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4A – Daily News – Saturday, June 26, 2010 Opinion Ragin’ Cajun 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 Editor: There was a group in the barber shop near the Tractor Store the other day and, just like Floyd's Barber Shop in Mayberry, the talk got around to fishing This time, it was crawfishing, and that led to last weekend's Crawfish Festival in Red Bluff. 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 Then someone wondered where the crawfish were going to come from. The crawfish had been ordered from Louisiana, he said, but what about the oil spill? How can Red Bluff introduce a crawfish festival without crawfish? It happens that I married a Louisiana Cajun during WWII and we've lived, off and on, in Bayou Country ever since. Our four half- Cajun kids never acquired the dialect but did learn bateau han- dling, mink hunting and crawfish trapping from a master, their Cajun grandfather Russell Picou. I was confident enough to say I thought the crawfish crop was safe but sent an email inquiry to the heart of Cajun Country, just to be sure. Shirley Bourgiois phoned a reply almost immediately. She said, "Don' ya'll worry dem craw- fish. Ole Man River still runs nort' to sout'. Any oil tries to get to dem crawfish get washed right back to Gulf of Mexico. All water come down de Mississippi don't go pas' New Orleans, no. Corps of Engi- neers open big gates, lots of water go out tru swamps, yeah. Dat's wha' dem crawfish is, swamps. Don' ya'll worry ‘bout dem craw- fish, none at all." And so, whether you know about the shelled tails of Cajun pot-boiled crawfish and could hardly wait until Friday, or have never tasted any of the "mud bugs" but want to see what people rave about, don' worry you. None at all. Allen Barker, Red Bluff Patriotism Editor: Can any of you imagine the intensity of our founding fathers’ patriotism? I would say that no one since has even come close. To compare what we feel and what we are doing for our country; can it be the same caliber, the same all consuming need to protect our country’s freedom? To begin with, I would say most people believe that we the people, the ordinary Americans, are more patriotic than our elected govern- ment officials. And what of the non-elected government workers? How many of those government people would be willing to lay down their lives for America’s freedom? Our American heroes are everyday Americans, from all walks of life. They are the men and women that make up our military, who are willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Times change and people have grown complacent, society has run amuck. The down hill slope is slick and dangerous. Is it too late? Can America’s grassroots movement to take its country back, accomplish their goal? Absolutely. For the people who have been thinking the Tea Party movement would not Your Turn last, think again. American patriots are making a difference and we aren’t done. Rich or poor, black or white, short, fat, man, woman or child they are all a part of the movement. We want adherence to the Con- stitution, we want fiscal responsi- bility and we want the freedom to remain a free society with the opportunities to achieve financial stability and success, the right to pursue happiness, the right to life for everyone. Our country was founded on God, the God who created us; and our government thinks they can remove God from our way of life? I shudder to think of the account- ability for those involved in that process. What is the most impor- tant thing in our lifetime? To believe without doubting that there is but one true God, and that you ask for forgiveness of sin and receive salvation. After this is fam- ily, friends and country. We are a Godly people, yet we all are sinners. Not a one amongst us is without sin. We should not judge one another, yet it is our responsibility to uphold the law of our country, it is our responsibility to overthrow an unjust gov- ernment. The battle must be won with ballots, not bullets. As we get ready to celebrate our independence please don’t for- get the men involved, the impor- tance of their work and the free- doms they granted to the US and its legal inhabitants. The 4th of July shouldn’t just be about picnics, camping and fire- works. Please make sure your chil- dren and grandchildren know who our founding fathers are and what they risked and accomplished. Every American needs to stand up and protect what our founding fathers did for us. We as Ameri- cans owe it to our country, stand up, stand strong and don’t back down, we are America. God bless our troops, and God bless our country. Patty Smith, Paskenta 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. Roses by another name Commentary Most of you who know me also know I like to play with words. Words are funny things; you can use them in creative ways to paint your own picture of reality. Some- times we use them in ways that dis- guise reality. I often think of what Humpty Dumpty told Alice in Alice in Wonderland. “When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less.” We