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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 6, 2015)
Page 6A OPINION East Oregonian Tuesday, October 6, 2015 OTHER VIEWS Founded October 16, 1875 KATHRYN B. BROWN Publisher JENNINE PERKINSON Advertising Director DANIEL WATTENBURGER Managing Editor TIM TRAINOR Opinion Page Editor OUR VIEW Why do state lines matter? 2QHPDQ¶VLGHDWRPDNH(DVWHUQ DQG%ULWLVK&ROXPELDLQDUHJLRQ FDOOHG(FRWRSLD(DVWHUQ2UHJRQDQG Oregon and Eastern Washington :DVKLQJWRQDUHSDUWRIDYDVWUHJLRQ SDUWRI,GDKRPDNHVFXOWXUDOVHQVH H[WHQGLQJLQWRWKH0LGZHVWDQGD Politically and constitutionally, EURDGVZDWKRI&DQDGD,WLVFDOOHG KRZHYHUWKHVFKHPHLVXQOLNHO\ WKH(PSW\4XDUWHU %XWWKHGLVFXVVLRQJHQHUDWHGE\ %HKLQGWKH/D*UDQGHIDUPHU¶V .HQ3DUVRQVD/D*UDQGHIDUPHU LVXVHIXO-DGH0F'RZHOOGHVFULEHG proposal is real sentiment — the resentment of feeling like an his concept in a story two weeks RXWVLGHULQRQH¶V ago that became RZQVWDWH7KURXJK a hot topic of Behind the PRGHUQWUDYHO FRQYHUVDWLRQLQWKH ZH¶UHFRQQHFWHG GD\VIROORZLQJ La Grande by a matter of What Parsons proposes is similar farmer’s proposal KRXUVWRWKHVWDWH¶V population hub of to the State of -HIIHUVRQZKLFK is real sentiment Portland, but the cultural differences a Port Orford man proposed in — the resentment DUHJUHDW For instance, &RXQWLHVLQ of feeling like an the $15 minimum Southern Oregon looks much DQG1RUWKHUQ outsider in one’s wage different in small California would become that new towns than it does own state. VWDWH-HIIHUVRQ LQWKHFLW\,WZRXOG 3XEOLF5DGLR push a broad mass KHDGTXDUWHUHGLQ$VKODQGLVD RIVPDOODQGHYHQPHGLXPVL]HG YHVWLJHRIWKDWPRYHPHQW7KHUDGLR businesses to the margins of VWDWLRQKDVDIDUUHDFKLQJVLJQDO LQVROYHQF\$EXVLQHVVFDQ¶WVSHQG whose footprint mirrors the region PRQH\LWGRHVQ¶WKDYH SURSRVHGDVDQHZVWDWH $QGWKHQWKHUH¶VHQYLURQPHQWDO 7KHVHFHVVLRQPRYHPHQWLVDOVR policies, which are seen by many to DVSLQRIIRIWKHUHJXODUO\GLVFXVVHG be forced down the throats of rural idea of simply breaking Eastern Oregonians by the urban rulemakers Oregon off from the rest of the state, ZKRGRQ¶WNQRZZKDWLW¶VUHDOO\OLNH and maybe joining up with Eastern WROLYHRXWKHUHDQGKDYHQRLQWHUHVW :DVKLQJWRQLIWKH\¶UHJDPH LQ¿QGLQJRXW There is a large element of truth While state lines are arbitrary LQWKHVHUHFRQ¿JXUDWLRQSURSRVDOV constructs — born of the political They recognize the geography of necessities of a century or more ago NLQVKLS7KHPRVWH[WHQVLYHDWWHPSW ²WKHVHERUGHUVRIWHQGH¿QHUHDO WRJUDVSWKLVZDV-RHO*DUUHDX¶V GLIIHUHQFHV0RYLQJIURP2UHJRQ ERRN³7KH1LQH1DWLRQVRI LQWR:DVKLQJWRQRQHTXLFNO\VHHV 1RUWK$PHULFD´*DUUHDXJRWKLV the absence of statewide land use idea from years of reading