Wednesday, March 23, 2022
A4
OPINION
VOICE of the CHIEFTAIN
Initial
failure of
IP 13 is a
good thing
T
he A1 story in today’s paper
says that Initiative Petition
13 appears it will fall short of
gathering the signatures needed to
make it to the November ballot.
We celebrate that fact.
We opined on it several months
ago, but as we read the initiative,
it’s a takeover — or an attempt at
destruction — of the way of life
for many in Oregon, yet one that is
pitched as an animal rights bill.
To be certain, nobody on our staff
— and we hope nobody at all, though
it’s likely some are out there — feels
it is right to abuse an animal. Nor do
hunters, fishers or those who work
cattle for a living, to name just a few.
There is a realization when you hunt
— and, if you indeed, are successful
— that you are taking the life of an
animal for food. That reality should
— and, we believe, does — garner
respect and care, and requires it be
done in a humane way.
We assume that those who crafted
IP 13 also care about animals, though
we believe they go a step way too far
in what they are promoting. As we
read the petition, it seems to us to say
that any killing of animals should be
outlawed. That practices of animal
husbandry to continue building up a
flock or herd should be considered
sexual abuse. That even events such
as a rodeo, or simply hauling animals
in a trailer would be outlawed. Per-
haps we have gone to the extreme in
our take on the petition, but it’s hard
not to see how that is what the sup-
porters want.
Lewis & Clark College law profes-
sor Russ Mead doesn’t have quite the
view we do. In the story, he says he
believes the initiative wouldn’t ban
those actions, but just say that they
should be done in a humane way.
“The result is not that hunting and
killing livestock will be illegal if IP
13 passes, it is just that when you
hunt, you need to be humane,” he
said. “When you kill livestock, you
need to be humane.”
He later says that should IP 13
eventually make it to the ballot —
be it in 2024 or later — and pass, it
would face ample legal challenges
and discussions, including one about
the legal definition of animal cruelty.
Perhaps he is right on both points.
Perhaps how the law is interpreted
would make it less severe than what
we read it to be. And there is no doubt
that it would face a major legal battle.
At least for now, it appears, this is
an initiative that won’t see the light of
day for a couple of years, though we
hope it never does again.
Then, we could really celebrate.
LETTER to the EDITOR
‘How’s that working?’ you
ask. ‘Quite well,’ I say
Editor’s note: The following letter is
a response to a postcard received by the
letter writer, the contents of which she
describes in the letter.
Dear Anonymous Friend,
In the absence of an identity, I’ll take
the liberty of assuming friendship. I
got your lovely post card of the Oregon
Coast, so thanks for that.
I’m a little perplexed by the situation
you present me with. You apparently were
moved enough to save a clipping of my
letter to the editor from (checking records
more than a year old) January of 2021.
Wow! Not sure if that is good or bad —
have you been seething with indignant
outrage all this time? Or have you been
waiting for just the right moment to really
let me have it with your succinct but
withering “How’s that working?” ques-
tion in reply to the Scotch-taped clip-
ping titled “I plan to enjoy the Biden
presidency”?
Yeah, that stings all right. Good one.
In any case, I’m a little sad that with all
the effort you took to first hang on to the
paper clipping for a year-plus, then use
your internet spy craft to track down my
address, put stamp to postcard, engage
the U.S. Postal Service, and yet provide
no signature, phone number, or return
address where I could reply and begin our
pen-pal relationship.
My father used to say that anonym-
ity is the last refuge of cowards. He was
a strong believer in the thought that if it’s
worth having a belief or an opinion, it’s
worth putting your name to it. Minds can
and should get changed based on further
information or discussion. I’m not my
father. The world we live in lends itself
more to the anonymous airing of griev-
ance (and worse) than the world he grew
up in. I don’t necessarily consider you a
coward, just someone whose mind is pos-
sibly made up and closed to discussion.
CONTACT your REPRESENTATIVES
U.S. PRESIDENT
Joe Biden
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. 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
Bobby Levy, District 58
900 Court St. NE, H-376
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1458
Rep.BobbyLevy@state.or.us
EDITORIALS: Unsigned editorials are the opinion of the Wallowa County Chieftain
editorial board. Other columns, letters and cartoons on this page express the opinions
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Office: 209 NW First St., Enterprise, Ore.
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Contents copyright © 2022. All rights reserved.
Reproduction without permission is prohibited.
• • •
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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SENATOR
Greg Smith, District 57
900 Court St. NE, H-482
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1457
Rep.GregSmith@state.or.us
Member Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association
USPS No. 665-100
Cliff Bentz
1239 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-6730
Medford office: 541-776-4646
REPRESENTATIVES
GOVERNOR
Kate Brown
160 State Capitol
900 Court St.
Salem, OR 97301-4047
503-378-4582
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE
Jeff Merkley
313 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-3753
Pendleton office: 541-278-1129
Wallowa County’s Newspaper Since 1884
VOLUME 134
Bearing that in mind, I feel compelled to
answer your question.
As to your “how’s that working?”
question, I can say in all honesty, it’s
working pretty well — nobody’s perfect,
and President Biden is no exception. It’s a
complicated world and he’s working with
a divided Congress and population. When
I think about where we might be right
now if a free and fair election had been
overturned due to strong pressure and
antidemocratic efforts by the former pres-
ident, I’m positively, enthusiastically just
tickled pink. I shudder to think of the con-
sequences for the Ukraine and the world
if that had happened. If you’d like a more
in-depth discussion of where I think he’s
done well vs. areas where I’ve been dis-
appointed, I’m happy to have that discus-
sion — pen pal or over coffee.
The first step would be for you to send
me your address. You know where I am.
Hope to hear from you.
Mary Chlopek
Lostine
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