A4
East Oregonian
Saturday, August 24, 2019
CHRISTOPHER RUSH
Publisher
KATHRYN B. BROWN
Owner
ANDREW CUTLER
Editor
WYATT HAUPT JR.
News Editor
JADE McDOWELL
Hermiston Editor
Founded October 16, 1875
OUR VIEW
Tip of the hat,
kick in the pants
A
kick in the pants to local poli-
ticians who pushed rural pol-
itics to the forefront of the
regional news cycle last week, and not
in a way that should leave voters feel-
ing democracy in our little piece of
the heartland is functioning at a high
level.
In Grant County, actions by an
elected leader raised questions about
priorities and judgement that are star-
tling. Longtime Sheriff Glenn Palmer
first announced he was going to
resign. Then, Palmer announced he
was withdrawing his resignation.
Palmer should be no stranger to
regular readers. His politics took cen-
ter stage three years ago when he pub-
licly showed support with the armed
militia who overran the Malheur
National Wildlife Refuge.
The longtime sheriff has encoun-
tered at least nine ethics complaints in
recent years and faces a new one from
a former Oregon State Police trooper.
Palmer says he now will seek
re-election — for a sixth term — even
as controversy swirls around him.
Palmer and the elected county lead-
ership need to step back and reevalu-
ate just exactly what are the priorities
in a democracy and what is the best
choice for voters.
A kick in the pants to Malheur
County elected and appointed lead-
ers regarding an inquiry into whether
a local newspaper, Vale’s Malheur
Enterprise, broke laws by seeking
answers from Greg Smith, the coun-
ty’s economic development director.
At least one county official inquired
with the local sheriff if the Enterprise
was breaking harassment laws by ask-
ing Smith for answers for a story. The
Enterprise reporters were doing what
all reporters across the nation do:
seeking answers to inform the pub-
lic. Thankfully, the sheriff of Mal-
heur County determined no laws were
broken, but the entire episode should
leave a sour taste for voters and jour-
Blue Mountain Eagle Photo/ Richard Hanners, File
Sheriff Glenn Palmer during the Oct. 24, 2018, Grant County Court discussion of budget is-
sues at the sheriff’s office.
nalists across the region.
A tip of the hat to former Pendle-
ton native Kris Jerome who kicked
off his own publishing house — Dark
Tidings Press. Jerome wanted to
become a novelist but wanted more
control over his art. Based in Albany,
Jerome’s business is a classic example
of American ingenuity and business
acumen. We wish Jerome all the luck
in his new endeavor.
A tip of the hat to Pendleton res-
ident Donna Murdock who, after
coming across a burglarized home,
decided to form a neighborhood
watch group along Northwest Johns
Lane. The group has now expanded to
include nearly 90 families. Murdock’s
insight and sense of community are
clearly visible and she deserves kudos
for her effort. While police are the
first line against crime, all of us have a
responsibility to ensure our neighbor-
hoods remain safe.
FROM THE TRACTOR’S SEAT
Here’s to ingenuity that
makes farm life easier
J
YOUR VIEWS
Godless America the root cause
of violence
The top five problems in American schools
before 1962 were talking out of turn, chewing
gum, making noise, running in the halls, and
crowding in line. Since 1962 the top five prob-
lems in American schools are murder, rape, rob-
bery, assault, and rebellion against authority.
What changed?
Prayer was removed in 1962. The Bible was
removed in 1963. The Ten Commandments were
removed in 1980. Our youth, the future of our
Republic, are growing up in an America with
no moral conscience. America and the world are
reaping the consequence of removing the God of
the Bible from our way of life.
The absence of a moral rudder has removed
the sanctity of human life from our culture.
America has sanctioned the death of over 60
million aborted babies since 1973. Government
sanctioned assisted suicide is new norm. Is it any
wonder a few of our youth grow up to become
mass murderers? The first textbook in American
schools was the Bible. Today the Bible and the
moral teachings it contains is banned in Ameri-
can schools.
The politicians that want to rule America grew
up without a moral rudder as well. Their answer
to mass murder shooting is to remove the Ameri-
can people’s legal right to own a gun and change
our Constitution. They want to remake the Amer-
ica Republic into the Godless image of a “gun
free” socialist state like Red China or Venezuela.
These politicians are the blind leading the
blind. The vast majority of American mass shoot-
ings, some studies document over 90%, occur in
“gun free zones.” These mass killers may have no
conscience, however they certainly know where
to find those that cannot defend themselves.
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.
