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OPINION 4A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2015 #You Ain’t No American, Bro 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 By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN New York Times News Service T wo weeks ago, I was in Kuwait participating in an IMF seminar for Arab educators. For 30 minutes, we discussed the impact of technology trends on educa- tion in the Middle East. And then an Egyptian edu- FDWLRQ RI¿FLDO raised his hand and asked if he could ask me a personal ques- tion: “I heard Donald Trump say we need to close mosques Thomas L. the United othing looms larger for the Astoria City Council than Heritage in Friedman States,” he said Square and the prospect of building a new library or reno- with great sor- “Is that what we want our kids to vating the old one. Councilors reckoned with both topics in two row. learn?” LQVWDOOPHQWV0RQGD\QLJKWDQGUHDFKHGQRGH¿QLWLYHGHFLVLRQ I tried to assure him that Trump would not be our next president — that There are understandable rea- makes things happen. America’s commitment to pluralism sons why the council is strug- It is easy to be cowed by the runs deep. But the encounter was a brac- gling with these choices. Even choices in front of the council, es- ing reminder that what starts in Iowa with 11 months under their belts, SHFLDOO\WKH¿QDQFLDORQHV$WWLPHV VKRZVXSLQ.XZDLW¿YHPLQXWHVODWHU the working relationships among like this, it can be useful to bring Trump, by alienating the Muslim world with his call for a ban on Muslims en- the councilors remain a work in larger players into the discussion. tering the United States, is acting as the progress. Two of the councilors – Some 25 years ago when the Islamic State’s secret agent. ISIS wants Cindy Price and Zetty Nemlowill Clatsop County Fairgrounds were every Muslim in America (and Europe) – are freshmen, and Mayor Arline being vacated, city leaders includ- to feel alienated. If that happens, ISIS won’t need to recruit anyone. People LaMear is in her inaugural year. ing Edith Henningsgaard, Willis will just act on their own. (YHQ PRUH VLJQL¿FDQWO\ WKLV LV D Van Dusen and Skip Hauke in- ISIS and Islamic extremism are very big choice the council faces, vited Portland developers, such 0XVOLPSUREOHPVWKDWFDQRQO\EH¿[HG Muslims. Lumping all Muslims to- with a number of moving parts. as Bill Naito, to spend a few by gether as our enemies will only make Especially startling, as Derrick hours here discussing what could that challenge harder. DePledge reported Tuesday, was KDSSHQ RQ WKDW SURSHUW\ 3DFL¿F But if Trump is wrong, is President the high price tag of a project with Power helped make it happen by Barack Obama right? Partly. He’s right the only way you can sustainably all of the options — from $29.7 À\LQJ WKH 3RUWODQGHUV KHUH RQ D that defeat ISIS is with a coalition. We need million to $38.7 million. corporate plane. The result was the moderate Sunni Muslim forces to go Here are a few ideas could be Gateway Zone, with a movie the- house to house against ISIS in Iraq. We useful in moving forward: ater, Aquatic Center and Oregon need Sunni spiritual leaders to go heart to heart and delegitimize the ISIS mes- • The hole in Heritage Square is State University facilities. sage everywhere. And we need Iran to not an acceptable long-term strate- The city needs at least one make clear it supports an equitable J\,WQHHGV¿OOLQJ partner and maybe two to make power-sharing agreement in Iraq be- • A 21st century library, which a semblance of these possibilities tween Sunnis and Shiites, so moderate 6XQQL$UDEVZLOO¿JKW,6,6UDWKHUWKDQ Mayor LaMear promotes, would happen. While vetting is essential, seeing it as their shield against Iran. be the kind of asset that marks a credible players are out there. What Obama also has right is that old saying: “If you’re in a poker game community that wants to beckon a At times like this, it is useful and you don’t know who the sucker smart workforce. to remember the admonition that is, it’s probably you.” That’s the game • Combining library