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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 5, 2015)
Page 4A OPINION East Oregonian Thursday, February 5, 2015 Founded October 16, 1875 KATHRYN B. BROWN Publisher JENNINE PERKINSON Advertising Director DANIEL WATTENBURGER Managing Editor TIM TRAINOR Opinion Page Editor OUR VIEW Reefer madness! The Pendleton city council RI¿FLDOFDSDFLW\ GRHVQ¶WNQRZKRZRUZK\LWZLOO 5REHUWV¶UDLOLQJDJDLQVWPDULMXDQD DWWHPSWWREDQPDULMXDQDLQWKHFLW\ PD\VHHPWRVRPHVWDWHODZ\HUV — but that’s not going to stop them most importantly) to be advocating IURPWU\LQJ IRUDSROLWLFDOSRVLWLRQ$QGKLV 7XHVGD\QLJKW¶VZRUNVHVVLRQDQG economic arguments — that a glut FLW\FRXQFLOPHHWLQJZDVGRPLQDWHG RIFKHDSHUOHJDOPDULMXDQDZRXOG E\PRUHTXHVWLRQVWKDQDQVZHUV bolster the black market and lead to ZKHQLWFDPHWRUHJXODWLRQRIWKH PRUHUREEHULHVDQGFULPH²ZRXOG drug and shops LIWUXHEUHDNHYHU\ ZKHUHPDULMXDQD economic tenant ZLOOVRRQEHVROG The public isn’t NQRZQWRPRGHUQ 7KHUHZDVOLWWOH as concerned PDQ public involvement, It is strange, too, despite the council’s WKDWWKHVKHULII¶V with legalized RI¿FHFODLPVLWZLOO JRRGIDLWKHIIRUWV marijuana as WRZHOFRPH QHHGPRUHIXQGLQJ FRPPXQLW\LQSXW the city council LQDZRUOGRI We think the OHJDOL]HGPDULMXDQD unenthusiastic 7KHUHZLOOQR thinks it is. response — that doubt be an increase council members are LQLQFLGHQWVRI UHFHLYLQJGR]HQVPRUHFDOOVDERXW ³GULYLQJZKLOHKLJK´DQGRI¿FHUV WKHORFDWLRQRIWKHQH[WVWDWXHWKDQ ZLOOQHHGWUDLQLQJDQGH[SHUWLVHWR WKHIXWXUHRIPDULMXDQD²LVWHOOLQJ KHOSFRPEDWWKLVQHZULVLQJFULPH We believe that the public isn’t as %XWZHMXVWGRQ¶WEHOLHYHPRVW FRQFHUQHGZLWKOHJDOL]HGPDULMXDQD PDULMXDQDXVHUVDUHRIDQ\FRQFHUQ in their community as the city WRODZHQIRUFHPHQW$QGVRPHRIWKH FRXQFLOWKLQNVLWLV6XUHDUHDYRWHUV time, money and energy they have leaned heavily against Measure 91 been using to combat such non- E\DQHDUO\WRPDUJLQ%XWQRZ SUREOHPDWLFODZHYDGHUVZLOOVDYH WKDWLWLVSDVVHGDQGZLOOVRRQEHODZ WKHPVRPHGROODUVDQGKRXUV ZH¶GUDWKHUOHDUQWROLYHZLWKLWWKDQ The next year is going to be FRQWLQXHWRWLOWDJDLQVWZLQGPLOOVDQG ZHLUG7KHUHZLOOGH¿QLWHO\EHVRPH ¿JKWWKHHQGOHVVFDQQDELVZDU things about Measure 91 that plumb Surely the public is not as GRQ¶WZRUN,WZLOOWDNHDWRQRI FRQFHUQHGZLWKPDULMXDQDDV WZHDNLQJWRPDNHLWDODZZHFDQ 3HQGOHWRQSROLFHFKLHI6WXDUW OLYHZLWK%XWWKHEHVWZD\WRGR 5REHUWVZKRLVWRHLQJWKHOLQHRI VXFKZRUNLVE\KDYLQJ\RXUKHDG DGYRFDWLQJIRUDSROLWLFDOSRVLWLRQ RXWRIWKHVDQGFRQIURQWLQJUHDOLW\ ZKLFKZRXOGEHDJDLQVW2UHJRQ DQGIRFXVLQJRQWKHQH[WKXUGOH VWDWXWH7KDWVWDWXWHFOHDUO\VWDWHV This impetuous sprint to that public employees may not EDQVRPHXQNQRZQXSFRPLQJ engage in political activity — GHYHORSPHQW²ZKHQQRW\HW such as promoting or opposing an NQRZLQJLILWLVHYHQOHJDOWRGRVR LQLWLDWLYHRUUHIHUHQGXP²ZKLOH and possibly breaking state codes RQWKHMRE%HLQJ³RQWKHMRE´FDQ LQWKHSXUVXLWRIGRLQJVR²LVZKDW LQFOXGHDFWLYLWLHVZKHUHWKHSHUVRQLV WKH\ZDUQHGXVDERXW\HDUVDJR acting, or appears to be acting, in an ,W¶VUHHIHUPDGQHVV Unsigned editorials are the opinion of the East Oregonian editorial board of Publisher Kathryn Brown, Managing Editor Daniel Wattenburger, and Opinion Page Editor Tim Trainor. Other columns, letters and cartoons on this page express the opinions of the authors and not necessarily that of the East Oregonian. YOUR VIEWS It’s educated people who are against vaccines VWLUUXSEHFDXVHRILWVVKDSH ,¶PFHUWDLQWKDWWKHOHWWHUZULWHU DQGKLVSRVVHDUHQRZLQWULJXHGE\WKH P\VWHU\RIWKHDUWZRUN:KDWHOVHFRXOG Many studies to determine the LWEHLILW¶VQRWDVWLUUXS" JHQHUDOSUR¿OHRISHRSOHZKRUHIXVHWR According to the Smithsonian YDFFLQDWHWKHLUFKLOGUHQVKRZWKDWWKHVH Institute’s Art Inventories Catalog, the people are largely highly educated, ZHDOWK\DQGHQYLURQPHQWDOO\FRQVFLRXV QDPHRIWKHVFXOSWXUHLV³0|ELXV6WULS´ ,QIDFWPDQ\ZHDOWK\SHRSOHVHQGWKHLU DQGZDVFUHDWHGE\:D\QH7DVVHQXVLQJ &RUWHQVWHHO,WLVOLVWHGXQGHUWKHWRSLF FKLOGUHQWRSULYDWHVFKRROVVRWKH\ZLOO QRWEHIRUFHGWRYDFFLQDWHWKHLUFKLOGUHQ RI$EVWUDFW*HRPHWULF 7KH³UXVW\VWLUUXS´KDVWKDW What do these anti-vaccine highly DSSHDUDQFHEHFDXVH&RUWHQVWHHOZDV HGXFDWHGSHRSOHNQRZWKDWWKHSUR XVHG,WHOLPLQDWHVWKHQHHGIRUSDLQWLQJ vaccine people do not? Loree McKenna and develops a rust-like appearance Pendleton ZKRVHSDWLQDFKDQJHVRYHUWLPH6LQFH