Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 8, 2015)
OPINION 4A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2015 No more thoughts and prayers mosque, kindly and de- gone mad. vout. Oh, we never sus- But what about San pected a thing, the imam Bernardino? A young STEPHEN A. FORRESTER, Editor & Publisher says. The explanation is e never had enough man and his wife drop off tiresome, and increasingly their 6-month-old baby at LAURA SELLERS, Managing Editor time to rationalize, in implausible. Grandma’s, and then go the uniquely American way, mow down a room full of BETTY SMITH, Advertising Manager What religion would why that middle-aged white people at a workplace hol- direct a young married CARL EARL, Systems Manager couple to shoot up a room man killed a cop, a mother of iday luncheon. His work- JOHN D. BRUIJN, Production Manager that would include mem- place. With their assault two and an Iraq War veteran DEBRA BLOOM, Business Manager bers of their own faith? ULÀHV WKH\ NLOOHG SHR Timothy in Colorado Springs, when ple in several minutes, left Farook was “radicalized,” HEATHER RAMSDELL, Circulation Manager Egan we are told. And his wife, the latest slaughter of human another 21 injured. Makes RI¿ FLDOVVD\KDGSOHGJHGDOOHJLDQFH no sense. life intruded. He was — what, initially, this had to to the barbarians of the Islamic State. pro-life? Screaming something be I an thought, anti-government wacko. You With that information, it made sense. about “baby parts” while he un- know, getting revenge against the Once a radical, no longer a human ORDGHGLQD3ODQQHG3DUHQWKRRG system, as represented by all those being. The village of victims, their best county workers at a facility for clinic? people with disabilities. A Timothy friends, the children who lost par- Slow down, slow down, the mind McVeigh type. Except, the co-work- ents, the parents who lost adult chil- wants to say — one absurd mass ers were known to one of the shoot- GUHQWKH\FDQFOHQFKWKHLU¿VWVDQG murder at a time. They all “make ers. The victims were friends with cry. We all know the ritual by now. LG \RX NQRZ WKDW ODQJXDJHV DUH VSRNHQ DW 3RUWODQG¶V sense,” eventually. Don’t they? lives and families of their own, not 3ROLWLFLDQVRIRQHFRZDUGO\W\SHZLOO just targets. That makes no sense ei- say their “thoughts and prayers” are David Douglas High School? That is an aspect of the large In Colorado Springs, the man ar- ther. with you. What garbage. Better to LPPLJUDQWSRSXODWLRQLQRXWHUVRXWKHDVW3RUWODQG rested in the killings, Robert L. Dear So, workplace violence? A per- say nothing at all. Willamette Week described that David Douglas High School was -U ¿W D SUR¿OH +HUH ZDV DQRWKHU sonal slight that became a seething And politicians of another cow- ardly type will refuse to see that bearded introvert who lived at the that metastasized into a comman- aspect of David Douglas nearly twofold. Her article gave human edge of modernity, his head stuffed do-style raid at the Inland Regional hundreds, maybe thousands of the three years ago. In last week’s proportion to immigrant students full of hate and half-truths. “He Center. It happens all the time. ZRUOG¶VELOOLRQ0XVOLPV¿QGMXV edition of WW, Beth Slovic paid — a dimension that political dem- claims to be a Christian On the surface, the WL¿FDWLRQ IRU PDVV PXUGHU RI LQQR homicidal couple were cent people in their holy book. DQRWKHU FDOO DQG HQJDJHG ¿YH agogues don’t want to know. And and is extremely evange- Once a “Your ‘thoughts’ should be about listic,” his ex-wife wrote living the American students in a conversation about it described how creative admin- in a court document. “He dream. One, the son of steps to take to stop this carnage,” their journey to America, the istrators are dealing with such an is obsessed with the world radical, immigrants, with a de- tweeted Sen. Chris Murphy of Con- process of assimilation and the LQÀX[RIQRQ(QJOLVKVSHDNHUV coming to an end.” And of gree from a California necticut. “Your ‘prayers’ should be no state college, the other, his for forgiveness if you do nothing — process of learning English. The It is important to remember that course, he had a semi-au- WRPDWLFULÀ HWRJRZLWKKLV bride from overseas. Had again.” longer a students were from China, Cuba America has done this before. If A day after the California car- delusions. a good job. But this sub- and Somalia. you could time-travel to Astoria’s human urban couple was making nage, the Senate decided to do noth- How did this malcon- Slovic reported that instead of schools in the last decade of the tent become a domestic bombs and assem- ing, again, voting down a measure being pipe bling an arsenal to murder WKDWZRXOGKDYHPDGHLWPRUHGLI¿ treating immigrants differently 19th century, you would see a terrorist? We’ll never for sure if his with- people in the country that cult for people on the terror watch in its elementary grades English- large number of immigrant chil- know drawal — to a shack in the South, took them both in, educated one of list, felons and the mentally ill to language program, all students dren from Scandinavian coun- then a trailer in Colorado — led him them, provided him with a good job. buy guns. By next week, with the profes- are put into the same track. “Now, tries, principally Finland. As further down the path to