THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2016
FRIDAY EXCHANGE
Sued for our trees
any people are not
aware of the $1.4 bil-
lion Linn County class action
law suit filed against the
State of Oregon. Nor are they
aware of the impact it could
have on the place where we
live. If the suit succeeds, Ore-
gon Department of Forestry
will be under pressure to
operate much like the timber
industry in order to squeeze
more logging revenue out
of state managed forests.
The mandate to ODF will be
to log, mostly clearcut, for
greater revenue. We will lose
the goal of balance with other
values such as environment,
species protection and recre-
ation .
Look around you at the
clearcut hills. More of this
is what we would be choos-
ing. But wait, we don’t even
have to choose. In fact, if
we say nothing, since it is a
class action suit naming 15
counties including Clacka-
mas and Tillamook, we will
just silently slide right along
with the pack. Incidentally
this suit, although called by
a county name, was backed
and financed by the timber
industry.
The hard truth for some
of us is that the timber indus-
try does not live with the con-
sequence of their actions.
They do not live with hills
that have been denuded and
sprayed. They do not experi-
ence the effect of toxic spray
in the water, the mud slides
and flooding in the winter, the
siltation of the streams and
rivers, the dying off of wild-
life and fish and the loss of
forests. We are, in fact, even
forgetting what the word for-
est means. It is not acres of
homogenous trees. A few
M
Consider blessings and give thanks
This week, we celebrate Thanks-
giving, which in America is a tradition
that started with the Pilgrims in 1623.
Among other things, they thanked
God for an abundance of wheat, corn,
peas, squash, wild game, fish and
clams.
Today, we are more apt to celebrate
with turkey, yams, mashed potatoes,
gravy and pumpkin pie. For many, it is
a paid holiday with a lot of football.
May we enjoy it all, and con-
sider sharing our blessings with some
of us were lucky enough to
know forests as children, to
play in them and learn from
them. This is a value beyond
money that we hope to share
with our children’s children.
We still have time. Con-
tact your County Commis-
sioners. Ask them to opt out
of the Linn County law suit.
Ask them not to support a
forest management policy
destructive to the place where
we live.
GWENDOLYN
ENDICOTT
Nehalem
Excluding others
found the recent editorial
“Give each other the bene-
fit of doubt” (The Daily Asto-
rian, Nov. 14) amusing in its
contradictions. At the same
time as the paper declares a
need to be inclusive and tol-
erant, the piece employs
exclusionary language.
“Mary and Joseph’s time”
sure sounds like a bibli-
cal reference, though no last
names are given to verify
their identities nor relevance
I
less-fortunate person(s). But above
all, let’s not for get to give thanks to
God for:
• This wonderful land of freedom
and opportunities that we live in;
• The police, military and firemen
who guard and protects us and our
property;
• The abundance of good things
that we enjoy;
• Our nation’s leaders that they
will guide our land with wisdom and
righteousness.
to modern U.S. federal gov-
ernment representation. One
can only assume that The
Daily Astorian takes Chris-
tianity as the premise for
rulership.
“The blood of those who
created this nation” also
doesn’t sound very welcom-
ing to more recent immi-
grants, who may come from
other lineages.
Not least, “it is foolish for
ordinary people to fight with
each other over such matters
that are truly beyond our con-
trol” is a very anti-democratic
statement. This is precisely
what we should be doing:
debating a better path and
acting to build a better future.
Decisions in Washington
absolutely do affect us here in
the Goondocks and we should
have opinions on them.
I do agree that there is
much good to be done locally,
but calling on the Bible and
(presumably white European)
founders as the dominant
model for this effort doesn’t
seem to help us overcome our
differences all that much. I’ll
give you the benefit of the
“Praise the Lord. Give thanks
to the Lord, for he is good, his love
endures forever. Who can proclaim
the mighty acts of the Lord or fully
declare his praise? Blessed are they
who maintain justice, who constantly
do what is right.”
— Psalm 106:1-3
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is
good.”
— Psalm 107.1 and Psalm 136.1
KEN TIPPS
Astoria Church of Christ
doubt here, and assume you
had good intentions anyway.
NIK ROUDA
Astoria
We need Trump
he protests taking place in
our country by the illegal
aliens and their supporters are
a good example of just how
much we need what Trump is
promising us, enforcing our
immigration laws.
Obama and Hillary have
been strong supporters of the
illegal aliens, giving them
most everything they wanted
at taxpayers’ expense, and dis-
regarding all of our immigra-
tion laws.
This mess they have cre-
ated for our country has made
me very ashamed that I was
once a registered Democrat.
The Democrat control of our
country for so long has put us
in need of a whole lot of fix-
ing, and the illegal alien mess
is one of our major problems
that the Democrats created.
Hillary kept preaching that
we must all work together.
