Page 4A
East Oregonian
Wednesday, March 14, 2018
KATHRYN B. BROWN
Publisher
DANIEL WATTENBURGER
Managing Editor
TIM TRAINOR
Opinion Page Editor
Founded October 16, 1875
OUR VIEW
EOU a rural rescue
In a nation that too often looks down
on its rural residents, Eastern Oregon
University embraces them.
Its ties to rural America are so strong
that the just-concluded 2018 Oregon
Legislature unanimously declared EOU
as “Oregon’s Rural University.” State
Sen. Bill Hansell of Athena carried
House Bill 4153 on the Senate floor, and
Gov. Kate Brown last Tuesday signed
the bill into law.
The designation through HB
4153 is more than symbolism. It is a
recognition that EOU has achieved a
remarkable niche in higher education.
EOU combines a sense of place — the
La Grande-based university operates 11
centers throughout rural Oregon — with
a well-regarded distance learning
program that enrolls students from
throughout Oregon, and beyond.
Regional universities such as EOU
were cast adrift when Oregon’s big
research universities convinced the
Legislature five years ago to dissolve the
State Board of Higher Education in favor
of independence for each institution.
Meanwhile, EOU had suffered such
turnover in leadership that state Rep.
Greg Smith of Heppner has worked with
seven EOU presidents during his nearly
18 years in the Legislature.
EOU has prospered under the
homegrown leadership of Tom Insko,
an Eastern Oregon native and EOU
graduate who was plucked from the
private sector to become university
president in 2015.
Insko has been a consistent advocate
for EOU in the Oregon Capitol. The
2018 Legislature approved $9.9 million
in bonds for a new EOU fieldhouse,
which will be constructed with
cross-laminated timber, and $390,000
for replacing the track and related
infrastructure.
Every Oregon university has its
niche. Western Oregon University
serves many first-generation students,
and promotes itself as providing a
close-knit, private-college style of
education at a public-university price.
The University of Oregon is the state’s
flagship university and one of only 62
institutions in the prestigious Association
of American Universities. Oregon
EO file photo
Eastern Oregon University in La Grande was designated as “Oregon’s Rural
University” during the 2018 legislative session.
State University is a land, sea, space
and sun grant university – one of only
three U.S. universities to obtain all four
designations.
But Eastern Oregon University is
the first institution to have its official
designation — “Oregon’s Rural
University” — incorporated into state
law. That status should enhance its
opportunities to promote rural economic
development and to obtain grants that
support its rural mission.
Most of all, the designation
underscores the value of a rural
education and EOU as the right place for
that education.
OTHER VIEWS
York: House GOP delivers blow
to Trump-Russia collusion story
I
YOUR VIEWS
Founding Fathers wanted
citizens to be armed
I am responding to an opinion from Tom
Hebert “Time to talk about guns” that was
published March 10.
Was there a misplaced comma in
the Second Amendment? If there were
many misspelled words, then there is a
reasonable argument to say there should be
a comma. Some experts can be wrong for
many reasons. Some reasons are that they
misinterpret data, or hide data that disproves
their theory.
Here is some history. The beloved militia
were actually traitors and outlaws. Paul
Revere was a traitor. Here are the facts.
The 1783 Peace of Paris was signed by the
British saying they no longer own America.
Before 1783, the British were the law of the
land. Now the federal and state government
is the law of the land. So the National
Guard is like part-time British military prior
to 1783.
Paul Revere rode in 1775 against the
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.
government. All those rebels that broke
the law of the land and killed government
soldiers gave us freedom from the British.
We came to love them, as people who
sacrificed everything to give us freedom.
That is why it is said “Victors write the
history books.”
Six of those traitors (in British eyes) who
wrote the Declaration of Independence also
wrote the Constitution. Was the Founding
Fathers’ intent that regular citizens should
not have a right to own guns? Our Founding
Fathers knew power corrupts over time.
That is why they tried to balance powers of
the government.
Did our Founding Fathers forget the
comma? Both sides have some valid
considerations. The Founding Fathers knew
that any government becomes corrupt
over time. They wanted to ensure freedom
from tyrannical governments. They knew
armed citizens may need to fight and kill
government soldiers, like they had to.