space with Goethe offered: “Whatever you we’re in in Iraq and Syria. All our al- workforce housing in a downtown can do or dream you can, begin it. lies for a coalition to take down ISIS setting has enormous power. Boldness has genius, power and want what we want, but as their second choice. • Finding a private developer magic in it!” Kurds are not going to die to liber- ate Mosul from ISIS in order to hand it over to a Shiite-led government in Baghdad; they’ll want to keep it. HEATHER RAMSDELL, Circulation Manager Others can help council with choices N Time to scrap outmoded pot laws T he Chinook Observer ¿QGV itself in the position of being caught between the U.S. Justice Department and U.S. Postal Service when it comes to adver- tising legal marijuana in Coast Weekend. Due to a question/complaint by DSRVWPDVWHUHOVHZKHUHLQ3DFL¿F County, Long Beach Postmaster Mark Scarborough was similarly VWXFN EHWZHHQ DQWLTXDWHG ÀDZV that put marijuana in the same category as heroin, versus the fact that marijuana is now a legal prod- uct in Washington, Oregon and an expanding number of other states. Since the so-called “Cole Memo” of August 2013, the U.S Justice Department’s position has been “federal government wouldn’t intervene as long as legalization states tightly regulate the drug and take steps to keep it from children, criminal cartels and federal prop- erty,” according to the Associated Press. Most assumed other agen- cies will take the same stance, since Justice interprets the law and makes enforcement determinations. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., is OHDGLQJ WKH ZD\ LQ ¿QGLQJ RXW ZK\3RUWODQGRI¿FLDOVDSSHDUWREH throwing up a new obstacle to nor- malization of the legal marijuana business. As it stands, the Observer felt obliged to leave this week’s Coast Weekend out of copies of its paper mailed to about 2,000 subscribers. (The Observer is somewhat un- usual in selling most copies via lo- cal stores to non-subscribers, who did receive their Coast Weekend.) Based on new indications that ORFDO SRVW RI¿FHV ZLOO QRW EH H[- pected by supervisors to make en- forcement decisions on this matter, insertion of Coast Weekend in all Observer copies probably will re- sume next week. Beyond this immediate con- troversy, it is time for Congress to scrap federal anti-marijuana laws in the face of a clear and widespread social movement toward legaliza- tion. The de facto law that exists in today’s reality is that legal mar- ijuana is left to the discretion of in- dividual states. Federal law should explicitly recognize this fact. It’s no wonder the Postal Service is confused, considered the contradictory situation that ex- ists in terms of federal statutes and enforcement. Newspapers are adjusting to a digitized world, but they need to be operating on a level playing ¿HOG ZLWK ,QWHUQHWEDVHG FRPSHW- itors, especially when it comes to advertising. New businesses trying to reach a large number of local doorsteps are perfect candi- dates for newspaper advertising. But if longtime local companies are banned from doing what some of the largest and most powerful corporations in the world can do online, their ability to compete will be greatly diminished. This small issue is just one more reminder that state-by-state legalization will be fraught with problems as long as federal au- thorities have a completely differ- ent understanding of marijuana. It’s time to end this charade. Mic Smith/AP Photo A protester is escorted out by a police officer, in glasses, top right, as Republican presidential candidate, businessman Donald Trump, speaks during a rally coinciding with Pearl Harbor Day at Patriots Point aboard the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown in Mt. Pleasant, S.C., Monday. The Turks primarily want to block while we know that the violent jihadis the Kurds. The Iranians want ISIS are a minority among Muslims, the no- crushed, but worry that if moderate tion that they’re a totally separate and Sunnis take over its territory they distinct group is not true. ISIS ideology could one day threaten Iran’s allies in comes