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PAGE A4, KEIZERTIMES, FEBRUARY 12, 2021 Public Square Public Square weclomes all points of view. Published submissions do not necessarily refl ect the views of the Keizertimes. Submit a guest opinion, column or letter to the editor to publisher@keizertimes.com. Equal opportunities The noblest virtue We all must be patient a while general population. The presence of vaccines does longer. There is optimism in the country as the COVID vaccines not mean we are out of danger. Ex- have been jabbed into more than 30 perts say that COVID will be with us for years to come, but much less million arms thus far. deadly once 100% of us are Yet vaccinations have vaccinated. been frustratingly slow; We cannot assume that state rules regarding who one shot of the vaccine is eligible seem to change makes us immune. Most weekly. Why, some ask, editorial were developed as a two- are inmates at state cor- shot regimen. rectional facilities getting While many of us wait shots before many others who are vulnerable in society—se- for our turn to get vaccinated, we must stay vigilant, especially with niors, for one group. Inmates are wards of the state. the COVID variants that have The fi nancial consequences of al- been identifi ed in other parts of the lowing COVID to surge freely world – it’s just a matter of time un- through our prisons is just too great til those variants arrive in Oregon. to ignore. We understand that. We That means we just continue wear- understand, too, that Oregon has ing masks regardless of how much not been getting the number of we dislike them. We must maintain vaccines necessary to provide the social distance. We must assure we fi rst of two innoculations for the do not take part in a superspreader events. We all want to greet the spring season without masks and start planning for travel once again. Go- ing out to dinner with others, inside a restaurant no less, is a goal that is very doable. COVID is real and has killed almost 500,000 Americans. It may kill thousands more, but each of us must do out part to slow the spread. Easing of restrictions must be a slow process but those making those de- cisons must have the livelihoods of Oregonians and Americans in mind. Science will slow and eventually curb the coronavirus. A vaccine was developed in an amazingly short window of time. We must help sci- ence along, be patient and realize we are all in this together. There is light at the end of the tunnel. —LAZ Liz Cheney: The future in modern GOP By DEBRA J. SAUNDERS “I was allowed to believe things that weren’t true,” Rep. Marjorie Tay- lor Greene, R-Ga., told her colleagues last week. It was a non-apology for repeating vile disinformation—which result- ed in Democrats stripping her com- mittee assignments. In 2017, Greene wrote that that gun control “could be the very motive of the Las Vegas Massacre” that, ultimately, killed 60. In 2018 she spoke of a “so- called plane that crashed into the Pentagon” on 9/11. Greene denied those asser- tions, as she argued that those remarks should not be an issue because she made them before she ran for offi ce. Be it noted, Greene wore a “TRUMP WON” mask on the House fl oor, so she hasn’t exactly seen the light. The moment presented a sharp step down for the newly minted House member. Only Monday, she posted a tweet in response to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s re- marks about “loony lies” being a cancer on the GOP. “The real cancer for the Repub- lican Party is weak Republicans who only know how to lose gracefully,” Greene responded. It turns out that spouting off what- ever half-baked ideas you think might be true in order to show you are a fi ghter has its limits. And so the GOP rump that prides itself in not listen- ing to party graybeards is reduced to whimpering about being “allowed to believe” things which those gray- beards warned them were not true. I watched Greene and thought about all the Trump supporters who face prison time, job losses and end- less shaming because they attended the Jan. 6 rally. I’m not referring to the armed thugs who broke into the Capitol and assaulted Capitol Police Liz Cheney —they deserve to be prosecuted. I’m thinking of the city cop or the public school teacher who went to the National Mall to listen and march for Trump—with little understanding that it was wrong to try to pressure Congress to nullify fellow citizens’ legally cast votes. Greene seemed to cast herself as a victim, when she was stoking the dishonesty. Keizertimes Lyndon Zaitz publisher@keizertimes.com Share your opinion Submit a letter to the editor (300 words), or a guest column (600 words) by noon Tuesday . Email to: publisher@keizertimes.com sudoku Enter digits from 1-9 into the blank spac- es. Every row must contain one of each digit. So must every column, as must every 3x3 square. maze (Creators Syndicate) Maze by Jonathan Graf of Keizer Wheatland Publishing Corp. | 142 Chemawa Road N. | Keizer, Oregon 97303 Phone: 503.390.1051 • www.keizertimes.com MANAGING EDITOR LEGAL NOTICES SUBSCRIPTIONS Eric A. Howald editor@keizertimes.com legals@keizertimes.