A4
Opinion
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, March 28, 2018
See something,
say something
I
t doesn’t take a medical
degree to do CPR, and that’s
the point.
If only surgeons and doctors
knew how to help the victim
of a heart attack, many more
people would die of heart
attacks. In the 1970s, Tacoma,
Washington led the way in
training ordinary U.S. citizens
to perform cardiopulmonary
resuscitation. Countless lives
have been saved as a result of
widespread knowledge of CPR.
Because nearly one in five
Americans are trained to see
the signs of cardiac arrest,
resuscitate the victim and call
in trained professionals to take
over care, everyone around
them is safer. Same goes for
basic first aid and the Heimlich
maneuver.
But when it comes to mental
health care, we don’t have
the same attitude. Too many
people feel unprepared to step
into someone else’s psychotic
breakdown or depression or
incapable of administering
life-saving measures that don’t
involve chest compressions.
And even if they’re willing,
they may worry they won’t
have the right words.
But just like in a heart attack,
providing aid doesn’t mean
solving the problem. It means
administering the necessary
help until the victim can get
complete treatment from a
professional.
That’s the idea behind QPR
(question, persuade and refer)
training, which some county
health departments around
Oregon have been offering. If
more people take on the role
of “gatekeepers,” trained to
recognize and respond to those
suffering a mental health crisis
or having suicidal thoughts, we
will create a network of support
that will decrease the number
of suicides.
It’s a three-step process of
questioning, persuading and
referring.
The first step is to be frank
and direct, especially about
suicide. One Oregon prevention
education specialist recently
explained that you can’t plant
the idea of suicide in someone’s
mind by talking about it.
Either they are or they aren’t
considering it, and by bringing
it to the open you are bringing
it out from the dark.
The signs might not be
obvious, but if someone
exhibits sudden shifts in
demeanor or mood, talks about
what life would be like if they
were gone or shows an interest
in getting rid of personal
belongings, it’s a good time to
broach the subject.
The next step is to persuade
— to explain that help is
available and that their life is
important to you and others.
It’s important to speak in
positive terms, and not demean
the person for considering
suicide.
The last step is refer —
knowing where to get the
person the help they need.
See the “suicide prevention
resources” sidebar on the
previous page for some
numbers to call for immediate
help.
For more information
on suicide prevention, call
Community Counseling
Solutions in John Day at 541-
575-1466. The National Suicide
Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-
273-TALK.
Routine QPR training would
be an excellent idea in every
corner of Oregon.
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@cityoflong-
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:
Blue Mountain
EAGLE
P UBLISHED EVERY
W EDNESDAY BY
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).
• Oregon Legislative Information —
(For updates on bills, services, capitol or
messages for legislators) — 800-332-2313.
• Sen. Cliff Bentz, R-Ontario – 900
Court St. NE, S-301, Salem 97301. Phone:
503-986-1730. Website: www.oregonlegis-
lature.gov/Bentz. Email: Sen.CliffBentz@
oregonlegislature.gov.
L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR
Liberal reaction
absurd and shallow
To the Editor:
Two weeks ago, 10 students
walked out of Grant Union in re-
membrance of school gun-violence
victims. Local liberals immedi-
ately took to social media to pro-
claim these students as courageous.
There’s nothing exemplary about
student action that’s the equivalent
of attending a field trip.
The event was encouraged,
planned and scripted. Students
and parents had advance notice
of the insignificant “punishment”
they would face for participating.
Involvement under those circum-
stances indicates little more than
those students are typical teenagers
trying to figure out their own voices
— and good for them.
In contrast, the previous week, two
students stood for their own personal
beliefs in protesting a teacher who
refuses to stand for the Pledge of Al-
legiance, who consistently interjects
personal opinion into her lectures and
who has created a hostile learning en-
vironment for children who are also
exploring their own identities (con-
servative, in this case).
Those students requested a meet-
ing on their own time and with sub-
stantial risk to themselves, to discuss
their concerns with that teacher and
the principal. Their rational and re-
spectful behavior was met with de-
rision and irrelevant emotion. While
the students were commanded to re-
main quiet, the teacher immediately
called these children “self absorbed
self righteous little (expletive delet-
ed)” on Facebook and repeated phys-
ical threats made by other students
towards the two boys. Local liberals
rose to her defense and applauded her
actions until the post was removed.
Liberal reaction to both events
demonstrates the absurdity and shal-
lowness that pervades the current
“progressive” movement — which
is anything but the tolerant and inclu-
sive crusade it claims. Instead, it has
become about forcing social “reform”
using its current political and institu-
tional strength to punish anyone who
doesn’t conform. It’s become about
changing our community no matter
how arbitrarily, destructively or irre-
versibly.
I refuse to celebrate mediocrity.
