Mountain Views News          Saturday, March 1, 2014

Mountain Views News Saturday, March 1, 2014 
15OPINION Mountain Views News Saturday, March 1, 2014 
15OPINION 
Mountain 
Views 
News 
PUBLISHER/ EDITOR 
Susan Henderson 
CITY EDITOR 
Dean Lee 
EAST VALLEY EDITOR 
Joan Schmidt 
BUSINESS EDITOR 
LaQuetta Shamblee 
SENIOR COMMUNITY 
EDITOR 
Pat Birdsall 
SALES 
Patricia Colonello 
626-355-2737 
626-818-2698 
WEBMASTER 
John Aveny 
CONTRIBUTORS 
Chris Leclerc 
Bob Eklund 
Howard HaysPaul CarpenterStuart Tolchin 
Kim Clymer-KelleyChristopher NyergesPeter Dills 
Hail Hamilton 
Rich Johnson 
Merri Jill Finstrom 
Lori KoopRev. James SnyderTina Paul 
Mary CarneyKatie HopkinsDeanne Davis 
Despina ArouzmanGreg WelbornRenee Quenell 
Ben Show 
Sean KaydenMarc Garlett 
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STUART Tolchin........On LIFE 
MAKING THE BEST OF LIFE 

Recently we lost the church and there was always a lot of 

one of my favorite community singing. Of course, among 

people. Pete Seeger’s the most memorable of songs was the 

music and teachings anthem, “We Shall Overcome,” an old 

have continued to spiritual which Seeger learned, adapted 

influence me since and most importantly, taught to his 

High School. He seemed to me to be a audiences. It contains the stirring words 

benign genius shining a light through an “Deep In My Heart, I DO BELIEVE, 

ever-darkening world. His songs spoke that we shall overcome”. Really deep 

of Civil Rights and we listened to and in my heart I did come to believe that 

sang these songs in Berkeley in the early right would prevail and that eventually 

sixties. I marched along, demanding an the whole world would come to reflect 

end to racial discrimination in the area the spirit and the truth that Pete Seeger’s 

of voting, employment, housing, and songs echoed.

public accommodation. I was present at 

 Back in Los Angeles I became an 

a great number of demonstrations and 

attorney working for the Legal Aid 

Pete’s music was right there with me.

Foundation of Los Angeles and then 

 From Berkeley I went on to UCLA directing a Legal Aid Program in 

Law School and the concern now was the Bakersfield. Always I have believed that 

Viet Nam War. It’s strange to remember I have been working on the side of right 

but, at that time, many people and trying to make this Country a fairer and 

many of my fellow Law Students were more just place. I have been flown to 

in favor of that war. Pete kept singing Washington to testify before Congress 

and his music influenced me as I worked about the importance of the continued 

as an unpaid draft counselor affiliated importance of Legal Aid Programs 

with the Lawyer’s Guild. You need not which assist the indigent. Even today, 

shout hooray for me but, nevertheless, over forty-five years later, I continue 

I assisted in hundreds of cases and felt to practice law as an advocate for the 

great pride in doing what I believed to indigent. My values have remained 

be this very important work.pretty much the same, even though 

I haven’t been listening to much Pete 

 During Law School I had the 

Seeger music lately. Perhaps I should, 

opportunity to work in the formation of 

because times right now seem so 

a program that selected students from 

difficult. The rich get richer and the poor 

inner city Schools in the ghetto of Watts 

get poorer. Hooray for the increases in 

and the barrio of East Los Angeles. I 

minimum wage but my worries do not 

was given some training as a counselor 

disappear. The threats associated with 

and assisted in attempting to motivate 

climate change cause me to worry about 

high school students on the edge of 

the survival of our species. 

dropping out to stay in school and go 

on to college. I wrote recommendations Composing this article has resulted in 

for these students and many went on to allowing me to review my own working 

college and have done pretty well for life. Sure the article is more about me 

themselves. I know that one of these than it is about Pete Seeger. What has 

students became mayor of Los Angeles become clear to me is that what are 

and another became a state Senator. most important are the principles one 

Amazing.lives by. My principles have guided me 

through some pretty difficult times 

 This UCLA program somehow put 

and have assisted me in choosing the 

me into a position to be selected by 

kind of work that I have done and have 

the Southern Leadership Conference 

formed the kind of model I presented 

to work with high school students in 

to my children. I am proud of the kind 

Mississippi. I was able to experience first 

of adults that my children have become 

hand the dedication and commitment 

and proud of my daughter’s legal work. 

