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1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Ashland Kiwanis recognize Lillian Huang Ashland Rotary presents Easter egg hunt Sunday in Lithia Park Police Reports Camelot Theatre in Talent holds auditions for youth summer musical Poet returns to Ashland Education Ashland Kiwanis recognize Lillian Huang Chautauqua series brings author Jane Hamilton to Ashland Ashland Runs on Volunteers: OLLI classes pay dividends in joy of teaching, learning New Southern Oregon University board votes to bump tuition nearly 5 percent in the fall Why OLLI matters: A personal perspective Environment Lots to celebrate at SOU Arbor Day rites Mt. Ashland Ski Area to host party March 28 Mt. Ashland hopes coming storm will reopen ski area Wild Side: Selfish and other reasons for saving endangered species Mt. Ashland Ski Area: Low snow closes 'bunny hill' chairlift for beginning skiers Business Ashland's Standing Stone Brewery owners to open Medford brew pub and restaurant Cars We Remember: ‘Topper’ movie car most memorable Ride & Drive: 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Snow hopes dashed, Mt. Ashland Ski Area hosts season-ending party Saturday Iconic Ashland bookstore to celebrate 35th anniversary on April 19 Politics and elections Arthur I. Cyr: Afghanistan progress is uneven but undeniable Jackson County Commissioners plan no tax on marijuana for first year Grassroots group campaigns for Plaza paver do-over Arthur I. Cyr: Iran – a crisis without end Short-term rental restrictions kept in some areas, loosened in others State News Oregon's governor appoints new secretary of state Nation - World Obituaries Death Notices Alicia Applegate Hardy Death Notices Rosalind Dee Death Notices Shareable Sports Latest Stories Paul nets 41 as Clippers rally past Trail Blazers Grizzlies ace first MWL test Ashland's Knecht provides bright spot in Grizz nonleague loss to South Medford Blazers clinch playoff spot Thompson-Siporen second in decathlon High school Grizzlies ace first MWL test Ashland's Knecht provides bright spot in Grizz nonleague loss to South Medford Thompson-Siporen second in decathlon Grizz baseball team caps Arizona trip with another win Grizzlies rally past Colorado school for Greenway Festival victory Southern Oregon University Grizz baseball team caps Arizona trip with another win Grizzlies rally past Colorado school for Greenway Festival victory Ashland softball team splits pair in second day of Bend tournament Ducks enjoy the challenge Oregon bows out Voices Latest Stories Editor's Notes: Not falling, flying Matthew T. Mangino: Prison deaths on the rise Arthur I. Cyr: Afghanistan progress is uneven but undeniable Our View: More of the same at SOU? Our View: Restoration remorse over Ashland's Plaza Editorial Our View: More of the same at SOU? Our View: Restoration remorse over Ashland's Plaza Our View: One for the books Our View: Build it; they will play Our View: How it should work Letters Letters to the Editor, April 1 Letters to the Editor, March 30 Letters to the Editor, March 27 Letters to the Editor, March 25 Letters to the Editor, March 23 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent Guest Opinion: Hannah Thomas-Garner's father thanks the Ashland community Guest Opinion: Ashland is asking for trouble with new room rental rules Guest Opinion: More reasons to oppose Jordan Cove Guest Opinion: It's Groundwater Awareness Week; test your well Columns Editor's Notes: Not falling, flying Matthew T. Mangino: Prison deaths on the rise Council Corner: Ashland’s climate plan Chris Honoré: Some political and social observations Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent Chris Honore Council Corner Editor's Notes Jeffrey Gillespie Herb Rothschild Revels Latest Stories A Country Cajun Revival comes to the Unitarian Community blog: Poets, put on your party shoes Spring exhibitions open at Schneider Museum of Art Community blog: Ashland High grad performs at OSF's Hip Hop Open Mic Top 5 things to do this week Theater Ticket Availability Ticket Availability Ticket Availability Review: From past into present in OSF's 'Long Day's Journey' Ticket availability Music Futureshock: Kendrick Lamar release points to road ahead Laurie Lewis and Kathy Kallick pay tribute to Arkansas bluegrass duo Vern Williams and Ray Park Album reviews: Recent and recommended for March The Farr Side: New format for ‘American Idol’ as show continues a strong run Improv rock and folk band hosts a dance party at the Ashland Community Center Visual Art Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists Movies Alan Alda knows the secrets to acting, marriage Movie Listings: April 3-9 'Shadows' gets staked in the heart Movie review: ‘Woman in Gold’ doesn’t shine Movie review: In ‘Danny Collins,’ Pacino helps us imagine a Lennon story Food