OPINION
6A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2015
Catholics lead on same-sex marriage
Founded in 1873
STEPHEN A. FORRESTER, Editor & Publisher
LAURA SELLERS, Managing Editor
BETTY SMITH, Advertising Manager
CARL EARL, Systems Manager
JOHN D. BRUIJN, Production Manager
DEBRA BLOOM, Business Manager
HEATHER RAMSDELL, Circulation Manager
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Charter deal has potential
to bring the world closer
t’s not often a familiar “local” company makes as much
national news as Charter Communications did this week by
announcing its intention to buy larger rival Time Warner Cable.
Cable television providers recently
have found themselves in the broad
category of information-sector busi-
nesses seeking fresh new ways to sur-
vive, compete and prosper.
This task takes on increasing ur-
gency as customers discover novel
Internet-based ways to access en-
tertainment — in addition to shop-
ping, doing our banking, researching
school projects and other activities of
everyday life. On the supply side of
this information pipeline, it is costing
cable companies more to purchase
rights to broadcast the popular sports,
movies, programs and games that
consumers demand.
The travails of cable providers are
unlikely to keep ordinary Americans
awake at night. Along with satel-
lite TV, cable companies are widely
viewed as charging incrementally
more each year for something that we
somehow simultaneously value but
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now allows consumers to bypass the
cable or satellite dish is generating
a great deal of excited discussion in
corporate boardrooms.
But beyond the challenges from
program-streaming services — such
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— Charter and other traditional “hard-
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for striving to go wire-free, or at least
cut costs. The technologies that have
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Wi-Fi networks that tie into the nation’s
cellular phone grid, have the ability to
deliver content and interactive features
to anyone with a smart phone. This
opens up new ways to make money,
but also threatens the relevance of
companies that fail to keep up.
1HZVRUJDQL]DWLRQVOLNHThe Daily
Astorian have been at the forefront of
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and rapid access to content is a con-
sumer demand that isn’t going away.
When it comes to the Charter merg-
er, what’s in it for local customers? This
is a key question for regulators review-
ing the plan. Federal Communications
Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler
said the FCC will carefully look at
whether it’s in the public interest. “An
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said. The FCC “will look to see how
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from the deal.
Our congressional delegation
should monitor this process, making
sure Charter’s moves do not further
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County and the Long Beach (Wash.)
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and if technology continues advanc-
ing, this merger can be a big step along
the way to making our comparative
isolation far less disadvantageous.
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Astoria, could be to shrink geography,
making the choice to live and do busi-
ness here even easier than it is today.
Exciting idea to grow
the agriculture market
By FRANK BRUNI
New York Times News Service
T
ake a look at this list of coun-
tries: Belgium, Canada,
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Luxembourg and Ireland.
Name two things that they have in
common.
They don’t share a continent, ob-
viously. Or a language.
But in all of them, the Roman
Catholic Church has more adherents,
at least nominally, than any other re-
ligious denomination does.
And all of them belong to the van-
guard of 20 nations that have decided
to make same-sex marriage legal.
In
fact,
countries with a
Catholic major-
ity or plurality
make up half
of those where
two men or
two women can
now wed or will
soon be able to.
Ireland, ob-
Frank
viously, is the
Bruni
freshest addi-
tion to the list.
It’s also, in some ways, the most re-
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approve same-sex marriage by a pop-
ular referendum. The margin wasn’t
even close. About 62 percent of vot-
ers embraced marriage equality.
And they did so despite a past of
great fealty to the Catholic Church’s
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contraception, which was outlawed in
Ireland until 1980, and abortion, which
remains illegal in most circumstances.
Irish voters nonetheless rejected
the church’s formal opposition to
VDPHVH[PDUULDJH7KLVDFWRIGH¿-
ance was described, accurately, as an
illustration of church leaders’ loos-
ening grip on the country.
But in falling out of line with
the Vatican, Irish people are actual-
ly falling in line with their Catholic
counterparts in other Western coun-
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They aren’t sloughing off their Ca-
tholicism — not exactly, not entirely.