news planning, especially in the highly stories while a reporter and copy SRSXODWHGDUHDV:DVKLQJWRQKDV editor at The Washington Post. QRWSUHVHUYHGIDUPODQG7KDWKDV *DUUHDX¶VDWWHPSWWRUHFNRQZLWK DOORZHGFLWLHVVXFKDV9DQFRXYHUWR the geography of cultural kinship VWHDGLO\FRQVXPHDUDEOHSURGXFWLYH WDNHVLQWKH86DQG&DQDGD DJULFXOWXUDOVRLO LQFOXGLQJ$ODVNDDQG+DZDLL Salem would do well to grasp the Garreau links coastal Oregon with alienation behind the new separatist coastal California, Washington VHQWLPHQWVLQ(DVWHUQ2UHJRQ Unsigned editorials are the opinion of the East Oregonian editorial board of Publisher Kathryn Brown, Managing Editor Daniel Wattenburger, and Opinion Page Editor Tim Trainor. Other columns, letters and cartoons on this page express the opinions of the authors and not necessarily that of the East Oregonian. Be heard! Comment online at www.eastoregonian.com LETTERS POLICY The East Oregonian welcomes original letters of 400 words or less on public issues and public policies for publication in the newspaper and on our website. The newspaper reserves the right to withhold letters that address concerns about individual services and products or letters that infringe on the rights of private citizens. Submitted letters must be signed by the author and include the city of residence and a daytime phone number. The phone number will not be published. Unsigned letters will not be published. Send letters to Managing Editor Daniel Wattenburger, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801 or email editor@eastoregonian.com. EO’s Round-Up coverage commendable I would like to commend the East Oregonian and their photography department IRUWKH¿QHFRYHUDJHRIWKH5RXQG8S¿QDOV 7KHDUWLFOHVDERXWHDFKZLQQHUZHUHYHU\ LQWHUHVWLQJDQGLQIRUPDWLYH$QGWKHQLFH SLFWXUHVRIHDFKZLQQHUZDVDJUHDW¿QLVK Margaret McLaughlin Pendleton Planned Parenthood videos shed important light In response to the letter published Wednesday claiming that the infamous 3ODQQHG3DUHQWKRRGYLGHRV³ZHUHGRFWRUHG are frauds,” I simply must say this: Shame RQ\RX7KHZHEVLWH\RXUHIHUUHGWRPLQFHG ZRUGV¿QGLQJWHFKQLFDOIDXOWVZLWKD statement made by GOP candidate Carly )LRULQD7KLVLVDWDFWLFFRPPRQO\HPSOR\HG LQSROLWLFVZKHUHRYHUDOOLVVXHVDUHFRPSOHWHO\ LJQRUHGZKLOHWKHSDUW\GHIHQGLQJWKHPVHOYHV UHVRUWVWRQLWSLFNLQJGHWDLOV Your complete argument against the original poster boiled down to an Internet ZHEVLWH,VHHOLEHUDOVGRLQJWKLVDOOWKHWLPH insisting they are correct and backing their belief by faulty, humanist data, as well as LOORJLFDOIDOODFLHV:KHQYLGHRVDUHHGLWHG for pertinence, liberals use loaded words to insinuate that there contains deception within WKHVHYLGHRV $QHZZD\WR