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6A – Daily News – Thursday, July 29, 2010 Opinion Family’s loss, 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. 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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 The center-not-right Commentary Is our nation really right-of- center? It’s a quick throwaway- line parroted by Republican talking heads. According to Republicans, they speak for us — they are the voice of the "people" — and all Americans agree with the Right. Hardly. Just to pick one: if we actual- ly were a right-of-center nation, Social Security would not be the immortal sacred cow it is now. Right-of-center elected officials would have long ago done away with this safety net. A right-of-center nation would have never embraced the extremely liberal notion of pub- lic retirement insurance for its citizens. And government-fund- ed health care for seniors like Medicare? That’s not "free mar- ket" — that’s not "freedom." If we were a right-of-center nation, you could win an elec- tion by saying you planned to eliminate Medicare and Social Security. After all, this would be an effortless way of leaving the unprecedentedly bloated defense budget intact while still cutting big "gubment." Instead such a proposal is grounds for getting you burned in effigy. Even in 2005, Presi- dent George W. Bush with his Republican majority in the infa- mously lazy, never-in-session 109th Congress couldn’t priva- tize Social Security. A right-of- center nation would have not only embraced the proposal, but also stood up and collectively swelled with pride that when they retire, they’ll be on their own. "The government will get off my back about only being able to afford to eat cat food." Liber- ty. This right-of-center nation sound bite is useful to Republi- cans because it is a means of getting their way while still seeming as if they’re negotiat- ing. It’s actually very clever on their part. If you want to sell an item for $100, price it at $150 and let someone talk you down to the price you really want. The buyer feels good about his power of persuasion, and you feel good about controlling the final price. The sound bite frames the debate to move liberalism to the outskirts of the conversation. The left side becomes the out- lier — the spectrum of the debate is then between the con- servative far-right and the con- servative right-of-center. It’s reminiscent of the Henry Ford quip about the Model T, "You can have any color you want as long as it’s black." The reality: the majority of Americans are actually progres- sive whether or not they call themselves that. Poll after poll finds when Americans are asked how they feel about issues like the minimum wage, protecting the environment, gay rights and even gun control — the majori- ty agrees with the Left. And no, "a majority" isn’t two-thirds or 60 percent. A majority still means more than half unless you’re in the U.S. Senate. Progressi v e s believe the future will be better. The whole idea of America is progressive. It’s a new country founded on idealism and unalien- able rights. America was an idea so pro- gressive that even now, as the U.S. Constitu- tion is the oldest currently in use, it still seems radical. We believe in equality. We believe in government protections of individual rights. We believe in the right of due process. We believe the government is best run by and for the people. We are not and have never been a conservative country. According to Forbes, we Job-creating venture capi- talists like Warren Buffett are also progressive. Venture capi- talism — investing to improve the world through new ideas — is the definition of progressive. Ditto Silicon Valley. The richest man in the world, Bill Gates, is nowhere near conser- vative. Saying liberals are Tina Dupuy anti-business is like saying conservatives are anti-border con- trol. Are we a right-cen- ter nation? No. First off, it’s a false premise. We have to be a center- center nation. The consensus is the center. And the center voted for Democratic majorities in the House, Senate and White House. have more millionaires than any other country in the world, and progress is about prosperity. Listen to Republicans and they’ll try to sell you on busi- ness being only right-wing. Innovation isn’t partisan. Our country’s biggest export is the union-packed liberal staple of Hollywood entertainment. So when a minority of 40 senators hold up unemployment insurance because mid-January of last year they inexplicably became worried about spending are the same 40 who tout con- tinuing tax cuts for the wealthi- est Americans - it has nothing to do with "center right." It’s center not right. Tina Dupuy is an award- winning writer and the editor of FishbowlLA.com. Tina can be reached at tina@cagle.com. kind support Editor: Life’s unexpected events that led to the loss of my son’s life was devastating enough on its own. Not to mention the week to come, filled with events that will forever scar my heart. To pick out a casket for your 19-year-old son is unthinkable and unimaginable, yet it had to be done. Thanks to Hoyt-Cole Chapel of the Flowers, their staff, and espe- cially one woman that deserves more thank yous than I can ever imagine being able to give her, Marsha Rice. You went above and beyond what was expected of you and you put my family at ease when no other could. Our deepest gratitude, on behalf of the family of Sean Siders. Tamara Buckley, Red Bluff Changing RB Editor: Regarding Pat Gleason’s Sim- ply Put column, “Life around Red bluff is slowly changing.” If Mr. Gleason shopped downtown maybe his favorite old haunts might still be here. When was the last time he even walked into every store just to see what down- town has to offer? His referencing to Downtown Red Bluff as an old movie town Radiator Springs is out of line. Perhaps Mr. Gleason was attempting to write maudlin nos- talgic prose with this column but instead he caused harm. It is irresponsible to demean the Sugar Shack’s fare because he and his son have difficulty adapt- ing to the changing presentations of French Toast. The Sugar Shack is a wonderful restaurant with excellent food prepared fresh and served promptly. Susan and Hana are friendly and they care about their customers. They are a great and welcome addition to down- town. They have been in business for a year and this is the first time Mr. Gleason has dined there and he dined with unrealistic expecta- tions. If he wanted to memorial- ize Etta’s and the Snack Box in a column then do so, but not at the expense of good, hard working people. Shame on you sir, please do shop local more often and save the rest of your local icons from deteriorating miserably for no reason other then lack of support. Irene Fuller, Red Bluff An end to racism Editor: I have noticed that there has been a lot in the news concerning racism and what is called reverse racism. It is really too bad that our great country is moving back- wards instead of forward, despite all the efforts of many throughout history. There was people like Harriet Tubman and the Under- ground Railroad. There was Rosa Parks who was determined not to face injustice. There was Moses who freed his people from Egypt’s slavery. These are just a few. There are so many people of all races that made a difference. Do we think these great heroes would be impressed that we have come so far as people, yet the idea of equality is only in our minds not our hearts? There are groups of Your Turn people screaming hate because they need someone to blame for everything wrong in their lives. There has been blood shed. We remember the horrors of the Holo- caust. The ethnic cleansing that still goes on and the tragic history of slavery in our country. People just don’t realize that racism is wrong on any level whether you feel justified or not. It is in the attitude that some are bet- ter than others. Some believe that for what ever reason, whether it is the past or present that they deserve more. There is always going to be the rich and the poor. The educated and the uneducated. The bitter and the forgiving. This applies to all people regardless of the color of there skin. The problem is we can’t blame life’s problems on everyone else. We have to believe that if we work hard enough and have enough drive and dedication we can do anything. It may be harder for some than others, but there is hope. We take this hope away when we use racial slurs, black, white or any race. When we put others down we are feeding the ignorance and hate. No one should forget their his- tory and hardships. You can not make up for the past by destroying the future. We need to act like Americans not children behaving badly in pub- lic. It is too bad we have fought so hard for free- dom and equality when we should all be able to have it by now. We have done away with seg- regation but it is still there. It has just become more subtle. We don’t recognize it in schools, award shows, clubs and scholar- ships. It reminds me of a chil- dren’s poem by Shel Silverstein called “No Difference.” The last two verses are about how every- one looks the same in the dark and the way to make everyone equal is for God just to turn out the light. We are really not so different. We have hope, dreams and goals to reach. We want to overcome poverty and social stereotypes. The only way we can achieve this and live in an America where peo- ple truly have equal opportunity is to stop using race as a weapon to divide each other. We need to join the only race that should matter, the human race. Poppy Bennett, 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.