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PAGE A4, KEIZERTIMES, JANUARY 8, 2016 KeizerOpinion KEIZERTIMES.COM Oregon in the national news Three months after the nation’s media fl ooded Roseburg after the Umpqa Community College shooting, they are back for another story that is getting national attention: occupa- tion of the Malheur Na- tional Wildlife Refuge by members of a self-proclaimed citizen militia. Bad news always leads the news, that’s a given. For a state the size of Oregon to have two major news sto- ries within 100 days of each other is rare. We expect cool heads to prevail in Malheur County and the occupation to end without violence or destruc- tion. It is unlikely that there will be a Waco-like invasion by law enforce- ment; the most probable outcome is the militia members will slowly start to return home, regardless of their protestions that they’ll stay for months or years. Ammon Bundy (of the Ne- vada Bundy family that perpetrated a stand-off at their ranch in 2014) came to Malheur County to support Dwight Hammond and his son Steve who were ordered back to prison to serve a longer term for a crime of which they were convicted. Bundy was followed by others who came from around the country (pri- marily the west) citing Constitutional issues and federal government overreach in the rangelands of eastern Oregon. Americans would be forgiven if, af- ter the past three months, they have a jaundiced view of our state. Madmen shooting up a classroom, an armed group taking over a lonely outpost, what is going on over there in Or- egon? Every protest has its valid points. The militia in Harney County have good points about public lands man- aged by federal agenies and how they develop plans that impede the public’s use of those lands for their livelihoods. Once a solution is fostered and this is behind us, all of us should concen- trate on the things that would result in good news in the national media. —LAZ editorial Optimistic for 2016 I hope this ar- ticle fi nds you and your loved ones having had a won- from the derful Christmas capitol and a Happy New Year. In our house By BILL POST we enjoyed the fact that our son moved home from Mis- souri and we were thrilled to see him, making Christmas very special this year. I look ahead to 2016 with a mix of apprehension and hope. I am ap- prehensive because Jan. 1 ushered in many of the laws that my colleagues passed during the session in 2015. Many were passed with the best of intentions, but I worry that the effect will not be what the proponents had hoped. Mandatory sick leave, forced retirement accounts, and near dictato- rial powers for the Bureau of Labor and Industries will all, I fear, reduce our ability to create the jobs that will move our entire state forward. “Mo- tor Voter” also concerns me with its apparent lack of oversight on “non- citizens” being able to automatically register to vote when approved for an ID card. With this backdrop, however, I also fi nd myself feeling hopeful as 2016 comes around. This will be a pivotal year in Oregon and our nation. We have the opportunity to impact not only our lives, but the lives of our kids and grandkids for years to come. We have the power and ability to cast our vote. Some may feel like their vote doesn’t matter. Having spent my fi rst full year as an elected offi cial, I am here to tell you that your vote does matter. And not only your vote, but your participation in the discussions that happen, not only at the local level, but all the way up the chain. If I could ask for one thing, it would be that as many of you as possible register to vote and also remind a friend or two—and then make sure you and they fi ll out those ballots. This is the only way we will see positive change in our state and nation. I am also fi lled with anticipation because of the quality of the Orego- nians I have had the privilege of meet- ing this past year. Last month I par- ticipated in a hearing on how we can prevent more tragic events like what happened at Umpqua Community College, and also how we can better respond to the events that do occur. All of the people who testifi ed be- fore our committee expressed amaze- ment at how strong of a response Or- egonians gave to UCC, in fl ocking to Roseburg, fundraising for victims and sharing the support of their prayers. It is this spirit that fi lls me with hope for 2016. We Keizerites are truly blessed as well. As always, I am here to serve you. Please do not hesitate to contact my offi ce at any time. From my family to your family I wish you a Happy New Year. Politicizing guns have the right to own guns. Many do not belong to the NRA for various rea- sons. Some, because they don’t want to be con- stantly ridiculed by the “politically correct” folks that choose to paint the NRA as an evil force, responsible for acts of criminals. McIntyre also says the NRA wants everyone armed. Truth is, the NRA wants everyone to have the right to be armed, if they so wish. There is a big, big difference. McIntyre fi nishes up with “The NRA apparently wants everyone armed. Under that scenario the country moves ever closer to a na- tion-wide shooting at the OK Corral where everyone owns a gun and will