A4
Opinion
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Your vote
can change
the world
W
e can learn something
from Britain, which
shocked the world
last week by voting to leave the
European Union.
It’s a reminder that our votes
mean a lot, and in a democracy it
is the public that has the power.
It’s always good to remind the
government and the elites of
that fact — but it’s also good to
remind ourselves.
When we wield our votes as
punishment or protest, we must
be careful of our aim. When we
try to punish the government and
its institutions, we often punish
ourselves as well.
Perhaps leaving the European
Union will be a good thing for
Britain. More likely, it will cause
years of protracted disentangling
that will leave it isolated and the
European Union weakened.
It’s no wonder the Vladimir
Putins of the world cheered the
vote. When powerful but clearly
fl awed democratic institutions
weaken, authoritarians look to fi ll
in the vacuum.
It seems clear that Scotland
will soon leave the United
Kingdom (and join the EU) and
ever more likely that Ireland
will unify, leaving England and
Wales a decidedly minor player
on the world scene. That’s to
the detriment of the United
States, Europe and defenders of
democracy everywhere.
The European Union is a
bureaucratic tangle, but you
cannot argue that Europe has
ever been richer or more peaceful
during the last 50 years.
Yet this country, the good old
U.S.A., made our Brexit a long
time ago — way back in 1776
— when we eschewed rule from
afar for local control.
It worked out well for the
United States of America. The
future of the “United States of
Europe” is in doubt.
For now, we must let the
machinations of the global
political and economic systems
play out, and let John Maynard
Keynes and Winston Churchill
roll in their graves.
But looking toward
November, we can learn a lesson.
A vote is a powerful thing that
can change the course of nations
and the world.
As German-American
journalist H.L. Mencken put it
in the last century, “Democracy
is the theory that the common
people know what they want,
and deserve to get it good and
hard.”
G UEST C OMMENT
The ‘outside agitator’ idea
By Adam Davis
To the Blue Mountain Eagle
Earlier this year, a group of people
came to Harney County to address
what they perceived to be gross in-
justice. They had concerns about land
ownership, the proper scope of federal
government and the elevation of some
ways of life over others. Unfortunate-
ly, whatever legitimate questions they
hoped to raise were overshadowed
by the weapons they wore and the
threats they posed. And they were, as
we heard throughout the standoff, not
from there. They were outsiders.
While this loaded episode was
playing out in Eastern Oregon, Or-
egon Humanities’ Humanity in Per-
spective class in Portland was read-
ing Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1963
“Letter from Birmingham Jail.” King
begins the letter by defending himself
against the anticipated objection that
he is an outsider in Birmingham. He
says that he was invited in, that he has
organizational ties there. But he also
says, more boldly and provocatively,
that he “cannot sit idly by in Atlanta
and not be concerned about what hap-
pens in Birmingham.”
“Never again,” he continues, “can
we afford to live with the narrow,
provincial ‘outside agitator’ idea.
Anyone who lives inside the United
States can never be considered an
outsider.”
The core of King’s argument is
that, no matter where we come from
or whom we are perceived to repre-
sent, we are all entitled and perhaps
even required to speak out when
we see injustice. In writing “We are
caught in an inescapable network of
mutuality, tied in a single garment
of destiny,” King seems to be saying
that our commitments matter more
than our origins and affi liations.
It’s tempting to compare these two
instances and to wonder if, in princi-
ple, it doesn’t matter that King came
from Atlanta rather than Birming-
ham, or that the Bundy brothers came
from Nevada rather than Eastern Or-
egon. Criticize the Bundy brothers’
efforts for a number of reasons, but,
King’s argument seems to suggest,
don’t condemn them for being out-
siders speaking up on behalf of others
— even others to whom they do not
immediately belong.
But it would be diffi cult and per-
haps misguided to ignore the circum-
stances surrounding these instances
— the burgeoning civil rights move-
ment in the South, the increase of an-
ti-government unrest in rural commu-
nities. These circumstances and our
own feelings about them affect how
we hear the arguments that emerge.
And the perceived identities and affi n-
ities of the speakers affect us, too: that
King was an African American man
in a dark suit, that Ammon Bundy is
a white man in quilted fl annel and a
cowboy hat.
Set alongside each other, King’s
“Letter” and the Malheur occupation
raise the complicated question of how
much the identity of a speaker should
affect how we respond to the argument
they are making. How much — when
it comes specifi cally to representation
— does our “single garment of desti-
ny” tie us together? Is it really the case,
as King seems to suggest, that anyone
— of any race, gender or location —
can speak for anyone else?
