OPINION
Wallowa.com
Wednesday, July 13, 2022
A5
OTHER
VIEWS
Christine Flowers
A different
perspective
for America’s
critics
D
uring the Bicentennial year of
1976, I was a 15-year-old his-
tory geek. To be alive for the
200th birthday of our nation, partic-
ularly in Philadelphia, where it all
began, was intoxicating.
My mother got into the act by
dressing her five kids as Revolution-
ary characters: I was Betsey Ross, my
three younger brothers were a motley
Spirit of ’76 and my 5-year-old sister
was trapped in a large papier-mache
version of the Liberty Bell. As mem-
ory serves, the bell part of the cos-
tume was so wide she couldn’t make
it through most doorways to ask for
candy, so there was at least one first-
grader in Delco, who wished the Brit-
ish had won.
The history of this magnificent
country is so personal to me that I
chose to devote my life to helping
create new Americans through my
immigration practice. Standing beside
someone who was born in another
land but has jumped through diffi-
cult obstacles to take an oath to this
one is a sobering, humbling expe-
rience. I’d recommend it if you’re
suffering from cynicism or worse,
anti-Americanism.
In fact, I’d recommend a trip to
one of those naturalization ceremo-
nies for many of the people I saw
whining on social media about how
they didn’t feel like celebrating on
July 4. You know the ones I’m talking
about, men and women who assumed
that world-weary attitude about how
flawed we were, how much inequity
there was, how cruel it was to erase
rights (that never existed in the first
place, Planned Parenthood) and how
ridiculous those brainwashed patriots
were. Gun violence, misogyny, rac-
ism, xenophobia, transphobia, clas-
sism and all of the other ills in Pan-
dora’s Tupperware were trotted out
to remind the rest of us that we were
idiots to raise the flag, place hand on
heart and give thanks.
The Constitution gives those whin-
ers the right to dissent, and to com-
municate their grievances to the
masses in whatever way they choose,
as long as it doesn’t foment vio-
lence. There was no point in trying
to tell these wizened, bitter folk that
the only reason they are able to criti-
cize this country is that they live in it.
The only reason they have the liberty
to malign the flag or the country’s
founding documents is they live in a
country that is constantly looking in a
mirror and acknowledging its flaws.
Many of the men and women
who take that oath to protect, pre-
serve, serve and defend this country
at those naturalization hearings have
come from places where speaking out
will get you a cot in a gulag, or a pre-
mature grave. That’s not to say that
we should remain silent in the face
of injustice. Expression is the key-
stone of our liberties, and censorship
(including self-censorship) is inim-
ical to freedom. Words, in the right
mouths and from the right pens, are
powerful things.
But there is such a thing as con-
text, and a lot of these grievance
mongers are tone deaf. Women who
lament the fact that they can no lon-
ger access abortion rights wherever
and whenever they want should look
to their sisters in Afghanistan, and
choose their words wisely. Gun con-
trol advocates who support draco-
nian measures to limit gun ownership
should consider what happens when
the government determines exactly
how we can and should defend our-
selves, especially in places like Phil-
adelphia where criminals will always
have access to guns. People who
accuse Supreme Court justices of
imposing their religious beliefs on
the “rest of us” should look to China,
where the government actually does
impose its “nonbelief” on its citizens.
Maybe I’ve been handling asy-
lum cases for too long. Perhaps my
view of this country and its meaning
is mired in the sepia-toned photos of
Main Street, Norman Rockwell and
Frank Capra films.
But maybe I’m the one who’s
truly representative of the majority of
Americans, people who recognize the
shortcomings, who aren’t blind to the
flaws and who still have the ability to
understand how very blessed we are.
———
Christine Flowers is an attor-
ney and a columnist for the Dela-
ware County Daily Times, and can be
reached at cflowers1961@gmail.com.
Planning the perfect picnic
IT’S ABOUT
HEALTH AND
WELLNESS
Ann Bloom
F
rom watermelons to berries — black-
berries, raspberries and blueberries
— hot dogs and ice cream, July is a
month full of tasty food choices that make
summer a time for special occasions and
celebrations such as family reunions, par-
ties and backyard barbecues. July is also
National Picnic Month.
A picnic can be as simple or as ornate,
as planned or as spontaneous as a person
wants. Either way, safety and organization
are important. Believe it or not, there is a
way to pack and organize a picnic basket or
hamper. In fact, some say there is an art to
packing for a picnic outing.
Let’s start with organization and packing.
