Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/100608
6A Daily News ��� Wednesday, December 26, 2012 Opinion Right on Don DAILY NEWS RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U NTY 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 letters from its readers on timely topics of public interest. All letters must be signed and provide the writer���s home street address and home phone number. 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 submitted will be considered for publication. Letters will be edited. Letters are published at the discretion of the editor. Mission Statement We believe that a strong community 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 vehicles. The Daily News will reflect and support the unique identities of Tehama County and its cities; record the history of its communities and their people and make a positive difference in the quality of life for the residents 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 Editor: Congratulations to Don Polson regarding his commentary article "Outrage...." in the Dec. 18 edition of the Daily News. Don, you are spot on. Every citizen, man, women and child old enough to understand should read and live by our second amendment and defend our right to bear arms. We should never let anyone, least of all the government, take away our guns and prevent us from defending ourselves and our loved ones. Nothing more needs to be said. Joe Mandolfo, Red Bluff Symptoms or causes? Editor: NRA and gun control advocates seem to agree on treating the symptoms rather than the cause of violence with guns. When you have a medical issue do you prefer a doctor who treats symptoms or the cause? Perhaps it���s time to identify the cause of violence and then seek a lasting solution. Maybe a better understanding of mental health and human nature is needed. Steve Kelsey, Corning How to make a monster Editor: Tea Party Crazy Don Polson thinks the way to attract more tourists, business and decent people to our area is to put an assault weapon in every Tehama County teacher���s hand. Hopefully, our new Sheriff Dave Hencratt doesn't spend to much time pandering to this group of fanatics and decide to do just that. How would the Branding committee market a Tea Party controlled Tehama County. Maybe put teachers with guns on the cover of Tehama magazine! Teacher���s have to purchase their own Uzi or Glock. Both hang nicely off the shoulder and come in colors of Communist gray or Nazi black. Looks spectacular with camo jumpsuits teachers will wear. They will have to pay for own training, on their own time, with less time to grade papers. In Polson?s school system, teachers are paid minimum wage with no union and should be happy to have weekends and summers off. No way, Tea party schools are going to pay for guns, training or increased pay for teachers/police. My hearty breaks for those 26 people massacred as a byproduct of Polson and radical right���s America of hate, bigotry and greed. Let���s look at the actual components of how America creates monster and relates to the political vomit Polson and his Party spew. Take one innocent child with some form of untreated mental illness. Add a dose of child abuse, drugs, alcoholism, while ignoring them and their when we have people like Polschool work. Add a large dose son and KBLF���s Cal Hunter of society thriving on extreme spewing their bigotry and hate violence fueled by people, against teachers, unions, illewho think the way to deal with gals, women, liberals, while guns killing people is to put putting down the community, who seems to tolermore guns into more ate, even agree with hands. Add a parent, it. who thinks the way Your Twenty-six people to bond with their being slaughtered in tormented child is to ten minutes can be share their obsession stopped with a ban on of paranoia and weaponry. Slice in an under- assault weapon with multiple funded school and mental murder rounds magazines; bethealth system, cut to shreds by ter background checks and Republican legislature. regulations; more money for Increase access and availabili- mental health and schools; ty to assault weapons. Frost more homeless shelters and with a large dollop of greed rehabs to give people a hand from Hollywood making mil- up, instead of ignoring them, lions off of blood and gore. while they rob us, openly do Top with a cherry of too much drugs and destroy our slough; time playing violent and more police and prisons to get bloody video games ��� and real criminals caught and you have an American mon- behind bars. All things Polson and his heartless, conservaster. What do all of these ingre- tives crazies want to cut! Most importantly, we need dients have in common, most are protected by our Constitu- Jesus. Not the Religious tion, a document not written in Right���s Jesus, who think stone, but crafted to evolve teachers are overpaid and though Amendments or deci- under worked; who only want sions by the Supreme Court, as illegals in our country to do common sense and knowledge back breaking labor we won���t do, or who disdain the poor prevail. The safe days of my youth and protect the rich; but the are