ANDREW CUTLER
Publisher/Editor
KATHRYN B. BROWN
Owner
SATuRDAy, July 3, 2021
PHIL WRIGHT
News Editor
JADE McDOWELL
Hermiston Editor
A4
Founded October 16, 1875
OUR VIEW
The great
experiment
continues
W
ith the Fourth of July
holiday looming, it is
easy to forget just how
close the whole American inde-
pendence effort came to failure.
We often sort of take it for
granted that, as Americans, pretty
much everything we’ve accom-
plished in our storied history as a
nation was foreordained.
That is a nice thought, but not
exactly accurate.
For example, it took the 13 colo-
nies seven years to finally emerge
victorious from Great Britain and
secure the chance to execute the
great experiment we call democ-
racy. On the way to that victory
there occurred many missteps and
defeats.
Sunday’s holiday — the offi-
cial observance of the actions of
the Second Continental Congress
on July 4, 1776 — marks in many
ways a brief period of respite for
the nation. There remains little
doubt the nation as it stands in
2021 is saddled with an array of
difficult and contentious issues.
Yet, the Fourth of July bestows
upon all of us a moment to reflect
on the fact that the great test of
democracy, fashioned by the
Founding Fathers, endures.
We still conduct free elections;
America still transfers political
power in a peaceful manner. We
have challenges — many of them
very serious with long-term impli-
cations — yet our experiment
sustains, and often reinvents itself,
constantly.
With the specter of COVID-
19 restrictions seemingly in the
rearview mirror, this weekend’s
holiday should be about many
things — family and fun just to
name just two — but it also should
be a moment, a time, to remem-
ber that despite all of the nation’s
perceived flaws, we are a democ-
racy still going strong more than
200 years after a group of brave
men decided to risk it all for
liberty.
Have a safe and enjoyable
Fourth of July.
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
YOUR VIEWS
A lesson about presidents
I saw a collage of American flags on
my Facebook page and that made me
think of my dad. We had a flagpole near
the front patio. In the summer, nearly
every day that I was home, we would
line up and take down the flag, fold it up
into a triangle and take it inside, revers-
ing the operation in the morning.
My dad was a colonel in the Army.
He was stationed at the Pentagon as
an aide to Gen. Douglas MacArthur
during World War II, and was a big
player in supplying the Pacific Front
with military equipment. He flew with
the airplane that held the first deploy-
ment of night-vision goggles that were
to be used in a successful night attack
in a significant island battle with the
Japanese. This was top secret for years.
He often contacted the Pentagon
leaders during the Vietnam War with
suggestions for battle plans, and we had
many a fight over that war and Nixon.
Dad was a big conservative Repub-
lican. That is why I was shocked one
evening as we watched the news. Pres-
ident Richard Nixon had been impli-
cated in Watergate, and when the truth
came out it was hard for Dad — he
was a big supporter of the president.
But Dad had fought fascism, and an
emperor king of Japan as well. He
knew what freedom was and Nixon had
defiled America by his actions. And
that night, when Nixon began to speak
on the TV, Dad stood at attention, flung
his hand up in the air and into a Hitler
salute and shouted “Heil Nixon” in
disgust.
I learned a powerful lesson about
presidents then. And the importance of
truth. I honor the flag, I honor the office
of the president, but I cannot honor this
president as he has defiled our nation
with his actions and his lies. I truly and
objectively feel that no list of accom-
plishments can equal the dishonor he
has brought to the White House.
If my dad were still alive, I know he
would agree with me.
June Colony
Lostine
The worries of a fire chief
What worries a fire chief? In this
case, this week worries your fire chief.
I remember professional fireworks
shows — the beauty of the rockets’ red
glare, the celebration of America, apple
pie and baseball. I remember travel-
ing to other cities to see their Fourth of
July fireworks: San Diego, Washington,
D.C., and Newport Beach. They were
beautiful, inspiring and awesome.
As a new father and a firefighter, I
was the guy on the block that helped
the families enjoy the day safely. We
always ended the evening sitting on a
roof, watching professional fireworks all
around town.
Now, as a fire chief for the past
decade, I see the impact is more than the
simple joy on a child’s face. It is also the
thousands of injuries, the burns and loss
of fingers. It is stress or trauma for some
veterans, for members of the commu-
nity with sensory challenges, and for
pets. It is accidents that lead to the loss
of a field, property or even a home.
We watched last weekend as greater
than 450 acres burned and closed Inter-
state 84, along with endangering three
family homes. We are passing through
a week of record-setting heat, during an
epic drought. I pray every morning for
the people of this community and their
safety.
I will increase the staffing this week-
end to cover the community because
I know there will be a few that won’t
heed my warning. We do not have any
professional shows this year. My wish is
we would all stay inside in a cool envi-
ronment and watch the fireworks on our
television this year. It is just too hot and
too dry.
I hope you have a healthy, safe week,
and I will be here worrying about the
worst and praying for the best.
Fire Chief Jim Critchley
Pendleton Fire Department
CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES
U.S. PRESIDENT
Joe Biden
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20500
Comments: 202-456-1111
GOVERNOR
Kate Brown
160 State Capitol
900 Court St.
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
Bobby Levy, District 58
900 Court St. NE, H-376
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1458
Rep.BobbyLevy@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
Cliff Bentz
2185 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-6730
Medford office: 541-776-4646
SENATOR
Bill Hansell, District 29
900 Court St. NE, S-415
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1729
Sen.BillHansell@state.or.us