Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/23058
6A – Daily News – Thursday, January 13, 2011 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 Godina letter Editor: Mrs. Godina should be thanking me for teaching he son, following the California State Standards, and providing him with a quality education at Vista Middle School. We work very hard to plan 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 and deliver curriculum that the State of California believes to be important to a well-rounded individual. I am surprised at her disbelief since I presented an overview of the Science stan- dards being taught during Back to School Night 2010. She could also look through the state adopted textbook. The Theory of Evolution is an important scientific principle of which everyone should be aware. There should be no con- troversy between education and personal religious beliefs in the public school setting. Religion and science can coexist in these modern times. She may have her opinion. Mrs. Godina may not be aware of the 7th grade History Standards that teach Christiani- ty, Islam and other World Reli- gions to educate students in the culturally diverse world we live in. Does she want her son to skip this also? Vista is a public school with standards set by the State Dept of Education. Choices of cur- riculum are not available to teachers and parents. The first time I heard that she was dis- pleased with her son's educa- tion, was through our bilingual assistant who contacted her ex- husband on Jan. 5. Then again on Jan. 7, I saw a letter request- ing her son not learn about Evo- lution so he was pulled from Science class. I never did get a personal phone call from Mrs. Godina to discuss the matter. I hope in the future, she will see the value of a balanced education to ensure we have accomplished students with comprehensive knowledge to be leaders in this world. Linda Brown, Red Bluff Let's look at facts Editor: In response to Mrs. Godina's letter. I am a Christian, and a middle school science teacher of 26 years. Let’s look at the facts, plain and simple. In 1998 the California State Department of Education adopt- ed the curriculum to be taught in science. Evolution has been taught in all seventh grade class- rooms across the state of Califor- nia for the past 12 years in pub- lic schools. It is required. It is in our stated adopted textbooks. Perhaps Mrs. Godina should voice her concerns at the state level, rather that bash a school and its employees for providing the required education as adopt- ed by the state of California. Here is the website to look up the facts: www.cde.ca.gov. Tayna King, Red Bluff Evolution is science, not religion Editor: Comparative reli- gion studies as well as evolution should be a part of any child's edu- cation. Putting one's head in the sand to escape the reality of evolution will not end the millions of years of changes that occur on planet earth. Stolen bikes Editor: Your Turn It is a sad day when some- one decides that they can walk into a garage and take whatev- er they want. For the second time my boys have had their bikes stolen. The first time was from our house and they went into the side yard in the day time and took the bikes. My boys then put new It would be extremely detri- mental to school children to avoid the science of evolution, just as it would be wrong to rep- resent that only one religion rep- resents biblical truth. It benefits all to learn the reasons for the formation of different western and eastern religions and to learn of their similarities and differences. I happen to be Catholic and therefore Christian by birth and faith, but I also believe that every religion pro- vides an equal opportunity to discover truth in this life, and if you so believe, in life thereafter. Every parent has the oppor- tunity to home, charter, parochial, or charter school their child dependent on their beliefs. If a parent chooses to ignore the realities of evolution, home schooling is an option, but don't damage the education of every child by not teaching evolution. Joseph Neff, Corning bikes on layaway and worked hard to save the money to buy themselves new bikes. And now someone else has taken their bikes. They walked into the garage with everyone home and stole the boys Haro bikes. I am offering a reward for anyone returning their bikes. One is a white and blue Haro race bike the other a white haro BMX with gold hand grips and a custom seat. It breaks my heart to know that we teach our kids to work hard and to set goals for them- selves only to have some low life with no conscious take that from them. I hope one day karma catches up to those who have done this. In the mean time if anyone knows where our bikes are please call 736- 0030. Jennifer Youngblood, Red Bluff 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 — Jerry Brown, 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. Hey Sarah, at least stand by your free speech Commentary Last Saturday morning 20 people were shot in a Tucson Safeway parking lot by a 22- year-old who stated on YouTube he "won’t pay debt with a currency that’s not backed by gold and silver." Fif- teen minutes after the news broke, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin tweeted, "The price of gold today is at $1,368.90 an ounce." Coincidence? Yes. None of us want to live in a society where hyperbole, exag- geration, satire, bad taste and horrible timing are subjective. Stupidity is legal. So are bad jokes. Ditto for calls for revolu- tion. As are declarations using violent imagery. Pornography, too. So Sarah Palin has a right to display images on her sites SarahPAC, Facebook and Take- Downthe20.com. On those sites she had riflescope icons over the districts of Democratic con- gresspersons who voted in favor of health care reform. She stated in bold red letters: "We’ve diagnosed the problem. Help us prescribe the solution." In March, shortly after Take- Downthe20.com was launched, the window of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords’ Tucson office was shot out with a pellet gun. Giffords said in an inter- view, "The rhetoric and firing people up….we’re on Sarah Palin’s targeted list. But the thing is that the way that she has it depicted has the crosshairs of a gunsight over our district. And when people do that, they’ve got to realize there’s consequences to that action." There were reports of Tea Party protesters outside her office with signs like, "It’s time to reload" and "One way or another, you’re gone." Why? Because people lis- tened to Sarah Palin. They lis- tened to her debunked baloney that reforming health care would kill your grandmother. According to Palin, Giffords was trying to kill everyone’s favorite elderly relative. There- fore, there was a target on her. There is no evidence any of those people who listened to Palin shot the member of con- gress in the head with a semi- auto Glock. Besides being steeped in revolution, a cock- eyed view of The Constitution and anti-government rhetoric, the shooter has no connection to Palin. However, minutes after the former governor tweeted about gold, her website was scrubbed of the now infamous crosshairs graphic. It was gone. Then there was a note on her Face- book page: "On behalf of Todd and my family, we all pray for the victims and their families, and for peace and justice." So in a moment of national peril – when a political "enemy" who was on a hit list had been "taken down" - the first thing Palin does is act in her own interests? In a word: yes. This is the most cowardly thing I’ve ever witnessed. If you are going to say outra- geous things, then you are going to have to stand by outrageous things. Tina By law Palin has the right to hurl verbal grenades. But free speech doesn’t mean you’re not accountable for the things you say. It means the government can’t pass laws to make saying them a crime. It doesn’t mean you can beat the drum of rebel- lion, sell a couple books, delete a graphic, embrace the Bill of Rights and you are magically not a selfish weasel. Sarah Palin has the courage to delete her convictions and saunter away whistling like nothing happened. All of it is legal. I agree, and I will fight for that: Sarah Palin has the right to be spineless. Here’s the thing: Palin had an opportunity to have a "bullhorn moment." She had the opportu- Dupuy nity to rise to the occasion and prove all her critics wrong. She could have proven she truly is a leader. That she’s not just a capitalizing catty mean girl who can’t tell the differ- ence between an oppo- nent and an enemy. That she is worthy of all this presidential buzz and not just skat- ing by on some mushy conservative platitudes and good looks. She could have come out strong and expressed regret for demonizing a member of Congress who was shot in the head with a 9mm. But instead…she cowered. Pitiful. To be clear, I’m not blaming Sarah Palin for 20 people being shot – six of them dying from their injuries. I’m blaming Sarah Palin for taking down her "take down" map sans comment. I’m not blam- ing her for throwing bombs. I am blaming her for not uttering remorse when they explode. Palin wants her followers to "stand up?" Her first. ----- Tina Dupuy is an award-winning writer and fill-in host at The Young Turks. Tina can be reached at tinadupuy@yahoo.com.