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Wednesday,March3,2021
Columbia Gorge News
www.columbiagorgenews.com
OPINION
The opinions expressed in the letters below are “your voice,” and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Columbia Gorge News, its staff, publisher or advertisers.
YOUR VOICE
Spirit of Grace
garden
Relaxed goat
Wow, what a wonderful surprise
to see the "Two Churches and a
Garden" article in the paper today!
When I was hired to coordinate
the Hood River Spirit of Grace
garden in 2015, I remember walking
around in a field of grass, looking at
the space and trying to imagine all
the possibilities.
At the time, I thought my job was
to create a garden and organize
volunteers, but it soon became clear
that it was so much more than that.
Cultivating the earth is part of
human survival, and sharing this
experience with other members of
this community changed my life
forever. The joys of gardening, and
the benefits of eating fresh, organic
food, form strong connections and
have the power to uplift the human
soul.
I want to take a moment here to
acknowledge the many people who
made the garden possible in those
first three years. This was a labor of
love by so many individuals, and it
is amazing to see this project still
continuing to blossom.
If you’re interested in participat-
ing in the Spirit of Grace Garden,
stop by the FISH Food Bank at 1130
Tucker Road or send an email to
Marly Beck at fishgardenvc@gmail.
com. Thank you!
Susan Randolph
Hood River
support their First Amendment
Rights to free speech.
We do not support attempts to
restrict our God given rights. At a
minimum, the Columbia Gorge
News should have reached out to
Lisa Evans before publishing such
a hostile and incorrect letter to the
editor.
Peter Leon
Wishram
An era ended
The era of half truths, and out-
right lies that the Trump admin-
istration once jokingly dubbed
“alternative facts” ended on Jan. 20.
An era ended, but not before the
nation watched in horror on Jan. 6
as the “stop the steal” mob violent-
ly smashed their way into the US
Capitol and brought our democracy
to a shocked standstill.
That mob was incited and
inflamed by the last and biggest
lie that Trump told; the lie that the
election was stolen. Democratic
process was fractured that day but
not broken.
Impeachment was necessary to
document the truth about Trump’s
role in the insurrection.
In the end, the evidence in the
Senate trial forced Republican
leader Mitch McConnell to publicly
refute Trump’s lie that the election
was stolen. McConnell’s speech laid
the blame for the violent actions of
the insurrection mob at Trump’s
very feet.
Referring to the Feb. 17 letter to
Every lawmaker and every voter
the editor titled "Spare Me, GOP,"
should think deeply about what
I am extremely disappointed with
Columbia Gorge News and especial- McConnell belatedly concluded.
ly the Editors Note that was added, If we merely go back to politics as
that suggested the Klickitat County usual without examining our per-
Republicans support the formation sonal responsibilities in promoting
of an “armed anti- government
truth and exposing lies, the passions
organization in Klickitat County.”
of future mobs may yet again threat-
The letter claimed the source of
en our democracy.
this support was a KCR (Klickitat
Perhaps the novelty of years of
County Republicans) Facebook
Trump’s little lies or “alternative
page post by KCR Chair Lisa Evans facts” conditioned too many of us
inviting readers to join a non-parti- to accept lies as a normal thing, just
Trump being Trump.
san Liberty First University Online
Consider a few examples: Trump
Constitutional Training with
at a rally claimed, “I brought so
KrisAnn Hall.
The Klickitat County Republican many new car plants and jobs to
Michigan;” fact, there were no new
Party has been vocal condemning
auto plants and actually 3,000 fewer
violence conducted in the Capitol
jobs for auto workers by election
as well as Portland, Seattle and
time. Or Trump’s claim, “China will
elsewhere. Claims suggesting that
pay for the tariffs;” the reality is that
Klickitat County Republicans are
importers pay the tariffs and then
“anti-science, anti-truth, anti-de-
we all pay the higher prices for im-
mocracy and anti-governing
ideology" (whatever that means) are ported goods. His repeated claim,
patently false.
