CHRISTOPHER RUSH
Publisher
KATHRYN B. BROWN
Owner
ANDREW CUTLER
Editor
WYATT HAUPT JR.
News Editor
JADE McDOWELL
Hermiston Editor
SATuRdAy, FEbRuARy 1, 2020
A4
Founded October 16, 1875
OUR VIEW
Tip of the hat,
kick in the pants
A
tip of the hat to the Holo-
caust survivors, their dece-
dents and others who worked
to educate the world during Interna-
tional Holocaust Awareness Day.
Monday marked the 75th anniver-
sary of the liberation of Auschwitz,
Germany’s largest concentration
camp. The anniversary came on the
heels of a Pew Research study show-
ing that less than half of the Amer-
icans surveyed could answer basic
multiple-choice questions about the
Holocaust, such as how many Jewish
people were murdered (approximately
six million) and how Hitler came to
power (through a democratic political
process).
Meanwhile, hundreds of anti-Se-
mitic hate crimes are reported in the
United States each year.
We wish we could say the prob-
lem has been solved in our part of the
country, but Nazi symbols and lan-
guage graffitied at Pendleton City Hall
this week show there is still work to be
done. We don’t know if the perpetra-
tor was an immature youth acting out
of ignorance or an adult displaying a
more calculated form of hate. What we
do know is the importance of every-
day people speaking out against big-
otry when they see it.
Each of us has the power to set the
tone within our own sphere of influ-
ence that prejudice is not acceptable
— in Eastern Oregon, or anywhere
else.
A kick in the pants to scammers
who will be looking for a way to cash
in on tax season.
Remember, the IRS will never send
unsolicited emails to ask for personal
information and will not call you to
demand you pay your taxes immedi-
ately using a method such as a wire
transfer or gift card. They will not
threaten to send police to your door or
suspend your Social Security number.
Visit www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-
scams-consumer-alerts to read more
about common tax scams and how to
know if someone is really from the
IRS.
A tip of the hat to U.S. Rep. Peter
De Fazio for sponsoring HR 2382, and
to U.S. Reps. Walden, Blumenauer,
Bonamici and Schrader for signing
on as co-sponsors. This bill — The
USPS Fairness Act — is an import-
ant first step in addressing the serious
AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski
Poland’s President Andrzej Duda walks along with survivors through the gates of the Aus-
chwitz Nazi concentration camp to attend the 75th anniversary of its liberation in Oswiecim,
Poland, on Monday.
issues confronting the U.S. Postal Ser-
vice. This bill has bipartisan support
in Congress, with 300 co-sponsors.
Without a major postal reform effort,
we face possible footage increases of
nearly 50% over the next five years.
A tip of the hat to our subscrib-
ers and advertisers that allow us to
continue serving Eastern Oregon read-
ers with information about everything
from what happened at the latest city
council meeting to who won Friday’s
basketball game.
Warren Buffett’s announcement
this week that he was getting out of
the newspaper business by selling all
31 of Berkshire Hathaway’s newspa-
pers brought another round of articles
across the country about the prolifera-
tion of “news deserts” where commu-
nities are receiving no news coverage.
Illustrating the type of mental dis-
connect we frequently run up against,
a 2018 Pew Research survey found
that 71% of Americans thought that
their local news outlet was doing well
financially, but only 14% had paid for
local news in the past year.
If you paid to read this or purchased
advertising to support it, thank you.
If you’re reading this for free, thank
someone you know who does sub-
scribe, or one of the businesses whose
advertising you see in today’s paper.
FROM SUNUP TO SUNDOWN
Weathering the storms,
inside and out
I
YOUR VIEWS
Oregon’s contribution to
global warming negligible
Oregon’s proposed carbon tax (Leg-
islative Concept 19) builds on an earlier
version of the cap-and-trade legislation
known as the Clean Energy Jobs bill
that lawmakers considered but failed to
pass during 2019 session.
Oregonians emit less than one-sixth
of 1 percent (0.14%) of global carbon.
Oregon Department of Environmental
Quality Director Richard Whitman tes-
tified in a Legislature committee meet-
ing that “Oregon’s portion of global
carbon emissions is miniscule.” Dr.
Philip Mote, director of Oregon Climate
Change Research, also testified in this
meeting “if Oregon were to reduce its
carbon emissions to zero, the impact on
global emissions would be zero.”
Why are the Democratic Oregon
legislators voting to kill Oregon jobs,
increase fuel costs and taxes that will
impact hard-working families for gen-
erations by implementing their tax-and-
trade scheme, which will do absolutely
nothing to reduce the global carbon
problem?
