Mountain Views News          Saturday, August 16, 2014

B3

 

OPINION

 Mountain Views News Saturday, August 16, 2014 

 

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 Hays

Paul Carpenter

Kim Clymer-Kelley

Christopher Nyerges

Peter Dills 

Hail Hamilton 

Rich Johnson

Merri Jill Finstrom

Lori Koop

Rev. James Snyder

Tina Paul

Mary Carney

Katie Hopkins

Deanne Davis

Despina Arouzman

Greg Welborn

Renee Quenell

Ben Show

Sean Kayden

Marc Garlett

 LEFT TURN AND A LITTLE MODERATION


HOWARD Hays As I See It

WILL Durst

A Raging Moderate


“There are very few 
African American 
men in this country 
who haven’t had the 
experience of being 
followed when they 
were shopping in a 
department store . . . 
(or) . . . walking across 
the street and hearing the locks click on 
the doors of cars. That happened to me, 
at least before I was a senator.”

- President Obama

 In Greg Welborn’s column last week, 
he reasoned that those who’ve been 
critical of Israel’s actions in Gaza hold 
such views because they simply don’t 
like Jewish people. Following the logic 
of his column led me to conclude that 
Greg’s repeated disparagement of 
President Obama must be because he 
simply doesn’t like black people.

 Of course, it’s nonsense. It’s easier 
to throw charges of racism or anti-
Semitism around than to deal with 
real, underlying issues. It’s equally 
nonsensical, though, to dismiss such 
charges and pretend that racism and 
anti-Semitism no longer exist.

 We know they exist if for no other 
reason than so many exploit them to 
protect their own power. The rise of 
anti-immigrant nationalist groups in 
Europe retains imagery of centuries-old 
anti-Semitism. When Ronald Reagan 
referred to the “welfare queen” arriving 
in her Cadillac to pick up her check, 
the intent was not to evoke an image 
of a young, white single mother in 
Appalachia.

 Fifteen years before Reagan, 
strategists saw the opportunity to turn 
a predominantly Democratic region 
Republican. They targeted Southern 
whites alarmed by the blacks registering 
as Democrats under LBJ’s Voting Rights 
Act, and got those whites to switch 
registration to Republican. Lee Atwater 
explained the “Southern strategy” in 
an interview years later, “By 1968 you 
can’t say ‘(the N-word)’ - that hurts you. 
Backfires. So you say stuff like forced 
busing, states’ rights and all that stuff”.

 The Voting Rights Act had a profound 
effect. As Jason Zengerle pointed 
out recently in The New Republic, 
in Mississippi the registration rate 
among blacks went from 6.7% in 1964 
to 59.4% in 1968. By 2001, Mississippi 
and Alabama had more black elected 
officials than there were in the entire 
United States in 1970.

 In 2010, though, Republicans realized 
the way to win back southern statehouses 
was to bring in laundered out-of-state 
cash and make the campaigns not 
about issues, but about the fact there 
was a black man in the White House. 
By 2013, Republican majorities in 
Alabama were able to bypass Democrats 
to divert $40 million from public to 
private schools, require public schools 
to determine students’ immigration 
status, block Medicaid expansion under 
the Affordable Care Act and institute 
photo-I.D. requirements for voters – 
targeting the poor, students, the elderly 
and blacks.

Once in the majority, Republicans 
concentrated black voters into fewer 
districts. In 1994, 99.5% of black state 
legislators in the South served in the 
majority; now it’s 4.8%. 55% of America’s 
black population lives in the South, yet 
they’re rapidly disappearing from any 
meaningful role in the legislatures. It’s 
“looking like a different country”, says 
Zengerle, “fewer children can read; 
more adults have HIV; its residents 
suffer from the shortest life expectancies 
of any in the United States.”

Republican strategists knew the racism 
was prevalent enough so its exploitation 
could turn state legislatures solidly to 
the complexion of their party.

 A study out of Stanford ten years ago 
consisted of showing police officers 
pictures of different faces. “When we ask 
the police officers directly, ‘Who looks 
criminal?’”, says the authors, “they 
choose more Black faces than White 
faces. The more stereotypically Black a 
face appears, the more likely officers are 
to report that the face looks criminal.”

 I won’t call it “racism”; it may be related 
to the officers’ experience. Whatever the 
case, it’s clearly their perception.

 We don’t know what the perception 
was of the officer who killed Michael 
Brown in the streets of his hometown 
of Ferguson, Missouri last weekend. 
Ferguson is a town with twice the 
population of Sierra Madre, two-thirds 
of which is black. It has a police force of 
53, three of whom are black.

