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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 20, 2017)
Page 4A OPINION East Oregonian Wednesday, September 20, 2017 Founded October 16, 1875 KATHRYN B. BROWN Publisher DANIEL WATTENBURGER Managing Editor TIM TRAINOR Opinion Page Editor MARISSA WILLIAMS Regional Advertising Director MARCY ROSENBERG Circulation Manager JANNA HEIMGARTNER Business Office Manager MIKE JENSEN Production Manager OUR VIEW OTHER VIEWS Over DACA, an acute case of Trump panic syndrome Genna Martin /seattlepi.com via AP, File In this Sept. 5 file photo, the Eagle Creek wildfire burns on the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge near Cascade Locks. Back to school, for children and adults and the destructive summers soon You certainly noticed the change to follow, Oregonians owe it to in post-Round-Up weather: cool themselves and their school-age mornings and nights, gray and children to be knowledgeable about cloudy skies, and even some steady forest and fire science. Tonight’s sprinkles of rain. Add football back presentation delivers to television and critical information. local stadiums on Another Friday nights, and it “Era of opportunity to becomes clear that Megafires” is learn via gripping autumn has returned to Eastern Oregon. 6:30 p.m. at the narrative, interviews film is via Ken We all know fall Vert Auditorium, and is the season when Burns’ documentary children and teachers “The Vietnam War,” Pendleton. head back to class, which debuted but we recommend Sunday on PBS. adults take the opportunity to do their The 10-part, 18-hour documentary is own learning as well. Luckily, there getting rave reviews as an important are local and national opportunities dissection of how America entered for all of us — no matter our age — and became enmeshed in a war no to continue to gather knowledge. one wanted — a war that did so much damage and impacted so many lives. One local option is to attend Directed by Burns and Lynn “Era of Megafires” Wednesday at Novick, it includes testimony from 6:30 p.m. at the Vert Auditorium, Pendleton. This free multimedia nearly 100 witnesses. And if you presentation delivers critical missed the first few episodes, you can information and thoughtful discussion find them in their entirety on pbs.org. on wildfires that have done so much People who witnessed the war or damage in Oregon and throughout the had loved ones changed by it can West this summer. The presentation benefit from viewing it through the blends hard data with personal lens of history and crisp editing. stories, graphics and video clips about But those who are unaware of the continuing effects of the war, its the effects these fires have on the landscape. It serves as a call to action effect on politics, culture and current events, may be able to learn even for local agencies and communities more. to boost fire resiliency while also Tune in nightly, and help learn returning fire to its natural role in the from the mistakes of history, and forest. from the courage found therein. Given this destructive summer, 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 We the people should celebrate U.S. Constitution: 230 years and still going strong The Quincy (Il..) Herald-Whig C onstitution Day generally passes with little fanfare each year. None of the trappings of a major holiday — fireworks displays, local and national celebrations — is accorded to Sept. 17. The Fourth of July, which celebrates our Declaration of Independence, receives considerable attention, as a significant date in our nation’s history certainly should. However, we wish there was more celebration on the day devoted to the U.S. Constitution. Eleven years after the American colonies declared their independence from Great Britain, there was no president, no Congress and no Supreme Court. Then, on Sept. 17, 1787, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention met to sign the document they had created. “We the people ...” was more than just the introductory phrase to that remarkable document. It spelled out the revolutionary idea that ultimate power resides in this nation’s citizens, and not its government. In just over 4,000 words, the Constitution set forth a new form of government. A republic with three co-equal branches of government was formed to provide checks and balances against abuses. The legislative branch was created so that in one chamber the representation was based on population, while the other chamber offered every state equal power. Four more years would pass before the first 10 amendments to the Constitution spelled out personal and individual rights. That landmark is noted on Bill of Rights Day, Dec. 15. Other amendments have been added as the nation has grown and changed. On the 230th anniversary of the U.S. Constitution’s signing, the United States is the pre-eminent world power as much for its ideals as for its military and economic might. Those ideals of individual liberty, personal freedom and the responsibilities of citizenship still shine. Most important, it is incumbent on those who know this simple, yet powerful document to pass along that knowledge so that the Constitution will survive for another two centuries. Its framers clearly recognized that new threats to freedom arise with each new generation. Benjamin Franklin, one of the signatories, hinted at the challenges ahead when asked whether the convention had decided on a republic or a monarchy. “A republic, if