TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2022 A7
REDMOND SPOKESMAN
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Editorials reflect the views of the Spokesman’s editorial board,
Publisher Heidi Wright and Editor Tim Trainor.
YOUR VIEWS
It is better to understand firearms
than it is to fear them
I have read both columns in the Sept.
6 issue regarding firearms in the local
schools.
While I am 80 years old and do not have
children or grandchildren currently attend-
ing Redmond District schools, I would like
to address the current uproar over them in
schools.
I have taught Oregon Hunter Edu-
cation for about 28 years. With 99% of
those courses having been taught in var-
ious rooms in various Redmond schools.
During that time the Redmond cadre of
hunter’s education instructors have taught
quite literally thousands of Redmond stu-
dents and many of their parents, with no
accidents or accidental discharges in any of
our classes. I would hate to see the use of
Redmond school facilities removed from
the instructor cadre and/or students who
attend the classes.
If a change is needed, let’s look into train-
ing classes for our students to teach them
how to handle firearms in a safe manner, as
well as what to do if they encounter a fire-
arm that isn’t theirs or their parent’s or is lo-
cated in a space where it should not be.
I understand parental concern for their
students about firearm accidents or im-
proper use. But the solution is not, in my
mind at least, raising our kids to fear fire-
arms in all situations.
I have been a firearms instructor for bet-
ter than 60 years and I can tell you it is bet-
ter for kids to know what they are and how
they work instead of trying to hide them so
the first contact they have is inappropriate
and/or dangerous. Have you ever tried to
hide Christmas presents? The kids always
find them.
William A. Layton
Redmond
GUEST COLUMN
Opening doors to middle-grade fiction
BY ERICKA BRUNSON-ROCHETTE
Community librarian
One of the things I love the most
about books for youth is the myriad of
avenues any one story can take.
It can be a modern telling of a well-
loved fairytale, or a coming of age sci-
ence fiction novel set in a distant future
— any one book can unlock an endless
possibility of doors. These three mid-
dle-grade books are just a few doors
readers can choose to walk through,
each leading to a series of subjects that
open minds, broaden imagination and
build empathy.
”The Stars Did Wander Darkling” by
Colin Meloy
This hot off the press middle
grade horror book is a perfect mix of
“Stranger Things,” “Stand by Me” and
“The Goonies.” In other words, perfect
for fans of both thrilling coming of age
tales and 1980s nostalgia.
Set in a fictional coastal Oregon
town in the 1980s, Archie Coomes and
his three best friends are trying to get
the most out of their summer in their
relatively boring town. But, after a
penny shows up on Archie’s doorstep,
Ericka Brunson-Rochette
strange things start happening in his
town. There is the peculiar, persistent
sound of an ax chopping away at some-
thing through the night. The adults
start acting very unlike themselves, and
there is a strange new man in a brown
suit in town that no one else really
seems to notice. Then of course, there
are the other pennies.
Before long, Archie and his friends
start tying the unusual behavior to a
cliff that his Dad’s construction com-
pany recently opened up for a contract
job. The more they find out about
the cliff, the more bizarre things, and
people, become in Seaham. The four
friends know that it’s up to them to get
to the bottom of whatever sinister thing
that is happening in their town before
there is nothing left to save.
Opening doors to: Horror, suspense,
adventure, 1980s nostalgia, adoles-
cence, friendship
”Dream, Annie, Dream” by Waka T.
Brown
The one thing twelve-year-old Annie
does not have trouble with is dreaming.
She has so many interests, like theatre,
basketball, and her favorite book, “Alice
in Wonderland.”
In her first year of middle school,
Annie is presented with so many op-
portunities to pursue her dreams, like
auditioning for her school’s produc-
tion of The King and I, or trying out
for the basketball team. While she is
never quite the star of the show, she is
satisfied with her accomplishments and
continues to aim higher every time.
But when her classmates and the
adults in her life start questioning her
dreams, Annie begins to question her
worth. Conflicted with her immigrant
parent’s idea of ‘The American Dream’,
The Stars Did Wander Darkling
and the
barriers that she runs into as a Jap-
anese American girl trying to find her
place in 1980s Kansas, Annie starts to
wonder if some dreams are just not
meant for her.
Opening doors to: Realistic fiction,
identity, racism, deams, adolescence,
family, friendship, bullying
”The Last Mapmaker” by Christina
Soontornvat
Twelve-year-old Sai doesn’t come
from wealth or riches. In fact, she has
only gotten her job as an apprentice to
Paiyoon Wongyai, Mangkon’s great-
est and most celebrated mapmaker,
through deceit.
