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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 14, 2016)
A4 Opinion Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, September 14, 2016 From current event to history he tragic events of September 11, 2001, happened 15 years ago. That means the event is now closer to the era of the Berlin Wall than to present day. 9/11 — the defi ning moment of today’s world order — is moving from a current event into the realm of history. That’s the neighborhood of not just the USSR, but the assassinations of the 1960s and the bombing of Pearl Harbor — dates that now live in infamy, but also textbooks and yellowed newspaper pages. Many have never forgotten 9/11, but a growing number of Americans never even knew it. Current high school students were not alive when the towers fell. They did not huddle in offi ces or dorm rooms or the Round-Up Grounds to watch the incomprehensible footage on television. They did not call their wives and husbands, mothers and fathers and sons and daughters, to cry onto shoulders and through landline telephones. They never knew the 3,000 people who were lost that day. They did not watch the entire foundation of the world disappear in explosions and columns of dust. They did not have the seething anger, the desire for vengeance, the foreboding sense that a world T of warfare was on the horizon and America was no longer invincible. Even the partisan poet Leonard Cohen wrote and sang soon after the towers fell: “Did you go crazy/or did you report/on that day/they wounded New York?” The legacy of September 11 — the destruction of the Twin Towers, the Pentagon crash and Flight 93 — has become muddled by the fog of two wars, further disintegration of peace in the Middle East, the current refugee crisis and an inability to stabilize the world. Our immediate sense of foreboding was right in tune. But time has stripped us of the seething anger, and it has been replaced instead by growing apathy and isolationism. There is no sense in mourning the passage of time. The hand-wringing required to do so is better spent on the wash. But we can study history in order to avoid repeating the same mistakes. The attacks exposed deep fi ssures in the world that two presidents have failed to heal, as have any number of world and religious leaders. As 9/11 becomes history, we have more to learn from our response — both as people and as nations — than we do from the terrible events of that day. 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. L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR ‘Freedom is under siege’ To the Editor: Despotism, if not exactly “on the march” and assuming control of country after country across the globe as it did the in the 1920s and 1930s, is certainly making itself felt in global meetings of statesmen and in diplomatic forums. President Obama’s decidedly unpleasant dust- up recently with the Philippines’ ex- terminatory ruler, Rodrigo Duterte, illustrates just how dicey the diplo- matic circuit can get when our own politicians fi nd themselves obliged to interact with foreign strongmen whose views and methodologies happen to enjoy massive popular support. Duterte’s approval ratings are stratospherically high. A fed- up and desperate Filipino elector- ate obviously has no objections to his “dose of lead” solution to that country’s crime and drug problems. Duterte can legitimately point to a massive democratic mandate that he achieved within the context of multi-party political competition. Obama’s team also fi nds it nec- essary to interact fairly frequently with the likes of Vladimir Putin of Russia, X. Jin-ping of China and many other autocrats who main- tain law and order with an iron fi st, and who have the “masses” behind them while they do so. Dictatorship in our era, for the most part, does its “dictating” courtesy of the sov- ereign people. It thrives whenever and wherever that often-mysterious entity known as John Q. Public ex- presses a desire to simply destroy the “rotten scum” that is respon- sible, so they think, for all of their problems. Duterte’s popularity in the Philippines derives from his nearly perfect understanding of how the Filipino masses think. There was a relatively short “window” during the 1990s, im- mediately after the Cold War’s end, when it appeared that unfettered and undiluted democracy would sweep the boards, and humankind’s future would be one of liberty without lim- it. “The End of History” was envi- sioned. All would be peace, joy and the love of liberty. That point of view was na- ive. Freedom is under siege, and iron-fi sted rule is making strides even in places where one least ex- pects it. Frank W. Goheen Vancouver, Washington ‘Dangerous Donald Trump’ To the Editor: Dangerous Donald Trump might be a threat to our viability. He could try to assume dictatorial powers and abolish the Constitution, Congress and the Supreme Court. Some of his supporters are far-right extremists. His candidacy is reminiscent of the Fascists in Germany, Italy and Ja- pan during the 1930s and 1940s. Trump has unwittingly proposed to pull our troops out of South Ko- rea and Japan if they do not pay for our aid. This will open up the Far East to Chinese and North Korean expansion. He might try to abandon NATO, thereby enabling Russian expansion in Europe. Trump doesn’t have a problem with countries ac- quiring nuclear weapons. He even encouraged Russia to spy on Clin- ton. His blunders could lead to mis- calculations by totalitarian regimes and increase the possibility of war. Amazingly, he says he knows more about ISIS than our generals. Trump