OPINION
A4 HERMISTONHERALD.COM
SATURDAY, JANUARY 24, 2015
EDITORIAL • COMMENTARY • LETTERS
HermistonHerald
VOLUME 109 ɿ NUMBER 7
JESSICA KELLER
EDITOR
jkeller@hermistonherald.com
541-564-4533
MAEGAN MURRAY
SEAN HART
SAM BARBEE
JEANNE JEWETT
REPORTER
mmurray@hermistonherald.com
541-564-4532
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541-564-4542
REPORTER
smhart@hermistonherald.com
541-564-4534
MULTI-MEDIA CONSULTANT
jjewett@hermistonherald.com
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STEPHANIE BURKENBINE
MULTI-MEDIA CONSULTANT
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541-564-4538
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The return
of satire
D
ecades after being
dismissed by George
S. Kaufman as a genre
that “closes on Saturday
night,” satire, like the measles
and mumps, is making a
comeback. And in many
quarters, remains the most
feared of the three conditions.
Some experts hold to
DVWULFWGH¿QLWLRQ³6DWLUH
portrays a viewpoint,
while intending something
different.” The most
famous example being
Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest
Proposal,” the essay in which
he advised Ireland’s poor
to alleviate their poverty
by selling their babies as
food for the rich. At least
we assume he was kidding.
Hopefully no besotted chefs
replicated his ingredients list.
Another example is the
CIA’s assertion that “we
don’t torture anybody,” when
obviously what they meant
was “yeah, we’ve been
torturing people since way
before we assured you we
weren’t. And we’ve gotten
pretty good at it.” You could
say the CIA is America’s
only straight up satirical
organization. Proof that satire
can exist without laughs.
Modern satirically has
loosened up to embrace
many forms of humor:
sarcasm, cynicism, scorn,
contempt, bile, ridicule
and recently, an endless
fascination with body
SDUWVDQGÀXLGV$Q\WKLQJ
to spotlight perceived
injustice. Tweak the nose of
pomposity. Kick arrogance in
the groin.
Seth Rogen and his stoner
buddy, that darn Franco
JX\¿UVWWKUXVWIXQQ\RQWR
the front pages with their
movie, “The Interview;” a
farce about assassinating the
President of North Korea.
Which you could say, the
President of North Korea did
QRW¿QGDPXVLQJ<RXFRXOG
also say armadillo snouts
make inferior shot glasses.
Despots and extremists
have the sense of humor of
asphalt. With the emphasis
RQWKH¿UVWV\OODEOH$QG\HV
that’s an example of using
a body part as humor. So,
in response, North Korea
orchestrated a monumental
hack of the studio releasing
WKH¿OP'RLQJGDPDJHWR
the economy and scaring the
bejesus out of Wall Street.
Letters Policy
WILL DURST
RAGING MODERATE
Cagle columnist
We know this happened
because the CIA said it
didn’t.
The fracas was
exacerbated when Hollywood
celebrities went to the mats
defending free speech while
imploring the public to
boycott websites exhibiting
their pilfered emails, revealing
them to be petty snarks. This
is known as irony, a brother
to satire.
A greater tragedy is the
thousands of Americans
tricked into watching this
cinematic opus under the
guise of nationalistic pride.
“Laugh, or the terrorists win.”
Then in January, the
world witnessed the ghastly
murders of French satirical
magazine Charlie Hebdo
staffers by lunatic Muslim
assassins. Who claimed to
be offended by a cartoon.
Which confused many US
citizens. France has satirical
magazines. America has
Spongebob. It’s a trade-off.
It’s sad. Call yourself a
satirist in America today
and folks think you have
goat legs. And play the pan
ÀXWH(VSHFLDOO\ZKHQ\RX
consider the grand tradition
of American political
humorists- Twain, Bierce,
Mencken, Rogers, Bruce,
Krassner, Trudeau, Carlin,
Hannity and the Cheneys.
The teachable moment
here is how imperative it
is we encourage artists to
stay on the offensive. To
mock and scoff and taunt
for the sake of democracy.
They should be stopped on
the street and thanked for
their service. Laugh, or the
terrorists win.
Patriots on both sides of
the political spectrum need to
rally and support our brave
perpetrators of mockage
and scoffsome taunterating.
And to do it even after the
CIA says it’s okay to stop.
Especially then. Je Suis
Charlie. Je Suis Hebdo.
— Copyright © 2015,
Will Durst, distributed by
the Cagle Cartoons Inc.
syndicate. Will Durst is an
award-winning, nationally
acclaimed political comic.
