Mountain Views News          Saturday, March 3, 2012

11

OPINION

Mountain Views News Saturday, March 3, 2012

Mountain 
Views

News

PUBLISHER/ EDITOR

Susan Henderson

CITY EDITOR

Dean Lee 

EAST VALLEY EDITOR

Joan Schmidt

SALES

Patricia Colonello

626-355-2737 

626-818-2698

PRODUCTION 

Richard Garcia

PHOTOGRAPHY

Lina Johnson

Ivonne Durant

WEBMASTER

John Aveny 

CONTRIBUTORS

Jeff Brown

Pat Birdsall

Chris Leclerc

Bob Eklund

Howard Hays

Paul Carpenter

Stuart Tolchin

Kim Clymer-Kelley

Christopher Nyerges

Peter Dills 

Hail Hamilton 

Rich Johnson

Chris Bertrand

Ron Carter

Rev. James Snyder

Bobby Eldridge

Mary Carney

La Quetta Shamblee

Katie Hopkins

Deanne Davis

Despina Arouzman

Greg Wellborn

Dr. John Talevich

Meaghan Allen

Sean Kayden

HAIL Hamilton My Turn

STUART Tolchin......On LIFE 


NATIONAL 
SECURITY 
STATE 

 The National Security 
State means the ideology 
and institutions (Dept. of 
Homeland Security, Dept. of Defense, CIA, NSA) 
established by the National Security Act of 1947 
and thereafter expanded by later presidents, is 
an enduring legacy of then President Harry S. 
Truman, in support of what came to be called 
the “Truman Doctrine”to support free peoples 
who are resisting attempted subjugation by 
armed minorities or by outside pressures.” 
which explains the transformative process that 
ended in the ultimate demise of the New Deal 
state with its emphasis on social spending and 
ushered in the militarist National Security State 
with its support of “Preditory Capitalism.”

In his book “Brave New World Order”, 
Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer identified seven 
characteristics of a National Security State:

¦ The first characteristic of a National 
Security State is that the military is the highest 
authority. In a National Security State the 
military not only guarantees the security of the 
state against all internal and external enemies, 
it has enough power to determine the overall 
direction of the society. In a National Security 
State the military exerts important influence 
over political, economic, as well as military 
affairs.
¦ A second defining feature of a National 
Security State is that political democracy and 
democratic elections are viewed with suspicion, 
contempt, or in terms of political expediency. 
National Security States often maintain an 
appearance of democracy. However, ultimate 
power rests with 
the military or 
within a broader 
National Security 
Establishment.
¦ A third 
characteristic of a 
National Security 
State is that the 
military and related 
sectors wield 
substantial political 
and economic 
power. They do 
so in the context 
of an ideology 
which stresses 
that ‘freedom” and 
“development” 
are possible only 
when capital is 
concentrated in the 
hands of elites.
¦ A fourth 
feature of a National 
Security State is its obsession with enemies. 
There are enemies of the state everywhere. 
Defending against external and/or internal 
enemies becomes a leading preoccupation of the 
state, a distorting factor in the economy, and a 
major source of national identity and purpose.
¦ A fifth ideological foundation of a 
National Security State is that the enemies of the 
state are cunning and ruthless. Therefore, any 
means used to destroy or control these enemies 
is justified.
¦ A sixth characteristic of a National 
Security State is that it restricts public debate 
and limits popular participation through secrecy 
or intimidation. Authentic democracy depends 
on participation of the people. National Security 
States limit such participation in a number of 
ways: They sow fear and thereby narrow the 
range of public debate; they restrict and distort 
information; and they define policies in secret 
and implement those policies through covert 
channels and clandestine activities. The state 
justifies such actions through rhetorical pleas of 
“higher purpose” and vague appeals to “national 
security.”
¦ Finally, the church is expected 
to mobilize its financial, ideological, and 
theological resources in service to the National 
Security State.


Open government is based on the American 
constitutional form of representative 
government. Government is the servant, not 
the master, of the people. Open government 
requires an informed citizenry. Additionally, by 
delegating authority, citizens do not give public 
servants the right to decide what is good for the 
people to know and what is not good for them 
to know.

Which form of government do we have today. 
Before you answer think about the Patriot Act. 
Section 224 (Sunset) is a sunset clause. Title II 
and the amendments made by the title originally 
would have ceased to have effect on December 
31, 2005, but, with the exception of the below 
sections, was extended to March 10, 2006: 

TITLE II SECTIONS THAT DID NOT 
EXPIRE ON MARCH 10, 2006

Since 2006 the Patriot Act has been extended or 
reauthorized by Presidents Bush and Obama, 
the last time being on May 26, 2011 when 
President Obama signed a 4-year extension of 
the act which included the above sections.

