Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/130400
6A Daily News – Wednesday, May 15, 2013 Opinion 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 Harlem Ambassadors Editor: On Wednesday, May 8, the Red Bluff Spartan Booster Club hosted the Harlem Ambassadors professional show basketball team for a night of high-flying slam dunks, hilarious comedy and feelgood family entertainment. The Harlem Ambassadors would like to extend a special thank you to event organizers Ken Robison, Julianna Peoples and Stephanie Dodero who planned and promoted the game. The Booster Hoopsters proved to be an energetic, enthusiastic and challenging team and we thank all of the players for their good sportsmanship. The event would not have been possible without the support and generosity of local community sponsors, the Red Bluff Spartan Booster Club members and the event volunteers. The Harlem Ambassadors thank the community of Red Bluff for its warm hospitality and look forward to returning to Red Bluff in the future. Dale Moss, Fort Collins, Colo. Heartwarming Editor: The folks that have the courage to get out and travel around town in a wheel chair are handling a challenge instead of a disability. Last week at the corner of Antelope and the turn off to Food Maxx and Shari's the traffic in all directions was stopped for the fellow in his wheel chair and little box trailer attached. He had waited for his turn to cross the road. It was a very special and heartwarming scene for all the busy cars waiting patiently, not a single horn blown or racing motor suggesting — get out of the way. Then to watch this man with his precious little dog sitting so comfortable and secure on his lap, make a safe trip across this busy intersection and everybody continue on their way. There are lots of problems going on in Red Bluff but this scene makes me feel great. Good old Red Bluff, I'm so glad I live here. Elizabeth Watson, Red Bluff Arias case Editor: In regards to the Jodi Arias case I am sorely disappointed in the behavior of the public. The fact that the American people so easily turn into lynch mobs and the public spectacle created by the trial is a direct reflection upon the inability of our justice system to teach the people that as much as justice is a power to hold people accountable for their actions, it is above all indifferent while in court. There can be no bias, no discrimination, no motivation for justice before there is motivation for understanding the crime and knowing by proof of evidence the alleged perpetrator of the crime. All of this is important, but so is the fact that we don't need a bunch of blood crazed buffoons dancing that call. They were trained in all around Arias while they place a jobs to support the effort of noose around her neck. everyone else. They We are humans, and as have stories to tell, Your such, we should approach too. Stuff does hapjustice with respect. pen behind the Happiness for the famscenes. Their efforts ily of the victim and count. respect for ourselves when If you have never in regards to those found guilty. taken the time to listen to what Only savages would heckle or these warriors did to prepare for gloat before they kill another the call (that never came) you human being. would know that their role was as Dustin Smith, Cottonwood important in keeping our nation free and strong. I believe that our enemies knew that this nation had reserves and guardsmen and women who did their jobs as they were trained to do. Our enemies Editor: knew that. They feared it. They Another Memorial Day is still do. going to be upon us soon. We'll Were they ready, on the job, remember all our heroic men and waiting to serve in combat or in a women who have died in combat war zone? Yes, they were and in peacetime. Their service in because those enemies knew that the American experiment has our trained, ready and waiting always been invaluable for more warriors would be on the way to than 237 years. I believe our crush them as those warriors who founding fathers would be proud did and still do take that call. of each and every veteran of the A few years ago a Cold War US Armed Forces since their Victory Medal was approved at experiment began. They are ful- various levels of our government filling many of the ideals those but it hasn't been authorized for framers had in mind. wear, yet. It matters. Many peaceAbout 80 percent of the peo- time warriors have already purple were sitting on the fence chased their medal out of pocket while the other 20 percent fought so it wouldn't cost the governfor Independence. The 80 per- ment anything. They just can't cent were just waiting to see pin it on, yet. So if you know a which side to fall on. It took peacetime warrior it's okay to courage to fight the fight that thank them, too, along with those would determine our history. who did serve in combat and war You may not know that peace- zones. Remember this every time warriors don't get their sto- Memorial and Veterans Day. It ries told as much as those who keeps America free and strong. took the call to go "in Harms Semper Fidelis to all veterans. Way ." Most, if not all, peacetime John Minton, Red Bluff veterans were and are ready for Turn Peacetime warriors Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Dan Logue, 1550 Humboldt Road, Ste. 4, Chico, CA 95928, 530-895-4217 STATE SENATOR — Jim Nielsen, 2635 Forest Ave., Ste. 110, Chico, CA 95928, (530) 879-7424, senator.nielsen@senate.ca.gov GOVERNOR — Jerry Brown, State Capitol Bldg., Sacramento, CA 95814; (916) 445-2841; Fax (916) 5583160; E-mail: governor@governor.ca.gov. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE — Doug LaMalfa 506 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515, 202-2253076. U.S. SENATORS — Dianne Feinstein (D), One Post Street, Suite 2450, San Francisco, CA 94104; (415) 393-0707. Fax (415) 3930710. Barbara Boxer (D), 1700 Montgomery St., Suite 240, San Francisco, CA 94111; (510) 286-8537. Fax (202) 224-0454. Commentary Speech to the best graduating class ever Students, faculty, family members and friends, it is my great honor to deliver your commencement speech today. It is my opinion that our society must take every opportunity to praise our young people for their hard work and accomplishment, and that is why ceremonies such as this are so important to our country's future. It was not so long ago, after all, that a more conservative America saw things differently. What a harsh place America once was — particularly for our young students. So primitive were educational practices when I was young that our gym teachers forced us to play dodgeball and other competitive games. Can you imagine how humiliating it was to have children whipping big rubber balls at your torso, and if you got hit and failed to catch the ball, you "lost"? Our teachers enjoyed pitting us against each other inside the classroom, too, with competitive quizzes and spelling bees. They kept score, too, which humiliated the losers and greatly damaged their self-esteem. Hard as it is to fathom, my generation played keep-away during recess. One kid carried the ball and everybody else tried to rip it away from him. It was a game about individualism; there was no teamwork, and there were no rules or adults to intervene. It was you against everybody else — and it was most unpleasant. Well, dodgeball, scorekeeping and keep-away are relics of the past. Fortunately, enlightened adults are much more involved with children now, and we are able to spare children the harm their self-esteem would suffer from games and competitions. Thankfully, many enlightened adults are the parents who have contributed greatly to the accomplishments of today's graduates. It was you who stood by, protecting your sons and daughters from every one of life's ills and heartaches. It was you who praised them for every little effort and sought to pump them up with their own self-importance and self-worth. It was not so long ago that parents were not so enlightened. Some parents once believed their children needed to figure out some things out on their own. They actually wanted their children to spend time with competition and by continually giving our children friends without adult praise, ceremonies, supervision, so they awards and commencould learn to socialdations for every silly ize on their own. thing, are setting them They actually wantup for failure as adults ed their children to go — that survival in sled-riding without adulthood will require adults keeping them real performance and safe, so they could results. learn to play and to They say that too engage with nature on many awards and ceretheir own. Thank monies dilute the goodness those days meaning of real are gone! Tom accomplishment and There are some achievement — that who criticize the way events like the one we many parents and celebrate today are adults coddle today's children. They criticize "heli- really designed for the enjoycopter parents" who constantly ment of the adults, who feel the hover over their children and need to live vicariously through come flying in the moment their even the most minor accomchild meets with any challenge plishments of their children. To them, I say: Hogwash! or adversity. And congratulations to the There are some who argue that our coddling is not doing kindergarten Class of 2013! our children any favors — that Tom Purcell, a humor our constant intervention in our children's lives is inhibiting columnist for the Pittsburgh their ability to learn how to Tribune-Review, is nationally invent, discover and grow on syndicated exclusively by their own, and how to make Cagle Cartoons newspaper decisions and adjustments on syndicate. Visit Tom on the Web at www.TomPurcell.com or etheir own. him at They say our efforts to bol- mail ster self-esteem, by prohibiting Purcell@caglecartoons.com. Purcell