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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 19, 2015)
Page 4A OPINION (DVW2UHJRQLDQ 7KXUVGD\)HEUXDU\ Founded October 16, 1875 KATHRYN B. BROWN Publisher JENNINE PERKINSON Advertising Director DANIEL WATTENBURGER Managing Editor TIM TRAINOR Opinion Page Editor OUR VIEW Kitzhaber gives news media an endorsement Newspapers and investigative reporters able to expose governor’s misdeeds T he death of a political between print editions. That leader is sometimes an added to the velocity of events. inauspicious circumstance. Notably absent from all this President Abraham Lincoln’s ZDVRXUVWDWHFDSLWDOQHZVSDSHU death was the most coincidental the Statesman-Journal. In of all. He was assassinated on a strange column published *RRG)ULGD\7KDWIRUFHGFOHUJ\ 6XQGD\SJ executive editor across America to rewrite Easter Michael Davis berated The Sunday sermons. Oregonian for its Feb. 4 editorial Steve Sen. Henry Jackson of Forrester urging Kithaber to resign. Washington — one of the The O’s editorial was hardly Comment 1RUWKZHVW¶VPRVWVLJQL¿FDQW the main show. The heart of lawmakers — unexpectedly the bat was revelation after succumbed to a heart attack at the age revelation about how the Kitzhaber RIVRPHKRXUVDIWHUOHDUQLQJWKDWKLV DGPLQLVWUDWLRQKDGSXWLWVRI¿FHXSIRU DUFKHQHP\WKH6RYLHW8QLRQKDGVKRW sale through Cylvia Hayes. That’s what GRZQD.RUHDQSDVVHQJHUMHWLQZKDW sank the ship. appeared to be cold Among hard- blood. core liberal Portland *RY-RKQ Democrats there no Kitzhaber became doubt is some mourning 2UHJRQ¶V¿UVWPRGHUQ over Kitzhaber’s governor to resign. demise. But they His appointment with are weeping over history occurred on John Kitzhaber of Friday the 13th. WKH¿UVWDQGVHFRQG In his resignation terms. The third term VWDWHPHQW.LW]KDEHU John Kitzhaber was took an obligatory different. Kitzhaber swipe at the media. was exceedingly poorly 0DXGOLQDVLWZDVWKH served in that third resigning governor’s administration. I don’t rant is something that think I’ve encountered we in the print press a more inept political should accept with press secretary than gratitude. Kitzhaber’s in that 2XU/HJLVODWXUH term. State Sen. Betsy had nothing to do Johnson regularly told ZLWKVKLQLQJDOLJKWRQWKHLQÀXHQFH me how the governor’s staff was not up to peddling that went on down the hall in the task during those four years. the governor’s suite. Neither did the 0RUHRYHULIDJRYHUQRU¶VZLIHRU Secretary of State’s Audit Division. Nor FRPSDQLRQKDGWDNHQPRQH\LQVL[¿JXUHV did state prosecutors. IURPWKH.RFKEURWKHUVGR\RXWKLQNXUEDQ It was newspaper reporters who liberals would see no evil? sniffed the stench and doggedly pursued The essence of the crime committed clues. Nigel Jaquiss of Willamette Week in the state capital was captured by Brent was the prime mover. I am proud to say Walth who told an Astoria Columbia that Hillary Borrud of our company’s Forum audience in November: “I didn’t Capital Bureau also played a pivotal WKLQNZH¶GHYHUVHHLQP\OLIHWKHRI¿FH UROHUHSRUWLQJ&\OYLD+D\HV¶ SXWXSIRUVDOHEXWWKDW¶VH[DFWO\ZKDW payment from a clean fuels interest we’ve seen.” group. The Oregonian was late to the — Steve Forrester is publisher and KXQWEXWEURNHDSLHFHRIVLJQL¿FDQFH editor of The Daily Astorian, sister The new aspect of this story is that it paper of the East Oregonian. He is also all broke online. Each news organization president and CEO of EO Media Group, posted the stories to their websites while the East Oregonian’s parent company. The new aspect of this story is that it all broke online. Each news organization posted stories to their websites between print editions. 