WKLVDUWZRUNZDVFUHDWHGWRKRQRU the city’s centennial, the material Centennial Park statue V\PEROL]HVKRZWKHWRZQZLOOFKDQJH isn’t a rusty stirrup RYHUWLPH :KDWLVD³0|ELXV6WULS´"1R 7KHUHZDVDUHFHQWOHWWHUWRWKHHGLWRU LW¶VQRWDQRWKHUVWULSFOXELQ8PDWLOOD UHODWHGWRWKHWRSLFRIEURQ]HVWDWXHV Mathematicians use the term to express 7KHZULWHUZDVDGDPDQWDERXWKRZ WKHFRQFHSWRIWDNLQJDQREMHFWDQG VWDWXHVLQRXUGRZQWRZQDUHDVKRXOG only depict themes related to the Round- SXWWLQJDKDOIWZLVWRQLWPDNLQJLW³QRQ RULHQWDEOH´ZKLFKPHDQVWKDW\RXFDQ¶W 8SDQGSLRQHHUV+HPHQWLRQHG³WKH JLYHWKHREMHFWDIURQWDQGDEDFN UXVW\VWLUUXSQRZVLWWLQJDW0DLQDQG *HRPHWULF¿JXUHVZHUHSRSXODUDUW 'RULRQ´ IRUPVLQWKH¶V$ZHOONQRZQV\PERO 8QIRUWXQDWHO\WKHOHWWHUZULWHUPDGH in mathematics and physics is the one a mistake by describing the sculpture at XVHGIRULQ¿QLW\ZKLFKKDSSHQVWR &HQWHQQLDO3DUNDVD³UXVW\VWLUUXS´ EHWKHVKDSHRIRXUVFXOSWXUH,Q¿QLW\ $OOEURQ]HVWDWXHVRQ0DLQ PHDQVZLWKRXWOLPLWDQG,EHOLHYHWKDW Street have plaques explaining their VLJQL¿FDQFHZLWKWKHH[FHSWLRQRI6WHOOD LVZKDWWKHDUWLVWKDGLQPLQGZKHQ KHFUHDWHGKLVDUWZRUN,Q0DLQ 'DUE\7KHSODTXHDW&HQWHQQLDO3DUN 6WUHHWZDVWKULYLQJ7KHRXWORRNIRU does not reveal anything about the artist WKHIXWXUHZDVRSWLPLVWLFDVUHVLGHQWV RUWKHDUWZRUN,WVLPSO\VD\V³7KLV SDUNZDVEXLOWZLWKFRQWULEXWLRQVRIWLPH VDZXQOLPLWHGSRWHQWLDOIRUWKHKXERI HFRQRPLFDFWLYLW\LQ(DVWHUQ2UHJRQ DQGPRQH\IURP3HQGOHWRQFLWL]HQVLQ 3HQGOHWRQKDVDULFKFRORUIXOKLVWRU\ WKHFHQWHQQLDO\HDU´ EXWLW¶VWLPHWREOD]HQHZWUDLOV (YHQZLWKRXWDQH[SODQDWLRQRQWKH Jerry Cronin sculpture’s plaque, one can see it’s not a Pendleton OTHER VIEWS The vaccine lunacy $IHZ\HDUVEDFNDQDFHUELFIULHQG H[SHUWDWWKH-RKQV+RSNLQV RIPLQHZKRZDVDUHFHQWWUDQVSODQW %ORRPEHUJ6FKRRORI3XEOLF+HDOWK to Los Angeles told me that she itched ³:HMXVWKDYHQ¶WKDGHQRXJKFDVHVIRU WRZULWHDVDWLULFDOQRYHOZLWKWKH VRPHRQHWRGLH´ IROORZLQJQDUUDWLYH $QHVWLPDWHGSHUFHQWRI $JURXSRIZHDOWK\HGXFDWHG XQYDFFLQDWHGSHRSOHZKRDUHH[SRVHG SHRSOHLQ6DQWD0RQLFDZKR WRWKHPHDVOHVYLUXVEHFRPHLQIHFWHG deliberately didn’t vaccinate their DQGWKH\WKHPVHOYHVFDQEHLQIHFWLRXV Frank children subsequently take them on IRXUGD\VEHIRUHWKH\GHYHORSDWHOOWDOH