Over the past several weeks there have been several letters indicating that politics appear broken and Trump followers are misguided drones. Finger pointing and the blame game seems to be the strategy of many. But what has that solved?

I happen to agree that the political process is threatened and under constant attack by those uninterested in America’s historic rule of law as well as those dedicated to tearing down the freedoms most of us hold near and dear.

Your elected Baker County Republican Precinct Committee has taken great care over the past several years to exhibit positive solutions to answer the concerns of those voters in rural Oregon. In light of the fact that the United States was originally founded upon a Christian-Judeo Western world view and the two-party system, it is obvious “the train has left the tracks” over the past 50 years.

Education of our children, sanctity of life (both young and old), freedom of speech and the right to bear arms, are just a few of the areas where a return to the nonconvoluted reasoning of our forefathers would solve those current, never-ending arguments of today.

Are you concerned that our rights to access in our forests being limited? Are you wondering which water rights might be limited by DEQ in the future? Why are small family farm operations being regulated out of business by Oregon agencies? Are you impacted by inflation, food costs, property taxes, the unending fees as well as rules and regulations from government agencies, or the cost of property and medical insurance? With all of these current issues, consider stepping out of your comfort zone.

What can Baker County voters do about these issues? First, some suggestions.

1. Get back to the two-party system by evaluating which of the two major parties align with your values the most. Neither is perfect but choose one instead of being unaffiliated just because you’re upset with both.

2. Vote, even if you have not done so for a while. If you do not vote, it only compounds the problems of apathy, poor governance, and selection of candidates who do not represent the will of their constituents. The down-ticket votes for local or regional positions are just as important as the top of the ticket.

3. Get involved. Do not rely upon others to fix the issues you complain about. Be constructive and join others to find reasonable solutions.

4. Become informed and take time to volunteer with your local political parties. We owe it to our families, county, and Oregon to have our voices heard.

If you think this is a promo for the upcoming “Get Out the Vote” for the May primary election, you are right, but it is much more. Rural ballots have dwindled over past elections to the detriment of the Oregon elective process. In the last state election, nearly 170,000 potential rural voters failed to cast their ballots. If approximately 68,000 Republicans had voted in this election, Oregon would now have a conservative governor. Just think what that would have done to correct the course of Oregon’s economy, illegal immigrant influx, and job growth.

My wife and I were like many of you up to several years ago. We were raising a family, building businesses to do what parents do to protect the family, and trusting that others would do the right thing when our ballots was regularly cast over the years. But it became apparent that was not enough. Things have really taken a turn for the worse in our state and country. So, while still working at age 73, we got involved and followed the advice we gave to others for many past years.

You will never have enough time to go back in time to make a difference if you don’t take a stand and commit to your family’s future today.

Danny L. Johnson

Halfway