PAGE A12, KEIZERTIMES, AUGUST 6, 2021
PUBLIC SQUARE welcomes all points of view. Published submissions do not necessarily reflect the views of the Keizertimes
Bravery in the line of fire
The Oregon State Police and the Marion
County District Attorney's Office have
released the names of the persons involved
in last week's incident, including the name
of the pedestrian, Ms. Becky Dietzel, 64, of
Salem, who was struck and killed by 47-year-
old Sean Beck (of Olympia, Wash.). Beck is
still being treated at the Salem Hospital. His
charges are forthcoming.
I think it’s important to pause and observe
that the greatest tragedy in this incident, by
far, is the death of Ms. Dietzel. Due to the
investigation I am not at liberty to expound
upon her circumstances or the grief of her
family.
That said, I can tell you that the Keizer
Police Department is worn thin. We’re
presently in the process of hiring four offi-
cers and we’re now entering a late-planned
KeizerFEST weekend down six more officers,
thus each of us who remain are carrying an
additional load. Thankfully, every one of our
police officers is mentally and emotionally
strong, thus our only hurdle is time. Each of
the six is anxious to get back to work, but that
won’t happen for a week or more as we run
through the standard, time-consuming pro-
cesses, including grand jury and other, statu-
torily required events.
In time, of course, we’ll speak more
FROM THE
CHIEF’S
DESK
By JOHN TEAGUE
plainly about this incident. In the meantime,
it’s notable that we have good, diligent offi-
cers who knowingly entered a dangerous sit-
uation and were unexpectedly drawn into a
gunfight. The vast majority of police officers
serve their whole careers without ever firing a
firearm in the course of duty, and for the vast
majority of those who have, I’m rather certain
that they found it to be surreal, prepared for
but nevertheless unexpected. The fact of the
matter is that we cops are a lot more like you
than we are like whatever stereotype might
exist, especially as we hire good, solid, peo-
ple of character, which all of these men are.
Thank you Kevin DeMarco, Scott
Keniston, Michael Kowash, Jeremy Darst,
Chad Fahey, and Cody Stupfel.
And thank you, residents of Keizer. We
are thankful for your support. We are also
thankful, by the way, for your criticism: our
interest is in working with you to keep Keizer
safe.
(John Teague is Chief of the Keizer
Police Department)
Pride is more than one month
By BROOKLYN FLINT
Even though June (also known as Pride
month) is over, that doesn’t mean that
Pride is over. I have been out of the closet
for a few years now. I was first out as bisex-
ual, but soon realized that I was a lesbian.
Although, I didn’t come out as a lesbian
until recently.
I experienced my first pride event this
year at the first ever Keizer Pride Fair. At
the event I felt so much love and warmth.
It felt refreshing to be in a community of
people just like me, yet so diverse as well.
I met dozens of new friends and felt com-
pletely welcomed.
I stayed at the event for hours. When
I went home I was completely sunburned
and my legs felt like they stopped work-
ing. However, it still didn’t feel like I was
there long enough. I instantly wanted to
go back.
And soon after, June was over. Every
company that applauded itself for support-
ing the LGBTQ+ community went back to
the way they were before, homophobia
online and in person continued to grow,
and many members of my community felt
like we were back in the closet. A month
full of love and acceptance disappeared
in a matter of hours, like it never even
happened.
But it did.
For years LGBTQ+ members have
fought for our rights and our chance at
equality. We faced harassment and torture
simply for who we loved and for wanting
to feel comfortable in our own body. We
lost friends and family members who told
Guest
COLUMN
us that they would love us no matter what,
but it wasn’t true.
We have been told by countless organi-
zations and businesses that they were on
our side and that they wanted to help us,
but they didn’t.
I never chose who I loved and who I
didn’t. No one in the community chose to
be trans or to feel like they didn’t belong
in their body. I did not choose to be told
that I am a sinner and that I am going to
hell. I did not choose to be told that I’m
being tormented by a demon who is forc-
ing me to be a lesbian. I did not choose to
be harassed simply for loving someone. I
did not choose any of this. None of us did.
People need to be better. Do your
research, join LGBTQ+ support groups,
look into what you can do to help in your
community, donate to trusted LGBTQ+
organizations, learn to be open, and try,
for at least a second, to understand what
it is like to be us.
Members in the LGBTQ+ community
and close allies will continue to fight for
our rights and for equal opportunities. We
deserve to be seen and we deserve to be
heard.
(Brooklyn Flint is a community
reporter for the Keizertimes .)
A conversation, not tweets
By DEBRA SAUNDERS
Ahead of and after the 2020 presidential
election, a number of my friends who also are
Republican women engaged in what came to
be known as “The Conversation.”
As special House Committee hearings on
the Jan. 6 Capitol attacks have begun, there’s
a new conversation in the air.
In 2016, many Republican women I
know—men, too—told each other they didn’t
vote for Donald Trump because they didn’t
like the way he talked and tweeted. But also,
they weren’t sure Trump would govern from
the right.
Some voted for Libertarian Gary Johnson.
Others wrote in the names of whomever
they’d prefer as the GOP nominee.
But in 2020, we voted for Trump. We liked
his Supreme Court picks, his foreign policy
and his approach to economics. I especially
appreciated how he ignored the experts and
pushed for rapid vaccine development.
We voted for Trump because, unlike
Trump, we didn’t let our egos dictate our
politics.
I told myself that I would vote for Trump
but would not change my standards for him.
After he lost in November, Trump kept
bumping up against those standards.
During the infamous Jan. 6 rally, Trump
told supporters to “demand that Congress do
the right thing and only count the electors
who have been lawfully slated” (according to
his definition) and “get rid of the weak” mem-
bers of Congress.
His definition of “weak” naturally meant:
strong enough to stand up to Trump.
After supporters stormed the Capitol
and attacked police, America found out how
many Republicans are “weak”: 139 House
Republicans and eight senators cast votes
against certifying President Joe Biden’s
victory.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy
was one of the 139, because he is not so much
a leader as the head hostage.
Every time the California Republican
shows any distance from Trump, the former
president yanks the leash and brings the
leader to heel.
Last week, a small tear in Trump’s hold on
the GOP came to light when his chosen can-
didate lost a primary battle in Texas.
Also Tuesday, four heroes—Washington,
D.C., police officers Michael Fanone and
Daniel Hodges, as well as Capitol Police
Officer Harry Dunn and Sgt. Aquilino
Gonell—testified about the physical and ver-
bal abuse they endured at the hands of the
Trump mob.
Fanone found mercy only when he told
his tormentors he had children. Dunn, an
African American, testified that it was the
first time anyone called him the n-word while
he was in uniform.
The decent response would be to voice
sympathy with these four officers. McCarthy
instead spoke as if he were the victim when he
claimed he couldn’t put in solid Republicans
such as Rep. Jim Jordan on the panel. Jordan,
you see, challenged House Speaker Nancy
Pelosi and other Democrats for not providing
sufficient security.
“On Jan. 6, these brave officers were put
into a vulnerable and impossible position
because the leadership at the top failed,”
McCarthy told reporters.
GOP strategist Alice Stewart likened that
criticism to “arsonists blaming the firefight-
ers for not bringing enough water.”
If party leaders aren’t doing everything
possible “to win back the white suburban vot-
ers, we’re not going to win,” Stewart told me.
So, here’s The Conversation going for-
ward. For 2022 and 2024, support for Trump
is optional, but blind obedience is over. Or
the GOP can get used to losing. It’s a choice.
(Creators Syndicate)
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