PAGE A4, KEIZERTIMES, DECEMBER 23, 2016
KeizerOpinion
KEIZERTIMES.COM
Honoring human dignity
By MICHAEL GERSON
It is one of fate’s cruel jokes that
conservatism should be at its modern
nadir just as the Republican Party is at
its zenith—if conservatism is defi ned
as embracing limited government, dis-
playing a rational, skeptical and mod-
erate temperament and be-
lieving in the priority of the
moral order.
All these principles are
related, and under attack.
Conservatives
believe
that human beings are fal-
lible and prone to ambition,
passion and selfi shness. They
(actually, we) tend to be-
come swaggering dictators in realms
where we can act with impunity—a
DMV offi ce, a hostile traffi c stop, a
country under personal rule. It is the
particular genius of the American sys-
tem to balance ambition against am-
bition through a divided government
(executive, legislative and judicial).
The American system employs hu-
man nature to limit the power of the
state—assuming that every branch of
government is both dedicated to the
common good and jealous of its own
power.
Conservatives believe that fi nite
and fallen creatures are often wrong.
We know that many of our attitudes
and beliefs are the brain’s justifi cation
for pre-rational tendencies and desires.
This does not make perception of
truth impossible, or truth itself rela-
tive, but it should encourage healthy
self-examination and a suspicion of
all forms of fanaticism. All of us have
things to learn, even from our politi-
cal opponents. The truth is out there,
but it is generally broken into pieces
and scattered across the human expe-
rience. We only reassemble it through
listening and civil communication.
And conservatives believe that a
just society depends on the moral
striving of fi nite and fallen creatures,
who treat each other with a respect
and decency that laws can encourage
but not enforce. Such virtues, often
rooted in faith, are what
turn families and commu-
nities into the nurseries of
citizenship. These institu-
tions not only shape good
people, they inculcate the
belief that human beings
have a dignity that, while
often dishonored, can
never be effaced. In the
midst of all our justifi ed skepticism,
we can never be skeptical of this: that
the reason for politics is to honor the
equal value of every life, beginning
with the weakest and most vulner-
able. No bad goal—say, racial purity or
communist ideology—outweighs this
commitment. And no good goal—the
effi ciency of markets or the pursuit of
greater equality—does either.
So how do we get this set of beliefs
and commitments when they seem in
short supply? It is hopeless to demand
results from an organic process—to
order the grass to grow faster. But this
type of conservatism —a conservatism
of intellectual humility and moral as-
piration—also has the advantage of
being an organic process. It grows
with tenacity in hidden places, even-
tually breaking down the cement and
asphalt of our modern life. It appeals
to people who would never call them-
selves conservatives —who probably
wouldn’t use words like “nadir” and
“zenith”—who provide examples of
hard work, personal responsibility, un-
failing decency, family commitment,
quiet faith, inspiring compassion and
other
views
2016 is almost over. Whew.
What’s that big sound? It is a col-
lective, national exhaling at the relief
that we are at the fi nal week of the
year. Most would agree that 2016 was
annus horribilis.
The holidays well be a
much needed distraction
from the woes and wor-
ries of the world. This
year brought too much
suffering, anger, fi ghting,
terrorism. All topped off
with fake news that too
many people take for
truth without question.
Can a time period such as a year
really be horrible? This year had 12
months, 52 weeks and 366 days like
any other year. A year can be great or
bad depending on how our individual
lives are going. It’s not a bad year for
someone who received a big raise or
found a living wage job after a pe-
riod of unemployment. It might be
called a bad year if a couple was go-
ing through a marital break-up or if
a loved one passed before their time.
The American people are a good
people. We cheer when others win;
we cry when others lose, but gener-
ally we are on the side of our fellow
citizens. Two thousand sixteen gave us
plenty of things to cry about, but that
should not defi ne us as a nation.
Our nation and our world is too
mature for us to look at it
through rose-colored glasses,
yet, believing in the spirit
and the goodness of people
should be our default posi-
tion.
Life is either something
that we let happen to us, or
we help shape our life. Peo-
ple in general are not pow-
erless, unless they accept the belief
that they are.
Like all things precious, it takes
struggle, dedication and perseverence
to make life what we wish it to be.
Many may say 2016 was a horrible
year and be depressed about what
may come in 2017. We can accept
what happens without comment or
action, or we can, as we Americans
always do, rise to the occasion.
They say that life is what you make
it; it’s also true that life is what you
believe it is.
