FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2015
4 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS
Opinion
— Guest Opinion —
— Editorial —
That social
experiment
called
Facebook!
The
Hammond
family
situation
By Jimmy Ingram
Special to The Baker County Press
After several years of participating
in this social experiment called Face-
book, I’ve noticed some things.
I love seeing what 99% of you have
to say, pictures of family, interests, hu-
mor, etc. But sometimes when I get on
there, I have to laugh to myself about
what I see. Bear with me.
The “Over-Sharer.” I’m impressed
at your commitment to navigate the
deep, dark edges of the online uni-
verse to bring us all these tidbits.
However, your sharing at times re-
minds me of FM radio: I’m not about
to sit through 30 crappy songs to hear
one good one. The good news is your
links always remind me to update my
antivirus software.
The “Non-Stop Political Poster.” I
know where you stand. I get it. I may
or may not agree, but deep down I
wonder if you want me to disagree so
you can show off your debate skills.
And if you’re using this as some sort
of tool to keep only politically like-
minded friends you may be let down.
The “Never Ending Selfie Poster.”
You look nice. Your haircut looks
good. I like the shirt. Just like the one
earlier today, last night, yesterday
afternoon, and last week. Ever chang-
ing lighting and photo effects do add
a nice touch but you’re toeing the line
of full-fledged narcissism. Also, no
one wants to see your bathroom.
The “Whiny Self Loather.” It’s
clear you need support and that’s fair.
You also need compliments, and that’s
okay, too. But airing your baggage
for 500 people to see may not be the
most effective way to deal. Also, when
you post things like, “God is great!”
on Tuesday and, “I hate my life” on
Wednesday, it makes you look cuckoo.
The “Long Poster.” (I know that’s
me right now.) You certainly have a
lot to say and I respect that. However,
clicking the “see more” prompt is
more commitment than I find myself
ready for at times.
It’s too bad because somewhere in
your novel I’m sure there are some
really interesting or humorous things.
FYI: separating long-winded thoughts
into paragraphs helps alleviate eye fa-
tigue for your fully invested viewers.
The “Perpetually Over Happy
Poster.” I admire your positive out-
look on life, enjoy your motivational
quotes, pictures of flowers, sunsets,
unicorns and rainbows.
But at times I find myself a few min-
utes removed from just having stepped
on a pile of my son’s Legos and I just
can’t feel inspired. I hope you’re not
let down now that you know that. As
the famous break-up line goes, “It’s
not you, it’s me.”
The “Super Tagger.” I’m not sure
why you being at the dentist involved
tagging 52 friends. The only thing I
can think of is that you’re reminding
them to get a checkup—which is nice
of you. I guess?
The “Facebook Quitter.” You’re
sick of Facebook for reasons X,Y,
and Z and are letting all of us know
you’re ending the relationship. Sorry
to see you go. But then we get a friend
Letter to the Editor Policy: The Baker
County Press reserves the right not to pub-
lish letters containing factual falsehoods or
incoherent narrative. Letters promoting or
detracting from specific for-profit business-
es will not be published. Word limit is 375
words per letter. Letters are limited to one
every other week per author. Letters should
be submitted to Editor@TheBakerCounty-
Press.com.
Advertising and Opinion Page Dis-
claimer: Opinions submitted as Guest
Submitted Photo
Jimmy Ingram is a local farmer and
father of two who enjoys people
watching within our wonderful com-
munity and beyond.
request from you a month later, and
a month after that and year after that.
Something tells me you have commit-
ment issues.
Also, it is possible to have an ac-
count and only log on periodically. It
works okay for most of us.
The “Button Pusher.” While
off-color, unapologetically offensive
humor is funny to some, it’s not funny
to everyone. Odds are if you have an
audience of several hundred people,
someone is bound to be offended or
hurt.
You may want to tailor your jokes
accordingly. We know you’re you and
have “zero (insert F-bomb here)” to
give, but it’s 2015.
Try and offend in small groups.
The “Friend Deleter.” You ran-
domly sent me a friend request six
months ago and I just happened to no-
tice I’ve been deleted. I’m sorry that
I haven’t met your criteria for being
a non-interactive, zero-responsibility,
no-expectation cyber-friend. I just feel
bad that you put yourself through this
taxing two step process. Mmm, never
mind, I don’t. You’re behaving like a
child.
The “Cryptic Poster.” You keep
us guessing with your two-word
posts like, “Yeah whatever,” or, “Not
again!”
We don’t know if your car spon-
taneously combusted and you need
help or if you just found out that CSI
Miami was cancelled.
It’s like a game show, only we
never find out if we’ve won the grand
prize because when someone asks
what happened you respond with,
“Don’t wanna talk about it on here,”
or, “Too personal for FB.”
The “Play-by-Play Poster.” You
keep us all on the edge of our seats
with 10 posts a day like, “Gonna
eat breakfast,” “Better go rake some
leaves,” “I just finished raking
leaves,” and, “I’m bored, think I’ll
watch a movie.”
Checking in at every location you
go, including your own home lets us
all know you’re safe, which is impor-
tant. Something tells me you really
liked “The Truman Show.”
The “Food Poster.” Your dinner
looks delicious. Way better than mine.
My concern is that your food got cold
while you took the photo.
And ... the least you could do if
you’re going to make my culinary
skills feel inadequate is bring me some
of your food.
