A4 Opinion Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, August 29, 2018 Farewell to an American hero W ith the passing of Sen. John McCain this week, the nation lost a good man and a true American hero. The decorated Naval aviator, prisoner of war and longtime Arizona senator embodied the ideals that make this country great. From Vietnam to Capitol Hill, McCain courageously fought for what he believed in, and he always put the country before himself. McCain recognized that, for our republic to survive, we must respect each other and work together to do what’s best for our country and our collective future. Sometimes chided as a “maverick” for working across the aisle, the senator has received bipartisan memorial tributes from almost everyone with whom he worked. Even from his deathbed, McCain sought to bring our country together — a fitting farewell for a true American hero. Rick Davis, McCain’s former presidential campaign manager and a family spokesman, read the following farewell statement from McCain at a press conference at the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona: My fellow Americans, whom I have gratefully served for 60 years, and especially my fellow Arizonans, Thank you for the privilege of serving you and for the rewarding life that service in uniform and in public office has allowed me to lead. I have tried to serve our country honorably. I have made mistakes, but I hope my love for America will be weighed favorably against them. I have often observed that I am the luckiest person on earth. I feel that way even now as I prepare for the end of my life. I have loved my life, all of it. I have had experiences, adventures and friendships enough for 10 satisfying lives, and I am so thankful. Like most people, I have regrets. But I would not trade a day of my life, in good or bad times, for the best day of anyone else’s. I owe that satisfaction to the love of my family. No man ever had a more loving wife or children he was prouder of than I am of mine. And I owe it to America. To be connected to America’s causes — liberty, equal justice, respect for the dignity of all people — brings happiness more sublime than life’s fleeting pleasures. Our identities and sense of worth are not circumscribed but enlarged by serving good causes bigger than ourselves. “Fellow Americans” — that association has meant more to me than any other. I lived and died a proud American. We are citizens of the world’s greatest republic, a nation of ideals, not blood and soil. We are blessed and are a blessing to humanity when we uphold and advance those ideals at home and in the world. We have helped liberate more people from tyranny and poverty than ever before in history. We have acquired great wealth and power in the process. We weaken our greatness when we confuse our patriotism with tribal rivalries that have sown resentment and hatred and violence in all the corners of the globe. We weaken it when we hide behind walls, rather than tear them down, when we doubt the power of our ideals, rather than trust them to be the great force for change they have always been. We are 325 million opinionated, vociferous individuals. We argue and compete and sometimes even vilify each other in our raucous public debates. But we have always had so much more in common with each other than in disagreement. If only we remember that and give each other the benefit of the presumption that we all love our country we will get through these challenging times. We will come through them stronger than before. We always do. Ten years ago, I had the privilege to concede defeat in the election for president. I want to end my farewell to you with the heartfelt faith in Americans that I felt so powerfully that evening. I feel it powerfully still. Do not despair of our present difficulties but believe always in the promise and greatness of America, because nothing is inevitable here. Americans never quit. We never surrender. We never hide from history. We make history. Farewell, fellow Americans. God bless you, and God bless America. L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR Slow down in Dayville To the Editor: Our little town of Dayville loves our visitors, be them from near or far. We only ask one thing of our visitors, and that is to respect us and ours by driving the speed limit. I witnessed what could have been a tragedy today, had Dad not been quick enough. A little one had won- dered out into the highway with a car quickly (over the speed limit) approaching. Just thinking back on it makes the heartbeat speed up. We may be just over a mile from city limit sign to city limit sign, but what is extremely important to us is what is found between those two boundaries. We have children, grandchildren, moms, dads, grandparents, even great grandparents, aunts, uncles and animals of all shapes and sizes. We have walkers, strollers (both kinds), drivers, runners, joggers and riders, which are of different sizes, age and speeds. Those of us who live and work on Highway 26 are amazed and shocked at the speed that some people choose to travel. It’s not just cars. It is also pickups with trailers of all kinds. All sizes of trucks hauling all sorts of supplies and goods. Please slow down, enjoy the sights. You can even stop and give us a visit so we can show you why we “love our little town!” Ilah Bennett Dayville ‘The uncooperative co-op’ To the Editor: Someone once noted that “the whole point of good propaganda” is that “you want to create a slogan that nobody’s going to be against ... Nobody knows what it means, because it doesn’t mean anything. It’s crucial that it diverts your attention from a question that does mean something...” Which brings me to the recent issue of Oregon Trail Electric Co-op’s Ruralite. Nestled amongst articles on county fairs and funerals was an article offering slo- gans aplenty and another highlighting the D.C. Youth Tour. These were meant to burnish the reputation of OTEC as a community-minded entity, but