appears to be unstable, shallow and disorganized, and he does not have the requisite knowl- edge or understanding of U.S. and world affairs, nor the intellectual capacity, to be president and com- mander-in-chief. Vote for the socially liberal and fi scally conservative Libertarian ticket of Johnson/Weld. Donald Moskowitz Londonderry, New Hampshire I support McKinley for sheriff To the Editor: Todd McKinley worked for us for awhile. Charlie said he had ev- erything ready for the next day and was thinking forward to the next weeks. Todd is a “planner.” He likes to be prepared for everything. I talked to a man who had worked with Todd on Search and Rescue. He had been involved for many years. He said Todd was one of the best he’d ever seen. We knew a man who fought fi re with Todd on the Mt. Vernon Fire Department. He told us Todd was very well organized and a really good leader; plus he was out there fi ghting fi re with them. In March 2013, I had someone vandalize my head gates at Camp Creek. I called the sheriff’s offi ce, and Todd responded. He handled the situation quickly, very effi cient- ly and quietly. Afterwards he ex- plained to me what he’d done and what I should do. Most important to me, Todd is a wonderful husband, father and pro- vider. I was told this by a close fam- ily member. His wife and children are solidly behind him. I think Todd McKinley will make a very good sheriff. Jan O’Rorke John Day City council should pledge and pray before meetings To the Editor: Regarding the report in the paper on the John Day City Council meet- ing a few weeks ago, I hope you continue the practice. It’s good to know what our city leaders are do- ing — or not. It wasn’t mentioned in the article, but I had asked that the council pledge allegiance to the fl ag and pray at the meetings. The last time I asked that it be done, a coun- cilperson worried about separation of church and state. I referenced her to Marsh v. Chambers, the Supreme Court decision that reads in part, “To invoke Divine guidance ... is not ... an ‘establishment’ of religion ... it is simply a tolerable acknowledgment of beliefs widely held among the people of this country.” A councilman last time objected saying John Day couldn’t afford a fl ag! So this time I brought a small fl ag with me to donate to our poor city; one councilman said he knew where there was a fl ag, but he was quickly hushed. Another council- man said he prayed at home. May- or Lundbom said many times there weren’t enough people in atten- dance at the meetings to pray for, totally missing the point. Council- persons led by a local cleric would be praying corporately for we the people of John Day, not themselves; they can do that at home. Mayor Lundbom was concerned that prayer might offend someone. Grant County Court and the senior center offer a salute to the fl ag and prayer; no one has ever gotten of- fended that I know about. One councilman opposed to the pledge and prayer decided to go the ad hominem route in his argument and attacked me personally. That re- ally doesn’t encourage community involvement. Appearing before the council for the average Jack and Jill citizen is scary enough without be- ing criticized for the effort. There really isn’t a good reason not to say the pledge and a brief non-sectarian prayer as the senior center and county court do. It’s sim- ply a tolerable acknowledgment of beliefs widely held among the peo- ple of John Day. Richard S. “Richie” Colbeth John Day Owner, not neighborhood, should care for pet To the Editor: In regards to last week’s front- page story regarding dogs and their owners, dogs might be “man’s best friend,” but that opinion is often not the view of neighbors and others close by! Too often, that “cute lit- tle pup” loses its owner’s attraction once it’s grown. Then it’s the near- by neighbors who pay the price for the resulting dog owner’s impulse and neglect. We’ve had an array of dogs and cats of our own through the years, mostly while living out in the country where they could run freely and not be a nuisance to rela- tively distant neighbors. But in city boundaries, just because one neigh- bor chooses to own a pet of any kind doesn’t mean the whole neigh- borhood wants to be a part of that choice, and then become unwilling victims or caretakers of the animal. Pet owners have the freedom to own a pet — but with that comes the re- sponsibility to care for and control it, and to be sensitive to the often unwanted involvement, intrusion and disturbance that choice forces on all those in the neighborhood. Gary Davidson Canyon City See LETTERS, Page A5 L etters policy: Letters to the Editor is a forum for Blue Mountain Eagle readers to express themselves on local, state, national or world issues. Brevity is good, but longer letters will be asked to be contained to 350 words. No personal attacks; challenge the opinion, not the person. No thank-you letters. Submissions to this page become property of the Eagle. The Eagle reserves the right to edit letters for length and for content. Letters must be original and signed by the writer. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Writers should include a telephone number so they can be reached for questions. We must limit all contributors to one letter per person per month. Deadline is 5 p.m. Friday. Send letters to editor@bmeagle.com, or Blue Mountain Eagle, 195 N. Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR 97845; or fax to 541-575-1244. Grant County’s Weekly Newspaper P UBLISHER ............................... M ARISSA W ILLIAMS , MARISSA @ BMEAGLE . 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