A4
OPINION
Blue Mountain Eagle
Vaccine
skepticism
isn’t a rural/
urban issue
W
hen Oregon Gov.
Kate Brown reinsti-
tuted the mandate
that Oregonians must wear
masks to halt the spread of the
COVID-19 delta variant that
threatens to overwhelm hospi-
tals in some areas, she singled
out rural elected offi cials for
not taking steps to curb the
spread of the virus.
“I expected local elected
offi cials to step up and do
the right thing,” Brown said.
“What is clear is they are not
taking action. That is why we
are moving forward.”
Brown has misjudged
many local offi cials who have
refused to institute their own
mask mandates. They did take
action in the interest of their
constituents — just not in the
way preferred by the governor.
Whether they made the right
choice will never be known
because Brown has made the
opposite decision for them.
It is also wrong to suggest
that vaccination resistance is
found mostly in rural areas, or
that it is the result of misinfor-
mation or misguided ideology.
It is true when measured
as a percentage, the rates of
COVID-19 vaccination are
lower in Oregon’s rural coun-
ties than the urban counties.
It is also true that many rural
communities, particularly in
the east, are more openly resis-
tant to Salem’s mandates. But,
by sheer numbers, the bulk of
the state’s unvaccinated adults
live in more urban areas.
Our combing of state data
shows more than half of
unvaccinated adults — 56%
— live in the state’s fi ve most
populous, and most liberal,
counties. That suggests to
us that deciding not to get a
COVID-19 shot is more of a
matter of personal choice than
an ideological statement.
We have said at the out-
set that people who are
able should get vaccinated.
While we respect the right of
informed adults to weigh their
own options and decide what
is right for themselves, we
think the vaccine is the best
option.
Turning COVID-19 vacci-
nations into a right/left, rural/
urban battle is a mistake —
one that will only harden the
resolve of many who are yet to
be vaccinated.
Wednesday, September 1, 2021
GUEST COMMENT
Next steps crucial
By The Oregon Nurses Association
board of directors
T
he question of whether or
not health care workers
should be required to get
vaccinated has been answered:
Mandatory vaccinations against
COVID-19 for nurses and other
health care workers are now the
law in Oregon.
ONA calls upon all nurses to
get vaccinated before the Oct. 18
deadline or, alternatively, fill out
the necessary paperwork for a
medical or deeply held religious
belief exemption. Failure to do
so may result in the termination
of unvaccinated nurses at a time
when Oregon faces an unprece-
dented staffing crisis.
Our patients and our communi-
ties need you at the bedside, now
more than ever before. The sci-
ence is clear: Vaccinations are
safe and effective, and nurses and
other health care workers who
are vaccinated are acting in line
with our ethical, clinical and pro-
fessional responsibilities to our
patients.
To all nurses in Oregon who
can, ONA says “get vaccinated.”
ONA will continue to fi ght tire-
lessly for our members at the bar-
gaining table on the impacts of
this new mandatory vaccination
requirement. That includes fi ghting
to ensure you are provided appro-
priate levels of PPE, paid time off
for adverse eff ects of the vaccina-
tion, more (and more substantial)
retention and hazard pay, pushing
hard for safe staffi ng and more.
At a time when nurses, and
our state’s health care system, are
at the breaking point, we must
stand united in the face of his-
toric failures on the part of hos-
pitals to ensure safe staffing. All
nurses know that this staffing cri-
sis has been years in the making;
the COVID-19 pandemic has sim-
ply pushed those failures into the
spotlight.
This current level of crisis was
created by hospitals who have
failed to invest in their nursing
staff, failed to recruit and retain
experienced nurses, placed a
greater focus on profitability than
patient outcomes and have done
so at the expense of nurses.
We have so much work to do
for our patients, and for each
other. We have so many more
issues that unite us than we do
that divide us; safe staffing,
nurse recruitment and retention,
increasing the number of future
nurses, increased pay for nurs-
ing faculty, iron-clad protections
against violence in the workplace,
ensuring rest and meal breaks,
improving working conditions
and wages; these must be our
focus now.
