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4A Daily News – Tuesday, December 11, 2012 Opinion Happy Hanukkah – the Festival of Lights DAILY NEWS RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U NTY 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 letters from its readers on timely topics of public interest. All 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 cannot exceed two double-spaced pages or 500 words. When several letters address the same issue, a cross section of those submitted will be considered for publication. 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 Today is the midpoint of the eight day celebration of Hanukkah that started Saturday and ends this Sunday so I feel it is important to recognize the ritual central to approximately 14 million Jewish adherents of which over 5 million live in the United States, with 1.2 million residing in California. Hanukkah's significance also extends to Christians and Muslims because Jesus Christ himself was a Jew. Furthermore the struggle of Jews to practice their religion is emblematic of the continuing struggles world-wide for religious freedom and tolerance. The Jewish homeland of Judea was part of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt until 200 BCE when King Antiochus III the Great of Syria defeated King Ptolemy V at the Battle of Panium. At that moment Judea became part of the Seleucid Empire of Syria. Wanting to conciliate his new Jewish subjects King Antiochus III guaranteed their right to "live according to their ancestral customs" and to continue to practice their religion in the Temple of Jerusalem. However 25 years later, Antiochus IV the son of Antiochus III invaded Judea, ostensibly at the request of the sons of Tobias. The inroads into Judaism gave rise to Hellenistic Judaism which sought to establish a Hebraic-Jewish religious tradition within the culture and language of Hellenism. Gradually relations deteriorated between Hellenized Jews and other Jews, leading the Seleucid king Antiochus IV to ban certain Jewish religious rites and traditions. The Tobiads, who led the Hellenizing Jewish faction in Jerusalem, were expelled to Syria around 170 BCE when the high priest Onias and his pro-Egyptian faction wrested control from them. The exiled Tobiads lobbied Antiochus IV to recapture Jerusalem. As the ancient Jewish historian Flavius Josephus tells us "The king being thereto disposed beforehand, complied with them, and came upon the Jews with a great army, and took their city by force, and slew a great multitude of those that favored Ptolemy, and sent out his soldiers to plunder them without mercy. He also spoiled the temple, and put a stop to the constant practice of offering a daily sacrifice of expiation for three years and six months." When the Second Temple in Jerusalem was looted and services stopped, Judaism was outlawed. In 167 BCE Antiochus ordered an altar to Zeus be erected in the Temple and he banned circumcision and ordered pigs to be sacrificed at the altar of the temple. These actions provoked a largescale revolt lead by "Judah the Hammer" and in 165 BCE a Jewish revolt against the monarchy was successful liberating and rededicating the Temple. Judah ordered the Temple to be cleansed, a new altar to be built and all can appreciate the Festival of Lights to celebrate in place of the polluted universal freedom to one and new holy vespractice individual relisels to be made. gious rituals. According to the TalTo accomplish this it mud, olive oil was is essential that everyneeded for the menorah one display tolerance in the Temple, which and respect for different was required to burn religious traditions, throughout the night even though misguided every night. The story individuals might spout goes that there was hate and intolerance only enough oil to burn for one day, yet it Richard toward your personal practices. This speaks burned for eight days, to a broader tolerance the time needed to prefor those with different pare a fresh supply of experiences and outoil for the menorah. looks, be they political, The eight-day festival sexual, ethnic, economof Hanukkah was ic, or personal. Perhaps declared by the Jewish the most significant sages to commemorate message to all this holiday season this miracle. So today those that observe is to forgive those that trespass Hanukkah do so by lighting a pro- against you, and avoid the temptacession of candles each night, tion to do evil. Under God we are praying, and singing songs of cel- a collection of imperfect sinners ebration of religious tolerance for worthy of forgiveness who in the overcoming the oppression suf- United States are endowed to fered by Jews for some 2212 practice whatever religion we years now, including the horren- desire, or none at all. So please dous years of holocaust. Still take time to join this celebration today there are those that would of tolerance – have a Happy deny the Jews a homeland or Hanukkah – the Festival of question the reality of their Lights. oppression. It is hoped that a lastRichard Mazzucchi is a retired ing peace with the Palestinians will be achieved soon so both research engineer specializing in populations can share the many energy efficiency and renewable historically and religiously signif- energy. He can be reached at icant sites in present day Israel living-green@att.net. Mazzucchi Positive Point 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; 8938363. 