OPINION
4A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 2015
Ethnic differences
endure, divide
and unite
‘A
ll the colonies were leveled to the
ground by the frequent strokes of
the battering-ram, all the husbandmen
routed, together with their bishops, priests,
and people, whilst the sword gleamed,
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every side. Lamentable to behold, in the
midst of the streets lay the tops of lofty
towers, tumbled to the ground, stones
of high walls, holy altars, fragments of found 17 different types of people
human bodies, covered with livid clots of in Britain as of the late-19th century.
coagulated blood, looking as if they had (Testees were elderly people, each with
been squeezed together in a press; and four grandparents all having been born
with no chance of being buried, save in the within a close distance of one another.
This provides a fairly accurate snapshot
ruins of the houses, or
of population structure before the
in the ravening bellies
disruptions of 20th century wars and
of wild beasts and
mass migration.)
birds ...”
Although Irish, Welsh, Scottish and
Dramatic
stuff.
Cornish people have each always regarded
Though this sounds
themselves as unique, historians tended
like a scene from the
to lump them together. The longstanding
steamy HBO program
belief was that a fairly racially uniform
Game of Thrones,
Matt
population of aboriginal Celtic Britons
it actually is about
Winters
became refugees in western fringes when
the only account we
have of the arrival of Anglo-Saxons in pushy Anglo-Saxons arrived en masse
Britain in the Dark Ages. Written by the starting in about 450 AD.
Now it looks like the native Britons
monk Gildas (c. 500 to 570 AD), this for
centuries was taken as a true report on and newcomers quickly re-established an
“ethnic cleansing.” According to Gildas equilibrium, settling down and managing
and legends, the civilized but morally to stay in one place. “Many of the genetic
weak Britons of post-Roman times, clusters show similar locations to the tribal
EULHÀ\SURWHFWHGE\.LQJ$UWKXUDQGKLV groupings and kingdoms around end of
knights, eventually were slaughtered or the 6th century, after the settlement of the
driven away into the western wastes by Anglo-Saxons, suggesting these tribes
and kingdoms may have maintained a
the godless hordes.
Following publication of a long- regional identity for many centuries,”
DZDLWHG VFLHQWL¿F SDSHU WKLV ZHHN ZH study authors say.
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now know once and for all
include:
that this was just so much
Anglo-
• The economically
propaganda.
Although
Saxon
successful people in the
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central/eastern/southern
and there, the Anglo-Saxon
invaders
“bulb” of England — the
invaders appear to have
appear
to
“BBC people” we are most
been much more interested
likely to see on TV — are
have
been
in making babies than
making war.
much more the most mixed together
and have the largest genetic
interested
contribution from the
colossal
genetic
Anglo-Saxon migrations
project published in
in making
still only 10 to 40
the journal Nature proves
babies than (but
percent of total ancestry).
the endurance of tribal
DI¿OLDWLRQVDFURVVWKRXVDQGV making war. “This settles a historical
controversy in showing
of years on the islands
of Britain. And just about in time for that the Anglo-Saxons intermarried
St. Patrick’s Day, the Wellcome Trust- with, rather than replaced, the existing
funded People of the British Isles study populations.”
• The Welsh appear more similar to the
demonstrates that “Celtic” isn’t one
type of people, but several. Even to this earliest settlers of Britain after the last ice
day, some individual tribes that lived in DJHWKDQGRRWKHUSHRSOHLQWKH8.
• There is no obvious genetic signature
Britain since before the Roman invasion
nearly 2,000 years ago continue to occupy of the Danish Vikings, who controlled
their own discrete territories. (See www. large parts of England (“The Danelaw”)
from the 9th century, or from the
peopleofthebritishisles.org)
Without testing in the Republic of Normans, who invaded in 1066 AD.
Ireland or some genetically intriguing 7KLV¿WVZLWKODUJHVFDOHDPDWHXUJHQHWLF
places like the Isle of Man, researchers testing in the past 10 years that found
A
Romary via Wikimedia Commons
A statue in Morbihan, France commemorates Saint Gildas, the Briton monk whose
writings incorrectly portrayed Anglo-Saxon migrations as an act of genocide.
Source: Nature article
This map of British Isles population structure in about 600 AD has been found to still
have significant echoes in the population of the modern United Kingdom.