An overwhelming majority of them
still identify as Catholic. But they’re
incorporating religion into their lives
in a manner less rooted in Rome.
We journalists too often use “the
Catholic Church” as a synonym for the
pope, the cardinals and teachings that
have the Vatican’s stamp of approval.
But in Europe and the Americas
in particular, the church is much
PRUHÀXLGWKDQWKDW,WKDUERUVVSLUL-
AP Photo/Peter Morrison
Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny, right, and Deputy Prime Minister
Joan Burton celebrate at Dublin castle, Ireland, Saturday. Ireland has
voted resoundingly to legalize gay marriage in the world’s first nation-
al vote on the issue.
tually inclined people paying prima- Baptists than among Catholics.
ry obeisance to their own conscienc-
That’s because “Catholics” in-
es, their own senses of social justice. cludes not just worshippers who at-
That impulse and tradition are as tend Mass weekly and perhaps tilt
in a more conservative direction,
Catholic as any others.
&DWKROLFV LQ WKH 8QLWHG 6WDWHV but those who go less frequently and
appear to be more, not less, progres- those for whom Catholicism is as
sive about gay rights than Ameri- much an ethnic as a religious identity.
For this large and diverse group
cans in general are. In an especially
ambitious survey conducted over LQWKH8QLWHG6WDWHVDQGRWKHU:HVW-
WKHFRXUVHRIE\WKH3XEOLF5H- ern countries, same-sex marriage has
ligion Research Institute, about 60 rapidly gained favor and Catholic
leaders’ expressions of
percent of Americans
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who called themselves
employees who marry
Catholic said that they
Could
same-sex partners or
approved of same-sex
marriage, versus about
same-sex speak up for marriage
equality, are becoming
30 percent who didn’t.
marriage untenable.
The spread among all
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respondents was 54 to
become
Catholic bishops in
38, and the group that
voted ear-
clearly stood in the
analogous Germany
lier this month to re-
way of same-sex mar-
riage wasn’t Catho- to divorce? lax morality clauses
in contracts with lay
lics. It was evangelical
workers so that those
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And yet, interestingly, the qualms who remarry after a divorce or enter
WKDWFHUWDLQSXEOLF¿JXUHVKDYHDERXW into same-sex civil unions (same-
same-sex marriage are routinely ex- sex marriage isn’t yet legal there)
plained — by the media, and some- needn’t fear losing their jobs.
Is this a sign that in Europe and
times by those people themselves —
as ineluctable consequences of their the Americas, same-sex marriage
could become analogous to divorce:
Catholicism.
“We need to be stalwart supporters something that Catholic leaders tech-
of traditional marriage,” Jeb Bush, who nically frown upon but don’t bother
converted to Catholicism as an adult, to inveigh against all that much?
I wonder, especially in light of
said during a recent TV interview. “It’s
comments by Diarmuid Martin, the
at the core of the Catholic faith.”
Rick Santorum, Bobby Jindal, archbishop of Dublin, after the Irish
Chris Christie and Marco Rubio, UHIHUHQGXP +H QRWHG ³D JURZLQJ
among others, have cited their Cath- gap between the culture of Ireland”
olic devotion as a barrier to embrac- and the church, which, he said,
ing same-sex marriage. But seldom “needs to take a reality check.”
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does anyone point out that this ex-
planation puts these men in the mi- they can turn not just to Ireland but
nority, not majority, of Catholics in to many other densely Roman Cath-
WKH8QLWHG6WDWHV7KHLUVWDQFHVZLQ olic countries to gauge the hearts and
them more political favor among souls of Catholics today.
Smoking, vaping and nicotine
deed, one of the points he
creating real potential for
them to become a serious
made was that the FDA
smoking cessation device.
was conducting a great
But there are still many
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e
need
a
national
de-
New effort gives ‘Ag of the Middle’ a boost
questions about both their
bate on nicotine,” said — more than 50 studies
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in all, he said — aimed at
he Northwest is blessed with a now describe as ‘local values, whole-
Mitch Zeller.