of young African-American students 

I think my principles have helped me 

who, for the first time, were allowed to 

to select a wife who makes me proud 

attend integrated Schools. These were 

at every moment and cares about the 

difficult times as the students were often 

world in much the same way I do.

ignored in class and not given books and 
understandably often felt like they would If the music and the life of Pete 
be happier staying in their segregated Seeger has had an impact on the life I 
school. What we non-Southern mainly have led and the choices I have made, I 
white college kids did was to talk to am eternally grateful. I do believe that 
these students and to their parents and Pete Seeger lived his ninety plus years 
to emphasize the importance of what continually striving to make the world a 
these brave young people were doing. A better place. Let each of us make every 
lot of our meetings were conducted in effort to do the very same thing. 


LEFT TURN /RIGHT TURNHOWARD Hays As I See It

 
“[President Obama contribute more to their healthcare, 
would] much rather and a freeze on salaries for generals and 
spend the money on food admirals.
stamps than he would on The budget calls for an increase in 
a strong military”.personnel and resources for cyber warfare 

- Dick Cheney on the and special operations, focusing on 
Hannity showtraining missions and counter-terrorism. 
Much of congressional opposition, as 
The former vice-always, relates to home district interests 
president went on, “I and defense industry largesse – not a 
think it’s a reflection of matter of making us safe, but of making 
the basic and fundamental belief of this money for benefactors. It’s difficult, as 
president, that he’s always wanted to cut always, to get rid of entrenched programs 
the military.”regardless of whether they’re still useful or 

 If that’s what the president wanted to even still wanted by our military leaders.
do, then good for him. The constraints Accordingly, Sec. Hagel proposes 
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel had to dumping the A-10 Warthog program; a 
deal with in last week’s budget proposal, plane from the 1970s designed to take care 
however, came not from President Obama of Soviet tanks advancing on the battlefield. 

- but from our Republican-led Congress.Going further back in the Cold War is 
This goes back to sequestration and the the U-2 spy plane, in use for over fifty 

“fiscal cliff ”. Republicans had threatened years (remember Francis Gary Powers?), 

to tank the economy by reneging on our which Sec. Hagel intends to replace with 

nation’s debts, agreeing to raise the debt unmanned drone surveillance aircraft. 

ceiling only with passage of the Budget Ten years ago, the army conducted a 

Control Act of 2011 and its “sequestering” study of superfluous domestic bases and 

of both defense and non-defense spending other facilities and determined it was 20% 

alike. Then came the “fiscal cliff ” at the “over-structured”. For the Air Force, it was 

end of 2012, with Republicans refusing to 24%. Sec. Hagel has been trying for the 

rescind the Bush tax cuts for those making past two years to get Congress to approve 

a quarter-million a year.another study and round of base closures. 

 As a result, defense budgeting over the Congress won’t even approve the study.

next two years was some $75 billion less In his comments, former VP (and 

than what the Obama Administration had Defense Secretary) Cheney mentioned 

wanted. The Administration now hopes food stamps. In 2013, over a $100 million 

it can get Congress to agree to waive the in food stamps were redeemed at military 

upcoming $26 billion in additional cuts grocers, an amount rising every year since 

called for under sequestration, so further the recession began in 2007. This is largely 

trimming won’t be necessary.due to a 30% unemployment rate among 

 Republicans are outraged as they blame military spouses. 

the president for cuts brought by their According to the Center for Budget 

own actions. This sideshow shouldn’t and Policy Priorities, 900,000 veterans 

distract, though, from a serious look at the are currently on food stamps (83,000 

true needs and real costs of keeping our in California), with a nearly 10% 

country safe. unemployment rate among those who 

 Fortunately for the world, there aren’t served while Cheney was in office. The 

as many of those nation-against-nation cuts President Obama hopes to reverse 

wars as there used to be. A study out of have brought the average value of food 

Harvard, defining such wars as being a stamps down to less than $1.40 per meal 

conflict with at least 25 deaths, shows only per person – and yes, this includes our 

1 to 6 ongoing at any given time since veterans and their families.

WWII, with none at all from 2003 to 2008 Chuck Hagel is our first NCO enlistee 

(when the conflict between Djibouti and combat infantry veteran (service in 

Eritrea broke out). For all wars, including Vietnam) to become Secretary of 

those within nations, there were 300 Defense. Dick Cheney wangled five 

deaths yearly per 100,000 of the world’s draft deferments during the Vietnam era, 

population during the WWII era. This and later helped lead our country into 

went down to 30 per 100,000 at the time of arguably the costliest (in both “blood and 

the Korean War, the low teens during the treasure”) foreign policy debacle in our 

Vietnam conflict, single digits through the history (while his company, Halliburton 

1970s and 80s and has been less than one Inc., pulled in some $39.5 billion in war 

death per 100,000 here in the 21st century.contracts).

