VIEWPOINTS
Saturday, February 25, 2017
East Oregonian
Page 5A
The nose knows what the nose knows
Y
esterday was cold. The sky stayed
the color of a cloud all day long.
In fact, it felt like a cloud was
touching me and the world I live in most
of the afternoon. It was a cold kind of
cloud that hung low and seemed to press
in on all of us from every side. The girls
gathered in their circles watching me
closely.
They always watch me closely. I used
to wonder if it was because I’m the only
other girl out here besides Jill the dog.
Or maybe it was because I’m sort of
intriguing to them, just as they are all
sorts of enchanting and brave to me. I’ll
probably never know since “moo” isn’t a
language I plan on learning anytime soon.
But I have to admit, I think about my
relationship with these beautiful ladies a
lot.
I walked through them quietly —
pushing them toward the gate — guiding
them away from the chaos happening on
the other side of the lot. The other side of
the lot is where babies are born and life
suddenly changes whether you’re ready
for it to or not. It’s the side that some
avoid at all cost until the last possible
moment — where you’re not just in the
crowd anymore, you’re being watched like
a hawk.
You don’t have to be a cow to
experience this kind of pressure to perform.
In fact, I’m certain that the pressure
of having all eyes on us is something
everyone in the world experiences at some
point in their life, human or not.
Here’s the thing though: Most of
the time when eyes watch us closely,
we immediately believe that they’re
watching us to criticize or critique and not
Quick takes
Droppings don’t just land
in Pendleton dog park
I feared the creation of the dog park
would result in a critical shortage of dog
poop on the river walkway. As I made
my daily stroll, I was relieved to find my
worries groundless and quickly faded away.
— Rick Rohde
Cascadia’s effects
in Eastern Oregon
Very interesting phenomenon. People
should put plans in place in case this
happens in our lifetime.
— Jessica Purchase
I pray we never have to go through it
however, having some extra ready to eat
food, a way to cook, some cases of bottled
water stored in your house and plenty of
prescription drugs on hand is a great way
to start.
Editor’s note: In an effort to get
more local voices and more good writing
into your newspaper, the East Oregonian
is introducing columnists who will rotate
appearances in each Saturday edition.
Lindsay Murdock described herself
as: Freckled. Oregon grown. Jesus
follower. Teacher. Ranch wife. Mother.
Chaser of light.
Have feedback on the columns?
Email opinion page editor Tim Trainor
at ttrainor@eastoregonian.com.
Photo by Lindsay Murdock
necessarily to compliment or, better yet,
copy. We live in a world where women
watch other women and secretly hope they
fail at something, anything or everything.
We watch women want the attention
their best friend is getting. We see other
women desperately wishing to be the one
that everyone follows. We click through
and scroll down in question of how to be
that woman that seems to have everything
figured out without even trying. I hate that
part of this world. Hate it. And yes, I know
hate is a very strong word, but it’s the best
I could come up with.
We don’t have to be this way. We
don’t have to conform to anything less
than just being the best daughters, wives,
mothers, sisters, friends, coworkers or
even neighbors that we’ve been created to
be. We don’t have to roll our eyes at posts
or articles. We don’t have to be jealous of
manicured yards or beautiful patio sets. We
don’t have to unfollow or unfriend. We just
have to be us. Why, though, is it so hard to
just be “us?” I’m still trying to figure that
one out — and I probably will be for the
rest of my life.
I’m done being a watcher, and I’m done
being watched. I know there are eyes on
me, following me, watching me closely
and maybe even critiquing me, but I don’t
care. I can’t care if I want anything to
change in this world I’ve found myself
living in as a teacher and as a ranch wife.
I’m a human, but I want to live in the herd
that lives like I imagine the girls I’ve been
watching closely for days now live. I want
to surround myself with a group that fights
for each other and protects each other —
not competing, but complementing. I want
to be alive and free to be myself in the
groups of women that provide warmth to
those around them when they need it most.
I want to be in the middle of the circle that
says it’s ok if you’ve gained a few pounds
and that they promise to walk to the water
trough with you eight times each day if it
L indsay M urdock
FROM SUN UP TO SUN DOWN
would make things better. Yes, I want to
be in the herd that watches closely, listens
carefully and smells cautiously — only
to say “welcome” when they smell me
coming because they know I’m one of
them.
May we all find great and beautiful
ways to use senses other than our sight to
see the best in others and live a little more
like cows.
■
Lindsay Murdock lives in Hermiston.
Local work critical to federal fight on opioids
T
I will
continue to
work across
the aisle
to give our
communities
the resources
they need to
combat this
epidemic.
and think about, pain
he recent news story
management and
(East Oregonian, Jan.
addiction.
23) regarding Dr. Chuck
A new law called
Hofmann’s work to help patients
the 21st Century Cures
addicted to opioids reveals the
Act provides a big
challenges we face all across
boost in funding for
Oregon and underscores the
grants that states can
importance of legislation I helped
use to hold forums like
pass last year.
the ones Dr. Hofmann
Too many patients in Oregon
Greg
and across the country become
Walden is coordinating in
Eastern Oregon. This
addicted to opioids after
Comment
increase in funding
receiving a prescription for pain
will also help Oregon
management from their doctor.
improve prescription drug
Overdoses have increased dramatically,
monitoring programs,
especially in our home state where more
people have died of opioid overdose than in implement prevention
activities, and expand access
traffic accidents.
