Page 6A
OPINION
East Oregonian
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
OTHER VIEWS
Founded October 16, 1875
KATHRYN B. BROWN
Publisher
JENNINE PERKINSON
Advertising Director
DANIEL WATTENBURGER
Managing Editor
TIM TRAINOR
Opinion Page Editor
OUR VIEW
Yesterday
or tomorrow?
Will the 2016 presidential election be
a referendum on the past five decades?
The great collisions in history
to move on and away from what has
are between the past and the future.
been a fundamental assumption of
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You could see it in last week’s
one sees the generational divide
news about the
clearly in the
multi-nation Iran
profound shift in
accord. When the
public attitudes
Generations
remainder of Senate
toward gays and
are split on
Democrats declared
lesbians. Polling
their positions on
support for
the president’s shows
the treaty, two things
the rights of gays
actions — with and lesbians varies
became apparent.
President Obama
inversely with
Republican
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the voter’s age.
support to defeat the
ideas embraced It’s the same with
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and
by older people. marijuana,
majority of Jewish
to a lesser extent
senators, including
immigration.
Oregon’s Ron
It is not yet clear
Wyden, supported the deal.
what the Democratic side of the
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2016 presidential race will be. But
Iran debate has been pressure from
whoever emerges from a crowded
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
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1HWDQ\DKXDQGWKH$PHULFDQ,VUDHO assuredly be focused on a return to
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the past.
the treaty in Congress. Last week’s
It doesn’t take much to warp
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visibility and reputed clout masked
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backward perspective is a hallmark
population on the Iran deal.
of the current crop of conservatives.
The newer Jewish lobby, J Street,
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represents a younger population, and Rosenthal noted within the
LWIDYRUHGWKH,UDQDFFRUG$FFRUGLQJ Republican base “an article of faith
to Pew Research, a majority of
that the advancement of women and
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minorities somehow harms white
deal.
men.”
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The advancement of women and
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minorities kind of sums up the past
response to President Obama’s
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restoration of diplomatic relations
becomes our choice next November,
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it will be a fascinating referendum
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for our country.
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.
OTHER VIEWS
([SDQGLQJ&OHDQ:DWHU$FW
may doom Oregon agriculture
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The saddest part of the following
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question is that we even need to ask it.
We’re disappointed that Oregon is not
Does Oregon’s state government
among those 13 states.
care more about empowering federal
But that’s hardly the worst of it.
bureaucrats than it does about the
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ranchers and farmers
General Ellen
whose operations
Rosenblum didn’t
contribute billions of
merely decline to
dollars annually to the
join those states in
state economy?
defending a vital
We don’t blame the
industry against an
Oregon Cattlemen’s
overzealous executive
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branch, which insists
that query.
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The issue revolves
jurisdiction even
around which
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waterways the federal
of Representatives
government has the
both this year and last
authority to regulate
passed a resolution
under the 1972 Clean
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to withdraw such a
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proposal.
Environmental
Instead, Rosenblum
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went along with six
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other states and the
opined that its
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rather than only to major rivers and lakes and its expanded authority to regulate
water.
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Rosenblum did so with the support of
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Oregon Department of Environmental
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Quality and Division of State Lands,
could include tributaries to navigable
said Ellen Klem, a spokeswoman in the
waterways.
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We’re not suggesting that Rosenblum
moreover, that it’s not implausible to
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industry on every legal matter.
over seasonal waters such as irrigation
But neither did she have to use state
ditches.
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Ranchers and farmers, naturally,
By doing so Rosenblum, whether
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intentionally or not, implies either that
expanded authority could threaten their
ranchers’ and farmers’ concerns about
access to water, a commodity every bit
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as vital to a ranch or farm as it is to a
exaggerated, or worse, that such fears
person.
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Thirteen states, most in the West, are
FKDOOHQJLQJWKH(3$¶VGH¿QLWLRQLQFRXUW more regulatory power is worthwhile
even if one of Oregon’s most important
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industries suffers as a result.
Dakota (one of the 13 plaintiff states)
The Baker City Herald
Ranchers and
farmers worry
that the EPA’s
potentially
expanded
authority could
threaten their
access to
water —a vital
commodity.
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G
iven all the talk, courtesy of
sell.
Donald Trump, of making
Then, of course, there’s
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Luxembourg.
thinking about European greatness.
