Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Keizertimes. (Salem, Or.) 1979-current | View Entire Issue (April 13, 2018)
APRIL 13, 2018, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A5 KeizerOpinion KEIZERTIMES.COM He left the world a better place be made that it’s in the African Sahel that the Islamist terror threat is now the globe’s worst such vexation. This area of hundreds of thousand of square miles of abso- lute poverty and misery is an absolutely perfect target for ISIS propa- ganda. In a region where people ordinarily die at the age of 35 or 40, it is safe to say, the militants’ promise of “paradise” for martyrs has a very favorable resonance. Common folk in Mali, Niger, Chad and Burkina Faso are so miserable that they feel uplifted by the tenor of ISIS discourse. Sick- ness and hunger have a way of do- ing that. Holding the line in the Sahel for the West is France and a vari- ety of African militaries and con- stabularies, prominently including the human rights-violating military of Mali. Amnesty International re- cently slammed the French-trained Malians for killing just about all the ISIS prisoners they take. Gruesome are the tactics of ISIS, to be sure but, the region’s counter-insurgency forces are as bad or worse. French “advice” to indigenous army troops and cops is to take no prisoners. No one in this brutal fi ght talks about “hearts and minds.” Backed by Washington D.C., Paris and its sub- ordinate African regimes are taking a “scorched earth” approach to the Sahel’s problems. These ISIS-infi ltrated countries are horribly poor, horribly sick and horribly hungry. Their predomi- nantly Muslim populations see in ISIS discourse an all-encompassing answer for their misery. What can well-fed army troops and cops say to wretchedly threadbare peasants and herdsmen that can convince them of a given central govern- ment’s “good intentions”? What can the swaggering men in uniform say to a father whose children are starving to death? The people in such circumstances will almost cer- tainly listen to ISIS propaganda. It is remarkable that Washington D.C. and Paris are pursuing such a losing strategy in the Sahel. Frank W. Goheen Vancouver,WA letters To the Editor: Our Keizer and Salem communities lost a won- derful gentleman on Eas- ter Sunday, April 1. John Jenkins died peacefully at his home in Keizer at age 94, with his wife Regina at his side. John and Regina met and at- tended the University of Ne- braska at Lincoln, and both are proud graduates. He was one of the “Greatest Generation,” hav- ing served in World War II. He and Regina moved to Oregon to raise their family. John and Regina both had long careers with the State of Oregon. John was an engineer with the Oregon Department of Trans- portation. John was a 47-year member of Keizer Rotary Club, joining in 1971. He was an early board mem- ber, Paul Harris Fellow, and enjoyed perfect attendance for many years. He was active in every commu- nity service project and fundraiser for Rotary. He was a long and loyal supporter of Rotary’s international high school student exchange pro- gram. Other passions of his were John Knox Presbyterian Church, where he was very active in their com- munity food bank charity. He was also an early volunteer supporter of the Keizer Heritage Center. In recognition of his decades of vol- unteer service to our community, he was named Keizer’s First Citizen in 1994. John was a quiet and unassum- ing gentleman. He epitomized the Rotary principle of “service above self.” John left our community and world better than he found it. John Doneth Keizer ISIS getting foothold in Sahel To the Editor: There is talk about ISIS making a comeback in Syria, and Presi- dent Trump’s talk of simply walk- ing away from the place certainly doesn’t help matters; but, a case can Share your opinion The Keizertimes’ Opinion page accepts all viewpoints. It is a forum for the community to discuss topics that are important to Keizer. Email a letter to the editor (300 words) by noon Tuesday. Email to: publisher@keizertimes.com Can moderation get up off the mat? By MICHAEL GERSON In the world of progressive politics, all eyes are turned to Great Britain. Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the Labour Party, represents progressivism in its most uncompromising form. He and his party are proposing massive in- creases in social spending, tax hikes on businesses and the wealthy, rent con- trol in major cities, a ban on fracking, a boost in the minimum wage and the re-nation- alization of railroads and water companies. Corbyn himself has advocated uni- lateral disarmament, has urged the United Kingdom to leave NATO and has sel- dom found a socialist revo- lutionary he didn’t admire (including Hugo Chavez). And according to a recent YouGov/ Times poll, Corbyn’s Labour Party is 1 point behind the Conservatives in voting intention. There is no immediate election on the horizon in the United King- dom. And the disturbing ties between British leftism and anti-Semitism are emerging as a serious scandal. But there is little doubt that Corbyn’s forc- es have consolidated their hold on the Labour Party, that the party did bet- ter than expected in the 2017 election and that Corbyn is no longer unthink- able as a future prime minister. Whatever else Corbyn’s ascendance might mean, it is the death of Blair- ism -- former Prime Minister Tony Blair’s attempt to defi ne a center-left alternative to the Labour Party’s hard left. No more political trimming and tacking. Corbyn supporters regard themselves as part of a people-pow- ered social movement -- dedicated to economic equality and environmental protection, opposed to militarism and in revolt against a compromised estab- lishment. There is no exact political equiva- lent to Corbyn himself in America, at least outside the faculty lounge. But a similar spirit could be seen in Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign -- the romance of ideological purity. Sanders’ supporters were as opposed to (Bill) Clintonism as Corbyn’s are to Blairism, and for the same reasons. Many on the left have lost patience with centrism. They feel part of a progressive wave, a move- ment. They see no need to compromise, just to orga- nize. In America, this ten- dency on the left is rein- forced by Donald Trump’s consolida- tion of power in the Republican Party. Trump’s extremism -- his combina- tion of plutocracy, misogyny and na- tivism -- has encouraged ideological ambition in his opponents. His vul- nerability is taken -- not as an op- portunity to build a broad political coalition against Trumpism -- but as a chance to win without compromise. A chance to bury conservatism itself. Compared with Great Britain, this is a big and diverse country. So this trend on the left is not found every- where equally. But consider recent events in California. In February, the state Democratic Party refused to en- dorse Sen. Dianne Feinstein for re- election. Though a liberal by almost any standard, Feinstein was not lib- eral enough for delegates at the party convention. Her challenger, state Sen. Kevin de Leon, attacked her support for school vouchers, for anti-terrorist surveillance, for “a criminal justice system propped up by institutional racism,” and for the Iraq and Afghan the opinion of others wars. “The days of Democrats biding our time, biding our talk, are over,” de Leon told cheering delegates. “Lead- ership comes from human audacity, not congressional seniority. ... We de- mand passion, not patience.” Some progressives talk of Califor- nia -- with its political argument be- tween left and lefter -- as a model for the nation. A recent (and much tweet- ed) article by Peter Leyden and Ruy Teixeira concludes that bipartisanship is dead because the GOP is no lon- ger a functioning partner. Describing our politics as a new civil war, they argue: “At some point, one side or the other must win -- and win big. ... Now the entire Republican Party, and the entire conservative movement that has controlled it for the past four de- cades, is fully positioned for the fi nal takedown that will cast them out for a long period of time in the political wilderness. They deserve it.” In the GOP, fanaticism seems to have all the passion and energy. On the left, the same is increasingly true. But there are problems when politics ceases to be the realm of partial agree- ment and becomes a confl ict of social movements. The virtues essential to self-government -- civility, compro- mise and moderation of temperament -- are devalued. The incremental re- forms necessary to solve public prob- lems become impossible. Opponents are dehumanized and viewed as ene- mies. The cruel and intemperate come to dominate our political life. Simply put: If the response to Trump is a general radicalization of American politics, the damage will last generations. Somehow, in the midst of so much fanaticism, moderation must fi nd a passion of its own. (Washington Post Writers Group) Success in college sports Keizertimes Wheatland Publishing Corp. 142 Chemawa Road N. • Keizer, Oregon 97303 Phone: 503.390.1051 • www.keizertimes.com MANAGING EDITOR Eric A. Howald editor@keizertimes.