Vikings, Normans and Anglo-Saxons
were all about as alike as puppies from
the same litter.
• The analyses suggest there was a
substantial migration across the English
Channel after the original post-ice-
age settlers, but before Roman times.
DNA from these migrants spread across
England, Scotland and Northern Ireland,
but had little impact in Wales. This means
the average British person is about a third
French — pretty amusing considering the
bias many Englishmen still bear against
the French, and vice versa.
U
Western Washington — are most likely to
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act in the “right” way.
He wasn’t incorrect in perceiving that
a vein of tribalism runs through human
affairs. Being a responsible modern
person requires acknowledging that
tendency, while not allowing it to warp
our behavior. In Britain, the Anglo-Saxon
heartland is far better off than the rest of
the nation. Racial, regional and cultural
differences in the U.S. are sources of
pride, but also impediments to economic
and social justice.
Maybe one moral of the Wellcome
Trust study is that those who mix best do
better. We should aspire to nurture all that
makes us unique, while giving Welshmen
an even break.
ncle Frank used to say, “I’m a racist.
So’s everyone else, they just don’t
want to admit it,” earning a cheerfully
sharp elbow in the ribs from Aunt Lucille.
— MSW
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Matt
Winters
is
editor
and
publisher
of the
or more generous man, but his views Chinook Observer and Coast River Business
were indeed guided by a secure belief that Journal. He lives in Ilwaco, Wash., with his wife
white Americans — especially those from and daughter.
Open forum
High stakes at the Port
T
he original marine cluster development
plan proposed for the Port of Astoria in
the early 2000s was an outstanding exam-
ple of regional cooperation, and if properly
fleshed out and supported, it could have had
a huge economic impact for everyone.
Standing back and looking at the great
scope of the issue at hand, the Port prop-
erty along the west Astoria waterfront is a
true gem. It is most likely one of the most
beautifully situated pieces of prime water-
front real estate north of San Francisco.
If the former Red Lion hotel complex had
been replaced with a major flagship hotel
brand, the entire West End Mooring Basin
significantly upgraded, and coupled with a
forward looking regional economic devel-
opment process, the return on investment
would be huge.
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is public property, which is for the most
part exempt from property taxes. If public
property is leased to a private developer,
the underlying land value and the improved
value becomes taxable. The public agency
that leases the land receives the lease rental
value and property taxes, while other local
taxing districts would also receive the prop-
erty taxes from such developments.
Related to this are the jobs and services
that come from such development. A real
estate term “highest and best use” becomes
the driving factor to monetize the invest-
ment return for everyone.
A number of well-respected local busi-
nesses made a decision to embark on pri-
vate development based on the original
marine cluster development plan formally
adopted by the Port. This investment put
at a risk money, time and effort. There was
also a lot of civic pride associated with this.
Recently the game plan has morphed
into something totally different, which cre-
ates a serious credibility issue for the Port.
Chasing the fickle log export market, be-
comes a major issue. Now the Port becomes
a one booth trade show risking everything
T HE
in a high stakes international marketplace.
When (not if) the logs stop going over the
docks, the Port will find itself not able to
recapture what it should have been doing in
the first place.
In closing, there is nothing wrong with
log exports. If properly managed in coor-
dination with our entire region, this short-
term niche opportunity could help the Port
generate needed revenue. But it should not
displace a well-thought-out process and
long-term planning which people had al-
ready staked their investment decisions on.
Nor should the log export operations
hinder where we need to be in the long
run. Again, keep in mind log exports can
be gone instantly. The local business, boat
owners and waterfront trades are here for
the long haul. How all this is handled will
determine the future viability of the Port,
or even if the Port exists in its present
form.
JIM SANTEE
Astoria
D AILY A STORIAN
Founded in 1873
Represent us
I
have been reading the latest news regarding
the Port of Astoria. Once again I question
whether or not the elected commissioners are
actually representing the interests of the coun-
ty taxpayers.
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am very happy to be in close proximity to fresh
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have a place to maintain and repair their boats.
I want them to be safe on the water as they
catch my dinner.
This is a town with a rich history associ-
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the boatyard is just plain wrong. The commis-
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ble, but they are also supposed to be repre-
senting us — the people of Clatsop County. Is
this an election year? Maybe they’ll hear us
then.
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Astoria
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