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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Still no sign of missing girl Mining company faces long odds in Smith River proposal Public Meetings: Feb. 2-6 Super cheerleader Restaurant Inspections Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency services Emergency services UPDATED: Body found in Greensprings area is Klamath Falls fugitive Former Klamath County District Attorney Ed Caleb dies Man who allegedly almost robbed Purple Parrot returns Politics and Elections Amid rising scrutiny, governor says fiancee won't have role in administration Ashland aims for diversity, but numbers show shortfall Kent Bush: The keys to decoding the State of the Union address Oregon Legislature convenes, session starts Feb. 12 Education Parent files discrimination complaint against Ashland schools Some gains, some losses Medford reconsiders full-day kindergarten State boosts class time expectation A wealth of experience Environment Commissioners won't object to BLM road closures Mt. Ashland Ski Area crew dips to five Public sounds off on gas pipeline Mt. Ashland ski area announces layoffs Bear cub headed to rehabbers in Idaho State News 'Seven Wonders' ads pay off, Oregon park officials say Sales call leads to rescue of beaten woman Feds: Oregon logging rules don't protect fish, water Amid rising scrutiny, governor says fiancee won't have role in administration Oregonians face Feb. 15 health insurance deadline Nation - World Obituaries Nordica Mae Irvin William (Bill) Earl Shewman III A Celebration of Life for Karen Weaver Joseph Richard �Rich� Halliday, Jr. Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Sports Latest Stories Koepka rallies to win Phoenix Open Whiteside comes up big for Heat in win Beavers turn focus to UCLA Ducks have some work to do Detroit downs Houston, ends four-game skid Varsity 541 College Sports Beavers turn focus to UCLA Ducks have some work to do Kennedy earns 200th win as Raiders roll Defense keys No. 7 OSU's rout of USC Duke knocks Virginia from unbeaten ranks Pro Sports Koepka rallies to win Phoenix Open Whiteside comes up big for Heat in win Detroit downs Houston, ends four-game skid Bucks cap fine week at Blazers' expense Sons represent Seau at Hall ceremony Community Sports Local Events Business Latest Stories Blog: Aussies send Erickson's Elvis into retirement Homes for the long haul Blog: Southern Oregon Business Conference 2014: Gross, unadulterated enthusiasm Blog: Better than Ordinary...Extraordinary! Medford moving up in economic rankings Real Estate News Homes for the long haul New owners of Medford Center promise a hands-on approach: Home loan rates continue to fall, applications soar Jackson County real estate market headed back to normal People In Business People in Business Transportation The heart of Brammo will remain Want to be an investor? Four companies will be pitching their plan to you Medford airport traffic flies to new heights Agriculture Nine companies pitch investment opportunities in Medford Darigold to shutter Medford plant, putting 29 out of work Opinion Latest Our View: Wood-fired steam plant at SOU makes sense Letters to the Editor, Feb. 1 Help wanted: The Medford School District needs you George Will: Our annual season of wretched excess Dana Milbank: Bernie Sanders is right to be outraged Editorials Our View: Wood-fired steam plant at SOU makes sense Other Views: Nothing to see here; move along Our View: Improving graduation rates isn't easy Our View: Revving up the gas tax debate Our View: Updating Oregon's presence in the U.S. Capitol Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, Feb. 1 Letters to the Editor, Jan. 30 Letters to the Editor, Jan. 29 Letters to the Editor, Jan. 28 Letters to the Editor, Jan. 27 Guest Opinions Help wanted: The Medford School District needs you Guest Opinion: Market forces work against LNG project's success Guest Opinion: More reasons to oppose gas pipeline A fair shot for all: addressing our low-wage crisis Guest Opinion: SOU biomass burner would be big mistake Lifestyle Latest stories Southern Oregon Journal: Discovery of the Bigfoot brownie Some like it hot Time with the Tiger-lilies Pet of the Week — meet Fuzz Charleston's Marine Life Center eyes spring opening Food Community blog: Raise a cup of bone broth to better health Good to the Bone Gail Ciampa: Marcona almonds make this a salad with substance The next Pike Place Market? Food for Thought: These healthy Super Bowl snacks are game-changers Home and Garden Dear Monty: Is a home ‘trade-in’ a good idea? Buying a home? Consider its walkability Home Help: 5 ways to revamp your outdoor living space this year Paint a room or two in a weekend Dear Monty: Sell home now? Or wait until summer? Health Community blog: Five "Must Haves" Health Watch: Don’t let your fitness resolutions fizzle out Community blog: Toxic Love: How to Identify an Abusive Relationship Community blog: A Higher Walk To Better Health HealthStyle: Are you in an unhealthy relationship? Hiking Biking Faith Religion briefs Religion briefs, Jan. 23 Religion briefs Old stained-glass windows face threats Milestones and Achievements 50 years and counting: Bulebar Wedding: Lindsey-Maria Rios New arrivals Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Here it is! Live Music in Local Clubs Terrapin Flyer plays Historic Ashland Armory Eric Johnson and Mike Stern at The Rogue Theatre Alcyon Massive and Frankie Hernandez play acoustic at Howiee's Comedian Susan Westenhoefer pulls no punches Theater Classics, premiers highlight '15 season for OSF Randall Theatre presents playwright Charles Ludlam's comedy "The Mystery of Irma Vep" Roy Orbison tribute hits high note Thanks for the Memories Theatre presents 'Cardenio' Thanks for the Memories Theatre presents 'Rent' Music Here it is! Live Music in Local Clubs Jesse Cook plays the Craterian Theater Shybo Torres plays South Stage Cellars Terrapin Flyer plays Historic Ashland