PERHAPS YOU DIDN’T 
NOTICE

 Maybe 
you didn’t 
even watch 
the Academy 
Awards 
Presentations or maybe you don’t 
even care about movies but, for 
what my opinion is worth, I think 
the Award Show was a complete 
embarrassment that typified what 
is wrong with the United States. 
First of all I am not saying that the 
whole four hours was completely 
unentertaining—it wasn’t. What I 
am saying is that the show missed 
many opportunities for relevance, 
education, and even significance. 
In that way it was very much like 
the present American political 
process which wastes time and 
millions of dollars discussing 
insignificance while much of the 
world’s population struggles for 
survival.

 One of the things I found 
troubling is that the whole thing 
emanated from someplace in the 
Universe referred to only as the 
Hollywood and Highland Center. 
Up until a couple of days earlier 
the place was known as the Kodak 
Theatre but since Kodak, is now 
defunct I guess the name cannot 
even be used. Kodak, how ironic? 
Is this the handwriting on the wall? 
Is this our future? What does 
this tell us? I think the Master 
of Ceremonies, Billy Crystal, did 
actually make one relevant and 
topical comment about the place, 
calling it the Chapter 11 Play 
House or something like that.

 Speaking of Billy Crystal, I am 
told he was selected in an attempt 
to go back to the Glory Days of 
the Academy Awards and rehash 
some of the old Bob Hope and 
Jerry Lewis stuff that had once 
been so successful. Billy is in his 
sixties now and his singing and 
dancing demonstrates a kind of 
self-parody that was still much 
more diverting than last year’s 
attempt at entertainment. If you 
can recall that far back, last year 
the Emcees were the youngsters 
Ann Hathaway and James Franco 
as the show attempted to appeal to 
a “younger demographic”. Well, it 
certainly didn’t appeal to me and I 
sincerely doubt that it very much 
appealed to anyone else. This year 
there was more of an attempt 
to go for nostalgia and to 

recreate the glory days of 
Hollywood. To this end the 
theatre was dressed up like an old-
time Movie House and there were 
pastel colored usherettes passing 
out popcorn. What a waste of 
time!

 If they wanted nostalgia why 
not focus on real connections 
and memories. In the past year 
Elizabeth Taylor left us. During my 
life-time Elizabeth Taylor was the 
most radiant and glamorous and 
Award-nominated of actresses. In 
the whole four hour marathon she 
was only momentarily mentioned. 
Elizabeth Taylor’s only competitor 
for most famous movies star in 
the last half-century was Marilyn 
Monroe. In fact the nominated 
pictures this year actually included 
a picture focusing on someone’s 
week with Marilyn. Her film, 
Some Like it Hot, was, I think, 
selected in an AFI poll as the most 
enjoyed movie in the last fifty 
years. So, was there any mention 
of Marilyn whatsoever? ... No.

 There really were connections to 
be made. In an attempt to remedy 
complaints about last year’s lack 
of diversity the show opened 
with an appearance by Morgan 
Freeman, the “Voice of God”. At 
that very moment the aged, heroic 
Nelson Mandela, with whom 
Freeman is closely identified 
and actually played in Invictus, 
was confined to a hospital; was 
this even mentioned? Another 
glaring omission involved the 
Awards given for the best short 
film. These films invariably 
involve meaningful and politically 
significant subjects. I think there 
was an award to the first African-
American Director and yet 
there was absolutely no attempt 
made to discuss the substance or 
significance of these films.

 As to the four major awards 
given to actors, there is little here to 
bring glory to America. The award 
for best actress presented by last 
year’s winner, who played the King 
of England, to this year’s winner 
who played the Prime Minister of 
England. I’m not making this up 
and no one mentioned it. As to 
supporting roles, the one to a male 
went to an 82 year-old Canadian 
while the one to the female was 
presented to an African-American 
woman for playing a maid in 
a picture set in the 1960’s. As 
deserving as Octavia Spencer was, 
there is something disconcerting 
about this whole heroic Black 
1960 maid business being saluted 
here in 2012. Morgan Freeman 
sort of already played that genre 
of role in Driving Miss Daisy and 
somehow it’s just too easy for 
everyone to pat themselves on the 
back as we recognize that things 
have changed a lot since 1960. Yes 
things have changed a lot but the 
problems involving race-relations 
and the rearing of children remain 
and are still being neglected.

