Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/145592
6A Daily News – Tuesday, July 23, 2013 Opinion Innocence and inner sense 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 While the killing of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman was found to be legally justified so the jury could declare George's innocence, many Americans find the decision disturbing because it does not align with their inner sense. The known and independently corroborated facts leading up to this tragedy paint a picture of an overzealous block watch volunteer harassing an innocent youth walking from the store to the home where he was staying. Had Zimmerman done what he was trained and advised by the police to do the tragedy would have been averted with no harm done. Instead George disregarded direction from the police to stay in his vehicle and end his pursuit of Trayvon and apparently confronted the young man leading to an altercation and his death. We will never know if what George Zimmerman told the police about the events of that night are an objective and truthful description of what actually transpired because the only other witness to the event was killed by him. These facts are not disputed. The outcry from many civil rights activists and scholars against the verdict of not guilty does not draw much support in the world of defense lawyers and gun rights advocates. Benjamin Jealous, head of the NAACP, said the verdict confirms "for many that the only problem with the new South is it occupies the same time and space as the old South," and many feel that the media demonized Trayvon, and that the judge's instruction to not consider race by a jury composed only of white females hardly represent justice in this case. But the jury's job was not to rule on racial profiling, racial animosity or the merits of a stand-your-ground law when the case was narrowly restricted to whether the prosecution proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Zimmerman acted legally that evening. The jurors' function was to answer one question — whether the charges were proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Their verdict of not guilty is not a finding of selfdefense or that Trayvon Martin did anything wrong; it is a verdict of not proved beyond a reasonable doubt. The jury had no choice but to find him not guilty, since there are nagging doubts over what actually happened. However a photograph shown to the jury, but not to the public except by the mistake of an NBC camera man, depicted a lifeless Trayvon on the ground still grasping a wet paper bag found to contain Skittles and an Arizona Ice Tea recently purchased from a local convenience store. This photo left my inquiring mind to wonder how this could be the case after Trayvon allegedly battered but not limited to racial and repeatedly bashed prejudice, disagreement Zimmerman's head into over the legality of the concrete. My inner "stand your ground sense leaves me with an laws," degree of underuncomfortable feeling standing and agreement that while the jury made with judicial processes, a correct decision findand a political divide ing George Zimmerman over the second amendto be legally innocent, ment right to bear arms. that he was still not only In addition there are culpable for the young those of us that confuse man's death, but also Richard a jury's determination of misrepresented what innocence with moral transpired that rainy culpability for harm that night. prevails despite focused Despite the fate of legal findings. It seems Mr. Zimmerman, this to me that this division trial has had far deeper is the most troublesome, significance to a divided for it speaks to willingAmerica. A Washington Post/ABC News survey shows ness by many to disregard the trag41% of Americans approving and ic consequences of the actions of 41% disapproving of the jury's rul- George Zimmerman on the life of ing, but also shows that 86% of Trayvon Martin and his family. African-Americans disapproved Yes Mr. Zimmerman may have of the "not guilty" finding, align- had every right to execute Trayvon ing perfectly with a Pew Research in self defense, and the laws of Center survey released Monday Florida may make such a finding also showing 86% of African- preemptory, but many Americans Americans disagreeing with the including myself are left with an verdict. While 51% of whites uncomfortable feeling that the disapproved 50% of those aged 18-39 position of this case is a conflict said they disapproved, while 30% between innocence and inner of people over 65 felt the same sense. way. Finally 62% of Democrats Richard Mazzucchi is a disapproved of Zimmerman's acquittal, while 65% of Republi- retired research engineer specializing in energy cans approved of it. There are many reasons for efficiency. He can be reached such striking division, including at living-green@att.net. Mazzucchi Positive Point 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) 558-3160; E-mail: governor@governor.ca.gov. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE — Doug LaMalfa 506 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515, 202-225-3076. U.S. SENATORS — Dianne Feinstein (D), One Post Street, Suite 2450, San Francisco, CA 94104; (415) 3930707. Fax (415) 393-0710. Barbara Boxer (D), 1700 Montgomery St., Suite 240, San Francisco, CA 94111; (510) 286-8537. Fax (202) 224-0454. Commentary Principles and stories show the vendetta Readers have seen column after column on the ironies, the hypocrisies, the propaganda and misrepresentations surrounding the IRS-targeting-conservatives scandal. You've read of the propriety of groups across America forming under the tax code into tax-exempt entities for legitimate advocacy and activism, and how liberal groups used and abused their status. Following are some first principles and stories behind the headlines. Let's start with something that the Washington Post (hardly a conservative shill) wrote two months ago in "Playing with Tax Records": "A bedrock principle of U.S. democracy is that the coercive powers of government are never used for partisan purpose. The law is blind to political viewpoint, and so are its enforcers, most especially the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service. Any violation of this principle threatens the trust and the voluntary cooperation of citizens upon which this democracy depends. So it was appalling to learn Friday that the IRS had improperly targeted conservative groups for scrutiny. It was almost as disturbing that President Obama and Treasury Secretary Jack Lew have not personally apologized to the American people and promised a full investigation." I've read that Franklin Roosevelt used the IRS to harass and intimidate but he reserved it for large companies and news media that drew his ire. John Kennedy also used the IRS to intimidate foes. Richard Nixon famously instructed the IRS to pursue his enemies. Bill Clinton had not only the IRS to sick on opponents but also acquired hundreds of FBI files on Republicans. Hmm, 3 Ds and 1 R. Did Obama instruct anyone? Even Indirectly? From a targeted conservative group and individual, Jennifer Stefano, Pennsylvania state director, Americans for Prosperity, interviewed on "The Willis Report," Fox Business Network, we have the following: Willis: "How were you targeted? Tell us your story." Stefano: "This was before I joined Americans for Prosperity. I was just a stay-at-home mother. I was pregnant with another baby, and I wanted to do what was right. My Tea Party group was becoming really large and I couldn't run the money and the donations through my bank account. I was advised the IRS would come after you for that. So I started calling other groups and I thought I would file and create an organization, and here they were all getting targeted by the IRS and I got scared." Willis: "Well, what were they asking you?" Stefano: "These are all out there now, and I have actually documents showing it. You know, 'Send us your Facebook pages, your Twitter pages,' and I said 'Does that include personal pages?' and they said, 'Everything.' They wanted to know your personal relationships with politicians and political parties. And I asked, 'What would happen if I don't send this to you?' and they said, they made an insinuation like, 'Look, it can be considered perjury if you omit things from the IRS.' I'm a pregnant stay-at-home mother on one income, I thought, 'Oh, my goodness, I'm not doing anything.' I stopped." With this administrative tyrannical jack boot, elections are irrelevant when women like this can be intimidated into dropping their 80 sub-questions. They most noble of desires: were to list "our comadvancing conservative mitted violations of values and principles to local ordinances, make a difference in our breaches of the public nation. IRS underlings, order or arrests, along we now know, didn't with how (we) conduct come up with this convoor promote illegal activiluted, Gordian knot of an ties." Lauren County inquisition; top echelons Tea Party in South Carin Washington D.C. did. olina submitted articles The latest news (7/21) of incorporation multifrom House hearings is ple times, Facebook that the directives came Don postings, videos of from the office of the top Obama-appointed IRS Polson speakers at meetings, agenda, press releases, lawyer, William Wilkins, The way advertisements and who is on the White other materials. House visitor logs over a I see it The National Organihundred times, talking to zation for [traditional] someone about someMarriage said its donor list was thing. This illustrates why the elec- leaked—no doubt by the IRS—to torate looked different in 2012 its political opponents, the pro-gay compared to 2010. Liberals and marriage Human Rights Camnews talkers were gloating over the paign. "You can imagine our shock supposedly fading Tea Party, an and disgust with this; we zealously appearance obviously orchestrated guard our donors …" Releasing to give just that image for propa- donor lists is a felony! Religious groups targeted ganda and electoral purposes. That's the Alinsky/Obama strate- include: Billy Graham's Evangegy: Don't beat your opponents listic Association and its Samariwhen you can get rid of them or tan's Purse charity, Catholics United Education Fund, Christian Voicdissuade them from showing up. "Tea Party groups detail es for Life and a Jewish group, Z 'harassment' by IRS" (June 4, by Street. In "Heightened Scrutiny" (May Greg Korte, USA TODAY), listed numerous outrageous examples of 13, Alana Goodman, Free Beathe IRS vendetta. The Coalition for con), Dan Backer, attorney for Life of Iowa was asked to have all TheTeaParty.net, was told in a slipits board members swear—under of-tongue from an IRS agent, penalty of perjury—that it would- "Yeah, we have this new working n't pray, picket or protest outside of group that's really looking at all Planned Parenthood. "We never these conservative organizations." thought we would have to defend From his pathetic, candid lips to our prayer activities," said coalition our eyes and ears. president Susan Martinek. Don Polson has called Red Bluff The San Fernando Valley Patriots of California gave up seeking home since 1988. He can be by e-mail at tax-exempt status last year after reached getting a list of 35 questions with donplsn@yahoo.com.