Page 4A
OPINION
East Oregonian
Saturday, November 25, 2017
Founded October 16, 1875
KATHRYN B. BROWN
Publisher
DANIEL WATTENBURGER
Managing Editor
TIM TRAINOR
Opinion Page Editor
MARISSA WILLIAMS
Regional Advertising Director
MARCY ROSENBERG
Circulation Manager
JANNA HEIMGARTNER
Business Office Manager
MIKE JENSEN
Production Manager
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OUR VIEW
Hear women roar
The latter half of 2017 will be
women could achieve and what men
remembered as the time that women could get away with.”
A majority of Americans will no
all over the globe drew a line in the
longer stand by the results of that
sand.
No longer will sexual harassment referendum, and want immediate
action to remedy the situation. The
be endured silently. No longer will
2.6 million-strong Women’s March
abusers operate with impunity.
the day after Trump’s inauguration
No longer will men dominate
put the pressure on.
discussion and decision making in
That movement wasn’t just
board rooms, capitol buildings and
about sexual harassment and
households across the country. And
assault. It’s ultimately about a fair
no longer will the people who hear
society in which
these stories demean
all viewpoints are
the accusers, and
There are
considered, and
pick through their
women are not
lives like vultures
few women
held back when
in search of rotten
they choose not to
meat.
in leadership
Everyone in this
play games with
positions in
powerful men.
country remains
innocent until
Eastern Oregon. And that has
proven guilty. But
made us look at our
That’s
own back yard.
the onus is now on
There is a
those who have been
unacceptable. noticeable
dearth
accused of heinous
of female voices
acts — accused by
in Eastern Oregon, and Morrow
people with nothing to gain but to
and Umatilla counties in particular.
bring some sense of justice.
It’s an admirable, dangerous time. Umatilla County commissioners are
all men (and, as far as we can find,
Beware the court of public
have always been men). Morrow
opinion. And beware a moral
County just added Melissa Lindsay
flattening — where years of
to their three-person board, but men
predatory behavior require the
have always been a majority there,
same punishment as a poor choice
too.
of words or a momentary lapse.
There has never been a female
Or a thoroughly reported article is
mayor in the history of Pendleton
given the same weight as a Twitter
or Hermiston. Neither city has had
accusation.
a woman city manager. We have
The sword is coming for people
found no evidence that its city
we admire for their art, or athletic
councils have ever had a majority
prowess, or their control of a
of women. No woman has ever
corporate board room, or for their
represented Eastern Oregon in the
political views that mesh so well
statehouse. Oregon has only elected
with our own.
Beware then, too, the desire make one female U.S. Senator in its
history. And five of Oregon’s six
sexual assault and harassment just
current Representatives in the U.S.
another partisan division. Find no
additional joy from the demise of an House are men.
These are deeply embarrassing,
enemy, and do not give those who
distressing statistics.
you admire unfair protection from
There are woman in positions of
claims of abuse. That’s how this
leadership in education and business
issue became so prevalent and so
in Eastern Oregon, but to have so
powerful in the first place.
many levers of power in the hands
Politics certainly did play a
of men is dangerous and limiting.
part in the arrival of this moment.
If we only include half of our
Donald Trump’s electoral victory,
population in important decisions,
despite his deeply problematic
those decisions are bound to be half
relationships with women and his
as good.
televised brags of sexual assault,
Eastern Oregon must do better.
helped usher in this age. Charlotte
Women across the region should
Alter of Time Magazine wrote
demand their rightful power and
during the campaign that “the 2016
take it.
election was a referendum on what
OTHER VIEWS
Bridging the canyon
across the holiday table
C
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.
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 211 S.E.
Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801 or email editor@eastoregonian.com.
ould you spot the Trump
starting to rethink their view of W.,
supporter at the Thanksgiving
who spoke out against the “nativism”
dinner table? Maybe you
and “casual cruelty” of the Trump
were expecting a grump in a MAGA
era. Or to praise Romney as an
cap, obsessed with white meat.
old-fashioned gentlemen. I count
Or someone who started in with
myself in that camp. Both of these
whataboutism and the Clintons once
men have stood up against the anti-
the Russian connection came up.
constitutional, zero-sum, resentment
More likely, it was the silent
Timothy presidency of Trump, while others in
pessimist stewing across from the
their party stand by meekly.
