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Opinion Letters Letters and Comments for March 24, 2009
Letters and Comments for March 24, 2009
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Letters and Comments for March 24, 2009
Experience joy of pet adoption To the Editor: I have had a fantastic experience that I would like to share. I adopted a cat and puppy from the Blue Mountain Humane Association in the last few years. Our family has been blessed to experience the unconditional love, comfort and friendship with these new family members. My son has also learned the responsibilities that come with having pets. He loves them! Some people believe that adopting a “mutt” or an older animal may be risking owning a poor-quality pet. Myself and others I know have found the complete opposite of this belief. There are so many animals in need of a family. If it is possible for your family to adopt a pet in need, please consider the humane association first. It will change your life and give an opportunity for a wonderful spirit to prosper. Tamara Maszk La Grande
To the Editor: During the recent election cycle, many Union County residents came together to help elect Barack Obama president. On Nov. 4, 2008, our hard work was rewarded when then-Sen. Obama won the election. Our work could have ended there but President-elect Obama, in his victory speech, told the American people that there is a lot of work to do to get this country back on track — and he can’t do it alone. President Obama has called on Americans to take action and get involved in their communities. To help answer this call, several groups in Union County have come together to form the “The Union County Listening Project for Change.” We are part of a grassroots effort, Organizing for America, that will help to bring positive change not only to Union County but to Washington, D.C. The Union County Listening Project for Change is gathering progressive people together in Union County communities as our part of Organizing for America. We want to know what issues concern our neighbors and friends. We will share these concerns with the Obama administration. When two or more persons share similar concerns, we will link you together if you wish. We will let you know about others who are working on your issue. You will then have the opportunity to join with your neighbors to help make a difference. We will soon be announcing when the first of these meeting will be held. The goal is to hold meetings in all areas of the county. Working together, we can all help to keep Union County moving forward. For more information, visit http://union.oregondemocrats.org/ or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Kathy McGuire Union County Listening Project La Grande
To the Editor: As one of the people who lives east of the Cascades and who happens to be an avid hunter, I have quietly watched as the price of firearms, ammunition and reloading supplies have gone through the roof — if you can find them at all. Our current president and the Congress have made it very clear that they feel that Americans shouldn’t have the right to own firearms, or for that matter anything that has to do with firearms. Because of their actions since coming to office, the price of rifles and pistols has in some cases doubled. Reloading supplies have for the most part at least doubled, if you can find them at all. If you walk into any gunshop anywhere you will find a photo of our president with a caption that says “Employee of the Month.” No other person has done so much for the firearms manufacturers, or ammunition manufacturers, and of course the reloading suppliers. While I believe the intent of this administration is to openly stop Americans from owning firearms, its actions have had just the opposite effect. In fact, all the related factories are now running 24/7 to just try to keep up with demand, and most are months behind. It must be their secret plan to put people to work — that’s it! That must be it, because surely the president and Congress would think about the end results of their actions before they did something. Wouldn’t they? Well, wouldn’t they? Hey, what do you think of those trillions we just gave away? J.R. Kauffman La Grande
To the Editor: President Obama keeps saying, over the past two or three weeks, that he inherited this financial mess when he was elected. Uh huh. Well, on President Bush’s last day in office, the stock market closed around 11,000 with almost all of the investor experts saying the Dow would go to 13,000 or 14,000 by year’s end (2008). Uh huh. Well now, 60 days or whatever since the president has assumed office, the Dow is about 6,000. What happened? Granted, there is the war he inherited, but that has not, over the last two or three years, made the market go up or down. The VA is crying that a huge amount of its anticipated funding is being greatly reduced. Sorry ’bout that, veteran fellers, of which I am one (decorated WW II), but the president just can’t afford us. And homeowners who have lost their homes, and those homes are now worth less on the market than their mortgage values — sorry about that, folks. But Mr. President can’t or won’t help you with that. I really think that all the president has inherited is a job too big for him. After all, his total experience in Chicago before the Senate was “ward healer.” Now, folks, don’t accuse me of being an “empty-headed Republican,” as one gentleman called me (by mail). I am an independent, but you cannot register that in Oregon and vote the primaries so I am a registered Republican, but I vote the person not the party. Roy Hills Island City
To the Editor: In “12 Nations,” part of the “A Moment in Oregon History” series on March 18, Rick Steber stated, “Oregon was once occupied by 12 nations of Native people.” This statement needs some fact checking. Twelve is the wrong number. Currently, there are nine federally recognized tribes in Oregon, many of which are confederations of numerous tribes. Additional tribes are seeking federal recognition. A minimal list of tribes taken from the federally recognized tribes’ websites includes Paiute, Coos, Umpqua, Siuslaw, Coquille, Molalla, Rogue River, Kalapuya, Chasta, Klamath, Modoc, Yahooskin, Cayuse, Umatilla, Walla Walla, Warm Springs and Wasco. The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians is made up of 27 bands from throughout western Oregon. There are also tribes whose reservations are in neighboring states, such as the Nez Perce Tribe. As citizens of Oregon celebrate the state’s 150th birthday, the original inhabitants of the land, who have lived here for more than 10,000 years, view the occasion with mixed feelings. Their stories have been inaccurately told since before Oregon became a state and Mr. Steber’s article does not help matters. Catherine Dickson La Grande |
