Desert Messenger

6 www.DesertMessenger.com January 20, 2021 DESERT MESSENGER Quartzsite's FREE Community Paper Proud to be a Quartzsite Licensed Business 928-916-4235 O� T��� - E���� T���! Founded by Walt Akin October 1, 2004 P�������� �� P���� R��� P��������� C�. P.O. Box 3185 Quartzsite, AZ 85359 P�������� ����� � ����� 1st & 3rd Wednesday Sept. thru May with Special Summer Editions June, July & August OWNER/EDITOR/PUBLISHER GRAPHIC DESIGN/ AP AR MARKETING EXECUTIVE/CLASSIFIEDS Shanana "Rain" Golden-Bear CONTRIBUTING JOURNALIST Jackie Deal CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Starr BearCat NAME PLATE DESIGN Paul Winer www.DesertMessenger.com www.MyQuartzsite.com E-mail: Editor@DesertMessenger.com 2020 © Copyright All Rights Reserved Copyright 2013 Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the Desert Messenger. LIKE US on Facebook.com/ DesertMessengerNews FOLLOW US on Twitter @QuartzsiteRain By Shanana "Rain" Golden-Bear DEADLINE : WED. JAN. 27 TH for Feb. 3 rd edition Desert Messenger News Email: editor@DesertMessenger.com 928-916-4235 www.DesertMessenger.com Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr. DUMP THE DRUGS IN QUARTZSITE! Do you have expired or unused medications? Dispose safely at Quartzsite Police Dept. Mon - Fri. 8 am-5 pm Sponsored by QPD Town of Quartzsite, AZ QUARTZSITE ROCKS! Licensed & Insured BLM Approved! 27 Years Experience 27 Years Experience Miller RV Repair is BACK IN QUARTZSITE! 406-212-0155 Over the past few years, I dis- cussed "Professional Objectivity" taught by my advertising manager at Ashland Daily Tidings back in the early 90's. It's a simple concept. Ba- sically, my personal opinion could not interfere with accepting paid ads. That was easy as an advertising account executive. But now I wear multiple hats in the biz and jour- nalistic objectivity is a much more complicated topic. When it comes to the health of the community, newspaper publishers/editors often weigh ethics vs profi ts. For example, most newspapers stopped accepting cigarrette ads long before legislation was enacted. Yes, every human being has some form of bias. In case you forgot, journalists are also human. We often struggle how to present the news in the best interest for the community we serve. I do believe when we can recognize our biases, we can move beyond them. Using my editorial privileges over the past 13 years, I've encouraged non-violence, and peaceful actions with each other. I often ask decision makers to question how their deci- sion will affect the next seven genera- tions. Sometimes we really do need to think about others before ourselves. The events of January 6th have left many of my colleagues shaken; those who witnessed the insur- rection on the ground and those reporting live on television. Even those of us who just watched it from afar have also been affected. I often attempt to take turbulent situations and encourage folks to learn something from them... the ultimate "teaching moment." But it's kinda hard to turn "Murder the Media" scratched into a door at the US Capitol into a teaching moment today. How about just don't do it!? This dangerous rhetoric harms real people, such as my reporter friends in Parker, Blythe, Phoenix, Oregon, and Washington. Report- ers have resorted to purchasing bul- letproof vests and helmets to add to their pen, paper, tablet, phone checklist. Journalist support groups are overwhelmed with discussions about staying safe while on the job and at home. Yes, your hometown newpapers, too. Expecting journalists to ignore their feelings when being targeted as the "enemy" is just plain ridicu- lous! These are real people with children, spouses, parents, aunties and uncles, and siblings.. who are battling fears of just going to work. This IS who we are now, not who we thought we want to be. In case you were not aware, this paper is a one gal show. No staff, no newsroom fi lled with investigative reporters, no graphics department, and yes, I'm the one to answer the phone. It's just me trying to provide information to this community I call home. You might even notice I don't include my byline on many of my articles, because it's more about the information than who wrote it. I also don't have to impress the boss... all I have to do is look in the mirror. And this past week, I'm doing a lot of deep breathing myself. Bias exists in each one of us, and it's up to us to fi gure out how to love those who disagree with us; how to address our own fears without pro- jecting them onto others. I encourage everyone to have pa- tience and tolerance this week as our small community swells with visitors during a pandemic. We hope you enjoy your visit in our lit- tle piece of heaven. The Sonoran Desert surrounding Quartzsite is a delight to experience. Be sure to pack it in and pack it out, so others may enjoy the untamed beauty of the desert. As our little town turns into a large city by population, it's also good to be mindful of cooperating with each other. We all recognize we are liv- ing in turbulent times. How we re- spond to threats of violence and expressed anger will determine our future. Enjoy Quartzsite, and mask up so we can all enjoy the rest of the year with good health, happiness and prosperity. Be safe out there! Peace, Love, Joy!

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