of the
Capital Press Editorial Board.
All other commentary pieces are
the opinions of the authors but
not necessarily this newspaper.
Opinion
Editor & Publisher
Managing Editor
Joe Beach
Carl Sampson
opinions@capitalpress.com | CapitalPress.com/opinion
Our View
A
Be careful out there
griculture regulators in Ida-
ho are getting ready to write
new rules for hemp, a crop
the state legislature just legalized.
We suggest they include some
advice in those regulations: “Be
careful.”
Since states such as Oregon first
legalized it, hemp has represented the
Wild West of agriculture.
Huge price swings coupled with
speculation and a few less-than-scru-
pulous actors, the need for expensive
seed and specialized equipment and
even untimely rains have turned what
had been promoted as an opportunity
for farmers to diversify their crops
into a latter-day version of riverboat
gambling.
Now that Idaho has joined the
other 49 states in the “hempstakes”
we would suggest farmers there talk
to their colleagues elsewhere.
They will hear comments such as
these:
was mentioned of CBD, the substance
“We lost money two years a row.”
that can be extracted from hemp and
“You see a whole lot of land for
used for its health benefits. There are
sale now because people lost their
even CBD supple-
shirts.”
“The price of
ments for dogs.
hemp ... crashed
Now, how-
overnight.”
ever, the market
“People are tak-
for CBD is over-
loaded and the
ing the contracts
federal govern-
and wiping their
butts with them
ment still hasn’t
and throwing them
approved it. Also
in the toilet.”
known as canna-
Pardon that last
bidiol, it is said to
Capital Press File
quote, but you get Hemp has become the Wild West of ag- relieve pain, anx-
riculture.
the idea.
iety, reduce acne
At the same
and provide sev-
time, hemp acreage in Oregon has
eral other benefits.
plummeted from 64,000 acres in 2019
Add the federal government’s tight
to 3,800 acres registered so far this
restrictions on the amount of THC —
year.
the psychoactive substance in mari-
When hemp first appeared on the
juana — that is allowed in hemp, and
horizon, much was said about its
farmers have had to overcome prob-
many uses — fiber, feed and even in
lem after problem.
“hempcrete” building materials. Little
If the federal government ever
legalizes marijuana, that will further
complicate the hemp market.
Farmers’ views on those and other
hemp-related issues vary. Some see
them only as the speed bumps that are
likely when dealing with a new com-
modity. Those who are vertically inte-
grated seem to have done the best.
Others see hemp-related issues as
roadblocks with “Caution” signs plas-
tered on them.
After talking to those who have
been involved in hemp for a few
years, farmers in Idaho and elsewhere
should consider the upside and down-
side of hemp as a crop and make sure
they have a contract to sell it. Then
they should put a pencil to it to proj-
ect what the bottom line will be.
Only then should they proceed.
And even then, the experience of
others shows that they need to be
exceedingly careful.
Our View
A ridiculous initiative you have to take seriously
A
n Oregon initiative petition
drive now gathering signa-
tures seeks to end “unneces-
sary exemptions to laws governing
animal abuse, animal neglect, and
animal sexual assault.”
In actuality, the initiative would
make artificial insemination a sex
crime; virtually end commercial live-
stock, dairy production and animal
slaughter; and criminalize hunting,
fishing and pest control.
It is an assault on food production,
and on Oregon’s farmers, ranchers
and fishermen.
Oregon law provides stiff penalties
for people who abuse animals. Those
same laws provide fairly conventional
and sensible definitions of what con-
stitutes abuse — reckless or inten-
tional neglect or cruelty that causes
injury or death.
The statutes also set out exemp-
tions that allow for animal husbandry
following accepted practices, regu-
lated slaughter, fishing and hunting,
pest control and rodeo events.
We believe that most Oregonians
are against animal neglect and abuse,
but at the same time don’t object to
reasonable meat and dairy produc-
tion or the harvesting of seafood. That
said, we’ve seen a lot of crazy ideas
take root as initiative petitions.
Enter Portland animal rights activ-
ist David Michelson. Last November
he filed Initiative Petition 13 with the
Eric Gay/Associated Press File
An initiative petition circulating in Oregon would make animal agriculture, hunting
and fishing illegal.
Oregon Secretary of State’s Office.
“If enacted, IP13 would remove
some of the exemptions to our pre-ex-
isting animal cruelty laws that cur-
rently allow certain individuals to
abuse, neglect, and sexually assault
animals without penalty,” according
to yesonip13.org.
Mary Anne Cooper, vice president
of public policy for the Oregon Farm
Bureau, said the result would effec-
tively criminalize everything from
slaughtering livestock to basic animal
husbandry, including branding and
dehorning cattle, castrating bulls and
docking horses, sheep and pigs.
The initiative also would re-clas-
sify livestock breeding and artificial
insemination as sexual assault of an
animal — a Class C felony.
Cooper said the petition is the big-
gest threat to Oregon’s livestock
industry in decades.
We agree.
Supporters of the bill are disin-
genuous in their depictions of the
measure’s potential impacts and
the current state of animal abuse
enforcement.
“As they stand right now, not
everyone is held to the same standard
when it comes to animal cruelty, and
some people are exempt from these
laws.”
Farmers and ranchers are not
exempt from animal abuse laws.
