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About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 9, 2015)
A4 Opinion wallowa.com December 9, 2015 Wallowa County Chieftain Wyden wins long struggle with NSA We can have freedoms and defend against terrorists T he best hope for a nation is that it may grow smarter. Learning from the past — not making fatal errors — is essential. Presidential campaigns often have carried a measure of demagoguery. This year’s Republican candidates are setting a record. In the scramble to win the race to war against ISIS, Sen. Lindsay Graham of South Carolina hit a home run by Voice of the Chieftain promising to commit 20,000 ground troops to Syria. Sen. Graham has a short memory. 7KHSK\VLFDODQG¿QDQFLDOFRVWRI86RFFXSDWLRQVRI Iraq and Afghanistan was huge and yielded relatively little. So the senator thinks we ought to do that again. In the midst of such madness, it was refreshing to have news last week that the National Security Agency will cease its sweep of telephone records that began secretly LQWKHZDNHRIWKH:RUOG7UDGH&HQWHUDWWDFNV7KH86$ Freedom Act, which became law in June, forced the NSA to shut down the operation. Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden played a leading role over 10 years to bring the NSA’s secret operation into the open. In the wake of the NSA announcement last week, Sen. Wyden brought the recent terrorist attacks on Paris and Mali into the discussion. “After every such attack, politicians who would play to Americans’ fears call for OLEHUW\WREHVDFUL¿FHGLQWKHQDPHRIVHFXULW\,UHMHFW those calls. And as long as Americans continue to demand that their government protect both their security and their OLEHUW\,DPFRQ¿GHQWWKDWRXUFRXQWU\FDQGHDOZLWK WKHVHWKUHDWVZLWKRXWVDFUL¿FLQJRXUPRVWFKHULVKHGULJKWV and values.” In standing up for the Constitution and exposing the NSA telephone records dragnet, Wyden emulated his legendary predecessor, Sen. Wayne Morse, who opposed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution that led to escalation of 86LQYROYHPHQWLQ9LHWQDP 8QOLNH0RUVH:\GHQKDVWKHFROOHJLDOLW\WRGUDZ RWKHUVWRKLVFDXVH7KDWLVZK\WKH86$)UHHGRP$FW passed the Senate by a vote of 67-32. EDITORIAL Prison is no place to solve drug problem GUEST EDITORIAL By Al Bell For The Chieftain ,MXVWUHDG7KH&KLHIWDLQ¶V'HFDU- ticle on the opt-out option regarding legal VDOHV RI PDULMXDQD LQ :DOORZD &RXQW\ Prior to moving to Wallowa County 26 years ago, I spent 20 years working in San Quentin and Soledad prisons in Cal- ifornia and was a parole and probation RI¿FHULQ,GDKRDQG2UHJRQIRU\HDUV after that. I drove the police car in Enter- prise for two years and then was an elder abuse investigator for a year before I said “That’s enough,” and retired. When I started work at San Quentin in 1963 I was pretty much amazed by what I saw. The levels of violence, thuggery, rape, sexual slavery and forced prostitu- tion, killings, suicides — depravity of all kinds — were beyond my comprehen- sion. The prison staff had a 90 percent turn- RYHUUDWHHDFK\HDU,QHHGHGDMREKRZ- ever, so I applied. Twenty years later I was a lieutenant in charge of gang investigations at Sole- dad Prison. I want to keep everyone from grow- ing donkey ears here if I can. Do you know that our drug laws have made many people very wealthy? There are cit- izens in Mexico who have perhaps a sec- ond-grade education level and are mil- lionaires because they know how to get D&KHY\DFURVVWKH86ERUGHUZLWKRXWD search two or three times a week. 0DQ\ QDUFRWLFV RI¿FHUV DQG '($ agents in our large cities know that de- criminalization is the only way to stop the drug trade. I know because I’ve talked to and worked with them my entire career. Many have known for some time that the only way to stem the illicit trade is WRGHFULPLQDOL]HQDUFRWLFV0DULMXDQDLVD good starting place. I hate to hear people talk about how PXFK PRUH SRWHQW WRGD\¶V PDULMXDQD LV compared to that of the 1960s. I can say with certainty it’s nowhere near as hurt- ful as taking an addiction-prone person DQG WRVVLQJ WKHP LQWR SULVRQ IRU ¿YH RU VL[\HDUVMXVWEHFDXVH\RXGRQ¶WOLNHZKDW they’re doing. That’s like taking all the cigarette smokers and throwing them LQWR SULVRQ MXVW EHFDXVH \RX GRQ¶W OLNH smoking (which, by the way, is harmful to others as well as the smoker because of second-hand smoke). The opt-out option that has every- one’s attention is a big mistake. There is revenue to be made, for sure. Jobs to be made, certainly. But those are not my ma- MRUFRQFHUQV+DXOLQJVRPHRQHLQWRFRXUW (possibly one of your own family mem- bers) and sending them through a lengthy and expensive legal