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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (March 9, 2018)
Page 4A East Oregonian Friday, March 9, 2018 KATHRYN B. BROWN Publisher DANIEL WATTENBURGER Managing Editor TIM TRAINOR Opinion Page Editor Founded October 16, 1875 Tip of the hat, kick in the pants A kick in the pants to President Trump’s terrible decision to level tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. The plan has caused anger the world over, from allied governments to the World Trade Organization, as well as most voices up and down the Republican Party. President Trump’s own economic adviser quit over the ill-formed policy. The tariffs are bad news for consumers, and will increase costs on many goods and decrease economic opportunities. They are good news for a few corporations and some employees in an outmoded industry. We give our last word on the matter to a great supporter of free trade: “So called protectionism is almost always self-destructive, doing more harm than good even to those it’s supposed to be helping. Advocates of protectionism often ignore its huge hidden costs that far outweigh any temporary benefits.” — Ronald Reagan A tip of the hat to the many people who threw their hat in the ring for 2018 elections. We’ve been hammering on the need for competitive political races for many years — especially in local elections — and it’s great to see so many people step up to the plate. In Hermiston, four city council seats will be contested and in Pendleton currently three seats will be decided via a competitive race. There are also opponents for both Umatilla County commissioners up for election, and plenty of candidates hoping to unseat U.S. Rep. Greg Walden. That’s not to mention the 17 Oregonians running for governor, and many more running for the state legislature. These contested elections help us hone our arguments, spark ideas and give voters a real choice in who represents them. It’s how democracy is supposed to work, and how it must work in order to remain healthy. Obviously, we are in a moment of political upheaval, where more people Staff photo by E.J. Harris Keysha Ashley, right, fixes a fry bread taco during a fundraiser to help with the medical bills of Zoe Bevis on Tuesday at Nixyaawii Community School in Mission. than usual feel called to participate in politics. That’s a great development, and Eastern Oregon government is sure to benefit from the new blood and new ideas brought forth. A tip of the hat to community support that blossomed out of two local tragedies. In newspapers this week, we noted the outpouring of grief and support in the CTUIR community for Alameda Addison, and in the Pilot Rock community for young Liam Flanagan. Both people were taken too soon in terrible accidents that left the people around them shaken and stunned. But in the depths of despair, true friends and family came to offer their support and aid. That certainly took place this week, as charity events raised money to care for those lost and those left behind. We tip our hat to all who helped in a time of need. OTHER VIEWS Mr. Trump: Here’s a hero, now it’s your turn! W YOUR VIEWS Elk hunting seasons are too long, animals on private land Your editorial “Solve persistent Northwest elk problems” hopscotches around the Northwest from Gearhart to Challis, Idaho, to Skagit County in Washington while skipping over finding any local, Eastern Oregon conflicts that might add some local connection to your local readers. I’m guessing that the circumstances around the “elk problems” in these three locations are different. One fix will not fix them all. Feeding stations like the ones you mention can help, although will not solve all problems. Also hunting elk on the golf courses and streets of Gearhart aren’t likely to be accepted either. Here in Eastern Oregon, we start harassing deer and elk by archery hunting them in August and September, then continue to harass them by rifle hunting them in October through Thanksgiving. Is it any wonder that elk pour off the National Forest in search of some sanctuary on private lands? Adding to that is that all summer long feed on most areas of the national forests has been gobbled up by cattle allowed through century-old grazing permits (not picking on cattle grazing, it’s all part of multiple use). From my experience, by late August and September there is very little quality feed left on the national forests. Then when the first rains come and the warmer lower elevation private lands “green up” a bit then elk are also rewarded for their migration to private lower elevation lands. We used to have a system where a land owner who had elk and deer problems asked ODFW for assistance and special hunts on their property were arranged. Now it seems we offer land owner preference tags. They can use them, give them to family and friends, or sell them and the hunting rights for extra income. Those tags have closed lots of private lands that were formally open to the public to hunt. Unsigned editorials are the opinion of the East Oregonian editorial board. Other columns, letters and cartoons on this page express the opinions of the authors and not necessarily that of the East Oregonian. Your suggestion of longer seasons does nothing because if the hunters can’t access the elk, they can’t harvest the elk. And why suggest trapping and killing elk when there are thousands of hunters with empty freezers and unfilled elk tags who have already paid for the opportunity to harvest an elk? Nothing is more discouraging than after spending hundreds of dollars for the opportunity to hunt elk on the Umatilla National Forest and not see a legal bull elk to shoot, then to be driving home and have elk including legal bulls cross in front of my pickup on Highway 395 going from non-huntable private land to more non-huntable private land. Rich Zita Pendleton Pendleton has gone mad with marijuana dollars Eventually, when there are too many marijuana grows, they go broke and can no longer afford