Page 4A
OPINION
East Oregonian
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
Founded October 16, 1875
KATHRYN B. BROWN
DANIEL WATTENBURGER
Publisher
Managing Editor
JENNINE PERKINSON
TIM TRAINOR
Advertising Director
Opinion Page Editor
OUR VIEW
OTHER VIEWS
AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli
Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin speaks during a news conference,
Saturday in Roseburg.
Important to
identify shooter
Of all the terrible things that
happened last week in Roseburg, the
Douglas County Sheriff’s decision
to withhold the name of the shooter
is not among the worst.
But it is something that deserves
an explanation from media, like
ours, who published the name and
photo of a hateful human being
— and as much of a life story as we
could.
In the ¿rst press conference
Sheriff John Hanlin gave to both
local and national media, he said
no one in his of¿ce would utter the
name of the murderer.
“I will not give him the credit he
probably sought prior to this horri¿c
and cowardly act,” the sheriff said.
We can certainly understand
Hanlin’s motivation, and for a
moment it seemed a pretty Southern
Oregon thing to do. But after further
review, Hanlin’s reasoning sets a
dangerous precedent.
It is the media’s job to tell you
the truth — when it is good news
but even more importantly when it
is bad. Certainly, some take that job
more seriously than others. Watching
national television stations report
on the shooting in the immediate
aftermath, without anyone from
their company having even set foot
in Douglas County — much less
the campus of Umpqua Community
College — was brutal. The
assumptions and accusations were
Àying, but facts were few and far
between.
But responsible and professional
media worked hard to learn what
happened — and refused to publish
and pass along rumors and gossip.
Sure, there are still things we
don’t yet know about what happened
inside that school. The story will
continue to be tweaked and re¿ned
and the truth — as best we will ever
know it — will be released when it
is known. That will take months, if
not years.
The identity, motivation and
mental health of the shooter is not
just relevant to the story, it is the
crux of this tragedy. Understanding
the shooter is extremely important
to trying to reduce and guard against
future mass shootings. It doesn’t
glorify the act, but it does shine light
into the complex soils that produce
mass murderers.
And timely, true information
helps combat the crazies out there.
Already, the same people who argue
that Sandy Hook and Columbine
were conspiracies faked by the
government have their same theories
about Roseburg. Any information
that authorities try to hide just fuels
that kind of thinking.
On the Àip side, it is the media’s
job to make this a better world.
And there are times when we
will not publish information that
is debilitating and dangerous to
a community. Teenage suicide is
one such instance. The science
is clear that media coverage can
spur copycats, and we adjust our
coverage with that in mind.
Still, in most cases ignorance
is the enemy. Professional media
organizations and our readers
deserve the whole and complete
truth. In order to do that, we
require that public of¿cials not hide
important details.
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.
The big university
M
any American universities
logic, and so on.
were founded as religious
Colleges can insist that students
institutions, explicitly
at least become familiar with these
designed to cultivate their students’
different moral ecologies. Then it’s
spiritual and moral natures. But over
up to the students to ¿gure out which
the course of the 20th century they
one or which combination is best to
became of¿cially or effectively secular.
live by.
Religious rituals like mandatory
Second, foster transcendent
chapel services were dropped.
experiences. If a student spends four
David
Academic research and teaching
Brooks years in regular and concentrated
replaced character formation at the
contact with beauty — with poetry
Comment
core of the university’s mission.
or music, extended time in a
Administrators and professors
cathedral, serving a child with Down
dropped spiritual language and moral
syndrome, waking up with loving friends on a
prescription either because they didn’t know
mountain — there’s a good chance something
what to say or because they didn’t want
transcendent and imagination-altering will
to alienate any part of their diversifying
happen.
constituencies. The humanities departments
Third, investigate current loves and teach
became less important, while parents ratcheted new things to love. On her great blog, Brain
up the pressure for career training.
Pickings, Maria Popova quotes a passage from
Universities are more professional and
Nietzsche on how to ¿nd your identity: “Let
glittering than ever, but in some ways there
the young soul survey its own life with a view
is emptiness deep down. Students are taught
of the following question: ‘What have you
how to do things, but many are not forced to
truly loved thus far" What has ever uplifted
reÀect on why they should do them or what
your soul, what has dominated and delighted
we are here for. They are given many career
it at the same time"’” Line up these revered
options, but they are on their own when it
objects in a row, Nietzsche says, and they will
comes to developing criteria to determine
reveal your fundamental self.
which vocation would lead to the fullest life.
To lead a full future life, meanwhile,
But things are changing. On almost every
students have to ¿nd new things to love:
campus faculty members and administrators
a ¿eld of interest, an activity, a spouse,
are trying to stem the careerist tide and to
community, philosophy or faith. College is
widen the system’s narrow de¿nition of
about exposing students to many things and
achievement. Institutes are popping up — with creating an aphrodisiac atmosphere so that
interdisciplinary humanities programs and
they might fall in lifelong love with a few.
even meditation centers — designed to
Fourth, apply the humanities. The social
cultivate the whole student: the emotional,
sciences are not shy about applying their
spiritual and moral sides and not just the
disciplines to real life. But literary critics,
intellectual.
philosophers and art historians are shy about
Technology is also forcing change.
applying their knowledge to real life because
Online courses make the transmission of
it might seem too Oprahesque or self-helpy.
information a commodity. If colleges are
They are afraid of being prescriptive because
going to justify themselves, they are going
they idolize individual choice.
to have to thrive at those things that require
But the great works of art and literature
physical proximity. That includes moral and
have a lot to say on how to tackle the concrete
spiritual development. Very few of us cultivate challenges of living, like how to escape the
our souls as hermits. We do it through
chains of public opinion, how to cope with
small groups and relationships and in social
grief or how to build loving friendships.
contexts.
