Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/678960
Warning:Furtherreadingofthiscolumn should be done with caution Thedictionarydefines"pro- miscuous behavior" as in- discriminate sexual behav- ior. Indiscrim- inate, you say? We probably all know someone we think we can put into that cat- egory. I know the human body has the desire to be pleased and also to pleasure itself from time to time. However, I think self control is of even of more importance. Honestly, you don't have to be- lieve what many of us think of as the Hollywood lifestyle, un- less you want to. However, in my opinion, Bill Cosby is sim- ply a greedy hypocrite. Promiscuity is too good a word to describe him. I believe he (Dr. Cliff Huxtable) should no longer have the right to preach responsibility. I be- lieve he has actually cheated his wife and all his one-time fans of the greater values they thought they were hearing from Cosby for years. And, what about the 42nd President of the United States? Yes, I am referring to Bill Clin- ton. Was he promiscuous when he helped himself to Monica? I was always surprised when Hillary decided to continue to "stand by her man." I personally don't think he would have won a second term as President unless she had done so. A divorce would have been my preferred choice for her. The most treasured things a man and woman can share with each other are literally their minds and bodies, in that order. The line between promiscu- ity and physical desire can oc- casionally and unfortunately be too thin. Both my wife and I are enjoying and experiencing our second marriages, full of the better values to which I refer. I am actually writing this column a few weeks after our 11th wedding anniversary. Roleeda has given me so much of her mind and body that I al- ready feel blessed. I am so for- tunate to have her in my life and I tell her from time to time that I will never be able to get enough of her. Even though Roleeda and I have lived, loved and cried, how fortunate it is that we have such a stimulating life. I was not as fortunate with my first wife. However, at Roleeda's request, I will taste- fully refrain from sharing any other details of that first mar- riage with the Red Bluff Daily News readers. Decades ago I decided that all those television soap op- eras (i.e. "The Young and The Restless") could probably have been inspired by some screen writers who may have been suffering from exces- sively active hormones. I sometimes think of my second favorite state Ha- waii and its history in this re- gard. I have been there about two dozen times. I always love how the fun-loving Ha- waiians are. It was probably more fun in Aloha land be- fore all the missionaries ar- rived with their "holier than thou" attitudes. The first message was to put on more clothes for heaven sakes. It's kind of like the attitude of the state of Utah today. In case you haven't heard, the state officials there recently de- clared they have a pornography health crisis on their hands. I know I should not make fun of this topic, but maybe hormones are running amok with those Mormons in Utah too. Mytakeonthemovies Now, Let's lighten up and go to the movies! I just saw "Jungle Boy." As you would guess it's an- other wonderful Disney film. Take a kid with you. I think children can appre- ciate the kingdom of animals more than you and I. That is because of the pure way in which they see our wonderful furry friends. 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. StanStatham My take on promiscuity The line between promiscuity and physical desire can occasionally and unfortunately be too thin. Both my wife and I are enjoying and experiencing our second marriages, full of the better values to which I refer. Example of representative government Editor: I had the pleasure of attend- ing Candy Carlson's Town Hall Meeting this past Monday in the Tuscan Room at the county building on the corner of Oak and Monroe. It is a breath of fresh air to see a public official meeting with the public and discussing issues im- portant to the community. The agenda listed 8 top- ics that she thought were im- portant and everyone attend- ing was asked if there was a topic that they wanted to talk about. Every topic was hit on and when she did not have an answer she would admit not knowing and put it on a list to research for the next meeting — July 25 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. I would encourage all the people in District 2 to vote to retain her as our Supervisor, she is what representative gov- ernment was meant to be. — William Dixon, Red Bluff Delusions Editor: Remember how we all used to laugh at the absurdity elec- tions in the Soviet Union rep- resented, because two different Communist candidates were running against each other? Think about it, we have pre- cisely the same arrangement here, albeit originating from the other side of the coin, where you have two Capitalist acolytes — totally beholden to the elite and the status quo — compet- ing for the Presidency. Meanwhile, the fact that a number of other parties, such as Socialist, Green and Liber- tarian do exists in this country, but are ignored and denied par- ticipation on the national stage, speaks for itself and runs coun- ter to the myth of a Democracy of for and by the people, which seems to have gone unnoticed by the rank and file who enthu- siastically wave the flag and de- lude themselves to be living in the land of the free. Quite a propaganda and public relations feat, considering this is the 21 century, don't you think? — Joe Bahlke, Red Bluff Election reform first, then prohibition Editor: Special interests have been manipulating and exploiting us so long, we've become compla- cent about the devastation many of them cause. In the U.S., to- bacco alone causes 480,000 deaths, $7 billion in fire damage and fire-fighting costs, and $170 billion in medical costs annually. Alcohol causes 88,000 deaths, $249 billion in total damage, and 1.4 million DUI arrests annually. Both tobacco and alcohol swell the need for law enforce- ment, taxes, and insurance. They also cause countless peo- ple to endure non-fatal phys- ical injury, productivity loss, job loss, divorce, broken hearts, broken families, bad child- hoods, financial devastation, and homelessness. Now special interests stand to make added billions legaliz- ing, growing, selling, and tax- ing recreational marijuana and providing medical