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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 17, 2017)
Page 4A OPINION East Oregonian Tuesday, October 17, 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 EO MEDIA GROUP East Oregonian • The Daily Astorian • Capital Press • Hermiston Herald Blue Mountain Eagle • Wallowa County Chieftain • Chinook Observer • Coast River Business Journal Oregon Coast Today • Coast Weekend • Seaside Signal • Cannon Beach Gazette Eastern Oregon Real Estate Guide • Eastern Oregon Marketplace • Coast Marketplace OnlyAg.com • FarmSeller.com • Seaside-Sun.com • NorthwestOpinions.com • DiscoverOurCoast.com OUR VIEW Trump’s attacks on the media risk freedom “Words spoken by the president by television, magazines, radio and newspapers, he might still be of the United States matter. Are you nothing but a bankrupt casino owner. tonight recanting the oath you took Most politicians implicitly realize on Jan. 20th to preserve, protect and they have some form of symbiotic defend the First Amendment?” U.S. relationship with the press. Hopefully, Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Nebraska, asked this usually is in the public interest this important question of President by sharing information and building Donald Trump last week. a sense of national unity, but other Trump said NBC should be punished for a story he didn’t like by times it simply derives from a shared desire to ride the publicity train to having its Federal Communications fame and fortune. Commission license revoked. The Many politicians indulge in president didn’t understand the ritual complaints broadcaster doesn’t rely His many threats about victimization on such a license. The the press. Trump threat is nevertheless and insults thrown by far oversteps normal deeply objectionable. at working jour- bounds. Calling major Trump’s tweets and comments often are outlets “the nalists and media news empty provocations, enemy of the American organizations ... people” and saying mainly intended to inflame his true journalists are “sick must not go believers. However, his people … trying to take unchallenged many threats and insults away our history and thrown at working our heritage” places journalists and media organizations honest news reporters at risk. There have been 20 arrests and 21 physical have real-world consequences. They must not go unchallenged by any attacks on U.S. journalists this year, according to Columbia Journalism American who genuinely cherishes our own democracy and cares about Review. Trump’s bullying words also have the pursuit of freedom in the rest of dangerous consequences beyond the world. our borders. Worldwide, there are Trump’s current target is NBC 259 journalists currently imprisoned News. It is not the most revered member of the journalistic profession, for doing their jobs, CJR reports. In Turkey, Mexico and elsewhere, being widely accused of wimpiness strongmen attack the independent last year in covering the president’s press. Reporters doing their jobs by sexual assault admission to “Access Hollywood” host Billy Bush and this shining a light into the dark recesses year’s allegations of sexual predations of criminal enterprises and political repression too often pay for their by movie producer Harry Weinstein. courage with their lives. By attacking The network’s former news anchor America’s press, the world’s biggest Brian Williams was demoted for strongman provides inspiration for all lying about his experiences covering who aspire to dominate others. the Iraq War. In a column in CJR, Columbia The president’s rant centers on University President Lee Bollinger an NBC report that Trump wanted notes the First Amendment a nearly tenfold increase in the U.S. nuclear arsenal. The network implied guaranteeing freedom of speech and the press “is a core part of the it was this proposal in a July 20 American identity. As much as meeting that led Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to call Trump a moron. it is about ‘rights’ — the right of dissent, of sovereignty residing in the There is no indication the network’s citizenry and not in the government, report was incorrect. When asked and so on — it is also about the directly, Tillerson didn’t deny it. character of the society. To listen to Everyone understands why people speak of free speech and press politicians get frustrated at the news is to hear about fortitude, bravery, media. It often is an adversarial magnanimity, self-doubt, and the relationship. Our traditions place capacity to reason and respond; the press in the role of independent watchdog over government. Because to recognize the importance of compromise, and to learn to live with of this, some politicians regard the some degree of chaos, uncertainty, news media with the same loathing and discord; and to value creativity heaped on police internal-affairs and change over always trying to divisions in procedural cop shows. Trump has taken this idea and ramped preserve the status quo.” As Sen. Sasse said, words it up, trying to immunize himself matter — especially those of the U.S. against legitimate news by painting president. Some are taking his words all journalists as liars and traitors — to heart. Freedom suffers as a result. smart alecks out to get him. Trump swore to uphold the The president’s disdain for national Constitution. He must endeavor to media is ironic, considering how his keep his word, even when it comes to celebrity status led to his election. freedom of the press. Without the lavish coverage of him 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 Why I went to North Korea S ince my five-day visit to North That’s because the government wants Korea recently, I’ve encountered them to know about Trump’s threats, pushback from critics who ask, because they bolster Kim’s nationalist “Why go?” narrative that he protects Korea from First, they argue: You needlessly imperialist U.S. aggressors. put yourself at risk and give Kim Jong Being on the ground in a country Un a bargaining chip if he grabs you. lets you see things and absorb their The U.S. government shouldn’t have power: the speaker on the walls of to worry about bone-headed journalists Nicholas homes to feed propaganda; the pins in enemy territory. Kristof that every adult wears with portraits Second, they say: By going to of members of the Kim family; the Comment North Korea, you simply become a daily power outages, but also signs mouthpiece for a country that you that the economy is growing despite admit is the most totalitarian country in the international sanctions; the Confucian history of the world. It’s a Potemkin country, emphasis on dignity that makes officials and you become a “useful idiot” transmitting particularly resent Trump’s personal attacks propaganda. on Kim; the hardening of attitudes since my Frankly, these are legitimate arguments. last visit, in 2005; and the bizarre confidence So let’s seize the moment for an honest that North Korea can not only survive a discussion — and, in the process, let me offer