Dr. Hofmann and others like him are
to treatment.
leading the charge to educate members
“To really address this problem, we must
of the medical community on opioid
continue to educate doctors, nurses, and
addiction. In Congress, we took steps
other health care providers to make sure
to empower leaders in the medical
they’re managing chronic non-cancer pain
community to change the way they treat,
in a way that doesn’t lead to addiction,”
Dr. Hofmann told me.
“The more they know
about Medication Assisted
Treatment and the more
innovation we have in
monitoring opioid drugs and
reading the signs of addiction
so we can treat it, the better.
The funding made available
by the Cures Act will be a
big help.”
The Cures Act was the
product of a multi-year,
bipartisan effort in the House
Energy and Commerce
Committee which I, now,
chair. In my new leadership
role I will continue to work
across the aisle to give our
communities the resources they need to
combat this epidemic and save lives.
■
Greg Walden is the U.S. Representative
for Oregon’s Second District
— Arne Swanson
The news media bringing on more fear!
That’s what they are good for.
— Jim Garrou
Being uneducated regarding this is
simply a death sentence.
— Tonya Hendon
Kennewick Man reburied
I was in Columbia Park in Richland a day
or so after the initial discovery. I wondered
why all the people were along the waters
edge. A month or so later I found out why.
Pretty cool indeed.
— Jeremy F Edwards
Very disturbing it took this long and
there could be more than 100,000 more
people who are in people’s “collections.”
Very heartbreaking.
— Stephanie Williams
Back where he should be.
— Paul Word
Grocery to open in Echo
Echo has needed a place for some
grocery items.
— Ginger Taylor
This is so awesome! I can stay in town
for milk and bread.
— Shannon Powell
One of the great lessons of the Twitter age is
that much can be summed up in just a few words.
Here are some of this week’s takes. Tweet yours
@Tim_Trainor or email editor@eastoregonian.
com, and keep them to 140 characters.
Oregon’s wounded warriors deserve passage of Senate Bill 694
F
or almost 100 years, Oregon
exempted became less and less.
has honored its wounded
The Oregon statute controlling
warriors — our disabled
the amount of disabled veteran
veterans — with a property tax
property tax exemption was not
exemption. At one time, research
updated during the time that
shows, this exemption was more
property values soared in the
than 100 percent of the value of
1980s and 1990s.
a median single family dwelling
Over the past several years,
in Oregon. This is fitting, as our
there
have been attempts to
Stephen
wounded warriors have given a
correct this situation.
Bates
portion of their body; a part of their
But it appears that
Comment
being in the service of our country.
politicians decided
But, this exemption has been
not to maintain a
reduced to less than 10 percent of the
reasonable exemption for
value of a median priced single family
our wounded warriors.
home. This is an unfortunate result of not
The 2005 legislature did
reviewing old laws and updating them to
make some amends: a 3
meet current needs.
percent annual increase was added to the
The original Oregon statute that
disabled veterans property tax exemption.
authorizes this property tax exemption
A disabled veteran inferred in a 2015
references Civil War disabled veterans
testimony that the 3 percent increase
and their surviving spouses. This
would not even buy a dinner for two. In
demonstrates our state’s long standing
other words, this is not enough.
commitment to our disabled veterans.
Do we still care about our disabled
This law has been modified only a few
veterans? They made a sacrifice for
times since 1953.
all of us. We must make sure they are
When real estate values started
appropriately honored.
escalating in the late 1970s, the disabled
Because political sentiment identifies
veterans property tax exemption started
that a 100 percent exemption would
to dwindle. The exemption amounts
be too costly, Senate Bill 694 is a
remained the same while the assessed
compromise. The end result of passing
valuation of properties grew. The amount
this bill is that most disabled veterans
qualifying for this exemption would
receive a property tax exemption closer to
25 percent of the value of a median priced
home in Oregon.
This bill also addresses the severely
disabled veteran. It creates a new category
that would allow an even greater property
tax exemption if certain requirements
are met. Senate Bill 694 gives the local
county commission the
option to control the levels
of this exemption.
It will not be 100 percent.
But 25 percent is better
than 10 percent. This is a
compromise that should be
nonpartisan.
Senate Bill 694 is doing something.
Previous legislative sessions have come
and gone and the politicians did nothing.
Something is better than nothing.
Let Oregon once again stand for our
wounded warriors. Let us increase the
disabled veteran property tax exemption
this year. Let us work with our state
legislators to pass Senate Bill 694.
■
A retired businessman, Steve Bates
served as the Chair of the Boring
Community Planning Organization and
is currently Chair of the Committee on
Memorials and Remembrance.
Something is
better than
nothing.
LETTERS POLICY
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newspaper and on our website. The newspaper reserves the right to withhold letters that address concerns about individual ser-
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