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CONTACT US OPINION OTHER VIEWS PHONE: (605) 665-7811 (800) 743-2968 NEWS FAX: The Arctic Isn’t (605) 665-1721 ADVERTISING FAX: (605) 665-0288 WEBSITE: Saved Just Yet www.yankton.net TIMES (Sept. 29): It’s tempting to think of the lat- ––––– est oil-drilling news as a victory: Royal Dutch Shell PLC announced SUBSCRIPTIONS/ that it was ending its barely begun operations in the Arctic seas off CIRCULATION Alaska because its first exploration showed disappointing stores Extension 104 of oil in an area that had been considered one of the most promis- [email protected] ing. The withdrawal from the Beaufort and Chukchi seas follows CLASSIFIED ADS similarly abandoned plans by Exxon and Chevron in other parts of Extension 116 the Arctic. [email protected] Certainly, Shell’s withdrawal is a victory — although perhaps a NEWS DEPT. temporary one — for the environment. Drilling in the seas off Alaska Extension 114 is particularly risky because of stormy waters and unpredictable Thomas E. Simmons [email protected] ice. The area is also home to important marine species, especially SPORTS DEPT. walrus, which could be endangered by spills, among other things. Extension 106 Because no one believed there was enough oil in the Arctic to [email protected] power the United States for more than four years, drilling opera- ADVERTISING DEPT. The Importance tions in the area were never worth the risk. Now, with an even more Extension 122 disappointing show of oil under the seafloor and oil prices crashing, [email protected] Shell decided that, at least for the foreseeable future, it was indeed BUSINESS OFFICE not worth the risk. Extension 119 But in terms of policy, the environment has not won. Shell’s [email protected] Of Punctuation decision was based in large part on the current price of oil, as was NEW MEDIA: Chevron’s. Exxon held off on its exploration plans in the Russian Extension 136 BY THOMAS E. SIMMONS Last year, a student at Yale Law School Arctic because of a political dispute between the United States and University of South Dakota wrote an article on the frequency with which [email protected] Russia — a consortium that included Exxon abandoned plans in COMPOSING DEPT. courts employ dictionaries to make decisions. the Canadian Arctic, saying it could not complete the necessary Last week, two events took place at or un- When a statute uses a word without supply- Extension 129 work before its lease would expire. But if any of a number of factors [email protected] der the auspices of the USD Law School. The ing a statutory definition, the word’s ordinary change — the price of oil rises, a somewhat more bountiful supply first was a celebration of Pierre lawyer Charlie meaning is presumed. What better place to * * * is found in the seas, political disagreements are resolved — oil Thompson; the second was the law students’ assess a word’s ordinary meaning than an MANAGERS companies will be flocking back. The environment wasn’t part of the celebration (or, perhaps more ac- ordinary dictionary? Gary L. Wood consideration here. curately, observation) of National In the United States Supreme Publisher To be sure, Shell officials took a swipe at federal regulators, Punctuation Day. Court’s decision titled Taniguchi v. calling the regulatory climate difficult and unpredictable after the I attended the dinner in Pierre Kan Pacific Saipan (2012), the jus- Michele Schievelbein Interior Department imposed added requirements for renewed honoring Charlie Thompson, an tices scanned several dictionaries for Advertising Director drilling. (The company had been forced to halt earlier efforts after excellent lawyer with many lawyer definitions of the word “interpreter.” Jim Gevens serious mishaps at sea.) That could well be, but it’s the govern- friends. One of the individuals with At issue was whether the Court Inter- Circulation Director ment’s job to protect the environment by whatever requirements whom I spoke was the son of another preters Act covered not only the cost are necessary, and most of the limits imposed on Shell had been superb South Dakota lawyer; I won’t of oral translation services, but also Tonya Schild name that lawyer, but his name is rec- the translation of print. Business Manager worked out with the company over the last several years. It’s true that late in the game, the Interior Department imposed additional ognizable. He is an estates attorney of The Court Interpreters Act was Tera Schmidt rules barring Shell from drilling two wells at the same time within whom his clients might say – as was Thomas E. passed by Congress in 1978, and so Classified Manager a short distance of each