Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, March 3, 2021 -- THREE
Spiritually Speaking
~ Letters to the Editor ~
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Art of distraction diverts attention
To the editor:
The art of distraction
is the process of diverting
the attention of individuals
and groups from immi-
nent danger and therein
blocking or diminishing
the reception of necessary
and essential information.
Thomas Jefferson warned,
“If we are to guard against
ignorance and remain free,
it is the responsibility of
every American to be in-
formed.” Americans and the
world have been deceived
by the universal need for
lockdowns, masks, school
closures and COVID vac-
cines to the point they are
distracted and ignorant of
the real threats to our way
of life and liberty. The rich
and powerful have pros-
pered with the compulsory
lockdowns of businesses
and services which has
caused 150 million citizens
on planet earth to suffer
starvation and extreme pov-
erty. Sixty percent of restau-
rants will not reopen. One
in four of America’s youth
have considered suicide.
Fifteen thousand doctors
and scientists in the Bar-
rington Declaration have
warned these lockdowns
are the greatest threat to
human health in history
and masks do not thwart
the spread of Wuhan Flu.
The COVID Wuhan flu is a
Trojan horse, a dangerous,
deadly distraction.
Every oppressive, ty-
rannical, ruthless dicta-
torship in history has one
essential principle in order
to succeed, disarm the pop-
ulace. Lenin, Stalin, Mao
Zedong, Hitler, Pot Pol,
Castro, Hugo Chavez and
fellow comrades murdered
hundreds of millions of
innocent citizens all be-
cause they were defenseless
against their brutal tyranny.
The Chinese dictator Xi Jin-
ping has murdered and put
in concentration camps mil-
lions of Uyghur Muslims in
Xinjiang, China. They have
no defense, and the world
is distracted and has been
bribed or blackmailed to
turn a blind eye. This ruth-
less malignant empire will
soon spread their cancer
upon every nation on earth
and the world is distracted,
appeasing, and/or a willing
accomplice. More on China
later, but first the greater
threat.
While America and
the world are distracted by
Wuhan flu fear mongering,
the last free nation on earth
is about to learn what every
other disarmed nation in the
world learned. Joe Biden
and the Democrat/Socialist
Congress are about to begin
the greatest assault on the
Second Amendment in the
history of the Republic. On
Feb. 14 Biden called for
“commonsense gun law
reforms.” In the beginning
‘commonsense’ means,
1) background checks
for all gun sales, 2) a ban
on assault weapons and
high-capacity magazines,
3) end of immunity for gun
manufactures, 4) heavy
taxation of all gun sales and
ammunition.
The distraction be-
gins in Oregon because
the Democrat/Socialists’
control the government,
the congress, the courts, the
news media and the voting
machines. Oregonians are
so consumed with Wuhan
COVID lockdowns that
only the diligent sense the
threat of tyranny that would
become the template for the
rest of America. Presently
in Oregon there are six
house and senate bills that
would erode and eventually
destroy the “right to keep
and bear arms” in Oregon,
then America.
1) Senate Bill 554: This
bill would allow the local
government (schools, city,
county, port, etc.) to adopt
ordinances or policies lim-
iting or precluding affirma-
tive defense for possession
of firearms in public build-
ings by concealed handgun
licensees.
2) Senate Bill 585: This
bill repeals Oregonians
pre-emption law allowing
any locality to create and
enforce any gun law they
chose. If this bill passes
all Oregonians would be at
the mercy of each county
or city they travel through
carrying a firearm.
3) House Bill 2543:
This bill prohibits transfer
of firearms by gun dealers
or private parties if OSP in
unable to determine wheth-
er recipient is qualified to
receive firearm.
4) House Bill 2510:
Requires the owner or pos-
sessor of firearm to secure
the firearm with a trigger
or cable lock, in a locked
container or in a gun room
except in specified circum-
stances. Otherwise known
as “Mandatory Lockup.”
5) Senate Bill 604: This
bill would require a per-
mit to purchase firearms.
The bill requires manda-
tory training, background
checks and fees and the
bill requires safety training
from the National Firearms
Association. The permit
must be renewed every five
years.
All of these bills pro-
posed in the Democrat/So-
cialist controlled congress
in Oregon are unconstitu-
tional. The constitution is
the enemy for these oli-
garchs. While Oregonians
Times Change… People
Change… Laws Change
Often Veterans & their families put off
inquiring about their VA benefits, yet
processes move more smoothly when you
have a relationship established with your
VSO and it’s easy to enroll with your local
representative. We help you navigate a
confusing system of benefits saving time
and frustration. Even if you’ve been de-
nied benefits in the past we’ll be pleased to
review your claim to determine the reason
for denial, if laws are now more favorable
to your claim.