Speaking just for myself (which
is how many of us — for lots of good
reasons — have been taught to speak),
I often fi nd it diffi cult to separate the
force of an argument I am hearing
from my perception of the person de-
livering the argument — who they are
and who I imagine they “belong to.”
The very same argument that feels just
right coming from one person might
feel presumptuous, offensive or dis-
missive from another.
It is simply the case that, for me,
King’s argument about there being no
more outsiders in the United States is
strengthened by his making the argu-
ment from jail and by his having been
treated, over and over again, as an out-
sider.
It probably makes sense to look
hard at anyone who claims to speak
for others, to think carefully about how
we come to hear their voices and about
what we’re responding to in what they
say. And it certainly makes sense to
take seriously and to treat with care all
those who have to struggle simply to
speak for themselves and be heard.
Adam Davis is executive director
of Oregon Humanities. This piece was
published in the Spring 2016 “Root”
issue of Oregon Humanities magazine.
L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR
W HERE TO W RITE
GRANT COUNTY
• Grant County Courthouse — 201
S. Humbolt St., Suite 280, Canyon City
97820. Phone: 541-575-0059. Fax: 541-
575-2248.
• Canyon City — P.O. Box 276, Canyon
City 97820. Phone: 541-575-0509. Fax:
541-575-0515. Email: tocc1862@centu-
rylink.net.
• Dayville — P.O. Box 321, Dayville
97825. Phone: 541-987-2188. Fax: 541-
987-2187. Email:dville@ortelco.net
• John Day — 450 E. Main St, John Day,
97845. Phone: 541-575-0028. Fax: 541-
575-1721. Email: cityjd@centurytel.net.
• Long Creek — P.O. Box 489, Long
Creek 97856. Phone: 541-421-3601. Fax:
541-421-3075. Email: info@cityofl ong-
creek.com.
• Monument — P.O. Box 426, Monument
97864. Phone and fax: 541-934-2025.
Email: cityofmonument@centurytel.net.
• Mt. Vernon — P.O. Box 647, Mt.
Vernon 97865. Phone: 541-932-4688. Fax:
541-932-4222. Email: cmtv@ortelco.net.
• Prairie City — P.O. Box 370, Prairie
City 97869. Phone: 541-820-3605. Fax:
820-3566. Email: pchall@ortelco.net.
• Seneca — P.O. Box 208, Seneca
97873. Phone and fax: 541-542-2161.
Email: senecaoregon@gmail.com.
SALEM
• Gov. Kate Brown, D — 254 State
Capitol, Salem 97310. Phone: 503-378-
3111. Fax: 503-378-6827. Website: www.
governor.state.or.us/governor.html.
• Oregon Legislature — State Capitol,
Salem, 97310. Phone: (503) 986-1180.
Website: www. leg.state.or.us (includes
Oregon Constitution and Oregon Revised
Statutes).
Blue Mountain
EAGLE
P UBLISHED EVERY
W EDNESDAY BY
• State Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-Ontario (Dis-
trict: 60), Room H-475, State Capitol, 900
Court St. N.E., Salem OR 97301. Phone:
503-986-1460. Email: rep.cliffbentz@state.
or.us. Website: www.leg.state.or.us/bentz/
home.htm.
• State Sen. Ted Ferrioli, R — (District
30) Room S-223, State Capitol, Salem
97310. Phone: 503-986-1950. Email: sen.
tedferrioli@state.or.us. Email: TFER2@aol.
com. Phone: 541-490-6528. Website: www.
leg.state.or.us/ferrioli.
• Oregon Legislative Information —
(For updates on bills, services, capitol or
messages for legislators) — 800-332-2313.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
• The White House, 1600 Pennsylva-
nia Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20500;
Phone-comments: 202-456-1111; Switch-
board: 202-456-1414.
• U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D — 516 Hart
Senate Offi ce Building, Washington D.C.
20510. Phone: 202-224-5244. Email:
wayne_kinney@wyden.senate.gov Website:
http://wyden.senate.gov Fax: 202-228-2717.
• U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D — 313 Hart
Senate Offi ce Building, Washington D.C.
20510?. Phone: 202-224-3753. Email:
senator@merkley.senate.gov. Fax: 202-
228-3997. Oregon offi ces include One
World Trade Center, 121 S.W. Salmon St.,
Suite 1250, Portland, OR 97204; and 310
S.E. Second St., Suite 105, Pendleton, OR
97801. Phone: 503-326-3386; 541-278-
1129. Fax: 503-326-2990.
• U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, R — (Second
District) 1404 Longworth Building, Wash-
ington D.C. 20515. Phone: 202-225-6730.
