In the wee hours of the night I found myself thinking about a question raised in the “Letters To The Editor” pages of our local paper. The question was, “Who are the BCU?” Looking back on our convivial meeting March 17, I concluded that was like asking, “Who are the Westerners?” I made that connection as I reflected upon the Founding Fathers, our local patriots and the people I knew while growing up in the Rocky Mountain West.

Let me explain just what I mean. If you ever had to rise in the night to tend stock when the weather was not too kindly, you might be a Westerner. If you know firsthand where your food comes from, felt the touch of a wide open sky or looked in wonder at a mountain range from atop an adjoining peak you might have the soul of a Westerner. Sitting atop a horse and realizing God’s natural air freshener carries the scent of sagebrush, jimson weed and a bit of horse manure, you could consider yourself a Westerner.

A Westerner gives a firm hand shake with a friendly twinkle in his eye, speaks basic truth and knows the value of hard work. A person that can sit a horse or a corral fence in equal comfort, buck bales, shovel out a corral, knows to brush down their horse, can split firewood, may have delivered a baby or two, human or otherwise, is likely a Westerner.

Now let’s take a look at the Founding Fathers. They had different stories, different ideas and a strong respect and love for their fellow man. That is what brought them together. They created a social framework that became our national model, firmly enshrined in our Constitution and Bill Of Rights. If you love and trust your fellow man, believe in guidance from God, if you live with mutual respect and freedom for all and accept that good comes from civility and cooperation, if you feel the strength of the mountains in your bones, if your heart is as wide as the sweeping plains and your love of God as vast as the magnificent Universe we have the privilege to contemplate, you might be a Westerner. You might be Baker County United.

Rick Rienks

Baker City