ANDREW CUTLER
Publisher/Editor
KATHRYN B. BROWN
Owner
WYATT HAUPT JR.
News Editor
JADE McDOWELL
Hermiston Editor
SATuRDAy, NOVEMBER 28, 2020
A4
Founded October 16, 1875
OUR VIEW
Trust the
governed
when making
COVID rules
O
regonians are a little more than
halfway through Gov. Kate
Brown’s two-week “freeze,” but
there has been much more public resis-
tance to this latest effort to slow the
spread of COVID-19 than to her original
stay-at-home order in March.
The new rules restrict or close many
businesses, curtail activities and put a
six-person limit on gatherings. Brown
ordered the Oregon State Police to work
with local police to limit social gather-
ings and use their discretion to cite, fine
or arrest violators.
“I’m not asking you, I’m telling you,”
Brown said.
That has led some to resist outright
and to refuse to take even minimal pre-
cautions. That’s wrongheaded.
The danger from COVID-19 is real.
Wearing masks, maintaining social dis-
tancing and taking steps to keep surfaces
clean are not a threat to individual liberty.
Still, legitimate concerns have been
raised to this one-size-fits-all, top-down
approach.
• Fifty-one elected officials from 11
rural Eastern Oregon counties wrote to
Brown last week asking she allow restau-
rants and bars to stay open, to fully
reopen schools, to reopen state agencies
to the public and to allow religious lead-
ers to use their own judgment in operat-
ing their places of worship. They hope to
establish a dialogue with Brown.
• The state’s restaurant association
sued to block the order. The hospitality
industry has been devastated by the reac-
tion to the pandemic. The association
argues that the order will put thousands
of Oregonians out of work and likely
lead to many more establishments never
reopening. It mostly wants to force a con-
versation with the governor.
• Ag operators have been hit by a host
of ad hoc regulations dealing with worker
safety, housing, and agritourism. Farmers
have complained that they had no hand
in crafting these regulations, that no one
from government came to ask even rudi-
mentary questions about how the indus-
try works, and potential negative impacts
are overlooked.
People don’t think they have a voice
— not only in Oregon, but throughout the
region. They want to work with Brown
and other governors to develop pragmatic
solutions to protecting workers, busi-
nesses and slow the rate of infection with-
out destroying the economy.
The Declaration of Independence
says that “governments derive their just
authority from the consent of the gov-
erned.” Many Oregonians — many
Americans — are straining to recall
when they consented to be ruled by dik-
tat sanctioned by never-ending states of
emergency.
King George wielded none of the arbi-
trary powers in 1776 exercised by gover-
nors today, but provoked a revolution for
his failure to listen to his subjects. Gover-
nors should take note.
Brown and her colleagues are not
tyrants, though their actions have at times
seemed heavy-handed and unnecessarily
draconian. They are people of goodwill,
each with a sincere desire to protect lives.
They extol us to trust science and the
experts, even though the science has at
times been thin and the experts’ advice
contradictory.
We ask that they, in turn, trust the peo-
ple and consult those who are to be regu-
lated before issuing their orders.
YOUR VIEWS
Let science sort it out
Here’s an idea about lifting the
COVID-19 restrictions: Open every-
thing up. Those who choose to die can
continue to not follow the science, and
those who choose to live by following
the science may do so. This will be a
form of “natural selection.”
Michael Bryan
Pendleton
Coyotes may be a danger
to the homeless
I want to say something about home-
less sleeping outdoors on the river east
of the pavilion — if I have your map
right, close to where the levee ends. I
live in the area. Whoever is sleeping
out there is going to maybe get pestered
by coyotes. I hear the coyotes roam-
ing and yipping in the area very late at
night.
A few years ago, my daughter was
up on the levee with her boyfriend and
they ran into a pack. These coyotes
have little fear of people and would not
leave them be, and tried to herd them.
They had a bit of trouble getting away
from the coyotes.
Now why are these coyotes there?
Well, a lot more deer are coming down
out of the hills. This started some years
ago when the river level began drop-
ping early in the year — was the city
taking out more water for the water
supply? I think they closed down a
well. I’ve seen deer crossing the river,
deer walking the levee, and a herd of
deer shows up in my yard regularly
going after my apple tree. I don’t mind
this necessarily if they eat extra apples,
but these deer are really savvy and
don’t fear humans either. No deer in
the headlights here, they watch for cars
far too knowingly. I have seen them
do it, and I have to really work hard to
scare them out past 1 a.m. Coyotes have
been following them the last several
years, and they don’t scare easy either
anymore.
What we don’t want, of course, is
coyotes biting people, maybe rabies
shots, etc., so maybe the city should
think about this? I’m not saying some-
body should go shoot all the coyotes,
only that the homeless people might
be a little safer near the park by South-
east Fourth and not down at the end of
the levee? Worse, if people are sleeping
in coyote “territory,” will coyotes lose
their fear of people more?
Just saying.
Karen Verba
Pendleton
Let’s ease the division, not
perpetuate it
In reference to “Resident breaks
Confederate stamp,” it is true that we
cannot undo history; however, can/
should we not learn from the past and
not perpetrate nor carry forth mistaken
beliefs? Should we in tumultuous times
open our minds and educate ourselves
for necessary change to ease the divi-
sion? Might it be “sinister” to carry
forth, honor, revere and glorify shame-
ful histories?
Please .... think about this.
Jo Records
Walla Walla, Washington
CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES
U.S. PRESIDENT
Donald Trump
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Comments: 202-456-1111
GOVERNOR
Kate Brown
160 State Capitol
900 Court Street
Salem, OR 97301-4047
503-378-4582
U.S. SENATORS
Ron Wyden
221 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5244
La Grande office: 541-962-7691
Jeff Merkley
313 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-3753
Pendleton office: 541-278-1129
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE
Greg Walden
185 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-6730
La Grande office: 541-624-2400
REPRESENTATIVES
Greg Barreto, District 58
900 Court St. NE, H-38
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1458
Rep.GregBarreto@state.or.us
Greg Smith, District 57
900 Court St. NE, H-482
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1457
Rep.GregSmith@state.or.us
SENATOR
Bill Hansell, District 29
900 Court St. NE, S-423
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1729
Sen.BillHansell@state.or.us
EDITORIALS
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.
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LETTERS
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less on public issues and public policies for publication in the
newspaper and on our website. The newspaper reserves the right
SEND LETTERS TO:
editor@eastoregonian.com,
or via mail to Andrew Cutler,
211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801