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PAGE A4, KEIZERTIMES, DECEMBER 11, 2015 KeizerOpinion KEIZERTIMES.COM Security over privacy We have all been hor- rifi ed by scenes of carnage in places not much dif- ferent than Keizer. Mass shootings have occured in such varied cities as San Bernardino, Newton, Colorado Springs and Aurora. It doesn’t matter if the killings are a result of mental health, political or religious issues. The killings have oc- cured in places local residents later say, “I never thought it could happen here.” That’s the problem: it could and it did happen there. Though we live in our quiet little corner of Oregon here in Keizer, is it possible to say we could not suffer a similar tragedy? We should not say, “It can’t hap- pen here.” It can because we can never know what goes on in the hearts and minds of others. After each of the re- cent mass killings across the nation reports come out that someone sus- pected something but said nothing; or, someone felt someone was acting strangely and different than ususal. In a society where privacy is paramount we are loathe to invade another’s privacy. After 9/11 the nation was told if you see something, say somethng. A neighbor of San Bernardino shoot- ers Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik didn’t report suspicious activity at their house because he didn’t want to appear to be racially profi ling or racist. Could a report to police by the neighbor have stopped the massacre? That’s unknown. All bets are off when terrorism hits the American heartland. Safety and security trumps privacy. It can be argued that at least one other person knew of any of the multiple shootings around the country. Syed Farook’s mother lived in the house with the couple and their six-month- old child. Investigators are currently trying to uncover what Rafi a Farook knew— the couple had stockpiled weapons and were building pipe bombs in the house. For cultural or familial reasons we can see why Mother Farook did not report anything, but political correctness stopped the neighbor from fi ling a re- port. The adage ‘better safe than sorry’ is as powerful today as ever. The question of whether such a tragedy could happen in Keizer is as important as the question about pre- pardness by our law enforcement agencies, schools and gathering places such as shopping centers and churches. It is not prudent for law enforce- ment to tip its hand and share its re- sponse plans in case of a mass shoot- ing. The public should be confi dent, though, that all our local and state law enforcement agencies do have a plan in place. We want to be confi dent, also, that the school district has plans on how to respond to an active shooter in or near any school. We certainly do not advocate creat- ing Fortress Keizer, but as we’ve seen, these things can happen anwhere, any- time. We’ve seen that this can happen anywhere, anytime. People that harbor the darkest of impluses can lurk anywhere, even the nicest and quaintest of communities. We shouldn’t look over our shoulders in fear, nor expect the worst in oth- ers, but it is important for the public and law agencies to understand that a well-intentioned word can prevent a tragedy too hard to imagine. —LAZ editorial Trust him? It is hard to ignore Donald Trump. It is foolhardy to think that in the end cooler heads will prevail and his presi- dential candidacy will collapse under the weight of his positions and pro- nouncements. While Republican establishment candidates try to gain traction for their campaigns, the Trump jugger- naut continues to grow. The people who attend his rallies and speeches like what they hear—he speaks to their fears and frustrations, even though he offers few specifi cs other than saying “trust me” and “it’ll be great.” His call for a temporary halt in the acceptance of Muslim refugees into the United States “until we know what the hell is going on” fi red up outrage from politicos and pundits, but his supporters continue their cheers. Less than half of all eligible voters cast ballots anymore in national elec- tions. The people who do vote are very motivated. If our democratic sys- tem results in the election of Donald Trump and his policies, that is a result Americans will have to accept. We deserve more than “trust me.” —LAZ To the Editor: Thirteen years ago Dr. Bud Pierce saved my life, so I cer- tainly bear him no ill will— nor grudges due to his party affi liation, which he and I used to converse about during my course of treatment with him. He and (wife) Selma have certainly done a lot for the citizens of Salem/ Keizer; however, to name an actively campaigning politician as grand mar- shal of our hometown Christmas pa- rade is simply wrong in so many ways. How about our chief of police or fi re captain or medics or the caregivers for our el- derly? Or the teachers we entrust our kids too every day? All are heros each and every day. Maybe the citizens should be the ones to chose who they want to be grand marshal of their hometown parade. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to one and all. Carol Doerfl er Keizer letters Patience is not a virtue vs. terror By MICHAEL GERSON In his address to the nation on terrorism, President Obama warned against “tough talk.” On this, at least, no one can accuse him of hypocrisy. In the aftermath of recent attacks, Obama perfunctorily ticked off a se- ries of inputs: airstrikes, arming and training Iraqi and Syrian forces, co- operating with allies on counterter- rorism and pursuing a cease-fi re in the Syrian confl ict. And then he is- sued this directive: “I’ve ordered the Departments of State and Homeland Security to review the visa-waiver program.” Who at the White House thought it would be helpful for the commander in chief, after a terror- ist attack on the American homeland, to order an interdepartmental review process? Obama gave a speech of reassur- ance for a policy that appears to be collapsing. The Islamic State has so- lidifi ed control of vast territory and is displaying many of the characteristics of an actual nation. It has attracted ji- hadists from around the world to the confl ict in Syria and Iraq, many of whom will return home with deadly skills. With the Paris attacks, the Islam- ic State has demonstrated the strategic capacity to strike in Western capitals. It counts affi liates in about a dozen nations, including a particularly suc- cessful Libyan branch operation. And it has become a rallying point for self- radicalization, as close as a Facebook pledge of allegiance. Before the events of the last few weeks, it might have been possible to argue that Obama’s anaconda plan of slow strangulation could work in, say, fi ve years. But