 Despite what we see in the news, the As Vice President, Cheney assured us 

world’s become a safer place. Three-the Iraq insurgency was in its “last throes”,

quarters of the world’s military spending then-Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) responded, 

is spent by the U.S. and our allies, and we “These young men and women that we put 

currently have bases in three-quarters of in Anbar province, in Iraq, in Baghdad, are 

the world’s countries. not beans. They’re real lives. And we better 

The threats we face are unlikely to call for be damn sure we know what we’re doing”. 
deployment of massive land armies. Sec. Secretary Hagel doesn’t need lecturing 
Hagel proposes we reduce the number of from Dick Cheney on the needs of our 
troops from 520,000 to less than 450,000 nation’s security, or of those men and 
(down from 570,000 at the height of the women who’ve kept us safe.
Iraq / Afghanistan wars). There’d be a 
1% pay raise for service members, who’d Neither do we. 


OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder 

KEEP IT REAL OR KEEP IT TO YOURSELF 

Normally, I'm not One thing about this SI is that it is not gen-
overly fussy with der specific. Both men and women are as-
what people say sessable to this sort of thing. 
as long as they are 
not trying to put Of course, there is nothing wrong with be-
something over on ing stupid if you keep it to yourself. When 
me. All it takes is one time of trying to put you start telling people just how stupid you 
something over on me and I cross you off really are, that is when somebody needs to 
my Christmas card list. object. 

When someone tries to sell me something, Right after this TV personality, whose name 
I am assuming that somewhere in the con-will remain anonymous, although he thinks 
versation they are trying to pull the wool he is some kind of a king, said he did not 
over my eyes. I am allergic to wool in my believe in the afterlife said something that 
eyes. When they are talking to me, I am was contradictory. 
listening for a keyword in their conversation, 
which is simply, "free." Whenever they "I have it ordered," he said about a seriously 
mention that magical word, I know they are as any SI person could be, "that when I die 
trying to put something over on me. I will be frozen until the medical field has 

discovered a cure or for what has killed me. 
My father used to say, "Keep it real or keep it Then I will be brought back to life with this 
to yourself." He did not have many jewels of medication." 
wisdom, but this certainly was one that has 
been helpful to me down through the years. My wife and I waited for the laughter. I re-
I have tried to keep this in focus when talk-ally thought it was a joke. I did not think 
ing to other people. Nothing I hate more anybody could be that stupid. Apparently, a 
than somebody lying to me, so turnabout is great deal of people are that stupid because 
fair game. I do not want to lie to anybody nobody laughed at that remark. 
myself. At least intentionally. 

My wife and I looked at each other and then 
I am a weekend fisherman from Pennsyl-we burst out laughing thinking it was one 
vania so the tendency is there and I have of those TV talk show spoofs. It turned out 
to watch myself all the time. I am the kind he was not joking. He did not believe in the 
of person who loves to exaggerate. Some-afterlife, but he was making plans to come 
times my exaggeration gets the best of me back to life after he died. 
but then that is why God gave us wives to 
help curb this tendency. She has not failed I think people with the SI syndrome have 
me so far. one severe dysfunction between their brain 

and their mouth. We know from listening 
The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and that their mouth is working but what we 
I were relaxing at home watching a little hear from their mouth more than suggest 
bit of television. It is hard to find anything their brain is not w. 
"real" on the old television set. The reality 
shows are everything but. I do not have any problems with people be


ing a practicing SI as long as they keep it to 
We were casually listening to a talk show themselves. There are enough idiots in the 
who was interviewing some TV personal-world that we do not have to have people 
ity celebrating his 80th birthday. We were every day coming out of the SI closet. 
not really paying attention, you know how 
it is. You are watching TV, but you are talk-Listening to this TV personality, I was reing 
back and forth to one another trying to minded of my father's favorite saying, "Keep 
catch up on the day's activities. Then this it real or keep it to yourself." There are many 
TV personality made a statement that cap-things people need to keep to themselves. 
tured both of our attentions. 

