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6A Daily News – Tuesday, April 3, 2012 Opinion DAILYNEWS 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 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. 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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 What conservatives would have us believe I continue to underestimate the ability of conservatives to mislead voters in the northstate with con- voluted logic condemning the actions of our President and commander-in- chief. Either that or I overestimate the ability of local voters to assess the veracity of their information sources, weigh facts, and reach reasonable conclusions of their own. Whatever the reason, there seems to be tremendous reluc- tance by advocates of either side of political issues to suspend disbe- lief in information that conflicts with precon- ceived or adopted notions so as to deem whether it has merit. Please forgive my lofty desires if you are not able to do just that long enough to render my column something other than a waste of our time. Conservatives would have us believe that high gasoline prices (which are actually lower in real dollar terms than in the 1970's) are due to restrictions on domestic drilling, limited access to new oil fields, prohibitions on pipeline construction, and/or foreign poli- cy missteps. All this despite doc- umented data that domestic oil production is at the highest levels in the past eight years, all avail- Richard Mazzucchi Positive Point able drilling rigs are presently in use, oil companies hold leases for as yet untapped reservoirs, con- struction of the Keystone pipeline from Oklahoma to the Gulf of Mexico is expe- dited, and our relations with middle eastern oil suppliers are strong with the sole exception of Iran, which most conservatives are pre- disposed to further alienate. There is no magic wand that a Pres- ident can wave to reduce gasoline prices without increasing our national debt or deplet- ing our strategic reserves. and we are best advised to pursue alternative energy supplies and efficiency options. Conservatives would also have must simply face the reality that growing global demand and oil speculation are respon- sible for price increases Americans during the Clinton years. Now that the mandates have been codi- fied in both houses of Congress and signed into law conservatives now conveniently reverse position so as to deride the president for political advantage. last week, only a mandate com- pelling healthy and ill citizens to carry health insurance can ensure adequate funds are available to care for those otherwise unable to pay. As I stated deny care to those in need or con- tinue the waste of legally required resources to pay for avoidable emergency room visits, malignant disease, and consequential dis- abilities. The only alternative is to us believe that individual man- dates for health insurance are an invention of our President bent on bringing socialism to America. How quickly they forget that con- servative legislators (including ex-governor Romney) with their Heritage Foundation think-tank first proposed and supported the mandates as an alternative to the single payer system proposed us believe that America's recov- ery from a near depression is retarded by the missteps of a Pres- ident out of touch with the situa- tion. It is all too easy for them to arm-chair quarterback without the reality check of an improving economy to evaluate the efficacy of their claims. Most everyone agrees that the economy is much stronger than when President Obama came into office, that his rescue of domestic automakers from the brink of bankruptcy per- mitted them to achieve record vol- umes and profit last year, and that under his leadership the national unemployment rate has dropped significantly and the number of distressed properties whose val- ues were artificially inflated prior Conservatives would also have to his presidency is steadily diminishing. I submit that these birds in the President's hand are far more real than those imagined in the bushes of his detractors, and that it is they that cast aspersions upon the economic recovery that are most responsible for its pauci- ty. So there you are with some logical reasons to question the truthfulness of what the Republi- can candidates and their conserv- ative allies are spending millions of tax deductible dollars to have you believe so as to support their partisan interests. Unfortunately it will come as no surprise if the same members of our community compose their column, letters to the editor, and on-line posts to denigrate my character and/or proclaim progressives such as I fail to comprehend their point of view, when I simply provide food for thought that conflicts with the disingenuous notions of what conservatives would have us believe. Richard Mazzucchi is a retired research engineer specializing in energy efficiency and renewable energy. He has travelled extensively and now makes his home in Los Molinos, where he is striving to manifest a sustainable and spiritual lifestyle and operate a BBQ equipment and supply business. He can be reached at living-green@att.net. 