Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/478810
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 As a new teacher in a ghetto junior high school, eager to please, I was a good tar- get for the principal to ask about being the debate team coach. Our school had not had a debate team for several years, partly be- cause we did not feel competitive, probably because we did not have very high expecta- tions for our inner city students. ThestudentsIrecruitedfor the debate team were for the most part bright, poorly edu- cated and not accustomed to the idea of being able to argue for either side of an issue. They were obviously not prepared for pol- itics. Our first hur- dle was to do the research for the topic that year, which was pollution. Once we were able to gather informa- tion and try to put together an outline of arguments for and against pollution control, the next step was to work on pub- lic speaking techniques. We started from the basics of not rocking the podium, eye con- tact with the audience, mini- mizing verbal pauses and "um aah's," and then to the way to outline the speech. Our team was composed of four individuals, three eighth grade girls and a young boy. The girls were a diverse group. One was a fiery waif who could keep up with anyone in a capping contest to ver- bally reduce one to ruble; she was slender, had a latte col- ored complexion, and stiff long hair. I was sure she could be a model if she could only focus on that rather than survival. The second girl was identi- fied as a gifted student, but she had missed a lot of school. I re- member sending home make- do exercises for her while she was ill and before I had both- ered to look into her file to see what she was capable of. I felt embarrassed when I found out that she was very capable, and after that tried hard to provide stimulating activities for her. Her mother was very support- ive of her education, and I am sure that she has been able to do well in life. The third girl was from Texas; she was living with her grandmother because of some problem within her family. She was self-effacing, had all of the manners so often lacking in the urban poor, and was a plod- der. She spoke with a soft Texas accent that contrasted sharply with the urban dialect of most of the other students. The male member of our team was a quiet, hide in the back of the classroom student who had been passed from grade to grade because he was no problem in the classroom. Brian couldn't read very well, but he did his work, passed his assignments, and did what he was told. We did not do well in our first two debates, losing to two blue-collar schools that had some history in debate. Our third debate was at Hoover Ju- nior High, a school that served a relatively affluent neighbor- hood. Most of their students went on to Lowell High, the college preparatory school in the district. I was hoping we would not be embarrassed by the debate in the Hoover li- brary. Our students had the pro argument for more environ- mental controls and deliv- ered their speeches in a som- niferous monotone, their faces wide eyed and staring straight over the heads of the audience, about 100 students from the school, and none of color. We were not doing very well, and during the first rebuttal Cynthia made an off hand re- mark that "If things don't get any better, I don't know, but we will have to go back to the days of horses and buggies." In response to our relatively pedestrian efforts, a young ste- reotypical snide Jewish boy, with think curly black hair, full of confidence in himself, and an obvious disdain for our ef- forts stepped to the podium. As his final parting shot at our team, he proclaimed, "Horses and buggies, indeed. Where are we going to get all of those horses?" Cynthia took the podium, and in an awkward manner tried to rebut her snotty nosed opponent's attack. She made her way through her list of re- buttals and then, improvising in a manner she was not even aware of until a blush appeared on her face, she said, "As for all those horses, you get horses the same way you get people." The audience applauded wildly, and when asked to vote, gave us a tie. Needless to say, the kids did not know what to make of it. They were smiling, and quiz- zical all at once. That evening the debate team had dinner at our house, replete with cloth napkins and dessert. Everyone felt good; I felt a sense of moral victory. I felt relieved, and, most importantly, I felt proud of them. Cynthia still felt em- barrassed about what she had said, and I couldn't convince her it was more than okay. She wasn't sure what her grand- mother would think if she found out. I took time to call the prin- cipal at home. He thought it was a joke at first, and then lis- tened as I recited what had happened. He was incredulous, and a very happy man. You never know what will come out of the mouths of chil- dren. Often there is a naïve wisdom that we adults no lon- ger possess. When I think about my re- tirement and what I miss, it is the children, of course, and their openness to the world and their naïve wonder. (This was written in 1999.) JoeHarropisaretired educator with more than 30 years of service to the North State. He can be reached at DrJoeHarrop@sbcglobal.net. Joe Harrop Where do horses come from? Cartoonist's take What'shappeninginour National Forests Editor: This is a notice to those who are interested in what is happening in our three National Forests: Lassen, Shasta-Trinity and Men- docino. The Tehama County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 to shut down the Tehama County Coordination Com- mittee. Now for you who do not know what the Coordination Committee is, it is a county appointed committee of 5 citi- zens, the sheriff and 2 county supervisors who are trained in the coordination process to sit