Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/551912
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@ redbluffdailynews.com Fax: 530-527-9251 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 Iamenjoyingtwobigpoliticalsurprisesthis year. Those surprises are Congressman Ber- nie Sanders and Billionaire Donald Trump. I believe they are both using the real anger of American citizens to get all that big press and the support they are getting. Theyarenowabletodraw thousands of people that show up wherever and whenever they make an I think we all get angry at govern- ment. And, that feeds positively into each of their campaigns as the first Republican Presidential De- bate is telecast for all of us tonight. Those two candidates are fo- cusing on our immigration, economy and the trouble spots around the world. And, biggest of all, it is hard not to get the impression that those repre- sentatives of ours in Washing- ton, D.C. simply will not talk to each other. They get noth- ing done and never seem to get past all the shouting. As of today there are 17 bona fide republican candidates run- ning for the presidency. I have a good mind to throw my own hat in the ring. However, let's temporarily concentrate on Congressman Bernie Sanders and billion- aire Donald Trump. Sanders is very liberal and "The Donald" is very conservative. However, I am beginning to realize just how much they both have in common, even though they are in different parties. First, their campaigns are coming alive because of Amer- ican's collective dissatisfac- tion. And second, most impor- tantly, both of them tell us in the clearest possible way what is on their minds. Yes, that is very refreshing. So much for John Kasich, Scott Walker, Marco Rubio, or even Hillary etc. etc. And, who is Jim Gilmore? Oh, just another recent candidate I will have to research later. I have always been pleased with the press, except when the media concentrates mostly on the candidates and information that only sizzles. Our politics seem to now focus on mostly sound bites and video that can be made immediately avail- able and rushed to You Tube asap. We need to put "civiliza- tion" and "proper discord" back into our political information stream. I have had the wonderful op- portunity to moderate more than half a dozen races for Governor here in California. Trump on stage tonight will be the same as Arnold's first race for that Governorship in 2004. The television audience will no doubt be larger, but the product will be more "infotain- ment" than information. I be- lieve I know that already. And, I will be watching. I learned this week that Vice President Joe Biden is again considering another run for the top office as he spends an ex- tended vacation with his fam- ily. That can't please Hillary. I began following politics when President Dwight Eisen- hower and Vice President Rich- ard Nixon were running our country. I got into politics in 1964 when Senator Barry Gold- water was running for Presi- dent. I now think the '60s, '70s and possibly even the '80s, was a more civilized political time. Please give me your thoughts. Am I just getting too old for this rough and tumble political world or is it here to stay? Mytakeonthemovies This week's movie is terrific. It's "Mission Impossible, Rogue Nation." The late Bruce Geller, origi- nal creator of the television se- ries, would have been proud to see the result of what he started on television in the early 1970s. Tom Cruise does an excellent job. The first 24 hours release of this film grossed $58,000,000. I highly recommend this movie if you want to enjoy two hours and escape this troubled planet. StanStathamserved1976-1994 in the California Assembly and was a television news anchor at KHSL-TV in Chico 1965- 1975. He is past president of the California Broadcasters Association and can be reached at StanStatham@gmail.com. My take Bernie Sanders and The Donald Trump on stage tonight will be the same as Arnold's first race for that Governorship in 2004. The television audience will no doubt be larger, but the product will be more "infotainment" than information. Wondering about watering Editor: Did I miss a memo? Redding and Chico water three times a week and drip any time. Red Bluff twice a week. What the heck? — Russ Elsom, Red Bluff Cecil the lion vs. the real story Editor: It's often said that media and journalism is meant to be un- biased, however, with the re- cent circumstances that have oc- curred in Zimbabwe I've noticed that this is not the case. Yes, what Walter Palmer did is incredibly wrong. It was illegal in several plus ways and incredi- bly unethical. However, hunting, even trophy hunting, should not demonized in any way. I'll just blatantly ask. Have many people have even heard of a Marco Polo Argali? What about a Markhor? There's also the Sitatunga, Mountain Nyala and so much more. I'll tell you this — hunters have. As it is al- ways said, a true conservation- ist is a hunter. I can't tell you how many times I've been asked, "wait, if you love animals, then how can you like hunting?" The answer is, I love to hunt because I love animals. Hunters are out in the field, paying attention to what's going wrong, what's going right, and what needs to be changed. Throughout the world trophy fees pay for conservation, and especially in Africa the meat and other non-taxidermy — es- sentially, everything not the hide or animal's skull — materi- als go to the locals. In some ar- eas, this can account for a signif- icant amount of protein intake amongst the natives. Every single hunter in the modern day is a conservationist, whether they're actively saying it or not. The trophy fees paid for any game animal go to con- servation, whether directly pay- ing for the Department of Fish & Wildlife like here in the states, or paying guides, chefs, trackers, skinners and others in Africa. Money talks well, when peo- ple realize just how valuable their wildlife is, they're less in- clined to poach them. Modern game management has never caused the extinction or endangerment of any species. And even if a species is endan- gered, they too can be managed properly. By the way, Southern White Rhinoceros aren't endangered, they're listed as near threatened, and conservation efforts be- tween game managers and the local rangers and national park systems have preserved the spe- cies well. There's still a lot to go, but it's a start. Everyone is so quick to say "hunted for sport or trophy," but no, that doesn't exist. In fact, outside of the US, and possibly the Western world, it benefits a huge