 What I am complaining about is 
that the whole show had a chance 
to be relevant, meaningful and 
amusing and it sacrificed that 
chance to try and get a few laughs 
and presented a show that was 
still ultimately pretty boring. By 
the way, I saw many movies this 
year and, without question, the 
most educational, meaningful, and 
entertaining feature came from 
Iran. It is called “A Separation” 
and is in Farsi and was produced 
in Iran. You should try and see it if 
it’s showing anywhere. 


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OUT TO PASTOR A Weekly Religion Column

 Whenever somebody 
mentions the word “free” in 
my presence, my right eye 
turns a vivid jaundice. It 
is not that I have anything 
against the word free; just 
the person who is trying to use it to gain some 
kind of an advantage over me. I know anybody 
employing this mono-verbiage, is hiding some 
very long strings.

 My father taught me a long time ago that there 
are no free lunches. Occasionally somebody will 
advertise a free lunch and I go and find out the 
lunch is free, but they are going to charge you to 
get out of that restaurant. In the end, it would 
have been cheaper to buy my own lunch.

 My philosophy is simply this; if I cannot 
afford it, I do not want it. In my vast experience 
down through the years, I have discovered that I 
cannot afford free. And I think I know why. My 
understanding of the word “free” and the person 
employing that word is not the same.

 When I use the word “free,” I am insinuating 
that there is absolutely no cost associated with 
this product whatsoever.

 When others use the word “free,” they often 
are insinuating that I am just a free market for 
them to take advantage of in the neighborhood 
of my money. Unfortunately, I do not live in that 
neighborhood anymore.

 I especially do not accept any “free offers” via 
the telephone. If someone has something to give 
me for nothing, let him come to my door, hand 
it to me, shake my hand and get out of Dodge. To 
me, that’s what free is all about.

 Just the other day I received one of those 
telephone calls. I must confess that I was in 
a rather curmudgeonly attitude and was just 
looking around for someone on which to spit 
my scorn.

 Then the telephone rang.

 When I answered the phone, it turned out 
to be someone offering me, absolutely free, with 
no cost to me absolutely, a free crime prevention 
program for my blessed domicile.

 “No thank you, sir,” I said as politely as I could. 
“I’m not really interested.”

 I assure you I have no PhD or DD attached 
to my name whatsoever and yet as simple as I 
am, I understood what the phrase “I’m not really 
interested” was all about. Not so my affable 
telephone caller.

 “But I assure you, sir, that this program is 
absolutely free to you. It’s our way to say thank 
you to some of our customers.” He rattled 
on as though we were having only a one-way 
conversation. If this is going to be a one-way 
conversation, who will take up the offering? I 
think I know.

 After five long minutes of him telling me how 
important it was for me to have security in my 
home and how his product was absolutely free to 
me, I finally got a word in edgewise.

 “But I have my own security system, thank 
you.”

 There is a slight pause and then he said, “What 
is your home security system, if I may ask?”

 All right. I will confess right now that I had 
a wee bit of naughtiness on my mind, but in my 
own defense the telephone caller opened the 
door. I always believe where there is an open 
door somebody ought to step in.

 “My home security system is called, Napoleon-
two-Claws, and furthermore I’m quite satisfied 
with it.”

 There was another pause on the other end of 
the phone and I heard someone clear their throat 
and then ask, “I’ve never heard of that program. 
What is ‘Napoleon-two-Claws’?”

 You know what it is like when you are trying 
not to laugh and it is about all you can do not to 
laugh? For a brief moment, I felt a little bit guilty 
but then I remembered who was on the other 
end of the phone. Somebody that was trying to 
con me with some kind of free thingamajig.

 “The ‘Napoleon-two-Claws’ home security 
program that I have in my house is my cat. I call 
him Napoleon because he walks around with his 
right paw stuck in his coat between two buttons.”

 There was an extended pause on the other end 
of the phone and finally he said, “What would 
you do, sir, if someone broke into your house?”

 “I’d send flowers to the funeral.”

 “The funeral? Who’s funeral?”

 “Why, the funeral of the guy who tried to break 
into my house while ‘Napoleon-two-Claws’ was 
on duty. The first moment an intruder would 
enter into my home, good old Napoleon would 
claw that sorry person to death.” 