 Police say Brown was trying to get 
the officer’s gun; which doesn’t seem a 
likely action for an eighteen-year-old 
a few days away from starting college. 
Witnesses say Brown had his hands 
in the air when he was shot. We don’t 
know whether it was a matter of the 
policeman’s racism and/or perception. 
We do know that Brown was unarmed; 
he was shot multiple times, at least once 
in the head; and that no ambulance was 
called – his body lay on the street for 4 
1/2 hours.

 Police say they won’t release the name 
of the officer, but folks in the community 
say they know very well who it is. They 
say the kids are all-familiar with him as 
a cop who goes around the community 
hassling people.

 The folks in the community, and from 
nearby St. Louis, want to make clear it 
will no longer be tolerated. Police have 
responded in full military gear; arresting 
and aiming guns at protestors, firing 
tear gas and rubber bullets, barring and 
arresting journalists trying to cover the 
story.

 Here in L.A. last Monday, 25-year-old 
Ezell Ford, apparently unarmed, was 
allegedly shot by police as he lay on the 
ground. A cousin of Ford’s told KTLA, 
“Every officer in this area . . . knows that 
this child has mental problems.”

 Dismissing it simply as “racism” 
would be wrong, but so would ignoring 
reality to pretend that racism is no 
longer a factor.

 Those who insist racism is a thing 
of the past often claim that with a 
developed skill and talent, anyone can 
overcome adversity.

 Witnesses say Michael Brown might 
have been guilty of jaywalking. Ezell 
Ford was out on the street with a mental 
disability. Both are dead.

 Ma’Lik Richmond is one of the 
Steubenville (Ohio) High School 
football players convicted of raping a 
16-year-old, with video circulated of the 
party guys joking about it. Last week, 
the wide receiver rejoined his team.

THE SLACKER CONGRESS

More fun than fourteen barrels of flunkies watching our 
elected officials exit Washington like scared rats streaming 
out of a sewer to escape Godzilla. And really, who can blame 
them. Anybody who's ever spent a summer in DC can tell 
you the climate is real similar to Hell. With humidity. Then 
again, not sure even Hell has winged insects the size of 
footstools. It's not called Foggy Bottom because that's the first thing that springs 
to mind when Diane Feinstein walks away, you know. 

Funny thing is, this is the same Congress that lies on the verge of breaking all 
previous records for complete and utter futility. The Zero Zip Zilch Crew. Who 
have ridden lethargy into the ground and taken loitering to bold new heights. Or 
is it depths? Folks who would need hydraulic mechanical assists to raise their 
attitudes from stuporous to torpid. From the lair of the drugged slugs. Debi Does 
Drowsy. 

In essence, they're taking a vacation from nothing. Which is a lot like waking up 
to take a nap. Topping breakfast off with a sleeping pill. Floating off to a loafing, 
lay- about layoff. Playing hide and seek with the mirror. And losing.

The 113th Congress is destined to go down in history as the most Do-Nothingest 
Congress of all time. Accomplishing less than all the other Do- Nothing 
Congresses combined. Which is saying something, because there were plenty. 

"Proud to Put the Nothing in the Do- Nothing Congress." Enshrined as the 
undisputed heavyweight champion of Indolence. The Friends of Inertia. Slouching 
towards SlouchVille. The Slacker Congress. 

What we the public fail to understand is that nothing can be downright tiring. Yes, 
there's the failure to pass a highway bill or any hint of immigration reform, but 
let's focus on the positive. During the past 19 months, the Republican- controlled 
House has shut down the government and voted to defund or repeal Obama Care 
about a gazillion times and don't forget the 2 dozen or so Benghazi hearings. 
They have definitely earned that approval rating lower than thumbtacks in your 
underwear while riding a motorcycle. Over railroad tracks. 

And now these hordes of professional indolents have slipped the surly bonds 
of sloth and been released into their home districts to freely roam amongst 
we innocents as a 5 week recess begins. One question: how do you relax after 
suffering through the arduous routine of nothing? Slip into a coma? Binge watch 
The Leftovers? Will sunstroke play an integral part? And not just any vacation: a 
five- week paid vacation. Who told our esteemed representatives we were Europe? 

The odd part is... they have to. It's the law. The Legislative Reorganization Act 
of 1970 requires Congress to take off the entire month of August. Not sure, but 
perhaps it was in response to members of Congress wandering aimlessly en masse 
in our nation's capital during peak tourist season; frightening small children and 
prompting plaintive cries from local merchants. 

All we can do is hope our pooped populist politicos finally get some quality 
downtime, in order to come back tan and rested and ready for the tough task of 
remaining inactive and unable to pass any sort of worthwhile legislation when 
they return after Labor Day. Pretty obvious, that holiday sure weren't named after 
these guys.