No one would hire her if they knew
she was the daughter of a conman and
that she came from a line of ancestors
with no respectable social standing.
When the opportunity to join Paiyoon
on a voyage to chart the southern seas,
she doesn’t have to think twice about it.
Not soon after they set sail, Sai learns
that she might not be the only person
on board with secrets.
When the plan is unveiled that they
are actually sailing towards the Sunder-
lands, a fabled place of dragons, great
riches and even greater danger, Sai is
faced with a choice. Does she listen to
Paiyoon and leave the ship before the
expedition costs her life, or does she
voyage on in hopes of charting her own
destiny?
Opening doors to: Fantasy, adven-
ture, self-growth, adolescence, family,
mentorship
GUEST COLUMN
Regulating guns a key issue in November election
W
ell, lucky us. We now have
people in Central Oregon
with AR-15s who are in-
sane enough to walk into a grocery
store and shoot people. Yes, insane.
People in their right minds don’t
go around killing strangers who are
shopping for cornflakes and milk.
They do not embark on a killing
spree planned out in their minds, or
posted on social media, to take out
teachers and children the day after
murdering strangers at Safeway. But
crazy or sane, we all have easy access
to purchasing any kind of gun and
ammo because ... why?
It’s because this is the home of the
brave and the land of the free. Brave
and free? There is nothing brave
about loading up an AR-15 and going
where local seniors shop to pop off
a few. What a coward. Free to what?
Kill anybody anywhere? Free to tote a
gun or rifle publicly downtown even
though it naturally intimidates and
scares people? Nothing brave nor
freedom loving about that at all.
Oh, it’s to protect our right to bear
arms, Amendment II. An interpreta-
tion that intentionally ignores the first
four words of that amendment; “A
well regulated Militia.” The protection
of the Second Amendment, no matter
what, ignores why it was written.
It was a time of war, and we did
not have an army. This amendment
allowed the newly formed U.S. gov-
ernment to create an army out of the
young male farmers, hunters, and ex-
plorers. That is why that amendment
was written. The British were coming!
Today, we have an Army, Navy, an
Air Force, a National Guard, a Coast
Guard and a Space Force.
Yet just recently in Central Oregon,
within the city of Bend, many peo-
ple lost a loved one — a father, hus-
band, brother, uncle, son, grandfather,
friend or neighbor — to a senseless
death because we do not regulate the
purchasing of civilian held arms. We
definitely should regulate these sales
and the vast majority of U.S. citizens
agree we should, regardless party af-
filiation. So why haven’t we?
Without going into a 40-year his-
tory, regulation of civilian gun sales
has not happened because a well-fi-
nanced gun lobby stops the legisla-
tions from moving forward, because
we have legislators who care more
about campaign finances than sav-
ing lives, and because of leaders who
wish to keep the public in a state of
fear and division in order to remain
in office.
Let’s stop this. Do not vote for can-
didates who refuse to pass legislation
with reasonable gun regulation poli-
cies. I know that as a rural Oregonian,
Jamie McCleod-Skinner supports
common sense gun legislation and
she is here for us. I am voting for her.
I am voting for any candidate who is
following the lead of the people to do
what is necessary to stop these mass
murders in our towns, cities, counties,
and states.
█
Susan Cobb lives in Sisters and is a running
for a seat on city council.
CONTACT YOUR PUBLIC OFFICIALS
Redmond
Mayor George Endicott: George.Endicott@redmondoregon.
gov, 541-948-3219
Deschutes County
County Commission Chair Patti Adair: Patti.Adair@
deschutes.org, 541-388-6567
County Commission Vice Chair Tony DeBone: Tony.
DeBone@deschutes.org, 541-388-6568
County Commissioner Phil Chang: Phil.Chang@deschutes.
org, 541-388-6569
Your Legislators
Rep. Jack Zika (District 53): 503-986-1453; 900 Court St. NE,
H-387, Salem, OR 97301, Rep.JackZika@oregonlegislature.gov
Sen. Tim Knopp (District 27): 503-986-1727; 900
Court St. NE, S-425, Salem, OR 97301, Sen.TimKnopp@
oregonlegislature.gov
State
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown: 254 State Capitol, Salem, OR
97310; 503-378-3111; www.governor.oregon.gov.
Oregon State Treasurer Tobias Read: oregon.treasurer@ost.
state.or.us; 350 Winter St. NE, Suite 100, Salem OR 97301-3896;
503-378-4000.
Oregon Attorney General Ellen F. Rosenblum: Justice
Building, Salem, OR 97301-4096; 503-378-4400.
Oregon Legislature: Legislative documents and information
are available online at www.leg.state.or.us.