Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/6196
4A – Daily News – Friday, January 22, 2010 A MediaNews Group newspaper 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 Opinion Tie your shoes. This was a simple task our parents taught us at a young age. It was something we did before we ran out the door to go play. And when they came untied, chances were we wouldn't even notice. Most of the time, an adult would stop us and say, "Tie your shoes." You know what? We would, all by ourselves. Then we would go right back to doing whatever it was we were doing. Recently I noticed that we are quite possibly raising a genera- tion of children who can't tie their own shoes. One morning I just happened to look down at a pair of stu- dent's shoes. They were shiny white and didn't have a single blemish. Then, I noticed they didn't have any laces. So, I looked around the rest of the room and noticed many other students had similar type shoes. How sad, I thought, that these kids would never know the joy of learning how to tie their own shoes. For generations, learning to do this was like a right of pas- sage. It was the first thing we learned before moving on to kindergarten (I don't think they had pre-school back then, and we turned out fine). Matter of fact, if I recall, we had practice during which we actually worked on tying our shoes. That's like potty training. It's a skill one needs to get along in life. Tying one's shoes ranks right up there with learning how to drive and how to ride a bike. At some point, we have to take off the training wheels. In a figurative sense, learning how to tie our own shoes grants another step in the realm of becoming more independent. As kids, our parents gradually cut the ties that bind us to them. By the time a child is in his mid teens, he should be as self sufficient as humanely possible. He should be able to perform simple tasks like eating, drink- ing, going to the bathroom and, yes, tying his own shoes. One would hope he could perform greater tasks, like doing chores around the house and being responsible for his own homework. Maybe he could, heaven forbid, hold down a job. Sounds wonderful, doesn't it? But what do we really see: too many kids lying on the couch eating junk food and chugging sodas; other kids wast- ing their leisure time playing with their video games and tech- no gadgets. My dad would have freaked out if any of his children had done that. Heck, I could bare- ly squeeze in a few innings of the Satur- day baseball game of the week before he would walk in my room and click off the television — with authority. He would look at me and say, "Get out there and do some work." Reluctantly, I would drag myself off the floor, go outside, and find something to do. And if I didn't, Dad would surely find it for me; I quickly learned I didn't want that. His chores were much more time consuming that anything I could conjure up. Dad taught us how to work. He made it clear that if we want- ed anything of our own, we had to get out and earn it. Want a car? Get a job. Want anything beyond a roof over your head, a meal on the table, and clothes on your back? Get a job. We grew up know- ing that we were enti- tled to nothing beyond the basic necessities our parents provided for us. No one owed us anything. My Dad always said, "If you want anything out of life, don't wait for someone else to give it to you." Consequently, my sister, brothers and I grew up very self sufficient. Thankfully, we knew how to tie our shoes. Have a great Friday. ——— Pat Gleason grew up in Los Angeles and has taught English at Red Bluff High School since 1990. He can be reached at phgleaso@rbuhsd.k12.ca.us. Self reliance as simple as tying your shoes Commentary N EWS D AILY RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY 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 Pat Gleason Simply Put STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Jim Nielsen (R), State Capitol Bldg., Room 4164 P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento 94249; (916) 319-2002; Fax (916) 319- 2102 STATE SENATOR — Sam Aanestad (R), State Capitol Bldg., Room 2054, Sacramen- to, CA 95814. (916) 651-4004; Fax (916) 445-7750 GOVERNOR — Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), 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. Your officials It's a common request in the news- room: A source wants to preview a story before we run it. What's wrong with that? Isn't it bet- ter to catch an error before you go to press? If it was as simple as that, yes. But it is a dangerous line to toe and we almost always politely decline such requests. The problem arises when a source meant to say such and such, but in fact said something else. It happens to all of us. We'll say something we regret and would do anything to take the words back. But in the news business, taking the words back amounts to revising news events. At another newspaper a few years back, I had a con- versation with the wife of a prominent doctor in that community. She demand- ed that she and her husband be allowed to review any article in which the good doctor was quoted or mentioned. You see, the doctor liked to go to public meetings we covered and express his opinions — some of which were controversial. He didn't like the comments showing up in the newspa- per, even though he made them in a public setting. What he and his wife were really after was the opportunity to tone down the comments, or strike them com- pletely — i.e., revise news events. One of the concepts I work to impart to beginning reporters is that we don't know what people are thinking, only what they are saying or doing. When a reporter writes, "Burt Hogsbreath hopes a new iced tea brewery will relocate to the area," I ask the reporter, "How do you know what he hopes?" In fact, we only know that Mr. Hogs- breath said he hopes the business will relocate. In reality, he could have an interest in a soda pop compa- ny that would be hurt by the move. We do ask for clarification of things we don't quite understand, though. Reporters have to be jacks of all trades, masters of none. We learn a little about a wide range of subjects in any given day, but we are rarely as con- versant in the subjects as the sources we interview. Because of this, we double check facts and ask questions until we are sure we have it right. Sometimes this means reading a portion of a story back to a source over the phone and making changes when we got something wrong. Ultimately, we shouldn't be writing anything we don't fully understand — after all, how can we expect readers to understand if we don't? At the end of the day, we aren't looking to make anybody look bad, or good for that matter. We simply work to report events as they happen in a way that makes them relevant to read- ers. It's up to you how the facts make sources look. Chip Thompson can be reached at 527-2151, Ext. 112, or by e-mail at editor@redbluffdailynews.com. What I meant to say Chip Thompson 545 Diamond Ave. CHP grateful for the community's generosity Editor: I write in grateful recognition of the many private cit- izens and businesses in Tehama County whose extraordinary gen- erosity during our annual CHIPs for Kids Toy Drive helped meet the needs of our less fortunate friends and neighbors. I make special note of the Tehama County Association of Realtors and Wal-Mart Distribution Center 6026. Both businesses showed exceptional compassion for others. Although the California Highway Patrol organized this event, without the willingness to share that so char- acterizes this community, our efforts could never have met the need. Your generous donations of gifts helped make the Christmas season a much happier one for our county's most precious, valuable and vulnerable resource, our children. CHP Lt. Harry N. Linsschoten, Red Bluff Area commander Top hospital appreciated Editor: I now know first hand why our community hospital is ranked so high in our state and nationwide. On Oct. 29 I came home from golfing and my daugh- ter had posted a note on the front of the television. It said, "Dad, Mom can't breathe, I'm taking her to the emer- gency room." I immediately went to the emergency room — they said my wife had come down with the swine flu and pneumonia and was sent to the ICU. When I went to ICU, I saw my wife on oxygen and many tubes in her arm. She didn't even know who I was. I don't think she even knew who she was. The wonderful ICU personnel pulled her through and sent her up to Redding for three weeks of rehab. She came back home from rehab and for the next week my home was filled with therapists, nurses and helpers taking care of my wife. Amazing. I would like to thank the entire hospital staff — doc- tors, nurses, Pink Ladies and especially the ICU person- nel, who pulled my wife through her scary illness. Roy Nelson, Red Bluff Your Turn