Asia is the largest contributor to
global carbon emissions.
This is just another example of push-
ing forth their agenda strictly for polit-
ical gain, at the expense of those who
can least afford it. The “Clean Energy
Jobs Bill” is truly a misnomer.
Milon G. Whittier
Lyons
CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES
U.S. SENATORS
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE
Ron Wyden
221 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5244
La Grande office: 541-962-7691
Greg Walden
185 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-6730
La Grande office: 541-624-2400
Jeff Merkley
313 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-3753
Pendleton office: 541-278-1129
Kate Brown
160 State Capitol
900 Court Street
Salem, OR 97301-4047
503-378-4582
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.
GOVERNOR
t’s the start of February and we’re
during this part of our story is that even when
we think we know what’s best, we have to be
nowhere close to being done with calv-
OK with the fact that there are more days than
ing. The weather has been mild this win-
ter, which has been a gift in itself, but even
not when we don’t.
with the sunny days and warmer tempera-
I’m looking at life a lot different these
tures, there are still storms that
days, simply because I know our days
swirl around us in different forms.
are numbered. Best isn’t always the
Moments, days, and even weeks
most beautiful, it isn’t always on time,
where the conditions outside seem
it isn’t flawless, and it isn’t always
to be a reflection of every ounce of
about sunshine and blue skies. These
who we are on the inside. Clouds
days where the clouds roll in and out,
seem to roll with exhaustion, and
bringing a little bit of everything with
even a bit of depression, as they
them, may just be part of the chapter
make their way up the sides of the
where we’re supposed to leave a few
L indsay
hills around our home. Whipping
spaces blank and let God fill them in.
M urdock
wind gusts blow anger and frustra-
The pages that we’re dreaming about
COMMENT
tion in circles and don’t die down
and running toward may or may not
without a fight. And fog seems to
be filled with what we expect, but we
have to keep going. We have to keep shooting
make everything a bit too close for comfort
free throws and stacking hay, tagging calves,
as it hangs heavily and distorts our vision.
and even finishing those hard assignments
Storms don’t always have to be on the out-
side. In fact, they’re usually not. And the
that we’ve been putting off. We have to keep
storms we’ve experienced during the past few our heads up and face the storms the best we
months have been a battle — mentally and
know how, believing that the author of our
physically.
lives is doing good things through us even
Sunshine hasn’t been constant, but when
when it doesn’t feel like it.
it does make its appearance, we’ve embraced
We are guaranteed to have days that are
it — soaking in the warmth, the color, and
hard, but we’re also guaranteed to see good-
ness on those very same days when we know
the beauty that has spun all sorts of good-
ness in and out of our days. As a family, we’ve where to look. Those choices, those decisions,
those steps ... they’re what each of our stories
tried extremely hard to choose sunshine as a
word to live by. A word that means light, star, are made of. Stories with fences that need to
be built, as well as fences that need to be torn
cheerfulness, happiness, bright, blazing, bril-
liance, and even a window, and if I had to pick down. Stories where we run and play when we
one, I think I’d like to define our life as a win- can, but where we work hard at the same time.
dow the most. A window that lets you see into A story where people stop and take notice of
our hearts and souls, giving you glimpses of
what we’re doing — and may even want to
what life unedited is truly like with no shades join us, too — not because of us, but because
drawn and nothing to hide.
of who they see at work in us. A story where
truth is pounded in deep, and stakes are firmly
Life is a constant cycle of the good and
planted. A story about following the one we
the bad weaving its way through our stories,
know has everything perfectly planned out
each chapter a little different than the previ-
ous one. We wake up early, we do chores, we
and perfectly written. A story about dodging
bullets when we can, but also knowing how to
finish assignments, we make beds, we fold
take them when they hit hard.
clothes, we fix fence, we tag calves, we feed
It’s a new month, and no matter what the
hay, we clean stalls, we burn trash, we write
days may bring, may we all look for opportu-
down numbers and names, we make phone
calls, we give hugs, we kick the dirt, and most nities to watch our stories unfold into places
just above the clouds where God whispers
importantly during this crazy season, we rest
when we can. We are no different than anyone (I’m here) and (you’re here) ... and together,
we’ve got this.
else who’s trying to live life to the fullest. We
———
make plans, set goals, and pencil out dates on
Lindsay Murdock lives and teaches in Echo.
calendars, but the one thing I’ve learned most
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 the editor to
editor@eastoregonian.com,
or via mail to Andrew Cutler,
211 S.E. Byers Ave.
Pendleton, OR 97801