4
Wednesday,January13,2021
Columbia Gorge News
www.columbiagorgenews.com
OPINION
YOUR VOICE
The United States
Trump heads the most powerful
government in the world and is
arguably the most powerful man in
the world.
The head of the DOJ, William
Barr, is a personal Trump appointee
and supervises approximately 9,500
attorneys. On Dec. 1, Barr stated
that he, the US attorneys office, and
the FBI, “to date, we have not seen
fraud on a scale that would have
effected a different outcome in the
election.” He has not contradicted
that statement.
Trump heads the FBI, CIA, and
US military. None of them have
found any substantial proof of voter
fraud.
There are approximately 700,000
police officers. They have not found
any substantial proof of voter fraud.
The combined Republican
Senate, Republican House,
Republican governors and state
attorney generals collectively have
not found any substantial proof of
voter fraud.
Trump, and his associates, have
filed over 50 lawsuits claiming
voter fraud. He won one of them (2
percent). Several of the judges were
personally appointed by Trump.
Many of the cases were dismissed
for complete lack of evidence; no
substantial voter fraud.
Approximately 74,000,000 people
voted for Trump. They have not
found any substantial proof of voter
fraud.
Occam’s razor states that the
simplest answer is often the correct
answer.
The options are:
1) The Democratic Party, the peo-
ple who chose Hillary, are capable
of outsmarting all of the above and
leaving no credible trace, or:
2) Trump lost.
To my many Republican friends, I
can feel your pain. I remember four
years ago. Losing definitely hurts.
But we are still the UNITED States
of America and if we are to survive
and ever reach our true potential,
we need to put this election behind
us. We are now in one of the rough-
est times for our country with mil-
lions and millions of people hurting
physically, emotionally, financially,
and spiritually. Instead of catering
to our own ego, let us please work
together for the common good.
Compassion and empathy for oth-
ers is what we need right now. May
God truly bless America.
Rev. Clyde Sanda
The Dalles
by law and the rule of the majority.
Join in making this country what it
can be. EVERY citizen is needed in
that involvement of making us great
and the responsible nation that
the world needs. THE WORLD IS
WATCHING.
Judith Nelson
Hood River
Wilder and Grizzly
Lights on for
COVID victims
With our country horribly
divided, I’d like to encourage ev-
eryone to participate in the Jan. 19
COVID Memorial. The Presidential
Inaugural Committee (PIC) will
host a memorial to remember and
honor the lives lost to COVID-19 in
cities and towns across the country
on Tuesday, Jan. 19 at 5:30 p.m.
ET. A Washington, D.C., ceremony
will feature a lighting around the
Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
It will be the first-ever lighting
around the Reflecting Pool to me-
morialize American lives lost. PIC
is inviting cities and towns around
the country to join Washington,
D.C., in illuminating buildings and
ringing church bells at 5:30 p.m.
ET in a national moment of unity
and remembrance. Let those of
us fortunate enough to live in the
beautiful Columbia River Gorge
share in this important ceremony
of unity and remembrance. We can
unite the country. We can do our
part to encourage this important
step forward toward affirming and
embracing our democracy.
Michelle Rabin
Hood River
Fiber deficiency
As we move into a new year, we
have to address the dismal state
of communication infrastructure
in the Gorge. Looking back on the
fires in Oregon and California,
many of the resulting fatalities
can be ascribed to the inability of
emergency services being unable
to communicate with residents be-
cause of the lack of phone coverage.
The same situation currently exists
in many parts of both Oregon and
Washington. While the telecoms
are rolling out 5G service in densely
populated areas, vast areas of our
community have no cell signal
whatsoever. It is not unusual to
receive a text message, or even the
notification of a voicemail, many
hours after it was sent, which in
the case of a rapidly spreading fire
could prove devastating.
Concurrently, the availability of
internet connections are sporadic at
History is so easy to ignore or
best. While some locations have fi-
forget, but taken the time it is also
ber connections, other areas are rel-
the easiest way to learn from what
egated to dial-up or DSL, at dismal
we have done before, and why and speeds, with frequent drop-outs,
how while avoiding repeating old
or no connection whatsoever. It is
mistakes.
inexcusable to have children hud-
In that regard, in the 2016 pres-
dled outside downtown businesses
idential election Hillary Clinton
trying to complete their homework,
won by almost 3 million votes! But
while teachers are unable to upload
in the electoral college the vote was lessons. The recent COVID stimulus
306 to Trump and 232 to Clinton.
bill provides substantial subsidies
So Clinton was the actual winner in to low income families to help pay
the number of people who voted for for internet connections; however,
her, yet she lost.
