Saturday, May 15, 2021
OPINION
East Oregonian
A5
YOUR VIEWS
Governor uses flawed science
to corral us
The definition of science is objective
observation — measurement and data
(possibly using although not necessarily
using mathematics as a tool). Evidence.
Experiment and/or observation as bench-
marks for testing hypotheses. Induction:
reasoning to establish general rules or
conclusions drawn from facts or examples.
Repetition. Critical analysis. Verification
and testing: critical exposure to scrutiny,
peer review and assessment.
“Logical absolutes” refers to what are
also known as “laws of thought.” Classi-
cal philosophers took these laws to be as
follows: The law of identity — all things are
equal to themselves. The law of noncontra-
diction — no proposition can both be and
not be (the case).
Our governor has use flawed science and
logic to intimidate and corral us. So has
the federal government. Notice the word
reasoning. There is no reasoning in her
mandates, only platitudes.
If the vaccine works, why wear a mask?
If one has had COVID, why get a vaccine?
And finally, our so-called vaccine is not a
vaccine. It has not been defined as one. All
we get from government is propaganda.
Roesch Kishpaugh
Pendleton
Spencer represents all
Pendleton students
I am writing to endorse Briana Spencer
for the Pendleton School Board.
Briana is an enrolled member of the
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian
Reservation (CTUIR). I have known Briana
for several years. She has served on the
Nixyaawii School Board and has volun-
teered to help the school in many different
ways. She is smart, energetic, and always
looks at situations in a positive light.
If elected, she will fight for racial equal-
ity and equitable education for all children.
Briana is not running for her own children,
she is running for all the children in the
Pendleton School District.
Please join me in voting for Briana Spen-
cer, Position 7, Pendleton School Board.
Ryan Heinrich
Pendleton
One party does not a
democracy make
Why do we have only a one ruling party
in Oregon?
Republican Sens. Findley, Hansell and
Anderson created SB 865, which prohibits
a person from simultaneously serving as a
holder of state office and as an officer of the
state central committee of a political party.
It establishes a fine of up to $250 per day for
a violation. It declares an emergency, effec-
tive on passage. A bill for an act relating to
positions outside of government simultane-
ously held by public officials; creating new
provisions; amending ORS 244.350; and
declaring an emergency.
This was to specifically target Sens.
Linthicum and Heard and fine them $250
per day as long as they were party officials
as a way to punish them for taking over a
leadership role in our fractured Republican
party and walking out on SB554, a “lock
up your firearms” bill. I am surprised that
they would support and sponsor a bill that
does nothing to protect the public from an
out-of-control majority party and then, to
make matters worse, declare it an emer-
gency.
If we cannot challenge the majority
rulemakers, why not declare Oregon a
Democrat-only state? Take the last opportu-
nity away from the only remaining method
of resistance of a tyrannical majority
legislature and what do we have left but a
one-party ruling state.
This overused, inappropriate and unin-
tended use of the emergency clause is no
more than creating a dictatorship govern-
ment and is an insult to the voters.
When is the last time you voted on
anything of consequence in Oregon?
Rich Weaver
Milton-Freewater
Gregg is an asset to the
community
I write in support of Patrick Gregg for
the Pendleton School District, Position 7.
I have practiced law with Pat for over 10
years. Pat is a good friend and an asset to
this community.
Pat has the skillset and the life expe-
rience to serve on the Pendleton School
Board. Pat is an excellent listener and team
player. His work as a lawyer has required
him to participate in numerous media-
tions in which he advocates zealously for
his clients while helping them find favor-
able and creative solutions. Pat has the right
balance of assertiveness and compassion.
On the school board, Pat will be a zealous
advocate for our children’s education.
One of Pat’s best skills is that he is an
independent thinker and a person of integ-
rity. He is not coming to the board with
any particular agenda except to make the
Pendleton School District the best it can be.
When there are tough decisions to be made,
we can count on Pat to make the right ones.
Pat cares deeply about our children’s
education. He understands the importance
of education and the role it plays in prepar-
ing our children for the next level. His focus
will be on making sure every student has
the opportunity to excel and achieve.
