Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/359132
GregStevens,Publisher Chip Thompson, Editor EDITORIALBOARD How to have your say: 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 no more than two double-spaced pages or 500words. When several letters address the same issue, a cross section will be published. Email: editor@red bluffdailynews.com Phone: 530-527- 2151ext. 112 Mail to: P.O. Box 220, 545 Diamond Ave., Red Bluff, CA 96080 Facebook: Leave comments at FACEBOOK.COM/ RBDAILYNEWS Twitter: Follow and send tweets to @REDBLUFFNEWS Ah, summer. What a great time for boys to read "The Dangerous Book for Boys." First released in the U.K. in 2006 and the U.S. in 2007, the book is filled with useful informa- tion on how to make knots in a rope, build a go-kart or treehouse, create a working bow and arrow, and engineer a proper water bomb. Thebookisalsofilledwith stories of famous historical bat- tles, information about dino- saurs, the moon and the Dec- laration of Independence, and other interesting tidbits, such as how to play marbles and chess, make invisible ink and create spy codes. The book has sold well in both the U.K. and the U.S. for a vari- ety of reasons — most of all be- cause it celebrates boyhood and couldn't care less about being politically correct. It celebrates the fact that boys, unlike girls, generally like to go out in the mud and play, build things with their own hands and allow na- ture to unleash their imagina- tion and all five of their senses. "I think we've come through the period when we said boys and girls were exactly the same, because they're not," author Conn Iggulden told The Associ- ated Press. "Boys and girls have different interests, different ways of learning, and there's no real problem in writing a book that plays to that, and says, let's celebrate it. Let's go for a book that will appeal to boys." "Hear, hear!" to that. We have in our population too many males, now in their 20s or 30s, who were not per- mitted to be boys this way when they were lads. Such young men were per- suaded to shun the ways of their fathers and grandfathers — men who were short on words and long on action, and never fret- ted over feelings, roughage or good prostate health. But in the past three decades, the traditional American male has been under attack. He has been called closed-minded, ar- chaic and sexist. Thus, mod- ern boys are pressured to show their feelings. Today, the landscape is pol- luted with sensitive "New Age" 20- and 30-year-olds. Touchy- feely fellows with soft voices and caring eyes. Fellows who mist up at bridal showers and clap heartily the first time their sons use the commode for "No. 2." It's not their fault entirely. Many of them were forbidden to go outside to play, learn, in- vent and discover. They were held captive inside their homes, where they got fat off of snack foods as they played on comput- ers under the careful watch of adults. It's not their fault they were given unusual, soft names in- tended to celebrate their spe- cialness. One is hard-pressed to find a Tom, Mike, Jim or Joe un- der 40 these days. It's not their fault some had moms who dressed them up in color-coordinated knickers, sus- penders and saddle shoes — and dads afraid to say what ev- ery good father must say in such a situation: "No son of mine is going to wear any damn knick- ers!" But we can correct these wrongs. We can start by encour- aging boys to do boy things as boys have done through sum- mer months ever since boys have existed. Here's a good start: Let na- ture unleash their imagination and senses this summer. When boys are free to catch crayfish, build ramps to jump their bikes and conduct any of dozens of other enjoyable activi- ties outlined in "The Dangerous Book for Boys," they will blos- som into fine young men who will not attend bridal or baby showers and will leave it to oth- ers to clap when Junior suc- ceeds on the commode. Incidentally, you can unleash the imagination and senses of girls, too. That is accomplished in Iggulden's equally robust vol- ume, "The Dangerous Book for Girls." TomPurcell,authorof"Misad- ventures of a 1970s Childhood" and "Comical Sense: A Lone Hu- morist Takes on a World Gone Nutty!" is a Pittsburgh Tribune- Review humor columnist. Tom Purcell Let boys be boys this summer It's not their fault they were given unusual, soft names intended to celebrate their specialness. One is hard- pressed to find a Tom, Mike, Jim or Joe under 40 these days. Treeshowsdispleasure over Jefferson vote Editor: As if in anticipation of the Tehama County Board of Su- pervisors' vote to join the State of Jefferson movement two days later, the 400-year-old majestic oak protecting and shading the historic buildings that was long proclaimed and celebrated to be the residence of the only President of the Bear Flag Republic of Califor- nia, William B. Ide, shuttered one last time and dropped its branches on one of Red Bluff's last tourist destinations. The conservative Board of Supervisors pandered to their base and voted for it, just as they had planned all along, but why spend money to put it on the ballot? To rally their base to the polls by using the Tea Party led movement to get their two supervisors up for re- election elected using tax payer dollars. From the beginning, the in- cumbent supervisors planned on having a non-election by keeping a low profile, relying on name recognition, the SOJ vote, a non-existent conser- vative controlled media and a highly financed District Attor- ney race to bring the conserva- tive good ol' boys out to vote, while the Democrats and dis- illusioned voters stayed home. Lots to overcome for Demo- cratic challengers, but we all worked hard to give Tehama County a choice and choose they did. They chose to continue supporting the same stag- nant, corrupt and self-serv- ing conservatives, who lost us Lake Red Bluff; stood by and did nothing while crime and homelessness increased and watched the slough explode into destructive chaos. Who have no idea how to bring in jobs or revenue; who stands by and complains about a lack of water for farmers, but has no solutions or empathy for the personal wells being tapped all over the county by over- grown corporate orchards; who watches Sierra Pacific In- dustries wipe out our forest, destroying our snow pack and watersheds, while support- ing state and federal conserva- tive candidates who have sto- len our water and lake with no compensation. I do think a split would be a good idea, if it was based on shared geology and water- shed, from Lake Tahoe to be- low the delta. This would give us money and power to do it. Every time I mentioned this to a SOJ supporter, they