Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 12, 2016)
Page 4A OPINION (DVW2UHJRQLDQ 7XHVGD\-DQXDU\ Founded October 16, 1875 KATHRYN B. BROWN DANIEL WATTENBURGER Publisher Managing Editor JENNINE PERKINSON TIM TRAINOR Advertising Director Opinion Page Editor OTHER VIEWS Speaking out for rural Oregon I ranchers they had to build the n recent weeks, the people fence. When I pointed out their of Harney County have error, they basically told me to become no stranger to stuff it. When I provided them QDWLRQDOKHDGOLQHV2Q-DQ with the documentation from a group of armed protesters more than a decade before that overtook a federal facility in proved the intent of Congress, the Malheur National Wildlife they doubled down. Finally, Refuge. Two days later Dwight when I got Congress to pass and Steve Hammond — father Greg and son ranchers from Harney Walden a restatement of the original intent, they said they’d review County who were convicted Comment it. RIDUVRQIRUVHWWLQJDEDFN¿UH A similar experience is taking WKDWEXUQHGDFUHVRIIHGHUDO place across the West through so-called land — reported to prison to serve the travel management plans. Originally UHPDLQGHURIDPDQGDWRU\¿YH\HDU intended to minimize damage from sentence. off-road vehicles, it quickly became a While these stories played out powerful tool to close across every major roads and shut people media outlet, it’s out of their forests. important to understand What happened in what is driving this the Wallowa-Whitman anger and what steps we National Forest is can take to improve the a classic case in situation. point. After years of The thread that ties community meetings, the Hammond family’s public workshops and case together with incredible efforts to the calls of those who update the government’s took over the refuge is faulty maps, a forest decades of frustration, supervisor decided she arrogance and betrayal knew better. Her choice that has contributed of a management plan to the mistrust of the was such an affront that federal government. PRUHWKDQSHRSOH While I understand packed a meeting in La Grande in their passion, I cannot condone the protest. I, too, was incensed and called actions of the armed protesters, led largely by people who are not from our upon the Forest Service to withdraw the plan, and they did. But the damage was state. They’ve made their point loud and clear, and local community leaders, done. How can people be expected to have faith in a public process when they including many ranchers, have asked see outcomes like these? them to leave. They should do so. Meanwhile, other threats loom on The day after the Hammonds went these same people. From the onerous to prison, I went to the U.S. House “waters of the United States” rules, to ÀRRULQWHQGLQJWRJLYHD¿YHPLQXWH threats of more national monuments, speech on what was unfolding in the federal government is aggressively Harney County. But when decades trying to get cattle off the range and of my own pent-up frustration with people off their public lands. the federal government’s treatment of The Hammonds were tried and rural Oregonians came to the surface, I convicted under a law written after spoke before my colleagues for nearly the Oklahoma City bombing. The half an hour. (You can watch my full presiding judge in the case made clear speech at www.walden.house.gov/ WKDWLWVSHQDOWLHVZKHQDSSOLHGWRD¿UH speech). on the high desert of Eastern Oregon In my years representing the people RI2UHJRQ¶VQG'LVWULFW,KDYHZRUNHG didn’t make sense. But a court found he lacked the authority to invoke a lesser with local ranchers and the citizens of sentence. Eastern Oregon to resolve disputes, :HQHHGWRUHYLVLWWKHODZ WR¿QGVROXWLRQVDQGWRFUHDWHDPRUH that landed the Hammonds with a cooperative spirit and partnership with punishment disproportionate to the the federal agencies. After all, more severity of the crime. I’m working with WKDQKDOIWKHQG'LVWULFWLVXQGHU my colleagues to do just that. federal management, or lack thereof. We need to have the president The Steens Mountain Cooperative understand that more monuments may Management and Protection Act is a bring cheers from certain companies prime example of those cumulative and communities, but in reality they efforts. But after it was signed into law leave behind more mistrust and LQOLWWOHE\OLWWOHWKHDJHQFLHV mismanagement. decided to reinterpret it and follow it And those not familiar with the high at their own convenience, or ignore desert of the West need to understand the law altogether. At the suggestion what we face before they quickly of local ranchers, the law created condemn the frustration and anger that WKH¿UVWFRZIUHHZLOGHUQHVVLQWKH is so evident. United States, but the tradeoff was Ŷ a legal requirement for the federal U.S. Rep. Greg Walden represents government to provide the fencing. Oregon’s Second Congressional And yet bureaucrats within the Bureau District, which includes 20 counties in of Land Management wouldn’t