Bruni D³SRRULVP´WULSWRDGHYHORSLQJ UDVK Comment FRXQWU\7KHJRDOLVWRPDNHWKHP %XWZKDW¶VLQSOD\LVPRUHWKDQRQH ZLVHUDQGPRUHVHQVLWLYHWRVXIIHULQJ DIÀLFWLRQ¶VUHVXUJHQFH7KHVL]HDQG LQWKHZRUOG:KLOHEHLQJVHQVLWL]HG VZD\RIWKHDQWLYDFFLQHPRYHPHQW the kids catch diseases that they could have UHÀHFWDFKLOOLQJGLVUHJDUGIRUVFLHQFH²RU EHHQLQRFXODWHGDJDLQVW6RPHRIWKHPGLH DWOHDVWDSLFNDQGFKRRVHFDIHWHULDDSSURDFK As a plot, it lacks subtlety (and WRLW²WKDW¶VDOVRHYLGHQWIRUH[DPSOH FRPSDVVLRQ%XWDVDSDUDEOHLW¶VFU\VWDO LQPDQ\$PHULFDQV¶UHIXVDOWRUHFRJQL]H FOHDU<RXFDQEHVRSULYLOHJHGWKDW\RX¶UH FOLPDWHFKDQJH:H¶UHDFXULRXVVSHFLHVDQG XQGHUSULYLOHJHGVREOHVVHGZLWKFKRLFHVWKDW VRPHWLPHVDVDGRQHFKDVLQJNQRZOHGJHRQO\ \RXFKRRVHWREHDIRROVR³LQIRUPHG´WKDW WRGHQ\LWPDNLQJSURJUHVVRQO\WRWXUQDZD\ \RX¶UHPLVLQIRUPHG IURPLWVEHQH¿WV Which brings us to Disneyland, measles The movement underscores the robust DQGWKHDVWRQLVKLQJIDFWWKDWDVFRXUJHRQFH PDUNHWIRUSXUHFRQMHFWXUH²QRWMXVWDERXW HVVHQWLDOO\HOLPLQDWHGLQWKLVFRXQWU\LVEDFN YDFFLQHVEXWDERXWDOOVRUWVRIRVWHQVLEOH <RX¶YHSUREDEO\KHDUGRUUHDGDERXWWKH threats and putative remedies — and the UHFHQWRXWEUHDNWUDFHGWRWKHWKHPHSDUN%XW QXPEHURIPHUFKDQWVZLOOLQJWRWUDI¿FLQLW WKHUH¶VDFKDQFHWKDW\RX¶UHXQDZDUHEHFDXVH /RRNDW'U2]DFDUGLRWKRUDFLFVXUJHRQQRZ it hasn’t received nearly the GUDZLQJPLOOLRQVRIYLHZHUV coverage that, say, Ebola daily as a television host GLGHYHQWKRXJKVRPHRIWKH SHGGOLQJZHLJKWORVVWULFNV G\QDPLFVDWZRUNKHUHDUH 7KH%ULWLVK0HGLFDO-RXUQDO VFDULHU UHFHQWO\DQDO\]HGGR]HQVRI It started in mid- KLVVKRZVDQGGHWHUPLQHG 'HFHPEHUDQGLVQRZ WKDWPRUHWKDQKDOIRIWKH believed to be responsible suggestions he doled out IRUPRUHWKDQFDVHVLQ GLGQ¶WKDYHVRXQGVFLHQWL¿F seven states and Mexico; 58 EDFNLQJ RIWKRVHDUHLQ&DOLIRUQLD The Internet makes it ZKLFKRIFRXUVHLVZKHUHWKH HDVLHUIRUSHRSOHWRGRWKHLU park is — in Orange County, RZQ³UHVHDUFK´DQGFDQOHDG WREHPRUHVSHFL¿F WKHPWRWUXVWZRUWK\DQG As it happens, there XQWUXVWZRUWK\VLWHVLQHTXDO DUHDIÀXHQWSRFNHWVRI PHDVXUH WKDWFRXQW\ZKHUHWKH ³,WFDQEHGLI¿FXOWWR IUDFWLRQRIVFKRROFKLOGUHQ NQRZZKDWWREHOLHYH´ ZKRVHSDUHQWVKDYHFLWHGD said Kristen Feemster, a ³SHUVRQDOEHOLHI´WRH[HPSW