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4A – Daily News – Saturday, December 18, 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 Bravo Editor: In regards to the Master Chorale and Orchestra at the First Christian Church: Awe- some. Doris Heitman, Red Bluff 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. Letters are published at the discretion of the editor. Mission Statement We believe that a strong com- munity 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 vehi- cles. The Daily News will reflect and support the unique identities of Tehama County and its cities; record the history of its com- munities and their people and make a positive difference in the quality of life for the resi- dents 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 Dogs are not disposable Editor: A well-worn ridge on the neck showing a familiar col- lar, now gone. A staccato ridge from the cute puppy with a ribbon bow, now imbedded in his neck and bleeding. A pregnant dog, heavy with babies. Tartar and plaque so bad that the stench sucks the wind right out of you. Ears bleeding from a botched home job. Microchips but no registration because their peo- ple didn’t want to pay the $10 or $20. Matts so bad every step is a painful endeavor. These are your dogs, Corn- ing. These are the dogs I see every day. These are the dogs I live for and the dogs that make me ashamed to be part of the human race. The fast, disposable and out of sight out of mind mentality that I see every day. “I’m moving, gotta get rid of my dog.” “I had a baby, gotta get rid of my dog.” So flip are the comments that you would think people are talking about a book on a shelf. I was around in the day where landlords could legally say “No kids, no pets.” And yet, I never got rid of my kids. I always found a place. I know I am not extraordinary. If I needed to move right now, I would not get rid of my dogs or my kids for convenience. If I had to sleep under a bridge I would do that. If I had to make arrangements with my landlord on obe- dience training, I would do that. If I had to pay an extra deposit, I would do that. I would do that for my dogs and I would do it for my kids. Your Turn Maybe I cannot help you, but then, maybe I can. Maybe I’ll say something you haven’t thought about. I won’t do your work for you but I’ll give you some alternatives. The way we treat our animals is the way we treat those people who are involved in our lives. If the dog is easily hit or abused, so are the kids. If the dog is disposable, so are the kids. So why have we become so callous and so hard, and so uncaring to leave an unattend- ed dog or puppy on the side of the road to fend for itself? For those who do that, shame on you. For those who don’t know what to do, call me. If the dog has no value, neither does the wife, the hus- band or the kids. Corning, I implore you to show the city, county, state, country, that we are different. We don’t throw away life. We value it. Debbie Eaglebarger, Corning Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Jim Nielsen (R) State Capitol Bldg., Room 6031 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 319-2002; Fax (916) 319-2102 STATE SENATOR — Doug LaMalfa (R) State Capitol Bldg., Room 3063 Sacramento, 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. Christmas jazz in a 2,000-year-old cave bar in Petra Commentary Traveling seems to bring new perspectives, particularly when your visit an unfamiliar area like the Middle East; expecta- tions are unclear when you leave, and you have to take in what you see and feel rather than make judgments ahead of time. Things do not often appear as you might expect. Often you are left with incon- gruities. The ancient lost city of Petra in Jordan was rediscovered in 1812 by the Swiss explorer J.L. Burkhardt, who was tipped off by a local Bedouin, and it became familiar to many of us in the 1989 movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, where Indiana Jones had to pick the real chalice (Holy Grail) to save his father. You approach the hidden city through a very nar- row Siq, or sandstone canyon; the natural formations and col- ors are beautiful in themselves, but they scarcely prepare you for the grandeur that waits. The city was literally carved into the sandstone sides of the narrow Siq that leads down to its hidden location. You can take the available horse to the entrance to the Siq, take a horse drawn cart that would shake your fillings loose, or simply walk for about one mile and a quarter, neck stretched upward to see sun and shadows play on the colorful cliff formations. To start with you notice a few open burial sites in the canyon walls, and some large carved stones and something resembling a marker. Suddenly just around a narrow bend in the canyon walls is the Khaznat El Faroun, com- monly called the Treasury. This