ANDREW CUTLER
Publisher/Editor
KATHRYN B. BROWN
Owner
ERICK PETERSON
Hermiston Editor/Senior Reporter
SATURDAy, NOVEMBER 13, 2021
A4
Founded October 16, 1875
OUR VIEW
Learning
from
the past
I
mportant people can get lost inside the
twisting channels of history and that
is why the recent unveiling of a mural
on Southwest Dorion Avenue celebrating
Black cowboy and Pendleton Round-Up
competitor George Fletcher is so appropri-
ate.
Travel Oregon revealed the mural of
Fletcher on a bucking bronc last week in
a ceremony with high-profile dignitaries,
including Chuck Sams, a member of the
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian
Reservation who also is in the final part of
a confirmation process to become the next
National Park Service director.
Sams’ grandfather rode with Fletcher
creating a solid link between the past and
the present.
Yet while the mural is an outstanding
addition to our local landscape, the story
of Fletcher is one of racism and overcom-
ing adversity. Fletcher competed in the
storied 1911 Round-Up where he made it to
the bronc riding finals. While his final ride
wooed the crowed, the judges ultimately
awarded first prize to a white cowboy
named John Spain. However, Fletcher was
quickly labeled the “people’s champion”
and a fast fundraiser generated $700 for the
cowboy.
A lot of different people and organi-
zations came together to make the mural
reality, not the least of which was Mari-
otta Gary-Smith, the chair of the Oregon
Commission on Black Affairs. Travel
Oregon also played an important role. With-
out such dedication from such people and
organizations a piece of history — which
was, for the most part, oral — would be
lost.
History is important. Americans, gener-
ally, don’t like to look back. We are a nation
that has shown its overwhelming focus
always to be on the future. Yet we cannot
move forward, cannot strive to live up the
high ideals set by the founders, by ignoring
pieces of our history we find to be repellant.
We should review our past and cele-
brate the progress we’ve made as a great
nation. George Fletcher’s story is a tale of
discrimination in a time when racism was
an accepted social more. He succeeded, but
against big odds. His legacy is one we must
always remember because it shows us a side
of our culture that is distasteful in many
ways but still a part of our history.
We must remember George Fletcher and
recall how much progress we’ve made as
a nation. There still is a long way to go in
the United States regarding equality, but
the mural of Fletcher reminds of our short-
comings in the past and our opportunity for
better things in the future.
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
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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
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Unsigned letters will not be published.
SEND LETTERS TO:
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or via mail to Andrew Cutler,
211 S.E. Byers Ave., Pendleton, OR 97801
YOUR VIEWS
Pendleton is losing an
American hero
Pendleton and the great state of
Oregon is losing an American hero, Mr.
Herb Bork (“Pendleton World War II vet
leaves home after more than 50 years,”
Nov. 9 edition of the East Oregonian).
During the war against fascism, Mr.
Bork put his life on the line for Ameri-
can freedom. I honor and revere him.
Only 1% of the American people
serve in the military. As a combat
veteran who served in Iraq and Afghan-
istan after 9/11, I can tell you that being
deployed to a combat theater is not
like the movies. Death is omnipres-
ent. It is hungry and devoid of mercy.
The soldier, Marine, or airman stares
violence in the face and does not blink.
Mr. Bork never blinked. For that, he’s an
American hero.
I fear for our future. Will our youth
look to moral titans like Mr. Bork?
Or will they pursue selfish and vapid
goals? I am an optimist and hope for the
former. Mr. Bork is carrying the torch
of liberty into the future.
I have once heard it said that the
meaning of life is shining light into dark
places. Some 80-plus years ago our
world was plunged into darkness, World
War II. America could have embraced
isolationism and selfishness, but it
didn’t. It chose sacrifice. Mr. Bork is an
Olympic torch, bringing light and good-
ness to our fallen world.
Brian Fitzgerald
Happy Valley
BLM can protect more of
Oregon’s public lands
This spring I volunteered in the
Oregon Department of Fish and Wild-
life’s Adopt-A-Lek program. Hiking
across the vast sagebrush sea in the
predawn light to watch the greater
sage-grouse perform their elaborate
mating dance is an experience I hope
every Oregonian gets to witness.
Unfortunately, their populations
have declined significantly with an 80%
range wide decline since 1965. The 4.6
million acres of public lands that are
part of the vast Vale Bureau of Land
Management District in the southeast
corner of Oregon provide some of the
best remaining sage grouse habitat left
in the West and are important to this
bird’s future.
Right now, the Vale BLM is updat-
ing their Resource Management Plan,
an important plan that guides and
balances multiple land uses across this
entire area. Due to top-down meddling
from Washington, D.C., during the
previous administration, the current
version of the plan falls far short of
conserving some of our last, best and
most intact fish and wildlife habitats in
this area.
In the current version of the plan,
not even one acre of 1.2 million acres
of wilderness-quality lands would be
managed to protect their wild and intact
nature. The plan also needs to include
more science-based, forward-looking
management strategies to ensure these
public lands are resistant and resilient
to a changing climate.
Fortunately, the BLM can still
fix this plan and provide a balanced
approach to conserving and managing
our public lands in Malheur County. I
urge them to do so. Future generations
deserve a healthy and wild Owyhee
Canyonlands.
Karl J. Findling
Bend
Learn the facts about the
River Democracy Act
Misinformation is floating around
regarding the River Democracy Act.
The Act, S. 192, was proposed by Sens.
Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, Demo-
crats, and Oregonians assisted by nomi-
nating streams for this bill. It adds 4%
of Oregon’s rivers and streams to the
National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act
and provides amendments to NWSR
to help reduce wildfire risk and protect
water for people who use rivers as their
drinking water source.
In Wyden’s own words to the East-
ern Oregon Counties Association, the
River Democracy Act “does not affect
management of private property.” The
River Democracy Act amends the
NWSR Act to say that “nothing in this
act or an amendment made by this act
affects private property rights.”
The River Democracy Act does
implement a management plan and fire
risk reduction plan on federal lands,
restore water quality after a fire, give
Native Americans a voice in how rivers
are managed on federal lands, and retain
existing rights on federal land, including
mining and grazing permits.
The catastrophe unfolding for
Salmon in the Lower Snake River shows
clean water and fish survival do not
automatically remain intact even if they
are good quality now. If there are provi-
sions that opponents of this bill would
like, I encourage people to contact
Wyden’s office to discuss them. Spread-
ing misinformation is not helpful to the
discussion.
I appreciate Wyden and Merkley for
working to preserve our beautiful rivers.
Elnora Cameron
Joseph