is the threat revealed in Paris and elsewhere acceptable for fi ve years? In this case, patience is a dangerous course. In his s p e e c h , Obama talked of a 65-na- tion coalition fi ghting the Islamic State and claimed that France, Germany and the United Kingdom “have ramped up their con- tributions to our military campaign.” But when France decided to take ac- tion after the Paris attacks, it invoked an obscure passage of the European Union treaty to avoid a NATO com- mitment that might offend Russia and imply American leadership. Germany has tested the boundaries of its consti- tution to make a small military contri- bution (six planes and 1,200 soldiers) in solidarity with France, not the U.S. And America has generally rejected the Eisenhower role of supreme com- mander in a coalition of the willing— constrained by political commitments (“no boots on the ground”) and high- ly restrictive rules of engagement. Obama’s strategy has many ele- ments that any future president, Re- publican or Democrat, would adopt. The only things missing are urgency and leadership. The president should convene his security team and ask: What would it take to degrade the Islamic State’s capabilities to strike in the west within one year? And to defeat it completely in two? Then the president should assemble a coalition suffi cient to that task, comprised of forces from European allies, boots on the ground from Sunni nations and a more aggressive U.S. support role (much larger special forces to assist on the frontlines, forward air controllers, relaxed rules of engagement). Obama is correct that a parallel po- litical track is essential. Syria will re- quire a Lebanon-like peace, in which minorities (including the Alawites) are granted protection and power. It will be necessary to somehow re-convince the Sunni tribal leaders in Iraq that, if they fi ght the Islamic State, they will fi nd protection and fair treatment in a unifi ed country, instead of living un- der Shiite despotism. The complexity of this military and diplomatic task would challenge any president. It is pretty much inconceiv- able that the “ender of wars” would suddenly assume this role in his sev- enth year in offi ce. Obama has con- sistently done the minimal amount necessary to avoid the charge of feck- lessness. Obama’s call for tolerance of the Is- lamic faith is more than minimal; it is essential. But even this is put at risk by the broader crisis. “A continued failure to recognize the scale of the challenge and to construct the means necessary to meet it,” says Britain’s former Prime Minister Tony Blair, “will result in ter- rorist attacks potentially worse than those in Paris, producing a backlash which then stigmatizes the majority of decent, law-abiding Muslims and puts the very alliance so necessary at risk, creating a further cycle of chaos and violence.” This is the challenge of America’s involvement in the Middle East. Be- cause it is politically unpopular, there is a natural temptation to disengage. But after attacks, engagement will come—with more anger, on worse terms. By DON VOWELL All I got for Christmas was a new front tooth. So far. Actually I needed only to replace a chunk that broke out on the back side of the tooth. It takes the discipline of a Zen Master to keep your tongue from ceaselessly probing, massaging, and exploring the jagged edge of a crater in the back side of your tooth. That disci- pline is beyond me. I called the dentist soon after the chunk went missing. I shud- der to think where it might have gone. Hopefully it’s not lodged in some far-fl ung intestinal crevasse. My ordinary practice is to wait until my face is swelling before I actually make a dental appointment, but my restless tongue couldn’t just leave it be. There are a lot of reasons not to go to a dentist. The fi rst is dis- comfort. My chosen dentist is the least threatening dentist in Oregon and has never caused me any pain. A wonderful man, he moves slowly, precisely and gently. He also ex- plains every step before he goes for- ward. But there is more to pain than pain. There is also anxiety that there could soon be pain. With all that skull-ringing drilling and grinding, and the forced air and water spray- ing rotted tooth fragments all over your mouth it is not so far-fetched to believe that you are one tiny slip from bloody agony. It could happen. By the way, whatever happened to the little rinse and spit basin? A little slosh of water allowed you to clear the grit and spit it out. Mod- ern practice has a cheerful assistant operating a wet vac just before the point where collected saliva and construction debris is about to overfl ow down your gullet. This has the advan- tage of allow- ing the dentist to keep your mouth open for up to half a workday. If you helpfully try to open very wide you quickly get jaw fatigue. It’s too bad you have to have your mouth open to get your teeth fi xed. With so many medical miracles now in everyday use you’d think someone would develop ar- throscopic dentistry. A tiny probe equipped with cute little tools and a camera could just be slipped be- tween your lips. Dentistry is an assault on all your senses. Some of the compounds and amalgams they use have an odd, sweet antiseptic smell. Some of the stuff they remove before all that may be a little foul. But it is the noise that keeps me from ever wanting to go back. Perhaps if my head had a little more solid content it would re- ve r b e r a t e less like the sound box of a qual- ity acous- tic instru- ment. When I was a child the drills turned at a low RPM and made your head vibrate with a grinding noise. Now it is more often the very high-speed drills that make a lovely high-pitched shriek/whine. Now there’s progress. There is something wrong with insurance. If I had to choose, I’d rather have enough sound teeth to eat rather than, say, keep my appen- dix. I don’t know what my appendix does but I know I like to eat. If my appendix was surgically removed, (with no terror-inducing drill- ing and sucking noises), insurance would pay for the whole procedure. Yet typical insurance companies pay dentists at 1950s rates. Even if there is something wrong with you and you like going to the dentist you can’t ignore the price you must pay. I do have the best dentist in Or- egon. I hope I never see him again. other views (Washington Post Writers Group) I never want to see my dentist again Keizertimes Wheatland Publishing Corp. • 142 Chemawa Road N. • Keizer, Oregon 97303 phone: 503.390.1051 • web: www.keizertimes.com • email: kt@keizertimes.com NEWS EDITOR Craig Murphy editor@keizertimes.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Eric A. 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