these subsidies are useless if there is
But the main observation is that
no connection available.
when she lost the electoral col-
This situation needs to be
lege I did not see citizens roaring
corrected. Rural residents deserve
through the streets with guns and
the same access to communica-
screaming, no people storming
tion as city dwellers. I urge anyone
around shouting and waving signs
experiencing such difficulties to
and breaking a number of laws in
contact their local, state and federal
the process. That is not to say that
representatives to make sure that
those who voted for her were not
the many infrastructure grants are
shocked, dumbfounded, upset,
accountably utilized to provide
stunned. They knew that the elec-
decent communication capability
toral college had the final say even
so that we can live safely, prosper-
if they were against that process. So ously, and our children can flourish
they accepted the legal decision of
into the new year.
the count, deeply hurt and shocked,
Juris Sarins
BUT no marching in the streets or
White Salmon
denying the vote or demonstrations
in the street saying the vote was sto-
len or wrong. As had been the case
Donald Trump has gone a step
since the beginning of our republic too far. He has incited a violent
they accepted the vote in typical
insurrection against our govern-
American fashion.
ment of the people, by the people,
So what is the difference? The
and for the people. He has assert-
only difference is the behavior of
ed his claim to dictatorship by
the two parties and their leaders.
discounting the results of a free and
All of these demonstrators need to
fair presidential election, and his
“man up” and grow up and behave loyal followers back his claim to
like true Americans who respect
dictatorship.
the rules of democracy and behave
I used to wish that Donald Trump
like all the previous citizens in this
would just go away, perhaps fleeing
democracy. Accept the vote. Take a to a foreign country in an attempt
deep breath, commit to backing the to escape his legal problems after
electors, and show the world that
leaving office.
we are still a citizenry that is ruled
Now, following his acts of
World is watching
Trump’s sedition
Lindsay Hebenstreit exercises her two dogs, Gene Wilder Jerome McNabb and Grizzly, at Hood River Port Marina on New
Year’s Eve. “They are the loves of my life. I always enjoy that they bring such a playful and wild show for onlookers,” said
Hebenstreit, who lives near Husum. “They have brought me so much comfort and understanding during these challenging
days. The Gorge community of animal lovers and all the beautiful parks, landscapes, has been embracing to this dog fam.”
She said “Wilder” (a Border-McNabb mix), age 2, her “wanderer artist dog” and Grizzly (Border-Australian), age 1, “my jock-
ey-mama’s boy dog,” have nearly-identical markings and are likely brothers twice removed of the same mother. Hebenstreit
will be taking the dogs to a facility near Washougal, where dog owners and herding dogs learn how to work together.
Kirby Neumann-Rea photo
support through our COVID-19
Relief Fund for families and indi-
viduals in Klickitat and Skamania
Counties who’ve lost income
due to the economic impacts.
We’ve helped with rent/mortgage
payments, utilities, car payments,
medical bills, etc. This has all been
made possible by the generosity of
I just read about the Raskin fam- our Gorge communities.
ily (Congressman Jamie Raskin),
Our communities care. I want to
how they lost their son to suicide on extend my sincere appreciation to
New Year’s, how he was “a radiant
you all for everything that you do to
light in a broken world.”
help your neighbors. I am hum-
My family had a son like that. A
bled to lead an organization that
brother, who like their son had fam- our communities both trust and
ily and a large network of friends.
depend on. Here’s to brighter days
And I write because when my
in 2021.
brother completed suicide, a close
Leslie Naramore,
acquaintance I’ll just call Angela
executive director
lashed out, calling my family sick
Washington Gorge
and dysfunctional.
Action Programs
Angela could be anybody, any-
body who does not get the severity
of depression or mental illness or
just how hard it is to be human, as
Our newly elected Oregon con-
Tommy Raskin notes.
gressman Republican Cliff Bentz
There are families I know in
voted on Jan. 6 to object to certifi-
the Gorge who hide the fact that
their child completed suicide from cation of validated electoral college
ballots which reflected duly certi-
shame or guilt or the stigma the
fied popular votes. He and his 120
Angelas of the world heap on it, I
House colleagues decided on this
can’t say. They aren’t alone.
futile action, presumably hoping
Suicide is the leading cause of
death in Oregon for ages 10 through we will remember their symbolic
pro-Trump move when they’re up
24, and veterans under 45. In
for re-election.
