ANDREW CUTLER
Publisher/Editor
KATHRYN B. BROWN
Owner
PHIL WRIGHT
News Editor
JEFF BUDLONG
Interim Hermiston Editor
SATURDAY, JULY 24, 2021
A4
Founded October 16, 1875
OUR VIEW
Goal should
always be to
safeguard
democracy
T
here was not much fanfare, but
the official reopening of the
Oregon’s Capitol last week should
be good news for all voters.
Readers may remember the Capitol
was shut down because of the COVID-
19 pandemic and, as usual, the closure
kicked off plenty of political angst
between Democrats and Republicans.
In the Senate, GOP lawmakers voted no
on many issues not related to COVID-
19 in protest. In the House, Republicans
declined to suspend rules that require
bills to be read completely, which slowed
down the legislative session.
The stance of the Republicans was, at
least in theory, a good one. Their views
were the Capitol is the people’s building
and should not be closed off to the public
under any circumstances.
But Democratic lawmakers, such as
House Speaker Tina Kotek and Senate
President Peter Courtney, said in a joint
statement the closure was necessary to
safeguard people from COVID-19.
They termed the decisions to be “diffi-
cult” but they “consulted with infectious
disease doctors and public health offi-
cials about what changes were needed to
reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmis-
sion in the capitol.”
Access to public buildings where
lawmakers do the people’s business is
hardwired into the American psyche, as
it should be. We live in a democracy and
that means lawmakers must be accessible
to voters.
However, on this specific issue, closing
the capitol building was the right move.
Whether it should have been closed
as long as it was seems to be open for
debate. Lawmakers such as Kotek and
Courtney did the right thing during a
time when the COVID-19 virus crisis still
was very real and a threat to all.
Yet there is no denying that cutting
off access to the activities of lawmakers
hurt democracy. Anytime the halls where
lawmakers roam or committee meet-
ings where legislators gather informa-
tion to make decisions are blockaded, the
people lose.
The founders created our system as
one that relies on the interplay between
voters and lawmakers. Without it, our
system does not operate as efficiently as
it should.
Lawmakers did not have much choice
regarding the closure of the capitol build-
ing and, as a one-time measure to avert
a crisis, it was the right decision. Such
decisions, though, always should be
made with careful thought and with the
knowledge that the overall goal is to safe-
guard democracy.
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
EOU should reevaluate
requiring vaccination
A recent story (“EOU to continue
with mask mandate,” July 8) reports
that Eastern Oregon University is not
changing its guidelines for COVID-19
risk reduction after Gov. Kate Brown
recently lifted mask restrictions. EOU
is still requiring vaccination for all
students, although the EOU website
contains the vague statement that
“accommodations will be available for
medical and non-medical exemptions.”
I believe that EOU should reexamine
its policies in light of current knowl-
edge.
We know much more about COVID-
19 and its treatment than we did a year
ago, and no longer have to make deci-
sions from sparse data. It is clear that
there is no significant threat of death
from COVID-19 for healthy young
people. Moreover, protocols for treat-
ment have been developed that greatly
reduce symptom severity and risk of
death.
The safety of the mRNA vaccines is
widely touted by the media and govern-
ment, but a look at the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention Vaccine
Adverse Event Reporting System shows
that these statements are too sanguine.
The Food and Drug Administration has
recently issued a warning concerning
possible myocarditis (heart inflamma-
tion) after vaccination, unexpectedly
high in young people. The CDC has
similarly recognized a correlation
between the vaccine and myocarditis,
albeit with low numbers.
I have reviewed several studies
showing the vaccine has no added
benefit for those who have already had
the disease, and there is some evidence
of adverse immune responses among
some who take the shot after having
had COVID-19. One should, then,
make exceptions for students who
have already recovered from COVID-
19. Moreover, there have been no true
studies of the effect of these vaccines on
fetal development, and VAERS reports
hundreds of miscarriages after vacci-
nation. At the very least, EOU should
discourage pregnant students from
taking the jab.
The Observer reports that 65% of
EOU students polled were against
mandatory vaccinations for COVID-
19. I am puzzled that the administration
would ignore this and seriously compro-
mise the principle of informed consent.
