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OPINION
East Oregonian
Tuesday, December 26, 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
Safe train travel must
be part of Pacific
Northwest’s future
The Associated Press reported
sturdier, safer construction.
And cost is why Eastern Oregon
that since 1969, nearly 300 people
lost passenger train service in 1997.
have died in U.S. train crashes that
The decline of federal subsidies
existing technology could have
made the route unprofitable, and
prevented.
Congress has never appropriated
Add the three people killed in
money for Amtrak
last week’s crash
to re-establish the
south of Tacoma,
passenger route.
Washington, and the
A good rail
From a human
toll is 301.
It will be 12 to
system benefits standpoint, it’s
unconscionable that
24 months before
everyone,
railroad companies
the National
have dragged their
Transportation
reducing
feet on technology
Safety Board
safety
completes its
congestion by and
improvements.
investigation into
From a societal
what caused the
taking freight
perspective, it raises
Amtrak cars to
and passenger the question of
veer off the rails on
whether government
the route’s maiden
vehicles off
should invest more
voyage, crashing
to help American
onto Interstate 5
roads.
rail service join the
below. The NTSB
21st century.
said Friday that the
A good rail system benefits
train was going nearly 50 mph faster
everyone, reducing traffic congestion
than allowed as it reached a curve.
by taking freight and passenger
Technology known as positive
vehicles off roads. A great rail
train control could have prevented
system gets goods and passengers to
the previous crashes, according
their destinations faster, saving time
to the NTSB. If speed, along with
and money.
human error, caused Monday’s
Though high-speed passenger
crash, that one also might have been
rail remains a dream — at least
preventable. But the technology
in the population centers of the
won’t be operational on that section
Willamette Valley — we do not
of track — or on other parts of
yet have consistently on-time,
Amtrak routes in Washington and
Oregon — until sometime next year. dependable train service in the
Pacific Northwest. Our hilly and
Why the delay? Cost. And the
curvy topography requires slower
relationship between railroads and
train speeds, which is why the
government.
straighter route being inaugurated in
Unlike highways and airports,
Monday’s crash was an advantage.
most of the U.S. rail system is
Rainy-season landslides can disrupt
privately owned. The government
tracks. And because our rail system
steps in to improve roads and
lacks sufficient long sidings or dual
runways, although users help pay
tracks, Amtrak trains often must give
through taxes and fees. As private
way to freight trains.
entities, railroads make their own
Still, Oregon is making headway.
decisions on track upgrades and
The transportation package passed
safety improvements, although
by this year’s Legislature includes
they’re often driven by government
money for rail freight loading
regulations and deadlines.
facilities in Eastern Oregon and
Cost is the key reason railroads
the Mid-Willamette Valley, rail
convinced the federal government
expansion at the Port of Morrow
to delay — until 2018 — the
and an extended rail siding north of
deadline for positive train control.
Salem.
Cost is why railroads have been
Compared with the past, those are
slow to replace old-style tanker cars
big steps. Compared with the need
— like the ones that derailed and
and the potential, they are small.
caused an oil fire in the Columbia
And overdue.
River Gorge last year — with
OTHER VIEWS
Cardinal Tobin, am I a Christian?
W
hat is Christmas about,
and more on issues that Jesus never
anyway? Can I be a Christian
breathed a word about, like gays, or
if I doubt the virgin birth?
abortion or family planning.
Can a woman become a cardinal?
TOBIN: It’s fair to say Jesus
What would upset Jesus today? I put
did not make pronouncements on
these blunt questions and more to
those three hot-button issues. I think,
Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark,
though, that he gave us an ethos and
New Jersey, who was appointed by
a moral direction, so we don’t have
Pope Francis and is in his mold. Here’s Nicholas to sit down and say, “Jesus, what do
our conversation, edited for space and
Kristof we do?” Catholic tradition didn’t fall
clarity.
out of the air and decide something
Comment
KRISTOF: Merry Christmas! Let
capricious. It’s based on all sorts of
me start with respectful skepticism.
lived experience of people trying to
I revere Jesus’ teachings, but I have trouble
follow Jesus closely.
with the miracles — including, since this is
KRISTOF: Can I ask about prayer? I
Christmas, the virgin birth. In Jesus’ time
accept that prayer has spiritual, healing value,
people believed that Athena was born from
but why is it that God answers prayers only in
Zeus’ head, so it seemed natural to accept a
ambiguous situations, such as curing cancer,
great man walking on water or multiplying
but never to, say, regrow a leg?
loaves and fishes; in 2017, not so much. Can’t
TOBIN: It’s interesting you mention that,
we take the Sermon on the Mount but leave
Nicholas. My dad grew up strong and big,
the supernatural?
played football for Boston College, went into
TOBIN: People are, I guess, free to
the service and lost his leg in World War II.
take whatever they want.
One night he was looking at
Just like there’s wisdom in
his prosthesis. He said: “I was
non-Christian religions that
thinking I’ve had that thing
Christians appropriate.
half my life now. But if I didn’t
The most mind-boggling
have that, I wouldn’t have
miracle is the incarnation.
your mother, and I wouldn’t
We believe that the Creator
have you.” So he discovered
of the Universe, the one who
something in that tragedy. Faith
existed before time and before
got him through it.
anything else, became one of us. If you accept
Sometimes I think when I don’t receive an
that, then there are a lot of other things that
answer to what I’m praying for, maybe what
don’t seem to be quite as unbelievable.