listen central, southern, and eastern Oregon. and wouldn’t follow the law. They told Decades of frustration, arrogance and betrayal that has contributed to the mistrust of the federal government OTHER VIEWS Focus on illegal guns L quoted researchers who found the ate Thursday a madman following: approached a police cruiser in ³7KH\OHDUQHGWKDWSHUFHQWRIWKH 3KLODGHOSKLDDQG¿UHGDWOHDVW felons had acquired their most recent WLPHVDWWKHRI¿FHULQWKHYHKLFOH weapon through their own theft; an striking him three times in the left arm. DGGLWLRQDOSHUFHQWNQHZWKDWWKHLU (YHQZLWKWKRVHZRXQGVWKHRI¿FHU friend, family, or street source had was able to get out, chase the shooter stolen the weapon before conveying it; DQGUHWXUQ¿UHVWULNLQJKLPLQWKH buttocks. Charles DQGDQDGGLWLRQDOSHUFHQWWKRXJKW that the weapon probably had been The shooter would later tell the Blow VWROHQE\KLVVRXUFH$WOHDVW police, according to Capt. James Clark, Comment percent, then, and possibly as many commander of the Police Department’s DVSHUFHQWRIIHORQV¶PRVWUHFHQWO\ homicide division: “I follow Allah and I pledge allegiance to the Islamic State. That is RZQHG¿UHDUPVKDGEHHQVWROHQHLWKHUE\WKH offender himself or by the source from whom the reason why I did what I did.” KHDFTXLUHGWKHZHDSRQ,QDGGLWLRQSHUFHQW This is a disturbing reminder of the of the respondents quizzed as to whether LQÀXHQFHRIWKH,VODPLF6WDWHRQLQGLYLGXDOV WKH\KDGHYHUVWROHQD¿UHDUPGXULQJDFULPH disposed to acts of terror, and how hard it is DGPLWWHGWRVRGRLQJDQGSHUFHQWRIWKH to identify all of them before they commit a IHORQVZKRDGPLWWHGSULRUVWHDOLQJRI¿UHDUPV violent act. reported multiple thefts.” But the episode also highlighted something Rather than focusing on all guns, the else that does not get enough discussion: the vast, vast majority of which are owned by use of stolen guns in crimes. responsible people and are never used in the You see, the gun used in the Philadelphia DWWDFNKDGEHHQVWROHQIURPDSROLFHRI¿FHUQR commission of a crime, we have to focus on keeping guns out of the hands of this relatively OHVVLQ Our current discussion about increasing gun small number of criminals. People, including the president in his regulations often centers on efforts that would PRVWO\DIIHFWSHRSOHZKROHJDOO\EX\¿UHDUPV speech and town hall meeting last week, like to compare increasing gun regulations to the Many of them make sense, in theory, but the way cars are regulated. But they didn’t simply truth is that they would not be likely to have a huge impact on criminal gun violence, because get safer due to regulations. They also got safer because the market desired more safety, as well many of those criminals obtain their weapons as anti-theft features. Many of the innovations, illegally. carmakers came up with on their own. The gun So, when the gun lobby and gun owners market doesn’t behave that way. make this case, we must admit that they have Furthermore, cars are required to be a point. licensed, registered, insured and periodically ,Q6DPXHO%LHOHURIWKH8UEDQ Institute wrote a fascinating article about where inspected. Also, you can’t hide a car the way FULPLQDOVJHWWKHLUJXQVDQGKLV¿QGLQJVZHUH you can hide a gun. Cars are operated on public roads. somewhat shocking. If we want to truly put a dent in gun Corrupt dealers supply some of the guns. violence, we must take some incredibly According to Bieler: unpopular steps in some pockets. Safety “Some researchers have suggested that features — including smart guns that can only gun retailers divert a relatively low volume of weapons, while others have found them to be a EH¿UHGE\WKHRZQHU²DUHJRLQJWRKDYH to be added to the market. That will be hard major source.” to sell because no one wants a gun to fail to Some come from gangs and family and because it lacks a charge or due to a technology IULHQGV6SHFL¿FDOO\³5HVHDUFKKDVSXWWKHLU JOLWFK2QHRIEHQH¿WVRIWUDGLWLRQDOJXQV UROHDVDVXSSO\VRXUFHDWWRSHUFHQW is that, technologically, they are simple and of crime guns, but little is known about the ancient. There are no batteries or chips. composition of this nebulous ‘friends and We are also likely to have to register guns family’ category.” and require insurance. This would be almost And research by the Bureau of Alcohol, impossible, given the gun lobby’s and many Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives suggests gun owners’ current stance and the paranoid WKDW³MXVWRQHSHUFHQWRIOLFHQVHG¿UHDUPV IHDUVRIFRQ¿VFDWLRQDIHDUVRPHOLEHUDOVIHHG dealers sold more than half of the guns Making guns safer and keeping more of recovered in crimes, and that most gun dealers them out of the hands of criminals and in the rarely have one of their guns show up in hands of responsible owners can be done, but crime.” not as long as many responsible owners are But what I found most shocking was the also unreasonable ones. number of guns that are stolen each year: as Ŷ many as half a million. Each year! And many Charles M. Blow is The New York Times’s of those stolen