group of people. — Andrew Smith, Corning Cuba Editor: Miracles never cease. How heartwarming to witness that after more than a half century Uncle Sam has finally decided to bury the hatchet and move to- ward normalization and resto- ration of diplomatic ties with Cuba. Recent friendly gestures and conciliatory rhetoric is pre- cisely what has been absent dur- ing all these years while we have been spreading misery, with our boot resting heavily upon that small island and its citizens in the form of embargo, imposition of severe sanctions and ceaseless covert operations in an effort to destabilize its economy, all inter- woven with countless failed as- sassination attempts on Fidel Castro's life. Does this step represent an example of U.S. decency, altru- ism and kindness in action, or might there be a more compel- ling reason and ulterior motive involved, which is frequently the case these days, for such osten- tatious display of magnanimity? Indeed, there is. Unreported and thus unbeknownst to most of us, is the fact that China and Cuba have been cultivating friendly relations as of late, via mutual aid and the establishment of Free Trade Agreements in an area we have always referred to as our own back yard. Even though their cooper- ation is strictly peaceful and solely based on economic prin- ciples, memories of the Cu- ban missile crisis and spec- ter of a foreign power establish- ing a foothold of any kind in our hemisphere is front and center once again. This seems to have left us with a serious case of egg on our face, because communist China is in the process of co-opt- ing and beating us at our own game of free market capitalism. Obviously, the recent long ne- glected conciliatory offer of co- operation with Cuba, the out- stretched hand and promise to lift sanctions, has been necessi- tated simply by Beijing's grow- ing influence and trade policies with that country. Maybe it is time for sober re- flection, and reassessment of the pursuit of our archaic unyield- ing foreign policy, by creating a brand new more flexible and re- alistic contemporary playbook which reflects the emerging con- stant vagaries of global inter- ests, power and influence in a multi-polar 21st century world, and abandoning the use of our military as a threat and batter- ing ram, along with the prac- tice of imposing severe sanctions upon others to forcefully obtain our objectives, and instead giv- ing good ol' long neglected di- plomacy another chance to help create a more peaceful world, which would help restore our somewhat tarnished image and will ultimately result in a gen- uine cause for celebration and appreciation by the other 95% of non-U.S. homo sapiens with whom we share life and space on this planet. — Joe Bahlke, Red Bluff Your opinions Cartoonist's take I guess my morbid streak has prepared me for the 70th anni- versary of Victory over Japan Day (V-J Day) and the events leading up to it. Sometimes when I'm in a con- templative mood, I survey the horizon from my workplace and find my mind drifting to what it would be like if I saw a mush- room cloud in the distance. World leaders deserve a pat on the back for managing (in an itchy-trigger-finger world) not to have employed an atomic bomb again since the horrific detona- tions at Hiroshima and Naga- saki (August 6 and August 9, 1945). But instead of resting on our laurels, we should remain eter- nally vigilant for rogue states threatening the survival of man- kind. Similarly, the United States has done much to honor "the Greatest Generation"; but more remains to be done for the dwin- dling population of veterans and homefront defenders: a major revamp of the Veterans Admin- istration, more statues, more pa- rades, more hugs. And the "keep on keeping on" mantra must apply as we wres- tle with the troubling question "Could the current generation(s) handle a threat like the Axis?" Yes, in many ways the Baby Boomers, their children and grandchildren have been pam- pered — but I see countless rays of hope. We can't recreate the conditions that produced the re- sourceful farmboys and street- smart urbanites who defeated Hitler, Tojo and Mussolini — but parents, teachers and commu- nity leaders can recognize and encourage the youngsters who display traits of patriotism, sac- rifice and self-control. Rather than "tsk-tsking" over the omnipresent handheld elec- tronic devices, we should give a nod to the development of hand- eye coordination and subtly blend in some educational ma- terial to balance the games and gossip. And let's make sure all those best-selling "self-help" and "how to" books are doing some- thing other than gathering dust; life's practical skills need to be spread around, not just monopo- lized by a handful of survivalists. "Couch potato" was not a term bandied about in the Great Depression, and today's young- sters can get proper exercise if given encouragement (and good examples) by schools and fam- ilies. Those alive during World War II literally got "more bang for their buck" with their in- vestment in the A-bomb. Now- adays we should insist on re- sults from government expendi- tures, rather than just watching money poured down a sinkhole to garner votes. We once understood that "loose lips sink ships." It's not too late to turn from the habit of practicing lax security for passwords, posting photos of drunken excesses on Facebook and telling MORE than we know on our blogs. Legendary TV producer Nor- man Lear recently branded him- self a "bleeding-heart conserva- tive" and lamented the lack of emphasis on civics courses. Done properly, civics classes need not constitute brainwashing; just present the facts, warts and all, and students can see for them- selves that the U.S. is exceptional and WORTH defending. As talk of Planned Parent- hood videos and "Black lives matter" swirls in the media, we can emphasize that life is not cheap. Ethics and morals and (dare I say it?) righteousness can exalt a nation. Ancient Is- rael couldn't fight its way out of a paper sack when it got too big for its britches; but when it humbled itself and recognized a Higher Power, one man could chase a thousand. Let's pull together. A hun- dred years from now, those alive could well be remembering us with "Victory over 21st-century Problems Day." Danny Tyree welcomes email responses at tyreetyrades@aol. com and visits to his Facebook fan page Tyree's Tyrades. Danny Tyree 70 years of perspective on Hiroshima and Nagasaki Stan Statham OPINION » redbluffdailynews.com Thursday, August 6, 2015 » MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A4