gone. We need to amend humble Jesus, who gathers the rights that are murdering children, poor and afflicted to Him and loves and cares for America���s most innocent. I am embarrassed, horrified them unconditionally. Until and baffled by my country, we have Him in our hearts and county and local newspaper. our homes, there is no hope for How is Tehama County going America or the world, no matto attract decent people and ter what laws we pass. Pat Johnston, Red Bluff business to our community, Turn Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN ��� Jim Nielsen (R) State Capitol Bldg., Room 6031 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 319-2002; Fax (916) 319-2102 STATE SENATOR ��� Doug LaMalfa (R) State Capitol Bldg., Room 3070 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 651-4004; Fax (916) 445-7750 GOVERNOR ��� Jerry Brown, State Capitol Bldg., Sacramento, CA 95814; (916) 445-2841; Fax (916) 558-3160; E-mail: governor@governor.ca.gov. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE ��� Wally Herger (R), 2595 Ceanothus Ave., Ste. 182, Chico, CA 95973; 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; (510) 286-8537. Fax (202) 2240454. Commentary Abner the volunteer dog I got word last week that Abner had died ��� Abner the dog. Abner had been a "volunteer" at the Little Sisters of the Poor retirement home in Pittsburgh, one of the many private facilities that provide high-quality care and compassion to the elderly poor within 31 countries. I first wrote about him in 2007. As it went, Abner was brought to the Little Sisters home in 2005 when his owner, Gorman Walker, became a resident. Gorman and his wife, Doris, had gotten Abner as a puppy in 1999. At that time, Doris had been battling cancer. Gorman thought a dog would inspire her to go walking every day. The couple visited a farmer who'd bred a litter of Brittany spaniels. There were only three puppies left when they arrived. One ran to Doris and immediately made his affection known. Gorman and Doris knew right away they'd found their pup. Doris named him Abner after her childhood dog. Abner produced the desired results ��� Doris took him for a long walk every morning. The two were soon inseparable. In January 2005, Doris' cancer finally caught up with her. Gorman did his best to carry on after Doris was gone, but it wasn't easy. They'd been married 53 years. He missed her desperately. Thank goodness he still had Abner. But Gorman's health began to deteriorate. He'd had heart issues for years but was so busy caring for Doris, he had no choice but to keep going. Without her, his heart weakened rapidly. Gorman knew he couldn't take care of himself anymore, but where to go? Most retirement homes didn't allow pets. The thought of parting with Abner was unbearable. Then providence intervened. See, for nearly 20 years, Gorman had been a Little Sisters of the Poor volunteer. The sisters at the home had cared for Gorman's mother in her last days; he began volunteering his time and services there after she died. In the process, he befriended many wonderful people. Two good friends were Dan and Kitty Hilinski, who had begun volunteering in 1994 after the sisters cared for Kitty's mother. Dan and Kitty were aware of Gorman's predicament. They had the perfect solution. You see, after so many years of giving, Gorman suddenly needed to receive. Just as he was no longer able to care for him- him he'd soon be back with Gorman and Doris, self, a space opened up as well as with at the Little Sisters resianother wonderful dence. Gorman had woman, Patricia found his home. Lowe, who'd cared So had Abner. for him after GorDan and Kitty adoptman died. ed the dog. Since they And so, Abner volunteered at the was put to rest. home four days every I was sad to learn week ��� and still do ��� Abner is no longer with Abner was able to visit us. Then I realized the Gorman plenty, and joy he'd brought into did. In fact, Abner went my own life ��� look at on to become the house Tom all the wonderful peodog, bringing cheer to ple he helped me to many residents at the meet. I marveled at the home. joy he had brought into Gorman would live at the Little Sisters home for the lives of so many. And now you know about three wonderful years. He died the incredible life of Abner the on Dec. 6, 2008. But Abner's work contin- volunteer dog. (The Little Sisters of the ued. He continued bringing joy to elderly residents until Dec. Poor relies on private dona6, 2012 ��� his last day as the tions. To donate time or money, visit www.littlesisterhome's volunteer dog. He was nearly 14, after all. softhepoor.org or call 412-307He was suffering from cancer. 1268.) With bad joints in his knees Tom Purcell, a humor and hips, he had difficulty standing. He was no longer columnist for the Pittsburgh able to make his rounds at the Tribune-Review, is nationally syndicated exclusively by home. On his last day, when he Cagle Cartoons newspaper was taken to the veterinarian, syndicate. Visit Tom on the Dan and Kitty were beside Web at www.TomPurcell.com e-mail him at themselves with grief. They or comforted Abner. They told Purcell@caglecartoons.com. Purcell