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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 27, 2017)
Page 4A OPINION East Oregonian Friday, October 27, 2017 OTHER VIEWS 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 Tip of the hat; kick in the pants A tip of the helmet to the end of an era. For nearly a century, the Buckaroos and Bulldogs have met on the football field each fall, playing for county pride in the great American high school pastime. As the East Oregonian has carefully documented over the years, it wasn’t often much of a fight. For many years Pendleton played the role of big brother, annually pinning down their smaller sibling no matter how good the Hermiston team was. That started changing in the 1990s as Hermiston hit a growth spurt and finally started matching their rivals blow for blow. Though both teams have put together short runs of dominance for the past couple of decades, every meeting has had the electricity of possibility. Both fan bases show up in force, and it has often been the most exciting game of the regular season. But after tonight’s edition of the War on 84, the Thrilla on the Umatilla, the Watermelon vs. Wheat, it’s not clear when the teams will meet again. Hermiston will join the Mid-Columbia League in Washington’s athletic association and Pendleton will stay in a league with central Oregon teams. Because of a full league and tight schedule for Hermiston, finding room for Pendleton on the calendar is unlikely. As far as local traditions go, not many have the history of this football game. We’re going to miss it. A tip of the hat to Blue Mountain Community College, which has seen an 11 percent jump in attendance this year compared to last. That stands out among community colleges nationwide, which are collectively on a downward attendance trend. Not so in Pendleton, Hermiston, Milton- Freewater and Boardman — where BMCC has facilities in the area. Partly that’s thanks to local taxpayers, whose approval of a bond in 2015 has expanded programs and made BMCC more relevant for more students. It’s also thanks to leadership at the college, which has improved the school’s reputation and increased its partnership with other Oregon colleges and universities. It’s also due to recruiters like the ones we profiled in this week’s paper, who are working hard to convince skeptical high school seniors that BMCC is the place for them. Let’s hope the upward trend continues. Eastern Oregon can only benefit from more students attending and graduating from BMCC, whether they go to the workforce or on to a four-year school. 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 UO needs to protect campus from extreme protesters their protest against fascism was itself a form of fascism, which he described as a “smothering of dissent.” The meanings of “free speech” and And he described an alternative “fascism” are apparently unclear to some approach taken by other UO protesters University of Oregon students who shut in 2015, where they ended up in a down a speech by UO President Michael constructive dialogue with Schill that led Schill earlier this month. to significant action to The need to take a address their concerns. firm and public stand In preventing But Schill’s well- against such assaults by punishing the perpetrators others’ speech, the argued defense of rational didn’t mention is apparently unclear to protesters were discourse any steps by the university the university leadership. to take control, to protect In supposed defense of defeating the the rest of the campus free speech, the students principle they from these misguided used a megaphone to students. And the shout down the president claimed to be university said Tuesday and take over the stage, it can’t tell us anything complaining about tuition asserting. about that. increases, indigenous The university’s rights and minority Media Relations Manager Molly Blancett student safety, according to a report in wrote in an email: “The incident is under the student newspaper. One speaker said review, but . the university is not able to the protest was prompted by fascism and share specifics on conduct decisions in neo-Nazis who have made the campus this or any case, as it is protected under unsafe for students. The reality that the protesters were making the campus unsafe the Family Educational Records Privacy Act.” for everyone else didn’t register. The university needs to take a public University officials vacated the stage, stand against this kind of protest, making leaving it to the students, and proceeded to post a pre-recorded video of the speech. it clear that it will not tolerate students physically taking over an event and Writing an op-ed in Monday’s New preventing anyone, be it a student, a York Times, Schill did a fine job of visitor or the university’s president, from laying out the ironies, most importantly expressing themselves. The community that in preventing others’ speech, the needs to know what steps were taken to protesters were defeating the principle punish such unacceptable conduct. they claimed to be asserting. Also, that The (Bend) Bulletin 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. Sexual harassment isn’t just a ‘women’s issue’ W omen have been speaking victims. out over the last few weeks One of the bravest voices has been about sexual harassment and Ashley Judd, who broke the ice by assaults — passionately, eloquently speaking up about Weinstein. So I and sometimes tearfully — and we asked Judd how men can help. men have been (for once!) rather “Men being willing to have silent. dialogue with their families and That’s better than jumping in, friends, and to disrupt sexist remarks, drowning out women’s voices, and Nicholas jokes and behavior, is integral to mansplaining: Actually, I saw a TV Kristof change,” she said. “Learning to let show about this once, and the real women speak up, and being open Comment problem is. … But we men can be and teachable, is crucial. Imagine if more than passive observers, and a we could simply say, ‘stop’ and ‘no,’ start is surely to be better