Those who operate outside the
accepted norms, or those who
neglect their animals, are subject to
prosecution.
Yesonip13.org assures voters that
nothing in the initiative bans the sale
of meat, fur or leather, offering up
the most ridiculous business model
imaginable.
“After an animal lives a full life,
and exits the world naturally and
humanely, this initiative does not
prohibit a farmer from process-
ing and distributing their body for
consumption.”
The public is hardly clamoring for
meat from old and sick animals. It is
illegal to sell meat from animals that
have died a “natural” death.
IP13, though it sounds so reason-
able in its description, is ridiculous.
No meat, no backyard chickens, no
goat milk soap.
But we are forced to take it seri-
ously because, as we said, a lot of
ridiculous ideas have become law via
the initiative petition process. It must
be stopped.
READERS’ VIEW
Malheur County
ready to make the
move to Idaho
The Malheur County Onion
Growers Association and Mal-
heur County Potato Growers
Association are in favor of the
Greater Idaho movement, though
we believe that it is more reason-
able to integrate Malheur County
now.
The Malheur County eco-
nomic region is more like Idaho
than Western Oregon. Our popu-
lation demographics mirror those
who live within a few miles of
our border than those hundreds
of miles away.
Historically, we tend to vote
based on family values, personal
responsibility and integrity-based
lifestyles. Virtues that Idaho can
appreciate.
We have watched Western
Oregon riot and destroy with
dismay and embarrassment.
We have learned from Idaho’s
response to the COVID-19 pan-
demic that we agree with their
way of protecting people’s liber-
ties and personal choice.
We have all experienced
the same kinds of tragedy even
across state lines, yet Oregon’s
governor continues to increase
her control of our schools, our
businesses and everyday life
without restraint. If that weren’t
enough, Oregon’s massive estate
tax kills generational small
businesses.
We feel, on this side of the
state, our voices aren’t heard.
Our state continues showing us
that we are inferior as they ini-
tiate a Carbon Tax and a goal
to ban the use of all diesel fuel
by 2027. This tax would dev-
astate our far reaching agricul-
tural based economy. Our pro-
duction costs rise while unsafe
imported food, without Ameri-
ca’s standards, fill our stores. We
can barely keep up with transpor-
tation costs.
Minimum wage in Oregon
is currently higher than Idaho’s,
but employees can rest assured
knowing that wages won’t
decrease because our businesses
know their value.
We appreciate the awareness
that the Greater Idaho movement
initiated, but Malheur County is
ready now. We feel that Idaho’s
legislature preserves the legacies
that we have worked to build and
will allow them to flourish in the
future.
Paul Skeen
Malheur County Onion
Growers Association
Nyssa, Ore.
Cancel the
Cancel Culture
Who is the Cancel Culture?
Whoever those elites are, they
are forcing their agendas, values,
ideas and beliefs on the basic
fabric of American culture. They
are attacking history, language,
statues, founding fathers, the
anthem, the flag, books, mascots,
Title IX, law and order, right and
wrong, male and female gender
roles, cartoon characters, toys
and on and on with no end in
their sights.
One of the latest cancels is
breast milk. OK, cow’s milk,
goat milk, camel milk, whale
milk — it all comes from mam-
mary glands on mammals.
So what should human milk
be called now? Man’s milk?
— Ouch!
Don’t think so. We as agricul-
turists already have experienced
these powerful cancellation
attacks over accepted sustainable
environmental and agricultural
practices from people who have
no clue and have never “done it.”
These cancelers must have
flunked Biology 101 let alone
have real world experiences or
common sense. All these cancel-
lations have commonalities —
everything old as well as history
is bad, intolerance of diverse val-
ues, lack of respect for others,
lack of common sense and “dis-
tractions” from real American
social issues of problems.
No matter the history —
good, bad or ugly — it can’t be
changed. Don’t try to spin it,
rewrite it or cancel it. History is
history, deal with it then learn
and grow from it. Canceling just
means man falls back into the
same old pitfalls and mistakes of
humans. Oops, that’s history.
Cancel Culture seems to be
the current “in thing.” The cur-
rent cool, fashionable fad, the
vogue. If given their way, they
will rewrite everything. All must
think like them! “Group think”
like sheep — no thinking for
yourself. Sink holes, quick sand,
undertows, whirlpools take us
down — not good paths to be in
or follow. That’s where America
is headed. The so-called “know-
it-all” elites of the Cancel Cut-
lure will soon cancel even them-
selves out.
Common sense and life-
wise people must speak up and
speak out, otherwise the Can-
cel Culture will continue to can-
cel American culture — the val-
ues, truths, traditions, freedoms
and beliefs that built America.
Soon, if not already, they will
even cancel God, like the Nazis
and the Soviet Union. Where
are they today? Oh, that’s his-
tory again. Most Cancel Cultur-
ists have never opened the Bible
Book of Proverbs — the Wis-
dom Book. I dare the “elites” to
study Proverbs.
America’s agriculturists,
wake up! Now is not the time
to be silent. Rise up, speak up,
speak out to “cancel” the Can-
cel Culture. If not, they will
destroy America’s history, wealth,
standard of living and destiny.
After all, we’re all Amer-ICANS
because “free” Americans CAN!
Bob Beckner
Gervais, Ore.