Your Voice: Aug. 6, 2025

Proceeds were generated from a live auction, paddle raise, cash donations, the sale of Rowena Fire logo t-shirts, tote bags, backpacks, and wine wall sales generated from wine donated by many local wineries. 100% of the proceeds will go through the United Way of the Gorge “Rowena Fire Recovery Fund.”

We are thankful to all of the Mt. Hood Winery staff, including one employee who lost their home; volunteers; United Way; and every community member who joined us in support of those families impacted by the Rowena Fire.

This community REALLY rocks!

Steve and Jan Bickford, and staff of Mt. Hood Winery

Pine Grove

Editor’s note: The photo above was taken at the Rowena Fire fundraiser on July 29.

Racism ‘most enduring sin’

Although 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris lost Congressional District 4 in Washington, 59%-38%, she only lost nationwide, narrowly, by 1.5%. Yet, 155 years after African-Americans were enfranchised to vote, that anyone as openly racist as President Donald Trump can still be elected president is utterly appalling (“Donald Trump was accused of racism long before his presidency, despite what online posts claim,” AP News, July 28, 2023).

Racism remains our country’s original sin (quoting Abraham Lincoln) and most enduring, cruel sin.

I admit naivete in thinking a majority of white Americans had progressed beyond considering color when Barack Obama became president. After all, one’s own economic condition may exceed color in voting decisions and probably accounted for Obama’s 2008 Great Recession-era victory. Huge majorities among people of color and youthful voters re-elected him in 2012.

I did see nonsensical “Impeach Obama” bumper stickers and observed Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell’s successful opposition to anything Obama introduced, even if originally Republican-enacted — e.g., Obamacare’s similarity to Mitt Romney’s Massachusetts healthcare. Also, even among Democrats, 20% of West Virginians said they couldn’t vote for a Black man. Obviously I was in denial concerning national attitudes.

Trump recruited, particularly via non-political media, many politically disengaged and disinformed to vote for him. But the politically-engaged should know — unless they believe Trump’s lies and Fox “News”— that pandemic-swollen inflation was nearly down to 2% (“Annual Inflation Dips to 2.1% in Final Report Before Election,” U.S. News and World Report, Oct. 31, 2024), and that undocumented and documented immigrant crime rates are lower than US-born rates (“Debunking the Myth of the ‘Migrant Crime Wave,’ Brennan Center for Justice, May 29, 2024).

Since these top two election issues favored Democrats, choosing “racist-in-chief” Trump over African-Asian-American woman Harris suggests misogyny was also possibly involved.

Norm Luther

Spokane, Washington