(Thanks, Facebook friends. Love
you guys and love getting to see and
hear from friends and family near and
far on here. Just thought I’d throw
my own brand of comedy out there
to poke fun at a select few. I’m sure
we’ve all been guilty of one or all of
these at some point!)
Opinions or Letters to the Editor express
the opinions of their authors, and have not
been authored by and are not necessarily
the opinions of The Baker County Press, any
of our staff, management, independent
contractors or affiliates. Advertisements
placed by political groups, candidates,
businesses, etc., are printed as a paid
service, which does not constitute an
endorsement of or fulfillment obligation
by this newspaper for the products or
services advertised.
Have you heard the story about
Harney County’s Hammond family?
If you haven’t, you should.
Back in 1999, Dwight Hammond,
who is now nearly 80 years-old,
along with his son Steven, who is
now 46, set a small fire on their own
property in the Steens Mountain area
with the intent of burning off a little
sagebrush and encouraging grass
growth. Burning off fields, ditches,
etc., as most of us in eastern Oregon
know, is common practice among
farmers and ranchers.
The fire, however, skipped over
their fence line into adjoining Bureau
of Land Management (BLM) man-
aged property, and scorched a hand-
ful of acres.
Now, bear in mind that the Ham-
monds actually leased that property
from the BLM for their own graz-
ing use. And bear in mind that the
burn-off improved that particular few
acres of grazing land.
In 2001, while burning, a similar
situation happened with a few more
acres of BLM land burned—land the
Hammonds were leasing. 139 acres
to be exact.
Fast forward a few years to 2006
when a thunder and lightning storm
struck, and the Hammonds were in
the position of fighting back a series
of lightning-strike-caused fires that
were advancing uncontrolled from
that same BLM land onto their pri-
vate property. The men set a back-
burn to save their land, and in the
process scorched one acre of BLM
land. One. Acre.
The Feds filed criminal charges.
In 2012 after a two-week trial, Ste-
ven received a one-year sentence to
prison for setting the 2001 and 2006
fires. Dwight got three months for
the 2001 fire setting.
As the years-long stress of fighting
federally-brought criminal charges
proved hard on their ranching family,
the two opted to simply serve out the
time with the agreement that the case
was closed, no more charges would
be filed, and the situation was done.
This year, the Feds went back on
their deal and filed paperwork with
the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, stat-
ing that not only did the sentencing
judge in 2012 rule illegally, but that
the Hammonds acted as domestic ter-
rorists in their arson, and that it was
all intentional and malicious.
The 9th Circuit Court, known far
and wide for its rather “unique” deci-
sions, agreed with the Feds.
This October, the Hammonds were
each sentenced, more than a decade
after the fact, to five years in prison
for arson. This is a sentence, which
due to the senior Hammond’s age
and health, he may not survive.
It’s important to note that the
statute of limitations had long since
expired on the original arson charges.
It’s also important to note that even
the BLM’s range experts testified that
the Hammond family’s prescribed
burn methods had actually positively
improved the condition of the range
land in each instance.
We also might mention, as it turns
out, that each time, the family had
called the local BLM office and
obtained verbal permission before
lighting their fires. That permis-
sion doesn’t count, argues the U.S.
Department of Justice, because that
permission wasn’t written down in
the form of a permit.
If ever a presidential pardon was
in order, it is in the Hammond case.
If our current president won’t, which
we’d bet on, maybe the next will.
—The Baker County Press Editorial Board
— Letters to the Editor —
FDA not always right
To the Editor:
In reference to a recent article in another
newspaper about the Food and Drug
Administration’s (FDA’s) approval of
genetically engineered salmon for our
consumption—as if the FDA really knew,
or even cares what is good for us or the
environment.
It reminds me of our government al-
lowing farm raised salmon to be raised in
Alaskan waters in crowded pens, poured
full of antibodies to keep them from get-
ting diseased in such conditions, and then
dumping the fish in our markets.
I’m sure the FDA approved of this
also. Not only are the farm-raised fish not
healthy looking in the market, they don’t
taste anywhere near as good as fresh,
wild-caught salmon.
Also, allowing them to be raised in pens
in open waters has been known to cause
huge problems with wild salmon runs that
have to travel through waters polluted by
farm- raised fish on their way to spawning
grounds.
Oh yeah, we can be sure that the govern-
ment agencies are looking out for us. It’s
all about money and greed here, folks, not
about us or the environment.
Peter Claflin
Baker City
— Contact Us —
YOUR ELECTED
OFFICIALS
The Baker County Press
President Barack Obama
PO Box 567
Baker City, Ore. 97814
202.456.2461 fax
Open Monday-Thursday for calls
9 AM - 4 PM
Open 24/7 for emails
Office location: TBA
Phone: 541.519.0572
TheBakerCountyPress.com
202.456.1414
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
Kerry McQuisten, Publisher
Editor@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Wendee Morrissey, Advertising and Sales
Wendee@TheBakerCountyPress.com
David Conn, Advertising and Sales
David@TheBakerCountyPress.com
541.624.2400
541.624.2402 fax
Walden.House.gov
Oregon Gov. Kate
Brown
503.378.3111
Governor.Oregon.gov
Published weekly every Friday.
Subscription rates per year are $29.95 all areas,
e-mail delivery. $39.95 print issue, home delivery,
Baker City city limits only. $49.95 print issue,
mail delivery, outside Baker City city limits only.
Payment in advance.
A division of
Black Lyon Publishing, LLC
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
Copyright © 2014