FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2016
4 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS
Opinion
— Editorial —
LaVoy
Finicum ...
They say there are three sides to every
story—with that third side being a truth
that usually falls somewhere in between
the other two sides.
In the case of the shooting death of
LaVoy Finicum in Harney County last
week, as well the entire Malheur National
Wildlife Refuge standoff, the sides are too
numerous to even count at this point.
We’ve watched and analyzed the video
of Finicum’s death released by the FBI
dozens of times by now, and our first reac-
tion was to question why the video quality
seemed to have been exported to a lower
resolution than the camera originally took,
and why it was labeled unedited, when
by definition the redaction of information
around the perimeter of the video is edit-
ing. Because of this, we, like many, were
wary from the start. That the bulk of the
scarce “official” information coming out
of the City of Burns and Harney County
was FBI-filtered and controlled, didn’t
help our level of trust, either.
As we got into the video, it became
sadly clear that unless a person was there
on the ground when the scene unfolded
(and maybe not even then), all anyone can
do is offer up opinions based on their best
judgment.
Yes, Finicum’s hands were clearly raised
when he stepped out of the truck. But
what then? What about when his arms
dropped? And what caused him to speed
away from the first road block to begin
with? Was he fired upon? We have edu-
cated opinions. But we don’t know.
We watched video interviews from four
separate witnesses: the driver of the other
vehicle (whose testimony felt somehow
emotionally “off” to us), the two women
in Finicum’s truck, and a family stopped
outside the barricade as the scene un-
folded. We’ve talked with those we know
and trust in law enforcement and those
we know and trust in groups like the Oath
Keepers and Pacific Patriots Network.
We’ve talked with ranchers and military
veterans who have seen their share of
active duty combat. There is no uniform
consensus and likely never will be.
The majority but not all of the combat
veterans believe Finicum’s first hand
movements and slight dance to the side to
be consistent with every time they’ve seen
a gunshot victim reach for a wound in
shock. The majority, but certainly not all
of the law enforcement officers, believe
that same movement was consistent with
Finicum reaching for his 9 mm. Multiple
sources stated that belief was partially
based on intel that he had the gun on him.
How would the FBI have known that, save
for a plant inside the Refuge?
And the ranchers? They’re divided, with
most pointing out immediately that their
first thought was how slick cowboy boots
are in snow, and the movement, perhaps,
was a simple attempt to catch his balance.
We all bring our experiences and
perceptions into our analyses. One of our
thoughts is that reality is probably a com-
bination of those theories.
We do think that OSP opened fire
prematurely. But that’s easy to say from
our vantage point in front of a computer
screen. We suspect they were likely unpre-
pared for Finicum’s truck to arrive at their
road block to begin with, which we also
suspect was in place primarily to prevent
other traffic from reaching the first block
intended to stop the Bundy group. We get
that troopers had literally half a second to
make a life-and-death judgment call.
But then we see those arms up at the
start and think if a man is intent on a
shootout or suicide by cop, wouldn’t
he have had a weapon in hand from the
moment he stepped out of the truck, guns
blazing?
We wonder why audio hasn’t been
released. We wonder why it looks, at
least from the reaction of the trooper who
emerges from the treeline and Finicum
himself, why law enforcement is yelling
commands from two different sides. Was
he being told from one side to toss down
his gun and from the other side to raise his
hands? We don’t know that either. But that
type of colossal mistake is possible con-
sidering troopers were positioned across
from each other, in each other’s lines of
fire, when we doubt they should have
been. Why was the truck then fired upon?
The whole situation is one complicated
cluster. Imagine the bloodbath that could
have ensued had the FBI/OSP engaged
the Refuge itself—we’re assuming that
possibility is why they initiated a “traffic
stop” in a remote area instead. We wish
they hadn’t initiated any high risk move at
all, and this is one of our biggest prob-
lems with what happened last week. The
FBI was pressured by our own governor
and by the White House to act quickly
as we understand it. While the stand-
off at the Refuge was a poorly planned
idea from the get-go, ending it quickly
was not worth the loss of even one life.
All avenues of negotiation had not been
exhausted and we believe so much could
have been handled differently.
From the standpoint that shots hadn’t
been fired and no injuries had been
sustained in the three weeks prior, the
standoff had been “peaceful,” as so many
pointed out. However, the actions of some
of those who arrived to join the Bundy
clan at the Refuge, while not overtly vio-
lent, were certainly confrontational when-
ever a select few ventured away from the
Refuge and out into Burns. We’ve talked
with too many people who experienced is-
sues firsthand to believe otherwise, which
contributes to the argument that the stand-
off was not entirely “peaceful.” When
behavior like this happens, the message of
the protest gets lost.
We hope that message doesn’t become
lost. The Hammonds are still behind bars
serving a ridiculously harsh sentence,
and Federal agencies such as the USFS
and BLM continue their overreach into
the lives of law-abiding citizens more so
with each passing year. From the Refuge
situation, if a positive has come, it’s more
widely spread attention to these issues. We
view the rash of well thought out protests,
such as the one planned for this weekend
in Halfway, as another significant posi-
tive—it shows at least Americans are pay-
ing attention to the events that affect them.
Finally, our prayers are with those left
behind in LaVoy Finicum’s family. Let’s
also remember a life was lost, and show
some basic respect.
—The Baker County Press Editorial Board
— Guest Column —
So I was
thinking ...
Things
overheard at
the grocery
store
By Jimmy Ingram
Special to The Baker County Press
If you’ve been anywhere in public in
your life, chances are you’ve overheard
conversations between people you wish
you hadn’t. For me, that place is usu-
ally the grocery store. I don’t want to
be privy to these conversations among
strangers but some things once heard
cannot be unheard.
