Salem-News.com Op Ed articles Page 25

Op Ed:
Malign Motives
Deny and Damage
Democratic Process

Distortion/Perversion Producing Predicted Consequence.

(SALEM) - In 1776 the Founders of this nation came forth with the conscientious collaborations which brought on a very difficult consensus, resulting in the radical concept of our Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and our American Constitution.

First thing they then did was an Amendment!
An action to become characteristic of all democratic dialog leading on to governance decision ever since.

Op Ed:
Oregon Voters Facing
Character-Test Climax
As Crucial Decision Nears

“Framing”-Research Denigrates Dirty-Attack Ads In Depth.

(SALEM) - For more than twenty years the ongoing, sometimes passionate, linguistic and psychological debate in communications research has been “framing” vs “symbolic logic”.

Skip the academic jargon.

What’s at stake here goes to “the heart of the matter”: How people understand what is said and written in ordinary language.

Op Ed:
Media Character
Mandatory Measure
In Oregon Mess-Up

“Stand Straight and Tell It Like It Is” Only Way Left.

(SALEM) - There comes a time in the affairs of men and women when those shaping the situation via their reports and their Editorial Page declarations must STAND and be held accountable for all published reports.

That’s surely what the Founders had in mind when they made sure the First Amendment, that FIRST ONE --in a world-shaping pattern the envy of the earth ever since.

Saxton Continues to Dodge The Question: What is Your Plan For The State?

Twenty of us were undecided voters until Tuesday night.

(SALEM) - Now I’m no politician, or reporter, and rarely do I have time to get into the middle of a debate over who should be Oregon’s next Governor, but while hosting a party Tuesday night, 20 of us, all undecided voters, started watching KGW’s Gubernatorial debate between Republican Challenger Ron Saxton and current Oregon Governor Democrat Ted Kulongoski.

One thing sure stood out to all of us, Kulongoski has a clear vision and plan for Oregon’s future, Saxton doesn’t, or if he does, won’t tell us what it is until after the election.

Now while Kulongoski has not been a real winner in most people’s eyes during his first term, Saxton is NO better.

Op-Ed: The Political Ploy Playbook `06

Political campaigning is reminiscent of professional theatre. The symbols of the masks of comedy and tragedy are well suited to the playbook of politics.

(SALEM) - With the winds of change gusting forward as we approach Election Day 2006, perhaps it's high time to discuss the windbags and wounds inflicted in that dishonored American Sport known as mud-slinging. Any similarity to mud and the advocacy of a better environment is purely coincidental.

Op Ed:
Candidate-Character
Now Top Concern

Impacts of Ad-Distortion/Perversion Irrevocably Smear Saxton.

(SALEM) - From the very first-shot foot-in-mouth open-attack on each and every State and local public agency worker, corporate counsel Ron Saxton has multiplied and mangled responsible statement of his true stands on each and every issue in the campaign-book.

Op-Ed: Oregon Education
Nears Tipping Point
For Learning Technologies

Education is easy, any time, anywhere --“simply “tell ‘em like it really is....and they learn -- right ?”

(SALEM) - That may have worked in Ancient Greece for the Sophists and brethren philosophers --briefly; but then the Sophists became the original “instructional technologists”.

Necessities for effective communication forced the issue...as it does in every area of modern life, now even more strongly.

What the Sophists invented still guides us as the 21st Century begins: They rationalized and made a routine out of the learning process from first-plan to message evaluation, showing behavior change.
(“Instructional Technology”, p. 245; see end-note.)

Op Ed:
Oregon Education
Now At Tipping Point,
Deserves Full Truth

Kulongoski fights for dollars; Saxton “Disingenuous” at best.

(SALEM) - Never was there a time in Oregon time when a candidate for Governor has been so openly and continuously antagonistic, obstructive, evasive, and generally “disingenuous” as in this one --do you ?

That last-word was publicly applied in a straightforward announcement yesterday that STAND FOR CHILDREN endorses incumbent Governor Ted Kulongoski for reelection.

This striking announcement was made by Executive Director Jonah Edelman who declared that Saxton must know-and-understand what his campaign has done and is doing, and characterizing Saxton as: “disingenuous”.

Facing the Terror within Our Borders: The Democredit Way

CreditLearningCenter.com has released a special editorial feature on credit and debt in America. The following is part one of a two part series: Credit and Debt in America.

(LOS ANGELES) - It's becoming quite clear to most Americans that a serious credit and debt crisis exists in this country. From national budget and trade deficits unprecedented in human history to rising levels of personal and credit card debt, our nation is increasingly threatened by a culture of consumption and credit that is the terror within our borders.

With the government leading the debt parade and citizens falling in line, the borrow-and-spend cycle has stained the democratic way of life we champion, with the red ink of the "democredit" way we live - and it is eating away at the foundations of a great nation.

Op Ed:
Learner-Style, Maturity
Now Must Control Choices
For ALL In 21st Century

Strong Learning-Research Can Guide Educators.

(SALEM) - In Sunday’s OREGONIAN Comics (10/1} Charlie Brown gets suckered AGAIN by the same “snatch away the football”, tricked by the same betrayal-of-trust.

Our Oregon situation is far too threatening to leave serious issues for comic-strip consideration by a canny candidate capable of similar trust-snatching.

Painful impacts sure to surface if we “kick clear air” --to miss the funds-football AGAIN !-- will convulse us much more than Charlie suffered.