Email Will at durst@cagle-
cartoons.com
The Hermiston Herald welcomes original letters for
publication on public issues and public policies. Submitted
letters must be signed by the author and include the city of
residence and a daytime phone number. Phone numbers
will not be published. Letters may be mailed to the
Hermiston Herald, 333 E. Main, Hermiston, OR, 97838;
or emailed to editor@hermistonherald.com
Putting suspicions to rest
B
efore Hermiston City
Council members
direct city staff
to prepare documents to
revise the city charter, they
VKRXOG¿UVWKDYHDQHDUQHVW
discussion about the merits
of appointing the municipal
court judge versus having
residents continue to elect
that position.
At Monday night’s
City Council meeting,
City Manager Byron
Smith will report on recent
presentations to various
service organizations on
the matter and the feedback
he received. According
to the council agenda, he
will then recommend that
the municipal court judge
position be appointed, with
the provision that this person
be an attorney.
Before any vote is taken,
Smith and/or the council
should address some of the
questions that have, thus
far, not been satisfactorily
answered, such as why it is
in Hermiston residents’ best
ZRXOGDOORZFLW\RI¿FLDOVWR
avoid accusations that they
HERMISTON HERALD
are doing this arbitrarily;
Editor
or because they don’t trust
residents’ ability to elect a
interests that the municipal
municipal court judge based
court judge be appointed
on past choices; or because
and not elected. Hopefully,
they don’t like the current
an explanation will include
municipal court judge.
solid, unambiguous
Perhaps these suspicions
rationale, as well as
are unfounded and not
examples of why the current the case at all. Of course,
system is not working and
nobody can really know for
how appointing a judge
VXUHEDVHGRQFLW\RI¿FLDOV¶
would solve these problems
explanations given so far
or, at least, improve upon
regarding the change. After
them.
all, “popularity contest” has
This is reasonable
been thrown out there as a
and no less than what
reason for not electing the
Hermiston residents deserve, municipal court judge; not
presuming, of course, city
to mention, in the proposed
RI¿FLDOVDUHQRWSXUVXLQJWKLV charter’s language, there is
course of action arbitrarily.
no guarantee that current
As the old adage goes, “If
Municipal Court Judge
LWDLQ¶WEURNHGRQ¶W¿[LW´
Thomas Creasing — who
so, logically speaking, there
was recently reelected —
must be something wrong
would even get to serve out
with the current system that
the remainder of his term.
warrants such a change. If
The proposed charter just
so, what is it? Not only do
says the current judge will
residents deserve a good
serve until a new judge is
answer, providing one
appointed.
JESSICA KELLER
No explanation has been
provided for this, either, so
perhaps “popularity contest”
is accurate after all, but
not for the same reasons
previously posed.
The point is, currently,
FLW\RI¿FLDOVDUHOHDYLQJ
numerous blanks for
VXVSLFLRXVPLQGVWR¿OOLQ
themselves.
Regardless, the best
solution could be the
one council members
have disregarded before:
letting residents decide for
themselves if they want the
municipal court judge to be
elected or appointed when
they vote on the charter in
May.
Not only is this the most
democratic approach, it
ZRXOGH[FXVHFLW\RI¿FLDOV
from having to explain
themselves, something,
thus far, they have not been
inclined to do.
— Jessica Keller is the
editor of the Hermiston
Herald. She can be reached at
jkeller@hermistonherald.com
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Let voters choose
municipal court judge
time in my life when people my age
were either off to college or already
PDUULHG,ZDVQHLWKHU³¿VKQRUIRZO´
Editor,
However, I made friends at the U.S.
I read your insightful column and
National Bank, where I went to work,
wanted let you know that it also left
and at the Methodist Church, where I
CHARLES E. CLUPNY
me wondering what the administra-
enjoyed teaching Sunday school and
FORMER CITY COUNCILOR OF STAN-
singing in the choir.
