Source Weekly July 8, 2021

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Letters

O WHAT. THE. FIREWORKS.

LIBRARY EXPANSION I hear there are a few very loud people voicing their dissent regarding the library expansion and I just want to say that I support the library’s concept of a centralized regional library and enhanced neighborhood libraries. It’s what me and over 60,000 residents voted for!!

Thank you.

—Jax Dolezal

RE: BOOT: PEOPLE ARE DYING IN THE HEAT, WHILE OTHERS ARE COLLECTING LIKES ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOR TROLLING THEM, LETTERS, 7/1 Thank you for bringing attention to this. I live in Sisters, and there is a group of teenagers (mostly, but not all) who make it their job to harass our houseless neighbors for no reason other than boredom and hate. Nobody ever listens -I’ve gone to the City, School District,

Forest Service, and Law Enforcementor does anything about it, and some of them actually shot at a camp. Our family was harassed for two years in the forest, and now that we’re housed, it continues because they know our vehicles and where we live. There is no accountability for people who act like this, and it’s ridiculous. These are human beings, become part of the solution or get the hell out of the way so the rest of us can do our job.

—Mandee Seeley, via bendsource.com (Letter truncated for context)

WHITE SUPREMACY LEFT ITS SHAMEFUL MARK ON THE 4TH OF JULY PARADE IN REDMOND. According to the Redmond Chamber of Commerce’s 4th of July Parade Rule #5, “This is a family friendly a-political event and we request that no political flags be promoted….. violation of these rules are grounds for dismal and you will be banned from participating in future parades put on by the Redmond Chamber.”

Please explain to me how allowing Confederate flags to be on display in the parade isn’t political.

The Confederate Battle flag, a recognized symbol of hate, represents a time in our country’s history when people enslaved and trafficked human beings for profit. Allowing that flag to be displayed during a community event was poor judgement. I’m not a person of color, a person of colors’ experience is not universal. My lived experiences are valid—so is a person of colors’ experience. Imagine how our friends and neighbors of color may have felt watching floats adorned with that battle flag being rolled down our city’s streets.

Trying to rationalize that the confederate flag as “just history” is unfair. You cannot separate racism from the Confederate flag. It is a symbol that has been used to terrorize people of color and it has no place in a 4th of July parade.

Shame on the Redmond Chamber of Commerce for allowing—no, enabling hate. The rules for parade participation and the consequences for violating those rules are clearly laid out on the Chambers page. I expect to see these groups banned from future participation.

—Cara Frank

THE GALLON SMASHING PRANK Today, at the Westside Safeway I saw something that made my late thirties self feel like a true old timer. Ultimate disappointment in members of the teen generation. I thought about speaking with them, asking them, ‘WTF?’ Or inquiring to how the heck they felt that was a decent thing to do.

As it stands, I did nothing and continued to wait for my hubby’s prescription to be filled.

Here’s how it went down. A group of high school boys gathered by the milk ‘station’ we’ll call it for argument’s sake.

One member acted as though he needed a gallon of milk, picked it up and proceeded to walk away. Welp, here is where it gets good—well, bad actually, but you get the point. He falls, presumably trips, as the gallon of milk flies across the floor, smashing in front of customers.

We assume, as previously mentioned, he tripped. That my friends, was 100% not the case. It was a prank. I Googled it after hearing a store clerk mention it. Here it is, this completely, non-funny ‘prank’ that kiddos across the country (world?) are replicating. As a woman went to help the

boy up, his friends laughed and walked out of the store (not necessarily by choice) and of course, checking their phones to make sure they got it all on film.

Meanwhile, as the already understaffed store, as many around the country, calls for a clean-up, a boy, about their same age, walks out preparing to mop up the mess.

So, here’s the thing: One group of kids, out of school for the summer, more than likely not working, created a scene. Wasted milk, added to a workload and made a sweet woman feel like she was helping someone and then merely seconds later realize it was all part of a prank. Ew, David.

Then another teen is there, working, being taken away from the task he was doing prior to clean up after others.

I felt overwhelmed and sad for what is happening, also very much my age ha.

So thought it worth a share, and well, an abrupt reminder as to lessons I want to make sure my kids learn and the care they have for other human beings.

—Caitlin Bjornstad

Letter of the Week:

Caitlin—Well, that’s a new onefor me, but our younger reporter said it's beeng going on for a decade. Thanks for sharing this story. Come on in for your gift card to Palate—I heard their coffee is great with a splash of milk!

—Nicole Vulcan

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5 VOLUME 25 ISSUE 27 / JULY 8, 2021 / THE SOURCE WEEKLY

Many of you would agree your pets are like your children. So if children went missing because of fireworks would there be a ban? I don’t even know what to do with my upset over the amount of dogs I’ve seen running through Bend—in this heat!–and the cars driving by my house with distraught people calling their lost dogs. To the people who support the use of fireworks, do you not know or do you just not care about the agonizing trauma to dogs, wildlife, war vets and empaths just so you can see sparkles in the sky for a few seconds? Why not put on some headphones and listen to the sound of war and watch the stars (they stay lit longer)?

Lawmakers —for God’s sake BAN THE SALE OF EXPLOSIVES FROM CHINA. Oh and did I mention fires? At least Bend got that part right this year, sort of.

—Vanessa Schulz

Letters must be received by noon Friday for inclusion in the following week’s paper. Please limit letters to 250 words. Submission does not guarantee publication.

Opinions printed here do not constitute an editorial endorsement of said opinions.

Letter of the week receives $5 to Palate!