—LAZ
editorial
Real news and real local
By DON VOWELL
Merry Christmas, Keizertimes. As
a community we are lucky to have
such a healthy and civic-minded
weekly paper as a vital organ. Our
family has lived in Keizer for a little
over 30 years. By a sort of content-
ed default we’ve slowly learned to
believe this is home. And
Keizertimes is our home-
town newspaper.
I’m only familiar with
Salem and Portland news-
papers but if they are rep-
resentative of how other
towns are served by their
local papers it only emphasizes how
uniquely fortunate we are.
We are trained to believe that
shareholder profi t is the be-all/
end-all of every corporate endeav-
or. That is turning the Salem paper
into a pale imitation of its former
self. The editorial page now appears
only sporadically. Maybe that mat-
ters only to a few, but it is the only
means of conversation that includes
both the people that produce the
paper and those that read it. Edi-
torial statements and opinions also
give you some insight into those
who have the privilege of choosing
what news you get to see each day.
A major portion of column-
inches in the Salem paper is given
over to USA Today, a Gannett in-
sert. It seems like reliable reporting
but also seems like removing the lo-
cal editors’ choices as to what story
might be relevant to local readers.
And the deadline pressure of being
printed off-site means local sports
stories are historical in nature.
When I moved to Keizer I used
to brag to out-of-town family and
friends about how wonderful Port-
land’s major paper was. Compared
to Seattle, Spokane, and Alaska dai-
lies I had known it was the best. It
is silly to weep over the decline of
printed daily newspapers—they
must answer to fi nancial reality.
Still, the Portland paper has de-
volved from banquet to thin gruel.
I admire the remaining
staff for soldiering on,
knowing they are being
done in by the Ameri-
can attention span.
Our most recent
presidential campaign is
the perfect example of
damage done by abandoning print-
ed media as source for news. Many
of the people I know and love sup-
ported or despised either candidate
for reasons unsupported by fact.
Newspapers are held accountable
for what they print. Facebook is
not. Twitter is not. Being buried
alive in mud makes it impossible to
examine each speck of dirt.
Yet the Keizertimes prospers. My
children went to local schools. We
shop at local stores. We are safe in
the protection of local services and
utilities. This paper is knowingly
assembled by people who live here
and like it. Keizertimes always cov-
ers things that are happening in the
town where I live, and generously
offers space to local citizens to speak
up.
So, speak up I shall. Merry
Christmas, Keizertimes and thanks
for staying true to the cause. And
a Merry Christmas to all local read-
ers who make it possible. With your
support we can do this again next
year.
a box
of
soap
(Don Vowell gets on his soapbox
regularly in the Keizertimes.)
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resilience in adversity. They are the
potential recruits of a humane politi-
cal conservatism.
This is not the political force that
has recently taken over the Repub-
lican Party—with a plurality in the
presidential primaries and a narrow
victory in November. That has been
the result of extreme polarization, not
a turn toward enduring values. The
movement is authoritarian in theory,
apocalyptic in mood, prone to con-
spiracy theories and personal abuse,
and dismissive of ethical standards. The
president-elect seems to offer equal
chances of constitutional crisis and ut-
ter, debilitating incompetence.
The plausible case that Russian es-
pionage materially contributed to the
election of an American president has
been an additional invitation to anger.
Now, not only the quality but also
the legitimacy of our democracy is at
stake. This extreme threat would seem
to require a commensurately radical
response—some way to change the
outcome.
But what is the proper conserva-
tive response? It is to live within the
boundaries of law and reality. There is
no certain way to determine if Rus-
sian infl uence was decisive. And no
serious constitutional recourse seems
to remain. While open to other op-
tions, I see none. It will now fall to
citizens and institutions to (1) defend
the legislature and judiciary from any
encroachment, (2) defend every group
of people from organized oppression,
including Muslims and refugees, (3)
expand and defend the institutions
—from think tanks to civil liberty or-
ganizations—that make the case for
a politics that honors human dignity.
And pray for the grass to grow.
(Washington Post Writers Group)
Enough revenue, not enough backbone
As we come to Christmas, I greatly enough revenue. We just don’t seem
hesitate to write about politics in this to have a control on where to spend
column but feel I must address an it. There will be cries for more rev-
important item with the upcoming enue in the form of cutting interest
deductions, raising taxes on what you
2017 legislative session.
First of all, when it comes to the eat, drink, smoke, wear and more. On
governor’s budget we need to re- top of that, a transportation package
member it’s not a budget but rather will require a gas tax.
