Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/93238
4A Daily News – Tuesday, November 13, 2012 Opinion An egregious display of disrespect 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. 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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 After more than 120 million Americans cast ballots with over 62 million indicating their prefer- ence for President Obama to serve another term in office,Vern Raglin of Red Bluff decided to fly The Not Forgotten Flag, located at the corner of Pine and Main streets, upside down and at half mast to make a political statement. Such a display of disrespect for the flag and the 6,024 voters of Tehama County casting their vote for Pres- ident Obama is both surprising and particularly egregious coming from a public servant who has gra- ciously hoisted this flag since retir- ing as a captain from the Red Bluff Fire Department in 2010. The United States flag is to be distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property. Most individuals who have served in the military service of our nation rec- ognize this signal as a call to immediate action to come to the aid of brothers in arms. Although Vern admitted his actions to be an error in judgment and re-hoisted the flag correctly later in the day, the damage was done and the Daily News ampli- fied it by printing a picture of the improperly displayed flag with a front page headline article. To compound the harm RBDN adds insult to injury because of his choice to use our public flagpole to per- sonally communicate his rhetoric. flown at half-staff only when the whole nation is in mourning. These periods of mourning are proclaimed either by the president of the United States, for national remembrance, or the governor of a state or territory, for local remem- brance, in the event of a death of a member or former member of the federal, state or territorial govern- ment or judiciary. The heads of departments and agencies of the federal government may also order that the flag be flown at half staff on buildings, grounds and naval vessels under their jurisdic- tion. In addition the flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire editor, Chip Thompson, published an editorial the following day say- ing "good for Vern for speaking out" and excusing his actions because "they were prompted by disappointment and the statement was loud and clear – whether or not you or I agree with the senti- ment is immaterial." On this very point I beg todiffer. Correct me if I am wrong but the American flag is the proud symbol of our nation flown to respect the brave men and women who have fought and died for the freedom of individuals such as Vern to express their opinions. The fact that Mr. Raglan justifies his action by saying "after the next four years, the United States won't be the same," and that "the United States will have an entirely new Bill of Rights and Constitution" No Chip, I don't think I can allow him a few hours of indulgence and give him a pass because you believe no harm was done. Instead I would expect and hope that others with requisite respect for the democratic process and our flag take responsi- bility to ensure it is dis- played properly irre- spective of their person- al feelings. The flag should never be used to express disrespect or to falsely indicate exigent distress, particularly in a public place the day after a national election. To do so trivializes the importance of our national symbol and supplants one's personal views for those of the nation, if even for just a short period of time. Word is that a new flag is on order and anyone wishing to donate to the flag's upkeep can drop donations off at Red Bluff Fire Department on Washington Street next to City Hall. This vet- eran will make a donation only if those that hoist the flag promise to do so respectfully and Mr. Raglan Richard Mazzucchi Positive Point proffers a public apology for run- ning afoul of this promise. I suspect that at least the more than one- third of our Tehama County electorate plac- ing their trust this elec- tion in our duly elected commander-in-chief agree. Mr. Editor it is not the ability to fly the flag improperly that makes us lucky to live in this nation, but the respect we hold for our flag and citizenry regardless of political views, national heritage, religion, sexual preference or level of income. On the heels of a national election, in my humble opinion, it is not too much to expect fellow Americans to rally together with grace rather than perpetrate an egregious dis- play of disrespect. 