nuclear war with the U.S. but also emerge as a behind-the-scenes glimpse of reporting victor. there. At one factory, we came upon workers Getting a visa to North Korea is always doing their “political study.” North Koreans tough, and my latest attempt explained that they have involved long and delicate study for two hours When the stakes political negotiations with North a day, plus most of the day Korean diplomats — and are millions of lives on Saturday, so I asked what with my wife. (That’s not a they focused on these days. complaint: If she were eager and official commu- “We must fight against the for me to go to North Korea, one woman nications channels Americans!” I’d be worried.) answered earnestly. And Four of us from The New then the North Koreans in are nonexistent, York Times obtained visas the room dissolved into (stay tuned for a video we’re then journalism can laughter, perhaps because of making from the trip), and oddness of saying this to sometimes serve as the then quickly received U.S. Americans. a bridge — and as State Department approval, A visit humanizes North along with special U.S. Koreans, who outside the a warning. passports valid for travel to country sometimes come North Korea. across as robots. In person, The only way into North Korea is on you are reminded that they laugh, flirt, worry, daily flights from Beijing on creaky Russian love and yearn to impress. planes. The in-flight entertainment is a video A military officer greeted me with a bone- of a North Korean military orchestra playing crushing handshake, and I asked if that was classical music, interspersed with scenes of meant to intimidate and convey to the Yankee missiles being launched. imperialists that North Koreans are muscular From the moment we arrived, we were supermen. He laughed in embarrassment, and escorted by two Foreign Ministry handlers, when we ended the interview, he was much and we were housed at a guarded Foreign gentler. Ministry compound. I left North Korea fearing that we are far Our hosts were always courteous, but there too complacent about the risk of a cataclysmic was a whiff of menace that didn’t exist on war that could kill millions. And that’s why my previous trips to North Korea, not least reporting from within North Korea is crucial: because three Americans are currently being There simply is no substitute for being in a detained there. And just in August, North place. It’s a lesson we should have learned Korea sentenced two South Korean journalists from the run-up to the Iraq War, when the and their publishers to death in absentia for reporting was too often from the Washington their writing. echo chamber rather than the field. When It was also troubling that we were given the stakes are millions of lives and official strong hints that the Foreign Ministry was communications channels are nonexistent, isolating us and escorting us as protection then journalism can sometimes serve as a from military and security agencies, which bridge — and as a warning. weren’t on board with our presence. Yes, we must carefully weigh the risks — North Korea is the most rigidly controlled physical risks and the danger of being used by country in the world, with no open dissent, no propagandists — and work to mitigate them. religion and no civil society, and there is zero But I have a sinking feeling in my gut, just chance that anyone will express dissatisfaction as I had on the eve of the Iraq War, that our with the government. president may be careening blindly toward Still, the conversations were illuminating. war. In that case, the job of journalists is to go Ordinary North Koreans were unfamiliar with out and report, however imperfectly, and try to the name of Otto Warmbier, the American ring alarm bells in the night. student who died days after being returned to ■ the United States in a vegetative state after his Nicholas D. Kristof, a columnist for The detention in Pyongyang for stealing a poster. Times since 2001, is a two-time Pulitzer But they knew all about President Donald Prize winner who grew up on a sheep farm in Trump’s threats to destroy their country. Yamhill, Oregon. YOUR VIEWS Real men don’t abuse women Harvey Weinstein uses his position of power to sexually assault and harass women and is deservedly vilified and ruined. Donald Trump does the same thing and is elected president. What’s wrong with this picture? Could it be the celebrity status of the women Weinstein abused as opposed to the “ordinary,” not so well known women abused by Trump? Roger Ailes, Bill O’Reilly, Bill Clinton — all powerful men using their positions to try and justify and/or rationalize their actions with vulnerable women. It is definitely a black mark on our gender and should be called out immediately, never overlooked with the hope that it might be a one-time occurrence. It happens all too often and for too long the bad habit of blaming the victims to protect the abuser has kept those at fault from paying the ultimate price for their abhorrent behavior. We are male by birth, but men by choice and real men don’t abuse women in any way shape or form. that again. So donate and attend, it’s for a great cause, and it’s fun. Thanks, Mason, for your hard work. Mary C. Long Pendleton David Gracia Hermiston Humane society is worthy of support I noticed on Facebook that Mason Murphy is hosting the Humane Society dinner and auction at 40 Taps again (Nov. 4, 5:30 p.m.). I have attended these since they started and the community involvement has been good. Something as important as a Humane Society in our community is worth everyone’s effort. I can remember when we had nowhere to place the unwanted abandoned pets and would not want to see Support the Clean Energy Jobs Bill It’s great that some Republicans are accepting science. Federally, the 50-member House Climate Solutions Caucus, half of whom are Republicans, proposes legislation. But in Oregon, our Republican representatives still sit on their hands. Many of them claim to accept the science, but talking the talk is totally inadequate; they must walk the walk. After a season of national hurricane and wildfire disasters almost certainly made more severe by human-induced emissions of climate pollution, the urgency of action should be hitting home. Alas, it is not! Facing a legislative proposal that places a cap on our contribution to this global warming problem, Oregon’s Republicans grope from reason to reason to oppose meaningful action. While a few Oregon Republicans stick their heads in the sand, tout the denier hoaxes, and claim not to believe the science, others claim to accept the science and still do nothing. We’ve had purely voluntary pollution reduction goals in place for 10 years and are nowhere near the trajectory of reduction we need to be; voluntary goals have failed. It’s time to support the Clean Energy Jobs Bill — a win-win solution for rural Oregon with funds allocated to supporting renewable energy projects in economically depressed areas. Trisha Vigil Medford 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.