(Said to friend) “Yeah, my biggest
flaw is just that I’m too kind.” Dear
Mrs. Perfect: Something tells me that
self-awareness may not be your strong
suit. We all have flaws but if this re-
ally is the biggest problem with your
personality, you have officially obtained
Mother Teresa status. So while some
may consider your mid-morning malt
liquor purchase to be a sign of perhaps
bigger flaws, I’m going to take you at
your word and feel inspired to be better
person. I can confidently say my biggest
flaws are way worse than yours.
(Said to friend) “I ain’t gotta work.
I’m smart enough I got this system fig-
ured out.” Dear Mr. Motivation: While
it is possible I have taken your phrase
out of context, I have a pretty good idea
what you are saying. Your superior
intelligence, accentuated with use of the
word “ain’t,” has allowed you a lifestyle
devoid of something as trivial as em-
ployment. Hard to believe that men like
Louis Pasteur, Henry Ford, and Nikola
Tesla weren’t smart enough to figure
out “the system,” too. They, along with
most of the good men and women in
our community, are clearly a few steps
behind you, and as a result have to get
up and go to work every week. So while
your statement indicates that a job is
clearly beneath you, please don’t make
the rest of us feel too bad about it. You
may not realize it, but the employment
of others is to your benefit.
(Said to friend) “So I told her to shut
her mouth and finish making me din-
ner.” Dear Mr. Romantic: What a lucky
lady you must have. I’m sure she’s
awfully smitten with a sweet talker like
you. I don’t know (or care to know) the
details of your relationship, but I suspect
you should familiarize yourself with the
“TV dinner” aisle of the grocery store
because you may be making your own
Submitted Photo
Jimmy Ingram is a local farmer and
father of two who enjoys people
watching within our wonderful com-
munity and beyond.
meals sooner than you think. And while
your buddy seems impressed at your
story about “laying down the law,” deep
down he and the rest of us know your
relationship advice is probably best ig-
nored. The only thing worse than a jerk
is a guy bragging about being a jerk.
(Said to checker) “These club cards are
so stupid, why can’t we just use coupons
like we used to?” Dear Coupon Lover:
Let me try and understand your logic.
You prefer the act of digging through
papers, searching for scissors, clipping
small coupons and trying to remember
to bring them (before they expire) to the
store over the act of handing your club
card to the checker? I understand there’s
a certain nostalgia to clipping coupons
but there’s also nostalgia in churning
your own butter, and I suspect based
on your purchase you aren’t doing that.
I’ve never heard anyone say, “I really
wish this was more difficult,” but in ef-
fect that is what you’re saying. I’m sure
if time permitted you’d have an ease-
of-use argument for VHS over DVD
but thankfully you and the bewildered
checker have completed the transaction.
(Said to checker) “Why would I bring
my ID to the store!?” Dear Ms. Anony-
mous: While the purchase of grocery
items doesn’t necessarily require ID,
beer and cigarette purchases do. You are
trying to buy both, and you look young.
This isn’t a new law, and for the sake of
the store and the employee’s job it isn’t
a lot for them to ask. Given your at-
titude, you seem to feel you’re immune
to these formalities but the fact that you
“just left the doctor’s office and have
had a bad day” still doesn’t qualify as
valid ID. We’re all sorry your ongoing
argument with the checker is proving to
be futile. There’s is a chance the man-
ager you just asked to speak with will be
more sympathetic. But more than likely
he’ll tell you what the sign behind the
counter says: “No ID, no beer.” Pretty
simple.
You never know what you’ll hear or
see going out in public. Seeing friends
and members of the community is al-
ways nice, but sometimes the things you
hear from strangers boggles the mind. I
guess the best thing you can do is ignore
it ... or in my case write about it. Happy
shopping.
— Letters to the Editor —
I disagree with the guest opinion
To the Editor:
Anne Marie Gurney’s extravagant praise
for Ronald Reagan’s presidency
(January 29th) is both unfounded and in-
accurate. Reagan hardly produced “a track
record of success.”
Instead of economic expansion, Ronald
Reagan ushered in an era of increasing
poverty for many of us and untold riches
for a few at the very top. His extreme tax
cuts for the wealthy crippled our ability
to counter the effects of the off-shoring
and automation of good-paying jobs,
which began in the late 1970s, and con-
tinues today. And he tripled our national
debt.
Reagan was a false prophet. His “firm
and forceful” ideology led us astray. His
supply-side, trickle-down economics had
no basis in reality. His rants against gov-
ernment were misplaced. The question
is not the size of government, but whether
Letter to the Editor Policy: The Baker Coun-
ty Press reserves the right not to publish letters
containing factual falsehoods or incoherent nar-
rative. Letters promoting or detracting from spe-
cific for-profit businesses will not be published.
Word limit is 375 words per letter. Letters are lim-
ited to one every other week per author. Letters
should be submitted to Editor@TheBakerCoun-
tyPress.com.
Advertising and Opinion Page Disclaimer:
Opinions submitted as Guest Opinions or Let-
government is working on our behalf.
Certainly, today it is not. There is fear
and disgust among the American elec-
torate. But it’s really caused by stagnant
wages and the control of elections and
legislators by big money, not government
“overreach.”
It’s apparent that many The Baker Coun-
ty Press readers believe that government
has fallen into the hands of communists
who seek to control us. But the truth is, as
Rev. Martin Luther King warned: “This
country has socialism for the rich, rugged
individualism for the poor.”
Yes, as Ms. Gurney’s op-ed says, “...
Voters are tired of the same ol’ thing.” It’s
time for us to lay blind ideology aside and
come together to forge a political move-
ment that puts government back on our
side, that makes government work for all
of us.
Marshall McComb
Chair of the Baker County Democrats
Baker City
ters to the Editor express the opinions of their
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