Will Durst is an award- winning, nationally acclaimed political comic. Go to 
willdurst.com to find about more about the new documentary film "3 Still Standing," 
and a calendar guide to personal appearances including his new one- man show 
"BoomeRaging: From LSD to OMG."

Email Will at durst@caglecartoons.com. Visit to willdurst.com to find about 
more about his new CD, "Elect to Laugh" and calendar of personal appearances. 

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OUT TO PASTOR A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder

TWO WORDS THAT CHANGED MY LIFE

 This week is a hallmark in the 
lives of the Gracious Mistress of 
the Parsonage and me. Forty-
three years ago this week, we 
began a journey that has just 
become better with each year. 
That is the benefit of marrying up.

 Getting married was not something I had put 
together. Very few men put together their wedding 
plans. After all, that is why we get married.

 It came to me rather suddenly. I was at Bible college 
and one morning one of the guys in the dorm said to 
me, ”Congratulations. I just heard the good news.”

 I smiled and nodded my head thinking about my 
plans for the day. I had no idea what he was talking 
about and at the time I did not have the time to ask 
him what he was talking about.

 Everybody I met that morning was congratulating 
me and telling me how happy they were for me. Soon 
I was beginning to wonder what in the world was 
going on. I did not have any test in any my classes 
yesterday so it could not be anything like that. I 
do not play the lottery so I could not have won the 
lottery. I could not think of anything I did yesterday 
that would cause all of this congratulatory remarks 
in my direction.

 Finally, when I had about as much as I could take, I 
asked somebody, ”What is everybody congratulating 
me for?”

 The person that I queried looked at me, broke out 
in laughter and said, ”Man, you got to be kidding!” 
Then he turned around, walking away laughing 
every step of the way. 

 I went to my class, found my seat and got situated 
then one of the young ladies passed by, patted me on 
the shoulder and said, ”I am so happy for you and 
I think it is a wonderful thing. And I know you are 
going to be happy for the rest of your life.”

 Well, I had had it. I looked at her and very firmly 
said, ”What are you so happy about?”

 ”Your wedding,” she said laughing, ”you’re getting 
married.”

 ”Oh,” I said, nodding my head. ”Thank you very 
much.”

 Then what she said dawned on me. I looked at her 
and said, ”I’m getting what?”

 ”Silly boy,” she said, laughing hysterically, ”it’s all 
over campus so it must be true.”

 I then had to think about this situation I was 
in. Everybody on the campus knew I was getting 
married, except me. Was I still sleeping? Was this 
just a dream I am having?

 I began to think about the events the preceding 
evening, and remembered a little conversation I 
had with the girl I was now supposed to be getting 
married to. In the course of our conversation, as I 
remembered it at the time, she said something to the 
effect, ”Wouldn’t it be great to get married.”

 As I recalled the conversation, I nodded my head 
and said something to the effect, ”Yea, I guess it 
would be.” That was the end of the conversation as far 
as I was concerned, but the beginning of an ongoing 
conversation as far as someone else was concerned.

Why is it that the groom-to-be is always the last one 
to know?

 Then I asked one of the girls in the hallway, ”When 
am I getting married?” At the time, I did not have the 
foggiest idea.

 She turned away laughing and muttering to herself 
something to the effect that I had a really good sense 
of humor. Believe me, I was not laughing.

As it turned out, me and the young lady I was to be 
married to, were engaged to be married and, I do not 
want to pry into this point very much, the wedding 
dress already purchased.”

 As it turned out, it was the best thing that ever 
happened to me. Looking back over life, most of the 
good things that have happened to me were never 
of my doing. I’m convinced that is the way God 
works. If you are doing what you want to do, you are 
probably not doing what God wants you to do. At 
least I have developed that philosophy to this point 
of my life.

 Some things in life I am rather good at planning, a 
wedding not being one of them; not even close.

 After all these years, I can still remember that 
wonderful day when the Gracious Mistress of the 
Parsonage and I were united in holy matrimony. 
Our wedding was rather simple and the focus point 
of the wedding was the wedding vows. When I said, 
”I do” it clinched the deal and I was married and I 
have been doing it ever since.

 I have said many words in my life, and written 
thousands and thousands of words, but the most 
important words that have changed my life were 
those words, ”I do.”

 The Bible has a lot to say about marriage and 
husbands and wives. ”Therefore as the church is 
subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their 
own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your 
wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave 
himself for it” (Ephesians 5:24-25).

 There are some empty words that we use every day 
but every once in a while we say a word or two that 
fills our life with joy unspeakable and full of glory.

 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 1-866-552-2543 or e-mail jamessnyder2@
att.net. His web site is www.jamessnyderministries.
com.

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