Letters to the Editor for Nov. 18, 2009

Weather a factor in flying flag

In response to the Nov. 13 letter regarding the American flag not being flown on Veterans Day: Baker City Rotary provides a service to businesses and residences in Baker City. For a fee of $30 per year we provide a flag at your location and we put it out in the morning and we take it down before dark. This process involves about 20 volunteers who transport the flags. We try very hard to be totally in line with the flag codes of the United States, and on the Department of Veterans Affairs Web site it states: “The flag should not be subject to weather damage, so it should not be displayed during rain, snow and wind storms unless it is an all-weather flag.”

So as a matter of respect to the U.S. flag we have to make the decision from time to time to not display them. We base the decision on weather forecasts and it was very windy and it did rain off and on throughout the day.

If you would like to participate in Baker City Rotary’s flag program feel free to contact us at www.bakercityrotary.org and click the e-mail link at the bottom of the home page and send us a note and we will then contact you to begin this service for you or your business. Funds raised are used to support local and international projects.

Baker City Rotary is a service club that is part of Rotary International. Rotary is a worldwide organization of more than 1.2 million business, professional, and community leaders. Members of Rotary clubs, known as Rotarians, provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world. There are 33,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Clubs are nonpolitical, nonreligious, and open to all cultures, races, and creeds.

As signified by the motto “Service Above Self,” Rotary’s main objective is service — in the community, in the workplace, and throughout the world. 

Ken Krohn

Flag Committee chairman

Baker City Rotary Club

Bishops took the right position

To the editor:

Bill Press, in his syndicated column in the Nov. 16 issue of the Herald, makes three points abundantly clear. One, that he is a journalist with an extremely left-wing perspective. Two, that his historic trashing of the Roman Catholic Church is not likely to be abated anytime soon. And, three, he has no understanding of the moral responsibility church leaders of any denomination have when their core beliefs are threatened by politicians.

Press takes to task the Catholic bishops of the United States for “interfering” with the so-called health care bill as it neared a final vote in the House of Representatives.  If he feels strongly that the bishops’ perspective should not have been considered by Congress then his criticism should have been focused on Congress for listening rather than on the bishops for exercising their First Amendment right to free speech.

Press tries to make the argument that the bishops do not speak for the Catholic Church when he cites “Catholics for Choice” as having a view different from the bishops’. Press, and those of his ilk, need to understand one thing. The Catholic Church’s teaching as expressed by the bishops is clear and unequivocal.  Procured abortion, euthanasia, and other immoral acts permitted in the Democrats’ bill are morally wrong. Catholics for Choice is a splinter group not in communion with the orthodox teaching of the Church. The bishops got it right and were under a moral imperative to use, through all legal means, their influence to prevent immoral acts from being funded by taxpayers.

Catholics in name only like Pelosi, Biden, Kennedy, and Kerry may choose for reasons of political expediency to ignore the teachings of the Church on such issues as the murder of innocent human beings.  The bishops cannot do as those politicians do. For that the bishops ought to be admired not criticized.  

Jerry Boyd

Baker City

One veteran who flies flag always

In response to Cheryl A. Gushman’s letter, I would like to say I agree with you: Flags were scarce in Baker City.

As a veteran myself I can let you know my flag at 2610 Main St. flies 365 days a year in honor of Richard H. Gushman and the rest of our veterans. Also, with two veterans working at 2017 Main St., I can tell you our flag was up for our veterans.

To all veterans: Thank you for all you do. 

Jeremy M. Lemro

Baker City

Will we stand up for freedom?

It’s taken me a long time to write again, but the happenings have sparked a fire in me which I will explain. I’m shocked, not surprised, to see so few people in Baker and La Grande not interested enough in what is happening with our government today. If the wrong bills come out, it will heavily affect you and yours. Some still have their head stuck so far into the sands of unbelief, not realizing their biggest part is being taken from them.

If you have not heard not only the warning from other countries on gun control, but also government-run “health control,” where have you been? It’s a fact, we need to fix what is broken. But we don’t need thousands of pages not read, not understood by anyone or explained. Seniors, you have the opportunity to have your voice heard here in Baker, but you need to join with others and in “Americans for Prosperity” meetings, none of these are either Democrat or Republican slanted.

Four hundred million to be taken out of Medicare, which means you pay more to see a doctor if you can find one, because they will be paid less to see you. Some will not even taken Medicare cases anymore. There’s talk of taxing hip implants, knee implants, pacemakers etc. The government will have complete control of one-sixth of all health care situations even when there is no provision in the Constitution for this kind of control. Freedom of choice, where did it go?

Young people, you’re not off the hock either. Buy into this plan or face a stiff fine, maybe even jail time. You become a criminal. When are we as the people going to stand up with the others against this out of control government which admits it pays little attention to the Constitution anymore?

I will write about Fort Hood, what political correctness has cost us, and the war we had better win or lose for our very survival. See you next time.

Richard Fox

Baker City