JANUARY 11, 2019, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A5
Opinion
A student’s take on school shootings
By LAUREN MURPHY
Of the Keizertimes
School shootings are a symptom of
a bigger problem within the education
system. Students feel unloved, uncared
for, and unwanted, and that the prob-
lem.
As a student, I know what it’s like
to sit in a class with a subject you don’t
care for and a teacher who
you can’t connect with.
It’s led me to act out and
break the rules because
I’m bored. Now imagine
that every day for 12 years.
Every class you step into
is a fi ght with the teacher,
every lunch period you sit
alone without anyone to
talk to, every run in with an admin-
istrator is them telling you what to do
because they think you’re living your
life wrong. It’s enough to make anyone
hate school.
Part of the reason why students
shoot up schools is because of the an-
ger they feel toward that place. They
can’t see any good in it, there’s nothing
that they connect and identify with.
No coach that gave them something to
care about, no teacher that took time
to talk about their personal life, no
friend who was willing to listen instead
of speak. For many, school has become
a culture of negativity and hostility for
these students.
Which brings me to school shoot-
ings and the nothing that gets done
about them.
The fact of the matter is, whether
you’re Republican, Democrat, pro-
gun, anti-gun, student, teacher, or par-
ent, you don’t have the answer. The an-
swer is not to ban all guns. The answer
is not to give everyone a gun. The an-
swer isn’t to turn schools into fortresses
with one point of entry equipped with
metal detectors enclosed by steel walls
with no windows.
Moving the school’s main offi ce
is part of McNary’s plan securing the
campus as part of the bond.
Currently, anyone can walk
into the school with little
observation and at almost
any time. Moving the of-
fi ce is part of McNary’s
efforts to make school saf-
er. When there are threats,
adding extra security is an-
other way that they are try-
ing to do that. These efforts make the
school more secure, without turning it
into a fortress that never sees the sun.
However, schools are only schools
because of the people inside them. In
the 12 years that I’ve attended classes
in the Salem-Keizer School District,
a handful of teachers greatly impact-
ed me in a positive way. Teachers who
check up on me when my grade starts
to drop. Teachers who go above and
beyond every day simply because they
care about their students. I’ve taken
science classes so that I could graduate,
and I disliked almost every course. But,
some of my favorite teachers made all
the difference despite the subject.
The teachers I’ll always remember
are the ones who took the time to get
to know me. There were small things,
like saying hello to me, by name, even
when I’m no longer in their class.
They make me feel cared for even
guest
column
when we don’t see each other every
day. The times teachers or some adult
in the school took the time to listen
to my answer when they asked how
I was doing make a huge difference.
They make me feel like they know
who I am. It makes me feel like Mc-
Nary High School is a place where I
am welcomed. Those are the people
we need to be putting in our schools,
whether they are teachers, staff, or just
volunteers.
Not everyone gets that. There are
students who walk in and out of the
doors every day and no one ever stops
them to say hello or ask how they are.
Of course not everyone who is dis-
gruntled with the school becomes a
school shooter. It would be naive to
think it was that simple, but taking
care of students is an important step
towards solving this problem.
Instead of listening to the other
side’s point of view we just yell our
opinion louder. Until we learn how
to talk and, more importantly, how to
listen, we will never come up with a
solution.
As our country continues to face
this problem and make decisions to
try and curb the epidemic of school
shooting, I urge you, on behalf of the
students and staff in schools: Be decent
human beings. Take time out of your
day to connect with people. Make
them feel loved and valued.
Something as simple as a smile, or
a hello, can make someone’s day. By
taking an interest in someone’s life, you
may permanently change it.
(Lauren Murphy is a senior at
McNary High School and intern at the
Keizertimes.)
Pelosi is progressive AND pragmatic
By DEBRA J. SAUNDERS
While a reporter in San Francis-
co, Nancy Pelosi didn’t seem to like
it when I’d pepper her with
questions about, say, her
ill-considered 2007 visit to
Syria, during which she pro-
claimed, “The road to Da-
mascus is the road to peace.”
She was, after all, used to
a press corps that considered
her a political moderate in
spite of her very progressive voting re-
cord and positions. I was not among
that group.
It was a San Francisco-based mis-
interpretation due to Pelosi’s old-
school style. A Democratic fundraiser
and organizer while she raised her fi ve
children, Pelosi resisted entreaties that
she run for offi ce until her youngest
was in high school. The daughter of
Baltimore Mayor Thomas D’Alesan-
dro, Pelosi was raised in the ways of
the back room. She knows how to cut
deals when many Bay Area pols prefer
to fl aunt their precious sensibilities.