Before packing begins, there is some prepa-
ration that will help make your picnic a suc-
cess, starting with some basics such as a
blanket (if you are sitting on the ground) or
a tablecloth if you opt for a picnic table at a
park. Next, consider a hamper or picnic bas-
ket, a wine or bottle opener for beverages,
wipes to wash hands, cloth or paper napkins,
a cutting board, serving spoons, plates, por-
table condiments, a trash bag, salt and pep-
per/seasonings, a folding knife for slicing,
cutlery and toothpicks to spear those olives
or other nibbles. Instead of transporting
the original containers of condiments (i.e.,
mustard and catsup), which take up valu-
able space, measure them out into smaller
containers.
A small first-aid kit is a good idea to
bring along; it is hoped you won’t need it,
but cuts and scrapes do happen, as do bug
bites. Also, if anyone in your party is allergic
to bee or wasp stings, remember an anaphy-
laxis kit such as an EpiPen. And don’t forget
the sunscreen — even for cloudy days.
The destination is another part of plan-
ning the successful and fun picnic excur-
sion. Wallowa County has many locations
that lend themselves to a picnic including,
but not limited to, the state park at the lake.
Other locations to check out include the
city parks — Enterprise, Joseph and Wal-
lowa. Even a pullout by the river, if there is
a grassy area far enough away from the road
can serve as a picnic spot.
The menu is probably the most fun of all
to plan for a picnic. There are so many reci-
pes to choose from, websites to consult and
magazines to look through for ideas, it is
hard to know where to begin.
As with preparation and destination, food
runs the gamut from cold fried chicken to
a variety of salads (pasta, potato, veggie
and fruit), with rolls and desserts rounding
out the menu. Of course, there’s also dev-
iled eggs, too, and appetizers such as cured
olives, cheese plates and vegetable plat-
ters with assorted dips. And don’t forget the
chips. The world of picnic fare is seemingly
endless. Beverage choices abound, too.
There are now a variety of sodas, iced teas
in several summer flavors, juices and fla-
vored waters. For a refreshing summer pic-
nic beverage try adding sliced fruit such as
oranges or limes, or cucumbers, to water
with ice and taking it along in a thermos jug.
Once you have decided on the menu,
next comes the preparation for packing. As
with any food-related activity, food safety is
important. The rule about keeping hot foods
hot and cold foods cold also applies to pic-
nics. Hot foods should be kept at a constant
temperature at or above 140 degrees Fahren-
heit until serving time and cold foods should
be kept at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit
before serving. Foods should be returned to
their respective hot and cold temperatures
and containers within two hours of serving
to avoid the development of bacteria which
causes food-borne illnesses.
The use of cold packs, or ice in bags, in
coolers can keep cold foods cold. Foods that
need to be kept hot can be placed in insu-
lated thermoses or carriers; this may apply
more to picnics in the cooler, fall months
than the hotter summer months. Depending
on the weather, though, picnics can happen
in any season.
Packing a picnic basket or hamper and a
cooler is simple and easy. Heavy foods go
in first and softer foods go on top. This will
keep the softer foods, such as sandwiches
or cakes and desserts from being crushed by
the heavier foods such as bowls of salads.
Using reusable containers helps to protect
food, ensuring things arrive intact and can
also help maintain appropriate temperature.
Reusable containers to pack food, instead
of using foil or plastic wrap, also has the
advantage that your foods won’t leak before
arrival.
After a picnic of fun, good food, good
friends and beverages, don’t forget to be
a responsible picnicker and pack out your
trash. Often overlooked, a few trash bags
will make clean up a fast and easy task. You
can use one for garbage, one for dirty dishes
and one for recyclables such as cardboard,
soda cans and glass.
Not all picnic destinations come with
potable water — water that is safe for
human use. This is where a supply of dis-
posable wipes or premoistened paper tow-
els from home come in handy to wipe sticky
hands, wipe up spills, clean hands before
eating and after packing up the garbage
before heading for home. A bottle of hand
sanitizer is an added benefit.
Wherever your next picnic takes you, and
whatever your menu, with a little planning,
and following a few simple suggestions,
your next picnic will be a sure success and
you will be a veteran picnicker in no time.
———
Ann Bloom lives in Enterprise and has
worked for the OSU Extension Service for
15 years as a nutrition educator. She stud-
ied journalism and education at Washington
State University.
Governor race takes a turn with SCOTUS decisions
OTHER VIEWS
Randy Stapilus
T
he independent gubernatorial candi-
dacy of Betsy Johnson is predicated
on bringing together two dissatis-
fied groups — Republicans unhappy with
the Trumpy side of their party, Democrats
unhappy with the Portland-style liberalism in
theirs — with independents to form a poly-
glot plurality.