Armory Trio Valtorna plays SOU Music Hall Community Events Comedian Susan Westenhoefer pulls no punches Paula Poundstone performs at the Craterian Len Dickson's 'Fall Harvest' to grace Belle Fiore wine label A look at the life and vision of Martin Luther King Jr. Ty Barnett and Ian Harris are 'Divided' Dining Sandwiches and burgers are hits at The Rogue Chef The Vine offers a taste of Italy Cheeseburgers on the cheap Valley View — It's all in the family Patty Groth's Morning Glory is still a delight Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW Still no sign of missing girl ... Renovating The Bricks ... Mining company faces long odds in Smith River proposal ... Still no sign of missing girl ... Renovating The Bricks ... Mining company faces long odds in Smith River proposal ... ANOTHER VIEW Michael Gerson: An invasion of artificial outrage Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jan. 30, 2015 @ 12:01 am Posted Jan. 30, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News The invasion, evidently, has begun. "What's not acceptable," Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana explained recently, "is people that want to come and conquer us." Yes, the conquest of America: pretty unacceptable. "That's not immigration, by the way," he continued, "that's colonization." Ditto on being colonized, as the British learned to their chagrin. "If they want to come here and they want to set up their own culture and values that's not immigration, that's really invasion — if you're honest about it." By all means, let's lay all the cards on the table. Jindal is talking about a Muslim fifth column intent on establishing Sharia law in unassimilated enclaves and eventually subverting the Constitution and conquering the country. A pretty serious charge against some portion of the several thousand Muslims living in Louisiana, for instance. The proof? During a recent trip to Great Britain, Jindal was pressed for evidence of Muslim "no-go zones," the supposed beachheads of the Islamist invasion. "I've heard from folks here," he responded, "that there are neighborhoods where women don't feel comfortable going in without veils." I can't imagine that "heard from folks" would be a sufficient footnote in a paper at Oxford University (where Jindal studied as a Rhodes Scholar). Yet it is apparently enough for a sitting governor making accusations of subversion. Jindal could have used his platform as a prospective presidential candidate to make points about the (very real) dangers of radicalization. Instead, he talks of invasion, colonization and conquest. This is both appalling and symptomatic. In our politics, ideological assertions tend to gain an immediate, massive velocity. It is not enough to raise questions about global warming; it must be (according to Sen. James Inhofe) the "greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people." It is not sufficient to call for improved control of the border; immigrant children may be carriers of Ebola (as Rep. Phil Gingrey once asserted). It is zero to 100 in no time flat. Some of this emerges from the feedback loop between partisan media and populist leaders (or those desperately seeking to become one). Cable and talk radio pull political ideas into close orbit, then slingshot them outward at tremendous speed. Extreme language yields outrage, audience share and (hopefully) buzz in the conservative movement. Jindal leveled many of his charges on talk radio. The danger comes when talk radio becomes the voice inside your head. The use of apocalyptic language is often a form of self-elevation. It allows a politician to embrace the role of lonely truth seeker. "Of course," Jindal said, "the politically correct crowd when you say things like that they'll call you racist." Only the honest and brave are willing to risk such opprobrium. Political figures who perceive the hidden threat are not only Diogenes searching for truth, they are Horatius defending the bridge against subversive Muslims, climate scientists, disease-ridden children, or whatever. This rhetorical strategy is a disaster for democratic discourse. It creates a cartoon version of reality in which actual problems are obscured or misdiagnosed. It avoids the hard work of drawing careful distinctions and offering nuanced judgments. It leaves some people on constant high alert; others are exhausted by an endless series of supposedly existential threats and unable to distinguish the real ones. Above all, extreme rhetoric shapes a certain view of ideological opponents. Climate scientists and their allies, in the opinion of some on the right, are not just mistaken, they are liars. They are acting out of corrupt financial and ideological motivations. No real debate is possible with people consciously engaged in a fraud or a hoax. They can't be engaged; they can only be defeated. This approach becomes even more dangerous when opponents are defined in ethnic or religious terms. It creates an atmosphere in which neighbors are viewed as potential subversives. There are, of course, comparable arguments made on the progressive side. Opponents get dismissed as theocrats or as hopeless defenders of privilege. Such people cannot be debated; they can only be delegitimized and silenced. The strategy on both left and right is the same: to present politics as a battle between the children of light and the children of darkness. Opponents become enemies. Democratic deliberation becomes difficult or impossible. America has enough real problems and real enemies without the manufacture of artificial outrage. Michael Gerson's email address is [email protected]. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jan. 30, 2015 @ 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 MailTribune.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 Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked 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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