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), 2595 Cean- othus Ave., Ste. 182, Chico, CA 95973; 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; (510) 286-8537. Fax (202) 224- 0454. Self-defense, shameless race-baiting, facts controversy; I've seen the appear- ance of the Butte County NAACP on the tube, as well as "hoodie" wearing politicians (Democrats, of course) on the legislative floor in Sacramento, exploiting a tragedy. The way I see it, a young man, 17- year-old Trayvon Martin, was shot and killed by George Zimmerman, described as a "neighborhood watch captain" in reports, under cir- cumstances not entirely clear and specific. Readers have undoubtedly seen and heard more than they need to. However, from the coverage I've seen on mainstream broadcasts and print reports, there seems to be a bit of a slant or bias favoring one nar- rative – that the shooting was an unjustified crime borne of either racial animus or profiling, conclu- sions not supported by the facts presently known. Such counterfactual conclusions have inspired shameless race mon- gering, exploitation and calls for uncivil, lawless vigilantism by some of the very hucksters and race hustlers charging Mr. Zimmerman with acting as a vigilante, absent any proof. Aspersions of race hatred against Hispanic Zimmer- man, who selflessly helped young, African American children with his time and heart, and who counted African Americans among his rela- tives and friends, have been hateful- ly and maliciously hurled at him, the city of Sanford's police, prose- cutors and leaders. Sheer blood lust motivates some being led by such frauds and race- mongers as Al Sharpton (promoted racist lies over Tawany Brawley), Jesse Jackson, Jr. (quoted express- I've never hesitated to wade into ing his relief that the approaching footsteps behind him in Washing- ton, DC, were those of a white man), and the racist New Black Panthers ("kill the crackers"). Hey, don't take my word for it. An arti- cle, "Former NAACP leader accus- es Sharpton and Jackson of 'exploiting' Trayvon Martin" from the Daily Caller, 3/16, quotes "the conservative black pastor who was once the chapter president of the Garlan, Texas NAACP (who) called Jackson and Sharpton 'race hustlers' and said they are 'acting as though they are buzzards circling the carcass of this young boy' (to) racially divide this country." He goes on to state "The epidemic is truly black on black crime. The greatest danger to the lives of young black men are young black men." Let's check off what rights peo- Zimmerman described his actions in a way that seem reasonable. Although he failed to fol- low the advice of the non- emergency responder to disengage from following the young man, he pro- ceeded to where he could at least ascertain a street name to provide to police. Here's where it gets ple have, shall we? Young Mr. Mar- tin had every right to travel on foot home from a convenience store to his father's home, newly arrived at after being suspended for having an empty marijuana baggie, among other minor offences. Reports sur- facing so far fail to suggest that he was doing criminal mischief; how- ever, the mixed-race neighborhood had suffered from numerous break- ins and crime. Martin had every right not to be molested or accosted although if, in fact, he was not walking on sidewalks, residents, including Mr. Zimmerman, had every right to take note and inquire what he was doing in the middle of the night. We'll never know the nature of the interactions between the two in their initial encounter absent witnesses or cameras, but murky, leaving us to won- der, not conclude, how they became physically involved. Both men, the 6 foot 3 inch football player in prime condition, reac- tions and aggressiveness, as well as the 5 foot 9 inch out of shape couch potato, have an inherent right to self-defense. We all do; only fools and pacifists would deny the obvious. If Zimmerman started something, he couldn't complain about being on the losing end, but I don't think it went that way. Young Martin cer- tainly had a right to object to being followed but not to assault; his right to take a swing stopped short of Zimmerman's face. There is nothing but ignorant, disgusting speculation to support the outrageous conclusions of Mar- tin being hunted down in cold- blooded murder. Witnesses, injuries and police reports support the narrative that Zimmerman was at a disadvantage and being pum- meled by Martin in an unrelenting manner. According to Zimmerman, it was not going to stop short of unconsciousness, major injury and/or death. Therefore, Zimmer- man exercised his inherent right to defend himself while he could, with the only weapon he had, his handgun. It doesn't help when lawyers for the distraught family try to spin and lie about police video of Zimmerman, saying that it didn't show the gash to his head; likewise, when ABC deceitfully placed an overlay on their video replay to hide that same gash. Don Polson The way I see it ently at various points in that series of events, leaving Martin alive, and Zimmerman unaccused. Also, recently 1) a 17-year-old black man murdered two British tourist/stu- dents in Sarasota, Florida; 2) three African-American suspects fled a Mississippi State University dorm after a white student was shot and killed, and 3) in Congressman Bobby Rush's Chicago district (he of the "hoodie" stunt in Congress), "hoodie-wearing" gunmen killed 1 and wounded 5 (6 hour total of 13 shot, 2 dead in Chicago). Anything to say, Sharpton or Jackson? I subscribe to the tenet that it is better to be judged by 12 than carried by six; the legal examination may or may not support further action against Zimmer- man. Both he and Trayvon Martin could well have acted differ- Don Polson has called Red Bluff home since 1988. He can be reached by e-mail at donplsn@yahoo.com.