To the Editor:

People that would become Grant County Positive Action were present with signs at a Jan. 26 meeting in John Day at the Senior Center to protest the occupation of the wildlife refuge in Burns. While attempting to attend the meeting, LaVoy Finicum was killed by police just south of the county line. Without doubt, citizens were exercising a legal right to protest and did so in a controlled manner. Since those individuals wear the mantle of protesters, should they be held in the same standing in Ferguson, Chicago, Philadelphia and Detroit where firebombs were thrown at police, buildings looted and set ablaze? After all, those people were identified as “protesters.” Should we fear avowed protesters within our county? It might be signs and free speech now, but what next? There is no doubt that “protesters” have become violent and dangerous. Should there be a presentation on riots in cities and ties to protesters, even here? One can easily read the connection that is being made to patriots, and that cannot be ignored when discussing protesters. Let us compare apples to apples, oranges to oranges. Anything else is simply propaganda.

Ron Ballard

John Day