you can keep it,” Franklin said. It is true that the U.S. Constitution has guided and shaped this nation. But we, the people, are the only ones who can ensure that it remains the law of the land. he entire politico-media complex TRUE.” had a nervous breakdown last Meanwhile, as Twitter lit up, Pelosi week over President Trump’s sent a relatively subdued note to her position on DACA. House Democratic colleagues. At the White House meeting, she said, Lawmakers, journalists and activists “We agreed to a plan to work out jumped to all sorts of conclusions an agreement to protect our nation’s when Senate Minority Leader Charles DREAMERs from deportation.” Schumer and House Minority Leader “Agreed to a plan to work out Nancy Pelosi announced that over Byron an agreement.” That’s a classic dinner at the White House on Sept. 13 York Washington way of saying the parties they reached an “agreement” with the Comment haven’t agreed on anything but agree president over the future of 700,000 to keep talking in hopes of eventually illegal immigrants in the Deferred reaching an agreement. Beyond that weak Action for Childhood Arrivals program. formulation, Pelosi, in her note, did not claim There was reason to be skeptical — after the two sides had agreed on anything. all, the story was coming from just one side. That didn’t stop the ruckus. Nor did much But skepticism was in short supply, and even change when, the next some of those who realized morning, Trump made an the information was sketchy couldn’t keep themselves attempt to quiet things down. from speaking up. Some “No deal was made last night Trump supporters instantly on DACA,” he tweeted. assumed the president had “Massive border security sold them out. Some Trump would have to be agreed to in opponents instantly mocked exchange for consent. Would Trump supporters for ever be subject to vote.” believing his promises. Seeking to mollify Democrats wondered supporters who saw him what Schumer and Pelosi caving to Schumer and were doing with the hated Pelosi, Trump added: “The president. WALL ... will continue to be built.” Many spoke without enough knowledge At the same time, Trump sounded to draw any conclusions, or even early positively Schumer-esque with another tweet conclusions. asking, “Does anybody really want to throw The two parties most to blame were out good, educated and accomplished young Schumer/Pelosi and the Associated Press. people who have jobs, some serving in the After the White House dinner, the Democratic military? Really!” But even then, Trump leaders released a statement saying of their said “BIG border security” would have to meeting with the president, “We agreed to accompany legalization. enshrine the protections of DACA into law Later, more members of Congress chimed quickly, and to work out a package of border in with reminders that a DACA deal, if there security, excluding the wall, that’s acceptable is to be one, will be made by lawmakers, and to both sides.” not just the president. What Schumer and A reasonable reader would conclude that Pelosi and Trump laid out were positions in the two sides had reached a deal on DACA, a negotiation that will take place between with just the border security measures to be House, Senate and White House. worked out later. But the AP took things a But on the night of Sept. 13 and the step further, suggesting a done deal. At 9:55 morning of the 14th, when hair was on fire p.m. Sept. 13, the news agency tweeted: across Washington and social media, there was “BREAKING: Schumer, Pelosi announce deal no deal and nothing had been decided, except with Trump to protect young immigrants; will that everyone said they wanted a deal, which include border security, but no wall.” is what negotiators always say. That was ahead of where things actually In other words, the whole episode changed stood, but, coming from the AP, it was pretty much nothing. Anyone who followed instantly accepted as fact. All hell broke loose. Trump during the campaign knows he is Writing on the basis of the AP tweet, headed toward some sort of accommodation Republican Rep. Steve King, an immigration for DACA recipients. And anyone who hawk, tweeted, “If AP is correct, Trump follows the Trump administration and base is blown up, destroyed, irreparable, and Congress knows there will be showdowns on disillusioned beyond repair. No promise is Capitol Hill over the wall and other border credible. security and enforcement measures. That By 11 p.m., Breitbart News ran the is where the DACA issue stood before the headline “AMNESTY DON” above freakout of Wednesday night and Thursday “REPORT: Trump caves on DACA.” morning, and that is where the issue stood Sean Hannity was skeptical, but still afterward. jumped in. Responding to a Twitter follower All that panic for no reason. People are who said Trump is “really pissing off his on hair trigger these days. They go off before base right now,” Hannity rushed to point the they know what is going on. The DACA finger at the Republican Party. “If reports true fiasco should be a lesson. 100%,” Hannity tweeted. “I blame R’s. They ■ caused this. They wanted him to fail and now Byron York is chief political correspondent pushed him into arms of political suicide--IF for The Washington Examiner. T Many spoke without enough knowledge to draw any conclusions. 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 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801 or email editor@eastoregonian.com.
