Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/95425
6A Daily News –Tuesday, November 27, 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 The Grinch who stole Christmas This column carries both per- sonal and political significance now that Thanksgiving has past and the holiday season beckons. The third of the electorate in Tehama county that consider themselves to be democrats are thankful President Obama was reelected, while others herald the disrespectful display of our Not to Be Forgotten flag as a form of protest. While I would not dis- abuse a public flag to make the point, there is much to distress with the election of Doug LaMalfa to the U.S. Congress, a move that carries with it foreboding of a woman's right to choose, federal efforts to mitigate climate change, federal entitlement for the needy and now requires a costly run-off election to fill the state senate seat from which he resigned. It would seem that Doug is quite the Grinch, costing the people of the north state $1 million for him to prematurely pursue his political ambitions while stashing away another $5 million in federal crop subsidies as he promises to cut fed- eral entitlements for others. On a personal note I am in search of a thief or Grinch if you will, that literally stole Christmas (or at least my six foot Santa fac- simile thereof) and destroyed an ornamental reindeer placed beneath my Wild Willy's Smoke- house sign along Highway 99E. As I was carefully placing the items Thanksgiving Day my mother presciently expressed con- cern they might be stolen. I imme- diately discounted the likelihood of such a brazen and senseless act by reasoning that no one would risk such an easily observed theft or find pleasure in some stolen Christmas ornaments. Although my faith in fellow man has not yet been restored the situation has been rectified at considerable expense with the purchase of replacement ornaments and an added security camera — should some Grinch have the audacity to repeat such a caper I will at least have clear imagery to share with the sheriff. *** even applaud the improper use of our Not to Be Forgotten Flag to deride those that put principal before party rhetoric. On a lighter note this matter reminds me of what I found to be a humorous act of vandalism report- ed a year ago in the Daily News. This was a complaint to local police about the repeated alteration of a display of ornamental reindeer into "inappropriate positions." While I appreciate the reindeer dis- play owner's frustration with the mysterious repositioning and the illegal trespass to manifest it, the harm was both temporary and eas- ily rectified. Such is not the case with the theft and vandalism visit- ed upon my holiday display nor the enduring feelings of disrespect many feel as folks rationalize and Unfortunately it appears that my faith in the goodness of others is circumspect and my respect for private and public property is not universally shared. Mr. Raglin's admission that his means to express a personal political senti- ment was "an error in judgment" notwith- standing, I believe the people offended are due an apology from him as well as those that blithe- ly discount our con- cerns with his actions as Richard are more productively directed to honoring what is decid- ed, respectfully engaging others, and together striving to achieve the momentum needed to overcome challenges — important ones to resolve political gridlock, to restore balance to our state and national cof- fers, and to provide health care and dignified living for everyone. Our resources are suf- Mazzucchi Positive Point those of poor winners. This in par- ticular includes RBDN's Chip Thompson who cheered "good for Vern" and Rich Greene who opined that those calling Mr. Raglin to task for his flag foible warrant disrespect. *** I hope that everyone this holi- day season takes the opportunity to examine their own behaviors and seek ways to spread joy and com- fort. Acting as a Grinch with inces- sant whining about our President does nothing to make our nation or world a better place. Such energies ficient to meet these challenges if we engage our intellects to re-craft our tax systems and reform ways to deliver necessary services. The only barriers I see are our apparent inabilities to be patient, to treat one another with grace, and to maintain respect for each another as we consider options and enact the public will. This begins with showing grati- tude for our many gifts, being humble regarding the merits of our individual ideas and calling to task of all varieties of the Grinch that stole Christmas. Richard Mazzucchi is a retired research engineer specializing in energy efficiency and renewable energy. 