tackle gun deaths W EDFN³&KHFNRXWFDUDFFLGHQWGHDWKV´ H¶YHPRXUQHGWRRRIWHQ KHWZHHWHGVDUFDVWLFDOO\³*XHVVZH seen too many schools VKRXOGEDQFDUV´ DQGFROOHJHVGHYDVWDWHGE\ $FWXDOO\FDUVH[HPSOLI\WKHSXEOLF shootings, watched too many students health approach we need to apply to JHWDQHGXFDWLRQLQJULHI,W¶VWLPHIRUD JXQV:HGRQ¶WEDQFDUVEXWZHGR QHZDSSURDFKWRJXQYLROHQFH UHTXLUHGULYHU¶VOLFHQVHVVHDWEHOWVDLU :H¶UHDQJU\EXWZHDOVRQHHGWREH bags, padded dashboards, safety glass VPDUW$QGIUDQNO\OLEHUDOHIIRUWVVXFK as the assault weapons ban, were poorly Nicholas DQGFROODSVLEOHVWHHULQJFROXPQV$QG GHVLJQHGDQGVDYHGIHZOLYHVZKLOH Kristof ZH¶YHUHGXFHGWKHDXWRIDWDOLW\UDWHE\ SHUFHQW brazen talk about banning guns just Comment One problem is that the gun lobby sparked a backlash that empowered the has largely blocked research on making 1DWLRQDO5LÀH$VVRFLDWLRQ JXQVVDIHU%HWZHHQDQGWKH :KDWZHQHHGLVDQHYLGHQFHEDVHGSXEOLF 1DWLRQDO,QVWLWXWHVRI+HDOWKDZDUGHGJUDQWV health approach — the same model we use to reduce deaths from other potentially dangerous for the study of rabies and 212 for cholera — DQGRQO\WKUHHIRU¿UHDUPVLQMXULHV things around us, from swimming pools to Daniel Webster, a public health expert at FLJDUHWWHV:H¶UHQRWJRLQJWRHOLPLQDWHJXQV -RKQV+RSNLQV8QLYHUVLW\QRWHVWKDWLQ LQ$PHULFDVRZHQHHGWR¿JXUHRXWKRZWR WKHJRYHUQPHQWOLVWHGWKHJXQVWRUHVWKDWKDG FRH[LVWZLWKWKHP VROGWKHPRVWZHDSRQVODWHUOLQNHGWRFULPHV First, we need to comprehend the scale The gun store at the top of the list was so RIWKHSUREOHP,W¶VQRWMXVWRFFDVLRQDOPDVV HPEDUUDVVHGWKDWLWYROXQWDULO\WRRNPHDVXUHV shootings like the one at an Oregon college to reduce its use by criminals — and the rate at on Thursday, but a continuous deluge of gun GHDWKVDQDYHUDJHRIHYHU\GD\LQ$PHULFD ZKLFKQHZJXQVIURPWKHVWRUHZHUHGLYHUWHGWR FULPHGURSSHGSHUFHQW 6LQFHPRUH$PHULFDQVKDYHGLHGIURP %XWLQ&RQJUHVVEDUUHGWKH JXQVWKDQGLHGLQDOO86ZDUVJRLQJEDFNWR JRYHUQPHQWIURPSXEOLVKLQJVXFKLQIRUPDWLRQ WKH$PHULFDQ5HYROXWLRQ Why is Congress enabling pipelines of guns :KHQ,UHSRUWHGDVLPLODU¿JXUHLQWKHSDVW to criminals? JXQOREE\LVWVLQVLVWHGWKDWLWFRXOGQ¶WSRVVLEO\ Public health experts cite many ways we EHWUXH%XWWKHQXPEHUVDUHXQDUJXDEOH FRXOGOLYHPRUHVDIHO\ZLWKJXQVDQGPDQ\RI IHZHUWKDQPLOOLRQZDUGHDWKVVLQFH WKHPKDYHEURDGSRSXODUVXSSRUW PRUHWKDQKDOILQWKH&LYLO:DUYHUVXVDERXW $SROOWKLV\HDUIRXQGWKDWPDMRULWLHVHYHQRI PLOOLRQJXQGHDWKVVLQFHLQFOXGLQJ JXQRZQHUVIDYRUXQLYHUVDOEDFNJURXQGFKHFNV VXLFLGHVPXUGHUVDQGDFFLGHQWV WLJKWHUUHJXODWLRQRIJXQGHDOHUVVDIHVWRUDJH ,IWKDWGRHVQ¶WPDNH\RXÀLQFKFRQVLGHU UHTXLUHPHQWVLQKRPHVDQGD\HDUSURKLELWLRQ WKLV,Q$PHULFDPRUHSUHVFKRROHUVDUHVKRW GHDGHDFK\HDULQWKDQSROLFHRI¿FHUV RQSRVVHVVLQJJXQVIRUDQ\RQHFRQYLFWHGRI GRPHVWLFYLROHQFHDVVDXOWRUVLPLODURIIHQVHV