Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (June 27, 2018)
East Oregonian Page 4A Wednesday, June 27, 2018 CHRISTOPHER RUSH Publisher KATHRYN B. BROWN Owner DANIEL WATTENBURGER Managing Editor TIM TRAINOR Opinion Page Editor Founded October 16, 1875 OUR VIEW Congress should legalize industrial hemp W e support efforts underway in Congress to make industrial hemp a legal crop for U.S. farmers. Hemp is a variety of Cannabis sativa that lacks the chemical properties that produce pot’s high. Nonetheless, it is classified with marijuana as a Schedule 1 controlled substance under federal law. Hemp has been grown for fiber for centuries. Colonial Virginia required its cultivation in 1691 and it became an American staple until the 20th century. By the 1930s it had been lumped together with marijuana and made illegal by most states — some say at the bidding of cotton interests. During World War II the federal government encouraged farmers to grow hemp to replace jute and other fibers from Japanese-held areas in the Pacific necessary for the manufacture of rope. The plant proved so prolific that farmers in the Midwest still struggle to stamp it out of ditches and fence rows more than 70 years later. In the meantime, products — clothing, foodstuffs, cosmetics and essential oils — made from hemp outside the United States have become a staple in almost every Mateusz Perkowski/EO Media Group Hemp grows in an Oregon field. Congress needs to take the next step and legalize the crop nationwide. store in the country. So while the federal government bans hemp production in the United States, it approves for importation products made from the same vile weed. That’s the government for you. As several states have legalized and regulated marijuana production and trafficking, there has been an effort to liberalize policies on hemp production. The mishmash of state legalization schemes and the lack of much processing capacity has left would-be growers in a lurch. For years we have advised farmers against growing hemp because of the considerable potential downsides should federal narcotics agents decide to swoop down on the farm. But the law could soon change. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, has inserted language into his chamber’s version of the farm bill to make hemp legal again. “We’ve won the argument that this is not about marijuana,” McConnell said about hemp. “Now we just need to pass the law. And I’m in a uniquely well-situated position to make that happen.” That he is. Hemp is not marijuana. Concerns that hemp fields will be used to conceal illicit marijuana grows, one of the main reasons many have opposed its legalization, are probably overblown. Hemp is clearly a crop that has commercial applications. Before growers can capitalize on that potential, processing infrastructure needs to be built and both raw materials and finished product must be able to move freely across state lines. Eastern Oregon farmers and soils could choose to diversify their crop rotation and their business. They should have that right. First, though, it must be legal. It’s not clear that hemp is the highest use of prime ground and precious water. And it remains to be seen if it can be lucrative for growers once restrictions are lifted. But farmers should have hemp in their portfolio and the chance to make something of it. Hemp should be made legal. OTHER VIEWS Republican or Conservative, you have to choose T YOUR VIEWS Still time to speak out on Blue Mountains forest plan I understand that the Blue Mountains Forest Plan Revision will be released on or before June 29. While my public comment was shouted down by staff of the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest supervisor’s office, and I nor any other citizens of Eastern Oregon’s comments were responded to over the last four years, it will be interesting to see what the path forward looks like in northeastern Oregon for public lands, and how the U.S. Forest Service plans to allow us to use the mountains we love. Once the plan is released, commenters on the draft Environmental Impact Statement from 2014 will have 60 days to file an objection with the Forest Service on the final EIS. Also, if new information is found in the plan, or a substantial change is found, you will also have an opportunity to file an objection. Along with the formal objection process, you also can file as an “interested person” and there will be a 10-day period to make this request after objections have been filed. An “interested person” is someone who may or may not have objected or commented during the forest plan and amendments process, but who has an interest in supporting or opposing a submitted objection. After watching the meetings and the treatment of residents at these meetings I can understand why folks chose to remain silent. Forest Service staff were yelling and belittling residents, former staff doing the same. Environmental groups name calling and yelling during “facilitated” meetings, while subsistence users of the forest tried to politely articulate their concerns, only to 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. be demeaned and belittled. You will have a chance to have another voice, I would simply ask that you do so. John D. George Bates More busines should offer environmentally safe options I am really thankful to a couple of our grocery stores in Hermiston that are, at least, offering their customers a choice to help the environment. Safeway has joined Fiesta Foods in having paper bags available for my groceries at the checkout stations. I don’t know I can take reusable bags