“Mexico is paying for the border
We are strongly constitutionalists, wall;” fact, American taxpayers
believing that the Bill of Rights are
are paying for it. Trump’s claim,
to protect our God given rights.
“COVID-19 will magically go away
While our approach to governing in the spring;” fact, by October,
is different from those espoused
220,000 were dead.
by the Democratic Party, we fully
Later on Trump mocked the
Disappointed
A mountain goat — oreamnus americanus — on Highway 14, photographed by Hood River’s Stephen Datnoff, who said the
goat “was just hanging out on a rocky ledge about 175 feet above Highway 14, just west of the turnabout near Carson.”
Photo courtesy Stephen Datnoff
press coverage of raging infections
and deaths, lamenting, “COVID,
COVID, COVID, you won’t hear
another word about it the day after
the November election;” the tragic
truth is 496,000 Americans are now
dead.
James McKee
White Salmon
Vaccine comfort
Yesterday (Feb. 24) was the day
my husband and I received our first
COVID vaccinations.
We were delighted about how
well thought out and smoothly it
went. Our initial sign-up was very
easy. As soon as we qualified by
age, I called the Health Department
and was told to go on their website,
which I did. Right at the top of the
page is a banner that says, “CLICK
HERE TO SIGN UP FOR A COVID
VACCINE." We clicked on that and
filled in the information requested
and I was able to pick a time and
date for me and then my husband.
Doesn’t get much easier than that. I
was delighted.
We drove to the college.
As we got up the hill near the
college, we saw the first of the signs
directing us to the building. What a
big building! It was just right for the
needed space. Once we got inside,
we were guided by smiling, friendly
people.
Everything was explained to us
and we were moved from station to
station where we got instructions
and filled out paperwork. Hardly
any waiting and there was a great
big window through which we
could see the landscape. Once we
got our shots, we waited 15 minutes,
during which time I noted the
screened area with a couple of beds
for folks who might need them. Not
being used, but available. There was
also some food available for those
who might need it.
All in all, it was a great experience
and we already have our appoint-
ments for our second shot. This was
as memorable as getting the sugar
cube with the polio vaccine when
we were kids.
Thank you for making it all
possible.
Sandee and John Burbank
Mosier
sales.
Housing and food production
should not be played against one
another in this way by treating
working lands as vacant lands.
This bill would harm the eastern
Oregon border region permanent-
ly. It would take investment away
from Ontario, which has plenty
of land available for residential
development.
Please ask Senator Findley to
oppose SB 16. Allowing homes on
farmland that are not related to
farming runs counter to Oregon’s
land use program and sets a terrible
precedent.
Sheila Dooley
Mosier
Vaccines all around
I have had the good fortune to
be an office volunteer in Hood
River County and a vaccinator in
Goldendale, helping get vaccines
into as many arms as possible as
Oregon Senator Findley is on
well as being the recipient of both
the committee hearing Senate Bill
16. This bill would violate Oregon’s vaccines myself. In every contact,
land use laws by allowing up to 100 whether I was the patient or the
volunteer, I met with incredibly
new houses not related to farming
organized, giving, professional and
to be scattered across 200 acres of
exclusive farm use lands in Eastern caring people who understand their
value in helping to end this interna-
Oregon bordering Idaho.
These are productive farming and tional emergency.
ranching lands. Farming and ranch-
When I have gone to the site
to sign up as a volunteer, many
ing make up Malheur County’s
largest job provider, generating over
$350 million annually in agriculture
SeeLETTERS,page5
Oppose SB 16
It is your opinion, let it be heard
Recent questions to our letter to
the editor rules have prompted us
to clarify our policy.
We have encouraged those who
disagree or agree with letters print-
ed to share their voice and send us
letters for publication in Columbia
Gorge News. Our newspaper offers
civil discourse on our opinion page.
The Columbia Gorge News opin-
ion page is our platform for letters
from readers. It is a playground
where you can come out and play,
meet new people, and most impor-
tantly write something you want to
share with readers.