other, but that was to protect the area’s said of the great fictional attorney At- SIMMONS the court sought out dictionaries Kelly Hertz walrus population. ticus Finch in “To Kill a Mockingbird”: which were published in 1978. The Editor In the end, Shell decided that for now, the costs were not worth “He can make somebody’s will so American Heritage Dictionary defined the benefits. But the oil company is talking about the economic airtight you can’t break it.” the term as “one who translates James D. Cimburek costs, while the bigger concern should be the environmental risks. Neither the attorney’s son nor his sibling orally from one language into another.” The Sports Editor This is an opportunity for the federal government, which never had gone on to become lawyers themselves. Oxford English Dictionary defined interpreter Beth Rye should have allowed the Shell project to go forward, to reevalu- Perhaps he could have been a lawyer, the as “one who translates languages.” Digital Media Director ate its policies in the still-pristine waters off Alaska. At this point, young man speculated, since he liked to argue. “Based on our survey of the relevant the nation’s energy efforts should be focused on cleaner sources The way in which the young man expressed dictionaries,” the majority concluded, “the Kathy Larson himself exhibited a sensitivity to language, a ordinary or common meaning of ‘interpreter’ Composing Manager that don’t contribute to global warming, thus protecting the Arctic from both drilling and from the already troubling effects of climate care with words, diction, and emphasis. does not include those who translate writings. change. “I disagree,” I told him. “I think you would Instead, we find that an interpreter is normally make a fine lawyer. Not because you have understood as one who translates orally from argumentative skills but because you are a one language to another.” * * * wordsmith. You think about using the right The importance of words and punctuation DAILY STAFF words.” is seldom lost on a skilled attorney. Humorists Reilly Biel If mathematics is the language of science, also rely on a sensitivity to language. Perhaps Cassandra Brockmoller IN HISTORY then language is the language of law. We struc- you’ve seen the T-shirts that proclaim: “Punc- Brandi Bue ture our society and our relationships with tuation saves lives” followed by two contrast- Rob Buckingham Caryn Chappelear By The Ten years ago: Three suicide bomb- others with laws. The rule of law is composed ing examples: “Let’s eat, grandma!” And then: Today is Thursday, October 1, the ers struck three restaurants in Bali, Indo- in language and so ultimately it is language “Let’s eat grandma!” The comma — and its Randy Dockendorf 274th day of 2015. There are 91 days left nesia, killing 20 victims. U.S. millionaire Jeannine Economy in the year. scientist Gregory Olsen and an American- which structures our world in very important placement — makes a difference. Rachel Frederick Today’s Highlight in History: On Russian crew blasted off from Kazakhstan ways. Words and punctuation in statutes matter Jeremy Hoeck October 1, 1940, the first section of the on a journey to the international space According to the Internet, punctuation because that is how the law is written; not by Nicole Myers Pennsylvania Turnpike — described as station. once saved a man’s life. The Czar of Russia had arbitrary fiat or with gut reactions, but with Robert Nielsen America’s first superhighway — opened Five years ago: White House Chief Diana Smallwood to the public, stretching 160 miles from of Staff Rahm Emanuel, planning an ul- handed down a death sentence to an accused language. David Stephenson Carlisle to Irwin. timately successful Chicago mayoral run, man. To the man’s jailer, the Czar wrote: “Par- Cathy Sudbeck On this date: In 1890, Congress relinquished his post to Pete Rouse. CNN don Impossible. To be executed.” Thomas E. Simmons is an assistant professor passed the McKinley Tariff Act, which fired anchor Rick Sanchez a day after he JoAnn Wiebelhaus raised tariffs to a record level. called Jon Stewart a bigot during a radio The jailer sympathized with the condemned at the University of South Dakota School of Law Brenda Willcuts In 1908, Henry Ford introduced his interview in which he also questioned man and transposed the Czar’s writ by manipu- in Vermillion. Simmons’ views are his own and Alissa Woockman Model T automobile to the market. whether Jews should be considered a lating its punctuation: “Pardon. Impossible to not those of USD. In 1932, of the New York minority. Georgy Arbatov, 87, a foreign be executed.” The man’s life was spared. Yankees made his supposed