Instead of organizing classes around academic
In short, for the past many decades colleges concepts — 19th-century French literature —
narrowed down to focus on professional
more could be organized around the concrete
academic disciplines, but now there are a
challenges students will face in the ¿rst decade
series of forces leading them to widen out
after graduation.
so that they leave a mark on the full human
It’s tough to know how much philosophical
being.
instruction anybody can absorb at age 20,
The trick is to ¿nd a way to talk about
before most of life has happened, but seeds
moral and spiritual things while respecting
can be planted. Universities could more
diversity. Universities might do that by taking
intentionally provide those enchanted goods
responsibility for four important tasks.
that the marketplace doesn’t offer. If that
First, reveal moral options. We’re the
happens, the future of the university will
inheritors of an array of moral traditions.
be found in its original moral and spiritual
There’s the Greek tradition emphasizing
mission, but secularized, and in an open and
honor, glory and courage, the Jewish tradition
aspiring way.
Ŷ
emphasizing justice and law, the Christian
David Brooks became a New York Times
tradition emphasizing surrender and grace, the
Op-Ed columnist in September 2003.
scienti¿c tradition emphasizing reason and
YOUR VIEWS
Arm teachers, end
gun-free zones
Gun-free zones are bad for
everybody. They are good in
theory, but the reality is that they
only amplify the carnage in a mass
shooting. The only gun-free zones
that have been a success are ones
with screening and armed police
present.
Whether you support the
Second Amendment or not, you
must accept the fact that guns are
everywhere in our society. You
can’t protect people with a sign and
an invisible bubble. Gun-free zones
only stop the people who follow
the rule of law and do not intend to
kill anyone. They are a prime target
for the psychos that carry out mass
shootings in this country, and it is
their ¿rst choice for ¿nding fame
and victims who can’t ¿ght back.
The mass shooting that
happened Oct. 1 in Roseburg took
the police six minutes to respond.
I have to ask, if your loved one
were in that building would you
rather they had a cell phone in their
hand, or a means to ¿ght back"
The shooter even had the time to
ask people their religion before
shooting them in the head.
I am the parent of a college
freshman and have children in
primary and secondary schools,
so I am as concerned as any
other parent would be when I see
something bad happen. I personally
would sleep better at night if I
knew their teachers were armed
and trained to respond. Armed
teachers would deter the cowards
who carry out these terrible acts.
It’s sad that the staff in our schools
currently train to run and hide. That
may save a few lives, but it does
not stop a killer who is allowed
to hunt his victims until police
respond.
The sad truth is that there is no
way to stop someone who intends
to take another life, but you can
sure cut the number of victims by
a rapid armed response. We as a
society need to get some common
sense and do what’s right by
allowing concealed cary permit
holders to exercise their right in
our schools, local hospitals, etc.
We cannot prevent the evil act that
happened last week, but together
we can limit it in the future.
The only way to insure
the safety of the people in an
armed society is to eliminate
unenforceable gun-free zones.
John Walker
6WDQ¿HOG
:KHUH¶VDSROLFHRI¿FHU
when you need one?
Recently my neighbor came
over to say that he had just come
out of the Mexican restaurant on
Main Street and saw a car do a
U-turn on the speed bump in the
300 block of Main. My question
is, why is it that we never seem
to have a police of¿cer patrolling
Main Street anymore" Mid-block
U-turns are illegal anywhere in the
state of Oregon, so why is it that
it is legal in the city of 3endleton"
And what about speeders in
school zones such as Southeast
Alexander"
Maybe we need to consolidate
the police agencies in the county
so we can have better police
protection.
Barbara Wright
Pendleton
Visits by foreign
dignitaries are too
expensive, should stop
The recent visit by the Pope was
unbelievably expensive. He visited
just three cities — Philadelphia,
New York and Washington, D.C.
Some estimate the cost just for
security in Philadelphia at $48
million. The World Meeting of
Families is attempting to raise $45
million to help offset these papal
expenses. If they do, think of the
dozens of really great projects that
could be paid for by this money
instead of a papal visit. Some say
the million visitors coming to see
the Pope will spend a lot, but others
say these faithful servants are
mostly poor and won’t spend much
at all. And by the way, almost
none of them will actually see the
Pope or even get close. Whatever
economic bene¿t that might be
realized will only bene¿t the cities
he visits, not the taxpayer.
I realize this Pope has made
great strides for the Catholic
Church compared with his
predecessors. If you go back
far enough you ¿nd popes who,
for example, had their enemies
skewered with sharpened wood
poles surrounding the courtyard,
doused with oil, then burned to
provide light for the Pope’s parties.
You don’t have to go back that far
to remember the dozens of priests
who abused young boys and were
simply sent to other locations so
they could ¿nd an entire new batch
of victims. The church knew it was
going on and did nothing for many
years.
With the violent insanity and
threats of Muslim extremists ever-
present, let’s just stop the non-vital
visits along with the huge costs and
security nightmares they cause.
Let’s just declare a moratorium
on visits by all foreign dignitaries
for a couple of years. This recent
visit by the President of China was
mostly lavish dinners and pomp
and circumstance. I doubt much of
substance was accomplished. The
taxpayer picked up the bill.
Our country is $19 trillion in
debt. Let’s have these summits on
Skype. If they insist on coming,
they pay for their own security. A
fair amount is deposited to the U.S.
government in advance of their
visit with the stipulation that if
they go over that amount, they are
liable for the balance.
While we are at it, let’s
eliminate the amnesty for rotten
foreign dignitaries and their
offspring who murder U.S.
citizens, drive drunk, and just get
away with it.
LETTERS POLICY
David Burns
Pendleton
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 resi-
dence 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.