to operate. Meanwhile, the city of Pendleton gets a big sum of money for each marijuana operation for which the city issues a license. Why not let the city license multiple marijuana grows and let the grows go bankrupt like they do in other cities in Oregon, so the city can receive more money? When the overproduction of marijuana drives the price down, marijuana doesn’t just end up in the hands of people who aren’t supposed to have it. It ends up on our dining room table whether we know it or not. I contacted the Meat and Poultry Hotline and they said, “The rules about what animals can be fed takes into account the possibility of residues that would end up in the food. The individual states make their own rules about humane handling of livestock.” It’s time to get mad because there’s too much reefer. Bonnie Bischke Pendleton hen a gunman rampaged But those are baby steps that through a high school in probably won’t have a measurable Parkland, Florida, three impact on American mortality (right weeks ago, a 15-year-old soccer now, one American dies every player named Anthony Borges 15 minutes from a gun, including showed undaunted courage. murders, accidents and suicides). Anthony, who is of Venezuelan Incredibly, Congress seems descent, apparently was the last of as likely to ease gun laws as to a group of students rushing into a Nicholas tighten them. One measure backed classroom to seek refuge. He shut Kristof by Donald Trump Jr. would the door behind him and frantically legalize silencers, which have been Comment tried to lock it, but in an instant rigorously controlled since the the gunman appeared on the other 1930s. Advocates had the gall to call side. Instead of running for cover, Anthony it the Hearing Protection Act. blocked the door to keep the shooter out. He “It’s about safety,” Trump Jr. explains in held his ground even as the attacker opened a video. “It’s about hearing protection. It’s fire. a health issue, frankly, for me. Getting little “I asked him why he would do that,” his kids in the game.” In fact, the unmuffled lawyer, Alex Arreaza, told me. “He said, crack of a gunshot is a warning of danger ‘What’s so hard to understand about what I and draws the police; silencers would be a did?’ He had no issue with risking his life.” gift to criminals. Shot five times in the legs and torso, Even worse, the NRA is pushing Anthony phoned his father to say that he concealed-carry reciprocity, allowing had been wounded. He was rushed to a people to carry concealed guns with them hospital and survived: Photos show him from places that permit them, like Alaska or with wires and tubes snaking from him. Wyoming, to any other part of the country, He still can’t walk — it’s unclear if that is regardless of local prohibitions. just temporary — but fellow students say This measure has already passed the he saved their lives. No one else in that House of Representatives, but attorneys classroom was shot. general are fighting it. They warn that it The world turned upside down: Armed would let a stalker, domestic abuser or law enforcement officers dawdled outside suspected terrorist from a low-regulation during the shooting, but a 15-year-old kid state tote concealed weapons at will around without any weapon at all used himself as the country. a human shield to protect his classmates. All this is infuriating. But even if the More broadly, the Florida high school federal government won’t pass meaningful students have argued maturely for sensible new gun laws, states are doing so. Polls gun laws, while Florida state legislators show that voters overwhelmingly favor have acted like frightened toddlers, first universal background checks, a 21-year-old passing a two-year moratorium on sales of age restriction on buying firearms and a ban AR-15 rifles and then undoing it 15 minutes on high-capacity magazines. Since the 1970s, the U.S. has engaged later. unintentionally in an international And now it seems that the grown-up experiment, relaxing gun laws as the rest world is again going to fail Anthony and of the world has tightened access. Gun other young Americans. Congress and advocates argued that more guns would President Donald Trump have stalled on make us safer, but instead the U.S. now a push to pass meaningful gun legislation has 25 times the gun murder rate of other that has overwhelming public support. The advanced countries. grown-ups are once more loitering in a Indeed, since 1970, more Americans crisis, leaving kids to be shot. have died of gun violence, including Trump said that if he had been on the murders, suicides and accidents (1.4 scene, he would have rushed into the million), than in all the wars in American building to confront the shooter. “I’d run history (1.3 million). in there even if I didn’t have a weapon,” he Whenever there is a mass shooting, said. there are inspiring individual stories Really? Even though when he is armed like Anthony’s. But the larger picture is with the power of the White House he still disgraceful: the president and congressional doesn’t have the guts to confront the NRA leaders dillydallying on the sidelines, in a sustained way? sending “thoughts and prayers” and nothing Given that gun owners largely trust else. Trump, he could hammer out a bipartisan This will change only when politicians deal for universal background checks — the are more afraid of voters than of the NRA. single step that would make the most ■ difference, one supported overwhelmingly Nicholas Kristof grew up on a sheep and even by gun owners — but the White cherry farm in Yamhill. Kristof, a columnist House is AWOL on the issue. for The New York Times since 2001, writes Congress may pass “Fix NICS” op-ed columns that appear twice a week. legislation to improve the FBI database He won the Pulitzer Prize two times, in used to screen gun buyers, and maybe the federal government will ban “bump stocks.” 1990 and 2006. 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. 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.