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Letters to the Editor: Nov. 13, 2020

A better place

I watched President-elect Biden’s speech Saturday evening, and was reassured that he is a caring and compassionate person. This was confirmed for me when I learned that Major, one of the two dogs that will move into the White House with him, is a rescue adopted from the Delaware Humane Society and fostered by the Biden family.

I am pleased to have someone in the White House who appears to have care and concern for the welfare of animals — as well, I hope, as for all living creatures. I suspect this attitude could and will figure prominently in his decisionmaking process as president, consequently making our world a better place.

Janet De With

Yamhill

 

Ongoing divisiveness

As the dust settles on this local election season, something is very clear. Candidates cannot claim an election cycle is divisive if they themselves employed divisive tactics.

At the conclusion of my city council race with winner Chris Chenoweth, he said, “This was one of the most divisive races I’ve seen in the city in my lifetime. Let’s make this an anomaly and not the new status quo.” And he took not a smidge of responsibility for it.

If future candidates on the conservative end of the spectrum wish to keep the vitriol down and the integrity up, they need to inform Mr. James Goings that his input, opinions, attacks, tactics and services are unwelcome. This publication has exposed the dirty tactics of Mr. Goings, but the candidates openly welcomed and utilized them anyway.

In a Sept. 18 article, he called progressives “brainless.” Brainless!

How is aligning a campaign with such venom keeping said campaign free of divisiveness? Such tactics will prevent those who wish to run clean, positive and honest campaigns on either side from subjecting themselves and their supporters to his dirt digging attacks.

I’m reminded of Matthew 7:5, where it states, “Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”

While we are at it, how about we keep our local businesses out of the endorsement business. This year’s campaigns proved small town businesses can be hurt even by perceived endorsements of a particular candidate.

In the future, let’s agree not to involve them. Keeping a business going is challenging enough.

Going back to just being McMinnvillians, we all have to live together peacefully. Let’s pledge to be better in 2022 than we were in 2020.

Lisa McCracken

McMinnville

 

Time to refocus

Powell’s Books has a billboard that says:

AMAZON’S GONNA BE FINE, FOLKS. SHOP INDEPENDENT

Take that to heart.

Local, independent stores are what make a real town. If you want our towns to survive, put your money where your mouth is.

Amazon is, truly, going to be fine. But our towns, as we have known them, may for the most part disappear without our continued purchases.

Please make a conscious effort to actually shop and eat local — now most especially, but in the long term as well. Don’t have woulda, coulda, shoulda remorse.

Susan Karp

Amity

 

Clinton standing by?

Beware the 20th Amendment.

Headlines stating that Biden-Harris won the election are fake news. Big media does not have the authority to declare an election winner.

As of Nov. 11, no state has certified its election results. And seven states, accounting for 94 electoral votes, had pending electoral challenges: Nevada (6), Wisconsin (10), Arizona (11), Michigan (16), Georgia (16), North Carolina (15) and Pennsylvania (20).

The actual electoral map thus shows 227 votes for Joe Biden and 217 for President Trump. That means neither candidate has reached the 270-vote threshold.

What if neither candidate reaches 270 votes by noon on Jan. 20? Enter the 20th Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified on Jan. 23, 1933.

Recall the last sentence of Section 3: “... and the Congress may by law provide for the case wherein neither a President elect nor a Vice President elect shall have qualified, declaring who shall then act as President, or the manner in which one who is to act shall be selected, and such person shall act accordingly until a President or Vice President shall have qualified.”

In that case, who would the House select for acting President?

Dan Katz

McMinnville

 

Rules strict at Grange

The McMinnville Grange takes the COVID-19 pandemic very seriously. Contrary to what was suggested in a letter published last week, it is following the rules mandated by the state of Oregon.

Signs have been posted stating the requirements of the pandemic and what these requirements entail. Everyone entering must sign a sheet agreeing to comply.

Masks are required. If someone forgets to put a mask on, he is reminded to do so immediately.

In addition to the state rules, the Grange has its own bylaws and rules that both members and guests are required to follow. They are hard and fast.

Foul language is not permitted. Neither are stealing property from the Grange or its members and guests, belittling others during a Grange event, or engaging in any form of controversial behavior. Anyone not following the Grange’s rules, bylaws and requirements is asked to leave.

Grangemaster Wayne Clemmer

McMinnville

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