Document text
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 Emergency Services, Feb. 24 Man critically burned in trailer fire Medford, Ashland districts fall short of anti-bullying standards Pot growers could raise electricity rates in Ashland, official says Medford's second-hand law gets a second look Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency Services, Feb. 24 Man critically burned in trailer fire Medford neighbors take up arms against a sea of graffiti Emergency Services, Feb. 23 Car crashes into new south Medford home Politics and Elections Ballots on Jackson County marijuana tax go out Friday Brown's inauguration brings hope to local lawmakers Kate Brown sworn in as Oregon's 38th governor Gov. Kitzhaber steps down, federal investigation begins Gov. Kitzhaber announces resignation Education Medford, Ashland districts fall short of anti-bullying standards Grace to assume school governance AHS principal up for national award Today is exclusion day for kids who don't have required vaccines A question of punishment Environment Lost Creek Lake logjam could become hazard for boaters Made in the Shade Controlled burn planned for Ashland watershed on Friday Coho salmon road trip Mt. Ashland Ski Area celebrates snow State News Brown says she'll preserve Oregon death penalty moratorium Tentative deal reached in West Coast port labor dispute State Senate votes to dissolve Cover Oregon Psychic gets 8 years for con of timber heir Economists project 'kicker' rebates Nation - World Obituaries Harvey Franklin Bauers Lois Gunsolus Wilson Donald Max Long Betty E. Schmidt Anne Brown Stewart Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Mars One attracts science fiction geeks and people who hate society This $1 million Mercedes is like an armored private jet for the road Sports Latest Stories LOCAL EVENTS Playoffs could use overhaul A-Rod back, but avoids PED specifics Raiders host Yotes in quarterfinal round Beavers a win away from outright Pac-12 title Varsity 541 College Sports Raiders host Yotes in quarterfinal round Beavers a win away from outright Pac-12 title Comeback in Corvallis Bubble Breaker? Beavers Pac-12 champs with win Pro Sports Playoffs could use overhaul A-Rod back, but avoids PED specifics Grizzlies overcome deficit to beat Blazers Hahn wins Riviera after playoff Wood sets franchise points record in win Community Sports Business Latest Stories Warm winter has fruit growers poised for action People in Business Ride & Drive: 2015 VW Golf R Silvio Calabi: Kia Soul mixes practicality with personality Briefcase: Business briefs for Feb. 21 Real Estate News Housing prices climb 9 percent in Jackson County Big plans on the Butte Homes for the long haul People In Business People in Business People in Business Transportation Medford airport flies past January record Agriculture Warm winter has fruit growers poised for action Briefcase: Business briefs for Feb. 21 1-800-Flowers dumps Harry & David execs Nine companies pitch investment opportunities in Medford Darigold to shutter Medford plant, putting 29 out of work Opinion Latest Mark L. Hopkins: History speaks to us on our present economic situation Feb. 23: Letters to the editor Parker: Cable news twists the 'war on Islam' Our View: Smell of trouble may spark marijuana limits Feb. 22: Letters to the editor Editorials Our View: Smell of trouble may spark marijuana limits Voter bill secures a fundamental right Our view: Will Brown reach out to rural Oregon? Our view: Expulsions hurt students, district, community Our View: Independent Party of Oregon faces obstacles Letters to the Editor Feb. 23: Letters to the editor Feb. 22: Letters to the editor Feb. 20: Letters to the editor Feb. 19: Letters to the editor Letters to the editor, Feb. 18 Columns Parker: Cable news twists the 'war on Islam' Independent Party focuses on the public interest Milbank: Walker's cowardice on view in NY Will: Tweet this: Digital dialogue won't work 'Big' government is not so big after all Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Weed killers should not be sprayed on streams, homes Guest Opinion: Understanding Wes Cooley Guest Opinion: Smokers: Quit before this happens to you Guest Opinion: Our public school system is a stew pot of clashing ingredients Guest Opinion: How long will we look the other way? Lifestyle Latest stories Day Trippin': Mill Creek Falls easy to miss Blog: HAIKU MONDAY: On Sunscreen Steelhead and Flat Earthers Ride & Drive: 2015 VW Golf R Kitchen Call: Baseball, beans and Bob Motley Gail Ciampa: Scrod Francaise fits the bill for Lenten dining Food Kitchen Call: Baseball, beans and Bob Motley Gail Ciampa: Scrod Francaise fits the bill for Lenten dining Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015 Fire and Smoke Tammy Kelly: Comfort food makes cold weather better Home and Garden Home Help: Low-maintenance landscaping ideas Garden Cameos: Winter is the time to prune How to install energy-efficient windows the right way Dear Monty: Nine downsizing tips for seniors Carol Link: Prime time for pruning blueberries approaches Health Community blog: And if I Die Before I Wake Dr. Murray Feingold: Does a sedentary lifestyle make you prone to disease? Dr. Jeff Hersh: Breathe easy - all about lung function Health Watch: Health improvements you can make today that will pay off for a lifetime Runners’ Corner: Helpful winter running hints Hiking Biking Faith Religion briefs: Friday, Feb. 20 Religion News: Pope makes surprise shantytown visit Religion briefs: Friday, Feb. 13 RELIGION BRIEFS, Feb. 6 Religion News: Church of England consecrates first female bishop Milestones and Achievements Anniversary: Hofer New arrivals: Sunday, Feb. 8 Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories SOU presents 'She Stoops to Conquer' Live Music in Local Clubs OSF kicks off its 2015 season SOU presents 'The Glass Menagerie' Third Fridays showcases local artists Theater SOU presents 'She Stoops to Conquer' 'The Glass Menagerie' is polished and professional OSF kicks off its 2015 season SOU presents 'The Glass Menagerie' Le Cirque presents 