FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2017
4 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS
Opinion / Local
— Editorial —
Let’s repeal
Oregon’s
barbaric
abortion law
Thanks to the efforts of Republi-
can signature-gatherers and peti-
tion signers from all parties and
walks of life, Oregon has a chance
to appeal newly passed legislation.
The laws that came from the
2017 legislative session were hor-
rific in large part—from a ridicu-
lous gun grab bill cloaked beneath
the illusion of suicide prevention,
to a bloated Transportation Pack-
age that gave new meaning to the
phrase “taxation without represen-
tation.”
But perhaps the most barbaric of
all were the changes to Oregon’s
abortion laws, making Oregon the
number one most liberal state in
terms of ending the life of a baby
in utero.
In Oregon if a woman decides
at eight and a half months—or
even nine months—into her preg-
nancy that she maybe wanted a
boy instead of a girl, she can abort
that baby. And if she can’t afford it,
taxpayers are forced to fund it. If
that woman is an illegal trespasser
from another nation who lands on
the doorstep of an Oregon abortion
clinic, taxpayers will be forced to
fund her abortion as well.
One petition effort this fall,
though, was a success. Another is
still in the works. Voters will hope-
fully see on their ballots in the next
election two ways to slay this legal
beast. Voters will absolutely have
the ability to vote to simply de-
fund it, thanks to petition success.
The second petition, which would
repeal it entirely, is ongoing …
—The Baker County Press Editorial Board
Local Soroptimists
offer scholarships!
Baker County Sorop-
timists are pleased to
announce two $1,000 High
School Scholarships to a
girl continuing her educa-
tion. She must be a current
graduate of Baker County
(North Powder also), or
within the last five years,
and must be attending and/
or accepted to a Higher
Education School. (Col-
lege, Trade, etc?)
Call Jo Hinrichsen at 541-
523-7778 for more.
— Obituaries —
CONTINUED FROM
PAGE 2
Brandi Lee Jones
La Grande, 1991-2017
Brandi
Lee Jones of
La Grande,
Oregon,
passed away
peace-
fully Friday, Brandi Lee
October 20,
Jones
2017, in
La Grande,
with her mother and step-
father at her side.
A Traditional Funeral
Service will be held on
Saturday, October 28, 2017
at 10:00 a.m. at the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-
day Saints in Baker City.
A dedication of the grave
will be held at Eagle Val-
ley Cemetery in Richland,
Oregon at 11:45 a.m.
Friends are invited to join
the family for a reception
to be held following the
interment at the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints in Baker City.
Brandi was born in
Portland, Oregon, January
11, 1991, to Ricky Jones
and Stephanie Jones (now
Hensley). Brandi later
moved to Baker with her
family. She attended Baker
schools. Brandi began los-
ing her eyesight at about
age 8. She refused to let
that slow her down (liter-
ally), often to the dismay
of family members. The
blindness progressed and
a few years later she was
completely blind.
She still was not ready
to slow down. She had
several great summer
experiences at the School
for the Blind in Salem. She
participated in a summer
hiking trip and campout,
swimming, a talent show
and fencing. (We were
pretty sure the weapons
were not “real”.) Brandi
was able to go to Space
Camp (for the visually
impaired) and had a great
time. With her mother and
siblings, the Make-a-Wish
Foundation sent her on a
Disney Cruise.
The Church of Jesus
Christ in Baker City pro-
vided teachers who loved
her and helped to teach her
the Gospel. The girls in
church her age also gave
her great support, especial-
ly when she attended Girls
Camp during the summer.
Brandi always wanted to
do what the girls her age
were doing.
Some of her teen years
were in Cornelius, Oregon,
where she attended special
classes and lived in a group
home. At age 18 she had to
leave there and then came
to La Grande. The family
knew little of the home
Brandi was going to in La
Grande. It didn’t take long
to find out that there were
angels in human form who
worked there. Those that
cared for her there were
greatly appreciated and the
family wishes the richest
of blessings for them.
Brandi’s last few years
did slow her down. She
first used a wheelchair
occasionally, then had
to use it all of the time.
Because of the effects of
her disease, she lost much
of the ability to commu-
nicate with speech, but
nothing was going to stop
her giggles. She always
had a sense of humor and
the memory of an elephant
of things that had at some
time made her laugh. Her
physical condition contin-
ued to deteriorate but her
spirit stayed strong as well
as her “girlie girl” attitude,
pretty hair and pretty nails.
Brandi is survived by
her mother and stepfather,
Stephanie and Brian Hens-
ley of Haines, her father
and stepmother, Rick
and Vicki Jones of Oro-
fino, Idaho, brother David
Chesterman of La Grande,
sisters Rebecca Payton
(Shawn), and Jessica
Kohler, both of Lewiston,
Idaho, grandparents Linda
and Dennis Miller of Baker
City, Frank and Roseanne
Riggs of Richland, and
great-grandfather Fred
Riggs of Richland, several
nieces and nephews and
aunts and uncles. She was
preceded in death by her
grandparents James and
Delores (Dodie) Jones.
Brandi had an especially
great love for her family
and her Heavenly Father.
Her sweet spirit will be
missed.
For those who would
like to make a memorial
donation in memory of
Brandi, may do so to help
defray funeral expenses
through Tami’s Pine Valley
Funeral Home PO Box 543
Halfway, Oregon 97834.
On line condolences may
be shared at www.tamispi-
nevalleyfuneralhome.com.
— Letters to the Editor —
Guns are not the issue
To the Editor:
Last year, over 52,000 people died from
drug overdose. 3,000 babies were mur-
dered yesterday, that’s well over a million
a year! None of those deaths involved the
use of a firearm.
After the great massacre in Las Vegas,
which no motive has yet to be established,
we mourn the tragic loss of 57 lives (ex-
cluding the gunman) as well we should.
We should also accept the fact that evil
needs no motive.
But we somehow blur our focus on the
elephant in the room because it feels be-
yond our control and too large a problem,
it overwhelms us.
There are over 300 million guns in this
country. Most are owned by law-abiding,
taxpaying citizens who lawfully possess
a firearm. So why are we focusing in on
them?
I believe it’s due to fear. Democrats fear
gun owners because of the power they
possess of retaliation and overthrow of a
tyrannical government. Our forefathers
saw this reality and possessing great
wisdom and having experienced a tyran-
nical government, they included our 2nd
Amendment right to bear arms. Probably
to protect our 1st Amendment right as
well.
So all that being said, there is always a
looming fear of a militia’s shadow hover-
ing in the background of anyone or any
party becoming to powerful and dictating
our freedoms, or rather limiting them.
I think we need to become more God-
controlled verses gun-controlled. If we
feared, respected and obeyed God’s laws
and learned to truly love one another, the
need for 3,000 innocent lives being taken
daily would end. The need for mind-alter-
ing drugs would decline and gun control
wouldn’t even be a topic for conversation.
Think of the lives that could be saved.
In my humble opinion.
Tom Wilcoxson
Baker City
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