Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/146356
6A Daily News – Friday, July 26, 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. Trayvon's innocence Editor: Richard Mazzucchi's July 23rd editorial stated that "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 description makes it impossible or at least highly unlikely for Trayvon to be observed on top of and straddling Zimmerman while Trayvon beat Zimmerman's head and face while still "grasping a wet paper bag". About the only thing that everyone agrees on is what Trayvon Martin was carrying when he died. There were his clothes, including a black hooded top with a badge pinned to it showing a picture of his dead cousin. There was his cellphone, on which he had been talking to a friend. In his pockets were a cigarette lighter, some earphones, a can of Arizona watermelon fruit juice cocktail, a little over $40 in cash, a bag of Skittles he'd just bought from a nearby 7-Eleven, and no weapon of any kind. These items were not in a wet paper bag Trayvon was carrying in his hands, but instead in his pockets, leaving his hands free to punch Zimmerman in the nose (breaking it as reported by x-ray examination) and pound Zimmerman's head on the concrete sidewalk. The police pictures taken of Zimmerman's head and face are clearly consistent with that kind of physical attack. The picture of Trayvon's body that has been released by mistake does not show him grasping a paper sack. Instead his body was rolled over onto his back while the emergency personnel attempted CPR. The donated food during the US only thing that could be inter- Post Office food drive May 11. rupted as a paper bag is the This makes a big impact on plastic bag the police officer feeding low income families. tried to use to close the chest We appreciate all the postal wound, so Trayvon workers who handled could continue to the job of bringing the Your breathe if he were still food in to the Post alive. Office. It's a big job, If the pictures taken and the weather was by the police showed hot. Trayvon still grasping Also, we want to a paper bag containing the Skit- thank all the volunteers that tles and Arizona Ice Tea, the work so hard, each and every jury could never have found month, implementing the disthat Zimmerman acted in self- bursement of food to our citidefense, but instead killed zens. Trayvon in cold blood. Special thanks go to Marias Mazzucchi is entitled to his and Fred for the many hours of options, but not to distort the work they volunteer, and the facts to fit his agenda. women and men that make Ken Say, Red Bluff homebound deliveries. We want to thank all the workers who donate their time in Corning, Manton, Paynes Editor: Creek, Sky Ranch, Los Molinos The Tehama County Glean- and Rancho Tehama. ers and the Tehama County I'm proud to be associated Food Bank would like to thank with people who help others. all the people who generously Dan Dempsey, Red Bluff Turn Thanks 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 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 The Hindu stand Discussing with a friend recent articles in the DN and other local media, we came to the conclusion that many awards and political announcements are motivated for reasons not clearly stated in said articles. Senator S. Nielsen is a good example. He has been recipient of awards from groups such as The California Rice Growers Association who appear to benefit from his sponsoring legislation in favor of their endeavors. But a recent media blitz of a different stripe has me puzzled. I wrote in this column a few weeks ago that the Anderson City Council was going to open their coming meeting with a Hindu prayer...that Hindu statesman Rajan Zed will deliver the invocation from ancient Sanskrit scriptures. I thought this was a peculiar place for such ritual, but maybe the council didn't have much on their agenda at the time. Then the DN reported last Saturday that the Redding City Council was entertained (my word) with Hindu mantras spoken by the same Rajan Zed, who invoked the mystical syllable "Om" several times...and I couldn't help notice that the article concluded with "Council members, city employees and the public were seen standing in prayer mode with their heads bowed down during this invocation". This questionable behavior, innocent as it may seem, may possibly next appear on the agenda of our Red Bluff City Council. I would hope our current councilmen and women will decline this nonsense ceremony. You can see where it might lead if allowed. Would the Muslim Brotherhood not be far behind? Tsk, tsk. Such a waste of time. However, if such a presentation is forthcoming, P. Johnston might consider uttering a few "Oms" just to stir the council to action regarding her current "Clean up Red Bluff" campaign. *** I mentioned sometime back that Joe Konte has a book coming out this fall regarding baseball's favorite feud…the one between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants. Joe is married to our daughter Melody and both work in the Marin area…he as an editor for the Marin Independent Journal newspaper and she as an executive in a home health care management firm. That Joe's work has an actual real live publisher (as opposed to those of us who had to resort to self-publish to get into print) is honor enough for our family. But Melody has her own creds in beads, I could order a dozen or two packages that she knows famous people. When she and stitch them together as a seat cushion of the type truckers favor to make was an advertising sales manager their long hauls more for the IJ newspaper, one of endurable. Thus I could be her duties was to attend comforting my body while film festivals as a rep for doing the double duty of the paper. Therein she was saving my soul. I shall take able to chat with famous this under consideration. film stars, have her picture *** taken with them and so The new Tehama County forth. Visitors Center looks invitO.K. now we segue to a ing and will feature paintparking lot of Goodman's ings displayed by the Red Building Supply in Mill Bluff Art Association. Valley. Melody has finished Robert However, the last paragraph her shopping, and prior to of the article in the DN entering her car, is taking a showed their e mail address swig of water from a bottle as "redbluffartists.com" when she hears, "Hey, don't with an unfortunate hyphen I know you?" She looks between the double ff in over to give her standard "No!" response to strangers, when she rec- bluff, which alters their objective alarmingly. *** ognizes actor and comedian Robin Last week's quiz was answered by many Williams. She nearly chokes on her water and blurts out "Oh, hi Robin!" She says they in a variety of ways that suggest I should be chatted about meeting at the Marin Film more specific in my questions. In any case, Festival several years ago, and in the process D. McGill and V. Shaw came in earliest with he says, "You don't strike me as the building acceptable answers. They reported both the supply type. Did you miss the Nordstrom state and the river being Mississippi whereexit or something?" She laughed and asked as I was thinking Tennessee for the state, him what's new and he replied he has a new Hawaii for the double vowel at the end and film coming out next month titled "The But- that Louisiana best demonstrated the use of "U.S.A. in its name. But, as stated, there ler." As father of a woman who knows Robin were many creative answers to the quesWilliams, I now have my 15 minutes of tions. This week's quiz: What is the only letter fame. that does not appear in the name of any state, *** "I think it is just terrible and disgusting name the four states that begin and end with how everyone has treated Lance Armstrong, the same letter, and what is the longest sinespecially after what he has achieved, win- gle word state? *** ning seven Tour de France races while on He was bowlegged and she was knockdrugs. When I was on drugs, I couldn't even kneed. Together they spelled the word find my bike!" "OX". Willie Nelson. A year ago, a young woman's boyfriend *** A reader, familiar with my anti organized asked, "Can I change your name to mine?" "Yes," she said with delight. religion rant, sent me rosary beads as a bit of Since then he's been calling her Fred. a joke. As they came in the mail with price tag attached, I knew that these were cut rate Robert Minch is a lifelong resident of beads and that they cost him only a few bucks. However, it is the thought that Red Bluff, former columnist for the Corning counts and when I mentioned this to my Daily Observer and Meat Industry cousin W.B. Kelsey in Burlingame, he sug- magazine and author of the "The Knocking gested (but did not want to appear sacrile- Pen." He can be reached at gious) that if I wanted a practical use of the rminchandmurray@hotmail.com. Minch I Say