Mountain Views News          Saturday, June 14, 2014

Mountain Views-News Saturday, June 14, 2014 
B4 OPINIONMountain 
Views 
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PUBLISHER/ EDITOR 
Susan Henderson 
CITY EDITOR 
Dean Lee 
EAST VALLEY EDITOR 
Joan Schmidt 
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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 CarpenterKim 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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OUT TO PASTOR 
A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder 
LEFT TURN/RIGHT TURN 
GREG WelbornTHE NEED FOR COPS 
THE SWITCH ON MY BEHIND 
SAVED TIME 
JASON STANFORD 
HEY GOP: Stop Politicizing Terrorism The hottest story this week is the upsetin Virginia’s 7th congressional districtprimary election in which House MajorityLeader, Eric Cantor, was defeated by 
an underfunded, little-known collegeprofessor. All the political wags are wagging 
and all the talking heads are talking. But 
the most important story concerns the needfor cops and what we’re willing to pay forthem. 
Is a cop’s salary worth the cost? It’s not a 
silly question. I mean it in all sincerity. As 
tax payers, we have to pay a certain amountin taxes to pay the cops who patrol our 
streets. Do we receive a benefit from the 
money we forego in order for them to walktheir beat? I doubt I could find a serious 
observer (there is always the fringe) whowould say “no”. 
The more informed might ask how goodis the cop before answering the question,
but in doing so, they’ve acknowledged thevalue of the police; they’re just debating thequality of the specific police force. Having apolice force to enforce the laws and keep thepeace is almost a universally acknowledgedpublic good. That the cops must be honestand affective is assumed, but nonetheless 
an important criterion. If the police were 
collectively corrupt or ineffective, we might 
question why they were being employed, 
but we’d still validate the principle that weneed police to maintain order. 
The answers to the questions I’ve posed, 
and the principle I’ve outlined, are easywhen viewed in the domestic context. 
Whether it’s Los Angles, Atlanta, Chicagoor New York, the answers would be the 
same. When we apply the question to theinternational stage, things get muddled. 
Does the world need a policeman? Here’s 
where some people – primarily Liberals 
– hedge their answer. Even if we take thebluest of blue cities in the bluest of blue 
states (San Francisco), Liberals who wouldhave affirmed the need for police in San 
Fran would hesitate, if not outright reject– the need for police in the world at large. 
But my question to them would be, what’sdifferent? Human nature is human nature. 
If there are likely to be bad guys in the city,
necessitating an honest and effective policeforce, aren’t there also likely to be bad guys(usually worse) in the world, necessitatingan honest and effective police force? Stated 
this way, it’s hard to believe anyone –
Liberal, Conservative or Independent –
would answer in the negative. 
The key question then becomes, who 
should serve in this role? Right now, asit has been for many decades, it’s eitherthe U.S. or Russia. Some may argue thatChina should be thrown into the mix, and 
I won’t quibble with including them in thequestion, but the answer is still the same.
The one power on the planet that standsfor democratic principles, human rightsand equality before the law is the UnitedStates of America. The thuggery that isRussia and the cleptocracy that is Chinaare not reasonable alternatives. There is 
absolutely no sense that Russia or Chinawould uphold moral principles. They will 
uphold the positions which benefit their 
respective countries. 
As an example, please 
consider Russia’s 
position and actions 
vis a vis Syria and theUkraine, or consider 
China’s position and 
actions vis a vis North 
Korea and Tibet. 
The world needs a 
cop, and the world needs an honest cop. 
The only candidate is the United States ofAmerica. For those who might offer theUnited Nations – I’m tempted to laugh- I would simply point to Ukraine, Syria,
North Korea, Tibet, Angola, etc. The list 
is long. The next key question is how longshould the United States stay involved 
in any area to insure the maintenance oforder, democracy, and respect for humanrights? The answer is - a long time. 
The U.S. was instrumental in the 
moral victories of WWII and the Korean 
conflict. We have maintained a presence 
in Germany and Japan since 1945, andin Korea since the mid-1950s. Germany,
Japan and South Korea are, as a result,
steadfast and respected members of thecivilized order of nations. They would notbe so were it not for the United States’ longterm 
commitment of blood and treasure to 
the cause. 
This brings me to Iraq. The recent fall 
of Mosul, the second largest city in Iraq,
and the second major city (after Fallujah)
to fall to Al Qaeda insurgents, suggest that 
the country is moving backward towardcivil war and domination, if not outrightcontrol, by Al Qaeda forces. 
Saddam Hussein tortured his own people,
used chemical weapons against them andothers, invaded his neighbors, and refusedto abide by the most basic of human rights.