are all guilty of Humpty Dumpty’s prideful use of words at one time or another and we also occasionally use words in ways that may not be immediately obvi- ous to whoever is listening to us. Sometimes we use words to cause an effect. Words can be powerful tools and lots of fun. Whenever I leave a list of instructions for the person who will look after our house and our cats while we travel, I always refer to the objects that need to be removed from the cats’ litter boxes as “cat product.” I give a little snicker when I use this euphemism, reminding myself how clever I think I am. We use euphemisms many times when we try to avoid dis- gusting details or unpleasant things. The other day I noticed the local paper reported police had to use an “impact weapon” on a recal- citrant suspect. Most of us, of course, would think of “billy club”, “nightstick” or “baton”, but when we saw the term “impact weapon” most of us probably snickered at this “rose of another name.” Regardless of its label, I am sure the blow from the object in the police officer’s hand must have hurt and was effective, no matter what its name. Next thing you know we will be calling pepper spray an aerosol deterrent or the taser will become an electrical dis- incentive. I know that policemen do not routinely pummel folks with vari- ous weapons; they only use weapons when there are no alter- natives. I remember walking home from San Francisco State when I was taking a few graduate courses during the riots in the 60s; things were pretty tense; we had to be locked into our classrooms, and some professors seemed more than sympathetic to the rioters. As I passed a line of San Francisco policemen, the sergeant in charge was demonstrating how to use the “impact weapon” carefully to min- imize damage. He said, “Be care- ful, these things can hurt some- one.” Clearly the police were con- cerned about hurting demonstra- tors and rioters as much or more so than the demonstrators and rioters were concerned for their own well being. So let’s give that policeman a break and not make it look like a cover up by using a euphemism. Everyone keeps referring to the British Petroleum disaster in the Gulf as a “spill.” My grandson spilled his cereal yesterday; it was easy to clean up and there were no environmental repercussions. In the case of BP’s accident such words as disaster, fiasco and mas- sive failure come to minds. Spills usually go down, not up. What BP has created is a major eruption of uncertain magnitude and effect. BP couldn’t even “spill the beans” about their mistake; they were able to avoid letting us know about the magnitude of their rush to profits until outside experts told us both BP’s and the government’s “esti- mates” were wrong. BP made another ver- bal gaffe when it pro- claimed it cared about the “small people”; BP also revealed how out of touch it is with the real world. Its emergency plan for the Gulf had contingencies for deal- ing with walruses. While walruses are not currently an issue in the Gulf, nor have they been since man has been around, it is unclear, however, whether BP is planning to drill for oil in Lilliput, home of the real small people. There are rumors it has hired Jonathan Swift as a consultant on a secret project, however. Prior to the Gulf problem BP had advertized that “BP” stood for “beyond petroleum.” It seems that they really think of themselves as the “Big People.” Back to euphemisms: We use euphemisms to soften the blow of words that describe something we would rather not discuss, thus the terms “powder room” or “monthly visitor.” References to death have a long list of euphemisms: someone is gone, has passed, or is in a better place. Politicians often create the opposite of euphemisms to make things sound worse than they are. “Death tax” comes to mind. I know both death and taxes are inevitable, but I always thought the advent of one precluded any heavenly oblig- ation for the other. Joe Harrop In California we call the differ- ence between state income and budgeted expenditures a “gap”. My cousin has a gap in his teeth, and he can spit watermelon seeds through it. I am not sure he could spit $20 plus billion though his teeth, however. ”Chasm” may be a better descriptor of the enormous deficit the state ignores, but even that does not do it jus- tice. Just the other day the citizens’ committee that establishes legislative and statewide elected officials’ salaries and benefits decided not to cut or increase their compensation this year. Last year they did cut them. Simultaneously the legisla- ture again missed the deadline for submitting a budget. The newspa- pers continue to talk about what state officials “earned.” Usually “earning” implies accomplish- ment. Perhaps we can create a good euphemism for what our elected officials are doing with their time in Sacramento. Remem- ber, any euphemism should be a polite way to talk about unpleasant matters. Such terms as “Sacro- mantizing” or “evasology” might qualify. Joe Harrop is a retired educator with more than 30 years of service to the North State. He can be reached at DrJoeHarrop@sbcglobal.net.