Applegater Winter 2013
21
MY OPINION FROM BEHIND THE GREEN DOOR
State of denial
by CHRIS bRATT
If you lived in Applegate this fall, you
must have enjoyed the grand fall weather,
striking leaf colors and the undeveloped
space that surrounds us. I had some added
treats (no tricks) with precious visits from
grandchildren, pleasing get-togethers with
friends and family and a new puppy added
to our household.
With these kinds of experiences
possible in our lives every day, it becomes
more and more difficult to continually
encounter the harsh passions and asinine
thinking worldwide over our social,
ecological and economic troubles. Isn’t
it time we had a blueprint to eradicate
poverty, stabilize populations and restore
the earth’s natural systems? Can we find a
global set of solutions to the problems we
all face without beating each other up over
a way forward? I know we must. We are
running out of tricks to squeeze more from
the earth than it can give. We are running
out of time, too.
To bring an example of a ludicrous
issue closer to home, I will point
out the recent series of secessionist
movements proposed at many levels of
our government. Commissioners in two
counties in Northern California and in
Klamath County in Oregon are proposing
separating themselves from their existing
states and forming a new State of Jefferson.
Similar secessionist movements are being
proposed to separate some southern states
from the United States of America.
These people wishing to withdraw
from our existing political bodies are saying
that this kind of change is necessary to
protect them from being outvoted by the
more populated and liberal sections in their
designated jurisdictional areas. They also
are saying that the existing government
entities are not meeting their needs
(whatever they are). Many proponents of
the southern states wanting to secede from
the union again go further by claiming
that they are the ones that have the real
interpretation of our constitution and laws
regarding states’ rights.
If it’s any consolation to my
conservative friends who don’t like
being outvoted, my political opinions
(admittedly more liberal than most) have
rarely been represented or put forward
even by politicians I voted for and who
won the election.
My sense is that these people who
want to secede have become so strongly
attached to their intolerant opinions or
prejudices that they think the only way to
solve our country’s problems is to set up
shop using only their narrow exclusionary
doctrines. I think we fought the Civil War
(and others) over some of these very same
issues. Not again, I hope, though there
seems to be enough uneasiness and guns
around to start something.
The same turmoil reflected in these
cries for secession here in the United
States is being played out everywhere.
Individuals, local communities, states,
nations and continents have huge problems
to solve, and yet people seem to be dividing
into sects that adhere to a negative,
uncooperative ideology. They believe the
solution to their troubles lies within their
dogmatic principles. But the problems that
have brought unrest and destabilization
to large portions of the world won’t be
solved by shrinking our involvement with
fellow humans. On the contrary, to bring
about any satisfactory answers to the
momentous problems all of us face, we
will need everyone’s cooperation across the
planet. We are living in a landscape that is
literally falling apart and we need to come
together to fix it.
When I was in high school in San
Francisco soon after World War II, the
United Nations (UN) was forming and
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holding its first meetings on how to solve
the world’s problems and prevent another
war. I was lucky enough to observe the UN
delegates in action in the city’s cavernous
War Memorial Opera House for a whole
We are living
in a landscape
that is literally
falling apart and
we need to come
together to fix it.
day with my classmates. I can’t tell you
how excited and emotional everyone was
at the possibility of building a safer, more
just and peaceful world.
I know it sounds like heresy to some
folks in America, but we need to support
the United
Nations’ solutions
to the overriding
threats we face
Chris Bratt
in this century.
Despite its detractors and dented image,
I believe the UN is the only logical way
to tackle these pressing issues. For almost
70 years America has tried to solve the
problems alone, by exerting our economic
and military power to transform many of
the world’s nations into a more democratic
way of life. There have been some successes,
but today there are greater issues and
challenges than we can handle, including
the future of civilization itself.
I’m looking forward to more visits
from my grandchildren, getting together
with family and friends, and watching the
new puppy grow up. That’s why we have
to keep the world going. Let me know
your plan.
Chris Bratt
541-846-6988
Applegate Valley
Community Grange news
by JANIS mOHR-TIpTON
The second annual community
Harvest Brunch on October 20 was
celebrated by nearly 100 people from
local communities. Brunch was served
from 10 am to 1 pm, prepared from food
mostly produced or raised by people in the
Applegate Valley, many of them organic
farmers. Grange members wish to thank
Thompson Creek Organics, GoodBean
Coffee Company, Medford Food Coop,
Watson Family Honey, Blue Fox Farm,
Fry Family Farm, Wandering Fields Farm,
Whistling Duck Farm, Barking Moon
Farm, Boyajian Livestock, and Bjorn
Everson—all of whom either donated or
provided products at cost for the delicious
meal. We would also like to thank all the
volunteers from the community, including
members of WHOW (“Women Helping
Other Women”) and By George Farm
for providing assistance to the Grange
members before and during the event.
The hall came alive for socializing,
neighbors seeing each other and spending
time together. To many in this community,
the Grange is a vital hub and the brunch
was a celebration of the community’s
accomplishments in reorganizing the
Grange, as well as its current efforts in
restoring the building to be secure and
usable for future generations.
The funds raised at this event will
help preserve the main roof and rebuild
the front entrance roof this year. Earlier
in October, Grange members Paul Tipton,
Rick Barclay, Bjorn Everson, and Jack
Duggan, and community members
Richard Goodnough and Noah from
Wild Wines all helped make repairs to
seal the main roof for winter. The Grange
will continue to raise funds to support re-
roofing of the front-entry portion of the
hall, which needs a sloped metal roof to
replace a flat, leaky one.
A “gratitude’s table” was organized
by Audrey Eldridge featuring plants, seeds,
and farm products from Grange members.
Participants gave a donation and took
home items they wanted for their own
yards and gardens.
Fund-raising also included a raffle
with a beautiful watercolor painting from
Grange member Carolyn Roberts, and
two gift baskets of products and services
from the local community including Rise
Up! Artisan Bread, Michael Zapponi’s
heirloom grafted apple trees, honey from
Betsy’s Bees, tomato veggie sauce, a custom
jewelry piece from Simply Beaded 4 U, a
leather pouch from Country Spirits, music
CDs from Kristi Cowles and Gypsy Soul,
and a crafted candle. We also sold raffle
tickets for a handmade quilt made and
donated to the Grange from the local
WHOW group. This quilt raffle will
continue into December; you can still get
tickets by contacting Thalia Truesdell at
thalia@thaliaweaver.com.
We a re s e t t l i n g i n , b u i l di n g
membership, and continuing the Grange’s
place in the community. Watch for our
next community meal when we bring back
the very popular St. Patrick’s Day Corned
Beef and Cabbage Dinner. We have had
constant inquiries if it would be back;
look for banners advertising this March
2014 event.
Thank you to everyone who supports
our continuing efforts as the “renewed”
Grange in the Applegate Valley. Please
join us at our monthly meeting and see if
you would like to become part of the new
movement to preserve the Grange in the
community, enjoy educational programs
we’ve planned for 2014, and have fun at
our community events.
We meet the second Sunday of
each month. From November through
February, the potluck is at 5 pm and the
meeting at 6 pm. From March through
October, the potluck is at 6 pm and the
meeting at 7 pm. For more information,
contact Paul Tipton, president, at 541-
846-7501 or applegategrange@gmail.com.
Janis Mohr-Tipton • 541-846-7501
janismohrtipton48@frontier.com
Whaddaya call an alligator who wears a vest?
An investigator. Submitted by Norm Albers.