No direct email because of spam. Website:
www.walden.house.gov Fax: 202-225-5774.
Medford offi ce: 14 North Central, Suite 112,
Medford, OR 97501. Phone: 541-776-4646.
Fax: 541-779-0204.
Why are ambulance
volunteers turned
down?
Britton has best
interests of Grant
County in mind
To the Editor:
On June 18, two young men were
involved in a one-vehicle accident
around mile post 2 on Top Road in
Monument, the same road I live on.
Both were injured and one very se-
riously. The lesser-injured man ran
all the way to Monument to get help
for his friend. Why did this other,
seriously injured young man have
to wait over an hour to get medical
attention? He died in the arms of his
brother waiting for medical care. It
took an hour for an ambulance to
arrive.
One year ago, Monument had a
fully staffed ambulance of 10 ded-
icated volunteers. Now they are
down to three. My wife resigned her
position as a volunteer EMT inter-
mediate with Blue Mountain Hos-
pital after 16 years of service late
last year due to certain issues with
the ambulance director. She is still
a currently state-licensed interme-
diate. A few months ago, she asked
to rejoin the Monument ambulance
crew and was informed by the hos-
pital that they “had no openings at
this time.” No openings for a volun-
teer when they had just lost seven in
Monument? I feel this young man
was denied his right to prompt medi-
cal care, care which could have been
there in less than six minutes from
when 911 was called. The outcome
most likely would have been no dif-
ferent, but at least he would have op-
portunity. Why?
Darrell Howe
Monument
To the Editor:
Well here we are with another fi re
season just around the corner, and for
many here in the county, including
myself, we aren’t happy about how the
Canyon Creek Complex fi re was han-
dled. While many would like to point a
fi nger at someone to blame, that won’t
ease the feelings of so very many that
lost so much.
I suggest that any fi nger pointing
should be directed back east, way back
east, where all the policy is made as to
how we fi ght these larger fi res.
My main reason for this letter is to
show my support for County Com-
missioner Boyd Britton. I have known
Boyd since he fi rst went into business
in John Day. Boyd is a man that takes
his job seriously knowing that any de-
cision he makes isn’t going to please
everyone, but still he has the best inter-
est in mind for all the citizens of Grant
County. Just what we elected him to
do.
I have supported Boyd in the past
and will continue to do so for as long
as he wants the job.
Rod Kuhn
John Day
Grant County’s Weekly Newspaper
P UBLISHER ............................... M ARISSA W ILLIAMS , MARISSA @ BMEAGLE . COM
E DITOR .................................... S EAN H ART , EDITOR @ BMEAGLE . COM
A DMINISTRATIVE A SSISTANT ........ K RISTINA K REGER , KRISTINA @ BMEAGLE . COM
C OMMUNITY N EWS .................... A NGEL C ARPENTER , ANGEL @ BMEAGLE . COM
S PORTS ................................... A NGEL C ARPENTER , ANGEL @ BMEAGLE . COM
M ARKETING R EP ....................... K IM K ELL , ADS @ BMEAGLE . COM
O FFICE M ANAGER ..................... L INDSAY B ULLOCK , OFFICE @ BMEAGLE . COM
‘We need a
new sheriff’
To the Editor:
I would like to suggest a solution
for a large part of what ails us here in
this beautiful part of the world.
We need a new Sheriff. We need
someone who will follow through
and bring those who put the rest of us
in danger to justice whether it is shots
fi red or a poisoned well or a hit and
run driver plowing through a rural
fence, regardless of the relationship
to the sheriff or his deputies.
A sheriff who doesn’t pick and
choose which calls to answer, regard-
less of severity or distance or incon-
venience.
A sheriff who will listen to all
factions of this county and give ev-
eryone an equal voice regardless of
political or social status. We need a
sheriff’s offi ce which is open to ev-
eryone, not just friends and allies.
A Sheriff who is focused the
rights of all the citizens of Grant
County, and who holds himself ac-
countable for all of his actions, and
is willing to admit when he has made
a mistake or error in judgment.
A Sheriff that has the character to
deal with his staff and citizens in a
professional manner, providing an
atmosphere of mutual cooperation,
not administrating the offi ce of
sheriff through fear and intimida-
tion.
We need a Sheriff who will make
decisions based upon logic and the
rule of law, rather than personal
opinion, emotion and ego. We need
a Sheriff who will truly stand by
the decisions of our forefathers and
the Constitution, not some abridged
version subject to personal interpre-
tation.
Because I believe in Honesty,
Integrity, and the need for common
sense and competence in the offi ce
of our County Sheriff, I Stand With
Todd McKinley.
Dan Maynard
John Day
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