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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (July 1, 2020)
OPINION READER’S FORUM Founded in 1906 WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2020 A4 EDITOR’S DESK We need to talk about ableism A s we’ve lived through a global pandemic together these past few months, the strange new situations it has cre- ated have prompted us to think more deeply about some aspects of our society. For me, one of those topics I have been pon- dering is the ways our Jade society is failing our McDowell NEWS EDITOR members with disabili- ties and chronic illness. We talk about racism. We talk about sexism. But when is the last time you heard someone considered able-bodied use the term “ableism”? Speaking for myself, I think I have paid less attention to this “ism” because the problems I encounter tend to manifest as more of a sys- temic issue than personal prejudice. I have never heard someone com- plain that there are too many peo- ple who use wheelchairs moving into their community, but how many times do I visit a building without thinking twice about the fact that it would be inaccessible to someone in a wheelchair? During the pandemic, though, those prejudices have become more easily spotted. I have seen far too many comments on social media about how COVID-19 is not cause for concern because it is “just” kill- Staff photo by Jade McDowell A sign marks accessible parking near the future site of the new Funland Playground, which is being designed to be more accessible to children with disabilities. ing the elderly and those with under- lying health conditions. One of my friends from college who has Type 1 diabetes posted on Facebook that she was getting worn down by all of the people volunteer- ing her to die as a sacrifi ce to the economy. When I interviewed Sara Barnett of Hermiston about her expe- rience being hospitalized with a severe case of COVID-19, she said she had been hurt by how dismis- sively some people had been talking about people with underlying health conditions. “I’m 53, and yes I have some pre- existing conditions, but to my fam- ily, to my friends, to my church, I am very valuable,” she told me. For decades, sections of Hermis- ton’s city hall have not been accessi- ble to people who can’t climb stairs, reducing access not only to city resi- dents but also to potential employees. Other buildings around town are also inaccessible, as are the large number of sidewalks that have no wheelchair ramp or safety features for blind people. In pop culture, movies such as “Me Before You” often portray peo- ple with disabilities as having a life not worth living. Websites that make money off of viral clickbait love “inspiration porn” that objectifi es and exploits people with disabilities, sometimes by stealing their personal photos to use without their consent. I personally know multiple people who have pretended that they have a disability so they can receive accom- modations, such as having a pet in a pet-free apartment. According to the Centers for Dis- ease Control and Prevention, in 2017 only 35% of people with disabili- ties were employed. Research on the topic, including a study by Rut- gers University that involved send- ing out 6,000 fake applications for real accounting jobs, has found that employers are less likely to interview COLUMN LETTER TO THE EDITOR Rural Oregonians need to be at the center of their own recovery M ore than 35 years ago, tion, and more confusing or less Oregon’s rural commu- trusted information sources. The nities experienced an COVID-19 pandemic, the asso- economic downturn of epic pro- ciated economic impact, and the portions when the timber economy current social and political cli- collapsed. While state and federal mate combine to create a situation governments responded on a scale that may eclipse with signifi cant resources anything we have known. and support for almost a In this moment, we can decade, it was not enough. clearly see the bad — The 2008 Great Reces- inequities in our systems sion, again, hit rural places and the lack of resiliency hard. Now, the COVID- of our local economies; 19 crisis will likely affect and the good — shared Oregon’s rural and tribal values from which we can Heidi Khokhar economies dispropor- build. tionately and have reper- Rural Oregonians are cussions for years to come. Our working hard to recover; sleeves history tells us we have yet to rolled up, helping each other. invest the needed resources, pro- Their resilient spirit leads them vide the needed support, or allow to look for opportunities to act the needed time for rural recov- locally, connect to one another, ery after these major economic and access resources and support. downturns. However, they cannot do it alone In the past, we failed to cre- — and this time, they shouldn’t. ate an environment where rural Rural Development Initia- areas could propel themselves to tives and many other partners an equitable, inclusive and resil- have been with rural communi- ient economy. Then we moved ties through it all. For decades, we on, leaving them behind and on have worked to understand their their own — with adverse impacts needs, support their work, provide to the entire Oregon economy access to models and resources and our ability to work together that work in rural, and help them toward common goals. set and achieve their goals. We In Oregon, rural places face stand committed to listen, support the same complex challenges as their economic recovery, and play larger population centers, in more an active role in connecting pol- geographic isolation, with scarcer icy makers and resources to their fi nancial resources, fewer peo- efforts. ple to do the work, rarer mod- Together, we can ensure els designed to fi t their situa- that Oregon moves forward to become better and more resil- ient than before. Right now, we have an opportunity to choose a path forward that creates a stron- ger future for all Oregonians. This includes investing resources to better understand the specifi c needs of rural Oregon — focus- ing on the further disproportion- ate impact on rural indigenous, black, and other communities of color — and to