Requirements for well-studied vaccines
(such as for measles) are reasonable, but
mRNA-based treatments given under
an emergency use authorization are
another matter.
As a retired faculty member, I urge
EOU to reevaluate these policies.
Tom Herrmann
La Grande
Using 747 Supertankers
to fight fire could prevent
disaster
Here we are, at the beginning of what
could prove to be worst wildfire season
ever, and the world’s best firefighting
tool sits unused and not ready to go
because of decisions made by the U.S.
Forest Service and states not to use it.
Unfortunately, in 2002 two Lock-
heed C-130 Hercules airplanes crashed
while fighting fires, one in Califor-
nia and one in Colorado. In 2004, the
U.S. Forest Service made the decision
not to use the large tanker firefighting
airplanes, instead relying on helicopters
and smaller planes.
The 747 Supertanker would have
really helped on these fires: The 2020
Oregon fires burned 1,221,324 acres,
killed 11 people and burned 3,000 build-
ings. At Canby, in the middle of the day
the streetlights and outside lights of
businesses were on because of the dark-
ness from the smoke. On July 12, 2017,
lightning started the Chetco Bar Fire,
near Brookings, and it burned 191,125
acres. In 2017 the Eagle Creek Fire, near
Cascade Locks, burned 50,000 acres
and most likely could have been put out
quickly by the Supertanker if it would
have been used.
Are we going to have to experience
a disaster, like the building collapse
at Surfside, Florida, before we realize
that we need to prepare for these things
ahead of time? When the fire is burning,
it is too late to start preparing for it.
Bob Mattila
Brush Prairie, Washington
Labor shortage more than
just laziness
Good job East Oregonian for the
excellent story by Alex Wittwer (“Help
Wanted: Eastern Oregon feels pinch of
labor shortage,” Tuesday, July 20).
I hear from many people here in
Eastern Oregon that the reason we
have a labor shortage is simply because
people don’t want to come back to work.
Period. That they are just sitting around
enjoying free money. It is easy to point
to that as the main problem.
I, too, could easily say that, but I
have zero evidence of it. Alex, on the
other hand, did a great job explaining
other factors involved, interviewing
key people and citing relevant data. My
favorite quote in his story is this one
from Chris Rich, the state’s regional
economist for Eastern Oregon: “There’s
a bunch of different pieces that contrib-
ute to what we would really term more
of a tight labor market than a labor
shortage.”
That seems to sum it up well.
If the article hasn’t been read yet, I
strongly encourage all to do so. It brings
out so many other considerations. Kudos
to Alex Wittwer and the East Oregonian.
Connie Macomber
Pendleton
Vaccinations not a political
football
We must find common ground and
set aside partisanship if we are going to
beat COVID-19.
Science is knowledge with testable
explanations, political tribalism is not.
Political tribalism is eclipsing trust in
science and extending the pandemic.
COVID-19 infections are rising in 46
states, the crossover between the vacci-
nation rate map and electoral college
map is stark.
As a Republican, I understand many
of the arguments and concerns being
voiced by the vaccine hesitant. I, too,
often find myself at odds with Gov.
Kate Brown, and many Democrat poli-
cies. However, public health is an issue
that goes beyond politics. This virus
does not discriminate between political
parties.
Hospitals around the country are
almost exclusively seeing patients
that have not been fully vaccinated.
Vaccines are proven and extremely
effective at protecting us from the
COVID-19 virus.
Receiving a vaccine to stop the
spread of disease and supporting public
health is not a new ask. Many genera-
tions before us have done their part to
eliminate diseases from our communi-
ties, businesses and schools; smallpox,
polio, rubella, diphtheria, mumps.
It’s now our turn, to do our part, as
past generations have done, and get
vaccinated to eliminate COVID-19 to
keep our children in school, our busi-
nesses open and our communities
healthy.
I would encourage Republicans to
trust science over self-interested politi-
cians, Democrats to shelve policies that
could threaten medical innovation by
companies that are helping us out of this
pandemic, and all Americans, to put our
country first by getting vaccinated.
Cheri Helt
Bend