called shot, policy adviser to Soviet presidents and * * * hitting a against Chicago’s the Kremlin’s top America watcher, died Published Daily Charlie Root in the fifth inning of Game 3 in Moscow. of the World Series, won by the New York One year ago: Secret Service Di- Monday-Saturday Yankees 7-5 at Wrigley Field. rector Julia Pierson abruptly resigned In 1939, Winston Churchill described in the face of multiple revelations of se- Boehner’s Exit Doesn’t Help Periodicals postage Russia as “a riddle wrapped in a mystery curity breaches, bumbling in her agency paid at Yankton, South inside an enigma” during a radio address and rapidly eroding confidence that the BY LEONARD PITTS JR. to hold their breath until they get their way. Dakota, under the act of on the invasion of Poland by Nazi Ger- president and his family were being kept many and the Soviet Union. safe. (Pierson was succeeded by Joseph Tribune Content Agency With apologies to kids — who, after all, have March 3, 1979. the excuse of being kids — there are echoes of Weekly Dakotian In 1955, the situation comedy “The Clancy.) In a striking public rebuke, the Honeymooners,” starring Jackie Gleason, Obama administration warned Israel that established June 6, 1861. Wonderful. that kind of behavior in this last five years of Art Carney, Audrey Meadows and Joyce plans for a controversial new housing pro- That’s just what the conservative move- governance by threat, high-stakes brinksman- Yankton Daily Press and Randolph, premiered on CBS-TV. ject in east Jerusalem would distance Is- Dakotian established April In 1957, the motto “In God We Trust” rael from “even its closest allies” and raise ment needs right now. Less adult supervision. ship and fiscal hostage-taking: In fact, a new 26, 1875. began appearing on U.S. paper currency. questions about its commitment to seek- But with the fall last week of House Speaker such fight was brewing even as Boehner called Postmaster: Send In 1961, of the New York ing peace with Palestinians. John Boehner — more accurately, it quits. Hardline conservatives want to Yankees hit his 61st home run during a Today’s Birthdays: Former Presi- address changes to Yankton 162-game season, compared to Babe dent Jimmy Carter is 91. Actress-singer with his decision to resign because — all together now — shut down the Daily Press & Dakotan, Ruth’s 60 home runs during a 154-game Julie Andrews is 80. Actress Stella Ste- life is too short for Ted Cruz — that government unless it defunds Planned 319 Walnut, Yankton, SD season. (Tracy Stallard of the Boston Red vens is 77. Rock musician Jerry Martini is precisely what conservatives Parenthood. 57078. Sox gave up the round-tripper; the Yan- (Sly and the Family Stone) is 72. Baseball kees won 1-0.) Hall-of-Famer Rod Carew is 70. Jazz mu- now have. It is a development with Republican Rep. Peter King prob- * * * In 1964, the Free Speech Movement sician Dave Holland is 69. Actress Yvette sobering implications far beyond ably put it best when he said of Boeh- began at the University of , Freeman is 65. Actor Randy Quaid is 65. the political right. ner’s resignation: “I think it signals that MEMBERSHIPS Berkeley. Japan’s first high-speed “bullet Rhythm-and-blues singer Howard Hewett Not that you’d have known this crazies have taken over the party.” train,” the Tokaido Shinkansen, went into is 60. Alt-country-rock musician Tim The Yankton Daily operation between Tokyo and Osaka. O’Reagan (The Jayhawks) is 57. Singer from the bacchanal of celebration Ya think? Heck, some of us — in- Press & Dakotan is a In 1965, the science-fiction novel Youssou N’Dour is 56. Actor Esai Morales the news set off among con- cluding some Republicans — have member of the Associ- “Dune” by Frank Herbert was published is 53. Retired MLB All-Star Mark McG- servatives. Republican Sen. Marco been saying that for years. Moreover, ated Press, the Inland by Chilton Books. The Byrds’ single “Turn! wire is 52. Actor Christopher Titus is 51. Daily Press Association Turn! Turn!” was released by Columbia Actress-model Cindy Margolis is 50. Rock Rubio was swamped by a roar of Leonard the unruliness of the tea party seems and the South Dakota Records. singer-musician Kevin Griffin (Better Than approbation when he announced part and parcel of a more general Newspaper Association. In 1971, Walt Disney World opened Ezra) is 47. Actor Zach Galifianakis is 46. the resignation at the Values Voter PITTS lawlessness that has afflicted the once- The Associated Press near Orlando, Florida. Singer Keith Duffy is 41. Actress Sarah Summit in Washington. Sen. Cruz, upon-a-time party of law and order. is entitled exclusively In 1987, eight people were killed