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— Robert Huberman, Bend

I read that Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, along with so many highly principled Republicans, is now supporting (and taking credit for!) the Biden Administration’s infrastructure bill that she opposed. I guess having money flow into your district changes your point of view. I am reminded of what Groucho Marx once quipped: “These are my principles. If you don’t like them…..well, I have others.� Let’s remember this in November.

— Jim Mahoney, Bend

Kudos to Oliver Tatom for his guest column on fall prevention. Whether it be from age, injury, or disability, many people can benefit from home modifications that reduce their risk of falling and thus reduce the demand on our first responders. Some of these improvements can even be paid for by Medicaid or, if applicable, the Veteran’s Administration. I know because I perform these home modifications on behalf of those agencies. For those who just need some extra stability, grab bars and threshold ramps are an easy install. Wheelchair ramps, and door widening allow people to stay in their own homes and have some independence. Roll in showers reduce danger in the bathroom and toilet elevators help as well. For my most limited patients, we install overhead lifts to help them in and out of bed. The more we can plan for safety, the more we free up our Fire Departments to treat true emergencies. Falls in the home are frequent and can be deadly, and these home improvements can go a long way to helping people reduce their risk of falls and remain safely in their own homes.

— Dave Blauwkamp is a physical therapist and owner of All Access Home Design. He lives in Bend.

Our pets hold a special place in our hearts, offering companionship, joy, and unconditional love. The bond we share with our cats, dogs, and other cherished animals compels us to protect and care for them with the utmost compassion.

However, when we turn our eyes to rodeos, this compassion is withheld from animals we view as less worthy. Often romanticized as wholesome family entertainment, rodeos are, in reality, arenas of animal abuse. Terrified animals at rodeos are chased, violently roped, and slammed to the ground, sometimes suffering serious or fatal injuries. Horses, bulls, steers, and calves endure broken bones, punctured lungs, internal organ damage, and agonizing deaths. Painful tools like electric prods, metal spurs, and bucking straps force animals into abnormally dramatic bucking for our amusement.

While rodeo advocates claim that these animals are pampered, one does not need a keen eye to see the explicit fear and terror in a roped up calf. According to professor and renowned animal behaviorist Dr. Temple Grandin, “The single worst thing you can do to an animal emotionally is to make it feel afraid … fear is so bad for animals I think it’s worse than pain�.

As the Sisters Rodeo begins this June, I imagine the shock and horror we would feel seeing our own beloved pets subjected to the cruel reality countless rodeo animals face. Our pets are our special family members, but does this make the unnecessary suffering of animals raised for entertainment any less visceral and immoral?

— William Andrews, Bend