LQIHFWLRXVGLVHDVHVVSHFLDOLVW WKHPIURPYDFFLQDWLRQV DWWKH&KLOGUHQ¶V+RVSLWDO LVKLJKHUWKDQWKHVWDWHZLGHDYHUDJHRI RI3KLODGHOSKLD³6RPDQ\SHRSOHFDQEHDQ SHUFHQW7KDW¶VDOVRWUXHRIVRPHDIÀXHQW H[SHUWEHFDXVHWKHUHDUHSODWIRUPVIRUVR SRFNHWVRIWKH6DQ)UDQFLVFRDQG/RV$QJHOHV PDQ\YRLFHV´ DUHDV Salmon noted that the sheer variety and It used to be that unvaccinated children VDWXUDWLRQRIPHGLDWRGD\DPSOLI\FUDFNSRW LQ$PHULFDZHUHFOXVWHUHGLQLPSRYHULVKHG K\SRWKHVHVWRDSRLQWZKHUHWKH\VHHP QHLJKERUKRRGVQRZWKH\¶UHRIWHQFOXVWHUHG PLVOHDGLQJO\ZRUWK\RIFRQVLGHUDWLRQ among sophisticates in gilded ZIP codes ³3HRSOHVD\WKLQJVHQRXJKWLPHVWKHUH ZKHUHDFHUWDLQVWUDLQRIKHDOWKIDGGLVKQHVV PXVWEHVRPHWUXWKWRLW´KHVDLG³/RRNDWWKH UHLJQV$FFRUGLQJWRDVWRU\LQThe Hollywood SURSRUWLRQRISHRSOHZKRTXHVWLRQZKHUHRXU ReporterODVW\HDUWKHSDUHQWVRISHUFHQWRI SUHVLGHQWZDVERUQRUKLVUHOLJLRQ´ WKHFKLOGUHQDWD%HYHUO\+LOOVSUHVFKRRODQG $QGZHLQWKHWUDGLWLRQDOPHGLDGRQ¶W RISHUFHQWDWRQHLQ6DQWD0RQLFDKDG¿OHG DOZD\VKHOSFRYHULQJWKHQHZVLQDQRQ SHUVRQDOEHOLHIH[HPSWLRQVIURPKDYLQJWKHLU RQHKDQGRQWKHRWKHUKDQGIDVKLRQWKDW NLGVYDFFLQDWHG sometimes gives nearly equal time to people :K\"0DQ\RIWKHPEX\LQWRDGLVFUHGLWHG FLWLQJIDFWVDQGSHRSOHZHDYLQJ¿FWLRQ WKHRU\WKDWWKHUH¶VDOLQNEHWZHHQWKH005 ,¶PQRWHQWLUHO\EDIÀHGE\WKHIHDU (mumps-measles-rubella) vaccine and RIYDFFLQHVZKLFKDULVHVLQSDUWIURPD DXWLVP7KH\¶UHHQFRXUDJHGE\DFDGUHRI PLVWUXVWRIGUXJFRPSDQLHVDQGDPHGLFDO EUDVKDODUPLVWVZKRKDYHJDLQHGDWWHQWLRQ HVWDEOLVKPHQWWKDWKDYHPDGHSDVWPLVWDNHV E\SXVKLQJWKDWWKLQNLQJ$QWLYDFFLQHSDQLF %XWWKLVVXEMHFWKDVEHHQVWXGLHGDQG ZDVWKHSDWKWKDWWKHDFWUHVV-HQQ\0F&DUWK\ studied and studied, and it’s abundantly clear traveled to innumerable appearances on WKDWZH¶UHEHVWVHUYHGE\YDFFLQDWLQJDOORI SURPLQHQWQHZVDQGWDONVKRZVVKHODWHU WKRVHFKLOGUHQZKRFDQEHVRWKDWWKHRQHV GHPRQVWUDWHGKHUVLQJXODUYHUVLRQRIFRQFHUQ ZKRFDQ¶WEH²IRUPHGLFDOUHDVRQVVXFK IRUJRRGKHDOWKE\ZRUNLQJDVDSLWFKZRPDQ as a compromised immune system — are IRUHFLJDUHWWHV SURWHFWHG Other parents have separate or additional 5LJKWQRZ6DOPRQVDLGRQO\WZRVWDWHV ZRUULHVDERXWYDFFLQHVZKLFKFDQLQGHHG Mississippi and West Virginia, limit vaccine