process — that we the taxpayers have to fund — and throw- ing them into a depraved and vicious 8QLYHUVLW\IRU&ULPHWKDWVHQGVWKHPRXW the other end as a burglar, armed robber or worse is inhumane and not represen- tative of who we are (or should be) as a society. You know that the people currently VHOOLQJPDULMXDQDLQWKLVFRXQW\DUHKRS- ing the county does indeed opt out. If so, those selling illegally won’t see a pay cut, but the county will. I’ll be happy to attend any town hall meetings and explain in graphic terms how prison in not a good alternative to OHJDOL]LQJPDULMXDQDLQRXUFRPPXQLW\ Al Bell resides in Joseph. Grandparents hold a trump card over parents ranch compound with him and my uncles, he had several suggestions as to what my rights as a child should Let’s face it. When you become a be. Freedom was paramount in his parent you are in the amateur category. eyes and he encouraged me to use You are facing a whole new set of con- P\ RZQ MXGJPHQW DERXW D ORW RI things that were frowned upon by ditions and problems. On the other hand, grandparents my archaic parents. His concept for my family was that have been through parenting and are in the professional category. As it should be a democracy and I should a grandparent I now realize that if have an equal (though not superior) you can raise your kids without them say in my conduct and decisions that making some irrevocable mistake, affected it. My dad, however, leaned you are a success. Being a grandpar- more toward the idea of a benevolent ent also affords you the opportunity dictatorship. Grandpa sympathized with my to take revenge on your children by LQÀXHQFLQJ WKHLU FKLOGUHQ WR UHWXUQ frustration of unreasonable parents VRPHRIWKHPLVHU\WKH\LQÀLFWHGRQ and said that was what you had to ex- pect from people who voted the way you. My grandfather was a master WKH\GLG,UHPHPEHUP\PRWKHUÀ\LQJ at this. Since we lived in the same off the handle and going into a full rant By Barrie Qualle For The Chieftain when I began a sentence with, “Grand- pa thinks …” That was as far as I got before she interrupted and raged on about how she didn’t care what Grand- pa thought and if I wanted to get along and make my life easier, I had better do what she and Dad wanted instead of what Grandpa suggested. Later, when I relayed this Grand- pa said he admired me for having the strength to put up with them and their narrow attitudes. He really seemed to get a kick out of the reaction. My own kids got into the normal amount of trouble but no big prob- lems. They were, however, a fairly constant annoyance. My oldest son Jeff once complained that his 16-year- old daughter, who had been a perfect child, had gotten into trouble and that she was grounded and her car had been LETTERS to the EDITOR USPS No. 665-100 P.O. Box 338 • Enterprise, OR 97828 OI¿ce 29 1W )irst 6t., Enterprise, Ore. Phone 27 • )ax 2392 Wallowa County¶s 1ewspaper 6ince 88 Enterprise, Oregon M EMBER O REGON N EWSPAPER P UBLISHERS A SSOCIATION P UBLISHER E DITOR R EPORTER R EPORTER N EWSROOM ASSISTANT A D S ALES CONSULTANT G RAPHIC D ESIGNER O FFICE MANAGER Marissa Williams, marissa@bmeagle.com Scot Heisel, editor@wallowa.com Stephen Tool, stool@wallowa.com Kathleen Ellyn, kellyn@wallowa.com editor@wallowa.com Jennifer Powell, jpowell@wallowa.com Robby Day, rday@wallowa.com Cheryl Jenkins, cjenkins@wallowa.com P UBLISHED EVERY W EDNESDAY BY : EO Media Group 3HULRGLFDO3RVWDJH3DLGDW(QWHUSULVHDQGDGGLWLRQDOPDLOLQJRI¿FHV Subscription rates (includes online access) Wallowa County Out-of-County 1 Year $40.00 $57.00 6ubscriptions must be paid prior to deliYery See the Wallowa County Chieftain on the Internet www.wallowa.com facebook.com/Wallowa | twitter.com/wcchieftain POSTMASTER — Send address changes to Wallowa County Chieftain P.O. Box 338 Enterprise, OR 97828 Contents copyright © 2015. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Volume 133 Hobby Lobby, the Sequel Hobby Lobby opened the door to re- OLJLRXV REMHFWLRQ WR SURYLGLQJ VSHFLILF FRQWUDFHSWLYHVLQFOXGLQJ,8'VLQWKHLU KHDOWK LQVXUDQFH 7KH UHOLJLRXV REMHF- tion narrowly centered on contracep- tives that prevent embryo formation, thus equating “life” to the embryo. /HDYLQJRXWWKDW,8'VKDYHOLWWOHWRGR with embryo formation, Hobby Lobby actually didn’t want to pay for this part of the Affordable Care Act, ostensibly IRUUHOLJLRXVUHDVRQV7KH866XSUHPH Court will hear next year additional ob- MHFWLRQV IURP QRQSURILW FKDULWLHV ZLWK religious affiliation to this health care provision. There are 3.5 million em- ployees working for nonprofit chari- WLHV7KHFRUHRIWKHREMHFWLRQLVWKDWLW violates the nonprofit’s religious