develop solutions in partnership with rural people and the rural organizations that support them. Oregon’s legislative leaders must make proportionate invest- ment in rural Oregon to address not only the immediate COVID- 19 needs, but also the larger eco- nomic struggles felt by these com- munities for decades. We implore our state leaders to ensure Ore- gon’s economic recovery specifi - cally includes rural communities, and that rural people and orga- nizations be included in the pol- icy decisions that ultimately affect their own recovery. RDI is committed to advanc- ing these priorities, and we look forward to being an active part- ner with our elected leaders, and others, in making sure all of Ore- gon recovers to become better and more resilient than before. Heidi Khokhar is the execu- tive director of Rural Development Initiatives, an Oregon nonprofi t focused on strengthening rural communities. Old quips ring true To the editor: I’ve come across some witticisms made decades ago that seem appropriate for today. Politics — it’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you place the blame. Congress is so strange. A person gets up to speak and says nothing. Nobody listens. And then everybody disagrees. (Boris Marshalov) Power is a drug in which the politicians are hooked. They buy it from the voters, using the voters’ own money. (R.J. Needham) Accusation: You point the fi nger of accusation at someone and three fi ngers are pointing back at you. (My mother) Dorothy Lee, age 89 Hermiston CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP STATE REP. GREG SMITH, DISTRICT 57 The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 Comments: 202-456-1111 Switchboard: 202-456-1414 whitehouse.gov/contact/ ——— 900 Court St. NE, H-482 Salem, OR 97301 503-986-1457 Email: Rep.GregSmith@state. or.us ——— U.S. SENATORS RON WYDEN 221 Dirksen Senate Offi ce Bldg. Washington, DC 20510 202-224-5244 La Grande offi ce: 541-962-7691 • Printed on recycled newsprint VOLUME 114 • NUMBER 25 Chris Rush | Publisher • crush@eomediagroup.com • 541-278-2669 Jade McDowell | News Editor • jmcdowell@eastoregonian.com • 541-564-4536 Jeanne Jewett | Multi-Media consultant • jjewett@hermistonherald.com • 541-564-4531 Audra Workman | Multi-Media consultant • aworkman@eastoregonian.com • 541-564-4538 The Hermiston Herald (USPS 242220, ISSN 8750-4782) is published weekly at Hermiston Herald, 333 E. Main St., Hermiston, OR 97838, (541) 567-6457. Periodical postage paid at Hermiston, OR. Postmaster, send address changes to Hermiston Herald, 333 E. Main St., Hermiston, OR 97838. Member of EO Media Group Copyright ©2020 STATE SEN. BILL HANSELL, DISTRICT 29 900 Court St. NE, S-423 Salem, OR 97301 503-986-1729 Email: Sen.BillHansell@state.or.us ——— JEFF MERKLEY 313 Hart Senate Offi ce Building Washington, DC 20510 202-224-3753 Pendleton offi ce: 541-278-1129 ——— CORRECTIONS To contact the Hermiston Herald for news, advertising or subscription information: • call 541-567-6457 • e-mail info@hermistonherald.com • stop by our offi ces at 333 E. Main St. • visit us online at: hermistonherald.com or hire someone that they know has a disability, even when the person’s disability would not prevent them from being able to do the work. People with health challenges can also face physical and social barriers to education, dating, medical care, transportation and more. Since we don’t talk enough about these issues, many of us still have a lot to learn. A while ago some- one emailed me to gently remind me that instead of saying the subject of a story “suffers from” a certain dis- ability I should have said she “lives with” it, as it is not for me to assume that anyone with a disability is auto- matically leading a life of suffering. There are areas we are making progress. When Hermiston builds its third iteration of Funland Playground this year, it will be designed to pro- vide more accessibility than previous designs. The same is true of designs for a new city hall. As Darrin Umbarger, CEO Of Clearview Mediation and Disabil- ity Resource Center in Pendleton, once told me, everyone is one acci- dent away from having a disabil- ity. If “it’s the right thing to do” isn’t enough incentive for all of us to think more deeply about how we can make our community more accessible to all, then the thought that someday we could be the one facing these barriers should be. It is the policy of the Hermiston Herald to correct errors as soon as they are discovered. Incorrect information will be corrected on Page 2A. Errors commited on the Opinion page will be corrected on that page. Corrections also are noted in the online versions of our stories. Please contact the editor at editor@hermistonherald.com or call (541) 564-4533 with issues about this policy or to report errors. SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR Letters Policy: Letters to the Editor is a forum for the Hermiston Herald readers to express themselves on local, state, national or world issues. Brevity is good, but longer letters should be kept to 250 words. No personal attacks; challenge the opinion, not the person. The Hermiston Herald reserves the right to edit letters for length and for content. GOV. KATE BROWN 160 State Capitol 900 Court Street Salem, OR 97301-4047 503-378-4582 Email: www.oregon.gov/gov/ ——— Letters must be original and signed by the writer or writers. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Writers should include a telephone number so they can be reached for questions. Only the letter writer’s name and city of residence will be published. OBITUARY POLICY The Hermiston Herald publishes paid obituaries. The obituary can include small photos and, for veterans, a fl ag symbol at no charge. Expanded death notices will be published at no charge. These include information about services. Obituaries may be edited for spelling, proper punctuation and style. Obituaries and notices may be submitted online at hermistonherald.com/obituaryform, by email to obits@ hermistonherald.com, by fax to 541-276-8314, placed via the funeral home or in person at the Hermiston Herald or East Oregonian offi ces. For more information, call 541-966-0818 or 1-800-522-0255, x221.