Walter Hammermeister
Hermiston
t has long been the key question
seen evidence of collusion, despite
of the Trump-Russia affair: Did
his committee having spent more
Donald Trump’s presidential
than a year looking for it.
campaign collude with Russia to
“I’ve read a lot about it, but
influence the 2016 election? Now,
I haven’t seen any evidence of
we have the first official, albeit
collusion,” Burr said, according
partisan, answer.
to the CNN report. Asked about
“We have found no evidence
repeated efforts by Russians
of collusion, coordination, or
to coordinate with the Trump
Byron
conspiracy between the Trump
campaign, Burr said: “It’s collusion
York
campaign and the Russians,”
on part of the Russians, I guess, but
Comment
said Republicans on the House
not the Trump campaign.”
Intelligence Committee Monday,
Burr’s official position is that
as they released findings from a 14-month
the investigation into collusion continues,
Trump-Russia investigation.
but he has sent out signal after signal that
GOP Rep. Mike Conaway, who formally he doesn’t think it happened — an opinion
oversaw the committee
that supports what House
probe, said, “We found
Republicans found.
perhaps bad judgment,
Yes, the House
inappropriate meetings,
committee findings
inappropriate judgment in
are partisan — they
taking meetings.” But no
were released under
collusion.
the leadership of the
Committee investigators
committee’s controversial
looked at the events
chairman, Rep. Devin
often cited as evidence of
Nunes, are the work
collusion. They looked at
of Republicans on the
the June 9, 2016, meeting
committee, and are sure to
in Trump Tower in which
be disputed by Democrats.
Donald Trump Jr. and other top campaign
But they are still the first official report
officials talked to a group of Russians who
ruling out collusion in the 2016 campaign.
And they were released in the context
promised, but did not deliver, damaging
of some nervousness on the left that
information on Hillary Clinton. They
looked at the activities of peripheral Trump the collusion narrative, a fundamental
element of Trump resistance, might not
advisers George Papadopoulos and Carter
work out. The comic version of that came
Page. They looked at the allegations in the
on “Saturday Night Live,” in a skit — a
Trump dossier. They looked at all that, and
parody of “The Bachelor” — in which
they could not find a thread connecting
special counsel Robert Mueller broke the
events into a narrative of collusion.
news to an anti-Trump true believer that
“Only Tom Clancy or Vince Flynn or
someone else like that could take this series collusion might not have occurred.
“So, uh, you know that I’ve been
of inadvertent contacts with each other, or
struggling a little bit over the last few
meetings, whatever, and weave that into
some sort of a fictional page-turner spy
months just trying to figure this whole thing
thriller,” Conaway said. “But we’re not
out and just grasp everything,” the actor
dealing with fiction, we’re dealing with
playing Mueller said. “The reality is I don’t
facts. And we found no evidence of any
think I can give you everything that you
collusion, of anything that people were
want right now, and I think you sense that.”
actually doing, other than taking a meeting
“So ... what?” said the stunned woman.
they shouldn’t have taken or inadvertently
“You don’t have Trump on collusion?”
being in the same building.”
“I think I need to explore the possibility
The collusion question is the most
that I have a stronger case with some other
contentious of the Trump-Russia
stuff,” the Mueller actor said. “I’m just
investigation. Some Democrats have
trying to be honest with you in telling you I
long said we know enough now to prove
can’t commit to collusion right now.”
Devastated, the woman responded:
collusion. Indeed, just last month, Rep.
“Collusion is literally the only thing that
Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the
I’ve been looking forward to the past year.”
Intelligence Committee, said, “There is
Back in the real world, none of
already, in my view, ample evidence in the
Mueller’s indictments or pleas so far have
public domain on the issue of collusion if
alleged collusion. But it is important to note
you’re willing to see it.”
that we do not know what is coming next.
When Republicans released their
And in the skit, the respected special
findings, though, Schiff did not mention
counsel Mueller delivered the news. In real
collusion, choosing instead to accuse the
life, it was House Republicans. And a lot of
majority of cutting short the investigation
Democrats, and some in the public as well,
and placing “the interests of protecting the
will simply not believe House Republicans’
president over protecting the country.”
word on the matter. They’ll wait to hear
Would-be believers in collusion could
from other sources.
suffer another disappointment later
That is coming, perhaps soon, and the
this year when the bipartisan Senate
collusion question will finally be settled.
Intelligence Committee releases its report.
■
Shortly after the House findings were made
Byron York is chief political correspon-
public, the chairman of that committee,
dent for The Washington Examiner.
Sen. Richard Burr, told CNN he has not
The findings
are partisan,
but they are
the first official
report ruling
out collusion.
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
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Send letters to managing editor Daniel Wattenburger, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801 or email editor@eastoregonian.com.