Pat is committed to working with all
LETTERS DEADLINE FOR MAY 18 ELECTIONS
The East Oregonian does not run endorsements of more than 400 words.
The East Oregonian will institute a deadline for letters to the editor, so we can be fair with all
the letters we receive and allow for responses before Election Day, if necessary.
We run local letters of endorsement on a first-come, first-served basis. Please submit your
endorsement letters to the editor by 5 p.m. on Friday, May 7. You can email them to editor@
eastoregonian.com, or mail them to East Oregonian, c/o Andrew Cutler, 211 S.E. Byers Ave.,
Pendleton, OR 97801.
We will publish our last letters on Saturday, May 15. Any letters received after the deadline will
not run. Election Day is May 18.
individuals at all levels to improve our
school district. Pat understands the impor-
tance of working with administrators,
teachers, and support staff.
I urge you to support Patrick Gregg for
the Pendleton School District.
Jennifer Currin
Pendleton
Gregg will bring his
many skills to the Pendleton
school board
I write in support of Patrick Gregg for
Position 7 on the Pendleton School Board.
Having served on a number of boards
myself, including the Northwest Power
Planning Council, Oregon Environmen-
tal Quality Commission, Oregon Fish and
Wildlife Commission and the Oregon State
Board of Higher Education, I know the
skills and dedication required of a good
board member.
I have known Patrick Gregg for over 10
years and believe he is an excellent choice
and would serve our community well as a
member of the school board. He is intel-
ligent, thoughtful, and will research and
analyze all sides of a particular issue before
reaching a decision. In addition, his posi-
tion as a parent of school-age children and a
business owner in our community is a valu-
able voice to have on our school board.
One of the key attributes of a good board
member is the ability to work well with
others and to consider viewpoints other than
their own. By virtue of his legal training
and experience Patrick has these skills, and
I have seen him put them to good use in his
practice. He is fair minded and level headed
in his dealings with others. I am confi-
dent he will apply these same skills if he is
elected to the Pendleton School Board.
Please join me in voting for Patrick
Gregg for Position 7 on the Pendleton
School Board.
Henry Lorenzen
Pendleton
Constituents should be a
legislator’s highest priority
I recently traveled through Eastern
Oregon, staying in the lovely community of
John Day. The people are kind, and the area
is next to heaven.
While traveling through Grant County,
I witnessed a proliferation of political
signs — anti-Kate Brown, anti-social-
ism, pro-Greater Idaho. The people are
frustrated, I get it. Brown’s public health
measures have been capricious and rather
mind-boggling.
With that said, I am cognizant that she
holds the power and Democrats have a legis-
lative supermajority. Republicans have no
power and no votes. Why keep sending the
same tired politicians that get nothing done
for their constituents?
I am an old military man. I was an active
duty military recruiter for Eastern Oregon.
I know about military strategy, therefore I
shake my head when I see Eastern Oregon
legislators charge Salem’s Democratic
machine gun nest with a water gun. You
cannot defeat a more powerful adversary by
charging its ramparts.
You have to practice asymmetrical poli-
tics. If I was an Idaho Democrat, I wouldn’t
kick dirt in the face of the Republican
supermajority in Boise. I might despise
Republican Gov. Butch Otter, but I would be
his friend, work with him any way I could
— anything to take care of my district.
Ideology be damned, I would take care of
my people.
Brian Fitzgerald
Happy Valley
State school fund critical to
Oregon communities
In rural Oregon, schools frequently serve
as the hub of a community. Often within a
district there is one elementary school, one
middle school, and one high school. Our
schools act as community centers and are
the thread that connects us in many ways.
Schools also play a large role in the
community’s economic well-being. Oregon
K-12 is the largest employer in the state. In
many small towns across Oregon, schools
employ more community members than any
other entity.
After the 2008 financial crisis, Oregon
school budgets were decimated. Classes,
teachers, extracurriculars, sports — all
were cut in some way. With those cuts came
job losses, resulting in more depressed
economies in rural Oregon — many of
which have never recovered. In these towns,
there is an inextricable link between a
community’s economic well-being and the
funding of local schools.