Instead, I cheer the two young men
that stood up for their deeply held,
personal convictions in the face of
adversity and fear of retaliation. I’m
very proud to call both of them my
heroes. Thank you for typifying the
character and integrity that so many
adults in this community cannot seem
to find.
Shaun W. Robertson
John Day
Compassion, respect
needed today
To the Editor:
We applaud and are proud of
the students at Grant Union High
School who participated in the
walkout on March 14. Students
stood for one minute of silence in
remembrance of each human being
gunned down at Majory Stoneman
Douglas High School in Parkland,
Florida. The compassion and re-
spect you demonstrated will remain
with you always — and is much
needed in today’s world.
Sandy and Mark Murray
Prairie City
‘We must do better!’
To the Editor:
We must do better!
Michael Byrne, running against
Greg Walden in Oregon’s Second
District, comes with strong popu-
list and working man values: $15
minimum wage, affordable housing
now, stop predatory lending practic-
es, credit agencies reform, thought-
ful wise use of federal lands that
belong to all of us, stop the wasting
trillions of dollars on war, instead,
rebuild this country’s infrastruc-
ture. Our children deserve every re-
source available to grow and thrive.
The military industrial complex
isn’t conspiracy theory. It is a fact,
and along with that, net neutrality
was repealed with serious help from
Greg Walden!
A real, sensible approach will
address causes of illegal immigra-
tion rather than the side effects,
beginning with responsible trade
policy that protects workers and the
environment and increases the stan-
dard of living on both sides of the
border.
Corporate America is making
their profits off the backs of hard
working families. It’s time they pay
their fair share. Real tax reform is
needed because most politicians are
bought and paid for by corporate
interests. But what about the work-
ing families who can’t afford to buy
politicians?
Michael supports Bernie Sand-
ers’ College for All Act, eliminating
tuition and fees at public colleges
and universities — and paid for
by Wall Street speculation taxes.
Michael believes Wall Street taxes
should cover the whole cost, rather
than just 67 percent of it.
With the decline in manufactur-
ing jobs came a decline in union
jobs and real wages. The unioniza-
tion of America’s workforce should
be a national mandate.
The future is in renewable en-
ergy, and we are blessed with wind
and solar galore here in Oregon.
The design, installation and main-
tenance of solar arrays and wind
turbines are the family wage jobs
of the future! The Clean Energy
Jobs Bill in 2019 would help retrain
workers for these jobs.
By supporting Michael Byrne
now, you help turn the tide from
the destruction being wrought in
D.C. Every dollar helps. Get in-
volved, and make all of our lives
better by voting these priorities
into office!
Robin Bloomgarden
Medford
County relies on
EMS services
To the Editor:
As a former John Day resident,
Mt. Vernon resident, Grant Coun-
ty resident and former firefighter,
I would like to put in that the res-
idents need updated equipment and
a building for the citizens of Grant
County. They need the EMS ser-
vices and continuing education for
the EMTs and firefighters that Grant
County relies on, so please listen to
the citizens.
Wayne Sypert
Sandy
Farm-friendly,
pro-biofuels work
positive
To the Editor:
The debate surrounding the Re-
newable Fuel Standard (RFS) has
intensified and become much more
complex recently. The efforts of a
handful of oil refineries to portray
the RFS as an unfair law to their
bottom lines has attracted political
opportunists like Sen. Ted Cruz
to fight on their side. In times like
these, when the opposition ramps
up considerably, we must reflect
on how lucky we are to have great
biofuel champions in industry, Con-
gress and the White House and en-
courage them to keep up the fight.
An East Coast oil refiner’s
downfall was the perfect opportuni-
ty for oil lobbyists and Sen. Cruz to
exploit. Sen. Cruz has campaigned
for months to reform the RIN sys-
tem and has held the confirmation
of Bill Northey to his U.S. De-
partment of Agriculture position
hostage until he got what he want-
ed. He argued on behalf of the oil
industry, who only want to see the
RFS weakened and their control
of the pump strengthened. If their
plans ever came to fruition, it would
come at the cost of farmers already
seeing declining incomes and
hard-working employees at over
200 biorefineries across the country.
Thankfully, Sens. Chuck Grass-
ley and Joni Ernst have been there
every step of the way to combat
these attacks. At a biofuels meeting
in the White House last week, they
represented farmers and biorefinery
workers everywhere in defending
the RFS and seeing that Northey
was finally confirmed to his USDA
position, where he’ll join the Iowan
senators’ fight to promote American
biofuels.
With more biofuel meetings with
President Trump on the horizon, it’s
now more critical than ever that our
leaders in congress know that this
is exactly the kind of farm-friend-
ly, pro-biofuels work we wished
of them when we cast our vote for
President Trump.
Kraig Hoene
Lebanon
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
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