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Page 4A OPINION East Oregonian Tuesday, January 20, 2015 OTHER VIEWS Founded October 16, 1875 KATHRYN B. BROWN DANIEL WATTENBURGER JENNINE PERKINSON TIM TRAINOR Publisher Managing Editor Advertising Director I Opinion Page Editor went Friday morning to see “Selma” and found myself watching it in a theater full of black teenagers. Thanks to donations, D.C. public school kids got free tickets to the OUR VIEW Martin Luther King Jr. still holds us accountable to Constitution’s promise Slavery was the ticking time bomb of America’s Constitution. Thomas Jefferson knew it, when in the night.” The bomb went off in the 1860s with the Civil War. Despite the Union victory and the 13th Amendment, America entered a long period of Jim Crow laws that made racial segregation a fact of life. It is still hard for us in 2015 to imagine an America in which blacks traveling in many states could life. Just as slavery did not ennoble the slave owner, segregation corrupted the white people who enforced it. stories about Eastern Oregonians celebrating the life of King. It might seem strange for a place that has so few African-Americans to honor the life and legacy of a black man born in inner-city Atlanta, but that’s overlooking King’s most important lesson: that every person’s value is intrinsic. As King said in his “I Have a Dream” speech, the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence were a promissory note signed by our founding fathers to every future citizen of the United States. As a nation we failed to make good on that promise for nearly two centuries. Even today Dr. King’s message was not just for black citizens. His message was for all Americans — and all mankind. accommodation, restaurants or restrooms. Part of the lore of every touring group of black musicians in the era was sleeping in their car. Widespread lynchings also were a theme. In a most damnable manifestation, black World War II veterans returned to a segregated nation. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose birth date we celebrated Monday, played a pivotal role in ending that era. His nonviolent campaigns throughout the South were captured on television. It led to a Southern president, Lyndon B. Johnson, moving a Civil Rights Act through Congress in 1964. That was followed by the Voting Rights Act. King ended a debilitating way of Truth in cinema rights instead of putting those who would withhold them on trial. Dr. King’s message was not just for black citizens. His message was for all Americans — and all mankind. It was a message about the basic promise our country makes to all kinds and classes of people. That promise of equality is the central promise of our republic. King helped us remember it. We must never forget it. On the tape of a phone conversation between Johnson and King the week of LBJ’s 1965 inauguration, the president said that he indicated the time was yet ripe to ask Congress for it, and he made it clear that they both needed to Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on his think of something that would move birthday weekend — an effort that public opinion more than a presidential was duplicated for students around the Maureen speech. country. “Johnson was probably thinking, Dowd The kids did plenty of talking and at least in part, of the spring of ‘63, Comment when JFK was privately saying the whether there was too much talking public wasn’t yet politically ready for and texting. Slowly but surely, though, the a comprehensive civil rights bill,” Beschloss crowd was drawn in by the Scheherazade said. “Then came the May 1963 photograph skills of the “Selma” director, Ava DuVernay. of Birmingham police setting dogs against African-American demonstrators, which killed in the white supremacist bombing of helped to move many white Americans who a Birmingham, Alabama, church stunned were on the fence about the issue. the audience. One young man next to me “Once Selma happened, LBJ was, of unleashed a string of expletives and admitted that he was scared. When civil rights leaders would have an effect on white Americans are clubbed, whipped similar to Birmingham and trampled by white that would make it lawmen as feral white easier for him to get a onlookers cheer, the Voting Rights Act from youngsters seemed Congress.” aghast. In an interview with In a delicately wrought scene in which DuVernay dismissed Coretta Scott King calls the criticism by Joseph out her husband about his Califano Jr. and other LBJ loyalists, who said teenage girls reacted with that the president did not a chorus of “oooohs.” resist the Selma march or DuVernay sets the let J. Edgar Hoover send tone for her portrayal a sex tape of her husband of Lyndon Johnson as to Coretta King. (Bobby patronizing and skittish Kennedy, as JFK’s attorney general, is the scene between the president and King. LBJ one who allowed Hoover to tap King.) stands above a seated MLK, pats him on the shoulder, and tells him “this voting thing is DuVernay said. “I’m not a historian. I’m not a just going to have to wait” while he works on documentarian.” “the eradication of poverty.” The “Hey, it’s just a movie” excuse doesn’t Many of the teenagers by me bristled at the wash. Filmmakers love to talk about their power dynamic between the men. It was clear artistic license to distort the truth, even as they that a generation of young moviegoers would now see LBJ’s role in civil rights through them at awards season. DuVernay’s lens. John Lewis, the Georgia congressman And that’s a shame. I loved the movie who was badly beaten in Selma, has said that bridge led to the Obama White House. And, repugnant. But the director’s talent makes on Friday night, the president offset the Oscar her distortion of LBJ more egregious. Artful dis by screening “Selma” at the White House. falsehood is more dangerous than artless Guests included DuVernay, Lewis and Oprah falsehood, because fewer people see through it. its producers. DuVernay told Rolling Stone that, There was no need for DuVernay to originally, the script was more centered on the diminish LBJ, given that the Civil Rights LBJ-MLK relationship and was “much more Movement would not have advanced without slanted to Johnson.” him. Vietnam is enough of a pox on his legacy. “I wasn’t interested in making a white- As I have written about “Lincoln,” “Zero savior movie,” she said. Dark Thirty” and “Argo,” and as The New York Review of Books makes clear about “Mississippi Burning,” which cast white “The Imitation Game,” the truth is dramatic FBI agents as the heroes, or “Cry Freedom,” and fascinating enough. Why twist it? On which made a white journalist the focus rather matters of race — America’s original sin — Denzel Washington’s anti-apartheid activist, there is an even higher responsibility to be Steve Biko. accurate. Instead of painting LBJ and MLK as allies, DuVernay had plenty of vile white villains employing different tactics but complementing — including one who kicks a priest to death in each other, the director made Johnson an the