KDYHVLGHHIIHFWV%XWWKH\¶UHZHLJKLQJWKDW H[HPSWLRQVWRVXFKFKLOGUHQ,IWKHDQWL GRZQVLGHDJDLQVWZKDWWKH\GHHPWREHD YDFFLQDWLRQFURZGJURZVRWKHUVWDWHVPD\ YLUWXDOO\QRQH[LVWHQWULVNRIH[SRVXUHWRWKH KDYHWRPRYHLQWKDWGLUHFWLRQ GLVHDVHVLQTXHVWLRQ 7KHUH¶VDEDODQFHWREHVWUXFNEHWZHHQ $QGWKDWGHJUHHRIULVNGHSHQGVHQWLUHO\RQ SHUVRQDOIUHHGRPDQGSXEOLFVDIHW\DQG,¶P DYDVWPDMRULW\RIFKLOGUHQJHWWLQJYDFFLQHV QRWDWDOOVXUHWKDWRXUFXUUHQWRQHLVFRUUHFW ,IWRRPDQ\IRUJRWKHPZHVXUUHQGHUZKDW¶V :HULJKWO\JRYHUQZKDWSHRSOHFDQDQG NQRZQDV³KHUGLPPXQLW\´DQGWKHULVNULVHV FDQ¶WGRZLWKJXQVVHDWEHOWVGUXJVDQGVR 7KDW¶VSUHFLVHO\ZKDWKHDOWKRI¿FLDOVVHH PXFKPRUHDOOLQWKHLQWHUHVWQRWMXVWRIWKHLU KDSSHQLQJQRZ ZHOIDUHEXWRIHYHU\ERG\¶V$UHZHEHLQJ ,QWKHUHZHUHMXVWUHSRUWHGFDVHV GDQJHURXVO\UHPLVVZKHQLWFRPHVWRPDNLQJ RIPHDVOHVLQWKH8QLWHG6WDWHV,QWKHUH WKHPZHDUWKHQHFHVVDU\DUPRUDJDLQVW ZHUH$QGZKLOHQRQHRIWKRVHSDWLHQWV illnesses that belong in history books? GLHGPHDVOHVFDQNLOO%HIRUHYDFFLQHVIRU Ŷ LWEHFDPHZLGHVSUHDGLQPLOOLRQVRI Frank Bruni, an Op-Ed columnist for The $PHULFDQVZHUHLQIHFWHGDQQXDOO\DQGWR New York Times since June 2011, joined the GLHGHDFK\HDU New York Times in 1995. Over his years, he ³,GRQ¶WWKLQNLWVIDWDOLW\UDWHKDV has worn a wide variety of hats, including GHFUHDVHG´VDLG'DQLHO6DOPRQDYDFFLQH chief restaurant critic and Rome bureau chief. The Internet makes it easier for people to do their own “research” and can lead them to trustworthy and untrustworthy sites in equal measure. LETTERS POLICY The East Oregonian welcomes original letters of 400 words or less on public issues and public policies for publication in the newspaper and on our website. The newspaper reserves the right to withhold letters that address concerns about individual services and products or letters that infringe on the rights of private citizens. Submitted letters must be signed by the author and include the city of residence and a daytime phone number. The phone number will not be published. Unsigned letters will not be published. Send letters to Managing Editor Daniel Wattenburger, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801 or email editor@eastoregonian.com.