He was the crook, and President Bush sent 
in the only police force that mattered –
the U.S. – and we liberated a people and a 
country. 
President Obama, on the other hand, has 
never liked the concept of policing anythinganywhere. Obama’s benign neglect and 
continued insistence on full withdrawal by2016 has resulted in a catastrophe. Bush 
left office with Iraq largely at peace and adeveloping democratic country. Civilian 
casualties fell from 31,000 to 5,000 in 3 
years. Five years of the Obama Doctrine– no police needed, everyone loves oneanother – and the country is on the verge of 
falling to terrorists with monthly casualtiesin the 1,000 range. 
The simple fact of life is that peace 
requires sufficient force and presence tomaintain it. Human nature hasn’t changedin thousands of years. There will alwaysbe bad guys, whether at a city level or aninternational level, and an honest, effective 
cop needs to stand in the breach. If nobodydoes, people die, violence reigns and 
civilizations wither. You won’t find that on 
the front page, because it’s not the “hottest 
story”, but it is the most important story. 
My father was a 
rather reserved 
person. He did not 
have much to say 
except when he 
was talking about his hunting or fishing 
adventures, and to hear from him. It was 
always an adventure. When he got started 
on one of his stories, you better just sit back 
and forget about everything else. 
Outside of that, he was rather quiet and 
reserved and did not have much to say.
I always liked that about him for a variety 
of reasons. I think I take after him in that 
regard. I just do not have time to hear 
somebody bloviate on something I am not 
interested in. 
For one, my father had no time at all 
for politics. I am not sure if he was a 
Republican or Democrat, but I knew he 
voted every election.
"Son," he often said, "you don't have to take 
sides one way or the other. When I'm with 
a Democrat, I talk Democrat and when I'm 
with a Republican, I talk Republican. The 
only thing that matters is what I do when I 
get in that voting booth." 
This attitude of his, since Father's Day is 
coming up, was something that made a 
deep impression upon me. Following his 
counsel has kept me out of quite a few 
battles throughout the years, especially 
when I got married. 
I can never remember my father arguing 
with my mother. Now, my mother argued 
with my father, but he never reciprocated. 
"If you want a happy home," he once 
advised, "make sure everybody in the 
home was happy particularly the one you 
married." 
That has helped me through many sticky 
situations for which I am eternally grateful. 
Another bit of advice he gave me was 
simply that you do not have to fight every 
battle. "Only fight those battles," he said 
with a sly smirk on his face, "that you know 
you can win." 
I mentioned that he was rather reserved in 
his speaking, but there was one area where 
he was profusely proactive. That was in 
the area of discipline, especially directed 
toward me. 
My father was not much different from 
any of the father's during that time and 
they all believed in the biblical admonition, 
"Spare the rod and spoil the child." These 
fathers were united in making sure none of 
their children would be spoiled. 
One rule we had in the house that I did not 
fully agree with was, if you got a spanking 
in school (and in those days we got 
spankings in school) you got a spanking at 
home. Talk about double dipping!
The assumption was that the teacher 
was right and that the one receiving the 
spanking was wrong. Back then, 99.9% of 
the time that was true. The spanker was in 
charge, the spankee took it like a man and 
you know where. 
I spent 12 years in the public education 
system and during that time, my teacher 
was never wrong. I will not divulge how 
many times I was wrong, that is between 
me and the area I sit on. 
I clearly remember that my teachers back 
then had what was called "the Hickory 
stick." And boy did those teachers know 
how to use that Hickory stick and where it 
would do the most good. 
My father did not have a Hickory stick as 
such. Hanging on the wall in the kitchen 
was an old wooden paddle engraved with, 
"I need thee every hour." I am surprised 
that that one wooden paddle lasted during 
my entire childhood. 
I made one mistake during those childhood 
days. I was going through a period where 
the paddle and my bottom were close 
friends. I was getting a little weary of such 
friendship and decided I would do something 
about it. 
My father had gone to work early that day, 
as I remember it now, and I was going out 
the door to go to school when a thought 
danced in my head. I would take that 
paddle and dispose of it so that it could no 
longer be attached to my person. 
With the advantage of 20/20 hindsight, it 
was not a perfect plan. 
I had forgotten about that and two days 
later, I got into some trouble. It was the 
kind of trouble that could be resolved only 
by that wooden paddle. My father went to 
get the paddle and to his chagrin, and my 
posterior harm, it was not there. 
Very seldom did my father paddle me 
when he was really angry. There was one 
case when that hap-pened, and this was it. 
I will not repeat the lecture that he gave at 
that time, but I will say that it had a lasting 
impression upon my posterior. At that 
time, I wished he had been a man of fewer 
words. 