These Godless socialist politicians seize upon
the mass killings before the bereaved can mourn
their loss to blame the gun, the Second Amend-
ment, and the NRA. The truth is countries that
banned or have strict gun control, like Russia,
Norway, Finland, France and even Switzerland,
have at least 25% higher per capita murder rates
from mass public shootings. The USA doesn’t
even rate in the top 10 in a world gone crazy
without God.
God sacrificed his Son, Jesus Christ, to give
us hope and truth in an age of great deception.
We must return to the God of our forefathers and
stand without compromise for the Republic and
Constitution they bestowed upon us.
Stuart Dick
Irrigon
Trump’s wheat remarks
insulting to farmers
Thank you for your editorial “Japan wants our
wheat.” I was shocked to read President Trump
stated that Japan is buying our wheat as a favor to
us. I have lived on a Morrow County wheat farm
for over 60 years. I remember how much time,
energy and money the farmers of Morrow and
Umatilla counties spent establishing a relation-
ship with Japan to build a market for our wheat
after World War II. Farm organizations in our
state have continued this successful effort to pro-
vide good export markets for our product.
It is highly insulting to our farmers to dispar-
age their years of hard work and success in this
effort. I would hope our president would be better
informed in the future.
Betty Rietmann
Ione
ert McKinney, in his interesting and
uly and August are arguably the
informative lecture on the evolution
two busiest months here on our
of farm equipment, stated that the
farm. We generally work seven
sickle mower — invented by either
days a week, 10 or 12 hours a day.
Obed Hussey or Cyrus McCormick,
We usually start the month of July
depending upon what source is cited
by putting up our second cutting of
alfalfa hay and finish out the month of — has changed very little since it was
August seeding our winter wheat crop invented in the first half of the 19th
century. Either fellow would recog-
for next year into our fallow lands.
nize his invention’s direct lineage still
In between, we harvest our wheat
present on my combine header’s cut-
and/or barley crops and this year —
ting apparatus. My machine
as with many in the recent
qualifies as an antique, but
past — I was able to help
my neighbor’s new machine
a friend install a new roof
is basically unchanged.
on his house in the first few
Another important agri-
days of July. Although the
cultural device that remains
house is modest in size, it
essentially unchanged from
still required, according to
its invention by John Fran-
my informal and rudimen-
cis Appleby in the 1870s is
tary calculations, driving
M att
the twine knotter. An abso-
approximately 13,000 nails
W ood
lute stroke of genius, the
to fasten the new sheathing
COMMENT
knotter was first developed
and shingles.
for grain binders and lit-
My World Book encyclo-
erally made possible the early for-
pedia informed me — don’t bother
tunes of the McCormick Co., one of
“Googling” nails, all I found was
the five concerns that consolidated
places to get a manicure or sugges-
tions regarding colors of polish —
in 1902 to form International Har-
vester. It would require far more ink,
that nails were developed more than
space, and time than is available here
5,000 years ago in Mesopotamia to
to explain how needles, twine disks,
aid in construction of artwork. Since
tucker fingers, bill hooks, intermit-
then, most nails have evolved from
tent knotter gears, and knives operate
being “cut” (out of sheets of iron or
in perfectly timed concert to mechan-
steel) and square in shape to being
ically tie and knot and make consis-
made from rolls of wire, which are
tent hay bales.
round and manufactured in a far
In truth, I would need to enlist
more efficient manner. I recall read-
ing a book many years ago by Eric
the expertise of son Willie to even
Sloane in which he discusses differ-
attempt to explain the process. He is
ent types of nails used in barn con-
our farm’s baler mechanic — all I do
struction in Colonial America. Mak-
is manually and slowly turn over the
ing a hand-wrought-iron nail was a
fly wheel so he can make all the nec-
time-consuming task and produced a essary adjustments to keep every-
valuable product that was likely never thing in time.
Anyone who has even run a hay
simply tossed on the ground only to
baler truly can appreciate the old
find new life as the mortal enemy of
adage “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
a pneumatic tire (yes, I realize there
Here’s to the anonymous Meso-
were no flat tires in Colonial America
mainly due to the fact that there were potamian artist Obed Hussey, Cyrus
McCormick, John Appleby and
no tires, period).
everyone else who made our lives
Several years ago, I was assisted
easier and our work more productive
in a building project by my esteemed
via their ingenuity. Now, if you’ll par-
cousin Jerry who observed, quite
don me, I’ve got to get back to load-
accurately, that “humankind has yet
ing hay bales.
to improve upon the nail.”
———
I set upon pondering other things
J.D. Smith is an accomplished
that have likely reached their zenith.
writer and jack-of-all-trades. He lives
At a recent farm event I attended in
in Athena.
the Walla Walla Valley, host Rob-
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