She’s pragmatic to the point that
she tried to rein in Democrats who
wanted to impeach President George
W. Bush because of the war in Iraq.
She also is progressive to the point
that she helped usher in President
Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act,
even though its passage helped Re-
publicans pick up 63 House seats in
2010. She won on health care but lost
her gavel.
She’s the Democratic leader whom
the Los Angeles Times rated the fi fth
most wealthy member of Congress,
with properties, including a vineyard,
worth some $23 million.
Even as progressives
chafed at her inevitable
return to the speakership,
she vacationed during
the partial government
shutdown at the fi ve-
star Fairmont Orchid on
Hawaii’s big island, and
then had no qualms about pledging to
fi ght “disparity of income” in her fi rst
speech as the re-elected speaker.
Do not mistake Pelosi’s decision to
stay at a Kona resort/spa for softness.
She is a fi ghter.
Her predecessor, GOP Speaker
Paul Ryan, announced he would not
run for re-election in April, at a time
his party ruled the House, Senate and
White House. Ryan’s predecessor John
Boehner lost his members’ confi dence,
even as the GOP maintained a major-
ity, and resigned.
Before Boehner, Speaker Pelosi
presided over the loss of 63 Democrat-
ic seats in 2010. Did she walk away?
No, she actually hung onto power
through three more election cycles
until a fourth when Democrats re-
gained control.
When Democratic Socialist Alex-
andria Ocasio-Cortez beat entrenched
incumbent Joe Crowley in New York’s
June Democratic primary, Pelosi told
reporters not to read too much into
the rising upstart’s surprise victory.
other
voices
Rep. Schrader and
the Alzheimer’s Act
To the Editor:
The Alzheimer’s Association
estimates that there are more
than 65,000 Oregonians living
with Alzheimer’s disease and
more than 184,000 Alzhei-
mer’s caregivers in our state. As
an Alzheimer’s advocate and
Alzheimer’s Association staff
member who interacts with
these individuals on a daily
KEIZERTIMES.COM
Web Poll
Results
Are you concerned about the
continued government shutdown?
No: 52%
Yes: 48%
Vote in a new poll every Thursday!
GO TO KEIZERTIMES.COM
Keizertimes
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Lyndon A. Zaitz, Editor & Publisher
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Salem, Oregon
After the midterm, Ocasio-Cortez
attended a sit-in at Pelosi’s offi ce at
which environmentalists warned Pelo-
si against “reviving stale so-called ‘bi-
partisan’ ideas.”
When Democratic candidates
and incumbents pledged not to vote
for Pelosi for speaker—NBC News
counted 58 anti-Pelosi Democrats—
the 78-year-old did not fold. Thursday,
only 15 Democrats voted against Pe-
losi, and Ocasio-Cortez was not one
of them.
In his nominating speech for Pe-
losi, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.,
offered a new nickname for the regal
San Franciscan. In a riff on the 1990s
Naughty by Nature tune Down with
OPP, he said, “House Democrats are
down with NDP, Nancy D’Alesandro
Pelosi, the once and future speaker of
the United States House of Represen-
tatives.”
President Donald Trump has a long
list of handy put-down nicknames
for his political rivals. Pelosi supports
sanctuary cities and federal funding for
abortion but opposes the death penal-
ty and school vouchers. She’s as liberal
as liberal gets. And still, Trump has no
killer nickname for her.
Sure, he’s tried a few choice words.
He called her “MS-13 lover Nan-
cy Pelosi” in May and “High Crime,
High Tax Nancy Pelosi” in June. But
neither stuck. That’s how formidable
Pelosi must be in the eyes of Donald
Trump.
(Creators Syndicate)
basis, it is my honor to
represent them.
Congress
just
passed the Building
Our Largest De-
mentia (BOLD) In-
frastructure for Alz-
heimer’s Act with a
strong bipartisan vote and I want to
thank Representative Schrader for
championing this meaningful leg-
islation.
The BOLD Infrastructure for
Alzheimer’s Act will allow effective
Alzheimer’s public health interven-
tions to be implemented across the
country. Thanks to Representative
Schrader’s support for the BOLD
Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act,
we will now be better able to fi ght
this devastating disease as we con-
tinue to work towards our vision
of a world without Alzheimer’s –
and we look forward to seeing him
continue to prioritize this disease as
a public health crisis that must be
addressed.
Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth
leading cause of death in the Unit-
ed States—which is why Congress
must remain committed to action
on this devastating disease. By ap-
plying a public health approach to
reduce risk, detect early symptoms,
and advance care, Representative
Schrader is helping to change the
trajectory of this devastating disease.
Alise Liepnieks
Alzheimer’s Association
Salem
letters
Keizer Library to take part
in Days of Remembrance
The Keizer Community Library
will take part in the nationwide effort
to honor victims of the Holocaust
and Nazi persecution by presenting
a Days of Remembrance display at
the Library and the Keizer Cultural
Center from Jan. 20 through the fi rst
two weeks of February, 2019.
The remembrance coincides
with the nation’s annual commem-
oration of the Holocaust established
by Congress and led by the United
States Holocaust Memorial Muse-
um in Washington, D.C. The com-
memoration will include Holocaust
victim and survivor profi les, educa-
tional posters, a book list and display
of books about the Holocaust.
The
Holocaust
was
the
state-sponsored, systematic persecu-
tion and annihilation of European
Jewry by Nazi Germany and its col-
laborators between 1933 and 1945.
Although Jews were the primary
victims, others among the six million
people who were murdered includ-
ed: Roma and Sinti (Gypsies) people
with mental and physical disabilities;
Poles who were targeted for destruc-
tion or decimation for racial, ethnic,
or national reasons; homosexuals;
Jehovah’s Witnesses; and Soviet pris-
oners of war. Political dissidents also
suffered grievous oppression and
death under Nazi Germany.
Through its Days of Re-
membrance event, the Keizer
Community Library seeks both
to commemorate this tragic histo-
ry and to refl ect on the lessons it
holds for our lives today. “We also pay
tribute to the rescuers who risked
their lives to save others during the
Holocaust and to the American
soldiers who liberated the concen-
tration camps,” said Paula Guiles,
president of the Keizer Community
Library’s Board of Directors.
To learn more about the Keiz-
er event, visit the Library’s website
at www.keizerlibrary.org. To learn
more about Days of Remembrance,
including the national ceremony in
the U.S. Capitol Rotunda and a map
of remembrance events around the
country, visit the United States Ho-
locaust Memorial Museum’s website
at ushmm.org/remember.
The Keizer Community Li-
brary, 980 Chemawa Road NE, is
open at the following times: Mon-
day-Thursday, 1-7 p.m.; Friday, 1-4
p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and
Sunday, 1-4 p.m.
traffi c court
NO LICENSE
Colten Sean Webber, $285; Aurora
Acosta-Velazquez, $245; Logan Ray
Basham, $100; Angel Bautista Gar-
cia, $265; Rafael Paz-Aguilar, $235.
NO INSURANCE
Ricky Lee Tipsword, $600; Nich-
olas Jesus Daued, $600; Randy Ray
Crase Jr, $300; Norma Linda Pala-
cios, $600; Monica Serratos Rojas,
$235; Michael Todd Bevans, $235;
Kelli Anne Baughn, $235; Patrick
Matthew Lake, $600.
NO PROOF OF INSURANCE
Courtney Lynn Page, $642; Michelle
Lee Shafer, $95; Erandy Banely Paz,
$75; David Michael Jordahl, $600.
DRIVING WHILE SUSPENDED
Ricky Lee Tipsword, $1,258; Nich-
olas Jesus Daued, $1,200; Alice Sa-
brina Jones, $1,258; Anthony Steven
Neal, $1,258; Jesus Ortega Ramirez,
$1,258; Randy Ray Crase Jr, $658;
Norma Linda Palacios, $1,258; Dan-
iel Antonio Becker, $1,258; Dar-
ci Laurance, $440; David Michael
Jordahl, $1,258; Jennifer Lee Hoe-
fl er, $440; Eric Christopher Castil-
lo, $492; John Pierre Galvan, $440;
Patrick Matthew Lake, $1,258; Ali-
cia May Luarca, $1,258.
SPEEDING
Amber Jul Surdam, $342; Norma
Linda Palacios, $150; Leanida Fed-
osavichna Kasachev, $45; Dimitry
Vladimirovich Vasilyev, $135; Ke-
cia Karyn Harris, $135; Adam Tran
Dang, $75; Thorsten Geissler, $145;
Brittney J Morris, $337; Zachary
Christopher Monger, $135; Eric
Victor Farm, $145.
USE OF MOBILE DEVICE
Melissa Jane Varcoe, $235; Jason Pat-
rick Roberts, $192.
FAILURE TO OBEY TRAFFIC
CONTROL DEVICE
Daniel Antonio Becker, $600; Darci
Laurance, $265.
