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4A – Daily News – Friday, January 28, 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 Thanks 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 Editor: We want to say thank you to the totally unknown gentleman who paid for our lunch at the M&M Ranch House on Wednesday, Jan. 19. It was an appreciative surprise from us, the members of the Bowman Home Department. Sally Ann Hale, Red Bluff Monkey business Editor: I've been reading all the let- ters concerning evolution. I just have a quick response to this subject. In my opinion its really very simple. The Earth and life was not just created like a cheap magic trick. It was not bang, abbra kadabra here is our solar sys- tem.God is more like an artist that planned a great master- piece. There is too much to creation for it to have just happened. If you just rely on science, there is too much to understand. It goes beyond what we should under- stand. That’s how Adam and Eve got kicked out of the Garden of Eden. They thought they could have the knowledge God has, and look where it got them. Anything that we need to know is not always found through sci- entific equations. Evolution just doesn't make sense. Faith is a lot more reliable than a human hypothesis. Would you rather be created by God, a heavenly being and creator of everything, or believe you come from a primate that picks bugs off their offspring and eats it? The truth is always more appealing than the alterna- tive. Poppy Bennett, Red Bluff Dogs kill cattle Editor: We wanted the news to hear about how dogs have killed 8 cows/calves in Manton over this past week. The sheriff's department has been called numerous times about the incident. They have not even came out to do a report or see the dead animals. The sheriff's department said they will talk to the owners of the dogs believed to be part of it. What good is that going to do, they will just lie and tie the dogs up. The dogs had to come home bloody with some good wounds on them. If the sheriff's would have came out on the first phone call they would have been able to see this. I have looked in the police/fire reports and I have not found anything about this. They put in print about stolen bikes but not about dogs killing cat- tle? Do they understand how much money this is? Well over $8,000. Judy Ramos, Manton Palin column Editor: First, let's be clear that no- one is blaming Palin directly for the Tucson shooting. The guy obviously went off the deep end a long time ago. Your Turn But to pretend that Palin was using landscaping symbols to target congressional districts is just plain dishonest. I suppose Polson thinks she was using a pho- tography analogy when she said "Don't retreat, reload!" If he needs to lie to make his point, perhaps he doesn't even believe what he's saying. Yes, some on the left are guilty of the same rhetoric and all sides must be more civil if we hope to stop this type of thing. Sane people won't go on a murderous rampage because of what some half-governor says but it may be the straw that breaks the camel’s back with some as crazy as this guy. And don't forget that Gif- fords' office window was shat- tered by a pellet gun within days of being targeted by Palin. Words really can hurt. Mike Fleming, 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. Questioning Tucson deportment Commentary The Tucson incident reminds us of how grief is handled in today’s society. It surpasses media coverage and is a hands-on affair. To be properly conveyed and mitigated, grief requires physical participation. For Tucson residents it was de rigueur to stand vigils, hold hands and light candles. It also required flowers and bal- loons on the site of the happening. In a crass way this is a boon to the candle, flower and balloon industry. When an incident of tragic proportions surfaces, an investor would do well to put a few dollars into the stock of those who rule the candle, flower and balloon trade. And what’s with this candle lighting busi- ness anyway? Google says, “No longer man's major source of light, candles continue to grow in popularity and use. Today, candles symbol- ize celebration, mark romance, define ceremo- ny, and accent décor.” O.K. but what about the joining of hands in a prayer circle? I thought that went out with the séance trade circa 1900. The 24 January issue of TIME was titled “Tragedy In Tucson.” One section, by Ruth Davis Konigsberg, listed the 5 stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. However the article reports that Yale researchers found “Grief is not a series of steps that ultimately deposit us at a psycholog- ical finish line but rather a grab bag of symp- toms that come and go and, eventually, lift.” Also debunked in the article is the notion that one should express grief rather than sup- press it; that grief is harder on women than on men and that grief never ends. The author even concludes that counseling does not help. She particularly comes down hard on counseling for profit such as the Grief Recovery Institute in Sherman Oaks, which charges $995 for a three day workshop. And yet the article ends with, “As a society, we will most likely be unable to face grief with- out some sort of a script…but it certainly seems time to move beyond our current habit of using untested theories to create lengthy and agoniz- ing models for coping with grief that have cre- ated more anxiety about the experience instead of relieving it. Losing someone is hard enough as it is.” Amen to that? *** We feed our horses grass hay. We believe it is better for them than alfalfa. Many grass pas- tures, when not being harvested, are open to cow foraging. When the recent snows denied us access to the George McArthur Ranch at McArthur, where we pick up excellent hay, we had to buy 10 bales else- where. In this batch, I found quite a few clumps of brownish material, not unlike cow dung in its shape and texture. I mention this in case other horse fanciers inadvertently purchase cow poop in lieu of hay. It is my understanding that a bale of cow poop should be purchased consid- erably less than a bale of grass. However, if one were to look for redress from such deceit, one would not know where to turn. Even a City Manager would be of little help because he might be 50 miles away. *** *** A recent Daily News article regarding the Robert Minch I Say I recently came down with a virus...not one, but two. The first virus hit my laptop and we called in a computer tech to clean it up, which he did in splendid fashion. The second virus hit me, and I developed my first cold in years. On day three of my cold, I mentioned it to K. Con- drey-Miller who runs Hard Drive Computer Service, and he said he swears by Gold Seal Echinacea. I replied that recent studies of the herb showed no benefits. He said it works for him. Dr. H. Merhoff weighs in...says placebo studies indicate the efficacy of same when drug trials are conducted...meaning, if you think you are getting better with a product, maybe you will, which may explain the concept of Christ- ian Science. Anyhow, I forked over $4 and took two tablets a day for a couple of days, and felt better. Was it the Echinacea, the placebo effect...or that my cold had just run its course? *** One of the most prominent advertising spots is going wanting. For a mere pittance, the light- ed directory at the fairgrounds will exchange the defunct Red Bluff Ford space for a more current business venture. Call Mark and reserve it for a year. Such a deal. new paint job on the State Theatre failed to mention the master painter on said project. That would be Brandon Minch of Brandon E. Minch Construction. The E. stands for “Everett.” Another arti- cle in the Daily News about the dedication of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Monu- ment at the Igo Cemetery ignored the presence of two Red Bluff Pearl Harbor sur- vivors rather prominent in the organization. Hilton ”Hank” Reynolds is the Cal- ifornia state chairman of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, and Bob McCullough is vice chair- man of the northern chapter of same. *** Last week’s quiz was first answered by J. Angelo who knew that Tom Thumb’s real name was Charles Sherwood Stratton, his wife was Lavinia Warren and they both worked for P.T. Barnum. This week’s quiz: Name 5 titles of the Tom Swift boy’s novels fame, and name the author. *** In a pitch black night, a navy captain saw a light dead ahead on a collision course with his ship. He immediately sent a signal: “Change your course 10 degrees west.” The light signaled back, “Change your course 10 degrees east.” The captain was angry and signaled back, “I’m a navy captain. Change your course, sir!” The signal came back, “I’m a seaman, sec- ond class. Change your course, sir!” The captain was furious and sent back, “I’m a battleship and am not changing course!” The reply came back, “And I’m a light- house.” Robert Minch is a lifelong resident of Red Bluff and former columnist for the Corning Daily Observer and Meat Industry magazine. He can be reached at rminchandmurray@hotmail.com.