I’m asking for actually is something that could
It’s not a magic show. All of the miracles
be harmful for me. I do believe God hears all
were not isolated or simply altruistic events.
prayers, and I believe God answers in some
They were actually pointing toward who God
way.
is, and who this carpenter from Nazareth
KRISTOF: In previous Q&As, I asked the
really was.
Rev. Tim Keller and President Jimmy Carter
KRISTOF: One area where the Catholic
whether a skeptic like myself, who admires
Church seems to me antiquated is gender. If
Jesus’ moral teachings but doubts the virgin
Jesus trusted women like Mary Magdalene, if
birth and any physical resurrection, counts as
Phoebe could be a leader of the early church,
a Christian. Basically, Keller said “no,” and
then why can’t women be priests or cardinals
Carter “yes,” so you’re the tiebreaker. Am I a
today?
Christian?
TOBIN: Those are two different questions.
TOBIN: I would think that if you haven’t
Regarding priests, it really is a stumbling
completely closed the door on the possibility
block for people, and especially in this
that God has more to say to you, then I think
country and in this culture, as all areas of life
you’re in the tent.
are opening up to women that this particular
KRISTOF: Let’s turn the tables. Anything
ministry in the Catholic Church is not. So I
you want to ask me?
understand the consternation. I have eight
TOBIN: Can I ask a favor? I’m really
sisters. I know for some women this sort of
worried about this country for a lot of reasons,
stumbling block takes them away from the
but I’m particularly concerned about refugees
church.
and immigrants. I really think this present
As for cardinals, most are bishops but not
administration is moving clearly toward a
all of them. As recently as the 19th century
mass deportation. My people are already
there were lay people who were cardinals.
terrorized. I am so afraid that unless we can
KRISTOF: So will we see women
find a way of changing hearts, they’re going to
cardinals soon?
go ahead with it.
TOBIN: Maybe my theology isn’t
KRISTOF: So is that God’s work here on
sophisticated enough, but I don’t believe that
earth? Is that what Jesus would be criticizing
there’s a compelling theological reason why
today?
the pope couldn’t name a woman cardinal.
TOBIN: I never hear Jesus going out of his
Pope Francis has promised to find a
way to point an accusing finger at people who
more incisive role for women in the church.
are oppressing the poor. What he does criticize
There are isolated incidents of women being
in very stark terms is the ones who don’t see
appointed to fairly influential posts in the
them, who don’t see them as they are. I think
Roman Curia. I think it’s got to be more than
that’s what happens. We’re developing a
that.
national cataract.
KRISTOF: I have huge admiration for
KRISTOF: Thanks! And for all my
Catholic nuns, priests and laity working on
skepticism, this I believe: Merry Christmas!
the front lines all over the world to fight
■
poverty, disease, injustice. Those people are
Nicholas Kristof grew up on a sheep and
doing exactly what Jesus talked about. But,
cherry farm in Yamhill. Kristof, a columnist
so often, religious leaders, including those in
for The New York Times since 2001, won the
the Vatican, seem less focused on the needy
Pulitzer Prize in 1990 and 2006.
What would
upset Jesus
today?
OTHER VIEWS
Bettina Hansen /The Seattle Times via AP, File
In this Dec. 18 photo, cars from an Amtrak train that derailed lie spilled onto
Interstate 5 in DuPont, Wash.
This gift could cause serious harm
Fort Dodge (Iowa) Messenger
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.
CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES
U.S. PRESIDENT
Donald Trump
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
U.S. SENATORS
Ron Wyden
221 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5244
La Grande office: 541-962-7691
Jeff Merkley
313 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-3753
Pendleton office: 541-278-1129
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE
Greg Walden
185 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-6730
D
rone owners must exercise great
caution and follow the rules.
No doubt some
local residents found
remotely controlled
miniature aircrafts —
drones, in popular parlance
— under their Christmas
trees on Monday. Recipients
likely tore open the
packages anticipating tons
of fun.
Aircraft pilots have
a different view. The
proliferation of drones flown by irresponsible
owners has created a new, potentially deadly,
hazard for those who fly or ride in bigger
craft.
National Transportation Safety Board
officials have released a report on the first
confirmed midair collision between a manned
aircraft and a drone in this country. It occurred
Sept. 21 over New York City, when a drone
hit and damaged an Army
helicopter. Those on the
chopper were able to land it
safely.
The drone’s operator
was breaking virtually
every rule in the book. He
flew his craft about 2.5
miles away from where
he was, despite a Federal
Aviation Administration
ban on flying drones out of
sight of the operator, for one thing.
If you have a drone or got one this
Christmas, enjoy it. But do so safely. Follow
all the rules. Don’t be responsible for the first
fatality involving a drone.
Don’t be
responsible for
the first fatality
involving a
drone.
LETTERS POLICY
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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.