directly out of the most puritan- Iraq and Syria. The Saudi government LFDO DQWLSOXUDOLVWLF 6DOD¿VW VFKRRO RI would like ISIS to disappear, but its Islam, which promotes a lot of hostili- priority right now is crushing Irani- ty toward “the other” — Shiites, Jews, an-backed rebels in Yemen. And with Hindus, Christians. Clearly, some peo- ple are taking permission 1,000 Saudi youths hav- and inspiration from this LQJ MRLQHG ,6,6 DV ¿JKWHUV What puritanical Islam to murder — and with Saudi Arabia sow mayhem. I can’t leading the world in pro- starts and reform it, but a movement ISIS tweets, according to a recent Brookings study in Iowa of Muslims must, because it is isolating their whole com- — the Saudi government is shows munity. wary about leading the an- There are some good WL,6,6¿JKW7KH5XVVLDQV up in signs. NPR reported Mon- SUHWHQG WR ¿JKW ,6,6 EXW that “when a man they are really in Syria to Kuwait day wielding a knife stabbed protect Bashar Assad and three people at an East Lon- defeat his moderate foes. five don subway stop on Satur- It’s not exactly the D-Day alliance. It’s a deck minutes day evening and shouted, ‘This is for Syria,’ as he full of jokers, none of whose later. was being handcuffed ... an priority is defeating ISIS onlooker yelled, ‘You ain’t and replacing it with a mul- tisectarian democracy in Iraq and Syr- no Muslim, bruv!’ using slang akin to ia, which is our goal. And yet, I worry: ‘bro.’ ‘You’re no Muslim. You ain’t no These ISIS guys are smart and wicked. Muslim,’ he repeated.” The man who The longer they control territory, the made the statement has not been iden- more likely they’ll acquire something WL¿HG EXW WKH KDVKWDJ µ<RX$LQW1R- MuslimBruv’ began trending world- really scary, like a dirty bomb. 6XI¿FLHQW86JURXQGIRUFHVFRXOG wide,” no doubt propelled by Muslims. easily crush ISIS, but the morning af- That’s what we need more of. As for Trump, well, he may be a ter — when we try to put in place a decent local government to replace our dealmaker, but he’s no poker player troops — we’d face those mixed mo- UHDG\ IRU WKH 0LGGOH (DVW ¿YHFDUG tives of all of our coalition partners. So stud sharks. His xenophobic rheto- ric and unrealistic, infantile threats of what to do? I’d do a bit more of everything: Ap- massive bombing make up the kind ply more pressure on our Sunni allies to of simplistic hand you’d play in “Go MRLQWKHDQWL,6,6¿JKWZLWKWURRSVRQ Fish” — not in this high-stakes game. the ground; call on the Saudis and oth- Beyond playing into ISIS’ hand by er Sunnis to loudly delegitimize ISIS; denigrating the U.S. presidency and deploy more U.S. and NATO Special our democratic ideals, Trump is doing Forces; make clear to Iran that we real damage to America’s ability to might have to put the nuclear deal on lead a coalition, the only vehicle that hold if Iran is not a more constructive can effectively address this problem. <RXDLQ¶WQR$PHULFDQEUR partner in Iraq and Syria; and stress that Liberalism’s gun problem is where it ends chin-Toomey bill that failed immediately relevant to the in 2013 in the Senate. It mass shooting debate. was also, though, the basis Does that make “getting to Australia” a compelling do not own guns, and the last for two major pieces of gun long-term goal for liberal- WLPH,GLVFKDUJHGD¿UHDUPZDV legislation that passed in the 1990s: The Brady Law re- ism? Maybe, but liberals on “Second Amendment Day” at a quiring background checks need to count the cost. Ab- conservative journalism program for handguns and the assault sent a total cultural revolu- tion in America, a massive many years ago. (Yes, dear reader, weapons ban. Both measures were gun collection effort would that’s how conservative journal- IDFH VLJQL¿FDQW UHVLVWDQFH promoted as common-sense Ross ism programs roll.) even once legislative and ju- reforms — in the case of the Douthat My political commitments are Brady Law, by none other dicial battles had been won. more communitarian than libertarian, than Ronald Reagan. But both failed to The best analogue is Prohibition, which I don’t think the Constitution guaran- have an appreciable