use it whenever it’s judged necessary.” Guess that’s meant to be some sort of dark humor? Before the hate mail begins, in no way do I pretend to be a spokesper- son for the NRA, or the Republican Party. I’m a gun owner who is deeply troubled by people who have access to media, and choose to use horrifi c tragedies to advance their political agendas. G.I. Wilson Keizer (Bill Post represents House District 25. He can be reached at 503-986- 1425 or via email at rep.billpost@ state.or.us.) letters To the Editor: In a recent column (Keiz- ertimes, Dec. 18), Gene Mc- Intyre joined in lockstep with the Obamas, Clintons and Schum- ers in blaming the Republicans and NRA for the lack of gun control. Of course, this always follows re- minders of all the horrifi c acts re- cently committed by madmen. One would have to be more than a little naïve to not see who is the intended target. McIntyre writes, “Meanwhile, the National Rifl e As- sociation, and those Republicans who pledge their allegiance to the NRA, has brought about no halt to these folks getting guns.” No one bothers asking, if it is only the Republicans preventing gun control from happening? Why did it not happen during all those years Democrats were in control of both houses of Congress and the presidency? They pushed through all the other legislation they wanted, including some that continues to be hotly debated. One answer is that millions of law-abiding gun owners-—Repub- licans and Democrats—believe they Keizertimes Wheatland Publishing Corp. • 142 Chemawa Road N. • Keizer, Oregon 97303 phone: 503.390.1051 • web: www.keizertimes.com • email: kt@keizertimes.com Lyndon A. Zaitz, Editor & Publisher SUBSCRIPTIONS One year: $25 in Marion County, $33 outside Marion County, $45 outside Oregon PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY Publication No: USPS 679-430 POSTMASTER Send address changes to: Keizertimes Circulation 142 Chemawa Road N. Keizer, OR 97303 Periodical postage paid at Salem, Oregon What if the worst happens? By MICHAEL GERSON What if the worst happens? The worst does not mean the nom- ination of Ted Cruz, in spite of justi- fi ed fears of political disaster. Cruz is an ideologue with a message perfectly tuned for a relatively small minority of the electorate. Uniquely in American politics, he has made his reputation by being roundly hated by his col- leagues —apparently a prerequisite for a certain kind of anti-establishment conservative, but unpromising for an image makeover at his convention. Cruz’s nomination would represent the victory of the hard right—reli- gious right and tea party factions— within the Republican coalition. Af- ter he loses, the ideological struggles within the GOP would go on. No, the worst outcome for the par- ty would be the nomination of Don- ald Trump. It is impossible to predict where the political contest between Trump and Hillary Clinton would end up. Clinton has manifestly poor politi- cal skills and Trump possesses a serious talent for the low blow. But Trump’s nomination would not be the tem- porary victory of one of the GOP’s ideological factions. It would involve the replacement of the humane ideal at the center of the party and its his- tory. If Trump were the nominee, the GOP would cease to be. Whatever your view of Republican politicians, the aspiration, the self-con- ception, of the party was set by Abra- ham Lincoln: human dignity, honored by human freedom and undergirded by certain moral commitments, in- cluding compassion and tolerance. Lincoln described the “promise that in due time the weights should be lifted from the shoulders of all men, and that all should have an equal chance.” It is this u n i ve r s a l i t y that Trump at- tacks. All of his angry resentment against invading Hispanics and Mus- lims adds up to a kind of ethno-na- tionalism—an assertion that America is being weakened and adulterated by the other. This is consistent with Eu- ropean, right-wing, anti-immigrant populism. It is not consistent with conservatism, which, at the very least, involves respect for institutions and a commitment to reasoned, incremental change. And Trumpism is certainly not consistent with the Republicanism of Lincoln, who admitted no exceptions to the promises of the Declaration of Independence and was nominated, in part, because he could appeal to anti- slavery German immigrants. Liberals who claim that Trumpism is the natural outgrowth, or logical conclusion, of conservatism or Re- publicanism are simply wrong. Ed- mund Burke is not the grandfather of Nigel Farage. Lincoln is not even the distant relative of Trump. Trump, in some ways, is an odd carrier of ethno-nationalist beliefs. He held few of them, as far as I can tell, just four years ago. But as a demagogue, he has followed some of America’s worst instincts wherever they have led, and fed ethnic and religious prejudice in the process. All presidential nominees, to some extent, shape their parties into their own image. Trump would other views deface the GOP beyond recognition. Trump is disqualifi ed for the presi- dency by his erratic temperament, his ignorance about public affairs and his scary sympathy for authoritarianism. But for me, and I suspect for