The education budget being proposed in
Salem falls $500 million short of adequately
funding our schools. There is no doubt that
adjustments must be made to deal with the
fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, but to
compromise our schools is to compromise
our communities. Investing in education is
critical to building a skilled workforce and
allowing employers and towns to grow.
Oregon, and the towns that comprise
it, cannot afford any additional lost jobs or
revenue. Lawmakers no doubt have tough
decisions ahead of them, but cutting educa-
tion must not be an option.
Please join me in urging them to support
a $9.6 billion state school fund.
Scott Rogers
Athena
Spencer brings real issues to
the forefront
I am writing to proclaim my endorse-
ment for Briana Spencer for Position 7 with
the Pendleton School Board.
As a mother of kids in the school district,
I have no doubt that Briana has my chil-
dren’s best interest in mind.
Not only does Briana have the lived
experience similar to many struggling chil-
dren in the district, but her heart contains
the empathy to listen to those who have
different experiences than her own.
I have seen her bring support to those in
need with nothing but community action
and innovative ideas. I have seen Briana
speak up and bring real issues to the fore-
front that would have otherwise been over-
looked, and she has always has this land
and the betterment of our community at the
forefront of her mind. Her unique input will
bring a dynamic perspective to our school
board.
Briana Spencer has my vote and she
should have yours as well.
Amber Henderson
Pendleton
Spencer has a
unique perspective
I am writing in support of Briana Spen-
cer.
I was honored to be the language arts
teacher at Nixyaawii Community School for
12 years. Briana was a student of mine in
the early years of the school but later trans-
ferred to PHS. She has certainly made her
mark in the years since then!
Teaching at NCS, I got to know many
Native American students. Culture often
plays a big part in the lives of students of
color, and respecting one’s elders is an
expectation. There’s a deference implied
that an older adult knows more than the
young person and has knowledge and
expertise to impart. By listening, he or she
can learn valuable information. Briana is a
good example of someone who has learned
to listen first and then to take action.
Learning styles can also affect how well
students do in classes, a fact of which I’m
sure Briana is well aware. The majority of
my students were Native American. I often
received heartfelt and well-written essays,
but the student might not speak up in class.
I noticed more introspection and a need for
more time to really think through what a
student wanted to say, rather than to blurt
out something just to be heard.
Often, in traditional classrooms, a quick
response to a question is expected, leaving
students little time to recall information.
In crowded high school classrooms, my
students might not sit up front, might not
speak up first, but they were listening and
thinking.
Briana Spencer knows about students of
color because she is one. Those who know
her describe Briana as a sincere, hard-work-
ing, committed, and enthusiastic young
woman who’s continually working to make
this world a better, more inclusive place for
all students. Briana is knowledgeable about
the culture not only of Native students but
also of the Latino and African American
cultures.
Minority students are often the students
who fall by the wayside and don’t gradu-
ate. She can offer insights and advice from a
personal perspective. Briana is in a unique
position to make a huge difference because
she has experienced being a minority
student at PHS, understands some of the
challenges, and has lived in the area all her
life.
Briana will care about and represent all
the students at PHS. I am proud to endorse
Briana Spencer for the Pendleton School
Board, Position 7.
Mary A. Green
Pendleton
Don’t women Buckaroos
deserve honor too?
Pendleton has a very proud tradition of
honoring their student athletes, deservedly
so. The community has honored rightfully
the athletes that have succeeded at a high
level.
I do not know who is on the Hall of Fame
election board and I do not need know, but
my question is directed squarely at those
people. I am a graduate of PHS and believe
the Buckaroo Hall of Fame has done well in
honoring the student athletes in all aspects
except for one. Im aware pf PHS history,
and looking back I see there are very few
women in the Buckaroo Hall of Fame.
Those few deserved the honor, many
other are also deserving.
My question is really very simple:
How many state titles do the boys sports
programs own? We all know the girls sports
have done spectacularly, referring specif-
ically to dance and softball, or any other
sport for that matter. Many state titles, no
inductees.
Very simple question, why? Are they not
Buckaroos?
Ron Meyersick
Amity