Act of kindness

Let’s hope the act of kindness my wife and I experienced recently is contagious.

Shortly after the recent nasty snow and ice storm, we were gingerly making our way on Knott Road when black ice threw our car across the road into a mountain of snow on the shoulder. Thanks to divine intervention, no 18-wheelers were coming the other way, otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this letter now.

We’re stuck, so out comes the cell phone and a call to Oregon AAA for roadside assistance. A frazzled voice at the other end of the phone lets me know that we’re not the only car in Central Oregon stuck in the snow. Just then, two pickup trucks pull up, out pop two guys with shovels and, without a word, start digging us out. One offers to drive home and return with a tow rope.

Long story short, he returns and 10 minutes later, we’re out of the deep stuff and in manageable snow. But there’s more: three young men, who I assume are employees at Eastside Gardens, come running across the road and give us that final push. As is typical in good Samaritan stories, all these wonderful people are nameless.

Thank you, gentlemen, for reinforcing our belief that, despite all the negative and depressing stuff going on in the world today, there are good people willing to perform nameless, selfless deeds.

Holly Hutchins

Bend

Help change the world

Winter is here. Beautiful white snow. Most of us in Central Oregon are very fortunate. We have enough food and warm homes. For many people in our community and around the world, everyday is a struggle to stay alive. Please give what you can to our local agencies and international charities. You can help change the world!

Margaret Wyman

Bend

Remembering Lonsdale

Regarding the Nov. 7 In My View, “Money, politics a toxic mix”: Oh, now I remember why I voted for Harry Lonsdale when he was running for office!

Ann Thomas

Redmond

Obama immigration move is insulting

Obama is going around Congress to grant blanket amnesty to illegal aliens. Not only is this an insult to legal immigrants, as well as to those who applied through legal channels and are still waiting, but it is also a slap in the face to American citizens.

Citizens are expected to obey the law or face legal consequences and penalties. Citizens don’t have the option of thumbing their noses at laws they don’t like. Why should we make an exception for illegal aliens? No one has ever addressed that particular question.

As for “Dreamers,” it is not incumbent upon the U.S. government to make it OK that their parents violated our laws. The responsibility for those acts should rest on the lawbreakers themselves — the parents. Children of American citizens who have committed crimes do not qualify for blanket special considerations with respect to college admissions. Again, why should an exception be made for the children of illegals, who are themselves here illegally? Why should preference be given to noncitizens over citizens?

I can see no possible justification for any elected official to support any action that circumvents existing American laws.

Obama carefully deferred action on illegal immigration until after the election. He can’t run again. He won’t be held responsible at the polls in the next election. Those who support the illegal action he is taking, will be.

Julia Stapp

Redmond

Litigation is absurd

I cannot decide if it’s ironic or just disgusting: A come-lately “activist” suing a fourth-generation Bendite for not being “Bend Enough” to run for City Council. Apparently things must be a little slow on the law front, and conducting funeral services for geese is not a full-time job.

Through all the awkward difficulties of growing up, Bend has done quite well. There have been activist members of the council before and it looks like we have elected some more. I am sure they will keep the discussion lively.

But let’s not get carried away. If you want to see the results of activists running city and county government for an extended period, you only have to look 125 miles west to Eugene, a town of crumbling infrastructure and a downtown that has been on life support for years.

Regardless of how much we have changed, I do believe someone with a true Bend perspective and an in-depth knowledge of utility infrastructure will be a positive influence on the council.

At a minimum, Casey Roats and the incoming council do not deserve to have to deal with this absurd litigation just because another activist and his lawyer have too much time on their hands.

Gary Everton

Bend