Those words seem to have
T
fallen on deaf ears with her
supporters. But I’m thinking
that her supporters aren’t any
too smart in the first place.
Let’s all pray that the
Republicans can fix a lot of
the mess that the Democrats
have gotten us into.
I’m sure that all of our ene-
mies around the world feel the
same as these protesters do.
They don’t want us to have a
strong president.
JIM ELVIN
Salem
Good value for us?
riving to Longview,
Washington, for a medical
appointment recently, I was
again amazed at the amount
of large truck traffic on U.S.
Highway 30. It made me real-
ize that soon there will be
more of this, when the new
Walmart comes to Warrenton.
Will Highway 30, as well as
U.S. Highway 26, be widened
and improved to accommodate
the increase? Perhaps restrict
them to night-time use?
Car traffic from Washington
will increase as a closer super
D
5A
store will be available, tax-
free, as well as shoppers from
all surrounding areas, add-
ing to already too much traf-
fic. When is enough, enough?
Is this added congestion a good
value/tradeoff for us who make
this place our home?
KATE McFADDEN
Warrenton
Blame the media
n the aftermath of the recent
presidential election, I’ve
seen on TV some extremely
disgusting displays of savagery
and viciousness that makes me
wonder where this specimen of
subhuman came from.
The news networks
announced that at least seven
of our cities have been sub-
jected to rioting, injuring
innocent citizens and inflicting
mass destruction, all plainly
seen on the TV screen. The
reason? Donald Trump
defeated Hillary Clinton.
What manner of human
being (?) could resort to
this mindless form of sav-
agery? I saw one scene of hor-
ror in which three burly young
Democrat thugs were kick-
ing and repeatedly slamming
one defenseless man while
screaming “You voted for
Trump” over and over. Many
of these riots erupted in the
wonderful city of Portland —
the Rose City. It should be
renamed … maybe the Dis-
gusting City.
I lay most of the blame for
these sickening, savage out-
bursts on the great majority
of the so-called mainstream
news media, both newspa-
pers and television news chan-
nels. I charge them with incit-
ing to riot.
E. ROBERT NASSIKAS
Astoria
I
Trump reassures
media (for now)
who has eloquently made
the case for a free press.
There is another — named
Mike Pence.
In a bit of history
that’s been partly forgot-
think you’ll be
happy, I think you’ll ten, Pence — now the vice
president-elect,
be happy.”
then a member
That was Pres-
of Congress —
ident-elect Donald
co-sponsored a bill
Trump, talking to a
about a decade ago
group of New York
Times journal-
to create a so-called
ists Tuesday about
shield law. Had it
his views
passed, the
on the First
bill would
Amendment.
have pro-
A free
The real
tected jour-
press is
issue, of
nalists
course, is not
from being
whether jour- crucial to a
dragged
nalists are
court
functioning into
happy. (We’re
to reveal
not exactly
democracy. anonymous
a popular
sources.
bunch with
Pence
most Americans.) The issue decided to push the bill
is whether the next presi-
after reading a Times edi-
dent and his administration torial criticizing the jailing
plan to remain faithful to
of Judith Miller, a former
the Constitution.
Times reporter, according
And there are reasons
to the Columbia Journalism
to worry. During the cam-
Review.
paign, Trump referred to
Pence was quite clear
the reporters covering him
that he often didn’t like
as “scum” and said that he
what he read in the media,
wanted to “open up” libel
too. He bemoaned “bad
laws to make it easier to
news bias.” But he also
sue media companies for
understood that there were
unfavorable coverage.
more important principles.
He is also part of a
“Our founders did not
small group of wealthy
put the freedom of the press
Americans who have tried
in the First Amendment
to intimidate journalists
because they got good press
with lawsuits, as my col-
— quite the opposite was
league Emily Bazelon
true,” he said. Like them,
wrote for The Times Maga- though, he believed in “the
zine. “Once installed in the public good that a free and
White House, Trump will
independent press rep-
have a wider array of tools
resents” because it allowed
at his disposal,” Bazelon
citizens to “make informed
wrote, “and his record sug- decisions,” he said.
gests that, more than his
It’s not clear how much
predecessors, he will try to
of a free-press defender
use the press — and also
Pence remains. Either way,
control and subdue it.”
vice presidents generally
yield to presidents. But he
Alarming
does seem to have instincts
All of this is alarming.
that his boss would benefit
No matter how good or
from hearing.
bad any individual piece of
I thought of his shield-
journalism or publication
law history last week-
is, a free press is crucial to
end, after the much-hyped
a functioning democracy.
incident when Pence was
“Our liberty,” as Thomas
booed by the crowd at
Jefferson said, “cannot be
“Hamilton.” Trump took to
guarded but by the free-
Twitter to demand an apol-
dom of the press, nor that
ogy from the cast. Pence, in
be limited without danger
the moment, had a different
of losing it.”
reaction: He turned to his
As it happens, Jefferson
daughter inside the theater
isn’t the only famous pop-
and said, “That’s what free-
ulist from an agrarian state
dom sounds like.”