Egan
sweet potatoes, part of the large
The Republican Sens. Bob Corker
Comment
majority of Donald Trump followers
of Tennessee, Jeff Flake and John
who believe life is worse today than
McCain of Arizona, and Susan Collins
it was 50 years ago. They are also more
of Maine are rightly hailed by Democrats for
likely to think that the country can’t solve its
trying to put country above party. Or at the
problems — that we’re all doomed to a tribal
least, to call out Trump for having no sense of
apocalypse.
decency.
We knew this profile going into the
At the same time, talented polemicists from
election, thanks to a number of surveys
the red side of the spectrum — the quick-
showing that Trump
witted Republican strategist
Republicans had thrown in
Rick Wilson, the tireless
the towel on the big issues
Jennifer Rubin of The
of the day. They don’t trust
Washington Post, the prose
diplomacy to ensure peace,
stylist Peggy Noonan of The
nor do they believe more
Wall Street Journal — have
ethnic diversity is a good
found something to like in
thing. In those two areas,
Democrats. This is Trump’s
thankfully, they are also out
doing, albeit not by design.
of step with majority sentiment.
E Pluribus Unum has always been a
Still, it’s a wonder we’re even talking.
fragile construct, undermined by the Original
Contempt is mutual. A Pew survey from last
Sin of slavery. In 1856, Preston Brooks,
year found that 45 percent of Republicans
a congressman from slaveholding South
think Democrats are a threat to the nation’s
Carolina, physically attacked Sen. Charles
well-being. And a majority of Democrats say
Sumner of Massachusetts, an opponent of
Republicans make them feel “afraid.”
human bondage. Brooks fractured the other
In the Trump era, we’ve reached peak
man’s skull and split his nose with a walking
domestic hatred. Though it has been building
stick. The assailant became a hero in the
for years, Americans of differing political
South. About the same time, Sen. David
views despise each other to a degree not seen
Atchison of Missouri urged his constituents
in the modern era. Never, even at the height of to “kill every goddamn abolitionist in the
impeachment fever around Richard Nixon and district.”
Bill Clinton, did so much bile run through our
The Big Sort — documented in a
waterways.
groundbreaking 2008 book of the same name
In 1960, just 5 percent of Republicans and
— gets much of the blame for a landscape
4 percent of Democrats said they would be
of ideological silos. Liberals are more urban,
upset if their child married someone from
conservatives less so, and the twain seldom
the other party. By 2012, nearly half of all
meet.
Republicans and 33 percent of Democrats said
It’s one thing to be drawn to the like-
they would not welcome an in-law of the other minded, birds of a feather. It’s another to
party into the family.
see the other birds as vile. For this, you can
But here’s one bright spot in the Divided
blame the right-wing press, which has built a
States of Trump: In a strange way, he has also
profitable industry on hatred of a caricatured
brought many of us together. Trump brings
“other.” Thus, Rush Limbaugh says “feminism
out the worst in his supporters, dragging them was established so as to allow unattractive
down to his adult day care center. By contrast, women easier access to the mainstream of
his opponents have become more inclusive.
society.”
Because he is so singularly coarse and vulgar,
In this biosphere, the birtherism lie was
so ill informed and small-minded, he has
nurtured until it produced a candidate, and a
made people see the better side of those they
president. But as bad as things are, a majority
had long written off.
of Americans, an increasingly bipartisan pool,
Until this year, you were hard-pressed
are appalled at the monstrosity of Trump’s
to find a Democrat to say nice things about
presidency. Pass the gravy, friend!
George W. Bush — see Worst President Ever
■
— or Mitt Romney, often cast as a heartless
Timothy Egan worked for 18 years as a
plutocrat.
writer for The New York Times, first as the
Now barely a day goes by when some
Pacific Northwest correspondent, then as a
partisan on the left doesn’t say he or she is
national enterprise reporter.
We’ve reached
peak domestic
hatred.