but I really like the paper bags because we use them for all our recycle items we sort. That way we can reuse and recycle them also. We also found Desert Lanes Bowling Alley uses paper instead of styrofoam take-out containers. Thank you to all businesses that are working on the change for our environment. Now if all businesses would follow suit — especially with anything styrofoam and plastic, starting with straws. Other towns and cities that have already changed back to environmentally safe products have had no affect on their pricing. Please ask when you order or at the register or picking your veggies if they would switch to paper products. With hemp paper products coming into existence, that alone will protect our forests. Let’s do the next right thing. Thank you to Safeway, Fiesta Foods and Desert Lanes Bowling Alley of Hermiston. Bernie Sanderson Hermiston he never-Trumpers are organizations and the other players having an interesting debate in the sacred space. over the question, Is it time to Conservatives fought big government not because they hated leave the Republican Party? George the state, per se, but because they Will and Steve Schmidt say yes: loved the sacred space. The last The Trumpian rot is all the way attempts to build a conservatism down. Bill Kristol says not so fast: around the sacred space were Once Donald Trump falls, the party David George W. Bush’s “compassionate could be brought back to health, Brooks conservatism.” and the fight has to be within the Comment They both fizzled because over party as well as without it. the last 30 years the parties of My instinct is that we can the right drifted from conservatism. The clarify this debate by returning to first Republican Party became the party of principles. Everybody in the conversation market fundamentalism. is conservative. Where do conservative Market fundamentalism is an inhumane loyalties lie? How can we serve those philosophy that makes economic growth loyalties in these circumstances? society’s prime value and leaves people Conservatism was founded during the atomized and unattached. Republican 18th-century Enlightenment. In France, voters eventually rejected market Britain and the American colonies, fundamentalism and went for the tribalism Enlightenment thinkers were throwing off of Donald Trump because at least he gave monarchic power and seeking to build an them a sense of social belonging. order based on reason and consent of the The problem is he doesn’t base his governed. Society is best seen as a social belonging on the bonds of affection contract, these Enlightenment thinkers conservatives hold dear. He doesn’t respect said. Free individuals get together and and obey those institutions, traditions contract with one another to create order. and values that form morally decent Conservatives said we agree with individuals. His tribalism is the evil twin the general effort but think you’ve got of community. It is based on hatred, us/ human nature wrong. There never was them thinking, conspiracy-mongering such a thing as an autonomous, free and distrust. It creates belonging, but on individual who could gather with others to create order. Rather, individuals emerge vicious grounds. In 2018, the primary threat to the out of families, communities, faiths, sacred order is no longer the state. It is a neighborhoods and nations. The order radical individualism that leads to vicious comes first. Individual freedom is an tribalism. The threat comes from those two artifact of that order. main currents of the national Republican As Scruton put it in his bracing primer, Party. At his essence Trump is an assault “Conservatism: An Invitation to the Great on the sacred order that conservatives hold Tradition,” “The question of which comes first, liberty or order, was to divide liberals dear — the habits and institutions that from conservatives for the next 200 years.” cultivate sympathy, honesty, faithfulness and friendship. The practical upshot is that Today you can be a conservative or a conservatives have always placed Republican, but you can’t be both. tremendous emphasis on the sacred space The new threats to the sacred space where individuals are formed. This space is populated by institutions like the family, demand a fundamental rethinking for conservatives. You can’t do that rethinking religion, the local community, the local culture, the arts, the schools, literature and if you dismiss half of Americans because they are on the “other team.” the manners that govern everyday life. When I look at places that are Membership in these institutions is not established by rational choice. We are born successfully nurturing beautiful into them most of the time and are bonded communities, which seem most “conservative” in the true sense, I find to them by prerational cords of sympathy great pluralism. Burlington, Vermont, is and affection. We gratefully inherit these doing it, and so is Salt Lake City. institutions from our ancestors and pass The next conservatism will be built on them along to our descendants. the back of these real-life communities, Over the centuries conservatives and the way they nurture good citizens and have resisted anything that threatened healthy attachments. It will be based on this sacred space — sometimes from the new alliances, which have little to do with state. In their different ways, communists, fascists, social democrats and liberals tried your father’s GOP. ■ to use the state to perform many functions David Brooks, New York Times previously done by the family, local civic 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.