The Oregon Nurses Associ-
ation board of directors unani-
mously approved this statement
regarding Gov. Kate Brown’s
recent rule change implementing
mandatory vaccinations for health
care workers in the state.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
WHERE TO WRITE
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@centurylink.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 ongcreek.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: governor.state.or.us/
governor.html.
• Oregon Legislature — State Capitol, Salem,
97310. Phone: 503-986-1180. Website: 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,
oregonlegislature.gov.
• Sen. Lynn Findley, R-Vale — 900 Court St.
Blue Mountain
EAGLE
Published every
Wednesday by
NE, S-301, Salem 97301. Phone: 503-986-
1730. Website: oregonlegislature.gov/fi ndley.
Email: sen.lynnfi ndley@oregonlegislature.
gov.
• Rep. Mark Owens, R-Crane — 900 Court St.
NE, H-475, Salem 97301. Phone: 503-986-
1460. District address: 258 S. Oregon St.,
Ontario OR 97914. District phone: 541-889-
8866. Website: oregonlegislature.gov/fi ndley.
Email: rep.markowens@oregonlegislature.
gov.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
N.W., Washington, D.C. 20500; Phone-
comments: 202-456-1111; Switchboard:
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. Cliff Bentz, R — (Second District)
1239 Longworth Building, Washington D.C.
20515. Phone: 202-225-6730. No direct email
because of spam. Website: walden.house.
gov Fax: 202-225-5774. Ontario offi ce: 2430
SW Fourth Ave., Suite 2, Ontario, OR 97914.
Phone: 541-709-2040. Medford offi ce: 14 N.
Central Ave., Suite 112, Medford, OR 97501.
Phone: 541-776-4646. Fax: 541-779-0204.
• Pending Bills: For information on bills in
Congress. Phone: 202-225-1772.
‘I say again’
To the Editor:
It’s me again — kind of like
COVID.
This letter will go to all of our
representatives as did the last.
No response!
I was off the coast of Vietnam so
many years ago for that evacuation.
As I remember it, it was somewhat
of a cluster, but nothing like this one.
Just one more check on Joe’s list
(or whoever is calling the shots) to
ruin our country.
As I have said before, the “hon-
est politicians” and the “American
people” need to do something very
soon or our children and grandchil-
dren are going to be living in a third-
world country! It gets closer every
day.
Eddy L. Negus
Prairie City
‘Style, demeanor
and eff ectiveness
were outstanding’
To the Editor:
I want to commend Oregon
state Rep. Mark Owens. I am a for-
mer Democrat and former resident
of Mr. Owens’ district. Last year
I engaged in a debate with Mr.
Owens surrounding coyote der-
bies. Even though I’m not in his
district he took the time to defend
the hunts as vital to economy of
his district. I completely disagreed
with his position and went at him
pretty hard.
He surprised me. Instead of
attacking me as an out-of-touch
Portland liberal, he calmly and
rationally showed me the errors of
my ways. His style, demeanor and
L
ETTERS POLICY: Letters to the Editor is a forum for Blue Mountain Eagle readers to express themselves on local,
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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.
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MEMBER OREGON NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION
eff ectiveness were outstanding. I
became a believer in him after our
exchange.
Have I completely come around
to his position? No. But I will
never again argue against his posi-
tion. He won. All without yelling
or screaming. I don’t admit defeat
often (I’m a soldier), but on this
occasion, I was clearly bested by a
superior opponent.
Please don’t get mad at me if
I try to recruit Rep. Owens to run
for governor. The GOP in West-
ern Oregon can’t win. I don’t know
if they even try. They run sloppy
and undisciplined candidates. After
getting trounced myself by Rep.
Owens, I can assure you he would
be a challenge for any Democrat.
Readiness. He has it. May we bor-
row it?
Brian Fitzgerald
Happy Valley
Phone: 541-575-0710
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