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October 27, 2011 Opinions |
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—LETTERS—
Occupy Crowd And Tea Party All Mad About The Same Things
My first impression is that it's a bunch of young, idealistic people who don't have enough real life experience to know much of anything at all about life in the real world, other than ideals that have been spoon-fed to them during their years in the liberal school system.
Most of the interviews I've seen of the actual Occupy participants show people who seem to have trouble verbalizing specifically what they're angry about, and with nobody offering any solutions to the problems...only complaints. I've kind of gathered that they may actually be ticked off about the same things that a lot of us older folks are ticked off about.
The difference is that the Occupy crowd will never, ever admit that the progressive, liberal policies they revere are not the solutions to problems in our country right now. It seems most of them are of an age to be in the voting block that played a big part in installing BO in the White House.
And I see that some of the traditional rabble-rousers from Hollyweird are supporting them (Michael Moore, etc.), which makes it hard for me to listen seriously to their rhetoric. I also think our community organizer leader is probably deeply involved in antagonizing the unrest, but the ideologues have trouble admitting that their hero is not helping solve any problems. If they had much sense, the protests would be concentrated in Washington, D.C.
By rights, the Occupy crowd should be calling for prosecution of two senators in particular...Dodd and Frank, who pushed the legislation through to force banks to give government-backed loans to people who were in no position to pay the loans back.
Also, Congress is the body that makes the rules for Wall Street. Wall Street just works with what comes out of Washington, D.C., so our politicians (the best politicians money can buy, regardless of party) are actually the ones who got us into the mess, all the while telling us that they're doing the best they can to solve the problems.
I am seriously disappointed in both parties and am having a hard time trusting any of the career politicians to clean things up. I think a lot of people are feeling the same way, which is what is giving rise to both the Tea Party and the Occupy participants. They have more in common than they know, and the career politicians may be in serious trouble if both protest groups figure out that they're all mad about the same things. The jig may be up. The emperor has no clothes. The people are rising up and demanding some leadership. Then again, I wonder if it's all part of BO's plan to stir up massive fractionated uprisings so that he can declare martial law and mess around with the upcoming elections.
Old versus young. Rich versus poor. Do away with the middle class. It's one of the tactics used in 1930's Germany. Divide and conquer. Scary times we're living in. I'm actually glad I'm not 25 right now. I would like to be able to send some of the Occupy crowd to live in a foreign country for a while as a means of making them appreciate the America we've known most of our lives. I find it ironic that in an age when so many people have travelled extensively in foreign lands, so many of those same people have little or no appreciation for America. The grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence, and I can't understand why so many of the young people think that we'd be better if we had socialism like some of the European countries. There. Done.
Patricia Maier
Hermiston, Ore.
Wolf Problem Solved!
To The Record-Courier:
After a lot of deep pondering, I believe I have come up with the perfect solution to the wolf problem. Why don’t we move all of the wolves, cougars and coyotes to the Willamette Valley, concentrating mainly on Portland and Eugene! There should be lots of pets there, of course they will only take enough to barely sustain life because they don’t kill for the fun of it, and they have to eat too.
Now the children should be perfectly safe in the parks, as these are docile animals, rarely attack human beings. It could however pose a problem for hikers or campers as these animals might feel you are on their domain and feel threatened. It wouldn’t hurt to have a sling shot handy!
Another thing we citizens of Eastern Oregon are getting tired of is Willamette Valley making laws for us. They don’t have the foggiest idea of how farms, ranches and small businesses function (or do they care) and what our snow and ice problems are, so I would like to suggest that we secede from Western Oregon and I believe the I-5 Corridor would be the perfect boundary line.
Another problem is that we really should get all the guns out of the hands of the law abiding citizens who have the legal right to own and bear arms, as this poses such a threat to the criminals who will have guns no matter what the law says.
Pat Culley
Baker City, Ore.
Nothing Adds Up
To The Record-Courier:
Well I am sure that most of us, if not all of us, at times have encountered the issue of nothing adds up; depending on the subject give or take even for those of us who can be cranky, etc., and wonder how does that all add up at the end of one's day.
Seems to me, with all the building and especially the new businesses that go up, there would be takers to make a go of it, instead of having up for sale signs. And then the building sits empty, and it’s no wonder with the price tag who can afford some of the buildings to begin with? Who is accounting for all the electricity and paying the bills while the buildings are still unoccupied?