tion of Hermiston was doing. I was
FIELD
Being in a small town with my
present when Mr. Byron Smith pre-
HERMISTON-AREA RESIDENT
desk located at the front counter, the
sented the issue of ideas for updating
new girl in town caught the attention
Hermiston’s City Charter. The issue
of Frank Harkenrider, a Hermiston
regarding the appointment of judges
native recently returned from his
to the City of Hermiston struck me as Hermiston a good place to
stint in the service and college. Eight
strange. I have voted in every local,
months later, we were married in a
state and national election since earn- live for Harkenriders
Editor,
double wedding with my sister and
ing the right to vote at the ripe young
Unlike my husband, I was not KHU ¿DQFp +DUROG %UDVZHOO IURP
age of 18. I am now 62. I take pride
in researching the issues and candi- born in Hermiston, nor did I grow Texarkana, Arkansas. Now, 60 years
dates to make the best, not necessari- up or attend school here. I moved to later, to coin a phrase, “the rest is
ly the most popular, decision when it Hermiston in 1953 with my parents. history.” Frank and his dad owned
I was born in Missouri and grew and operated the Union Oil Dealer-
comes to elections. The good people
of Hermiston deserve to continue a up in Colorado, where my father was ship. I quit the bank to raise our three
tried-and-true system of electing in the newspaper business. Because girls. When they became school age,
WKHLURI¿FLDOVZKHWKHULWEHWKHPD\- of World War II, the shortages and I went to work as bookkeeper for the
or, city councilors or the municipal inability to get supplies made it im- Sanitary Disposal Service, where I
judge. It is not a popularity contest. possible to continue his newspaper, worked for 28 years. Frank sold the
, DV D YRWHU ZDQW WKH EHVWTXDOL¿HG so the Tri County Herald was closed, dealership, and I retired from SDI.
and most objective person in the of- and my Dad went to work for the We both took on other part-time jobs,
¿FHRIPXQLFLSDOMXGJHFKRVHQE\DV government as an ammunition in- Frank deeply involved in city poli-
many citizens that care to exercise VSHFWRU +LV ¿UVW DVVLJQPHQW ZDV LQ tics. Now, after serving on the City
their right. Credit needs to be given Sidney, Nebraska, the second on the Council, with 10 years as mayor, for
to the individuals wanting to update island of Oahu, Territory of Hawaii, more than 50 years, Frank has re-
the charter. It is appreciated that the third to Rid River Arsenal, Tex- tired. We have enjoyed a comfortable
some one person or group of persons DUNDQD7H[DVDQG¿QDOO\WR8PDWLOOD life and many good times and friend-
would like to make it easier for the Ordnance Depot, “somewhere in the ships here. Thank you. Thank you
citizenry and themselves with regard sand-blown desert area” of eastern Hermiston for just being Hermiston.
BEVERLY BELLUS HARKENRIDER
to choosing judges. My answer is no Oregon. Hermiston was quite a cul-
HERMISTON
thanks, I will continue to bear the ture shock. I was very lonely at the
burden. I hope a majority of people
out there will also agree. Let the vot-
ers do the choosing. Let the admin-
istration serve the people they were
elected to serve. Thank you for the
opportunity to comment.
ELECTED OFFICIALS
STATE
District 29: Sen. Bill Hansell,
R-Umatilla Co., 900 Court St. N.E.,
S-423, Salem, OR 97301, 503-986-
1729. 101 S.W. Third St., Pendleton,
OR 97801 (541) 278-1396. E-mail:
ssen.billhansell@state.or.us.
District 30: Sen. Ted Ferrio-
li, R-John Day; 900 Court St. N.E.,
S-223 Salem, OR 97301, 503-986-
1950. 750 W. Main, John Day, OR
97845, (541) 575-2321. E-mail: ferr-
ioli.sen@state.or.us.
District 58: Rep. Bob Jenson,
R-Pendleton; 900 Court St. N.E.,
H-480, Salem, OR 97301, 503-986-
1458. 2126 N.W. 21st., Pendleton,
OR 97801, (541) 276-2707. E-mail:
rep.bobjenson@state.or.us.
District 57: Rep. Greg Smith,
R-Morrow, 900 Court St. N.E.,
H-280, Salem, OR 97301, 503-986-
1457. P.O. Box 215, Heppner, OR
97836, (541) 676-5154. E-mail:
smith.g.rep@state.or.us.
FEDERAL
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden
Sac Annex Building, 105 Fir St.,
No. 201, La Grande, OR 97850;
(541) 962-7691. E-mail: kath-
leen_cathey@wyden.senate.gov;
(Kathleen Cathey, community repre-
sentative); 717 Hart Building, Wash-
ington, D.C. 20510, (202) 224-5244.
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley
One World Trade Center, 121 SW
Salmon Street, Suite 1250, Portland,
OR 97204; (503) 326-3386; Dirksen
6HQDWH 2I¿FH %XLOGLQJ 6'%%
Washington, D.C. 20510. (202) 224-
3753.
U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (2nd
District)
843 E. Main St., Suite 400, Med-
ford, OR 97504, (541) 776-4646,
(800) 533-3303; 2352 Rayburn
+RXVH2I¿FH%XLOGLQJ:DVKLQJWRQ
D.C. 20515, (202) 225-6730