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR SUBSCRIPTIONS Derek Wiley news@keizertimes.com ADVERTISING Paula Moseley advertising@keizertimes.com PRODUCTION MANAGER & GRAPHIC DESIGNER EDITOR & PUBLISHER Lyndon Zaitz publisher@keizertimes.com One year: $25 in Marion County, $33 outside Marion County, $45 outside Oregon PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY Publication No: USPS 679-430 Andrew Jackson graphics@keizertimes.com POSTMASTER Send address changes to: LEGAL NOTICES legals@keizertimes.com Keizertimes Circulation BUSINESS MANAGER 142 Chemawa Road N. Laurie Painter Keizer, OR 97303 billing@keizertimes.com RECEPTION Lori Beyeler INTERN Periodical postage paid at Salem, Oregon Random Pendragon facebook.com/keizertimes twitter.com/keizertimes When the last whistle blew, the fi nal foul called, and the men’s and women’s champions decided, March Madness 2018 came to its close last month. With the winners deter- mined, there were ecstatic folks at Notre Dame and Villanova while at other universities across the country, those that also sought notori- ety through the NCAA brackets, were left to mut- ter, “Well, there’s always next year.” The University of Or- egon and the Oregon State University women’s teams came close to glory as both won their games to the Elite Eight. The Oregon men were invited to the National Invitational Tourna- ment, and lost in its second game while Oregon State’s men were not invited to post-season play at all. In comparing student numbers at just four universities in the women’s national contest, University of Or- egon, Oregon State University, and Notre Dame: UO has an enrollment of about 24,000; OSU counts around 30,000; and winner, Notre Dame, numbers just over 12,000. The number of men at UO and OSU, of course, are the same as the women while winner Villanova enrollment counts only 11,000 students. With contrasting numbers so high and player selection so broad how can they miss grabbing the big trophy? One sports writer argued that to win on the national stage what was needed, for example, at the University of Oregon was for Coach Dana Alt- man to persuade three upperclassmen to give up millions in earning power, after their Final Four appearance last year, to return for at least one more college season with the prophetic chance to win it all in 2018.The writer also wrote that a colleague of his contacted Dillon Brooks of season 2016-2017 UO fame, now with the NBA’s Memphis Griz- zlies, to inquire about his early departure. His answer could have been predicted: “I’ve got a lot more money.” However, I’d argue that players coming from oth- er states and even other countries look for the best deal in scholarship details while the specifi c university is a low- er level concern unless the individual seeks a specifi c degree and thereby makes his choice of school. Rela- tive to this matter, NCAA rules do not now allow any school to pay salaries. Meanwhile, there’s a lot of cash the shoe makers “invest” in one form or another to outstanding high school athletes, their families, coaches and school shoes and clothing to per- suade through formal deals and infor- mal arrangements for use of Adidas, Nike or Under Armor gear followed by contractual arrangements at the college they attend. So, how is it that public and pri- vate universities with much smaller enrollments are more and more of- ten nowadays taking home the grand prize? The difference is that while public university players quite often are recruited from families of limit- ed means, the private school recruit quite often comes from families of greater fi nancial means where the money consideration is not nearly as gene h. mcintyre important as it is to those from fami- lies of limited means. Also, specifi - cally relative to the private schools are the religious and association factors that have to do with one’s faith and membership therein, two conditions that often mean little to poorer black or Hispanic kids or youth from many European countries. A kid from a impoverished back- ground without strong church or community ties generally could care less whether some college team in Oregon, Michigan or California gets its name on a bronze plaque or brings home a big trophy. He wants to make it into the professional athlete world where earnings exceed a million dollars. Furthermore, he can pass on getting a free education because he dreams of the opportunity to make the big bucks, leading to early re- tirement with no need for a college degree as money will buy everything important to his ego and material needs. A matter that deserves consid- erable attention is the dominating infl uence of money in competitive sports at every level of public and private education and the profession- al ranks. Many among us have mak- ing money as their top priority and highest value in living the American life. And that’s why so much of the negative has crept into competitive sports with corrupt and even crimi- nal practices until greed prevails as it does now. Hence, the excessive im- portance of money ultimately allows evil to take over with all things once beautiful gone ugly. (Gene H. McIntyre lives in Keizer.)