free- dom and any compromise makes them “complicit” in abortion practices. The Supreme Court in the Hobby Lobby decision clearly stated that the government may find other means or alternatives in providing this specific health coverage, which the government promptly did. However, since five of WKHQLQHMXVWLFHVDUHVWURQJ&DWKROLFV² those five who voted in the 5-4 Hobby Lobby decision — we can expect more of the same next year. The curious part about this that sensi- ble people have no trouble seeing is that if there is the rule of law, laws for every- RQHEXWUHOLJLRXVREMHFWLRQLVSHUPLWWHG to the law(s), at what point can religious REMHFWLRQQRWQXOOLI\DQ\ODZ" taken away. I seized this as my oppor- tunity for a little revenge. I texted my granddaughter and our conversation went like this: Me: Heard you got into a little trou- ble. I was thinking maybe your parents DUHMXVWEHLQJXQUHDVRQDEOH Sophie: I couldn’t agree more, maybe I should bring up all the things young Jeff used to do, hmmmmm? Me: I can sell you a lot of ammuni- WLRQRQWKDWVXEMHFW<RXFDQSUREDEO\ fool him but Mom is going to be tough to fool. They will soon tire of hauling you around and if you make it hard enough on them they will cave in and return the car. Sophie: Oh, no worries. I have been set free. They probably couldn’t handle me hanging around the house 24/7. Is this secession of a different fla- vor? Patrick Dunroven Enterprise Rail-with-Trail meeting The Joseph Branch Rail-with-Trail Concept Plan has been completed and the Plan and Atlas are available for review RQOLQH DW KWWSWLQ\XUOFRPKWÀXDE DQG http://tinyurl.com/prw4724. Also avail- able online are the documents on which the Summary Plan is based. Printed copies of the Concept Plan are available for review at the public li- braries and city halls in Elgin, Wallowa, Enterprise and Joseph. The plan also is DYDLODEOHDWWKH(DVWHUQ2UHJRQ8QLYHU- sity Library. The plan will be presented to the Wal- ORZD8QLRQ5DLOURDG$XWKRULW\:85$ at the Senior Center at 208 E. 2nd St. in Wallowa on Dec. 15. The agenda will include presentations to the board by organizations and other mem- bers of the public addressing the question RIZKHWKHU:85$VKRXOGHQWHULQWRQHJR- tiations to authorize use of its right-of-way IURP(OJLQWR-RVHSKIRUDWUDLODGMDFHQWWR the existing railroad (which will continue to operate) and, if so, on what terms and con- ditions. (The board is not expected to take action at the meeting.) The Joseph Branch Trail Consortium plans to present a “next steps” proposal IRU WKH :85$ ERDUG¶V FRQVLGHUDWLRQ DW the meeting. Our proposal is based on a belief that a trail constructed on the publically-owned railroad transportation corridor will improve our quality of life and be an economic asset and that the Concept Plan proves constructing a trail OPEN RANGE Barrie Qualle Me: I think you were in trouble for getting caught, not the deed itself. I used to tell your dad, if you aren’t smart enough to get away with it, don’t do it. Sophie: I know Dad was disap- pointed but I have re-evaluated my ZD\VDQGNQRZMXVWZKDW,QHHGWRGR to get back on track. I’ll try not to get sloppy this time around. Me: 8QFOH.HYLQFDQKHOS Sophie: Oh Please! This isn’t am- ateur hour. I can almost hear my grandfather laughing and approving. Columnist Barrie Qualle is a working cowboy in Wallowa County. LVSK\VLFDOO\DQG¿QDQFLDOO\IHDVLEOHDQG LVVXSSRUWHGE\DPDMRULW\RIUHVLGHQWVLQ 8QLRQDQG:DOORZDFRXQWLHV Terry Edvalson Board Secretary, Joseph Branch Trail Consortium La Grande More on the lodge We would like to clarify three things fol- ORZLQJ.DWKOHHQ(OO\Q¶VLQIRUPDWLYHDUWLFOH about investing in Wallowa Lake Lodge. First, since Lake Wallowa Lodge LLC was formed in early August, we have of- fered a total of 3500 shares — or “units” — at $1,000 each. We have never offered shares in Lake Wallowa Lodge LLC for $500. Secondly, sale of the conservation ease- ment may provide funds to Lake Wallowa Lodge LLC toward purchase of the lodge. A “conservation easement” reimburses us for the loss of development rights on the 9.2 acres. Whoever purchases this ease- ment will not own the land and also won’t manage the land around the lodge without the consent of the lodge owners (Lake Wal- lowa Lodge LLC). Finally, donations of any amount to Eastern Oregon Legacy Lands Fund (the folks who run Wallowology) also may be designated for lodge purchase. Eastern Oregon Legacy Lands fund will apply this money toward its purchase of lodge shares. These donations are fully tax-deductable. Thanks to all for your interest and sup- port for saving Wallowa Lake Lodge. Ellen M Bishop Outreach Coordinator, Lake Wallowa Lodge LLC Joseph