I know times have changed, but I am not 
sure they have changed for the better. There 
was a time when parents were in charge of 
children and responsible for the discipline. 
Sadly, that day is far gone. 
The only thing I would say is, are we better 
off today than we were back then? 
The Bible admonishes us, "And, ye fathers, 
provoke not your children to wrath: 
but bring them up in the nurture and 
admonition of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4). 
Discipline, not abuse, is drastically needed 
among our children today. My father 
would put it this way, lack of discipline is a 
form of abuse. 
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 1-866552-
2543 or e-mail jamessnyder2@att.net 
or website www.jamessnyderministries. 
com. 
Let us pause to observe a moment of silence for a time when politics 
stopped at the water’s edge. That quaint notion of national unitywas mortally wounded immediately after the attack in Benghazi,
and finally succumbed to complications after a prisoner exchangefor an American POW in Afghanistan. 
There’s nothing wrong with disagreeing on foreign affairs. In fact,
it’s our duty as citizens to engage in our democracy. You want toprotest for peace? Burn the Dixie Chicks’ CDs? Criticize how a 
president is waging a war or how Congress is funding it? Go nuts.
The First Amendment isn’t a trophy in a glass case on the mantel.
You’re supposed to use it. 
There is a difference, however, between publicly disagreeing with the President’shandling of foreign policy and using international incidents to gain a politicaladvantage. The GOP’s aberrant handling of Benghazi provides a sad example. In 2012,
the Romney campaign was looking for an opportunity to highlight what they saw as 
the President’s weakness on foreign policy. To be clear, Romney had every right tomake that case. 
But Romney didn’t even wait to find out how many Americans had died in Benghazibefore claiming the President “sympathize[d] with those who waged the attacks.” RNCChairman Reince Priebus at least waited until a minute after midnight on September11 before tweeting, “Obama sympathizes with attackers in Egypt. Sad and pathetic.”
That last part was true, but not in the way Priebus intended. 
Out of the murders of four Americans, a political scandal was born. More than adozen hearings, 25,000 pages of reports, and 50 briefings later, and the biggest thingwe’ve learned is that congressional Republicans have no shame when it comes to 
politicizing terrorism. Recently, the National Republican Campaign Committeesolicited donations via an email that invited Republicans to “become a Benghaziwatchdog” by making a contribution, literally using terrorism for political profit. 
I would have thought that we could all agree that bringing POW Sgt. Bowe Bergdahlhome from captivity in Afghanistan was the right decision. Gen. Stanley McChrystal,
the former commander there, said the policy of leaving no one behind in a warzone is“unequivocal.” But now politics doesn’t stop at the water’s edge. It keeps going all theway into the dark room where Bergdahl was being held prisoner. 
Until recently many Republican politicians and tea party activists were demanding that 
the President bring Bergdahl home, but then they Black-flipped when the Presidentbrought Bergdahl home. The President had done exactly what they demanded of him,
so Bergdahl, once a tragic hero, had become a traitor not worth saving. 
The worst example of this was John McCain. In February he supported a prisonerexchange with the Taliban to free Bergdahl. With alacrity rivaling Romney’s cravengrandstanding on Benghazi, McCain didn’t wait for Bergdahl’s return stateside beforecriticizing the trade as “ill-founded” and a “mistake.” For what it’s worth, in 1973 theUS traded North Vietnamese prisoners to free Capt. McCain and other U.S. POWs.
The rank hypocrisy by Bergdahl’s former champions is the least of it. In 2012—beforeanyone had ever heard of Benghazi—Michael Hastings of Rolling Stone exposed 
the GOP’s behind-the-scenes political machinations over Bergdahl. CongressionalRepublicans threatened the White House and State Department that they wereprepared to use any prisoner exchange for Bergdahl to paint the President as anappeaser who sympathized with terrorists. 
“They keep telling me it’s going to be Obama’s Willie Horton moment,” Marc 
Grossman, the special envoy to Afghanistan, warned the White House.
Yes, the President broke a law requiring 30 days notice before doing this, but if I hadto deal with this Congress I wouldn’t tell them what time it was if I had the last clock 
in the world. 
In his recent commencement address at West Point, the President articulated a vision 
for American leadership in the world, but that will only be possible if Republicansprovide a loyal opposition. The reason we don’t leave anyone behind is because we’resupposed to be in this together. When Republicans are ready to put their countryahead of their partisan political interests, there’s a place waiting for them at the 
grown-ups’ table. 
Jason Stanford is a Democratic consultant who writes columns for the Austin American-
Statesman and The Quorum Report. He can be reached at stanford@oppresearch.com and onTwitter @JasStanford. 
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