• VA Health Care
• Service Connected &
Non-Service Connected claims
• Burial benefits
• Survivors benefits, and more.
We work with you to bridge gaps in
services, assist with local resources and
problem solve a variety of VA issues-
including billing, overpayments, accessing .
Don’t wait till there is a crisis- call today!
541-922-6420
are distracted, are fearful
of a virus and discouraged;
tyranny lurks in the shad-
ows. In 2008 the Supreme
Court considered a similar
attack on the ‘right to keep
and bear arms.’ The Dis-
trict of Columbia passed a
law “requiring residents to
keep their lawfully owned,
registered guns unloaded
and disassembled or bound
by a trigger lock or simi-
lar device unless the guns
were located in a place of
business or in use for a
lawful recreational activi-
ty.” Justice Antonin Scalia
(who conveniently died in
a suspicious manner) wrote
the Supreme Court decision
confirming a law prohibit-
ing the possession of hand-
guns was unconstitutional.
“The Second Amendment
right to keep and bear arms
is not contingent in service
in a well-regulated militia.”
Scalia, in addition wrote,
“The handgun ban amounts
to a prohibition of an entire
class of arms that is over-
whelmingly the choice by
American society for the
lawful purpose of the inher-
ent right of self-defense.”
Do not be distracted my
fellow Oregonian/Ameri-
cans. We must remain dil-
igent and on guard against
every attempt to destroy
our birthright of liberty and
freedom. We must fight, re-
sist, counter and overcome
every seed of tyranny, at
every level including city,
county, school, church,
state and national level. We
must never be goaded into
using force or violence,
such as the capital takeover
Jan. 6, to achieve justice.
There is a “Move Oregon’s
Border” petition circulating
in 15 Oregon counties to
redistrict under Idaho by
August 5 to make the Nov.
ballot. Eastern Oregon will
continue to be taxed with-
out representation and our
needs ignored by the cur-
rent dictatorship in Salem/
Portland. For instance, a
3000 percent tax hike on
beer and wine (HB3296)
has been proposed. God
is for those with courage
and integrity to overcome
those that would usurp our
constitution, our liberty
to protect our family and
nation and our freedom to
worship God according to
our conscience.
Stuart Dick, Irrigon
Obituaries
William “Bill” Mabe
William Elmer “Bill”
Mabe,, of Heppner, died
Saturday, February 20,
2021 at Kadlec Reginal
Medical Center in Rich-
land, WA. He was born
June 25, 1955 in Heppner,
the son of Harold and Ruby
Mabe. He spent his growing
up years in Fossil, graduat-
ing from Wheeler Co. High
School in 1973.
Bill worked on ranch-
es a big share of his life,
before working at the Wal-
Mart Distribution Center in
Hermiston. At the time of
his death, he was working
for Morrow County Grain
Growers in Lexington.
He loved spending time
with family, camping, hunt-
ing and fishing.
Survivors include his
loving companion, Linda
Harper; a brother, Marvin
Mabe; a sister, Mildred
Nelson and a host of nieces
and nephews.
Bill was preceded in
death by his parents, Harold
and Ruby; brothers, Harold,
Dean and Rod and a sister,
Shirley.
Memorial contributions
may be made to the Na-
tional Kidney Foundation,
30 East 33 rd St., New York,
NY 10016
Sweeney Mortuary of
Heppner is in care of ar-
rangements. The online
condolence book is avail-
able at www.sweeneymor-
tuary.com.
Death Notices
Michael R. Meligan – Michael R. Meligan, 64, of
Heppner, died Saturday, February 27, 2021 at his home.
He was born February 6, 1957. Arrangements are pending
at Sweeney Mortuary of Heppner.
Toby D. Rodriguez – Toby D. Rodriguez, 49, of
North Powder, OR, died Wednesday, February 24, 2021
at a hospital in Baker City. He was born March 2, 1971
at Hermiston. A service is scheduled for March 13 at 1
p.m. in Irrigon. Arrangements are pending at Sweeney
Mortuary of Heppner.
Amber J. Rollis – Amber J. Rollis, 42, of Heppner,
died Sunday, February 28, 2021 at a hospital in Portland.
She was born November 19, 1978 at Heppner. A service
will be held March 12 at 11 a.m. at the Heppner Masonic
Cemetery. Arrangements are pending at Sweeney Mor-
tuary of Heppner.
