Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/19587
6A – Daily News – Saturday, November 13, 2010 Opinion RBUHS football Editor: D NEWSAILY RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U N T Y S I N C E 1 8 8 5 Greg Stevens, Publisher gstevens@redbluffdailynews.com Chip Thompson, Editor editor@redbluffdailynews.com Editorial policy The Daily News opinion is expressed in the editorial. The opinions expressed in columns, letters and cartoons are those of the authors and artists. Letter policy The Daily News welcomes let- ters from its readers on timely topics of public interest. All let- ters must be signed and pro- vide the writer’s home street address and home phone num- ber. Anonymous letters, open letters to others, pen names and petition-style letters will not be allowed. Letters should be typed and cannot exceed two double-spaced pages or 500 words. When several letters address the same issue, a cross section of those submit- ted will be considered for publi- cation. Letters will be edited. Letters are published at the discretion of the editor. Mission Statement We believe that a strong com- munity newspaper is essential to a strong community, creating citizens who are better informed and more involved. The Daily News will be the indispensible guide to life and living in Tehama County. We will be the premier provider of local news, information and advertising through our daily newspaper, online edition and other print and Internet vehi- cles. The Daily News will reflect and support the unique identities of Tehama County and its cities; record the history of its com- munities and their people and make a positive difference in the quality of life for the resi- dents and businesses of Tehama County. How to reach us Main office: 527-2151 Classified: 527-2151 Circulation: 527-2151 News tips: 527-2153 Sports: 527-2153 Obituaries: 527-2151 Photo: 527-2153 On the Web www.redbluffdailynews.com Fax Newsroom: 527-9251 Classified: 527-5774 Retail Adv.: 527-5774 Legal Adv.: 527-5774 Business Office: 527-3719 Address 545 Diamond Ave. Red Bluff, CA 96080, or P.O. Box 220 Red Bluff, CA 96080 This is in response to the let- ter by William Hill: RBUHS Football. I am the cheerleader who made the comment “I don’t want to go to playoffs.” I apolo- gize to the coaches, players and the fans. I am very sorry and take full responsibility for my actions and comment. If I could take back the comment that I made, I would. Now here is the whole story. We cheered the whole game. We stopped at the beginning of the 4th quarter to put on our sweatshirts. I am also an editor for the yearbook and I am responsible for the Varsity Foot- ball team and the Cheerleaders pages. By the way Mr. Hill, I made your son one of the main focuses on the page. It looks awesome; and you can thank me later. I did not have very many pic- tures that I could use of the cheerleaders, due to the weather of the last few games. It was a plan from the beginning to put on our sweatshirts when it got dark and take a picture of all of the senior girls under the lights. We at no time thought that this would upset the fans or affect the outcome of the game. Someone came down from the stands, someone from Mr. Hill’s group, to tell me that we need to start cheering and stop taking pictures. I tried to explain that the pictures were for year- book and we have been cheer- ing and we were going to again. She stated that we are one point away from the playoffs and we can win if we start cheering. That is when my rogue com- ment was made. Again I apologize, and the comment was out of line and a poor choice of words on my part. Since my voice projects more loudly then most, this was overheard by people in the stands. That is when the frenzy began. Several adults turned what was an emotional game into a booing and verbal attack towards me. There were several adults booing and yelling that I needed to be kicked off of the team, that I didn’t deserve to be a cheerleader, and if I was get- ting graded on cheerleading then I should get an F. This was not only shocking, but also very hurtful and scary. I can understand why the parents and fans would be upset about my comment. What I cannot understand is how a group of adults could think that it was OK to boo and yell all of their comments at a teenage girl. I have lived and breathed cheerleading since I was 6 years old. I have cheered for the Buc- caneers, a competition team, and the Spartans. I have cheered from Yreka and San Francisco to Anaheim. But what I have always looked forward to was cheering for the Spartans my senior year as a captain. This to was my very last game, doing a sport that I love. No one will ever know or understand the hard work and dedication I have put into this team. It has been a very long and stressful season for us also. Unfortunately the events of that night have now scarred what should have been great memo- ries that would last a lifetime. I was hoping to move on and for- get about everything that hap- pened last Friday night, obvi- ously Mr. Hill is not willing to do the same. Instead, I was bombarded with more com- ments at school all day Wednes- day due to Mr. Hill’s now even more public attack on not only myself, but also the whole cheerleading squad. What exactly was it that Mr. Hill was trying to accomplish with his letter. Whatever it is I hope he got it and can now let it go. Had he left his comments to the congratulations of the coaches, team and his son, his letter would have been appropriate. I am willing as a teenager, as a young adult, to stand up and take responsibility and apologize for my actions. I would hope that the adults that were involved would be willing to do the same. Instead of plac- ing the blame and pointing fin- gers at the person who they feel caused them to lose control of their emotions and go into a frenzy. Brittany Tatro, Red Bluff Sometimes forgotten silent service Editor: On this Veterans Day I have read many articles regarding the wonderful job our service men and women are doing and I agree wholeheartedly. We sometimes forget or over- look the task they have been given in order to protect our country. The Marines are always there when called upon and the Army is there in full force cer- tainly doing their share. The Air Force has their hands full from up above