By DAVID
LEONHARDT
New York Times News
Service
‘I
AP Photo/Mark Lennihan
President-elect Donald Trump gives a thumbs-up to the crowd as he leaves The New York Times building following a
meeting Tuesday in New York. Trump met with a group of about two dozen journalists for more than an hour.
Trump’s demand for very much love
By FRANK BRUNI
New York Times News Service
had just shaken the president-elect’s
normal-size hand and he was moving
on to the next person when he wheeled
around, took a half step back, touched my
arm and looked me in the
eye anew.
“I’m going to get
you to write some good
stuff about me,” Donald
Trump said.
It’s entirely possi-
ble. I keep an open mind. But I’m decided
on this much: Winning the most powerful
office in the world did nothing to diminish
his epic ache for adoration or outsize need
to tell everyone how much he deserves it.
He sat down for more than an hour
with about two dozen of us at The Times
on Tuesday afternoon, and what subject do
you suppose he spent his first eight min-
utes on? When the floor was his, to use as
he pleased?
The incredibleness of his win two
weeks ago.
I
Highlights
“A great victory,” he said as he went
back, unbidden, through all the Trump-af-
firming highlights: the size of his crowds;
the screens and loudspeakers for the over-
flow; the enthusiasm gap between his ral-
lies and poor Hillary Clinton’s. It’s a song
I’ve heard so often I could sing it in my
sleep.
He volunteered that until he came
along, Republican presidential candidates
had been foiled in both Michigan and
Pennsylvania for “38 years or something.”
The “something” apparently covered the
actual figure, 28.
He said that he got close to 15 percent
of African-Americans’ votes, though exit
polls suggest it was just 8 percent, and he
asserted that their modest turnout was in
fact a huge compliment to him, demonstrat-
ing that “they liked what I was saying” and
thus didn’t bother to show up for Clinton.
He mentioned the popular vote before
any of us could — to let us know that he
would have won it if it had mattered and
his strategy had been devised accordingly.
“The popular vote would have been a
lot easier,” he said, making clear that his
Electoral College triumph was the truly
remarkable one.
Like breathing
For Trump, bragging is like breath-
ing: continuous, spontaneous. He wants
nothing more than for his audience to be
impressed.
And when his audience is a group of
people, like us, who haven’t clapped the
way he’d like?
He sands down his edges. Modulates
his voice. Bends.
That was perhaps the most interest-
ing part of the meeting, the one that makes
his presidency such a question mark. Will
he tilt in whatever direction, and toward
whichever constituency, is the surest
source of applause? Is our best hope for
the best Trump to be so fantastically adu-
latory when he’s reasonable that he’s moti-
vated to stay on that course, lest the adula-
tion wane?
The Trump who visited The Times was
purged of any zeal to investigate Clinton’s
emails or the Clinton Foundation, willing
to hear out the scientists on global warm-
ing, skeptical of waterboarding and unhes-
itant to disavow white nationalists. He
never mentioned the border wall.
He more or less told us to disregard all
the huffing and puffing he’d done about
curtailing press freedoms, and he looked
forward to another meeting — a year from
now — when we’d all reunite in a spirit of
newfound amity to celebrate his adminis-
tration’s uncontroversial accomplishments.
I could see the big group hug. I could hear
“Kumbaya.”
And though one of his splenetic tweets
just seven hours before our meeting had
again branded The Times a “failing” news
organization, he said to our faces that
we weren’t just a “great, great American
jewel” but a “world jewel.”
Lessons
There was a lesson here about his
desire to be approved of and his hunger
to be loved. There was another about the
shockingly unformed, pliable nature of the
clay that is our 70-year-old president-elect.
His reservations about waterboard-
ing, he said, arose from a conversation
he’d just had with James Mattis, a retired
Marine general under consideration for
secretary of defense. During that talk Mat-
tis had bluntly questioned waterboarding’s
effectiveness — and so, now, did Trump.
It was as if he’d never really thought
through the issue during that endless cam-
paign, and it suggested that the most influ-
ential voice in Trumplandia is the last one
he happened to listen to. That’s worrying,
because some of the voices he has thus far
put closest to him — those of Steve Ban-
non, Mike Flynn, Jeff Sessions — aren’t
the most constructive, restrained, unify-
ing ones.
And to my eyes and ears, Trump still
has grandiose intentions in lieu of concrete
plans. Toward the end of our meeting, he
went so far as to prophesy that he might
be able to accomplish what his predeces-
sors couldn’t and broker a lasting peace
between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
That’d definitely do the trick. We’d
all be writing nothing but very, very good
stuff about him then.