Commissioners' duty to uphold the law
Published 8:45 am Friday, February 19, 2016
Dear Gary,
Commissioner Jim DeTro commented on Facebook that he supported the actions of the armed people who unlawfully took over the Malheur wildlife area in Oregon. Protesting is a time honored way of giving voice to one’s differences about issues, but an armed takeover of state lands, public lands, my lands, causing disruption of work, school and everyday life, with the threat of violence, is certainly not a peaceful protest.
I find it sad and very disturbing that a county commissioner views these actions as a conspiracy of the federal, state, and county governments rather than as a conspiracy of so-called patriots to cause harm. People are of course entitled to their views, but as a county commissioner of Okanogan County there is a duty to uphold the laws of our nation, and, I think, to avoid fanning the flames of conspiracy theorists.
I hope the Gazette-Tribune does some reporting on this as I think county residents on all sides of the issue would b e very interested in a full explanation of his views.
Sandra Vaughn
Oroville
About Gary DeVon
Gary DeVon is the managing editor of the Okanogan Valley Gazette-Tribune and celebrated his 25th year at the newspaper in August 2012. He graduated from Gonzaga University with a degree in Communications - Print Journalism, with an emphasis in photojournalism. He is a proud alumnus of Oroville High School. His family first settled in Okanogan County in the late 1800s. His parents are Judy DeVon and the late Larry DeVon and he has two younger brothers - Dante and Michael. Many family members still call Oroville home. He has a grown daughter, Segornae Douglas and a young granddaughter, Erin.
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