Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Keizertimes. (Salem, Or.) 1979-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 27, 2017)
OCTOBER 27, 2017, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A5 KeizerOpinion KEIZERTIMES.COM Pick your battles Many people have found their political voice at every level of gov- ernment in America. It is easy to express one’s opinion, especially if it is anonymously on social media. Conversations touching on ev- erything from taxes to schools to the U.S. foreign policy is rife with angry words that leap off the com- puter screen: outraged, angry, un- believable, treason and worse. Either side of any issue its supporters and its detractors. People on both sides of any subject cannot believe that anyone would think opposite of themselves, and there- fore are deserving of invectives. It is impossible to read through Facebook or Twitter on any day and not see the words that people use to show their displeasure on the opinions or actions of others. This poster is outraged, that poster is an- gry. To what end? Most people know their rights when it comes to speech, religion and guns. Rights are one thing, so- cietal responsibility is another. Even though we have the right to say and write that we are outraged over something, it doesn’t foster under- standing, it only hardens people into silos of righteousness. It is our right to express anger at things we don’t agree with; it should be our responsibility to attempt to be part of a solution to the problem at hand. If neighbors disagree and throw verbal tantrums, disinterested spec- tators can be concerned about the level of the argument. The public should be even more concerned about the on-going social media battles undertaken by our political leaders. There are two sides to every is- sue—both sides believe they are correct. The arguments take a toll when positions are hardened and compromise seems to be out of the question. There are issues in Keizer that cause divisons: parking issues on Newburg Drive or new fees to sup- port city parks. Everyone has an opinion on things happen- ing in our city. To express outrage does not move the conversation along. Social media has al- lowed millions of Ameri- cans to join the national or local political debate. It is important to remember that those millions of people had the ability to let their views be heard all along. It’s called an election. If one doesn’t like what their elected rep- resentative is doing they need only take the slight effort to vote in their party primary or a general election. We are all for sharing opinions and views. We promote conver- sations that help reach solutions. Everything can’t be worth a fi ght. There are too many problems and crises in the world to be riled up over a small kerfuffl e. If one is to go to battle with words, be sure it’s worth it. There is power in words and when a social media poster express- es outrage, for example, we tune it out. Most people will respond bet- ter to a thoughtful, invective-free opinion. We know we do. —LAZ our opinion Start of the holidays Next Tuesday is Halloween, which has taken on a larger role in our modern-day culture. Most of the celebrating, especially by adults will presumably occur this week- end. It is inescapable that Halloween is, for all intents and purposes, the beginning of holiday season. Yes, Halloween is a holiday to many people. From now until the Super Bowl, America and Keizer will be marking Thanksgiving, Channuka, Kwan-za, Christmas, New Year’s Day and football’s Super Bowl with parties, events, promotions and sales. A meeting of the Keizer Festival Advisory Board, led by Councilor Marlene Parsons, shows that there is a wide variety of events to enjoy right here in the Iris Capital. The Keizer Chamber of Com- Three branches of government merce takes the lead of many events including the Holiday Parade in December and several runs, includ- ing the always-popular Turkey Dash early on Thanksgiving Day. As we move into December, the sound of music will be constant as every school has a band/orchestra/ choir concert not to mention the appearance at the State Capitol by Keizer school choirs. There will no reason not to be in the holiday mood. A family-centric and kid-friendly city like Keizer will always provide plenty to do, see and enjoy. For those who love holidays, you are in your time of bliss. For those who merely tolerate the holidays, you mark the season your own way and in your own tradition. —LAZ letters To the Editor: I have spent most of my long life in Oregon but I was born in England. Be- fore I could become a U. S. citizen I had to learn about the American system of government. Three branches: Legislative, Execu- tive and Judicial, each branch operat- ing independently but also providing a “check and balance” to the other two. When did this system break down, allowing one man to use “executive or- ders” to bypass the other two? Is this not the way a dictatorship works? Beryl MacDonald Keizer Share your opinion Email a letter to the editor (300 words) by noon Tuesday. Email to: publisher@keizertimes.com Wheatland Publishing Corp. • 142 Chemawa Road N. • Keizer, Oregon 97303 phone: 503.390.1051 • web: www.keizertimes.com • email: kt@keizertimes.com POSTMASTER Send address changes to: SUBSCRIPTIONS One year: $25 in Marion County, $33 outside Marion County, $45 outside Oregon PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY Publication No: USPS 679-430 By DEBRA J. SAUNDERS Since retired Gen. John Kelly be- came White House chief of staff, news outlets have portrayed him as the disci- plinarian sent to impose order over an unruly President Donald Trump. Kelly rejects that scenario—when it comes to taming, he has other fi sh to fry. To wit, at last week’s press briefi ng, Kelly tongue-lashed the usually feisty White House press corps so relent- lessly that in 18 minutes he reduced the usually swagger- ing scribes and talking heads into shamed silence. After Kelly slammed reporters for taking a “sacred” moment—the notifi - cation of family when a military mem- ber is killed in action—and turning it into a cable-news chew toy, after he pointed out the thankless toil of the 1 percent of Americans who serve in the military and after he directed members of the media to raise their hands if they knew any Gold Star families, Kelly of- fered one fi nal salvo. “We don’t look down upon those of you who haven’t served,” Kelly closed. “In fact, in a way, we’re a little bit sorry because you’ll never have ex- perienced the wonderful joy you get in your heart when you do the kind of things our servicemen and women do. Not for any other reason than they love this country.” Kelly’s trip to the podium was a res- cue mission of sorts designed to extri- cate Trump from another media mud pit of his own making. It started