impact on homi- GLGKDYHPDMRUSXEOLFKHDOWKEHQH¿WV tees a right to bear every kind of gun cides — even as other policies, like hir- but which came at a steep cost in terms LQJPRUHSROLFHRI¿FHUVSUREDEO\GLG of police powers, black markets and or magazine, and I think of myself as That double failure, some gun control trampled liberties. modestly persuadable in the gun con- supporters will tell you, has to do with I suspect liberals imagine, at some trol debate. the loopholes those two laws left open level, that a Prohibition-style campaign Of course that doesn’t mean I real- — particularly the fact that individuals against guns would mostly involve bust- ly am, since we’re all tribal creatures selling guns aren’t required to run back- ing up gun shows and disarming Rob- and gun rights advocates are part of my ground checks when they sell within ert Dear-like trailer-park loners. But in strange and motley right-wing tribe. their home state. practice it would probably look more But at the very least I understand why But that claim’s very plausibility like Michael Bloomberg’s controversial the idea of strict gun control has such a points to the problem: With 300 mil- stop-and-frisk policy, with a counterter- following, why it seems to many peo- lion guns in private hands in the Unit- rorism component that ended up heavily ple like the obvious response to mass HG 6WDWHV LW¶V YHU\ GLI¿FXOW WR GHYLVH targeting Muslim Americans. In areas shootings — whether the perpetrators a nonintrusive, “common-sense” ap- where gun ownership is high but crime are ISIS sympathiz- proach to regulating rates low, like Bernie Sanders’ Vermont, ers, mad right-wing- their exchange by in- authorities would mostly turn a blind eye Liberalism ers, or simply mad dividuals. Ultimate- to illegal guns, while poor and minority — and why the sor- often lacks a ly, you need more communities bore the brunt of raids and rowful public piety than background ¿QHVDQGMDLOWHUPV of Republican politi- clear sense checks; you need Here the relevant case study is cians after a gun mas- many fewer guns in probably not Australia, but France. of which sacre drives liberals circulation, period. The French have the kind of strict gun into a fury. To their credit, many laws that American liberals favor, and That fury, though, actions might gun control support- they have fewer gun deaths than we needs a little more ers acknowledge this do. But their strict gun laws are part of actually cool reasoning be- point, which is why a larger matrix of illiberalism — a mix KLQGLW,W¶V¿QHWRGH- address the there is a vogue for of Bloombergist police tactics, Trump- mand actions, not just citing the Australian like disdain for religious liberty, and problem. prayers, in response experience, where a campus-left-style restrictions on free to gun violence. But sweeping and man- speech. (And then France also has a today’s liberalism often lacks a clear datory gun buyback followed a 1996 lively black market in weaponry, which determined terrorists unfortunately sense of which actions might actual- mass shooting. ly address the problem — and, just as The clearest evidence shows that VHHPWRKDYHOLWWOHGLI¿FXOW\DFTXLULQJ Despite their occasional sympa- important, a clear appreciation of what Australia’s reform mostly reduced sui- those actions might cost. cides — as the Brady law may have thies for Gallic socialism, I don’t think Sometimes, it’s suggested that all done — while the evidence on homi- American liberals necessarily want to we need are modest, “common-sense” cides is murkier. (In general, the evi- “get to France” in this illiberal sense. But to be persuasive, rather than just changes to gun laws: Tighter back- dence linking gun ownership rates to JURXQGFKHFNVQHZZD\VWRWUDFH¿UH- murder rates is relatively weak.) But a self-righteous, a case for gun control arms, bans on the deadliest weapons. lower suicide rate would be a real pub- needs to explain why that isn’t where This idea was the basis for the Man- lic health achievement, even if it isn’t we would end up. By ROSS DOUTHAT New York Times News Service I