For instance, are smokers
generating the evidence
diverse agriculture sector, both in sale volume,’” the report says.
Zeller is the director of the Center needed to better under-
using e-cigarettes to quit
terms of the crops and livestock that
It’s an interesting read. Though fo-
cigarettes, or they using
IRU7REDFFR 3URGXFWV D GLYLVLRQ RI stand where to place e-cig-
are produced and the scale of the oper- cused on the needs of Oregon produc-
them to get a nicotine hit
arettes
along
what
he
calls
the Food and Drug Administration
ations that produce them.
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at times when they can’t
“the
continuum
of
risk.”
Joe
created in 2009 when Congress
Large, commercial-scale farms cantly increase the viability of these
smoke cigarettes? And be-
Zeller is a veteran of
Nocera
passed legislation giving the FDA the “tobacco wars” of the
yond that there are import-
generally feed sophisticated supply operations throughout the Northwest
regulatory authority — at long last! 1990s, working alongside then-FDA ant questions about nicotine itself,
chains with mature systems that take and expand the regional economy.
— over cigarettes.
Commissioner David Kessler, who and how it should be dealt with.
their raw commodities, deliver them to
The 250-page study describes a
In addition, the center will soon had audaciously labeled cigarettes
“When nicotine is attached to
processors and turn them into numer- KDSKD]DUG V\VWHP LQ ZKLFK JURZHUV have regulatory authority over other a “drug-delivery device” (the drug smoke particles, it will kill,” said
RXV¿QLVKHGSURGXFWVWKDWDUHPDUNHW- and other food producers spend too tobacco products, including elec- being nicotine) and had claimed Zeller. “But if you take that same
ed and sent on to retailers. Their busi- much time on the supply chain instead tronic cigarettes, which have become regulatory authority. Zeller left the drug and put it in a patch, it is such
FDA in 2000, af- a safe medicine that it doesn’t even
ness depends on economy of scale.
of developing their product. They must e n o r m o u s l y
ter the Supreme require a doctor’s prescription.”
The growing number of small-scale cobble together outlets, pick, pack and controversial
even as they
Court ruled against That paradox helps explain why he
farmers, mostly part-timers, produce store things themselves and deliver have gained in
‘People smoke Kessler’s interpre- believes “there needs to be a rethink
for retail consumers. They market to small amounts to multiple buyers.
use. Through
tation, and joined within society on nicotine.”
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The report says Ag of the Middle s o m e t h i n g for the nicotine the American Leg-
Within the FDA, Zeller has initi-
ated
discussions with “the other side
acy
Foundation,
supply chain — farmers’ markets or producers often lack branding or mar- called a “deem-
but die from
of
the
house” — the part of the agen-
ing
rule,”
the
where
he
helped
CSAs (community supported agricul- keting strategy and do without com-
cy that regulates drugs — to come up
center is in
create
its
hard-hit-
the
tar.’
ture). Not very complicated, no need for munications and strategic planning.
the process of
ting, anti-tobacco with a comprehensive, agency-wide
extensive infrastructure or sophisticated The result is a system that is “highly asserting that
— Mitch Zeller
“Truth campaign.” policy on nicotine. But the public
marketing plans because the business fragmented, lacking consistent data and oversight over
After a stint with health community — and the rest of
director of the Center for
D FRQVXOWLQJ ¿UP us — needs to have a debate as well.
rests on one-on-one relationships.
information, and dependent on personal e-cigarettes.