complex structure is breathtak- ing; its innards, which are off limits for preservation reasons, extend deeply into the cliff. It is a place to stop and take pictures and imagine how much time and work went into the con- struction of this magnificent structure over 2500 years ago. Like most of the structures built into the cliff sides, it was carved from the top down. It normally hosts a deep semi-circle of tourists, guides, and vendors, making picture taking a chal- lenge. Settlements in Petra area date from before the Bronze Age, but it became a city of note around 1500 B.C.; it has survived attempts by Alexander the Great to conquer it, frequent earth- quakes, and hostile caravans; it was eventually subdued 106 AD by the Roman Emperor, Hadri- an, when he decided to put an end to its influence. The city was abandoned in the seventh century after falling to the Arabs. Petra was once home to 30,000 people who controlled the trade routes from the East to Aqabah. They came from the Saudi Peninsula and started in business as raiders who most likely hid out in the Siq and preyed on caravans; they appar- ently learned to change their business plan when they real- ized they could derive a more consistent and safer income by servicing the caravans which frequented their way instead of raiding them. They developed water systems to service travel- ers and themselves, and they thrived. They predated the Mafia in selling protection and AM/PM in acting as a conve- nience stop for travelers. Those people were known as Nabataens, and they created a city that reflected their cos- mopolitan contacts; buildings show Indian, Arabian, Greek, and Roman as well as their own influences; later there were Byzantine and Moslem influ- ences. The Nabataens were unknown to me prior to our trip, but I later learned they are referred to in the Apocryphal Books of Maccabees which recount the Jewish uprising. In great contrast to our experi- ence in Petra, the hotel we stayed in was less thrilling, unless you count disappointments as thrilling. The Petra Guesthouse is a modern concrete block and glass building built into the side of a hill over- looking the Siq leading to the hidden city. Underneath the upper level of the hotel is a bar nestled in a 2000 year old cave. The rooms in the hotel are smaller than at the Marriott in Cairo, but they are more than sufficient; staffing at the hotel was insuffi- cient, however. My guess is that the hotel is a cash cow, relying on its prime location and the two to three bus- loads of tourists who come and go each day, and not needing to do much to worry about repeat customers. One morning we had no hot water and no breakfast food in the buf- fet line when it was scheduled to open. Location, of course is important, and this hotel had it captured. Only about 100 steps separated it from the entrance to the hidden city. Our group’s entrance to the ty minutes later; apparently the right palms were greased, and we were able to enter with our original tickets. The gatekeeper seemed satisfied as we passed by. Joe Harrop This kind of payoff procedure was not uncommon, but it was unusual because the conflict and demands were so open. Nor- mally our touring company paid off everyone they could to minimize delays and inconveniences; even the attendants in the public restrooms were paid off, and all we had to do was mention our guide’s name to avoid fishing for money from our pockets before our Siq was delayed because the Jordanian government apparent- ly increased the price of admis- sion to Petra by forty percent the week of our arrival. Our guide had pre-purchased tickets, and the self important man at the gate refused to honor those tickets. The gatekeeper’s puffed chest and condescending look clearly showed he was unmoved by our guide’s appeals. Appar- ently our guide did not have the discretion, or perhaps the funds, to pay for the additional $1600 it would have taken for our group of 40 to enter, so he called the local director of our tour company, Grand Circle Travel, who arrived about twen- hand were dry. We never had to check in to any hotel; our keys were ready when we arrived; our bags were handled and we were told the luggage handlers had already been paid. We rested our tired muscles before dinner at the mouth of the cave bar, having a beer and commenting on our aching bod- ies and the wonders we had seen. It was November 11, Vet- erans’ Day, a day we remem- bered even when more than 6,000 miles from home. The background music coming from the innards of the cave bar was modern jazz versions of popular Christmas tunes and carols. We realized we were experiencing an interesting incongruity, Americans drinking beer openly in an Islamic country, toasting our military veterans, and lis- tening to Christmas music. Who would have thought? 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.