Redistricting is not the answer

The Deschutes County Commission is once again showing us why they can’t be trusted to act in the best interest of our community.

Voters made it loud and clear last November: we want a five-member commission to better represent the diversity of Deschutes County. But now, instead of respecting the will of the people, the current commissioners — Tony DeBone and Patti Adair — are rushing to draw the new district lines before the expanded board is even seated.

Let’s be honest. This is about power, not representation.

These are the same commissioners who opposed the expansion from the start. They were wrong then, and they’re wrong now to think they should be the ones deciding what our future representation looks like. The responsible course of action is to wait until all five commissioners are seated — and then let that full, representative body decide on district boundaries. Anything else reeks of political gamesmanship.

No matter who they bring in to make it look fair, the truth remains: Tony and Patti cannot be trusted with this task. We need problem solvers leading Deschutes County—leaders who listen to their constituents, who are transparent, and who are willing to roll up their sleeves and fix the real issues our communities are facing.

It’s time for a new direction, and that starts by stopping this rushed and untrustworthy redistricting process in its tracks.

– John Heylin, Bend

Bulletin chose wrong photo

I fiercely object to the inclusion of a photo of “Pro-Palestinian protestors” in the commentary “Will screening immigrants’ social media history cure antisemitism?” As an ostensibly civil society, I agree we must root out hatred of any identified group, whether anti-Asian, anti-Latine, anti-Black prejudice; homophobia or anti-trans mania; antisemitism and Islamophobia. Many of us long to build a society that works for everybody.

It is wrong to conflate pro-Palestinian sentiment with antisemitism, period. It is simply ridiculous to say that those who are outraged by the treatment of the Palestinian people and who support their right to remain in their homeland are haters of Jews. Interestingly, Mahmoud Khalil himself has said, “As a Palestinian student, I believe that the liberation of the Palestinian people and the Jewish people are intertwined and go hand by hand, and you cannot achieve one without the other.”

Why is outrage at the incessant bombing and destruction of Gaza, the killing of thousands of Palestinian lives, and the Israeli colonization of the West Bank considered “terrorist activity”? If we had eyes to see and hearts to truly feel, I believe we would be sympathetic to the terror felt by the Palestinian people.

– Chela Soper, Bend

 

Irrational fears

The news that two cultural events, the Latino Fest in Madras and the Juneteenth event in Bend, have been cancelled this year is disheartening and infuriating. The stated reason for the cancellation of the Latino Fest was a “fear … that there might be enforcement action when a large group of Latinos gather”. There is no credible evidence that ICE has been targeting gatherings of ethnic groups. They only target actions at specific people who are here illegally and have committed crimes.

The Juneteenth event was cancelled because of “increased nationwide agitation and chatter about violence against communities of color”. I have heard of no such “chatter”. The only evidence of violence aimed at large gatherings has been against either the Trump Administration or Jews and invariably comes from the left.

What’s disheartening is that Central Oregon will lose the cultural and financial benefits generated by these events based on irrational fears. The infuriating part is demonstrated by the comments of Senator Ron Wyden that “President Donald Trump’s actions” have “terrified” the organizers. The cancellation of these events will inevitably be used by Democrats and the left to further demonize President Trump and conservatives.

– Stephen Ottemoeller, Bend