This TV personality who wanted to be fro"
I don't believe," this personality, which zen after he died suggested to me that the 
shall remain nameless, said, "in the afterlife. freezing had already begun with his brain. 
Only foolish people believe in the afterlife." I do not know if he ate too much ice cream 

too fast causing a brain freeze or what. All 
This sparked some conversation between I know is that some things should not be 
my wife and me. The question I had was shared and being an idiot is one of them. 
simply this; how long does it take to get to 
this point of Superior Idiocy? What univer-The apostle Paul made this quite clear when 
sity awards an SI degree? If they did, I am he wrote, "For the wages of sin is death: but 
sure they could never keep up with the pro-the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus 
duction of such awards. Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23). 

Just when you think you have heard the Only God can keep it real and thankfully 
most stupid thing in the world somebody He does not keep it to Himself, but shares it 
with an SI degree opens his or her mouth. with those will put their trust in Him. 

CIVIL RIGHTS PROPERLY GREG WelbornUNDERSTOOD

Can your civil rights deny me my hatred? 
civil rights? That is the true question 
which was being addressed in Arizona But the key to this 
legislation that would have allowed issue is not whether 
a business owner to refuse service to there are a particular 
someone based on the owner’s religious set of facts to support 
beliefs. The Left portrayed the issue as a the religious values or 
civil rights violation animated by hatredwhether there really 
for gays. As usual, the got it wrong on is hatred toward gays. 
both counts. The key is a proper 



understanding of what constitutes a civil 
Governor Jan Brewer vetoed the right in a free country. 
legislation which was made controversial 
by a small minority of activists because, Civil rights are a class of rights that insure 
as she said, she was not aware of any everyone stands equal before the law 
Arizona business owner who had been and that protect individuals’ rights from 
forced to violate their religious beliefs. government infringement. Civil rights 
That was a cop-out, plain and simple. do not address interactions between 
Perhaps no Arizona business owner had two private citizens. They address the 
suffered that fate, but there are at least interaction between the government and 
two well know examples of businesses the people. Justice should be blind and 
which were confronted with the choice nobody should be denied their right to 
between honoring their owner’s religious participate in the democratic process. 
beliefs and survival. 

There are, though, limits to what can be 
Here in California, you will remember, properly called a civil right. Nobody can 
eHarmony was sued for not providing have a civil right which strips another 
a dating match service for gays. Never person of their civil right. The only 
mind the fact that the organization was proper restriction on a person’s freedom 
founded by a Christian along traditional is the point at which someone else’s 
Judeo-Christian beliefs about the freedom is restricted. 
proper composition of marriage or the 
fact that its groundbreaking research Our Bill of Rights wisely guarantees 
never found a way to reliably predict each of us (in the first amendment) 
the strength of same-sex matches. All the freedom of association and the 
their research supported the value of freedom to practice religion. These are 
the traditional structure of marriage fundamental to the definition of human 
and determined there were predictive freedom. If the government can force us 
measures for traditional heterosexual to associate with someone or prevent us 
marriage which could be calibrated in from practicing our religion, we are not 
a way to successfully match men with truly a free people. Without guarantees 
women, not men with men or women of freedom, the majority can, and will, 
with women. tyrannize the minority. 

In Colorado, Jack Phillips was a baker In a nutshell, gays should be free to be gay, 
who refused to bake a wedding cake for but those who object to homosexuality 
a same-sex couple. Once again, never shouldn’t be forced to accept it in their 
mind the fact that Colorado law defined homes, churches or businesses. If either 
marriage as being between one man and side has the power to force or restrict the 
one woman. A Colorado judge ordered other, then resentment and hatred will 
him to bake the cake or go to jail. only grow stronger. True tolerance is 

built on the foundation of freedom, not 
The kindest thing I can say about Jan compulsion. Our current culture war, 
Brewer – along with Mitt Romney and as highlighted by the Arizona debate, is 
John McCain, who both supported a result of “civil rights” being distorted 
the Governor’s veto – is that she/they by the Left beyond any legitimate 
are political cowards. All of them are resemblance of their true meaning. 
smart enough to know this was not 
a law advocating hatred, it was not a About the author: Gregory J. Welborn 
civil rights issue, nor was it particularly is a freelance writer and has spoken to 
a new unnecessary idea. Currently, several civic and religious organizations 
there are 30 states (60%), which have on cultural and moral issues. He lives in 
similar provisions protecting business the Los Angeles area with his wife and 3 
owners’ right to incorporate their children and is active in the community. 
religious values in their businesses He can be reached gregwelborn2@ 
without state interference. This includes gmail.com 
Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut, 
Rhode Island, Minnesota, and 
Washington where gay marriage is 
allowed. Are these states promulgating