Washington, it’s 11 percent higher
Yes, let’s indeed be sure to re-
than the national average. It’s
ranked as the eighth leading cause member it. Those representatives
of death. We are in the top 10 in an (and six Republican Senators)
proceeded in this course just hours
area where we have failed.
after violent armed mobs stormed
The Raskin’s won’t “get over”
their son’s suicide; my family didn’t. the U.S. Capitol — in protest of a
Suicide even, suddenly, becomes a free and fair election and in support
of a clearly deranged president who
possibility. To lose someone close
to you changes your world and how tweeted that they were “very spe-
cial“ and that he loves them.
you walk in it. Forever. So watch
The crowd in the streets included
your words. Better yet, watch your
heart. And if you are hurting, there the Vice-Chair of Oregon Young
are resources. Please, dear God, for Republicans, who was arrested.
After his vote, Rep. Bentz criti-
all of us, call, text, reach out:
SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resourc- cized the mob actions. Perhaps he
somehow fails to realize that pledg-
es; 800-273-8255; text HOME to
ing his own protest action was part
741741; en español: 888-628-9454
Jackie McManus of the gasoline that fueled that fire.
Our previous Congressman, Greg
Lyle
Walden, expressed sympathy and
understanding of the armed illegal
occupiers of The Malheur Wildlife
Refuge, an action that returns to
mind when one sees footage of
As we start a new year full of
hope and promise, I want to express yesterday’s mob members sitting in
Congressional offices and breaking
my gratitude for the support that
Washington Gorge Action Programs windows of federal buildings.
To my knowledge, Rep. Walden
(WAGAP) has received from our
local communities during this past never publicly stood up to the
Trump administration despite hav-
year. Individuals, businesses and
ing said prior to the 2016 election
organizations have continuously
that Trump was unfit for the office.
stepped forward any time there
The GOP of Mark Hatfield, Vic
was a need, such as rebuilding the
Atiyeh, Tom McCall is sadly bank-
COVID-19 Relief Fund. When we
set our Giving Tuesday goal to raise rupt. It has been broken by the Tea
$50,000 in the month of December, Party, white supremacists, religious
and social zealots, would-be seces-
we were pleasantly surprised to
reach that goal two full weeks ahead sionists, QAnon and other conspira-
cy theorists, self-styled confederates
of schedule.
and anarchists — and elected
Since the beginning of the
officials too cowed, impressed, or
pandemic, we’ve been providing
sedition against our nation, I
believe his only deserved fate is
imprisonment.
Richard Iverson
Hood River
‘It could be
anybody’
Remember
Bentz vote
Gratitude for
support
Regional news for the Gorge
threatened by a celebrity narcissist
to effectively oppose him and right-
fully represent the interests of their
constituents.
Change has begun to arrive in
this year’s elections. Let it continue,
and not become a pendulum swing.
And again, in two years let us be
sure to remember Congressman
Bentz’s vote yesterday.
Tina Castañares
Odell
Be proud, America
Why are so many politicians and
talking heads wailing over how
embarrassing yesterday’s siege is?
“What must the rest of world be
thinking about us?”
While authorities were clearly un-
prepared, the way they finally dealt
with the situation was reserved
and appropriate in our democracy.
Imagine how it would have been
handled in actual “banana repub-
lics.” Authorities (armies) would
have simply opened fire on the
mob, killing hundreds of people. Be
proud of the fact that, in America,
it is natural to respond the way our
authorities did. Maybe the rest of
the world will think so as well.
Russ Hurlburt
Parkdale
Bentz’s misstep
Rep. Cliff Bentz, you should be
ashamed of the part you played
in the violent coup attempt at the
Capitol. You sowed distrust over the
election results in the weeks before-
hand, and afterwards, you contin-
ued your affront to democracy by
voting to object to Pennsylvania’s
presidential electors. Do you feel
proud of your first week in office?
We your constituents do not. We
deserve better. We demand better.
When the smoke (literally) had
cleared the day after the insurrec-
tion, you condemned the violence
to inquiring reporters. But you
were indeed a part of it. In mid-De-
cember you joined Republican
colleagues in asking for a congres-
sional investigation into unspecified
“election irregularities.” The Trump
campaign filed and either lost or
had dismissed 62 out of 63 law-
suits because it could produce no
evidence for any of its accusations
of “election irregularities.” Still you
echoed Trump’s charges, spreading
misinformation and undermining
confidence in the election results at
home and nationally.
You explained you objected
because you believe Pennsylvania’s
decision to extend the deadline for
return of absentee ballots violated
the Constitution. And this in spite
of the fact that the 10,000 ballots in
question, postmarked by Election
Day but received afterward, were
not even included in PA’s vote
count. You also cited as a factor “the
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