guns are used in other crimes. ,QDERRN³7KH&KDOOHQJHRI&ULPH´ visual Op-Ed columnist. His column appears published by Harvard University Press, authors in The Times on Saturday. YOUR VIEWS American West as important as ever Amazing how fast the East Oregonian has backed away from its bold stand, “Mr. President, free the Hammonds.” Now it’s “But the Hammonds — and the militia — fail to understand that the West is changing DQGPRGHUQL]LQJWRWKHEHQH¿WRIVRPHDQG detriment of others.” Consistent with the EO, bend over and get used to the new order of Manifest Destiny in the American West; they have deleted from my editorial as well as ignored Representative Greg Walden’s impassioned congressional speech on behalf of the Hammonds. According to the EO, “In the last half century the importance of ranching, logging, and mining have diminished dramatically in the American West.” Really? Apparently the EO editors do not buy food or building materials in local markets, use fuels or energy mined in the American West, or appreciate the culture that made the Pendleton Round-Up famous. The new strategy of the press is to publicly undermine the integrity of the Hammonds and their way of life and brand the protesters as armed white Christian fanatical terrorists. The Jan. 9 EO op-ed by Paul Larmer claims the Hammonds LQWHQWLRQDOO\VHW¿UHVLQDQG “burning up thousands of acres of public land.” According to court documents Steve Hammond had BLM approval for the range ¿UHWKDWWKH%/0DGPLWWHGLPSURYHG acres of government land. According to FRXUWUHFRUGVWKHEDFN¿UHVDYHGWKH Hammond ranch and no evidence was established that any government land was burned. EO “Your Views” writer George Wuerthuer claims “the Hammonds were convicted of poaching at least seven deer, a IDFWWKH\WULHGWRKLGHE\VWDUWLQJD¿UH´7KLV slander should have been edited out of letter, something the EO is very good at. The only “crime” the Hammonds were found guilty RIZDVVWDUWLQJWZR¿UHVVRPHWKLQJWKH\ readily admitted from the start. The jury had no idea these ranchers would be convicted as terrorists and under the dictates of the $QWL7HUURULVP$FWDQGVHQWWRSULVRQ in what presiding Judge Hogan called “a sentence that would shock the conscience.” Stand with your original conviction, East Oregonian! Free the Hammonds and stop the assault on our American and Christian heritage and way of life. Our forefathers, in SDUWLFXODUWKH:KLWPDQVVDFUL¿FHGWKHLUOLYHV so that the great Northwest, Old Oregon, would be the heritage of the American people. Stuart Dick Irrigon Schools should stay out of health care business 'HDUSDUHQWVRIWKDQGWKJUDGH students in Hermiston School District: Please remember that you have the right and duty to know what is directed at your child while at school. Yes, you know and trust the teacher(s); yet, have you asked the school whether they will administer the Healthy Teens Survey promoted and pushed by OHA across Oregon? Who has access to this information and what is it being used for? 7DONWRDVFKRRORI¿FLDOWRPDNHVXUHWKDW your child is not subject to this. Compose an “Opt-Out” letter with your signature advising that you be personally consulted before your child is submitted to any survey. Ask for access information on the school website. Parents need to continually remind the school that their job is education, not health care. We citizens of Hermiston care about who decides personal issues for our youth. Marge Rolen Hermiston A victory for cancer patients and their families Everyone is only One Degree from cancer; whether it’s a friend, family or ourselves directly, it affects all of us. My “One Degree” is my brother-in-law and best friend Rich, who died from cancer three years ago. That’s why I’m so grateful that Congress passed the largest funding increase for cancer research in more than a decade. Thousands of cancer survivors, patients and advocates shared their One Degree stories with Congress, urging them to commit to a disease that’s expected to kill URXJKO\$PHULFDQVWKLV\HDU² LQFOXGLQJDSSUR[LPDWHO\2UHJRQLDQV (DFK\HDUURXJKO\2UHJRQ residents will hear the dreaded words, “You have cancer.” By ensuring necessary funding is available, Congress put lifesaving research back on track to help restore resources that are critical to the development of early detection tests and cutting-edge therapies. Together, we can save more lives from cancer. As an American Cancer Society Cancer $FWLRQ1HWZRUNYROXQWHHUIRU2UHJRQ¶VQG Congressional District, I’d like to thank U.S. Rep. Greg Walden for supporting cancer research and giving us the gift of hope this year. There is still more work to be done in WKH¿JKWDJDLQVWFDQFHUEXW,DPJUDWHIXO for the support of my member of Congress against a disease that has greatly impacted my family. Karen Malcolm Pendleton 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 newspa- per reserves the right to withhold letters that address concerns about individual ser- vices 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.