OTHER
William L Bates, $192, improper
positioning of vehicle; Lawrence
Craig Miotke, $1,258, failure to
stop for bus safety lights; Marie
Katherine Preston, $245, improper
lane change; Richard Keith Nelson,
$115, improper display of validat-
ing stickers; Ralph Curtis Morgan,
$245, careless driving; Clayton Allen
Jess Zacharias, $642, improper lane
change; Jennifer Lee Hoefl er, $115,
failure to use safety belts; John
Pierre Galvan, $115, failure to reg-
ister vehicle; Zachary John Mize,
$415, careless driving; Patrick Mat-
thew Lake, $150, failure to register
vehicle; Ruzak Ahmad, $40, failure
to renew vehicle registration; Tim-
othy Allan Johnson, $40, failure to
register vehicle; Stephen D Arwood,
$40, improper display of plates.
police scanner
MONDAY, DECEMBER 31
5:10 p.m. - Criminal trespassing in the
1000 block of Rafael Avenue N.
8 p.m. - Theft of bicycle in the 100
block of Apple Blossom Avenue N.
9:51 p.m. - Arrest for criminal mischief
and vandalism in the 100 block of Ap-
ple Blossom Avenue N.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 1
12:32 p.m. - Arrest for driving while
suspended/revoked and driving unin-
sured in the 4000 block of River Road
N.
1:29 p.m. - Failure to perform duties of
a driver when property is damaged in
the 4000 block River Road N.
3:30 p.m. - Failure to perform duties of
drive when property is damaged at the
intersection of Claggett Street NE and
River Road N.
5:51 p.m. - Traffi c accident resulting
in injury in the 5000 block of River
Road N.
7:35 p.m. - Telephonic harassment in
the 7000 block of Kayla Shae Circle
NE.
10:23 p.m. - Arrest on warrant in the
2000 block of Jorie Lane NE.
12:30 a.m. - Vandalism in the 3000
block of River Road N.
12:32 a.m. - Arrest for driving under
the infl uences of intoxicants at the in-
tersection of Verda Lane NE and Dear-
born Avenue NE.
12:53 a.m. - Arrest for simple assault in
the 1000 block of Cynthia Street N.
9:16 a.m. - Arrest for driving under the
infl uence of intoxicants and driving
while suspended in the 4000 block of
River Road N.
11:41 a.m. - Shoplifting in the 6000
block of Ulali Drive NE.
5:10 p.m. - Identity theft in the 500
block of Greenwood Drive NE.
8 p.m. - Criminal trespassing in the
5000 block of River Road N.
10:51 p.m. - Arrest for probation vio-
lation in the 500 block of Greenwood
Drive NE.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 4
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2
SATURDAY, JANUARY 5
12:29 a.m. - Theft of bicycle in the 100
block of Manbrin Drive N.
3:45 p.m. - Arrest on warrant in the 900
block of Chemawa Road NE.
4 p.m. - Criminal mischief and crime
damage in the 5000 block of Kalmia
Drive NE.
4 p.m. - Criminal mischief, crime dam-
age, and unlawful entry to vehicle with
the intent to commit crime in the 5000
block of Kalmia Drive NE.
4:35 p.m. - Arrest on warrant in the 300
block of Lakepoint Place N.
8:06 p.m. - Arrest on warrant in the
6000 block of Keizer Station Boulevard
NE.
2 a.m. - Physical harassment in the 4000
block of Holly Court NE.
2:22 a.m. - Arrest on warrant at the in-
tersection of Pleasant View Drive NE
and Griswold Avenue NE.
9:49 a.m. - Arrest on warrant in the 700
block of Weeks Drive NE.
6:25 p.m. - Shoplifting in the 700 block
of Chemawa Road N.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 3
10:32 a.m. - Graffi ti in the 1000 block
of Dixon Street NE.
11:40 a.m. - Probation violation in the
900 block of Manbrin Drive NE.
2:41 p.m. - Arrest on warrant in the 900
block of Chemawa Road NE.
3:30 p.m. - Arrest for driving while
suspended/revoked at the intersection
of Cherry Avenue NE and Clearview
Avenue NE.
6:28 p.m. - Traffi c accident River Road
N and Chemawa Road N.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 6
12:06 a.m. - Arrest for giving false in-
formation to a police offi cer in the 500
block of Bever Drive NE.
12:15 a.m. - Arrest on warrant for pro-
bation violation in the 500 block of
Bever Drive NE.
11:12 p.m. - Felon in possession of a
weapon at the intersection of Plymouth
Drive NE and Cherry Avenue NE.