treatment, legal representation, and in- surance to its users and vic- tims. They're accordingly spear- heading its legalization — ap- parently unconcerned about the negative social implications According to Newsweek and the federal government, in the first year marijuana retailers began operating legally in Col- orado, marijuana-related traffic deaths surged 32 percent. Fur- ther, 20% of all traffic deaths were marijuana-related (com- pared to 10% five years earlier). Marijuana-related emergency- room visits increased 29%, re- lated hospitalizations jumped 38%, and related calls to poi- son-control centers surged 72%. Still illegal federally, Colora- do's legalizing marijuana's also surely unraveling careers, mar- riages, and families there. That government encourages and profits from these socially- destructive industries is trou- bling enough. That it further mandates that even non-users subsidize them through taxes and mandatory auto and health insurance exacerbates the need for election reform. Then only knowledgeable, intelligent can- didates motivated to serve their constituents — not special in- terests — would be elected to public office. Such could be accomplished by mandating that both can- didates and voters pass a test proving comprehensive knowl- edge of both the candidates and issues. Then, by mandating in- stant-runoff elections. That is, where voters rank their can- didate selections according to preference. Then, if no can- didate receives a majority of votes, the least-popular candi- date is dropped and each of his votes is reassigned to the next- ranked choice on his voters' ballots. This process is repeated until one candidate receives a majority of all votes cast. With special interests thus emasculated, sweeping reform could begin. For one, Prohibi- tion could be reinstated — not just of alcohol, but also of to- bacco, marijuana, and all recre- ational drugs. To diffuse the tensions that derailed 1920s Prohibition, re- instated Prohibition should be implemented slowly. To further encourage compli- ance with reinstated Prohibition, citizens could receive tax breaks for taking classes on the prob- lems alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and other drugs create and on how to enjoy life without them. Special interests are cur- rently making billions getting people drunk and high. Imag- ine what a safe, happy, and pro- ductive world it would be if we instead spent those resources improving ourselves and help- ing others. — Nathan Esplanade, Rancho Tehama Your opinions Cartoonist's take Whether I was a preschooler hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a young adult spelunking in Ken- tucky's Mammoth Cave or a fa- ther introducing his son to Shi- loh National Military Park, I al- ways felt I could enjoy America's treasures without too much in- trusion from Madison Avenue. According to the Washing- ton Post, things are about to change. Facing an $11 billion back- log in unfunded maintenance projects, the National Park Ser- vice is tinkering with the defi- nition of philanthropy. They're granting corporate sponsors the opportunity to prominently display logos and gain limited naming rights at the nation's 411 national parks, monuments and conservation areas. You say you want to know why Congress hasn't come to the rescue? Hey, those human- itarian snowplows for Tahiti's national monuments don't come cheap, pal. And it's not that con- gressmen don't have national treasures on the brain. Or is it they have a Grand Canyon be- tween their ears? Something like that. Observers fear that corporate sponsorship/meddling will ruin the beauty, simplicity and tran- quility of our parks. The rules as written do not allow any ac- tual advertising or market- ing slogans, but watch for such blemishes to creep in. Old Faith- ful geyser would seem an irre- sistible icon for the Acme Bidet Company. Out west, campaigns will proclaim, "Home, home on the range, where the deer and the antelope play...Laser Tag!" War of 1812 buffs should not be surprised if loudspeakers at Fort McHenry blare, "Oh, say can you see...who's behind those Foster Grants?" Don't get me started on the sleazy advertising possibilities for Valley Forge. ("The Father of Our Country...on dollar bills. Dollar bills...in G-strings. What could be more natural?") Other concerned citizens worry more that park manag- ers will be devoting too much of their time to fundraising. I can just imagine park rangers using a tranquilizer gun on a potential sponsor. ("Now, now — slow down and let's talk this over before you give all your money to PBS.") Yes, park officials will be tempted to give up on studying the mating rituals of migratory birds and start studying the mat- ing rituals of CEOs. ("Couldn't help but notice you and the show- girl getting out of Motel 6. Per- haps for a small donation this photo could disappear before it reaches your wife...") Park Service officials hope corporate sponsorships will help attract a younger, more ethnically diverse class of tour- ists. Right. ("Shoot! My posse and I were planning a road trip to the all-star hip-hop festival, but if a company that has been cranking out consumer goods for a century and a half is inter- ested in the Rosie the Riveter historical park, it just HAS to be cool!") Maybe instead of accepting corporate tie-ins, we could rede- sign some of the sites to attract millennials. Instead of Lincoln's childhood home, we could have Lincoln's Parents' Basement He Had To Crash In While Paying Off Student Loans. There will be tremendous pressure on both park officials and corporate executives to strike the best deals. And there will be mistakes. "Johnson, I expected our huge investment to get us the naming rights for the Coke Amphitheater and Coke Zero Amphitheater." "Well, yes, but..." "And you got us the Emma Amphitheater and the Noah Amphitheater?" "But they're both such popu- lar names. I couldn't resist..." "We're reassigning you to the Siberian territory. Just keep your nose to the grindstone and don't mess with the U.S.-supplied hu- manitarian beach blankets." Danny Tyree Should the National Park Service let corporations sponsor parks? GregStevens,Publisher Chip Thompson, Editor EDITORIAL BOARD 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 Stan Statham By Danny Tyree OPINION » redbluffdailynews.com Thursday, May 12, 2016 » MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A6 ★