She took a useful step in that direction
with her call for a series of debates around
the state in addition to the traditional Oregon
Newspaper Publishers Association faceoff,
and “if possible, it would be preferable for
these debates to be televised, so that more
people are able to hear directly from the
candidates.”
That tactic comes with high risk for John-
son in this season, not because of any lack
of skill at the podium, but because of land-
mine issues.
Three things have happened in the last
month or so, two in the last week, that has
upset that calculation.
One, purely political, came in the Repub-
lican primary election, when Christine Dra-
zan, a former legislator who led her party’s
House caucus, won her party’s nomination.
She probably was the most broadly appeal-
ing of the many contenders, even winning
endorsements from news media like the Ore-
gonian and Bend Bulletin. The part of John-
son’s strategy based on breakaway Repub-
lican voters, who might have been more
interested in an independent if the nominee
were weaker, took a hit with that result.
The other two, more recent, develop-
ments were national in origin.
One was the U.S. Supreme Court gun
decision overturning a long-standing New
York law on public guns, swiftly follow-
ing a much-noted mass shooting of school
children in Uvalde, Texas. That has put the
whole question of gun regulation and rights
close up.
That’s not a difficult issue for either
Drazan, who, with her A rating from the
National Rifle Association, is in line with her
party, or for the Democratic nominee, Tina
Kotek, who like her party favors stricter reg-
ulation. (She has called for a debate centered
around gun policy.) Support and opposition
for both are baked in. Johnson, too, has an A
rating from the National Rifle Association,
which may hurt her with Democrats.
The third development is abortion, some-
thing I noted two months ago, as a “polit-
ical issue not top of mind for most Orego-
nians but (which) may get there in coming
months.” It seems to have arrived.
Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s
(expected) reversal of Roe v. Wade on June
24, the future of abortion has become the
topic of the moment and probably of the
weeks to come, and it may affect the upcom-
ing November elections. Abortion battles
coast to coast are boiler over already. Ore-
gon’s rules on abortion won’t change — for
now — but will be affected by what other
states do. And national Republican political
figures (notably former Vice President Mike
Pence) have called for a nationwide abortion
ban, which they likely would try to pass if
they’re able after the 2024 election.
The gubernatorial candidates split on this
opposite to the way they do on guns. More
or less.
Drazan was one of four endorsed gov-
ernor candidates of Oregon Right to Life,
which opposes abortion “from the moment
of conception to natural death.” She tweeted
her praise of the Roe reversal and pledged to
follow up on it; we can expect to hear more
about where she would try to take Oregon,
and whether she’d back a nationwide ban.
She may face a tug of war between a base
urging her to commit to reversing the state’s
pro-choice policies, and a broader electorate
less accepting of that idea.
Independent Betsy Johnson said clearly,
“I am pro-choice. This is a bedrock issue for
me and, frankly, for Oregon, a fundamen-
tal right.”
That could hurt her with Republicans —
but it’s not all of the story. Within hours of
the Supreme Court decision, Kotek released
a memo pointing out that Johnson had
just welcomed, as chairwoman of Repub-
licans for Johnson, former governor can-
didate Bridget Barton. She, like Drazan,
was a co-endorsee of Oregon Right to Life,
and said of abortion, “My efforts as gover-
nor will focus on support for all human life,
including all of our most vulnerable from
conception.” That could be enough to make
some otherwise tempted Democrats uneasy.
(Kotek also tied Drazan to several anti-abor-
tion measures that probably would not sell
well with the Oregon electorate.)
It’s Kotek, the Democrat with strong pro-
choice views (endorsed by Planned Parent-
hood Advocates of Oregon, Pro-Choice Ore-
gon and The Mother PAC) who has seized
the abortion issue with a parade of state-
ments since the court ruling, and for good
reason: Her stance is likely close to that of a
majority of Oregon voters.
In 2018 a relatively modest ballot mea-
sure which would scale back (but not elim-
inate) public funding for abortions, was
rejected by voters 64% to 36%. Support in
Oregon for retaining something like Roe v.
Wade may be even more sweeping. Earlier,
in 2014 (if national trends are any indication,
pro-Roe views were less popular than now)
a Pew Research study found 63% of Orego-
nians thought abortion should be “legal in
all/most cases.”
Abortion and guns, so often nationally a
prescription for conservative wins, could cut
the other way in Oregon this November.
———
Randy Stapilus has researched and writ-
ten about Northwest politics and issues since
1976 for a long list of newspapers and other
publications. A former newspaper reporter
and editor, and more recently an author and
book publisher, he lives in Carlton.