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. YOUR VIEWS Requa isn’t the issue — the city’s statue process is Why does it take 14 letters (current count) from the out-of-towners writing society to tell us stuff about Req that we already know? Req isn’t even the issue. Never has been. In my opinion the real issue is about the manner in which statues have popped up all over town as a result of the ÀDZHGG\VIXQFWLRQDOSURFHVVDOORZHG by the city. There is apparently no real criterion for the permitting process. Is there? What is not being answered is the what (size) and the where (location) in conformity with what? I do hope the writers association of RXWRIWRZQHUVZLOO¿QGVRPHRWKHUWRSLF to lobby us with while the city fathers wrestle with solving the problem before any more statues pop up! Caswell was the right person to do the statue. The Linebackers worked to get donations and foundation grants of over HYHQRQHIURP7KH3HQGOHWRQ $UW&RPPLVVLRQIRU The bronze segments are being cast at this time with an unveiling during the July 2015 Hall of Fame Weekend. Shouldn’t this effort be approved instead of derailed at the last minute? Where were the opponents in 2012 and 2013? The project was not a secret. Bill Largent, PHS Class of 1968 Forest Grove OTHER VIEWS Islam and the West at war A fter a Danish movie director at EHKHDGHGWKHVWDIIRI&KDUOLH+HEGR DVHPLQDURQ³$UW%ODVSKHP\ VODXJKWHUHG-HZVNLOOHGLQ)UDQFHDQG and Freedom of Expression” Belgium and now Denmark. This is not and a Danish Jew guarding a the work of a “dark ideology” but of synagogue were shot dead in jihadi terror. &RSHQKDJHQ+HOOH7KRUQLQJ6FKPLGW 2QWKHULJKWRI(XURSH¶V WKHSULPHPLQLVWHURI'HQPDUN SROLWLFDOVSHFWUXPDQJHULVULVLQJ uttered a familiar trope: “We are not in DJDLQVW,VODPDJDLQVWPDUJLQDOL]HG Roger the middle of a battle between Islam 0XVOLPFRPPXQLWLHVZKRLQWXUQ Cohen and the West. It’s not a battle between feel discriminated against and Comment Muslims and non-Muslims. It’s a PLVUHSUHVHQWHGZLWKFDXVH6HYHUDO battle between values based on the thousand young European Muslims freedom of the individual and a dark troop off to join the Islamic State. ideology.” (XURSH¶V-HZVDUHRQHGJHZLWKFDXVH,VUDHO This statement — with its echoes of FDOOVWKHPKRPH,QWKH8QLWHG6WDWHVWKUHH 3UHVLGHQW%DUDFN2EDPD¶VYDJXHUHIHUHQFHV Muslim students were killed this month by a to “violent extremists” uncoupled from the gunman in a possible hate crime denounced fundamentalist Islam to which said throat- E\2EDPDDV³EUXWDODQGRXWUDJHRXV´$WLGH cutting extremists pledge allegiance — of retaliatory menace rises. scarcely stands up to scrutiny. It is empty talk. Who or what is to blame? There are two Across a wide swath of VFKRROV)RUWKH¿UVWLWLV WHUULWRU\LQ,UDTLQ6\ULDLQ the West that is to blame $IJKDQLVWDQLQ3DNLVWDQLQ through its support for Israel <HPHQWKH:HVWKDVEHHQ (seen as the latest iteration RULVDWZDURUQHDUZDU of Western imperialism in ZLWKWKH0XVOLPZRUOG the Levant); its wars (Iraq); in a failed bid to eradicate LWVEUXWDOLW\*XDQWiQDPR a metastasizing Islamist $EX*KUDLELWVNLOOLQJRI movement of murderous civilians (drones); its oil- hatred toward Western driven hypocrisy (a jihadi- civilization. funding Saudi ally). 7RFDOOWKLVPRYHPHQW )RUWKHVHFRQGLWLV whose most potent recent rather the abject failure of manifestation is the Islamic WKH$UDEZRUOGLWVEORFNHG 6WDWHD³GDUNLGHRORJ\´ societies where dictators is like calling Nazism a face off against political UHDFWLRQWR*HUPDQKXPLOLDWLRQLQ:RUOG:DU ,VODPLWVUHSUHVVLRQLWVIHHEOHLQVWLWXWLRQV I: true but wholly inadequate. There is little its sectarianism precluding the practice of point in Western politicians rehearsing lines SDUWLFLSDWRU\FLWL]HQVKLSLWVZLOGFRQVSLUDF\ about there being no battle between Islam and WKHRULHVLWVLQDELOLW\WRSURYLGHMREVRUKRSH WKH:HVWZKHQLQDOOWKHDERYHPHQWLRQHG IRULWV\RXWKWKDWJLYHVWKH,VODPLF6WDWHLWV FRXQWULHVWHQVRIPLOOLRQVRI0XVOLPVZLWK appeal. PXFKFDUQDJHDVHYLGHQFHEHOLHYHWKH ,¿QGWKHVHFRQGYLHZPRUHSHUVXDVLYH contrary. 7KHULVHRIWKH,VODPLF6WDWHDQG2EDPD¶V 7KH'DQLVK¿OPPDNHU)LQQ1RUJDDUGZDV QHZZDUDUHDGLUHFWUHVXOWRIWKHIDLOXUHRI killed a little more than a decade after another WKH$UDE6SULQJZKLFKKDGVHHPHGWRRIIHUD PRYLHGLUHFWRU7KHRYDQ*RJKZDVVODLQ SDWKRXWRIWKHGHDGORFNHGMLKDGLVSDZQLQJ LQ$PVWHUGDPIRUPDNLQJD¿OPFULWLFDORI societies of the Arab world. Islam’s treatment of women. 