FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 2015
4 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS
Opinion / Local
— Editorial —
Just when we
thought of
going back to
Starbucks ...
We’ll admit, we stopped going to
Starbucks a long time ago due to their
anti-second amendment sentiment, but
just when that white chocolate mocha was
starting to sound tempting again, here
comes their CEO Howard Schultz with an
attempt to force a national race discussion
down out throats.
When we want an overpriced, overly
caloric drink, the last thing on our minds
is a philosophical debate about race rela-
tions at the behest of a clueless, arrogant
company.
If we order that white chocolate mocha
is it somehow offensive to mixed race
individuals? God forbid we order a cup of
house blend—black. What conversation
might that trigger? This campaign has to
be the dumbest idea ever.
From the point of view of the poor
baristas—these folks have just been put
in the line of fire. Armed with only a
sharpie and a need for a paycheck, we can
imagine them standing there like Bambi
in headlights the first time someone takes
their “Race together” cup and tells them to
shove it. When they signed on, their job
wasn’t to promote a political ideology.
The new plan is equally disrespectful to
customers. The discussion assumes Star-
bucks know more than you, is somehow
more enlightened than you. It is an asser-
tion that the opinions of Howard Schultz
are so special that they’re to be considered
fact.
“Here’s your double-shot of hubris
topped with a flu fy helping of contrived
white guilt.”
Thanks, but we’ll pass.
—The Baker County Press Editorial Board
— Letters to the Editor —
Gun control must be stopped
To the Editor:
Let’s talk gun control. The factual
aspects of controlling the personal posses-
sion and use of firearms. It appears quite
simple to me, having been raised with
them.
They are merely tools that can, and
are, used for good and bad. Law abiding
people use them wisely and safely. The
bad guys, outlaws, use them destructively.
This last sentence explains, for the most
part, why gun control laws haven’t yet
and never will work to increase safety of
our citizens. As a matter of fact, areas of
this country with the strictest control of
guns, Detroit and Washington D.C, have
the highest gun crime rates. Only outlaws
have guns, the unarmed population are
their victims.
The new gun law passed in New York
City is a perfect example of disaster
designed to happen. The capacity of guns,
including .22 caliber rifles, as I understand
it, is restricted by law to seven rounds.
Insanity! Proponents of the law claim the
restrictions are for safety. For whom? It
certainly isn’t for the safety of the home
owner who might be awakened to dis-
cover multiple robbers armed to the teeth.
And perhaps the person being robbed is
aged or disabled. Which party is the law
designed to protect?
We have repeated examples of our
schools being invaded by killers. Yet we
have laws and signs declaring that schools
are gun free zones. To an intended killer
of children it simply means defenseless
children! Will we never learn?
Recent history is replete with examples
of nations where the citizens first gave
up their right to be armed and shortly
thereafter the government became a brutal
dictatorship and the people were without
the ability to resist. Could it eventually
happen here?
If you read the U.S. Constitution care-
fully you will see it means that each per-
son has the God-given right to be armed!
The Second Amendment merely empha-
sizes that right. There are two primary
reasons to disarm the American people.
The first is ignorance: ignorance of the
consequences facing a defenseless people.
The other, simply put, is deceit: those who
know the consequence and yet deliber-
Todd Arriola / The Baker County Press
Sydney Lamb and Jadyn Berry pose with Hal Huntington after accepting their
awards.
ately want their fellow man defenseless.
Isn’t it time we identify each?
Jasper Coombes
Haines
Law enforcement agreement
part of bigger picture
To the Editor:
In reading the article concerning the
proposed cooperative agreement between
Baker County and the U. S. Forest Service
relative to law enforcement issues I agree
with Commission Chair Harvey that
such an issue is linked to broader con-
siderations such as the Forest Service’s
proposed Travel Management Plan. If, as
it appears, the Forest Service is in spite
of local and regional input hell bent on
closing off access to portions of public
land (our National Forests) from the very
people who own that land (citizens) then I
think the question of signing an agreement
with them becomes extremely important.
There is another question that needs to
be answered in looking at the proposed
agreement. USFS law enforcement of-
ficers are clearly empowered to enforce
federal law on federal land. However it
also appears that their authority to enforce
provisions of state law only comes when
the local Sheriff authorizes them to do
so. Does that authorization come as part
of the proposed agreement? If so, to me
that is another reason for thinking through
very carefully whether the signing of such
an agreement really serves the best inter-
ests of Baker County residents.
The Sheriff in at least one other Oregon
County and several out-of-state Sher-
iffs that I am aware of have revoked the
authority of Forest Service officers to
enforce state statutes within their counties.
Their justification has been the less than
above-board tactics used by the Forest
Service to restrict the rights of citizens to
responsibly use the forest as citizens have
for generations.
Perhaps it is time for Baker County to
consider doing the same. Contributing in
any way to a federal agency that is at odds
with local needs and desires is not worth
any amount of money and certainly not
the paltry sum of $6,500 currently offered
by the Feds.
Jerry Boyd
Baker City
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Copyright © 2014-2015
Elks announce eye injury
prevention contest winners
YOUR ELECTED
OFFICIALS
President Barack Obama
202.456.1414
202.456.2461 fax
Whitehouse.gov/contact
US Sen. Jeff Merkley
503.326.3386
503.326.2900 fax
Merkley.Senate.gov
US Sen. Ron Wyden
541.962.7691
Wyden.Senate.gov
US Rep. Greg Walden
541.624.2400
541.624.2402 fax
Walden.House.gov
Oregon Gov. Kate
Brown
503.378.3111
Governor.Oregon.gov
State Rep. Cliff Bentz
503.986.1460
State Sen. Ted Ferrioli
541.490.6528
Baker County
Commissioners Bill Harvey;
Mark Bennett; Tim Kerns
541.523.8200
541.523.8201
Todd Arriola / The Baker County Press
Caitlin Lien of Haines accepts her first place award from Hal H ntington.
The Oregon State Elks
Association Annual Eye
Injury Prevention Poster
Contest’s local winners
were announced Tuesday
at the Baker Elk’s Lodge in
Baker City.
Hal Huntington is the
Elks Lodge 338 poster
chairman.
The contest ran from
September 7, 2014 through
February 2, 2015 with
students from South Baker
Intermediate, Keating
Elementary and Haines
Elementary, Harvest
Christian Academy and
Baker Valley Seventh Day
Adventist School invited
to compete so long as they
were in the 4th through 6th
grades.
Teachers invited to par-
ticipate were given ground
rules and contest dates.
Huntington received 158
posters from ten different
teachers on February 3,
2015.
The three local winners
were: first place, Caitlin
Lien, fifth grade, Ms.
Richard, Haines Elemen-
tary; second place Sydney
Lamb, fifth grade, Mrs.
Hensley, South Baker
Intermediate; third place,
Jadyn Berry, fifth grade,
Mrs. Schwin, South Baker
Intermediate.
Huntington contacted
the schools to arrange for
the winners’ announce-
ment and Traveling School
Trophy presentations.
The three winning local
posters were sent to com-
pete in the District judging
on February 14. Lien’s
poster placed second at
District and Berry’s poster
placed third.
Submitted Photo.
Top: First place went to Caitlin Lien of Haines.
Bottom: Sydney Lamb took second place with this
poster. Middle: Jadyn Berry earned third place.
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