Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/250522
4A Daily News – Wednesday, January 29, 2014 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. 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 Kids, learn to teach your parents well My son struggles with math. He tries hard, studies every night, but the end result at the end of each week isn't exactly what his Mom and I would like. We don't expect Ethan to be at the top of his class or anything like that. Our hope is that he works hard and tries his best. And, at the end of each and every day, we are there to help if needed. For that, he is lucky. I teach many students who do not have this luxury: two parents at home who actually care about their kids' education and social well-being. It's pretty sad and pathetic, really. We live in supposedly the greatest country on earth, and yet we adults can't seem to get our collective acts together when it comes to our kids and doing what's best for them. I struggle with this issue a great deal, and wish I could wave a magic wand to make it all change. I know that's a fantasy, but at least I can write about it in the hope that maybe one person would read this and change how he or she treats their kids. There is no point in rehash- ing all the issues that cause parents to turn up lame – the drugs, divorce, lack of responsibility, whatever. While I understand chemical dependency is a real and legitimate reason on the one hand, I can also present case after case of recovered drug users that would prove that it is not. I also realize that some divorces actually turn out for the better, but where has a roughly 60% divorce rate gotten us as a society? Needless to say, I don't need to cite statistics to prove that point. I chose to write about this today in the hope of raising awareness of the issue locally. I want parents to become more involved in their kids' lives in a positive way. I know many personally who already do, but we need to add more of them to our fold. I am not saying that we need to be perfect – I confess that I am not. However, we should strive to be the best parent we can possibly be. In my opinion, here are some ideas that make for better parents. One, don't be selfish. Whether we like it or not, our kids are better than us and work, and make contacts with their teachers. And, more important than please, don't stop us. At least that is with this one once what I have always they start high thought about mine. school. My open When both my chilhouses can get pretty dren were born, I lonely. knew that I had to Five, eat together. throw whatever perI think we may be sonal, selfish agenda the only country in I had in the closet. the world where Truth be told, it's people get their food still in there; and I've and then run off to only recently begun different rooms to to consider what Pat eat alone. Turn off things I might want your televisions, sit to do for myself this at the same table, year – and my kids and eat. are nine and ten. Face Finally, while I Two, be present. Time have admired the Spend time with your collective work of kids every day, even if it's nothing more than agencies that support kids, hanging out (this is my such as Expect More Tehama favorite part of being a par- and SERRF, I can't help but ent). If that's not possible, wonder what would happen then make time and plan locally if we would expect the ahead. If you don't spend same from adults. It's something to think time with your kids, they about. won't think you care. Have a great day. Three, talk to them. Have ——— conversations with them and Pat Gleason grew up in Los listen, really listen, even if you don't agree with every- Angeles and has taught English at Red Bluff High thing they're saying. Four, get involved in their School since 1990. He can be at school-work. Attend their reached open houses, help with home- phgleaso@rbuhsd.k12.ca.us. Gleason Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Dan Logue, 150 Amber Grove Drive, Ste. 154, 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 It's later than men think The illusion was good while it lasted. I speak of the male biological clock. Yet another study, reported at PsychCentral.com, finds that children of older fathers are more likely to suffer "from mental health issues, including schizophrenia, mood disorders, neurotic disorders, eating disorders, personality disorders and other developmental and childhood disorders such as autism and mental retardation." And this news is a real bummer for middle-aged fellows. Oh, how glorious things used to be before these male biological constraints were known. We fellows were free to believe we could dilly-dally through our 30s and 40s, acquire some dough, then marry an attractive young woman who would bless us with a couple of healthy young children, who could push us around in our wheelchairs in our rapidly approaching old age. We cheered on any old fellow who procreated later in life. Actor Tony Randall had his first kid with a young woman when he was 78. Novelist Saul Bellow sired his fourth child at the age of 84. Author George Plimpton had twins when he was 68. Actor Anthony Quinn fathered two children with his secretary, who later became his wife — the first when he was 78, the second when he was 81. And let us not forget gorgeous actress Catherine ZetaJones, who has had two kids with aging actor Michael Douglas — or is that Kirk Douglas? They both look so old, I get confused. Then the studies started coming out. Scientists said men start suffering low sperm count as soon as the age of 35. They said our "little guys" can't swim as fast as they could when we were young and have higher concentrations of broken DNA strands, which cause maladies in our offspring. Scientists suggested that if we are still crazy enough to procreate after 35, we better give up fun. We must forsake smoking and drinking and everything else that could damage our reproductive capacity. They said we have to give up delicious fatty foods, too, and consume as many oysters, fish and walnuts as we can take. I suppose we had it coming. growing his wealth. In his late For years, you see, lots of 40s or early 50s, at the top of his career, he still studies documented might find a lovely the female biological woman who liked the clock. Infertility idea of having a famresearch shows that a ily with a financially woman's eggs deteriostable older fellow. rate with age. The But those days are longer women wait to gone — and, in fact, have kids, the more were never really likely their children here. will have issues of We humans like some kind — if they to think we can are even able to get impose our will on pregnant. reality — in this Hence, many artiTom case, biological realcles and books have ity — but that is just suggested that career not possible. The women can't have it all regrettable truth is — that if they want families, they should put their that younger people are best careers on hold and have chil- suited to procreation and, if dren while they're young and you want children, waiting too long isn't a good idea. at their biological best. So pick up the pace, felThe female biological clock actually benefitted some of us lows. Your clock is ticking. men. Women who dreamed of Tom Purcell, author of having a family, aware of their time limitations, were much "Misadventures of a 1970s more likely to consort with Childhood" and "Comical boring men of high moral Sense: A Lone Humorist character. Even a bald, chubby Takes on a World Gone fellow could land a lovely Nutty!" is a Pittsburgh humor wife, so long as he was a CPA. Tribune-Review columnist and is nationally And before the male biological clock was documented, syndicated exclusively by there was some opportunity for Cagle Cartoons Inc. Send to Tom at a fellow to dedicate years to comments developing his talents and Purcell@caglecartoons.com. Purcell