at listening. So I and men stopped? These micro interpersonal asked some smart, strong women how men interactions hold transformative power.” can become part of the solution. One unfortunate consequence of greater I started with Gloria Steinem, who scrutiny of these issues is that male bosses are emphasized that men can stand up to make sometimes reluctant to have dinner or drinks clear that inflicting unwanted sexual attention with female employees, making it difficult on another person is just plain wrong. for women to build social relationships with “Every time a man interrupts the culture bosses and be promoted. I asked Rosabeth of dominance — and treats both women and Moss Kanter, a Harvard Business School men as unique individuals professor, about this, and who are valuable for our said that the solution Civil rights weren’t just she hearts and minds and is obvious. actions, not for how we “More women in all a “black problem,” the positions look or where we are in of power,” she Holocaust wasn’t just said. “And not as tokens.” some hierarchy — we are closer to being linked, not I’m sure that some a “Jewish problem” ranked,” Steinem told me. men reading this are “Fathers have a big chance and sexual harassment rolling their eyes. On to do this just by listening Twitter, one person and discrimination are responded to my to their daughters, and showing them that denunciation of sexual more than just a they’re worth listening to. harassment with a Co-workers can do this “women’s problem.” snide, “Do you have a by not commenting on penis at all?” Sigh. We a woman’s appearance men simply have to when they wouldn’t say the same of a man. understand that there is nothing manly about “This is not rocket science,” Steinem sexual assault. added. “It’s empathy.” Look, human relations are complicated, Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, told we are sexual creatures and it’s inevitable that me that she flinches a bit at references to male there will be fine lines and misunderstandings. “allies,” because that can sound as if men are But a new ABC News/Washington Post wading in as a favor to women. In fact, she poll found that 54 percent of American noted, it’s in everybody’s interest that we erase women report having received unwanted and harassment and discrimination — and a man’s inappropriate sexual advances — meaning own team will perform better if he includes that this is a huge national problem, and a women who feel safe and respected. challenge for us all. Civil rights weren’t just a Sandberg also emphasized something I “black problem,” the Holocaust wasn’t just a strongly believe: We need not just sensitivity “Jewish problem” and sexual harassment and training, but also accountability. That means discrimination are more than just a “women’s firing not only the men who sexually harass problem.” but also the men and women who are Men sometimes weigh in: As a father of a complicit. young daughter, I deplore. … But that sounds “People need to be afraid not just of as if one cares about women only if one doing these things, but also of not doing has made one, or as if one thinks of female anything when someone around them does colleagues as little girls. So let’s switch to this it,” Sandberg said. “If you know something is paradigm: As a human being, I want fellow happening and you fail to take action, whether humans treated fairly and decently, not poked you are a man or a woman — especially when with less respect than we would treat a pound you are in power — you are responsible, too.” of beef at the supermarket. One dismissal sends a stronger message I asked my wife, Sheryl WuDunn, what her throughout an organization than 10,000 hours advice was for men, and she was concise: “Put of sensitivity training. peer pressure on each other to treat women Men have sometimes been prone to better.” disbelieve victims’ stories, and one of the most Hey, men, let’s heed her advice. distasteful aspects of the Harvey Weinstein ■ scandal was a rush to refocus blame by Nicholas Kristof grew up on a sheep and questioning why female victims didn’t speak cherry farm in Yamhill. Kristof, a columnist up earlier or go to police. That tendency to for The New York Times since 2001, writes victim-shame is precisely why survivors are op-ed columns that appear twice a week. He reluctant to speak up — and let’s remember won the Pulitzer Prize two times, in 1990 and that culpability lies with perpetrators, not 2006. YOUR VIEWS EOCI health system not helping all inmates I just read your article on the person who is getting their hormone treatment paid courtesy of us the taxpayers. Please answer me one question, East Oregonian: why do you not do an investigative report, in depth, on how bad the health system really is in prison? A person can get hormone therapy because they want to be another sex, and two people I know of at EOCI need insulin pumps; one had his before he was even incarcerated and EOCI refuses to let him have it, and the other had a recommendation from an outstanding endocrinologist that he desperately needed one and family offered to pay for it, but EOCI and DOC said no. This is life-saving equipment, whereas hormone therapy is not. So, please out there at EOCI and DOC, please tell me how you justify this? You are contributing in the long run to two people dying earlier than necessary because you refuse them much-needed treatment, and you give hormone therapy to a person who will not die without it. Anybody out there know a excellent attorney for a class action lawsuit? I am disgusted beyond anything I can say. Barbara Dickerson Milton-Freewater Access to track field not what we voted for Citizens and taxpayers: If you are upset about the access to the new high school track and field, during a game or any other time, you need to call council members Scott Fairley (541-240-1825) or McKennon McDonald (541-969-3345) before the meet and greet on Nov. 4 at Hamley’s Cafe at 8 S.E. Court at 9-11 a.m. When we voted to pay for this, they never said we wouldn’t be able to use it like before. Jim Harvey Pendleton