2QO\$UDEVFDQ¿QGWKHDQVZHUWRWKLV The Islamists’ war is against freedom of FULVLV%XWKLVWRU\,VXVSHFWZLOOQRWMXGJH H[SUHVVLRQIUHHGRPRIFRQVFLHQFHIUHHGRP 2EDPDNLQGO\IRUKDYLQJIDLOHGWRIRVWHUWKH RIWKHSUHVVIUHHGRPRIEODVSKHP\VH[XDO great liberation movement that rose up in IUHHGRP²LQVKRUWFRUHFKDUDFWHULVWLFV 7XQLVLD/LE\D(J\SW6\ULDDQGHOVHZKHUH of democracies seen by the would-be Inaction is also a policy: Nonintervention rebuilders of the Caliphate as signs of Western produced Syria today. debasement. ,KHDUWKHZRUGVRI&KRNUL%HODLGWKH Do not provoke them with cartoons of EUDYH7XQLVLDQODZ\HUVKRUWO\EHIRUHKHZDV WKH3URSKHW0XKDPPDGVRPHVD\VKRZ JXQQHGGRZQE\,VODPLVWIDQDWLFVRQ)HE UHVSHFWIRU,VODPWKHSHDFHIXOIDLWKRIVRPH 2013: “We can disagree in our diversity but ELOOLRQSHRSOH%XWZKDWSUD\ZDVWKH ZLWKLQDFLYLOLDQSHDFHIXODQGGHPRFUDWLF ³SURYRFDWLRQ´RI'DQ8]DQWKH-HZLVK IUDPHZRUN'LVDJUHHLQRXUGLYHUVLW\\HV´ security guard outside the Copenhagen 7RVSHDNRIDQRQVSHFL¿F³GDUNLGHRORJ\´ synagogue? WRGLVPLVVWKHUHDOLW\RIFRQÀLFWEHWZHHQWKH Islam is a religion that has spawned :HVWDQG,VODPLVDOVRWRXQGHUPLQHWKHDQWL multifaceted political movements whose Islamist struggle of brave Muslims like Belaid JRDOLVSRZHU,VODPDVVXFKLVIDLUJDPHIRU ²DQGWKHVH0XVOLPVDUHWKHRQO\SHRSOH FRPPHQWDWRUVFDULFDWXULVWVDQGFDUWRRQLVWV XOWLPDWHO\ZKRFDQGHIHDWWKHEODFNÀDJJHG whose inclination to mock the depredations of jihadi death merchants. theocracy and political Islam’s cynical uses of Ŷ the Prophet cannot be cowed by fear. Roger Cohen joined The New York Times 2YHUWKHPRUHWKDQ\HDUVVLQFHDO4DLGD in 1990. He was a foreign correspondent for DWWDFNHG$PHULFDRQZHKDYHVHHQ more than a decade before becoming acting WUDLQVEORZQXSLQ0DGULGWKH7XEHDQGD foreign editor on Sept. 11, 2001, and foreign EXVERPEHGLQ/RQGRQ:HVWHUQMRXUQDOLVWV editor six months later. Islam is a religion that has spawned multi- faceted political movements whose goal is power. Requa was a war hero and a great teacher 5HTXDDVDPHPEHURIWKH*UHDWHVW *HQHUDWLRQSDUWLFLSDWHGLQ::,,LQWKH U.S. Fifth Air Force. As co-pilot of a %³/LEHUDWRU´KLVFUHZZDVFUHGLWHG with sinking two Japanese navy vessels Larry O’Rourke in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea. If we Pendleton FDQ¶WSXWDZDUKHURRQ0DLQ6WUHHW where can we put one? Requa was also an exceptional math Statue opponents should teacher and devoted his life’s work have spoken up sooner to helping students succeed in school and life. The lessons in his classroom During the Hall of Fame fundraiser taught them not only how to solve in 2012 the idea of a bronze statue of math problems but gave them a strategy “Req” was initiated by a couple of to solve life problems. former Buckaroos. With the positive The fact that he was so good at what UHVSRQVHIURPWKHDWWHQGHHVWKH he did and was able to garner so many Pendleton Linebackers solicited pledges awards demonstrates how much his WRVHHLIWKHUHZDVHQRXJK¿QDQFLDO students and athletes believed in him. support to move forward. Don Requa’s life and legacy In 2013 the Pendleton Linebackers represents represents the best of all who followed protocol by getting approval IURPWKH3HQGOHWRQ$UW&RPPLVVLRQDQG live in Pendleton and throughout Eastern 2UHJRQ WKHQE\YRWHRIWKHFLW\FRXQFLOLWZDV For that reason his monument DSSURYHGWREHVLWHGDW%URZQ¿HOG3DUN The Linebackers formed a committee EHORQJVSURPLQHQWO\RQ0DLQ6WUHHW where those who live in Pendleton and made up of former Buckaroos from all who pass through Pendleton will be Pendleton and around the Northwest to able to see it and be inspired to be the tour the studios of bronze sculptor Rip very best that they can be as well. &DVZHOOLQ7URXWGDOH2UHJRQ$IWHU Larry Purchase, Vancouver, Wash. the tour the committee voted that Rip LETTERS POLICY 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 newspaper reserves the right to withhold letters that address concerns about individual services 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.