down with the Forest Ser- vice as equals and work out a consistent outcome on issues that pertain to the citizens and the county. What does it do? It coordi- nates with the heads of the Forest Service to get them to keep the roads open for citi- zens to travel, camp and en- joy our forest, and to thin the trees to prevent huge forest fires. This committee works with the Forest Service to assure that the project they are go- ing to do is consistent with the county general plan. How was coordination started? In 2010, Fred Kelly Grant, a nationally known at- torney who lives in Idaho, came to Shasta and Tehama counties and taught coor- dination to a large group of people. Soon after Tehama County invoked coordination with the forests and selected a committee. Why is our coordination committee shut down? Sean Moore, head of the planning department, said he is too busy with the Oakland ele- phants, building the library and all county buildings and has no money to take on the coordination process. Well, the public commit- tee members do not get paid for being on the coordination committee which, at first, only met once a month before they cut it down to once ev- ery three months. What can you accomplish meeting once every three month when the Forest Service is working five days a week? This is a great loss for the citizens of our county. I want to thank those people who worked so hard to help keep our forests open. — June Cooper, Red Bluff Keep it simple with pot Editor: At this point marijuana is illegal. Alcohol is legal. I personally support the no outdoor grow policy. I would like to see a no plant system in. If it's not planted, mari- juana has no value. Sixteen tons of the so called medicine was confis- cated in San Diego. Share that with all the counties to be distributed to those so called patients that qualify. Let's keep it simple. — Sam Collins, Red Bluff Overwhelmed by scam calls Editor: I keep getting telephone calls telling me I have won money and a new car. Some of the calls have come from Jamaica, others were just from people wanting to separate me from my retire- ment money. Why? I am not a person who enters contests. I do do- nate to things like the Te- hama Museum. I buy what- ever people bake at the gro- cery store, but I don't enter mailed things. I get five or more calls a day saying I have won mega money and a great expensive car. All I have to do is send money. OK, I will if I meet you at the bank, verify the check, then I will give you a delivery fee. No takers. They want the money first. No. I have considered changing our phone number. — JoAnn Landingham, Los Molinos Questions about Homeland Security Editor: Mr. Ron Paul questions "What is the Department of Homeland Security good for?" What does the money they spend pay for? Taxpayers' dol- lars are precious and should have some real purpose. It is well known that the Department of Homeland Se- curity — not part of our mil- itary services — has amassed an arsenal of tanks, armored vehicles, automatic rifles, thousands of hollow nosed bullets and other war mate- rials. What is this arsenal for? Is it not for the protection of American citizens. The money they spent for these arma- ments would undoubtedly pay for any expenses they have without the Congress and the President getting so disturbed about the lack of funds that would shut down the govern- ment. If the House and Senate are unaware of all this, where have they been? Our President cut $1 tril- lion out of our defense fund for the military services and personnel. He is so busy destroying our military services, why not the Department of Home- land Security? Is there a spe- cial purpose or duty for their arsenal? It's time our representa- tives and senators woke up to what's going on and act like loyal American citizens and live up to their oaths of of- fice instead of placating the so called liberals in our gov- ernment. The president uses self im- posed Executive Privilege to do whatever he wishes and seems to endorse the United Nations' position led by Ban Ki Moon — not chosen or elected by any American — of giving our sovereign sta- tus, the rights and assets and the resources of America to the U.N. The President took an oath of office to support our con- stitution and defend America against all enemies, foreign and domestic. His Attorney General seems to think he can ignore any law he chooses to. He flatly said he would not enforce any immigration laws. In the second section of your paper today The Associ- ated Press has a story advis- ing Americans that the House of Representatives passed the bill to give $40 billion to the Department of Homeland Se- curity to carry them through to the end of the budget year. This is $40 billion of tax- payers' money placed in the hands of this useless agency with the eager approval of our President. — Jean Clayton, Red Bluff Letters to the editor She made her way through her list of rebuttals and then, improvising in a manner she was not even aware of until a blush appeared on her face, she said, "As for all those horses, you get horses the same way you get people." Sounding off A look at what readers are saying in comments on our website and on social media. Sara is a great person who has an infectious smile and such a great work ethic for a young person. I highly recommend trying their food it's really good and fresh and a great atmosphere. Alice Ellis: On the reopening of the Red Bluff Airport restaurant as The Hangar Cafe Love this place and all of the people that work there. They bust their bums and it shows. Keep up the good work. See you Sunday. Sunny Cope: On the reopening of the Red Bluff Airport restaurant as The Hangar Cafe Joe Harrop OPINION » redbluffdailynews.com Saturday, March 14, 2015 » MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A6 LI F E S T Y L E S