Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/32136
4A Daily News – Saturday, May 21, 2011 Opinion War on 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 terrorism Editor: America is the greatest, most 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 Emerging vision Commentary I recently had cataract surgery on my left eye. Before that surgery driving at night was a real challenge because of the glare, and I seemed to need extra light just to read during the day. After the surgery I realized just how occluded the vision in my left eye had become, gradually over time. Now there is a stark contrast between the brightness in my left eye and what had seemed normal for my right eye. It most likely will be another two plus years before I will need surgery on my right eye, but I look forward to it as a positive change, seeing the true bright- ness of life. Our lives are full of many subtle changes. Some of those changes are simply physical, the result of the aging process: slower healing, muscle reduc- tion, poorer memory function, less flexibility, etc. Some of the changes have to do with maturi- ty and perspective; these changes come from experience, from study, and from getting to know others. I think of the num- ber of times I have reread a favorite book and how different that book seemed upon the rereading. The book hadn't changed, but I had; I'd like to think that I will continue to mature and grow in perspective. One of the benefits of retire- ment is the opportunity to take time to read. I’ve done a little reading over the last five months, and the various books I have read have come together in my mind to help me see our world and community in a dif- ferent light. My reading habits are eclectic, and they usually include a dose of history, theolo- gy, scripture, fiction, and sci- ence. Once in a while I engage in exploration and whimsy; this winter I read Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Bram Stoker's Dracula, books I never would have considered earlier. While neither was particularly satisfy- ing, both opened up some new thoughts and insights; if you can get through the archaic language of Frankenstein, for example, you begin to think about the feeling of abandonment that per- meated the creature Dr. Frankenstein made; that feeling was the source of the monster’s destructive behavior. Reaction to abandonment is an eternal theme; ask your local mental health provider if he/she agrees. I recently read The Whites of their Eyes: The Tea Party's Bat- tle over American History, by Jill Lepore, a professor of Amer- ican history; she paints a far dif- ferent picture of the American Revolution than what is embraced by many Tea Party spokespersons. Her book led me to books about the Revolution- ary period, and the formation of the Constitution and our Ameri- can religious heritage, areas I hadn't studied in any depth since college. I learned about how controversial the Constitution was, and how narrowly it was ratified in many states, how free- dom of religion was very divi- sive, how the Baptists fought for separation of church and state, and about the various forms of religious persecution that exist- ed in our pre-revolutionary peri- od. Those readings reminded me that nostalgia is the enemy of history. I have come to appreci- ate the battles that have continu- ally had to be fought in order both to understand and to apply the Constitution. I also read Karen Armstrong's Twelve Steps Toward a Compas- sionate Life; Armstrong is a renown Church historian and former nun. I selected this book as a result of a Sunday School class, and I found her reasoning compelling. Compassion forms the core belief in many religions and is the glue that helps us work together as a society and as the human race. The Golden Rule is echoed throughout the world’s religions. Following Armstrong' book I read Sherry Turkle's book Alone Together, Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other; Turkle's thesis is disturbing because it sounds like we are retreating from "real" life into the detached world of technolo- gy. The world of Face Book, text messaging, and Tweets allows us to stay "connected" without engaging with another person. I believe in our complex society we need to maintain our basic human relationships which have led us to create stable societies. As Steven Covey points out we live a life of interdependence; we cannot do this if we are not connected with oth- ers. I just finished The Faith Instinct by Dou- glas Wade; the author posits that religion is ingrained into our very being; it is/was neces- sary for the survival of groups, tribes, and nations because it pro- vided unifying values, order, and fear of the supernatural, which, in turn, helped societies stay more stable and survive. This is a pragmatic argument for the social value of religion; this same argument was embraced by George Washington and other Founding Fathers, and this view was echoed by President Eisenhower. Joe Harrop will be in a "global village". Wade does not come down on the side of one particular reli- gion over another, but he emphasizes the communal nature of religion, its social utility and not the individual faith paths and revelations that can lead to schisms and isolation. In some ways his work led me back to think- ing about Arm- strong’s book on compassion. As I said, my vision has improved, and my perspective has possibly matured, or perhaps dementia has set in. Neverthe- less, I do remember something my mother in law told me when she was almost 95. She said she found According to Wade, the nat- ural condition of early, hunter- gather mankind was perpetual war; organized religion held groups together. When agricul- turally based societies devel- oped, religion became more authoritarian to stabilize indi- vidual civilizations; it was often allied with the political powers. In more modern states, hierarchies of religious offi- cials created organized reli- gions which pretty well resem- ble what we have now; in West- ern society the separation between church and state began after the religious wars of the sixteenth century. Religions focused more on achieving a good afterlife than previously. Now that we live in more het- erogeneous groups, Wade won- ders what the role of religion things less black and white as she grew older. During the 45 years I knew her, her hard and fast opinions on many subjects changed as she experienced people and learned more about what it meant to “walk in oth- ers’ shoes”. When I was a dele- gate to the Presbyterian Gener- al Assembly in Denver in 2006; she said, "Joe, I cannot tell you how to vote, but I have come to believe in an open, inclusive, and accepting church." The big issue before the General Assembly had been, and still is, who can be ordained. The issue revolved around homosexual church members. Her opinion on the matter had changed over the years, and she wanted to let me know about her new per- spective. I hope at age 95 I will con- tinue to grow and mature as she did, to be open to others, and to be willing to live in a world far more complex than I had once 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. powerful and technologically advanced nation on earth for more than 200 years of blood and sacrifice, by hundreds of thousands of great Americans who made that ultimate sacri- fice so that we may be free. I picture all of those white crosses at Arlington Cemetery and elsewhere around the world and think of the million man armies they went up against and yet came out victorious helping us to preserve those freedoms and our way of life for future generations. Now in our war on terrorism we are being told that because there is someone out there that doesn't like us that we should be afraid, afraid enough to give up those freedoms. To that I say that we Ameri- cans know that it is precisely because we are the most power- ful country that we will not con- cede, and will preserve those rights for our children and future generations. It is imperative that we let our politicians know that we are not afraid of anyone much less an invisible enemy and demand that they preserve our constitu- tional rights. Joseph D'Aiello, Red Bluff Ide Adobe Editor: So Jerry Brown wants to close the William B. Ide Adobe State Historic Park so that he can pay off the Teachers Union for getting him elected. He is dead set on raising the DMV, sales and income tax no matter how the economy improves so he can give the schools an extra $3 billion while cutting services for the rest of us. Meanwhile the schools receive mil- lions of dollars from the state to take kids to the doctor, which they don't do, so they split this money amongst themselves like kids in a candy store fighting over it. This and all monies pro- vided by the state and not used for it's intended purpose should go back to the state — taxpay- ers. I wonder how many other Your Turn state agencies throw money around like the schools. How much of our tax dollars get re- purposed without our consent? Gov. Brown has repaid the Prison Guard Union for its support by letting it bank an unlimited amount of vacation pay that's going to cost us millions of dollars. This is exact- ly why public sector employee unions should not be allowed. Next time you go to the William B. Ide Adobe State Park and find it closed you can thank a teacher. If want want to change this state, you’re going to have to find what the Teach- ers Union is supporting and vote exactly opposite. Ken Rice, 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 3070 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.