Now even with politics nothing adds up or though it seems to be looking that way. Even when religion is mixed in with politics — anything to get one’s goat. Guess everyone's idealogy give or take speaks for itself. The funny thing is it may look more right than wrong but watch out for the defects of it all. I was really impressed with the response of Gov. Chris Christie being humbled and his people cheering him on to become president, even though the idea entertained as such, he still felt that the people of his state were more important to him then running for president. It takes a lot out of a person to humble himself to admit that now wasn't the time for him. I just wish they would start all over again with a clean slate and see if any takers this late in the game would be or have the qualities it takes to be a president. The percentages aren't even adding up at that.
Now in the grocery store lately I was appalled in looking at a biscuit mix product. They have the containers which are inviting to have and to put other mixes in for storage. But in looking at it and peering thru the jug there wasn’t even enough to make do with. About 1/4 cup of the mix was full and here we are paying for the price of the jug. Hogwash. Check it out and see for yourselves the next time you head for the grocery stores.
I had sent an email to Liz Burroway who does her famous recipes at times for a true old fashioned biscuit mix, and she suggested about 1 tsp. of baking powder to that mix, but am hoping she will consider doing something along those lines when she can of the tricks one can use for such recipes. It just might add up at that.
And last but not least prices are to increase in more ways than one as well and it will all seem like nothing adds up these days.
Coffee Anyone?
Brenda Dickison
Baker City, Ore.
School District Seeks Safe Schools
To The Record-Courier:
The first issue in schools is safety. Some information from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) – from 1999 to 2007:(http://webappa.cdc.gov/sasweb/ncipc/mortrate10_sy.html) there were 27,270 deaths by firearm to persons 19 or less for all reasons; 1,515 deaths that are deemed unintentional; 7,765 in that same group deemed suicide. In the last 37 years in about 100,000 schools and colleges there have been 109 armed incidents killing 206 persons; that is 109 incidents in about 3.7 million school years. Armed incidents are very rare in any one locality but widely reported.
Chaos Theory in simple terms, “In any system, the more parts there are, the more parts can fail.” When applied to student safety and guns, more guns mean more ways for a gun incident. This is the formula used by insurance. Reasonable people will draw their own conclusions.
Our advisors are: PACE risk management, the state school boards association and the district counsel. They all give the same advice.
Second issue, then, and their advice; follow the law, choose the option that is the safest. The federal Gun-Free Zone Act 18 U.S.C. 922(q) (2006) is law-of-the-land, challenged in court and found to be constitutional at the national level. Oregon statute 166.170 defines the right for gun-control by the Oregon Legislative Assembly. The Legislative Assembly wrote statute 166.370 that defines weapons carry in a public building as a Class C Felony and provides exceptions to restrictions on legal carry in public buildings. The exceptions are persons performing their legally defined duties, persons with concealed carry permits and persons given special permission by a responsible authority. Finally, statute 339.315 implements, in Oregon, the Gun-Free Zone Act.
Medford School District made a rule that employees, contractors and volunteers could not bring guns to school, a safety issue. In 2009 the Oregon courts found the Medford School District rule is constitutional and the concealed carry permit exception can be removed for employees, contractors and volunteers in Oregon public schools; making schools statistically safer. The Oregon University System case does not involve an employee and does not apply.
The district follows the local, state and federal laws. The documents printed in the media are for Board deliberations, not for distribution. The actual rule in use can be acquired on request. The cited laws and court cases define the current status of our district administrative rules and the legal reasons for them.
We seek safe schools.
Walt Wegener
Superintendent, Baker 5J School District
Open Forest Experience Threatened Daily
To The Record-Courier:
Growing up in Eastern Oregon was a wonderful and privileged experience. With it came an appreciation of the outdoors and our forestlands. Critical to building that appreciation was the fact that the forestlands were a readily accessible, available, and an affordable family outing. Part of this equation was due to the use of a motorized vehicle to get us to those locations. Mr. Mildrexler, (Hells Canyon Preservation council), pointed out, “how quickly one can hike to the solitude of a backcountry roadless area or wilderness peak” to enjoy the views.
What is also true is that we can now load our families into a pickup and take them to the forest to enjoy these same views without trespassing into these pristine wilderness areas. However, this experience is threatened daily by the policies and regulations which attempt to curb and regulate this experience. I know of no current access legislation or proposed regulations that threateneds either roadless or wilderness areas. It is access to the open forest which is constantly under fire; it is this right which is being eroded.