and Drink Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Ashland Kiwanis recognize Lillian Huang Carol Link: Pruning rose plants, step by step Religion News: Indiana Republicans to amend ‘religious freedom’ law How often should you paint the outside of your house? Marketta Gregory: Many ways to wash feet Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Rogues: Tales from the Valley Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business Business Services NEWS NOW Ashland Rotary presents Easter egg hunt Sunday in Lithia Park ... Ticket Availability ... Poet returns to Ashland ... Ashland Rotary presents Easter egg hunt Sunday in Lithia Park ... Ticket Availability ... Poet returns to Ashland ... COMMENTARY Chris Honoré: Some political and social observations Comment By Chris Honoré DailyTidings.com By Chris Honoré Posted Mar. 30, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Chris Honoré Posted Mar. 30, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News I admit I am perpetually perplexed about our inability to extract ourselves from the swamp of the Middle East. It’s a labyrinth of tribes and religious sectarianism and internecine wars and deeply complex cultural beliefs, all of which we can’t hope to unravel, change or fully understand. Not if we stayed there for the next 500 years. Consider their attitude toward women. I’m at a loss to understand the cultural rationale behind the burka. Or why women are not allowed to leave the house unaccompanied by a male relative, prohibited from driving or, for many, attending school. The statement, “It’s the custom” doesn’t begin to explain what is going on regarding 50 percent of their population. Women represent a massive resource of intelligence and energy, many waiting to participate in their societies; instead they are incarcerated by rigid attitudes that seem at best anachronistic and at worst malevolent. Consider the following news item as reported in the New York Times: Just a week or so ago, a woman was beaten to death in Kabul, Afghanistan, over false (emphasis on false) allegations that she had burned the Quran. She was a religious scholar named Farkhunda, 27. The mob threw her body off a roof near one of Kabul’s most renowned mosques. They then ran over her body with a car, set her on fire and then threw her remains into the Kabul River nearby. The attack has been widely distributed on social media. What is not explained is: Why? What is the source of this rage against women? How to comprehend such a despicable act? Clearly she was someone’s daughter, perhaps a child’s mother, likely a sister. Beyond this event, how to grasp honor killings? I realize that we in the West peer across a huge cultural chasm at those in the Middle East, and I acknowledge that understanding can seem a bridge too far. And after reading the above I realize that I am often taken aback by our own attitudes in America toward women. Look at the demographics of our Congress. Or count the number of shelters across the nation where battered women take fearful refuge from men who inexplicably set out to do them harm. Explain rape and have it make sense. But speaking of a bridge too far: Last Monday, Utah became the only state to allow executions by firing squads. Gov. Gary Herbert refers to it, in so many words, as his plan B. Apparently, the drugs of choice used for putting prisoners to death are not readily available. European manufacturers, who are opposed to the death penalty, refuse to sell the cocktails for lethal injections to American prisons. Of course, the very existence of the death penalty is not at issue. Though it should be. Has an innocent person ever been executed in America? We know that our system of justice is fallible. We are fallible. Innocent people, with the help of DNA, have been freed, some after decades in prison. Had they been put to death, there would have been no do-overs. And speaking of justice and equality for all, consider this: The Indiana House of Representatives just passed a bill to protect business owners who refuse to provide service to same-sex couples. A version of the same bill was passed by the Republican-led Senate, and Indiana governor Mike Pence will sign it. Supporters insist that this law will protect small businesses that are forced to offer services contrary to their religious beliefs. In other words, a business owner (restaurant, diner, florist) can discriminate against gays as long as he or she can justify said discrimination based on religious tenets. There was a time when religious doctrine supported separate-but-equal and Jim Crow. How is this bill any different? Good grief. And so it goes. Chris Honoré lives in Ashland. By Chris Honoré DailyTidings.com By Chris Honoré Posted Mar. 30, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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