You might not always like what is
said on the playground, but every-
one is invited to participate.
We encourage letters from our
readers, all of our readers. We do
not necessarily agree with all the
letters submitted, but as long as
they are not malicious, and do
not have inaccurate or misleading
information, we print them.
If a letter is in question, we have a
few simple (most of the time) steps
we can take to get it printed:
(COMMON LETTER) Johnny
sent in a letter about school lunch.
He had an opinion about why the
school serves fish sticks instead
of pizza. He hates fish sticks and
says most of his friends do, too.
Columbia Gorge News will call
Johnny and let him know we
received his letter. We will ask him
to clarify how he knows his friends
hate fish sticks; he says they all
throw them in the garbage together
on fish-stick day. Good enough.
Columbia Gorge News agrees to
print the letter.
(LETTER INCLUDING FACTS)
Johnny sent in a letter about school
lunch, with the same information
as before. But he goes on to say the
fish sticks are wasting the school’s
funding because most end up in the
garbage when served at lunch. He
also said the average money wasted
each day on fish sticks was $xxx dol-
lars. Columbia Gorge News will call
Johnny and ask him to clarify how
he knows how much money was
wasted by the school on the days
they serve fish sticks. Johnny says
he did some research and agrees
to share his research with us. CGN
reviews the research and agrees to
print Johnny’s letter with an editor’s
note citing where Johnny found his
information.
(LETTER INCLUDING
PERSONAL ATTACK) Johnny sent
in his fish stick letter, with informa-
tion on his research, but went on
to say he blames the school lunch
server, Ms. Smith, because she
always serves him extra fish sticks.
Columbia Gorge News will call
Johnny and let him know person-
al attacks are not allowed on our
opinion page, and that he needs
to edit or remove this part of the
letter before we will print it. Johnny
agrees to do so. (In some cases,
simply removing names can fix this
issue. Johnny could revise the letter
to blame the school for serving him
extra fish sticks without personally
naming Ms. Smith.)
(LETTER INCLUDING
INFORMATION THAT ISN’T
BACKED UP) Johnny sent in his
fish stick letter, with information
on his research, but without the
personal attack. He goes on to say
he hates the school lunch program
because they never make him the
food he likes to eat. He is going to
ask his friends to boycott the school
lunch program. They will eat peanut
butter and jelly for as many days
as it takes for the school to change
their school lunch program to serve
the foods Johnny and his friends
like. Johnny said other nearby
schools in the area always serves
food the students like. Columbia
Gorge News will call Johnny and
ask him to support his claim about
other schools with facts before his
letter runs. Johnny’s friends from
the other schools do their own
research and show Johnny that
their school cafeterias waste less
at lunch. Johnny adds his friends
research to the letter and explains
his sources in his letter. CGN agrees
to publish his letter with an editors’
note about where Johnny found his
information.
It is rather simple. Generally, if
letters are truthful, can be proven
as truthful, and are not personally
attacking an individual, they will be
printed.
An editor’s note is used on some
letters. We prefer to have the letter
writer clarify or edit on their own,
but sometimes we need to put a
note showing where the informa-
tion was discovered by the letter
writer — where Johnny did his
research on the money wasted on
fish-stick day, for example. This
Regional news for the Gorge
tells us and you, our readers, that
it was legitimately researched, or
the writer, at the least, attempted to
verify the information.
The opinion page is for you,
our readers. It is where many can
engage in a variety of views.
Words can be misunderstood;
writers do not always express the
intentional meaning of their letters.
We try to clarify those situations,
whenever possible. We might need
to edit for grammar, adherence to
our policies, or length of letters.
Throughout the process, we strive to
avoid inserting a bias or opinion of
our own when doing so.
Our editors’ notes are written by
one of our two co-editors or by the
publisher.
The reporting team will then
review the note during the proofing
and editing process.
It’s not a foolproof system, but
again, our goal to get your voice
heard in our communities and to be
as fair as possible in the process.
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