Re-
a wish list. On her wish
member,
list Governor Kate Brown
the leg-
writes that we will have a from the
islature
$1.7 billion shortfall in the
capitol
is
the
next biennium. The truth is,
branch
we have a windfall of state
charged
revenues, to the tune of an
Rep.
w i t h
8.5 percent increase over the
BILL POST
craft-
last biennium (and that’s af-
ing and
ter a 14 percent increase in
passing
revenue in the previous bi-
ennium, making a total of 22.5 per- a balanced budget, not the governor,
cent increase in revenue since 2013). and you overwhelmingly chose a cer-
The problem is she “wishes” she tain state representative from Keizer
could fund all of the items in her who believes that we, as a state, don’t
budget which is what has led to anx- have a revenue problem but instead
iety for many over the cuts she has have a spending problem. Therefore
proposed which include education, I intend to do all that I can to hold
health care and some psychiatric and the legislature accountable for ev-
ery dollar. (You can read more about
corrections facilities.
The reality is we have more than the governor’s budget and the rev-
enue numbers here: http://billpost.
us/2016/12/09/its-not-a-budget-
shortfall-its-really-a-windfall/).
But here is the bottom line: the
people of Keizer are some of the
most giving people I’ve ever met. We
are a city of volunteers and we care
about each other. Our churches do
incredible humanitarian work. Our
Chamber of Commerce is one of the
best there is evidenced by the recent
Christmas parade, the food drives and
other activities. We have one of the
most livable cities in Oregon and one
of the most caring; yet none of that is
derived from government, it’s derived
from we the people.
On this Christmas week, I want to
wish you and your family all of the
best not just for this season but for all
time. I work for you and I am ea-
ger to get back into the legislature in
January and do all that I can to help
Keizer and Oregon succeed.
Merry Christmas and Happy New
Year from my home to yours.
(Bill Post represents House Dis-
trict 25. He can be reached at 503-
986-1425 or via email at rep.bill-
post@state.or.us.)
Christmas story: A child and a movie
Cute stories about American chil-
dren and Christmas are seemingly
endless. One to add has come to the
attention of my wife and myself dur-
ing the past week.
It is planned that a certain grand-
daughter will spend Christmas Eve
with gramma and grampa. That’s
the night, of course, during which tra-
dition promises that Santa
Claus will visit each child’s
home with presents, leaving
them to open on Christmas
morning.
We have a gas fi replace
that would be diffi cult to
traverse for even a mouse,
much less a bag of pres-
ents. Granddaughter is not
to be deterred in her belief
of a visit by Santa. She has already ex-
plained to her mother—in no uncer-
tain terms—that she does not want to
sleep in that room. Why? Because she
does not want to get in Santa’s way or
startle him by waking up when he’s in
the middle of a special delivery.
She says she must sleep in a room
with a door that shuts tightly. She sim-
ply does not want to disturb Santa at
work and also does not want to see
or hear anything among the presents
that would spoil a total surprise at day
break. This little girl, this pre-school
child, has mastered the particulars for
making certain Santa and presents
from his North Pole workshop will
get to her and a chuckle for us.
When granddaughter’s wishes
were passed along to me, I thought
of her mother and our other daugh-
ter’s childhood fantasies about Santa
and the Easter Bunny. Meanwhile,
when children and Christmas come to
mind, I think again about my favorite
and most endearing Christmas mov-
ie, A Christmas Story. When I was a
child, my family and I always watched
It’s a Wonderful Life, but it was kind
of “dark” and scary in places, much
like Charles Dickens’ A Christmas
Carol.
Imagining there is an American
adult who has never viewed A Christ-
mas Story, is a stretch beyond my
grasp. Nevertheless, if there is such
an American, it’s hoped
that they will see it this
December.
Disappoint-
ment in the movie is un-
likely as its 93 minutes will
keep any newcomer view-
ing it from beginning to
end.
In the movie, the cou-
ple’s oldest son desires to
receive a BB gun drives
the plot of the fi lm. The father wins
a “major award” in a contest but does
not know what it is until it’s deliv-
ered; meanwhile, it causes “the battle
gene h.
mcintyre
of the lamp” between the movie mom
and dad. Another howler is the dad’s
never-ending struggle with the fam-
ily’s ancient furnace. Then there’s
the neighbor’s dog, the fl at tire scene
and the fi nal confrontation with the
neighborhood bully. Lots of laughs
and good family fl ick fun can be en-
joyed in this G-rated movie that can
be seen more than once to absorb ev-
ery last tickle.
A Merry Christmas is passed along
from this writer to all Keizertimes
readers. May you and yours bask in
the warmth and good cheer of a tra-
ditional American family gathering,
regardless of how cold it gets out-
side. And, keep in mind, as the new
year gets underway, longer days and
warming temperatures are a mere fi ve
months away.
(Gene H. McIntyre’s column ap-
pears weekly in the Keizertimes.)