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One state, Great Britain, does of
now, the recurrent frisson of a still-
course have its greatness built in, but
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still the idea sits strangely.
wars without victory. Ronald Reagan,
Europe is done with greatness. It
who also had striking hair, declared
thinks greatness leads to trouble. It’s
more than three decades ago, “Let’s
Roger
been great — and suffered. The Great
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Cohen
War (1914-18) killed about 8.5 million
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Comment
combatants and as many as 13 million
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civilians — not so great, really. Before
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that, a million people or so died in Ireland’s
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Great European empires unraveled, often
greatness.
in bloodshed. Several hundred thousand
I’m not sure, but I think it was while sitting
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so great, either. No wonder
York City subway looking at
Great Britain is thinking of
a map that helpfully showed
breaking itself up.
stops for the Lexington
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greatness is looked at
started dripping on my
askance. It feels like a
head from the subway car
code word for bellicosity,
ceiling and an inaudible
self-delusion and shoot-
announcement was made,
from-the-hip hubris. It has
that I realized I was back in
a whiff of danger: far better
the greatest nation on earth.
to curtail ambition and
Or was it as I gazed
embrace ordinariness. Better
at a man channeling his
to be the face in the crowd
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than the face on the cover of
occupation of three subway
Time magazine.
seats rather than one, or as
Still, here’s a possible
I listened to voices much
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louder and more assertive
presidential election: “Make
than they needed to be, or
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as I struggled to identify
hear the seismic rumble of
a station with no visible
dissent on the Rive Gauche
sign naming it, or as the
already.)
temperature in the subway elevator hit 100
How? By believing in God, to begin with.
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Belief in God leads to belief in God-given
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earth?
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greatest nation on earth really sunk in. It might
Or perhaps by sending a neo-Napoleonic
have been as I walked along a garbage-strewn
army out across the Continent (even as far as
street in Queens beneath a bridge so corroded
Moscow but without that painful retreat); by
it seemed not of the last century but of the one
instilling an entrepreneurial spirit; by banning
before that. Or as I peeled small stickers off
moroseness through decree; by restoring the
fruit and vegetables (I’d forgotten in Europe
scandal-tainted presidency to the monarchical
about those pesky little charmers) while
splendor envisaged by De Gaulle; by
listening to Trump confuse Iran’s Quds force
scrapping the 35-hour workweek; by getting
with the Kurds. Every foreign war — and
tough on something (possibly immigration);
plenty loom if there’s a Trump presidency —
by manufacturing multicolored campaign
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argue it is, but it sure doesn’t look great right
Greatness.”
now. Europe looks better but is shrunken
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within.
Or how about, “Let’s Make Italy Great
Europe’s divisions, endlessly pored over,
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really. Italian interest in greatness is about as
called “the narcissism of minor differences.”
deep as its interest in swapping its cuisine for
The Continent is united in the rejection of
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done that, a couple of millennia ago.
picture itself without it.
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The most dangerous point in the arc of
combat at Rome’s Colosseum, or making
a nation’s power is when the apogee of its
the trains run on time (again), or abandoning
greatness is passed but it is not yet resigned
the consolations of style and beauty for
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the thrill of shock and awe, or, of course,
Which is really, really great.
manufacturing chic “La Grandezza Italiana”
Ŷ
(“Italian Greatness”) campaign caps.
Roger Cohen joined The New York Times
“Make Italy Great” is going to be a tough
in 1990.
The most
dangerous
point in the arc
of a nation’s
power is when
the apogee of
its greatness is
passed, but it is
not yet resigned
to decline.
YOUR VIEWS
Distracted driving is killing
unfocused Oregonians
Oregon now has the ignoble distinction
of being the state with the highest increase in
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of this year. Why? The devil is in the details.
What would you do if there was a 59
percent increase in the homicide rate in your
city? What would you do if there was a 59
percent increase in infant deaths in your
community due to some local condition?
Would you be moved to action?
What would you do if there was a 59
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VWUHHWVDQGURDGVIRUWKH¿UVWKDOIRIRYHU
the same period in 2014? Would it make you a
more defensive driver? Would you watch your
speed more carefully? Would you keep your
eyes off that most recent text you received
while driving?
While the full analysis has not been done
on the “why,” there may be a recurring theme.
Let’s ask a personal question: How often
do you text, eat, check GPS, insert a CD,
smoke, text/talk on your cell, etc. while you
are driving? How often have you seen others
doing the same? Distracted driving — and
walking or biking — is taking your mind
off the immediate and demanding task of
navigating the roadway ahead of you. This
navigation is likely the most dangerous
activity we do on a regular basis. Why don’t
we give it our absolute and utmost attention?
Wake up Oregon. Our choices are killing
us. Choosing to drive distracted; choosing
to drive too fast for conditions; to drive/
ride unbelted; to drive impaired or drowsy,
to follow too closely and on and on. These
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accidents. In a quote from National Highway
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majority of all fatal and non-fatal injuries in
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of fate but are predictable and preventable.”
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attributed to driver recognition, decision and
performance errors.
You have control over your driving
choices, but you do not have control over the
consequences. Don’t make a deadly choice.
Drive smart — drive un-distracted.
Larry Christianson
8785N LLC 7raf¿c 6afety (ducation
Merlin, Ore.
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