ANDREW CUTLER
Publisher/Editor
KATHRYN B. BROWN
Owner
WYATT HAUPT JR.
News Editor
JADE McDOWELL
Hermiston Editor
THUrSDAY, DECEMBEr 31, 2020
A4
Founded October 16, 1875
OUR VIEW
Looking
forward
and moving
ahead
A
new year beckons just ahead of us,
and for some the theme now may be
“good riddance” to 2020.
That sentiment would surely be under-
standable. This year has been unlike any
other with a pandemic and a strange elec-
tion and nationwide protests that stretched
the length of the summer. We appear at
times to be a nation fractured by strife, a
nation battling itself.
There is a lot to be depressed about if
we allow ourselves. Many are out of work
because of the pandemic. Thousands more
have died from the disease.
Yet, as the new year descends upon us, it
is appropriate to step back and review a few
key facts about our community, state and
nation.
That may seem like a hard task, judg-
ing by all the bitterness that seeps over the
nation about the recent election. The bit-
terness, to some extent, is understandable.
Fact is, though, the election is over, and we
are moving ahead.
So, it is important — now perhaps more
than ever — we realize that overall, we are
still a strong nation with great values set
down by brave men and women many years
ago.
We remain, for example, a nation where
we can, if we want, congregate together and
protest peacefully. Still harbor the right to
defend ourselves and to bear arms. We are
a nation governed by laws with a system of
due process and we still hold free elections.
Does our system work perfectly? No. But
it does function — most of the time — as it
was designed.
The past year has delivered plenty of
negative news and we all focused on it. That
isn’t a criticism, but a fact. The pandemic
touched all of us in one way or another. We
still have a long way to go to get out the
cloud of the pandemic, but there is a light at
the end of the tunnel.
Two vaccines are going out across the
nation. Millions will soon be able to get
inoculated with it. That is great news.
We must remember to evade the trap of
falling into a paradigm of pessimism, but
instead focus on the future that will surely
be better than today. In the end, we must
mourn those we’ve lost but celebrate the
things that remain.
The new year will deliver many
high-spirited revelers around the area and
we would be remiss if we did not remind
everyone who indulge to be prudent and
safe and responsible.
And Happy New Year from the East
Oregonian.
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.
LETTERS
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:
editor@eastoregonian.com,
or via mail to Andrew Cutler,
211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801
Focusing on what’s important in 2021
ANDREW
CUTLER
FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK
I
’m not sure why — maybe pan-
demic fatigue, holiday indifference
or just absentmindedness — but the
end of 2020 has sort of snuck up on me.
Make no mistake, I’m as ready for
this year to be done and in the rearview
mirror as everyone else. I just hadn’t
put much thought into the fact that this
is the final week of a rather forgettable
year.
Maybe some of my year-end apathy
can be attributed to the fact that as I’ve
gotten older, I’ve lost my tolerance for
making resolutions. I’m not sure what
specifically triggered the change, but
I’m of the opinion now that if I want
to improve something in my life, why
would I wait until the first of the year to
do it? When I was younger and would
ring in the new year with a pledge to be
a better person in some way, I, like so
many others, failed miserably to make
it stick. Come to think of it, that might
be the exact reason I stopped.
After all, nothing reeks of absolute
failure quite like the resolution to lose
weight only to somehow pack on the
pounds during the first few months of
the new year. I mean, who among us
haven’t tried the “I’m going to hit the
gym every day of the week” resolution?
I know I have, and I should have known
that I would fail from the get-go. If
going to the gym equalled driving past
the gym on my way to somewhere
else, then I did indeed accomplish my
resolution.
I have also tried the “I’m going to
read a book a month this year” resolu-
tion. That, once again, was a complete
failure, unless you count the times I
looked at a book on my way to pick-
ing up the TV remote, tablet, cellphone
or any number of electronic devices to
keep myself entertained.
I just don’t do resolutions.
That being said, maybe 2021 will be
the year I think about fine-tuning cer-
tain aspects of my life.
I spent most of our Christmas break
doing a lot of thinking. It was the first
Christmas holiday without my father,
who passed away in June. Truth be
told, it was probably my first chance to
really mourn the loss — or rather allow
myself to mourn the loss. I spent a lot
of time remembering prior holidays and
what they were like with him around.
That emptiness, I believe, is some-
thing that I will probably live with for
a while.
On the flip side, Christmas 2020 was
my first as a grandparent. My grand-
son, Hudson, was born in November.
So, the holiday afforded the chance to
be optimistic about the future and to
look forward to providing the same
kind of special memories for my grand-
son that my father provided for his
grandchildren.
My Christmas reflections reminded
me that the value of my life — really
anyone’s life — should be defined by
the connections made with family
and friends, and I’m hoping I can use
that as a guide for focusing on what’s
important in 2021.
No, I’m not going to make any res-
olutions to save money or lose weight;
instead, my focus will center on con-
tinuing to build meaningful and last-
ing relationships — both personally
and professionally — and making sure
friends and family all know what they
mean to me. Life, as 2020 has certainly
pointed out to all of us, is too short to
take for granted.
That’s what I’m shooting for in 2021,
and I hope our readers and subscribers
also find what makes them happy most
in the new year.
———
Andrew Cutler is the publisher/editor
of the East Oregonian.
were taught) the First Amendment of
the Constitution of the United States,
which, simply stated, allows every per-
son the freedom of speech.
I don’t begrudge anyone the right
to voice their opinion. But I have that
same freedom afforded to me, the right
to have and voice a different opin-
ion without being called a disparaging
name.
I really thought Hal McCune, the
former editor of this fine paper, would
understand and respect that right. Or
does he not understand or respect the
Constitution of the United States of
America?
Patti Graham
Pendleton
Pendleton welcomes
new neighbors
YOUR VIEWS
Respect my rights and
views as I respect yours
I have always prided myself on
being open-minded and welcoming of
different views. However, in the past
few weeks, the vitriolic terms and call-
ing of names, none of which are flat-
tering, that have been given to con-
servative President Trump supporters
have driven me to respond to those nar-
row-minded persons as best I know
how.
Conservative people have been
called “deplorables” and have now
graduated to “sycophants.” And these
assumingly educated name callers
seem to have forgotten (if they ever
It is my pleasure to welcome the
Arnold family to Pendleton, in refer-
ence to the Dec. 29, 2020, East Orego-
nian article “The Purple Unicorns of
Pendleton.”
I have always been proud to live in
a town that is so warm and welcom-
ing and I’m sure, once we can get out
and socialize again, you will be anx-
ious to meet them in person. I have
known Emily for 18 years and I know
she and her family will be an asset to
Pendleton.
Alice Hepburn, president
PFLAG Pendleton
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
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
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE
Greg Walden
185 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-6730
La Grande office: 541-624-2400
SENATOR
Bill Hansell, District 29
900 Court St. NE, S-423
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1729
Sen.BillHansell@state.or.us