DUHLQWKHOLQHRIGXW\LQDFFRUGLQJ :HVKRXOGDOVREHLQYHVWLQJLQ³VPDUWJXQ´ WR¿JXUHVIURPWKH&HQWHUVIRU'LVHDVH&RQWURO WHFKQRORJ\VXFKDVZHDSRQVWKDW¿UHRQO\ DQG3UHYHQWLRQDQGWKH)%, ZLWKD3,1RU¿QJHUSULQW:HVKRXOGDGRSW 0RUHWKDQSHUFHQWRIJXQGHDWKVDUH microstamping that allows a bullet casing to be VXLFLGHVDQGPRVWRIWKHUHVWDUHKRPLFLGHV WUDFHGEDFNWRDSDUWLFXODUJXQ:HFDQUHTXLUH Gun enthusiasts scoff at including suicides, OLDELOLW\LQVXUDQFHIRUJXQVDVZHGRIRUFDUV saying that without guns people would kill ,W¶VQRWFOHDUWKDWWKHVHVWHSVZRXOGKDYH WKHPVHOYHVE\RWKHUPHDQV,QPDQ\FDVHV SUHYHQWHGWKH2UHJRQVKRRWLQJ%XW:HEVWHU WKRXJKWKDW¶VQRWWUXH argues that smarter gun policies could reduce ,Q*UHDW%ULWDLQSHRSOHXVHGWRNLOO murder rates by up to 50 percent — and WKHPVHOYHVE\SXWWLQJWKHLUKHDGVLQWKHRYHQ WKDW¶VWKRXVDQGVRIOLYHVD\HDU5LJKWQRZ DQGDVSK\[LDWLQJWKHPVHOYHVZLWKFRDOJDV WKHSDVVLYLW\RISROLWLFLDQVLVVLPSO\HQDEOLQJ 7KLVDFFRXQWHGIRUDOPRVWKDOIRI%ULWLVK VKRRWHUV VXLFLGHVLQWKHODWHVEXW%ULWDLQWKHQ 7KHJXQOREE\DUJXHVWKDWWKHSUREOHPLVQ¶W began switching from coal gas to natural gas, ¿UHDUPVLW¶VFUD]\SHRSOH<HV$PHULFD¶V ZKLFKLVPXFKOHVVOHWKDO6WLFNLQJRQH¶VKHDG PHQWDOKHDOWKV\VWHPLVDGLVJUDFH%XWWRPH LQWKHRYHQZDVQRORQJHUDUHOLDEOHZD\WR LWVHHPVWKDWZH¶UHDOOFUD]\LIZHDVDFRXQWU\ kill oneself — and there was surprisingly little FDQ¶WWDNHPRGHVWVWHSVWRUHGXFHWKHFDUQDJH VXEVWLWXWLRQRIRWKHUPHWKRGV6XLFLGHUDWHV WKDWOHDYHV$PHULFDUHVHPEOLQJDEDWWOH¿HOG GURSSHGDQGWKH\VWD\HGDWDORZHUOHYHO Ŷ 7KH%ULWLVKGLGQ¶WEDQRYHQVEXWWKH\PDGH Nicholas D. Kristof, a columnist for The WKHPVDIHU:HQHHGWRGRWKHVDPHZLWKJXQV Times since 2001, is a two-time Pulitzer Prize When I tweeted about the need to address winner who writes op-ed columns that appear JXQYLROHQFHDIWHUWKHFROOHJHVKRRWLQJLQ twice a week. 5RVHEXUJ2UHJRQDPDQQDPHG%RESXVKHG YOUR VIEWS 7UXWKEHVDLGWKHUHZDVDOHYHORI GHFHSWLRQ%UDYHDFWLYLVWVKDGWRSOD\WKHUROH of monsters to lull these peddlers of gore into FRPIRUWVRWKHZRUOGFRXOGNQRZWKHWUXWK :KRPHYHUWUXO\FDUHVDERXWZRPHQ¶VKHDOWK FDUHZRQ¶WVXSSRUWWKLVNLQGRIHYLOOLEHUDO VRFLHW\SXVKHVRQYXOQHUDEOHZRPHQ:H GHVHUYHWRNQRZWKHWUXWKIRUWKHVDNHRIWKRVH EDE\DQJHOVZKRQHYHUHYHQKDGDFKDQFH$V for Planned Parenthood, I say throw them all LQMDLO political coalition by pandering to narrow partisan interests, while offering nothing RIYDOXHWRWKHYDVWPDMRULW\RI$PHULFDQ citizens, whose interests our laws are supposed WRVHUYH,QIDFWLWEHWUD\HGWKRVHLQWHUHVWV ³$V\RXH[LWWKHSXEOLFVWDJH0U6SHDNHU \RXKDYHDQRSSRUWXQLW\WRVHWDQHZGLUHFWLRQ — one that restores the concept that the $PHULFDQSHRSOHDUHWKHSULPDU\VWDNHKROGHUV LQ86LPPLJUDWLRQSROLF\$PRQWKLV LQVXI¿FLHQWWLPHWR¿[HYHQDVPDOOIUDFWLRQRI Carlin Sacco WKHGH¿FLHQFLHVLQRXULPPLJUDWLRQSROLFLHV