would say, "We don't want no liberals in our state." To which I would ask if they plan to deport us or put us in concentration camps. They think they will take their majority to make the perfect Tea Party State free from all forms of government control, no regulations, polluting our environment, finish destroy- ing our forest and watershed and make sure that all of our water goes south, along with our good paying state jobs. Look at the counties and people supporting the State of Jefferson, like columnist Don Polson who shows us weekly how bigoted, misinformed and hateful he is against anything liberal; who does not want to face, or fails to understand, scientific facts about climate change and who supports can- didates who steal our water, even when they are commit- ting fraud, pretending to live in Gerber. Unlike the successful coun- ties that rejected SOJ, the counties supporting Jefferson are a mess under their radi- cal, unrealistic doctrines and leaders. These counties re- flect the future of Northern California, especially if they split it into six states. We will get all the criminals, home- lessness, poverty and still lose what is left of our resources, while Southern California gets the money, high paying state jobs and still steal our resources. Those union state jobs are what keep Northern Califor- nia barely alive and paying our bills. These are the peo- ple who buy houses, go on va- cations in our area and spend money at our stores. These are the people making a liv- able wage with benefits, in- stead of standing on the edge of poverty, relying on mini- mum wage and the govern- ment for food, medical help and shelter. I want to thank all the people who helped me with my campaign and believed in my vision of a better Te- hama County. Due to recent health issues with myself and my mother, it was probably best to lose the election, even though I had many ideas and plans I cannot now pursue. I think it best to stay away from being actively involved. Besides, this next year, the board will face marijuana, tribal, SOJ and water wars with streams of irate and crazy people attending meet- ings. So, I will write an oc- casional letter to the editor, as I love to write and need to let off some steam, occa- sionally about the problems I see and read about every day in our community. I wish Te- hama County the best in deal- ing with our future problems with the same conservative group that ruined us in the first place. — Pat Johnston, Red Bluff Letter was on the money Editor: Yes, Ms. Stout's letter of July 30 is the most well thought out and informa- tional bit of literature on the subject of the State of Jeffer- son ever printed by the Daily News. However it appears to be over the heads of a majority of the lemmings that read the aforementioned publication. So keep it up and do not give up. And soon it is hoped that enough intelligence will be spread out to bring com- mon sense to those lemmings. — Robert Hogan, Red Bluff Your opinions Cartoonist's take In a move less surprising than hot dogs at a ballgame, the House of Representatives voted to give Speaker John Boehner the authority to sue the President of the United States. This isn't like a di- vorce, or a civil suit for money, it's more of a restraining or- der. They want Obama to quit trying to resuscitate the gov- ernment they've been working so hard to render unconscious. On one hand, it's a brilliant tactical move. Nobody can call them a Do-Nothing Congress anymore. "Do nothing? What are you talking about? We sued the President." Many see the action as a stopgap mea- sure to quiet the crazies on the right, who continue to de- mand nothing less than im- peachment. And this is Im- peachment Lite. Problem is, they did it im- mediately before scurrying home on a five-week summer recess, so it's not like a mul- titude of other accomplish- ments are destined to over- whelm this freakish folly in the near future. This being an important upcoming break, in which Congress will en- gage in the pivotal business of meeting with constituents and squeezing money out of them for their re-election. Does the term, "every last dime" have any meaning here? The excuse given for the law- suit is Obama illegally delayed the implementation of Obama Care. Seriously. That's what they claim to be mad at. Not just the very same Obama Care the Speaker and his buddies tried to scuttle over half a hun- dred times. But the very same delayed implementation to Obama Care the Speaker and his buddies tried to pass. If irony were bananas, Boehner's House would be Brazil. Obviously something had to be done. Getting way too close to the midterms to try and re- peal Obama Care anymore. Turns out people like it. Even the Tea Party has moved on, which is like saying the train fell over. Immigration reform is their new chew toy, which also went down in flames due to internecine warfare. Na- tional political gridlock is old hat: internal party gridlock is the coming thing. To be honest, Democrats love this kind of talk. Their fervent hope is Boehner continues to contract heat prostration work- ing on his tan. Nothing opens the spigot on the donation hose faster than GOP intransigence. It may be nothing more than a fundraising stunt but it works for everybody. Seems like the crazier the Speaker and his buddies get, the more money for the November elections. For both sides. Makes a person wonder what's next: is Boehner go- ing to sue Sarah Palin for be- ing reluctant to say ridiculous things? Take Mitt Romney to court for refusing to dominate the headlines the last 2 years? Charge the Supreme Court with voting along party lines too often? There are so many things wrong with this move, you need a rubber spread sheet and an accountant on Thora- zine to work them all out. By suing the Chief Executive, you're not just opening any box of worms; you're open- ing Pandora's box of worms. Worms with Greek teeth. And venomous talons. This could very well work as a template to screw things up in Congress for the history of eternity. Of course if the case does persist and follows the av- erage speed of your normal federal lawsuit, it won't see the light of day until much, much later. Probably the middle of Hillary Clinton's 2nd term. Will Durst is an award- win- ning, nationally acclaimed political comic. Go to will- durst.com to find about more about the new documentary film "3 Still Standing," and a calendar guide to personal appearances including his new one- man show "BoomeR- aging: From LSD to OMG. Will Durst Pandora's box of worms: Political posturing in lawsuits OPINION » redbluffdailynews.com Wednesday, August 6, 2014 » MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A6