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: governor@governor.ca.gov. U.S.REPRESENTATIVE — Wally Herger (R), 2595 Ceanothus 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 Mont- gomery St., Suite 240, San Francis- co, CA 94111; (510) 286-8537. Fax (202) 224-0454. You don't work for union - Mandate or stalemate? Commentary my indifference, bordering on hos- tility, towards unions. Judging by the inexorable wave of economic reality and voter preference (Cali- fornians' rejection of Prop 32 notwithstanding), many Americas are choosing to deny mandatory membership in unions, rein in abu- sive public employee union prac- tices, and make mandatory politi- cal deductions from paychecks voluntary. Unions have no place among government workers—they directly undermine the representa- tive nature of our self-government. Hence, FDR and George Meany both opposed them. If you are part of a private sec- tor union, like the Raley's employ- ees belonging to United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) who've gone on strike, I have some hard, tough love to share. The union did nothing to create Raley's: not the bricks and mortar, not the shelves and not the capital expenditure required to finance the costs of a low-profit sector of the economy. Your union is acting against your best interests and making it increasingly likely that Raley's stores will get shuttered and that you will be (drum roll, please) unemployed. If the union simply vanished My life's experience informs tomorrow, you would still have a job earning more money than the $100 to $400 per week for picket- ing with your little signs (unions elsewhere in America are reported- ly subsidizing your work stop- page). You would still have a gen- erous wage and benefit package commensurate with your perfor- mance, merit and tenure. If you and your co-workers make reason- able accommodation to economic reality, competition from non- union grocery workers, you could look forward to reasonable job security. It was oddly ironic that your union decided to go on strike only days before the news of Wal- Mart Supercenter winning a legal fight hit the paper. None of this surprises me, given what I learned about unions grow- ing up. My dad was transferred by Eureka-Williams in Bloomington, IL, to Canastota, NY, to take charge of a school bus and military vehicle manufacturing plant. It was unprofitable due to excessive labor costs, which resulted partly from sloppy work patterns of "feath- erbedding" and "gold bricking" by employees often related to each other. He consequently couldn't fire anyone for cause (and there was an abundance of cause) due to that as well as union work rules. They all dragged their feet and adamantly refused any concessions over a year of negotiating. The plant shut down, idling hundreds as it relocated to a non-union state. When my dad then found a management job with General Electric in Syracuse, NY, he saw first hand the violent lengths strik- ing workers go to intimidate non- union (so-called "scabs" to use their preferred epithet) replace- ments. Damaging cars with scratches and acid was just the small stuff. My uncle was very involved as a building contractor in North Carolina, fighting union efforts to institute "closed shop" laws in that state, and preserve the right of workers to not join a union to have a job. Raley's workers: The sooner you buck the strong-arm tactics of the UFCW and take the best offer Raley's feels they can extend while remaining a viable, prof- itable grocery chain, the sooner you can start to make up for your lost income. Your families will be better off as the holidays approach. In hindsight over Mitt Romney's disappointing election loss, a few well- researched observations: President Obama's bare- ly-over-50-percent win was and is no mandate; he garnered between 6 and 8 million fewer votes than in 2008, beating Romney (who got 2-or-so-million fewer votes than McCain) by less than 3 million votes out of 120+ million cast. Romney got "Carl Rove'd" in that he was successfully painted and defined by the incumbent's cam- paign; when voters saw the real Romney in the first debate, it nearly changed the ultimate result. Don Polson The way I see it The Obama expenditure of $175 million (vs. $75 million by Romney-aligned PACs) during the spring and summer focused on a few swing states and created a vir- tual tidal wave of the most despica- ble lies and slimy character assassi- nation that foul imaginations could conjure up. The effect was to turn blue-collar white voters and others that often vote for Republicans off to Romney in particular and, for millions, to voting at all. reversed from 2004, when Democ- rats eagerly believed the electorate saw things their way, sharing their anathema for President Bush. The depth of their conviction that John Kerry would triumph led to wild (but completely baseless) accusa- tions of fraud in Ohio. In truth, In a sense, the roles were Clinton, Bush 43) but not other- wise (Ford, Bush 41). That, and the preposterous notion that Bush (whose "jobless recovery" added 8 million jobs at 5 percent unem- ployment from 2003-08) was still at fault, barely saved Obama's job. 2014 and 2016 should be Repub- lican elections, but I could be wrong. Romney in the "red states" and counties, where 60+ percent mar- gins give us the current stalemate. Local liberals and Democrats, don't get cocky—you are outnum- bered in these parts about 2 to 1. Finally, look at the results for Don Polson has called Red Bluff home since 1988. He can be reached by e-mail at donplsn@yahoo.com. Polling is an inexact art; plenty of data existed to give both sides hope. Some con- ventional wisdom (undecided voters turn anti-incumbent; Obama's unemploy- ment rate doomed him, etc) must be set aside. Patterns going back over 100 years suggest that when the party in the White House changes, voters tend to give the incumbent a second term (Reagan,