savagery. The surface life was a mirage. When we heard the identity of sional football playoff picture start- all children from kindergarten :DOO\ 3DOPEHUJ GHVFULEHV LQ KLV But we do know that isolation can breed ignorance. And when people the homicidal couple, Syed Rizwan ing to take shape, and the holiday WR ¿IWK JUDGH ² QR PDWWHU WKHLU 1993 book Toward One Flag, with abhorrent views are not chal- Farook, and his wife, Tashfeen Ma- festivities in full swing, we’ll have native language — spend blocks there was rivalry among Astoria’s lenged, their hatred only hardens. lik, another explanation immediately WKLV 6DQ %HUQDUGLQR WKLQJ ¿JXUHG Well, that’s the Colorado Springs came to mind. They’re Muslim. Too out. And we’ll hope that it doesn’t of time in English-language in- immigrant populations. Some struction grouped by ability,” she staffers of Astoria’s Finnish lan- story. Got it. The Unabomber, the much of the most deadly, inexplica- happen again tomorrow. But it will $WODQWD2O\PSLF3DUNNLOOHUWKDWJX\ ble violence in the world today is happen tomorrow — on average, reported. guage newspaper Toveri were in Tennessee who shot up a church committed in the name of this reli- one multiple-victim shooting a day. The larger context of WW’s deported for their political beliefs. while kids performed a musical — gion, and its strain of radical Islam. Every day. It will make sense in the visit to David Douglas is the Donald Trump and those who they were domestic crazies of a cer- The shooters are people like Farook, only country where mass killings tain type, the rugged individualist kneeling at prayer in the back of the make sense. Founded in 1873 By TIMOTHY EGAN New York Times News Service W Refugees have come before; we’ll survive D discussion of immigrants and refugees in the Republican pres- idential primary campaign. The practical effect of Slovic’s win- dow on the challenge faced by defer to him would like us to believe America is incapable of assimilating immigrant popula- tions. Trading on fear, they sell this nation short. The not-so-bad economy book The Courage to Act, ly driven by conservative Ben Bernanke, the former state governments, partly Fed chairman, celebrates imposed by Republicans in Congress via blackmail ccording to the economist his institution’s willingness WRVWHSLQDQGUHVFXHWKH¿ over the federal debt ceil- Kevin O’Rourke, who has nancial system, which was ing. But the Obama ad- been doing a running comparison indeed the right thing to do. ministration at least tried between the Great Depression But everyone did that. to limit the damage. The result of these not- 7KHUHDOSUR¿ OHLQFRXU should plan to have to make up that began in 1929 and the Great so-bad policies is today’s age was the Fed’s behavior the difference between the essen- Recession that began almost in 2010-11, when it stood not-so-bad economy. It’s Paul tials that residents have on hand eight years ago, the world has fast in the face of demands not a great economy, by Krugman any measure: Unemploy- that it tighten policy despite and what they actually must have just passed a sad landmark. ment is low, but that has a lot to do high unemployment. The pressure While the initial slump this time following a disaster. with a decline in the fraction of the was intense, with leading Republicans For more frequent small- around wasn’t nearly as bad as the LQFOXGLQJ3DXO5\DQQRZWKHVSHDNHU population looking for work, and scale crises, such as coastal wind collapse from 1929 to 1933, the re- of the House, accusing Bernanke of the weakness of wages ensures that storms and associated power out- covery has been much weaker — and “debasing” the dollar and suggesting it doesn’t feel like prosperity. Still, ages, residents have learned to at this point world industrial produc- WKDW KH ZDV FRUUXSWO\ DLGLQJ 3UHVL things could be worse. And they may indeed get worse, tion is doing worse than it did at the dent Barack Obama. Hard-money better monitor weather forecasts which is why the Fed’s likely rate advocates seized on a rise in headline same point in the 1930s. A remark- and warnings. The relatively able achievement! consumer prices, claiming that it was hike will be a mistake. )HG RI¿FLDOV EHOLHYH WKDW WKH DKDUELQJHURIKLJKLQÀDWLRQWRFRPH new Doppler radar on the south But the bad news is unevenly But the Fed stuck to its, um, print- solid job growth of the past cou- Washington coast has greatly distributed. In particular, Europe ing presses, arguing that the rise in ple of years — which happened, improved the accuracy and time- has done very badly, while America LQÀDWLRQ ZDV D RQHWLPH EOLS GULYHQ by the way, as Obamacare, which liness of these warnings. When has done relatively well. True, U.S. mainly by oil prices — and it was conservatives assured us would be a job killer, went into full effect — we know a big storm is coming, it performance looks good only if you proved right. grade on a curve. Still, unemployment Meanwhile, on the other side will continue even if rates go up. EHKRRYHVXVWR¿OORXUJDVWDQNV has been cut in half, and the Federal of the Atlantic, the European Cen- I’m among those who believe that get some cash out of the bank, Reserve is getting ready to raise in- WUDO %DQN JDYH LQ WR LQÀDWLRQ SDQLF America is facing growing drag raising interest rates from the weakness