Van der Kamp should step down

We, the people, should be able to trust our elected leaders to make decisions in the public interest, to demonstrate upstanding moral character, and to lead by example.

Peace officers bear immense responsibility and a considerable burden. They swear an oath to uphold the law with integrity, and we trust them to meet that standard. Crucially, we rely on their unflinching commitment to the truth and their role as credible, reliable witnesses when it matters most.

But what happens when our elected county sheriff loses that trust? When prosecutors deem him too untrustworthy to testify. When his peers at the Oregon State Sheriffs Association vote unanimously to permanently expel him from their board. When the state agency responsible for certifying law enforcement officers finds that he violated moral fitness standards through a pattern of intentionally dishonest behavior. When he may even lose his badge.

The controversy surrounding Sheriff Van der kamp has cast an unnecessary shadow upon a sheriff’s department filled with dedicated public servants — professionals who risk their lives every day to keep our community safe. They deserve a leader who reflects their skill, character, and integrity — not one that undermines them.
If Sheriff Van der Kamp has lost the confidence of both the community he serves and the colleagues who once stood behind him, he cannot continue to lead effectively. The honorable choice is clear: he should resign.

The deputies who serve Deschutes county — and the public they protect — deserve better.

John Nielsen

Redmond City Councilor

 

Remember meaning of Memorial Day

As we observe Memorial Day and many enjoy the first long weekend of summer, it is worth remembering the words of US Army General Mark A. Milley in August 2018:

“We don’t take an oath to a country. We don’t take an oath to a tribe or a piece of dirt. The very core essence of the Army is that we are committed to you, the citizens. We are willing to die, to give our life, for an idea … it’s an idea that’s embedded in a document in Washington, D.C., the Constitution. That’s an incredible thought when you think about it — that we are willing to die for an idea …No matter who you are, whether you are male or a female, whether you are gay or straight, black or white, or Asian or Indian, no matter what the color of your skin is, it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter if you are Catholic or Protestant or you are Jew or Muslim or chose not to believe. It doesn’t matter if you are rich or you are poor. It doesn’t matter if you are famous or common. None of that matters in this country — none of it. What matters in this country is you are going to succeed or fail based on your merit. You are going to succeed or fail based on your knowledge, skills, your attributes, your hard work and your labor. And you are going to be judged by the content of your character. You will succeed on competence, and you will be judged on character. And that is the very essence of this country we call the United States. And that is what every thing in that document called the Constitution is all about.”

This Memorial Day as we remember those who gave their all to uphold the Constitution, we must acknowledge that the Constitution is under great stress. Actions are being taken bringing our nation close to or up to a constitutional crisis. Are we a nation of laws under the Constitution or are we no longer subject to those laws? Do we bow down before an all-powerful executive or do we have three equal branches of government? Does the executive branch accept the decrees of the Supreme Court and does the executive branch abide by the laws passed by the Congress?

Are all men and women created equal and deserve to be treated with respect? Are we one people or does E pluibus unum “out of many, one” no longer mean anything in America?

I served in the Vietnam War with men and women of all backgrounds, religions and economic status. 50,000 gave their lives during that terrible war. We must honor their memory and their valor, and those from other wars, by upholding the Constitution and standing for the ideas for which they gave their lives. So, enjoy the long weekend, but remember their sacrifice and the Constitution for which they died.

Ronald Carver
Bend