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 Fein- stein (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. David Barton on America's Christian history Commentary YouTube of David Barton guiding a group through our nation's Capi- tol in Washington, D.C. Finding it again, I saved it for readers benefit and here present some transcribed and some paraphrased excerpts from his tour remarks. He is part of Wallbuilders, in Aledo, Texas, associated with the Family Research Council. URL for video is http://stg.do/Iwpc. Some factual errors are corrected; any remaining are Mr. Barton's. Mr. Barton opens the video tour of our nation's capitol by holding up "the first Bible printed in Eng- lish in America, printed by the U.S. Congress in 1782 for use in the public schools. Inscription inside: 'Resolved by Congress to recom- mend this edition of the Bible to the inhabitants of the United States.' So the first English bible printed in America by the guys who signed the documents, endorsed by Congress and done for the use of schools. And we're told that they didn't want any kind of religion in education, they didn't want voluntary prayer? No! This document (Holy Bible) by itself is fairly significant." Moreover, in 1830, Congress commissioned four paintings, dis- played to this day on the walls of the Rotunda of Congress to recap- ture what the official records said was the Christian history of the United States. The first chronolog- ical painting depicted Columbus landing in 1492, with kneeling, prayer and crosses held high; he proclaimed the land "San Sal- vador" or "Holy Savior." The next one depicted the bap- tism of Pocahontas in Jamestown in 1613. Another one was the embarkation of the Pilgrims in Several years ago, I watched a 1620, showing them gathered around a Bible in a prayer meeting. Together, those four paintings rep- resent two prayer meetings, a Bible study and a baptism displayed, please remember, in one of the highest of secular, governmental buildings in America's Capitol. (Mr. Barton apparently ascribes a Christian, prayerful overtone to the fourth painting, John Trumbull's Declaration of Independence, commissioned in 1817) The tour group was standing under the great dome of Congress, "which was, in 1857, the largest church in the United States. Back on December 4th of 1800, mem- bers of Congress decided that on Sundays they would turn the Capi- tol into a church building. So, they had Sunday services in the Capitol. "Six weeks after that, Thomas Jefferson became President of the United States and for the 8 years he was President, he went to church and listened to the sermons in the U.S. Capitol. Being the Comman- der in Chief, he decided he could help the worship services and ordered the Marine Corps band to perform at the worship services … "That church went for the better part of a century and, by 1857, 2,000 people a week attended ser- vices in the hall of the House of Representatives. In addition to that, there were other churches that met at the Capitol, including First Con- gregational … First Presbyterian, Capitol Hill Presbyterian. Church- es met here and there was nothing secular or seen to be secular about this building until the last 30 to 50 years." In referencing the numerous statues around the Rotunda, Mr. Barton directed the group's atten- tion to that of President James A. Garfield next to an entryway. Republican Garfield was "one of the young major generals in the Civil War; he was a war hero, became Speak- er of the House and 20th President of the United States. He founded Howard University" (Wikipedia: members of The First Congregational Society of Washington proposed establishing a theological seminary for the education of African- American clergymen, which expanded to become Howard Univer- sity); General O. O. Howard took it over and it bears his name … "What we never hear about that President is that he was a minister during the Second Great Awaken- ing. (Holding up a document) This is actually one of his letters signed James A. Garfield, 1858, in which he recounts that he had just fin- ished preaching a revival service where he preached the Gospel 19 times. He wrote that as a result of his preaching, 34 folks came to Christ and he baptized 31 of them … You walk through, you see that statue and you think 'Oh, there's a President,' you never think that there's a minister." (Wikipedia: (While at Hiram College) he devel- oped a regular preaching circuit at neighboring churches … After preaching briefly at Franklin Circle Christian Church, Garfield gave up on that vocation …) "We've so compartmentalized Christianity in such a small box that we don't realize our military leaders, our educators, our Presi- dents used to be ministers. That's Don Polson The way I see it why I say that about one fourth of these statues were ministers of the Gospel … (Barton mentions how so much focus is placed on Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, our "least religious Found- ing Fathers") Most people have no clue that Jefferson started a church in the U.S. Capitol that went on for most of a century, or that Thomas Jeffer- son in 1803 negotiated a treaty with an Indian tribe in which Jeffer- son put federal funds to pay for missionaries to evangelize the Indi- ans and to build a church for them to worship in after they were converted." (Wikipedia: "Jefferson believed that Natives should give up their own cul- tures, religions, and lifestyles to assimilate to western European culture, Christian religion, and a European-style agriculture, which he believed to be superi- or." Read further about "Thomas Jefferson and Indian Removal" at Wikipedia.) Barton: "Out of the 56 guys who signed the Declaration (of Independence), 29 held seminary or bible school degrees." likely take mild offense at this; pay them no mind for in their igno- rance and intolerance, they proba- bly think that they mean well. DP: The usual secularists will Bluff home since 1988. He can be reached by e-mail at donplsn@yahoo.com. Don Polson has called Red