'City Walk' Music Professor Gall plays Oberon's Tavern Live Music in Local Clubs The music that made Paris famous Blues Jam at The Little Brown Jug Southern Oregon Jazz Orchestra Community Events Third Fridays showcases local artists Southern Oregon Rod and Custom Show Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Jacksonville celebrates Chinese New Year Comedian Susan Westenhoefer pulls no punches Dining Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015 Saigon Xich Lo Vietnamese cuisine The zwickels shall flow Soo Rah Korean Cuisine Stylish shareables are the feature at Brickroom Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines/Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW Man critically burned in trailer fire ... Medford, Ashland districts fall short of anti-bullying standards ... Medford's second-hand law gets a second look ... Man critically burned in trailer fire ... Medford, Ashland districts fall short of anti-bullying standards ... Medford's second-hand law gets a second look ... ANOTHER VIEW Parker: Cable news twists the 'war on Islam' Comment By Kathleen Parker Washington Post MailTribune.com By Kathleen Parker Washington Post Posted Feb. 23, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Kathleen Parker Washington Post Posted Feb. 23, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News Channel-surfing the nightly cable news, one is reminded that certitude is the enemy of sanity. On both Fox News and MSNBC, conversation has centered lately on the proposed war against the Islamic State and President Obama's related summit with religious leaders. On Fox, the summit was viewed as an exercise in "community organizing" that was divorced from reality. The right is also insistent that Obama call the war something other than a war against extremists who distort Islam, though I'm not sure what this would be. For clarification, when I wrote recently that we were finally able to admit that we're fighting a religious war, it was in the context of recognizing that our enemy is fighting a religious war. This acknowledgment is neither to condemn all of Islam nor to ignore the nature of the enemy. But I certainly don't expect, nor would I want, the president of the United States to declare war against Islam. This would be utter lunacy. Thus, it isn't clear what exactly the right is after. The standard argument is that if you don't name the enemy, you can't defeat it. This seems at least a non sequitur. You can call a bear a puppy, but this doesn't change the nature of the beast — nor the way one would approach it. "Come here you adorable wittle puppy" isn't going to get your face licked by a bear. Well, at least not right at first. MSNBC focused on remarks by State Department spokesperson Marie Harf, who earlier had said to MSNBC's Chris Matthews, "We cannot kill our way out of this war," and that we need to go after "the root causes that lead people to join these groups, whether it's a lack of opportunity for jobs … ." If Republicans and Democrats wanted a clear strategy before they sign off on authorization to use military force against the Islamic State, this probably wasn't it. Harf's statement likely needed about 12 pages of context to sound rational. Instead it seemed naive and, frankly, silly. There is no evidence that the young men who find beheadings conducive to self-fulfillment and eternity among virgins (how do they remain virgins when so many are clamoring to defile them?) are unemployed, uneducated or dissatisfied with family life. What drives them is ideological/religious zeal, fueled in part no doubt by images from Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo. It is no coincidence that the Islamic State's victims wear the orange pajamas of Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib, as former U.S. Ambassador to Syria, Rob Ford, noted to Andrea Mitchell. For Obama to try to organize the Muslim community through outreach to its religious leaders makes eminent sense. Without their support, we don't have a chance of stemming the flow of fresh radicals to reinforce the ranks of the Islamic State's armies. This is also why Obama speaks of the distortion of Islam rather than referring to the enemy as "Islamists." The word "Islamist," not to be confused with "Islamism," by the way, was thrust into the American lexicon after 9/11 as a way of referring to radical extremists who don't necessarily distort Islam but rather rely on a fundamentalist interpretation of Islam. But this is an American invention. Without widespread understanding and global acceptance of what the word Islamist intends, its use can be more inflammatory than enlightening. It is too easy to infer condemnation of entire Muslim nations and about 1.6 billion people. It is surely not a word one should wish a president to use. But some on the right, apparently delirious from the fevered swamps through which they slog, conflate Obama's careful wording with lending succor to the Islamic State. In their view, the president doesn't really want to win the war. This is so irrational it can only be explained as bait for Obama-haters. Liberals, meanwhile, stub their toes when they try to cover for their own dimmer lights. More urgent than what to call this war or the enemy is whether we ought to fight it by conventional means. The president promises no boots on the ground; many military leaders say the war can't be won otherwise. If we've learned anything, it is that you don't enter a war unless you intend to win it, which leaves just one option. Americans need only imagine our captured soldiers and Marines being burned to death in cages to appreciate the need for a more imaginative, dare I say nuanced, approach. Ideological certitude obviously has no place in this debate. Kathleen Parker's email address is [email protected]. By Kathleen Parker Washington Post MailTribune.com By Kathleen Parker Washington Post Posted Feb. 23, 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 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. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501