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Leah Stevens billing@keizertimes.com One year: $35 in Marion County, $43 outside Marion County, $55 outside Oregon RECEPTION/SUBSRIPTIONS PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY ADVERTISING Lori Beyeler Publication No: USPS 679-430 Bill Phillips advertising@keizertimes.com INTERN POSTMASTER Brooklyn Flint PRODUCTION MANAGER & GRAPHIC DESIGNER TRANSLATION Andrew Jackson graphics@keizertimes.com Carlos Cruz Send address changes to: Keizertimes Circulation 142 Chemawa Road N. Keizer, OR 97303 Periodical postage paid at Salem, Oregon Matt Rawlings news@keizertimes.com EDITOR & PUBLISHER Then I think about Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyoming, who rep- resents the future of the Republi- can Party. She was one of ten House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump. Her vote was a statement of conscience. “There has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his offi ce and his oath to the Constitution,” Cheney wrote. And unlike Greene, she won’t be walking away from her remarks. Purists can argue that Cheney shouldn’t have voted to impeach someone who would soon be out of offi ce, but there was an economy in ignoring the niceties to make a state- ment against Trump’s egging on the mob. To her credit, former Vice Pres- ident Dick Cheney’s daughter not only refused to back down when the Trump base tried to get her kicked out of No. 3 House GOP leadership position to punish her for that vote, but also won the support of the ma- jority of House Republicans who voted 145 to 61 to keep her in power. For the last fi ve years, the Trump base pounced on any Republican who dared criticize the 45th presi- dent, because no dissent was allowed. It made Trump arrogant and careless and emboldened rallygoers to em- brace whatever half-truths Trump dished out. Sure the true believers are as spir- ited as ever, but they are clinging to the past and an election they lost un- gracefully. Their ranks are hedging and thinning and Liz Cheney is rising. politics though and impact Keizer By RAMIRO “RJ” NAVARRO Is it divisive to want equal treat- BIPOC business owners. COVID-19 has laid bare the ment? Not more, just equal. Not failure of the Chamber to network better, just equal. In a recent conversation I had with Latino businesses resulting in with an elected offi cial, I was ac- community members having to step in to support those not af- cused of being divisive fi liated with the Cham- for wanting a commu- ber. None of whom were nity that cares for ev- guest compensated by the grant eryone equally. This re- the Chamber re- minded me of a quote column funding ceived to specifi cally offer I read which states, such support. The reason “When accustomed to I bring this up now is be- privilege equality feels cause, as a small business like oppression.” Equal- ity shouldn’t be divisive, especially owner in Keizer, I now have hope if we are supposedly already offer- with the Chamber changing lead- ing everyone the same opportuni- ership. We’ve heard the gripes about ties. But this highlights the fact that KeizerFEST’s Familia Day lacking we’re not. A good example is this last elec- any “Familia.” We’ve seen the high tion cycle where I was denied an turnover rates of Latino leaders on opportunity to be interviewed by the Chamber board. And so I hope the Keizer Chamber of Commerce the Keizer Chamber will offer the while all other candidates for state equal opportunity to all qualifi ed representative and Keizer City candidates in their search for a new Council got the equal opportunity executive director. Because busi- nesses are going to need all the help to apply for endorsement. I’m not going to sign a letter they can get coming out of this to the Supreme Court invalidating crisis, and that means tapping into voters over it, but it is an insult to Latino-owned businesses which are say the very least – that someone the fastest-growing sector of the can fi ght and almost die for the U.S economy, representing a pur- creed that all are created equal yet chasing power of over $7 Billion in be denied those very same equal Oregon alone. (Ramiro “RJ” Navarro owns a opportunities coming home. These microaggressions extend outside of business in Keizer.) BUSINESS MANAGER facebook.com/keizertimes twitter.com/keizertimes