street — and they were no doubt shocking obstacle. to the D.C. school kids. There was no need to Top Johnson aide Jack Valenti told Michael create a faux one. Beschloss, the presidential historian, that LBJ aspired to pass a Voting Rights Act from his Maureen Dowd became a columnist on The New York Times Op-Ed page in 1995 boss talked to him about it the night of JFK’s after having served as a correspondent in the assassination in the bedroom of Johnson’s paper’s Washington bureau since 1986. She house in D.C., The Elms, before the newly has covered four presidential campaigns and sworn-in president went to sleep. served as White House correspondent. There was no need for DuVernay to diminish LBJ, given that the Civil Rights Movement would not have advanced without him. Be heard! Unsigned editorials are the opinion of the East Oregonian editorial board of Publisher Kathryn Brown, Managing Editor Daniel Wattenburger, and Opinion Page Editor Tim Trainor. Other columns, letters and cartoons on this page express the opinions of the authors and not necessarily that of the East Oregonian. Comment online at eastoregonian.com or our Facebook and Twitter sites YOUR VIEWS Thank you, Hermiston It has been my pleasure and my privilege to have lived my life in Hermiston. I was born here and grew up with this town. My only time away was during college years and my time in the military service. I watched Hermiston grow and prosper beginning with farming and irrigation, the locating of the Umatilla Ordnance Depot and the construction of McNary Dam being major factors in its growth. Easy access to highways and railways, good schools and a medical community, including a good hospital, a good city manager type of government and most of all good citizens involved in churches, civic clubs, chamber of commerce, fraternal organizations and volunteers stepping up whenever needed have made Hermiston become what is now, ‘”the largest city in Eastern Oregon” and the only place I have ever wanted to live. Our farming community, our neighboring and Umatilla, have worked well with us to create a pleasant lifestyle. I have enjoyed and take pride in having been involved with the success and livability of this area of Eastern Oregon. I will miss being “in the loop.” Thank you everyone for the good wishes and kind words. Thank you Hermiston for just being Hermiston. “Go Bulldogs!” Frank Harkenrider (“Harkie”) Hermiston Community colleges more than pay for themselves The headline “College Won’t Pay for Itself,” in the January 16 East Oregonian, was both misleading and incorrect. It was misleading because the focus of the article was on the opportunities and challenges posed by differing federal and state proposals to make community college essentially tuition-free for qualifying students. The headline was incorrect because taxpayers, students, and society at large have highly favorable returns on their investments in community colleges. A September 2012 report, “The Economic Contribution of Oregon Community Colleges,” by Economic Modeling Specialists, Inc., for the State of Oregon, outlines these favorable returns. Among them are higher earnings for students with associate’s degrees, compared to students with a high school diploma or equivalent: the “average income at the career midpoint of an associate’s degree graduate is $41,600, 36% more than a student with a high school diploma.” The report also notes that “higher earnings that accrue to students of Oregon community colleges and associated increases in state income expand the tax base in Oregon by about $692.9 million each year.” And as students achieve higher education levels, they are less likely to engage in behaviors that cost the state money; the report states that “Oregon will see avoided social costs amounting to $32.7 million per year due to Oregon community college students, including savings associated with improved health, reduced crime, and reduced welfare and unemployment.” Overall, EMSI reported that for every dollar of their support “taxpayers see a cumulative return of $2.30 over the course of students’ working careers,” and “state and local governments see a rate of return of 8.4 percent on their support of Oregon community colleges. This return compares very favorably with private- sector rates of return on similar long-term investments.” Clearly, community colleges more than pay for themselves, for individual students, taxpayers, and society at large. to counter the direction that our current president has taken us towards ever larger and more expensive government. We are fortunate to have such a representative in Congress with his background and interest to represent us and help us to elect Republicans. Walden a champion of the GOP elect politicians that may bring us back to the intentions of our original founders. We need to encourage people of all ages to participate Susan E. Plass Pendleton Congressman Greg Walden, R-Oregon, made a stop in Pendleton on Saturday, where he had a town hall meeting at Blue Mountain Community College and a reception at Hamley’s, which I was privileged to attend. Over the years I have attended many events where he also attended, which includes the Dorchester conference, which is held every March in Seaside. This gathering of Republicans is attended by legislators and people from around Oregon that are discussing current issues. We were all concerned about ways that the smallest possible government would take care of our political needs. Congressman Walden with visits and participation at such events over the years has developed an understanding that government can help Oregon with management of forests and agricultural needs. He also is current and has been chairman of the House committee that helps elect Republicans, which we need, process. Donald Peterson Pendleton ‘Honorable’ Kropf’s motives questionable I saw the paid political ad by the “Honorable Jeff Kropf (Ret)” against Bill Hansell. The same “Honorable Jeff Kropf” who dropped out of his reelection campaign for state representative in 2006 after learning his on-air time as a radio host would require his radio station to grant free air time to his Democratic opponent. It appears the “Honorable Jeff Kropf” has a history of attempting to “buy” his will locally through free radio time and now in far off Eastern Oregon through a full page political ad. LETTERS POLICY Carlisle Harrison Hermiston The East Oregonian welcomes original letters of 400 words or less on public issues and public policies for publication in the newspaper and on our website. The newspa- per reserves the right to withhold letters that address concerns about individual ser- vices and products or letters that infringe on the rights of private citizens. Submitted letters must be signed by the author and include the city of residence and a daytime phone number. The phone number will not be published. Unsigned letters will not be published. Send letters to Managing Editor Daniel Wattenburger, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801 or email editor@eastoregonian.com.