Full obituaries will follow in a future issue of the
Heppner Gazette-Times.
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Destroy and Rebuild
By Fr. Thankachan Joseph SDB, St. Patrick Church
The theme that runs
through the third week of
our Lenten observances is
“destroy and rebuild again.”
The third Sunday of Lent is
an invitation to destroy the
worldly and bodily passions
through Lenten practices
of mortification, sacrifices,
prayer and fasting to rebuild
oneself as the model of
Christ, who overcame the
passion and death and was Fr. Thankachan Joseph
resurrected. The scripture
asks us, “Do you not realize that you are a temple of
God with the Spirit of God living in you?” Or again it
says, “Do you not realize that your body is the temple
of the Holy Spirit who is in you and whom you received
from God?” (1 Cor. 3:16, 6:19). The Lenten observances
should help us all to get rid of our bodily passions and
be reborn in Christ as a new creation. St. Paul teaches us
like this: “You have stripped off your old behavior with
your old self, and you have put on a new self which will
progress towards true knowledge the more it is renewed
in the image of its creator” (Col. 3:10). Through the three
readings of the day, the church invites us all to re-dedicate
ourselves to Christ. This is because He is the fulfilment
of God’s Commandment and, following His teachings,
we will be able to relive in Him.
In the book of Exodus (20: 1-17), God gives the Ten
Commandments to Moses for the people of Israel. The
Law was given to Israel to help them become wiser and
holier. It was also given to them in order to strengthen
their relationship with God and to help them organize
their social and religious life. Hence, the Commandments
of God are meant to form us into a sacred community.
The Ten Commandments portray the relationship with
God and among one another. The first three deal with
the supreme God and how He should be honored; seven
of the ten laws deal with the need for justice and peace
among fellow beings. While the old law was given
through Moses, the new law (covenant) given through
and in Christ fulfills it. Hence, as the fullness of God’s
Commandments, Christ is the channel through which
God receives and loves us.
St. Paul’s letter to the First Corinthians (1:22-25),
reminds us that Christ is “The fullness of God’s wisdom.”
The Greeks searched for this wisdom. Unfortunately, they
obliviously excluded Him. So, instead of benefiting from
Him, they were misled by the wisdom of this world. Ac-
cording to Paul, Christ is the fullness of the law and the
wisdom of God. So, whoever finds and receives Him will
be filled with wisdom and “will never walk-in darkness
again” (Jn 8, 12). Darkness is opposed to wisdom. So,
whoever has not received Christ, even though he walks
according to the wisdom of this world, lives in darkness
and ignorance. Our Lenten observance and practices
may help everyone of us to come out this ignorance and
darkness and know the true person of Christ in scriptures.
The third Sunday’s Gospel from St. John (2: 13-22)
narrates Jesus’s encounter with those profaning God’s
Sanctuary. Jesus gets upset by the people who made the
sanctuary of God a den of businesspeople and market-
place. He makes a whip out of cords and drives them
all away from the temple. Before the Lord takes a whip
against each one of us for our atrocities, covetousness,
avariciousness, lust, fornication, sexual vices, etc., in
our bodies burrowing into evil practices, it is a time to
destroy all our bodily passions with all their inclinations
and decide to relive in Christ.
What do we learn from the episode that is mentioned
in today’s gospel? First, we are not supposed keep quiet
or remain indifferent while things go wrong in the house
of God, our homes, offices or any place at all. Also, we
must not destroy the sanctity of our church - the house of
God and a place of worship, family, state or country. Also,
it reminds us that our bodies and the body of Christ are the
Temple of God, so we must not defile them in any way.
Christ prophesied about his own death and resurrec-
tion: “Destroy this temple and I will raise it up in three
days.” This prophecy will be fulfilled during the paschal
mystery. Therefore, today’s gospel keeps the events of
this season in perspective. It reminds us of where we are
heading this season: the death and resurrection of Jesus
Christ. God promised to rebuild what had been destroyed
and to replant what had been plucked up. He proved Him-
self to be righteous, powerful and just. And He promised
to prove Himself to be an equally patient, compassionate
and merciful rebuilder. So, as we march forward this
season, let us continue to abide by the Commandments
of God fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the perfect wisdom. Let
us follow the Lenten practices of fasting, sacrifices and
mortifications, to die to our bodily passions and relive as
a new creation with help of the Spirit of the Lord.
O ld T imers ’ N ighT
Thursday, March 4th
Dinner at 6:00pm
Lodge at 8:00pm
Steak
Asparagus
Roasted Potatoes
Caesar Salad
Garlic Bread
Dessert
Members Only