YOUR VIEWS
Eastern Oregon is being
carved up for Idaho’s benefit
A travesty is happening in Eastern
Oregon and it seems there is no way to stop
it. The Boardman to Hemingway power line
proposed by Idaho Power, of all companies,
is on the path to approval. We in Oregon
are about to let an Idaho company gouge a
250-foot wide path 300 miles through our
forests and desert in sparsely populated
Eastern Oregon.
A number of people, very few really,
are learning the rules of the bureaucratic
maze and are fighting back. It is easy to get
discouraged in this effort against a large
professional company. With so few people
in Eastern Oregon, B2H has remained pretty
much under the radar of those in the rest of
Oregon, who ought to be mad as heck.
The Oregon Public Utilities Commission
receives, every two years, from Idaho Power
an Integrated Resource Plan. This plan has
included B2H, and Idaho Power makes it the
least cost, least risk portfolio of resources
for the next 20 years. The commissioners
have a very good staff who they depend
upon to make recommendations for changes.
As members of the public, we can scream
and holler, but emotion has no effect — the
rules take precedence. So, this year we are
asking the commission to require Idaho
Power to analyze other resources like battery
storage, solar, and more accurately determine
the effect of demand response and energy
efficiency, in order to eliminate the B2H.
The Oregon Energy Facilities Council
determines the route of the power line on
private property in Oregon. Another set of
25 rules — another technical exercise for the
few against the large staffed departments at
Idaho Power. We challenge the “need.” Our
basic objection is that by the time the power
line is built it will not be needed.
Even with sage grouse, Oregon Trail, and
salmon being damaged, a trail of 190-foot
high towers will scar the Eastern Oregon
landscape. The ironic part is an Oregon
government council and commission
may approve an Idaho company to do the
damage. This would never happen in the
Willamette Valley.
Gail Carbiener
Bend
Symphony orchestra keeps
Pendleton tapping its toes
If you worry that things in Pendleton are
too slow, think about dropping in on the
Oregon East Symphony concerts at the Vert
Auditorium for great music and a roomful of
enthusiasm.
Keeping a 50-member orchestra going
in northeast Oregon is not for sissies:
competition with other orchestras, seeing
grant money decline, asking guest musicians
to travel. A recent article made the Vert out
to be in such bad repair that a friend called
from Portland to ask if events were still
being held there. Anyone who attended the
Nov. 5 season opening concert got some
assurance and their money’s worth.
Music Director Beau Benson, connected
to the music program at Baylor University
in Texas, is in his fifth year with Oregon
East Symphony. The opening concert drew
an audience of 250, including 15 who were
invited as part of a “Take a Friend to the
Symphony” promotion. Benson blends
familiar concert pieces with those newer
to the audience. Another blending: 53
musicians on stage, two-thirds of whom
came from Walla Walla, Boise, Vancouver,
etc., and one-third of whom were local.
There was an air of enthusiasm over
the Nov. 5 concert despite tough economic
conditions for symphonies. A few days
before the concert, the orchestra played
in front of fourth grade children. And
four young musicians from Oregon East
Symphony’s youth program played the
last two numbers onstage with the older
musicians.
Remaining concerts this year and next
are Dec. 10, Feb. 10, March 10 and April
21. The OES office is in the basement of the
Vert.
Mike Forrester
Pendleton
New four-way stop should
include lighted signs
I’m glad to see that there will finally be
a four-way stop on Feedville and Edwards.
But one thing needs to be added: The stop
signs with the flashing lights should be used.
There will be fewer excuses for drivers
who still run the signs to use. It makes the
visibility excellent for daylight and nighttime
driving. One life saved is worth the cost.
While I’m at it, I would also like to
suggest the same signs with cross walking
flags, crossing lights and crossing lanes
available for pedestrians. When a pedestrian
needs to cross Highway 395 safely, where
there is no crossing within a block of normal
traffic crossings, this allows a safe place
to cross with a shortened time for flow of
traffic. This is better than issuing crosswalk
tickets or vehicles hitting people. Just a
thought.
Bernie Sanderson
Hermiston