Pendleton %XWLWLVHQRXJKWLPHWRSDVVVPDOOHUELOOVWKDW DI¿UPWKDWWKHSXUSRVHRILPPLJUDWLRQSROLF\ LVWRSURWHFWWKHYLWDOHFRQRPLFVRFLDODQG Or Walden could say this ... VHFXULW\LQWHUHVWVRIWKH$PHULFDQSHRSOH The East OregonianHGLWRULDOIURP6HSW ³,QVWHDGRIDQRWKHUYDLQDWWHPSWWRHQDFW was an example of sensational opportunism legislation that addresses the demands of PRUHWKDQLWZDVDQ\WKLQJHOVH7KHSLHFH people who broke our laws and other interest LPSOLHGWKDWRQO\5HSXEOLFDQVRSSRVHWKH groups that want easier access to foreign *DQJRI(LJKWLPPLJUDWLRQDPQHVW\,WDOVR labor, we should focus on sending bills to the DVVXPHGWKDW5HS:DOGHQKDVQHYHUYRLFHG SUHVLGHQW¶VGHVNWKDWZRXOGUHVWRUHSXEOLF FRQFHUQDERXWWKH+$JXHVWZRUNHUSURJUDP FRQ¿GHQFHWKDWVRPHRQHLVORRNLQJRXWIRU WRKLVFROOHDJXHV$GGLWLRQDOO\LWLPSOLHVWKDW WKHLULQWHUHVWV the only solution to the labor situation for 2QHVXFKRSSRUWXQLW\LV¿QDOSDVVDJHRI VPDOOJURZHUVLVDEODQNHWDPQHVW\ a bill that withholds certain federal funds to Consider this proposed speech instead MXULVGLFWLRQVWKDWVKLHOGLOOHJDODOLHQV<RXU (with credit to Dan Stein of The Federation for ¿QDOPRQWKDOVRSUHVHQWVDQRSSRUWXQLW\ $PHULFDQ,PPLJUDWLRQ5HIRUP WRSUHYHQWHPSOR\HUVIURPXQGHUPLQLQJ ³0U6SHDNHU\RXKDYHRQHPRQWK $PHULFDQZRUNHUVE\KLULQJLOOHJDODOLHQV UHPDLQLQJWROHDYHDVLJQL¿FDQWPDUNRQ 7KHKLJKO\HIIHFWLYH(9HULI\SURJUDPD RXUQDWLRQ¶VIDLOHGLPPLJUDWLRQSROLFLHV YROXQWDU\SURJUDPWKDWDOORZVHPSOR\HUV 7KHVRFDOOHGLPPLJUDWLRQUHIRUPELOOLQ WRYHULI\HPSOR\PHQWHOLJLELOLW\LVXSIRU WKHODVW&RQJUHVVIDLOHGEHFDXVHLWVHUYHG UHDXWKRUL]DWLRQ:HVKRXOGSXVKWRPDNH QRLGHQWL¿DEOHSXEOLFLQWHUHVW,WDWWUDFWHGD (9HULI\SHUPDQHQWDQGPDQGDWRU\IRUDOO HPSOR\HUV7KHUHDUHRWKHUWKLQJVWKDWZHQHHG WR¿[VXFKDVWKHXQZLHOG\UHTXLUHPHQWVDQG regulations that make it nearly impossible for VPDOOIDUPHUVWRWDNHDGYDQWDJHRIH[LVWLQJ JXHVWZRUNHUSURJUDPV7KHVHDQGRWKHU important issues are the things we need to concentrate on in order to win back the FRQ¿GHQFHRIWKH$PHULFDQSHRSOHQRWWKH LOODGYLVHG6HQDWHµELSDUWLVDQUHIRUPELOO¶´ Gordon Graham Hermiston The Pendleton road plan, plain and simple 2.WKLVLVZKDW\RX¶UHJRLQJWRJHWIRU \RXUQLFNHOV$EUDQGQHZ³¿[WKHVWUHHWV´ IXQGOLNHQRWKLQJZH¶YHHYHUGRQHEHIRUHLQ 3HQGOHWRQ$VWUHHWIXQGDOORXURZQ&DQ¶W spend the money on anything except our VWUHHWV&DQ¶WPRYHWKHPRQH\DQ\ZKHUHHOVH LQWKHEXGJHW Going to go on for ten years — long enough to actually get a whole lot of streets ¿[HG/LVWVWKHVWUHHWVWREH¿[HGHYHU\\HDU VRZHNQRZZKHUHZHDUHLQWKHOLQHXS1HYHU had an opportunity like this to really get this ³¿[WKHVWUHHWV´SURJUDPXQGHUZD\DQGZDWFK it proceed for long enough to see some great UHVXOWV 9RWH\HV6DYH3HQGOHWRQ*HWWKHQLFNHOV RXW/HW¶VGRVRPHWKLQJELJIRUDFKDQJH (QRXJKWDON)L[WKHGDPQVWUHHWV Larry O’Rourke Pendleton
