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Posts published in “Day: July 26, 2014”

“Why, Daddy, why?”

rainey BARRETT
RAINEY

 
Second
Thoughts

When Dad got tired trying to answer my childish questions of “why” to nearly any new, youthful encounter, his standard response became “You’ll know when you’re older.” Being a trusting kid, I blindly accepted his promise of future knowledge.

Dad’s gone now. And, after my nearly four score years experience, it pains my soul to say it - he was wrong. At least so far as being able to comprehend by knowing the answers to my continued queries of “why.” If his advanced age during my growth years truly gave him understanding of hard-to-understand situations, he was really quite an extraordinary man because my added years haven’t always helped me all that much. On the other hand, maybe some things happening now beyond my ability to grasp are far more complicated and I’m just not up to the task.

Here’s one.

Why would leaders of the National Republican Party - and their elected offspring - formally adopt a position of banishing access to health care for millions of voters and their families? Even want to go to court over it? What sane reason could there be to take away life-changing and even life-saving medical care from adults and kids who now have it - many for the first time in their entire lives? Why would a political party take a position to disenfranchise Americans needing what should be considered one of those “unalienable rights?” “Why, Daddy, why?”

Here’s another. Why will both parties in our national Congress - after endless bloviating about the problem of tens of thousands of children flooding into this country seeking personal refuge and safety - why will those Washington folk go home and not do anything to deal politically or humanely with the situation? Why are they walking away?

Human-being-by-human-being, we have an entirely non-political and extremely human tragedy on our hands. Children from South American countries being used as pawns. Children with absolutely no voice in the matter being pushed and/or dragged into this country with promises of a better life. Or their parents are being threatened with death if they don’t blindly ship their kids off unaccompanied into a trip of thousands of miles filled with all sorts of life-threatening dangers.

And the Congress, from which all resources must come, is going to quit without undertaking a single effort to ease this human tragedy. Why?

And more “whys.”

Why would the governor of Texas call up the Texas National Guard to stand along that border? Why send a guardsman with tank and a rifle to face an eight-year-old child trying to surrender? Why use uniformed - and heavily armed - Texas fathers and mothers to face this flood of young humanity and what are they expected to do? Why uproot members of the Guard - trained in dealing with ecological and natural disasters, equipped to deal with armed foes in other countries but not trained in dealing with the needs of children who don’t understand what’s happening to them and who probably don’t speak English - why send the military and their weapons to deal with kids needing food, shelter and some sense of security? Why? (more…)

On the front pages

news

Here’s what public affairs news made the front page of newspapers in the Northwest today, excluding local crime, features and sports stories. (Newspaper names contracted with location)

Idaho health insurance exchange data shift (Boise Statesman)
Idaho would see effects of Ex-Im closure (IF Post Register)
IF airport asking long wait times (IF Post Register)
Court blocks Nez Perce-Clearwater timber sale (Lewiston Tribune)
300 houses burn in WA Carlton complex (Lewiston Tribune)
Divided views on where to put Canyon fair (Nampa Press Tribune)
Immigrant children sent to Idaho (Nampa Press Tribune)
Pocatello council wants end to external paving (Pocatello Journal)
Work on Yellowstone Avenue again underway (Pocatello Journal)
Viewing the White Cloud debate from the air (TF Times News)

Eugene pushes ahead on mandatory sick leave (Eugene Register Guard)
Hotel owner buys Eugene Schaefer building (Eugene Register Guard)
Beatty fire threatens structures (KF Herald & News)
Pups from OR-7 doing well (Ashland Tidings)
Suspect caught in major Medford arson string (Medford Tribune)
Cover Oregon board considers what's next (Portland Oregonian)
State reviewing oil trains in state (Portland Oregonian, Salem Statesman Journal)
Review of upcoming ballot measures (Salem Statesman Journal)

Kitsap, King ocnsider foot ferry options (Bremerton Sun)
Lawsuit over collection company tactics (Bremerton Sun)
Bainbridge fire officials back off bond plan (Bremerton Sun)
Commission will review Oso mudslide (Everett Herald)
Negotiations continue with longshoremen (Everett Herald)
Carlton complex fire wipes out 300 houses (Seattle Times, Vancouver Columbian, Yakima Herald Republic, Longview News)
New monorail plan coming on November ballot (Seattle Times)
Design work done on 3rd Columbia bridge (Vancouver Columbian)