Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/15828
6A – Daily News – Saturday, September 4, 2010 Opinion 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 Ignorance Editor: While reading the opinion page Aug. 17, I was entertained by the wise words of Mr. Ismail. Yes, Mr. Ismail is an amazing source of information. The kind that encourages ignorance and intolerance to florish. You say in your letter that the 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. 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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. Through the magnifying glass Commentary While we were in Wisconsin recently my daughter told me that state had the highest proportion of lawyers within the general popula- tion of any other state. One of the reasons is that if you graduate from the University of Wisconsin Law School you do not have to take the Wisconsin bar exam. As a result all sorts of lawyers advertize all day long on Wisconsin television. (That reminded me of the large portion of the “Yellow Pages” devoted to legal practices here at home.) The Fine Print Lawyers are such a Wisconsin practice. Do you remember the days when you waited anxiously for the mail to come, hoping your decoder badge would arrive? Well, I relived those days from yesteryear recently as I waited for the arrival of my new Fine Print Lawyers magnifying glass. I had sent for the magnifying glass in response to a very loud commercial in the middle of a Mur- der She Wrote rerun on one of the minor television channels; the com- mercial was quite loud and woke me up from one of those slumbers that come with mindless television late at night. You know the channel I mean, the one that never shows blood, king sized beds, or scenes of passion. It has Columbo, Diagnosis Murder, and the like, and is geared to the pre-baby boomers. The magnifying glass is a genius marketing ploy by the Fine Print Lawyers, sure to bring in lots of cash to them and also serve the public. The lenses are created in a very populous Asian country and come with a plastic handle, clean- ing cloth, and case. There is a piece of paper that reveals all the chemi- cals that have allegedly gone into the manufacture of the lens, the handle, and the case. The informa- tion is in very small print, and it requires a magnifying glass to read, whether you want to read the Eng- lish, French, or Spanish versions. The paper crinkles as you move it, and it lets lots of light through if you try to hold it up to read. There is bold print in all languages warn- ing us that the magnifying glass should not be used in full sunlight to examine flammable materials. (In which case, Fine Print Lawyers, the manufacturer, and anyone in the distribution system disavow all responsibility.) I decided to send for the magni- fying glass after I received the annual report of what is or is not in our local water supply. That report, a class action notification, and the accumulated neatly folded sheets of papers that came with the various medicines I take convinced me I needed to have this exciting new magnifying glass which would allow me to read the truth, part of the truth, and mostly the truth. The Fine Print Lawyers are a loosely affiliated group of attorneys who want to help out older folks, like me; it sells these magnifying glasses as part of a six point strate- gy to assure full employment for its members. Part one of their strategy is to convince someone that they have right to recover damages from a supplier or manufacturer who has injured them, either physically or emotionally by some defect allegedly in their product or service. Part two of their strategy is to convince a larger group of people that they have suffered from the same damage. If they can obtain a sufficient number of clients one of their members will threaten to file a lawsuit, or most damaging of all, a class action suit. Part three of the strategy is to negotiate with the defendant to obtain as much money as possible for a settlement. Of course, the defendant is allowed to avoid admitting any guilt or fault. (Look at Goldman Sachs which got away with paying only $550 million, three days profits, in a fraud case.) Part four of the strategy is to subtract legal fees from the settle- ment, and then divide what is left among the “injured” parties. Part five of the strategy is to con- vince legislators that more laws are needed to protect each of us. Part six, the cash cow of this strategy, is to sell these cheaply made mag- nifying glasses for $15 plus shipping to those of us who need to read all the fine print that results from their overall strate- gy. I am pleased with my magnifying glass; I can carry it in a belt holster (a mere $5.00 extra) with me when I go to the mar- ket to read the nutritional information on the food I purchase. (I put the magnifying glass on the side I attached my slide rule when I was an engineering stu- dent, the cell phone goes on the other side.) Joe Harrop really awkward trying to use the magnifying glass, hold the product, avoid dropping anything, do the use the calculator