This cannot be a norm - "chaos" at the Capitol
Oregonians deserve better, especially when the stakes are this high.
Kevin Frazier edits The Oregon Way (forgive him for typos). In his spare time, he attends law school at UC Berkeley and runs a nonprofit focused on closing the Digital Divide.
Today, the Oregon State Legislature convened for a special session. Representatives and senators, though, were not the only ones who made their way to Salem. Instead, members of Patriot Prayer, “a far-right group,” per OPB, “based in Vancouver, Washington, that that attracts white supremacists and has engaged in violence,” also traveled south.
“Chaos,” again, as described by OPB, erupted when the protesters realized they didn’t receive an invite to enter the Capitol. Only legislators were permitted to go inside. As the picture below makes clear, some protesters opted to ignore those limitations.
Sadly, a refusal to follow basic rules took place inside of the legislative chambers as well. State Senator Dallas Heard, R-Roseburg (depicted below) refused to wear a mask during the session, a rule that applied to all of the legislators. Apparently, Sen. Heard was fighting a “campaign” against “the people and the children of god.”
He also took issue that someone hadn’t politely asked him not to wear a mask. Because the mask rule was “commanded,” Sen. Heard apparently had no other option but to “declare [his] right to protest against [] false authority,” and, so, removed his mask.
Oregonians deserve better on all fronts.
It’s reasonable for Oregonians to demand that their legislators adequately weigh the will of the people; it’s selfish to endanger the lives of law enforcement officers by forcing them to apprehend maskless individuals.
It’s reasonable for our representatives to push back when they perceive that their perspective is being ignored or belittled; it’s misguided, shortsighted, and narrowminded to think that a requirement to wear a mask during a pandemic is worth fighting while Oregonians in every district are fighting for their lives, their businesses, and their loved ones.
It’s reasonable to question policy decisions; it’s performative and irrational to steal attention from the Oregonians counting on assistance from their policymakers.
This cannot become a norm
For many Oregonians, the thought of Salem conjures walkouts, standoffs, and, now, mask rips. Though our legislators have managed to achieve some bipartisan legislation in the last few years, that matters little to the Oregonians that associate their state government with ineptitude and infighting.
Over time, the association of Salem with dysfunction will destroy whatever faith in the legislature remains among Oregonians. That’s why we cannot allow the current behaviors in Salem to become a norm. The alternative is a slope slipperier than the road down from Timberline Lodge: fewer good people running for office; a diminished willingness of Oregonians to engage in democratic processes; and, a continuation of too little good policy coming out of the state legislature.
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