careful reading reveals just empty slogans and half-truths. The article “It’s a Matter of Principles,” contained seven warm and fuzzy headliner slogans, but I’ll con- centrate on the first: “The Power of Membership,” with translations along the way. “Local members call the shots” — if you can get through all the obstacles for getting elected as a well paid director, they will have to listen to you; otherwise forget it. “We are accessible. You can call or email us and know someone here is listening.” — of course they lis- ten, but they don’t have to respond, especially if you ask essential questions pertaining to rate studies or em- ployee compensation. Directors “have only two things in mind: ... keeping the lights on and keeping costs affordable.” — except for bloated administrative salaries and pet projects like sending well-heeled teens to lobby in D.C., which de- spite OTEC’s repeated statements, does affect rates. Every penny spent on pet projects could have been spent on capital projects like substations. Speaking of rates, OTEC’s were not raised but Ida- ho Power’s residential rates decreased by 3.27 percent recently, so many OTEC members would still be better off with Idaho Power. As for my inquiries, OTEC would not even provide crucial information needed to understand whether they are treating all classes of ratepayers fairly or whether total compensation for various positions is adequate or extravagant. So, no, as a member you don’t call the shots — your power is very limited. Looks like the uncooperative co-op to me. Christopher Christie Baker City Walden is working hard To the Editor: What does a United States representative do? I can tell you what Greg Walden, the U.S. representative for Oregon’s 2nd congressional district, does. He finds lost Social Security checks, helps get funding for economic development projects and cuts through red tape to secure veterans’ benefits. He is working on legislation that addresses forest health and managing our rampant wildfires. He has worked to expand rural broadband and roll back regulations that have hurt small towns. He is fighting to fund crucial rural health care for the Children’s Health Insurance Programs and Community Health Centers. I am amused at recent letters to the editor from folks who say they can’t find Greg. Let me tell you why. He is working! He is busy addressing the needs of his Oregon constituents. It is the plot of a made-for-TV movie that a new, fresh-faced person from California, who has just been elected to Congress from Oregon, goes to Washington, D.C., and convinces all the seasoned and experienced legislators to immediately join her and endorse her ideas. It is a great fantasy for the campaign trail, but the reality of the job of representative involves years of hard work, study of the issues and experience working with other legislators. It is not an instant process, like mixing a Cup-o-Soup. Real life involves gaining experience, trust and making friends and allies on both sides of the aisle. Real life involves representing Oregonians since Greg was first elected in 1998. Congressman Greg Walden is the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. That pres- tigious honor only comes by virtue of knowledge, ex- perience, being bipartisan and working hard. We need to keep that experience and knowledge working for Oregon. We need Greg Walden. Zee Koza La Grande Protesters fail to mention profits To the Editor: Rosie O’Donnell recently led a protest by Broad- way actors and actresses in Washington, D.C., pro- testing the policies of President Trump. What they didn’t say and what we need to know is that in 2017 Broadway’s gross revenue shot up to an all-time high of $1.673 billion (yes, that’s billion with a “B”) — $270 million above the previous year’s record. As of this spring, Broadway box office receipts were up 20 percent above last year’s record. This, the result of President Trump’s economic policies. Usually people are thankful for a strong economy and low unemploy- ment that allows people to buy expensive tickets while visiting New York City. It seems “Trump Derangement Syndrome” can blind people to what is really import- ant. Reg LeQuieu Mt. Vernon School can be scary for stutterers To the Editor: It’s back to school time — new clothes, new back- packs, new schools and new friends. But for some chil- dren, old fears arise. For the student who stutters, the beginning of the school year is a time fraught with anxiety and doubt. Will my classmates like me? Will the teacher under- stand I may need a few extra seconds to get my words out? Will I be bullied? One in five children may experience issues with flu- ency during early development. The Stuttering Foun- dation has help for students, parents and teachers. For practical help and up-to-date information, visit us at StutteringHelp.org. Jane Fraser President, Stuttering Foundation Drinking water versus irrigation To the Editor: As you may know, Prairie City has nearly run out of drinking water. The city of John Day is providing water from our wells, at no cost to Prairie City. I think that is a good idea. Yes, it is costing the city of John Day to pump the water into trucks that are hauling wa- ter to Prairie City. Prairie City is paying for hauling the water. I was at a community meeting and Jim Hamsher, the mayor, made a remark that some of the people in the community were still using more water than was permitted. The next day I met Chris Camarena, the public works manager. I asked him if there were still people using high volume of water. He said, “Yes.” I do not have a problem with John Day providing free drinking water to Prairie City. I do have a problem with providing irrigation water. Prairie City will need John Day’s water until the area gets enough rain to start the springs and creeks flowing again. There is no quick fix to this problem. Tom Sutton John Day 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. 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