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. 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.
Blue Mountain
EAGLE
P UBLISHED EVERY
W EDNESDAY BY
Grant County’s Weekly Newspaper
P UBLISHER ............ ..................... C HRIS R USH , CRUSH @ EOMEDIAGROUP . COM
E DITOR & G ENERAL M ANAGER ... S EAN H ART , EDITOR @ BMEAGLE . COM
R EPORTER ............................... R ICHARD H ANNERS , RICK @ 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
O FFICE A SSISTANT .................... A LIXANDRA P ERKINS , OFFICE @ BMEAGLE . COM
1 YEAR SUBSCRIPTION RATES
(including online access)
Grant County .....................................$40
Everywhere else in U.S. .....................$51
Outside Continental U.S. ....................$60
Subscriptions must be paid prior to delivery
MEMBER OREGON NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION Email: www.MyEagleNews.com Phone: 541-575-0710
Periodicals Postage Paid at John
Day and additional mailing offices.
POSTMASTER
send address changes to:
Blue Mountain Eagle
195 N. Canyon Blvd.
John Day, OR 97845-1187
USPS 226-340
Copyright © 2018 Blue Mountain Eagle
All rights reserved. No part of this
publication covered by the copyright
hereon may be reproduced or
copied in any form or by any means
— graphic, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, taping or
information storage and retrieval
systems — without written
permission of the publisher.
www.facebook.com/MyEagleNews
@MyEagleNews