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. Commentary Polarized, irreconcilable partisan divide By my approximate tally, over 900,000 people have signed secession petitions for all 50 states as of last Friday, the 7th. No less than seven of those states have accrued over 25,000 signatures, the Obama administration threshold for awarding a staff review of an online proposal. Not surprisingly, Texas has garnered the most signatures. Also unsurprising, given Texan politics, is the addition of a petition by liberals and Democrats in Austin to secede from Texas. Take a few minutes of your time to make an anonymous statement (full names are not displayed); just e n t e r "petitions.whitehouse.gov/petitions" in the Internet address box and check the category "government reform" to display the 84 petitions on that topic. Scroll down to the California secession petition and add your name to the 15,000+ that have already signed. While still futile and pointless, it provides a small bit of humor over a mostly dreary (for we on the right) election. So, what's the difference anyway? Don't the two political parties share a lot in common as Americans who love, and want the best for, their country? We had a hint back in June in graphs titled "Polarization" with the subhead "The gap between Democratics (sic) and Republicans on key social issues has widened over the past 25 years." See if you find as stunning a difference in the parties' beliefs as I did. Pew Research Center conducted the poll; the Chicago Tribune made the graphs, provided to the Daily News by McClatchy (MCT). Under "Safety net," the "percent (of Democrats) who agree that the government should take care of people who can't take care of themselves," is almost twice as high as Republicans (75% to 40%). Under "Labor unions" the "percent who agree labor unions are necessary to protect the working person," also finds Democrats agree about twice as much as Republicans (82% to 43%). When asked about "Minorities," the "percent who agree we should make every effort to improve the position of minorities, even if it means preferential treatment" found Democrats saying yes over 4 times as often as Republicans (52% to 12%). And finally, on "Debt," the "percent (of Democrats) who agree that the government should help more needy people, even if it means going deeper into debt," was over three times the rate of Republicans (65% to 20%). You may conclude, as I did, that on each of these issues, Democrats support positions that require people to do things that reduce their freedom, deprive them of financial resources or give something to someone that must be taken from someone else. How else would you put the fact that, under the Democrat position on the "Safety net" and "Debt," you work and earn your money that pays for someone else's benefit? What's worse, not only are those earning their own way forced to support the recipients of (welfare, food stamps, EITC, disability, etc), but your children, grandchildren and future generations will be saddled with the burden of repaying the many trillions of dol- In all four polled subjects, you lars that have been borrowed in can see the pattern: the futile pursuit of elimDemocrats are less inating, actually subsisupportive of free will dizing, poverty. (the right to the fruits of "Needy people" "who one's own labor) for can't take care of themthe rest of us. In a Powselves" have for most of erline blog post by America's history been Steven Hayward, "Yes, blessed to receive charity They Are Too Socialthat other people, out of ists," a new Gallup poll the kindness of their asked "Just off the top hearts and the generosity of your head, would of their wallets, have volyou say you have a untarily given to organipositive or a negative zations devoted to helpDon image of (each of 7 ing the poor. The American work ethic and indiPolson institutions)?" "Small business," "Free entervidual responsibility and "Entrepreguided those in need to The way prise," garnered 80 to neurs" avoid being a burden on 90 percent positive others if at all possible. I see it views of Republicans, Our existing entitleslightly less for ment/benefit mentality (I'm not including Social Security Democrats. While Republicans were over retirement or Medicare) essentially encourages dependency, forc- 70 percent positive toward "Caping others to pay taxes to feed that italism" and "Big business," dependency. That is theft under Democrats could barely muster 40 to 50 percent positive. More government order, nothing less. If you think about it, you will revealing, Democrats were 75 have to agree that the Democrats' percent positive about "The fedpositions on race preferences and eral government," three times labor unions also amount to that of Republicans. Most revealimposing the will of one group ing, however, was the 53 percent upon another. That is what hap- positive attitude by Democrats pens when someone who has toward "Socialism," over twice failed to qualify for a job is placed the 23 percent for Republicans. ahead of someone who has quali- Remember, socialism=one perfied, due to race. When unioniza- son with a gun pointed at the tion is forced upon workers, head of another person demandagainst their preference, they must ing his money. It really is that accept an intermediary between simple. their own labor and skill and the Don Polson has called Red Bluff managers and owners best able to determine the value of that labor home since 1988. He can be by e-mail at and its contribution to the profit, reached even the survival, of the business. donplsn@yahoo.com.