Wednesday, June 23, 2021
A4
OPINION
VOICE of the CHIEFTAIN
Learning
valuable
lessons
from
history
T
ypically, Americans don’t spend
a lot of time looking backward
but we must know our own his-
tory so we can navigate the future.
That’s why projects like the one in
Wallowa by the Wallowa History Cen-
ter is notable. The center seeks to create
a four-building home for a sort of histor-
ical compound that will include an inter-
pretive center and a research library on
1st and Madison streets.
The project has a ways to go but the
fact that such an idea is gaining steam in
the community is good news.
There is a lot of history in Eastern
Oregon and sometimes we all take it for
granted. We shouldn’t.
That’s because knowing our own heri-
tage helps us form opinions and develop
ideas for the future. As Americans, we
spend a lot of time moving into the
future as fast as possible and fail to stop
and reflect on our history.
Projects like the one in Wallowa and
existing facilities — such as the National
Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center
near Baker City — can provide citizens
with a new, or even different, perspective
regarding their ancestors. We need more
history, not less, and calm contemplation
about what it means for the future.
We don’t learn lessons well. The Viet-
nam War taught a host of lessons but we
didn’t seem able to apply those experi-
ences effectively in Iraq or Afghanistan.
There is the old adage that those who
fail to learn from the mistakes of the past
are destined to repeat them. While the
saying is often misused it should reso-
nate for us all.
Learning about how and why those
who came before us acted the way they
did or what decision they made under
certain circumstances can help us trou-
bleshoot challenges that arise in the
future.
Our history in Eastern Oregon is
packed with triumphs and tragedies and
loss and redemption. Every one of those
stories holds a lesson. Let’s make sure
those lessons don’t fade away.
LETTER to the EDITOR
Has the U.S.
turned to tyranny?
Totalitarianism: A system of govern-
ment that is centralized and dictatorial
and requires complete subservience to the
state. Anyone noticing the trend with Ore-
gon and the United States? One would
have to be a rock not to.
Before totalitarian was a relativity new
word, it used to be called tyranny, i.e., a
concept or form of government or politi-
cal system that prohibits opposition par-
ties, restricts individual opposition to
the state and its claims, and exercises an
extremely high degree of control over
public and private life.
Anarchy: A state of disorder due to
absence or nonrecognition of authority.
Portland is in a state of anarchy due to
weak leaders and a weak governor. There
is no law and order. If we had a governor
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Wallowa County Chieftain, 209 NW 1st St. Enterprise, OR
97828
like Tom McCall, Robert Straub or Sen.
Maurine Neuberger, Portland would be
the great city it once was.
Our elected leaders now use the law
of contradiction, which implies that Gov.
Kate Brown could not simultaneously
hold the COVID-19 pandemic renders
church services dangerous to allow, and
also that massive protest marches are fine.
I have been to a couple of coun-
tries that have reeducation camps, where
brainwashing is used to reeducate the
clingers of Bibles, guns and free think-
ing. Propaganda is used daily on most of
the news media and by our leaders. Say it
often enough and soon one believes it. We
do not need reeducation camps, we have
them in schools and colleges. Remem-
ber Nikita Khrushchev? His speech at the
United Nations, while pounding his shoe
on the podium, said, “We will not bury
you, you will bury yourselves.” That was
CONTACT your REPRESENTATIVES
U.S. PRESIDENT
Joe Biden
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Comments: 202-456-1111
U.S. SENATORS
Ron Wyden
221 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5244
La Grande office: 541-962-7691
Kate Brown
160 State Capitol
900 Court Street
Salem, OR 97301-4047
503-378-4582
USPS No. 665-100
P.O. Box 338 • Enterprise, OR 97828
Office: 209 NW First St., Enterprise, Ore.
Phone: 541-426-4567 • Fax: 541-426-3921
Contents copyright © 2021. All rights reserved.
Reproduction without permission is prohibited.
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE
Jeff Merkley
313 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-3753
Pendleton office: 541-278-1129
Cliff Bentz
1239 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-6730
Medford office: 541-776-4646
REPRESENTATIVES
GOVERNOR
Bobby Levy, District 58
900 Court St. NE, H-376
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1458
Rep.BobbyLevy@state.or.us
SENATOR
Greg Smith, District 57
900 Court St. NE, H-482
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1457
Rep.GregSmith@state.or.us
Bill Hansell, District 29
900 Court St. NE, S-423
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1729
Sen.BillHansell@state.or.us
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VOLUME 134
1959. I was 13 and it frightened me.
I thought that our country was open,
trusting and right over wrong, that we
would never let that happen. Mistaken I
was.
Finally, I had no choice being born
white. I am not a white supremacist,
homophobe, sycophant or any other gag-
gle of names and labels those liberals
throw at me. I have never met anyone that
chose their color of skin. By the way, we
fought a world war over the polices that
the United States are pursuing now.
Just remember doublethink, i.e.
George Orwell’s “1984,” Arthur
Koester’s “Darkness at Noon,” Aldous
Huxley’s “Brave New World,” and C. S.
Lewis’ “That Hideous Strength.” These
should be mandatory reading, as once
they were.
Roesch Kishpaugh
Pendleton
General manager, Jennifer Cooney, jcooney@wallowa.com
Editor, Ronald Bond, rbond@wallowa.com
Reporter, Bill Bradshaw, bbradshaw@wallowa.com
Advertising Assistant, Cheryl Jenkins, cjenkins@wallowa.com
Designer, Andy Nicolais, anicolais@eomediagroup.com
• • •
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