many, the largest problem is that Trump would make the GOP the party of racial and religious exclusion. Many Republicans could not vote for Trump, but would have a horri- bly diffi cult time voting for Clinton. The humane values of Republicanism would need to fi nd a temporary home, which would necessitate the creation of a third party. This might help elect Clinton, but it would preserve some- thing of conservatism, held in trust, in the hope of better days. Ultimately, these political mat- ters are quite personal. I have spent 25 years in the company of compas- sionate conservatives, reform conser- vatives, Sam’s Club conservatives, or whatever they want to call themselves, trying to advance an agenda of social justice in America’s center-right party. We have shared a belief that sound public policy -- promoting opportu- nity, along with the skills and values necessary to grasp it -- can improve the lives of our fellow citizens, and thus make politics an honorable ad- venture. The nomination of Trump would reduce Republican politics—at the presidential level—to an enterprise of squalid prejudice. And many Repub- licans could not follow, precisely be- cause they are Republicans. By seiz- ing the GOP, Trump would break it to pieces. (Washington Post Writers Group) Is war the only response to N. Korea? North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, is just about as entertaining as our na- tion’s lineup of presidential candidates. Several of these guys on the American stump want to go to war as soon as they’re in the White House and that’s what Kim’s saying, too. Does this mean that if one of our “hawks” is elected that we’ll be at war with North Korea early next year? Stand by for de- tails in 2017. The war torch was lit again by Kim on New Year’s day when he an- nounced he is again ready for war. That is, he’s ready for war if provoked by “invasive” outsiders. While our presidential contenders are foretell- ing war as their fi rst order of business, Kim’s been at his war blustering since 2011 when he took over after his ruth- less papa, Kim Il Jung, passed. He has all along wanted to increase “in every way the political and military might” of his small nation. The other day, his raves and rants went on for a 30-min- ute televised broadcast. Kim has made many war threats. In fact, just last October, in a speech marking the 70-year founding of the ruling Workers’ Party, Kim said he was prepared if necessary to wage war against the U.S. That’d be some war, perhaps lasting an even shorter time than the U.S. war when U.S. forces kicked Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait. Depending, of course, on whether conventional or non-conventional might is used, it’d be predictably short. It would, nevertheless, provide a hawk like several of the survivors on the GOP debate stage a fi rst opportunity to show his or her “strength” via the delivery of American men and materi- als overseas again. Now, really, what sort of war would a war between the U.S. and North Ko- rea be? It’s surmised that if a couple of those stored up H- or even A-bombs were used, the few North Koreans who lived through the holocaust would look quickly for something to be used as a white fl ag. If the U.S. sends a huge squadron of B-52 bombers with 500- 1,000 pound bombs, the likes of which Mr. Trump says he’ll un- load on certain players in the Middle East, then a cry for a halt would most likely come desperately soon. However, North Korea’s trump card is its big ally in the Republic of China. And the Republic of China is no bowl of rice to overcome as it was a num- ber of decades ago, those years before World War II got underway, when the Empire of Japan invaded it. It is, now, to the contrary, an even bigger foe than it was when American forces under Douglas MacArthur tried to subdue invading communists from northern Korea seeking to take over the entire peninsula in the early 1950s. China took North Korea’s side which ulti- mately resulted in a stalemate lasting to the present day, with no end in sight. Kim’s a problem that won’t go away. After all, aside from China, he must rant and rave over his own peo- gene h. mcintyre ple so they will continue with body and soul to support him. As it turns out, if every North Korean decided to revolt and members of Kim’s mili- tary sided with disenchanted millions, calling for his hide, Kim wouldn’t last long. He has got to sound and look tough and thereby show to his people that he’s in charge. What would any one of these self- proclaimed geniuses among the GOP contenders going to do about Kim? He’d be nothing if he stands solo; yet, he carries so much trouble- some baggage. Kim’s just one big mouth who can’t be muzzled by Navy SEALS and placed conveniently in an unmarked grave at sea. Contend- ers like Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, Chris Christie, Ted Cruz, Carly Fiorina, Marco Rubio, and Donald Trump go about wagging their unhinged tongues to Americans who are looking for simple solutions for which they be- lieve another foreign war would solve the Korean problem . . . or any other problem in today’s troubled world. (Gene H. McIntyre’s column ap- pears weekly in the Keizertimes.)