Monday when Trump strolled into the Rose Garden with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McCo- nnell, a key player in the GOP effort to pass a tax-cut bill. This summer Trump told the press he was “very disappointed” in McCon- nell. But Monday, Trump promoted McConnell to longtime friend with whom he is “closer than ever before.” When a reporter asked Trump why he had not commented on four U.S. soldiers recently killed in an ambush in Niger, the president’s need to frame himself as better than his predecessors prompted a tortured response. Trump said he had written letters to the sol- diers that would be mailed over the weekend, and that he would like to call the families even though “President Obama, and other presidents, most of them didn’t make calls.” Politifact rated Trump’s statement “misleading.” Obama went to Dover Air Force Base to receive the bodies of 18 U.S. soldiers killed in Afghanistan and comfort their families in person. Having backed himself in a cor- ner, Trump phoned the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, one of the four killed in Niger. Later, family friend Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., who listened in on the call, told the media that Trump cavalierly told the widow other voices Keizertimes Circulation 142 Chemawa Road N. Keizer, OR 97303 Periodical postage paid at Salem, Oregon that Johnson “knew what he signed up for,” but “it still hurts.” Johnson’s aunt added that Trump was disrespectful. Trump denied that he said the words Wilson had repeated. At Thurs- day’s briefi ng, Kelly essentially con- fi rmed Wilson’s quote—although Kelly took strong issue with the sug- gestion that Trump said anything that did not bestow deserved praise on the slain soldier. Kelly framed the contro- versy as a new low—with Wilson go- ing after Trump when the president was trying to do the decent thing. For the Trump voter base, the epi- sode was a clear win. Kelly set the rules that determined which reporters had the right to ask him questions —only Gold Star parents or siblings. When no journalist could claim that painful honor, Kelly offered to take questions from reporters who at least knew a Gold Star family. Thus Kelly exposed the White House press corps as a pack of feckless East Coast elites. Yes, they squirmed because no one could claim a child, brother or sister killed in action. It doesn’t matter that Trump could not raise his hand to that question ei- ther. Or that Trump was the benefi - ciary of fi ve Vietnam-era draft defer- ments. Or that the controversy erupted because the insecure Trump felt he had to one-up his predecessors in every corner, including making phone calls to grieving families. So John Kelly bailed him out. (Creators Syndicate) Rules on religious giving is a slippery slope By GENE H. McINTYRE In a somewhat convoluted state- ment, media recently reported that the U.S. Justice Department has is- sued new guidance aimed at giving religious groups and individuals broad protections to express their beliefs when those beliefs come in confl ict with government regulations. Attorney General Jeffrey Sessions’ directive, com- ing after President Trump’s executive order, mainly targets a tax law provi- sion that thereby allows churches direct involve- ment in political campaigns but really set the stage in future for allowing Prot- estants, Catholics, Mormons, Muslims, Hindus and all others to ignore the na- tion’s civil laws. Long anticipated, Sessions’ ac- tion, following Trump’s announce- ment in May, also provides protec- tions to America’s religious orders in hiring decisions that could threaten those whose sexual orientation con- fl icts with the chosen faith of employ- ers. Referring to his directive, Sessions has said that “except in the narrowest of circumstances, no one should be forced to choose between living out his or her faith and complying with the law” and that “to the extent prac- ticable, religious observance and prac- tice should be accommodated in gov- ernment.” Now, there’s much more to Ses- sions’ mix of religion and government than the latest expression of his think- ing on the subject. During Sessions’ confi rmation hearing early this year, he was pressed by his questioners to answer whether job security of a “sec- ular attorney” would be respected in his Justice Department. Sessions an- swered citing his concern about truth nowadays not being respected in our nation and that “objective truth is im- possible without a certain religious understanding” and that “a post-mod- ern, relativistic, secular mind-set is di- rectly contrary to the founding of our republic.” Not uncommon in our history have been some Americans who have ex- pressed the belief that the writers of the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution were devout Chris- tians and view our origins as ultimate- ly a ‘second coming’ where the United States of America will be ruled by fundamental Christian theology and be- liefs. More than one his- torian of repute has taken issue with such a founda- tional understanding and argued that the views of the founding fathers were most poignantly expressed by them about religion in the Con- stitution’s First Amendment as “Con- gress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibit- ing the free exercise thereof.” Sessions has often remarked on his distaste for and dislike of secular- ists. What’s a secularist? A secularist is a person who advocates separation of the state from religious institutions. The secularist asserts the right to be free from religious rule and its teach- ings as well as separate from the im- position by government of religion or guest column Keizertimes Lyndon A. Zaitz, Editor & Publisher General shames briefi ng room religious practice upon its people. Our founding fathers were men of faith but also knew what religion had done for centuries to subjugate the peoples of Europe and did not want the same fate for U.S. citizens. Virtually all of them also had spoken in speeches and written in essays of a new government that embraced secularism. When our Constitution, our laws and way of life can be ignored and re- placed by the most powerful among the nation’s political and/or religious forc- es we Americans should keep in mind an insightful message from another country in a time not long ago. That was the message written by German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemoller re- garding the cowardice of German intellectuals following the Nazis’ rise to power and subsequent purging of their chosen targets. “First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out because I was not a Socialist; then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out-because I was not a trade unionist; then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me.” (Gene H. McIntyre lives in Keizer.)