of other econ- stock up on easy-to-prepare foods terest rates at a time when its counterpart, twice in 2011 — and omies, especially because a rising DQGGULQNLQJZDWHU¿UHZRRGDQG U.S. the European Central in so doing helped dollar is making U.S. manufactur- cooking fuel, and make sure we Bank, is still desper- push the euro area ing less competitive. But those of- have warm clothes and blankets ately seeking ways to performance into a double-dip re- ¿FLDOVFRXOGEHULJKWLQZKLFKFDVH waiting to raise rates could mean in case the power is out for long. boost spending. looks good cession. Now, I believe that What about the VRPHDFFHOHUDWLRQRILQÀDWLRQ Keep extra batteries on hand and the Fed is making a only if you White House? Some On the other hand, they could make sure you have some way to mistake. But the fact of us warned from be wrong, in which case a rate hike grade on a the beginning that could end the run of good econom- recharge cellphones from car bat- that hiking rates is even halfway defen- the 2009 stimulus ic news. And this would be much teries or some other way. curve. sible is a sign that the was too small and more serious than a modest uptick The 2007 storm taught much U.S. economy isn’t would fade out too LQ LQÀDWLRQ EHFDXVH LW¶V QRW DW DOO about how we depend on one an- doing too badly. So what did we do fast, a warning vindicated by events. FOHDU ZKDW WKH )HG FRXOG GR WR ¿[ But it was much better than nothing, its mistake. other, reminding us of the need right? I’m not sure why this argument, The answer, basically, is that the and was enacted over scorched-earth to check on neighbors and fami- Fed and the White House have mostly opposition from Republicans claim- which a number of economists are ly members to make sure they’re worried about the right things. (Con- ing that it would cause soaring inter- making, isn’t getting much traction safe and have what they need to gress, not so much.) Their actions fell HVWUDWHVDQGD¿VFDOFULVLV$JDLQWKLV at the Fed. I suspect, however, that JHW E\ ,Q 3DFL¿F &RXQW\ WKLV far short of what should have been is in strong contrast to Europe, which RI¿FLDOV KDYH EHHQ ZRUQ GRZQ E\ unemployment should have never did much stimulus and turned incessant criticism of their policies, led to creation of Community done; come down much faster than it did. quickly to savage austerity in debtor and want to throw the critics a bone. Emergency Response Teams who But at least they avoided taking de- nations. But those critics have been wrong Unfortunately, the U.S. ended up every step of the way. Why start tak- do things like check vacant hous- VWUXFWLYHVWHSVWR¿JKWSKDQWRPV Start with the Fed. In his recent doing a fair bit of austerity too, part- ing them seriously now? es following cold snaps to make By PAUL KRUGMAN New York Times News Service Storm’s anniversary is A a good planning tool E ight years isn’t ordinarily con- sidered a notable anniversary, but a high-wind warning last week sparked memories of the histo- ry-making December 2007 storm that crippled the coast for days. Though we all can hope it was a 100-year storm — a once-in-a- century event — such catastro- phes appear to be happening with greater frequency now than in the past. The start of another winter is a good time to review some of what we learned from the 2007 typhoon and its aftermath. One of the most fundamen- tal lessons was that the coast is largely on its own during and immediately following a major disaster. Although inland areas weren’t as impacted by the hours of hurricane-strength winds as we were, thousands of downed trees blocked every access highway along which emergency person- nel and supplies would travel. In 2007, these routes were partially cleared in fairly short order. After a future subduction zone earth- quake and tsunami, they will be blocked far longer and inland ar- eas will be preoccupied with their own problems. Coastal agencies and families must plan on getting by for a pro- tracted period. Three days used to be the recommendation, and this was about right in 2007, but three weeks is a more likely scenario after a subduction event. Keeping three weeks-worth of food, gasoline, money and vital prescriptions on hand is close to impossible for many coastal res- idents, but we all should do our best to prepare in light of our own ¿QDQFLDO ZKHUHZLWKDO 3XEOLF agencies and private charities sure pipes haven’t burst. Citizen ham radio operators have placed equipment in key locations to fa- cilitate emergency communica- tions during and after a disaster. Surviving is both an individual responsibility and a social obliga- WLRQ3ODQQLQJIRUHPHUJHQFLHVRQ the coast has to be an automatic part of living here. Where to write • U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D): 2338 Rayburn HOB, Washing- WRQ '& 3KRQH )D[ 'LVWULFW RI¿FH 6: 0LOOLNDQ :D\ Suite 220, Beaverton, OR 97005. 3KRQH)D[ 5066. Web: bonamici.house. gov/ • U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D): +DUW 6HQDWH 2I¿FH %XLOGLQJ :DVKLQJWRQ '& 3KRQH :HE ZZZPHUNOH\ senate.gov • U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D): 'LUNVHQ6HQDWH2I¿FH%XLOGLQJ :DVKLQJWRQ '& 3KRQH :HE ZZZZ\GHQ senate.gov • State Rep. Brad Witt (D): State Capitol, 900 Court Street N.E., + 6DOHP 25 3KRQH :HE ZZZOHJVWDWH or.us/witt/ Email: rep.bradwitt@ state.or.us