and let us not forget the Coast Guard who important job it is to guard us here on the home Your Turn front. But.....there is a contin- gent of the Navy that doesn't always receive the recognition it deserves and for a very good rea- son. The public doesn't always know they are there and on sta- tion when called upon. There isn't a lot of press and photos in the paper showing them do their part for security reasons. It is our great Submarine Force. These Sailors go to sea and are always in the thick of everything but you don't see them because of their deep submer- gence stealth and clas- sified missions. If the time ever arrives that these brave men are called upon to engage, rest assured they are there and ready with the latest technology and weaponry known to man. These brave souls aren't depicted in fox holes and fight- ing the ugly sand storms our ground troops must endure, but they are at sea for 2 months or more at a time and this is sub- merged time. They earn their small share of pay received each month and endure the confine- ment without complaint. We only scratch the surface to know what they really go through down there and the long hours and little rest they know. My heart goes out to all of our service men regardless of how and where they serve. So the next time you see a photo in the newspaper of one of our ground troops in a less than favorable situation, give a moment to also thank our Sub- marine Force for their service and all they do. God bless all of our servicemen and I know we look forward to all of them returning home safely. Mac McCollum, Red Bluff Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Jim Nielsen (R), State Capitol Bldg., Room 4164 P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento 94249; (916) 319-2002; Fax (916) 319- 2102 STATE SENATOR — Sam Aanestad (R), State Capitol Bldg., Room 2054, Sacramen- to, CA 95814. (916) 651-4004; Fax (916) 445-7750 GOVERNOR — Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), State Capitol Bldg., Sacramento, CA 95814; (916) 445-2841; Fax (916) 558-3160; E-mail: gover- nor@governor.ca.gov. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE — Wally Herger (R), 2635 Forest Ave. Ste. 100, Chico, CA 95928; 893-8363. U.S.SENATORS — Dianne Feinstein (D), One Post Street, Suite 2450, San Francisco, CA 94104; (415) 393-0707. Fax (415) 393-0710. Barbara Boxer (D), 1700 Montgomery St., Suite 240, San Francisco, CA 94111; (415) 403-0100. Fax (202) 224- 0454. $2 billion in BS Commentary Vice President Joe Biden flew to Texas on Saturday to attend the wedding of his press secretary, Elizabeth Alexander, at the First United Methodist Church in the small community of Cleburne. According to unidentified sources, the vice president's trip is costing American taxpayers more than $75 million dollars, due to increased security and accommo- dations for Biden's staff. "Such expenditures, particular- ly when the nation's economy is suffering, are outrageous and another example of how the cur- rent administration is out of touch with the wishes of the American people," stated Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.). Only the first sentence above is true. Yet, as far-fetched as the rest may seem, it makes a lot more sense than last week’s even loonier story that was accepted at face value, by Bachmann along with Mike Huckabee, Rush Limbaugh and bloggers who jumped at the chance to criticize the administra- tion. The erroneous report: that president Obama's 10-day trip to India and three other Asian coun- tries will cost U.S. taxpayers $2 billion (that's billion, with a "b"). In case you missed it: The Press Trust of India news agency report- ed last week that, according to an unidentified official in the Indian government, Obama's visit will cost $200 million a day. The item was picked up and linked by the conservative website the Drudge Report, then repeated on Fox News Channel by former governor Mike Huckabee. A day later, Rep. Bachmann appeared on CNN and declared: "The president of the United States will be taking a trip over to India that is expected to cost the taxpayers $200 million a day. He's taking 2,000 people with him. He'll be renting out over 870 rooms in India...This is the kind of over-the-top spending (that voters oppose)." The day after that, Rush Lim- baugh, Glenn Beck and Michael Savage all delivered extended radio rants about the $2 billion trip. Only then did other media catch up and make clear that the figures are wildly untrue; that a trip of similar length by President Clinton cost roughly $43 million, total, and Obama's trip would like- ly add up to about the same. The lesson here goes beyond the fact that zealots across the political spectrum, especially on the right, will jump at any chance to use shreds of half- truths and even com- plete falsehoods to build a case of public opinion against their opponents. This was also a laboratory exam- ple of the way in which unchecked and unsub- stantiated stories can go viral on the Internet and global television, giving a half-truth its own half life of many months or even years. Drudge, Limbaugh – and perhaps Bachmann – know very well, with- out research, that the 10-day presidential trip couldn’t possibly cost $2 billion. They said what they did knowing it was false, while also resting assured that as long as it existed some- where in print, even on the website of an Indian news agency, it could be repeated without risk. That’s why, when later confronted with the facts, Bachmann insisted she was only repeating what had appeared in "the press." Indeed, the primary function of Drudge Report – and some would argue Daily Kos on the left – is to be a digital bulletin board for mater- ial that can then be cited as having "been pub- lished." Peter Funt Meanwhile, it's been noted that although $200 million a day is bizarrely out of the question, 200 million Rupees (the Indi- an currency) converts to a far more reasonable sum of about $4.5 mil- lion. Daily tab for a presi- dential journey: 200 mil- lion Rupees. Maintain- ing some semblance of truth and honesty in the digital age: priceless. Peter Funt is a writer and public speaker; he may be reached at www.CandidCamera.com, he's also the long-time host of "Candid Camera." A collection of his DVDs is available at www.candidcamera.com.