 Then feeling good about my momentum at this 
point I continued, “I live there and I have a hard 
time getting in my house without being clawed 
to death by Napoleon. And I feed the cat. My cat 
is the meanest, grumpiest, most cantankerous 
animal on God’s green earth. If anybody, and I 
mean anybody, can get past Napoleon they can 
have anything in my house. Absolutely free.”

 At that moment, I heard a distinctive “click” 
and I realized our conversation was over. I guess 
whatever he had that was free did not measure 
up to good old ‘Napoleon-two-Claws’.

 The only one I trust to give me something is 
God. “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are 
heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 
11:28).

 What Jesus gives is absolutely free.

The Rev. James L. Snyder is pastor of the Family 
of God Fellowship, PO Box 831313, Ocala, FL 
34483. He lives with his wife, Martha, in Silver 
Springs Shores. Call him at 352-687-4240 or 
e-mail jamessnyder2@att.net. The church web 
site is www.whatafellowship.com.


JUST BECAUSE IT’S FREE 
DOESN’T MEAN IT’S FREE


RICH Johnson

LAWS OF THE LAND

In this politically charged season I consider 
it apropos to examine the function and role 
of politicians. I have recently met council 
candidates Chris Koerber, Colin Braudrick and 
Gene Goss. Articulate gentlemen who could 
easily, in my estimation serve the city well. 
Whether we agree or disagree with council 
members or candidates, we should never forget 
these people are volunteering (or offering to volunteer) massive 
amounts of their time to serve the good of our community. They’re 
not in it for the money folks.

Colin Braudrick at his kick off party, the primary role of government 
is to insure public safety. He has lots of insight and experience when 
it comes to public safety as he is a Police Sergeant with the LAPD. 
One of the key ways of insuring public safety is passing laws. Some 
of the laws on the books give us pause to wonder what the politicians 
were thinking:

A number of states and municipalities have a law against carrying 
concealed weapons. In Seattle, Washington it is illegal to carry a 
concealed weapon more than six feet long. 

Don’t eat candy an hour and a half prior to going to church in Salem, 
West Virginia. It’s illegal. Storing snowballs in a refrigerator is illegal 
in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. Speaking of public safety it is illegal to walk 
down any street in Maine with your shoelaces untied. Talk about 
public safety

If your car drips on the pavement in Green Bay, Wisconsin you’ll 
pay a dollar per drop in fines. Tie your elephant to a parking meter 
in Orlando, Florida (who hasn’t) you better put money in the meter. 
You can cook in any bedroom in California but don’t think for a 
moment you can sleep in a kitchen. It’s agin’ the law. As is falling 
asleep in a bathtub in Detroit.

Personal hygiene is an issue of public safety. It’s against the law to 
blow your nose in public in Waterville, Maine. What’s more sneezing 
on a train is against the law in West Virginia. So, hold it in til you 
cross the border. 

Throwing a banana peel on the sidewalk is unlawful in Sherman, 
Texas (I actually researched and discovered that no emergency room 
of any hospital in the United States has ever reported an accident 
caused by slipping on a banana peel.) 

I wonder if candidate Colin Braudrick (who is from Carmel, 
California) knows it is illegal for a woman to take a bath in a business 
office in Carmel. And driving a car while sleeping is against the law 
in Memphis. 

Radiofishbowl.com. Local Sierra Madre radio on the internet. When 
you are on your computer log into Radiofishbowl.com and listen to 
great music and wonderful funny programming like the Barry, Lisa, 
and Rich show Monday and Saturday mornings at 10:00 am. The rest 
of the time enjoy wonderfully diverse music programmed by James 
Faulkner. The Live365 radio app will give you access via your iPhone. 

Cinderella has a few more Saturday morning performances. 11:00am 
at the Sierra Madre Playhouse. Geared for kids it is also heartwarming 
for adults to enjoy. Watch little girls dressed as princesses dance with 
Prince Charming. $18.00 for adults and $12.00 for those 12 and 
under.

Finally, my oldies band, JJJukebox has the honor of performing at 
Café 322 on the last day of March. Saturday, March 31st from 7:00 to 
9:00 followed by Jane Fuller band, The Real Jane, performing rock 
music.

Mountain Views News

Mission Statement

The traditions of the 
community newspaper 
and the concerns of 
our readers are this 
newspaper’s top 
priorities. We support a 
prosperous community 
of well-informed 
citizens. We hold in 
high regard the values 
of the exceptional 
quality of life in our 
community, including 
the magnificence of 
our natural resources. 
Integrity will be our 
guide.