function on my phone to determine calories, and all the while maintain my dignity and looking gracefully nonchalant in the local supermarket. My grandson was nibbling on something called “Yogurt Nibbles, Berries and Cherries.” The small print with the ingredients listed 16 items before I came to “blueberry powder, cherry powder, and non fat yogurt powder.” I expected to see fairy powder next on the list, but there were only four more items. All the information was there, but upon reading it I wasn’t sure I wanted my grandson to eat it. I consulted my chemical dictionary. We live in a very litigious age; Reading the materials on pack- ages is not always easy, even with a magnifying glass; sometimes the information is on a folded flap, sometimes the technical terms require me to bring a chemical dic- tionary with me, (tucked in my back pocket) which makes for a good deal of awkwardness and imbalance while trying to look like an interested consumer. But I am sure that all the required informa- tion is there in one form or another. I am reminded of a recent car- toon in the New Yorker that shows two older gentlemen reading the label on a cereal product. The one doing the reading remarks, “The primary ingredient appears to be marketing.” Of course, the calorie informa- tion is hard to figure; even when enlarged the numbers rely on “serv- ing sizes” and daily calorie intakes that do not meet my reality. It is advertisements for the medicines I am supposed to ask my doctors for have many warnings about side effects, “sometimes death and other serious side effects can occur; see your doctor if you are having prob- lems.” I am not sure if my doctor is a psychic, and I am not sure how to make a posthumous appointment, but I am sure I have been adequate- ly warned. I thought I would feel better being able to read all of the fine print, but after consulting with some friends, I never knew how well off I was before the magnify- ing glass arrived. I think I will put it in my camping gear and use it to start campfires. Joe Harrop is a retired educator with more than 30 years of service to the North State. He can be reached at DrJoeHarrop@sbcglobal.net. following week of the hemp fest five individuals were arrested for marijuana possession, culti- vation and sales. What does that have to do with the hemp fest? The mystic garden festival could have been something amazing. But we cannot have that here in Red Bluff. It would bring information into our com- munity that would open the minds of some people here and we cannot have that. No, we must live in a bubble of con- tempt and ignorance for any- thing or anyone deemed differ- ent. I moved to Red Bluff in 1991. During the holiday season that year my neighbor mentioned that I did not have Christmas decorations, lights, etc showing. I told her I did not celebrate Christmas. She sniffed the air — maybe knowing that 19 years later I would be wearing cloth- ing made of hemp — and said, oh, you are a JW. I said, no ma'am, I am Jewish. I was informed at that point that Jews do not live in Red Bluff. I should move where my own people live. The ignorance of her words still sound loudly. You speak of values, whose values sir? Your values seem to exclude anyone who does not think like you. So, the following is some information regarding hemp. Hemp has been used to make cloth and rope and paper for over 10,000 years. It is cheaper and stronger and longer lasting then cloth made of cotton. The original Levi Strauss jeans were made from hemper canvas. Even Old Glory was made from hemp fiber. Hemp can be used for vir- tually anything currently made of cotton, timber or petroleum. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson both grew hemp. Ben Franklin owned a mill that made hemp paper. The parachute that saved George W. Bush's life in WW2 was made of hemp fiber. Industrial hemp grows well in Your Turn a wide variety of climates and soils. It uses less fertilizer and pesticides. It yields 3-8 dry tons of fiber per acre. That is four times what an average forest can yield. Hemp takes about four months to grow and mature, while trees take about 20 years. Today, hemp is cultivated in Canada, China, Russia, Hun- gary, Germany, The Nether- lands, France, Spain, Poland and England to name a few places. The big money people like William Randolf Hearst lead the crusade to ban hemp. He did so because he owned millions of acres of timber land. He used his newspapers to create public panic on the evils of hemp. The Duponts also were big in having hemp outlawed. Yes, Mr. Ismail, we need to take care of our community. We need money to fix our roads and buildings. Imagine having a library open more hours and schools where there is more funding for the arts. Imagine a place called Red Bluff where people of all walks can live in harmony. Imagine a cultural center right here in Tehama County where we are all welcome and a part of the com- munity. Watch out Mr. Ismail, alot of people of different cultures, faiths and races are coming to Red Bluff. Does this scare you? Some of us wear hemp. Anita Fishburn, Red Bluff