Tobacco Products
“One of the impediments to
Opponents
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%XW ZKDW RI WKH PHGLXPVL]HG relationships,” according to the study.
this
debate,” Zeller said, is that the
of
electron-
he
returned
to
the
farmer and the artisan producers? They
Simply put, among the things pro-
ic cigarettes,
FDA in early 2013 e-cigarette opponents are focused
may raise too much to sell on the farm- ducers need to do are establish shared which include many public health WR OHDG WKH HIIRUW WR ¿QDOO\ UHJXODWH RQDOOWKHÀDYRUVDYDLODEOHLQHFLJ-
ers’ market circuit, too little or are too infrastructure — processing, storage, dis- RI¿FLDOV KRSH WKH FHQWHU ZLOO WUHDW the tobacco industry.
arettes — many of which would
VSHFLDOL]HGIRUWKHPDVVPDUNHW7KH\ tribution and marketing; promote inter- these new devices like it treats cig-
“I am fond of quoting Michael seem aimed directly at teenagers
need more distribution infrastructure dependencies between diverse producer arettes: taking steps to discourage Russell,” Zeller said, referring to an — as well as their marketing, which
and marketing support than smaller sectors that could expand everyone’s teenagers from “vaping,” for in- important South African tobacco sci- is often a throwback to the bad-old
operations, but lack the scale to par- business; and find ways to get or appear stance, and placing strict limits on entist who died in 2009. In the early days of Big Tobacco. “The debate
the industry’s ability to market its V5XVVHOOZDVDPRQJWKH¿UVWWR has become about these issues and
ticipate in established supply chains. bigger to take advantage of scale.
products.
UHFRJQL]HWKDWQLFRWLQHZDVWKHUHD- has just hardened both sides,” Zeller
Some have their own brands and don’t
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3URSRQHQWV PHDQZKLOH KRSH WKH son people got addicted to cigarettes. told me.
It’s not that Zeller believes nico-
want to throw in with others in a re- D3RUWODQGLQGXVWULDOEXLOGLQJWREHD center will view e-cigarettes as a “re- ³+HXVHGWRVD\µ3HRSOHVPRNHIRU
tine
is perfectly safe (he doesn’t) or
duced
harm”
product
that
can
save
the
nicotine
but
die
from
the
tar,’”
gional or national effort.
food development, storage and distri-
that
we should shrug our shoulders
OLYHVE\RIIHULQJDQLFRWLQH¿[ZLWK-
Zeller
recalled.
A study produced last month by bution hub that will put some of the
out the carcinogens that are ingested
This is also why Zeller found LI WHHQDJHUV WDNH XS YDSLQJ +H EH-
Ecotrust explores the opportunities and ideas to the test. It will have 16,000 through a lit cigarette. In this scenar- e-cigarettes so “interesting,” as he lieves strongly that kids should be
challenges of those producers — what square feet of development, incu- io, e-cigarette manufacturers would SXW LW ZKHQ WKH\ ¿UVW FDPH RQ WKH discouraged from using e-cigarettes.
it calls the “Ag of the Middle.”
bator or processing space for meat, be able to make health claims, and market. A cigarette gets nicotine to
Rather, he thinks there should be
adult smokers might even be encour- the brain in seven seconds, he said. a recognition that different ways of
“In slightly abstracted terms, Ag grain and greens.
of the Middle producers are those too
This is one of the more exciting aged to switch from smoking to vap- Nicotine gum or patches can take delivering nicotine also come with
small to compete in commodity mar- concepts we’ve seen to expand the ing as part of a reduced harm strategy. up to 60 minutes or longer, which is different risks. To acknowledge that,
When I requested an interview far too slow for smokers who need and to grapple with its implications,
kets, and too big to participate exclu- ag economy. We wish them well, with Zeller, I didn’t expect him to tip D QLFRWLQH ¿[ %XW HFLJDUHWWHV FDQ would be a step forward.
sively in direct to consumer channels and hope a working example of the his hat on which direction he wanted replicate the speed of cigarettes in
“This issue isn’t e-cigarettes,”
the center to go, and he didn’t. In- delivering nicotine to the brain, thus said Mitch Zeller. “It’s nicotine.”
such as farmers’ markets; what we concept will lead to imitation.
T
By JOE NOCERA
New York Times News Service
‘W