Wednesday, April 13, 2022
A4
OPINION
VOICE of the CHIEFTAIN
Greater
Idaho
movement
not going
away
I
f nothing else, the organizers
behind the Greater Idaho move-
ment are persistent.
The group, which is seeking the
ultimate goal of moving part or
all of more than 20 Oregon coun-
ties into Idaho (which they say is
a better cultural match than West-
ern Oregon) has taken the next step
to try and gain approval in Wal-
lowa County. Last week, it was
announced they had received the
OK to gather signatures for a peti-
tion to get on the November ballot.
The measure, as has been reported
previously, fell by a slim margin —
just 41 votes — in November 2020.
That could have derailed support-
ers of the movement, but instead, it
appears it’s only emboldened them.
The new ballot measure being pro-
posed is slightly different than the
previous one, requiring county com-
missioners to meet just twice annu-
ally as opposed to three times. That,
combined with there being more
information organizers can share
about the movement, has them
hopeful that the second time will be
the charm.
The movement, as unlikely as its
ultimate goal seems, is gaining trac-
tion. Eight counties have already
approved measures similar to the
one signature gatherers will be hop-
ing to put on the November ballot.
Three more are slated to vote next
month on it. At least two other coun-
ties are in a similar position to Wal-
lowa County and are either at or
nearing the petition phase. Conceiv-
ably, more than 63% of the coun-
ties organizers are seeking to be part
of the movement could be discuss-
ing the move to Idaho by the end of
November. That’s a pretty decent
chunk in less than three years.
Should this get to the Wallowa
County voters — and we see no rea-
son why it won’t — it will be very
interesting to see how they respond
this time. Will there be more dis-
gruntled among those who said “no”
last time who switch their vote? Will
the group that staunchly wants to
keep Oregon as it is keep its edge
and win out? Will the minor adjust-
ment to the measure text and more
information make a difference?
Regardless of what happens in
November, there is a long way for
proponents to go, even if they even-
tually manage to get all 22 coun-
ties on board. The states would ulti-
mately have to agree to it, as would
Congress.
Is it a long shot? Absolutely.
But the fact that we are still
talking about it is evidence that the
movement isn’t going to die off any
time soon.
The organizers clearly believe
that their persistence will, in the
end, pay off.
LETTERS to the EDITOR
Wake up, America
It was not so long ago that much-
loved Democrat President John F. Ken-
nedy told the nation in his 1961 inaugural
address, “Ask not what our country can
do for you, ask what you can do for your
country,” implying a sense of self-sacri-
fice was needed by all Americans to keep
the torch of freedom burning bright in a
world filled with tyranny.
This was an idea most could relate to
regardless of political affiliation.
But times have changed, and mod-
ern liberal philosophy has become almost
unrecognizable to previous generations.
It can be more accurately described as
“Forget personal sacrifice, keep sitting on
your behind and let the government rob
your neighbor for you.”
I would ask you to read Kennedy’s
speech, which he referred to God and the
people in his speech. He said, “the belief
that the rights of man come not from the
generosity of the state, but from the hand
of God.”
When was the last time you heard a
political speech from a Democrat poli-
tician mention God in their speeches? It
has been 61 years since President Ken-
nedy made that speech, and I was a Dem-
ocrat at the time, now each and every
Democrat political priority can be broken
down to a simple concept: They are all
designed to take money and power away
from individuals, families, communities,
businesses, charities and states and trans-
fer it directly to the federal government.
I changed my political party affiliation in
2016, and I would encourage the decent
Democrats of America to think long and
hard for which party you choose to live
under. You have until April 26 to change
your voting registration in the state of
Oregon.
Kathy Wilson
Pendleton
living, but it is not the people who serve
us who have raised prices, slowed the
supply chain or made us wait a little lon-
ger to get our errands done.
Let’s start being much nicer to the per-
son behind the counter who is just try-
ing to make a living and doing their job
— let’s make their day by being nice.
Because if it was you behind that counter
instead, how would you feel?
Judi Richter
Elgin
Be nice to the person
behind the counter
The Second Amendment is part of the
Bill of Rights added to the U.S. Constitu-
tion on Dec. 15, 1791.
As I witness the ravaging destruction of
communities in Ukraine by Russian forces,
I am reminded of our nation’s Second
Amendment: “The right of the people to
keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”
I wonder, what if the Ukraine citizens
owned and competently operated their
guns, if they would be so helplessly vulner-
able to the aggressive assaults inflicted by
Putin’s dishonorable warriors.
Susan Mangnall-Harris
Wallowa
I know we’ve all had enough of
COVID, lack of supplies and rising prices.
But I am concerned about what I hear
from our checkout people at every store I
go to, saying they can’t believe how rude
and angry people are getting.
Some have even retired early because
they have had enough — and you won-
der why there aren’t more aisles open for
checking out?
Granted, there are a lot of people sit-
ting at home and letting us pay for their
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
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editorial board. Other columns, letters and cartoons on this page express the opinions
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Office: 209 NW First St., Enterprise, Ore.
Phone: 541-398-5502 • Fax: 541-426-3921
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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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
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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
Could a law like the Second
Amendment help Ukraine?
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