As most people can attest, reading about an experience is completely different than first-hand experience. Education is not the equivalent of intelligence or common sense. Motorized access is just another method we can use to experience our forests. This is not the sole method, but it is a method just as hiking, biking, or horseback riding. The point is that it gets us out there; after all, it is our forest, and we should all be able to enjoy it. While Mr. Mildrexler, states that “unregulated motorized use has jeopardized this guarantee” I feel that it strengthens our appreciation of the forests and encourages a sense of personal responsibility. Without fostering this feeling, I feel that a way of life will have been lost. These areas will be locked up and set aside for the privileged; those who have the time and the money to arrange for access to those roadless areas.
I also enjoy our national forest lands for the solitude and quiet that they offer. I have not found noise to be an issue except in those areas where access has been restricted to the point that population is an issue. Trailheads can sometimes be noisy and I would not recommend a public campground for someone seeking solitude. I think that noise as an over exaggerated issue. I spent 6 hours on our public lands in the middle of deer season (on a weekend) and encountered four vehicles and a total of four people. Noise was not an issue. I have also driven a motorized vehicle past deer who did nothing more than bite at flies and stomp their feet as I passed.
It is easy for an outsider to judge an area or an issue based upon a single editorial. I think that people need to judge firsthand in order to judge and evaluate for themselves whether further regulation and restrictions are required. I would also advocate more “shovel-ready” natural resource positions. I would like to see our service agencies actually perform maintenance services in these areas to ensure continued access. Instead, it seems we spend all our money on further studies which propose to eliminate even further access.
Northeastern Oregon is an open forest experience. Let’s fight to keep it that way.
Wanda Ballard
Baker City, Ore.
Halloween Is For Donating Blood
To The Record-Courier:
There is not a more appropriate time to think of donating blood than Halloween. The vampires might be after your blood but so is the American Red Cross. Therefore, only you can do something about it. Beat the vampires to the draw by calling Colleen Brooks at 541-523-4650 for an appointment to give blood on Halloween (Oct. 31) from 1-6 p.m. or Tuesday, Nov. 1, from 9-2 p.m. at the Calvary Baptist Church at Third and Broadway.
There is something much scarier than ghosts and goblins knocking on our doors asking for treats. It’s not having blood available when it is needed. Volunteer blood donors are the primary source of blood used for transfusions.
Baker City has a reputation for supplying our share of blood, and sometimes more, but lately we have been falling short of our quota.
So beat the vampires to the draw, give Count Dracula the boot and come to the blood drive on Monday and Tuesday. New donors are always welcome and don’t need an appointment; however, they do need a valid identification.
Colleen Brooks, Baker City
Heads Up, Keep An Eye On The Sky!
To The Record-Courier:
I’m telling you, if it ain’t one thing, it’s eight others. The latest is this bit about the “sky is falling,” just like Chicken Little predicted. Bus size chunks of space junk are about to start coming home to roost, so to speak. Keep an eye on the sky.
The space engineers and mathematical whizzes who fired that junk into the cosmos have no idea where this trash will plunk into the planet. You may know that 2/3 of the Earth’s surface is water. If the junk splashes in the Pacific, will that be the trigger for the tsunami/earthquake/ volcanic eruption that wipes out Seattle and Tacoma? If so, would that event be a natural disaster, or a man-made one?
Can you guess where the buses will land, and try to hide? Is there time to build a shelter and stock it with cigarettes and beer and prescription drugs? How do you dodge a falling bus? Maybe you fake right and go left, like the Republicans. Is there a siren to signal us of the upcoming crash? Can we sue the government for failing to protect us from objects falling from the sky?
Can we tell whether this is actually our own garbage coming out of the sky, or is it actually the long-awaited attack by the little green men of far away galaxies?
There are so very many unanswered questions. The only people who truly know the answers are those who find every big event to be a conspiracy. The conspiracy experts have the inside scoop on every happening. There are people in Roswell, New Mexico who have known this event was imminent for decades. Those Roswellians are first cousins to the fundamentalist minister who predicted the end of the earth (he called it the rapture) for May of this year and then discovered in June that his calculations may have contained an error. Is this his prediction coming true? It could be. It is possible, so it seems prudent (and thrifty!) for us to hold off on any early Christmas shopping expeditions.
If you don’t hear from me again, please consider this my attempt at a heads up.
MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU!
Dave Rama
Former Baker City resident, now in Chadron, Neb.
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