when Drew is 35. Actor-comedian Beck Bennett to use of all the local an earthquake measuring magnitude 5.9 is 31. Actress Jurnee Smollett is 29. Ac- who has long been Boehner’s chief Consider how GOP presidential candi- news printed in this struck the Los Angeles area. tress Brie Larson is 26. tormentor, seemed ready to lead a conga line dates rushed to lionize Kentucky bureaucrat newspaper. In 1995, Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman Thought for Today: “Everybody fa- as he joked about it before the same gather- Kim Davis, who, in declining to issue marriage and nine other defendants were convicted vors free speech in the slack moments ing. licenses to same-sex couples, did only what * * * in New York of conspiring to attack the when no axes are being ground.” — United States through bombings, assas- Heywood C. Broun, American journalist And here, it might be instructive to remind George Wallace and Orval Faubus did once SUBSCRIPTION sinations and kidnappings. (1888-1939). ourselves of the nature of Boehner’s supposed upon a time: refused to abide by a Supreme RATES* apostasy. He was, after all, aligned with his Court ruling. Unable to vindicate their ideals (Payable in advance) FROM THE BIBLE persecutors on pretty much every issue of within the rules, conservatives seem increas- CARRIER DELIVERY substance. The Affordable Care Act? Guns? ingly unwilling to be constrained by rules or, 1-month...... $12.09 Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he The debt ceiling? There was not a scintilla of indeed, by much of anything. 3 months...... $36.27 daylight between him and them. These are the forces that felled Boehner, 6 months...... $72.53 is very useful to me for ministry. 2 Timothy 4:11. Portals of Prayer, Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis. But what we’ve learned since the tea party and you might describe it as a case of just de- 1-year...... $133.09 came to town is that being right — as in right serts given that the speaker once supported, MOTOR ROUTE wing — is no longer enough. Now you must and saw political benefit from, the unleashing (where available) LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 1 month...... $14.51 be so unyielding in your rightness that you’d of those selfsame forces. But what happened rather damage the country than seek common here is not good for any of us. Governance in 3 months...... $43.53 by the local voters. 6 months...... $87.05 A Tough Job ground with the other side. To do so is to risk a democracy requires give and take between The Yankton County commis- being tarred, as Boehner was, as spineless and at least two political parties. More and more, 1 year...... $139.14 Don Munson, Yankton MAIL IN RETAIL sioners have a difficult decision weak. we seem to find ourselves one party short, the When I served in the South and addressed the need to Trade Zone Dakota Legislature, there were In the end, then, his sin was that he was a GOP choosing instead to function as a cult or 1-month...... $16.93 maintain and upgrade the county pragmatist; he understood, as Ronald Reagan belief system. 3 months...... $50.79 several former county commis- roads and bridges. This costs sioners in the Legislature. I asked did, as Bill Clinton did, as every successful Boehner’s departure does not help. It only 6 months...... $101.57 money. That is a problem at the leader in a democratic system must, that poli- removes one more adult from the equation in 1-year...... $148.82 some of the former county com- county level. The county govern- missioners which public service tics is the art of compromise. His sin is that a party that doesn’t have any to spare. MAIL OUTSIDE ment has very limited revenue he was a grown-up in a Congress of tea party RETAIL TRADE ZONE position was the hardest. These sources compared to city of state former county commissioners children who made a calculated decision to Leonard Pitts is a columnist for The Miami 1 month...... $19.35 governments. That is a problem. render that body inert and ungovernable Herald, 1 Herald Plaza, Miami, Fla., 33132. 3 months...... $58.05 stated the elected position was Regardless of the vote 6 months...... $116.09 the hardest. They stated the outcome, I applaud the county rather than yield, even in the face of inevitable Readers may contact him via e-mail at lpitts@ 1-year...... $186.33 elected position at the county commissioners for addressing discredit and defeat. miamiherald.com. * Plus applicable sales tax level was the hardest as every this issue. One is reminded of how toddlers will some- © 2015 The Miami Herald for all rates decision was closely scrutinized times throw temper tantrums and threaten