Mountain Views News          Saturday, June 13, 2015

Mountain Views-News Saturday, June 13, 2015 
15OPINION Mountain Views-News Saturday, June 13, 2015 
15OPINION 
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ich Johnson 
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CHRISTINE Flowers 
JENNER NOT A HERO FOR 
BECOMING CAITLYN 


There are as manyheartbreaking generosity, to the valiant 
types of courage civilians who stared death down on Flight 93as there are and sacrificed themselves for America, to the 
personalities and star QB-turned-warrior on the battlefield who, 
human struggles.regardless of the ultimate conditions of his 
Courage comes death, gave up the gilded trappings of gridironin many colors, glory and enlisted to serve, one among many.
cadences and creeds. The teenager afflictedThere is the giant who exchanged a quarterwith an inoperable brain cancer who continuescentury and the best years of his youth for ato play basketball until she can no longer holdguarantee of equality, and two fine womenthe ball is the epitome of courage.who battled and are still battling illnesses that

Lauren Hill, who by her insistence on livingsteal strength and memory, but not hope andthe last moments of a cruelly shortened life withcommitment. 
joy and purpose, raising millions of dollars forThese are all the different colors, cadences 
cancer research and turning her small candleand creeds of courage. They are a pure reflectioninto a towering flame that cursed the darkness,of Arthur Ashe and do honor to the award that 
transcended mere humanity, and becamebears his name. 
immortal. That is courage. That is what should But when I see Caitlyn (nee Bruce) Jenner, thebe remembered when we look upward for anreflection I see is far from that purity. Jenner, an 
example and not inward for an explanation.admittedly transcendent and historic athlete,

These are the thoughts that were triggered bycould have been given the award years ago forthe announcement by ESPN that it would givewinning the Decathalon at a moment in timethis year’s “courage” award, named in honor ofwhen the United States was still locked in a 
the great Arthur Ashe, to Caitlyn (nee Bruce)psychological and philosophical battle with theJenner. For those who have only a passingSoviet Union. When he raised that American 
acquaintance with Ashe, it’s important to flag and ran around the Olympic track withexamine his life and the reasons that it became the wind of Mercury at his feet, he gave thisthe model for true courage in the field of sports.country a reason to celebrate. Ironically, he now

According to his website, Ashe was a “topsays that this was the moment in his life whenranked tennis player in the 1960s and 1970s”he felt the most fear, and a fraud. So perhapsat a time when racism, never absent from the the courage it took to overcome his doubts issports world, was more overt than it is today. He the type that deserves a trophy and adulation.
was raised in the segregated south, becomingExcept that they’re not giving him an awardthe first African American male tennis playerfor that. Jenner has been chosen because he has 
to win a Grand Slam tournament. He was a come out as a woman, has transitioned quitehumanitarian, an educator, and a role model publicly, has laid it all out for us on the coverthroughout his life, winning the Presidentialof a popular magazine. This is audacious, but 
Medal of Freedom. in a society where we vilify those who support

Ironically, though, it was in the mannertraditional values, it is hardly a courageousin which he faced death that he showed the act to exhibit your newly-acquired identity.
measure of his courage. Arthur Ashe died in Courage implies something less egotistical1993 after contracting AIDS through a taintedand more transcendent, like giving your lifeblood transfusion. The dignity with which hefor your country, or showing the world that 28lived the final, unfair chapter of an amazingyears in prison can break your body but nothuman narrative made it impossible for ESPNyour spirit.
to choose anyone else to represent the face of I’m sure there are a lot of people who thinkcourage.Jenner is the epitome of courage, simply

And while the winners haven’t always beenbecause he was able to say “I’m Caitlyn” in asportsmen, they have always been exceptionalworld that still has a problem understandingfor the contributions that they made to society,the alleged fluidity of gender. They’re entitled toand not because of any politically convenienttheir opinions.
agenda. Here is a partial list of previous But I’m entitled to believe that on the night ofwinners: Muhammad Ali (1997,) Todd Beamer,the ESPY awards, Arthur Ashe will find Lauren 
Mark Bingham, Tom Burnett and Jeremy GlickHill in that paradise they both surely inhabit,
(2002,) Pat Tillman and Kevin Tillman (2003,)take her hand in his own, and raise it up. 
Nelson Mandela (2009,) Pat Summit (2012,)
Robin Roberts (2013.)© 2015 Christine Flowers. Flowers is an 

Each one of these honorees, from a greatattorney and a columnist for the Philadelphiachampion of a fighter who let us see himDaily News, and can be reached at cflowers1961@
fade into the darkness of Parkinson’s with gmail.com. 

SEE US ONLINE AT:
www.mtnviewsnews.com
LEFT TURN/RIGHT TURN 
HOWARD Hays As I See It 


“It’s progressBrandon notes, as confirmed on the video, 
because a copthat police on the scene were professionalpulled a gun onand tried to calm the situation. That is until 
a group of blackthis Cpl. Casebolt barrel-rolled onto the 
kids and nobody’sscene – in a state the police chief described asdead.” “out of control”. Two officers are seen calmly

- Jessica interviewing party guests standing on theWilliams on The sidewalk, when Casebolt storms in to shout at 
Daily Show the inerviewees: “Get on the ground! Now!”
The two officers seem as taken aback as the 
party guests.

According to Casebolt shouts obscenities (predominately

the 2010 Census, “ass” and variations of the f-word) at the teens.

the population 15-year-old Dajerria Becton was seated on the

of McKinney,grass crying, but apparently it wasn’t “on theTexas is 75% white and 10% black. The west ground” enough for Casebolt, so he threw herside of McKinney is 90% white, while east ofon the ground again. According to Dajerria,
US Highway 75 it’s more like 50-50. In 2009,“He grabbed me, twisted my arm on myMcKinney settled a lawsuit brought when itback and shoved me in the grass and startedresisted construction of low-income housingpulling the back of my braids” – but the videoon its west side. It’s still a major issue, withappears more brutal than her description. Shewest-siders fighting to keep such projects eastcried for her mother as Casebolt pinned herof the 75. face-down with both knees on her back. 

Within the first few seconds of that video One of the friends rushing to see if she wasposted on YouTube last week, you get an ideaokay was 18-year-old Adrian Martin. He saidwhat this west side of town is like, at least in he wanted to tell her, “Look, we’re going to callthe Craig Ranch community – an ideal placeyour mom. It’s alright.” He’s the one Caseboltfor young teens to get together on a hot Texasthen pulled his gun on and who turned outFriday afternoon for an end-of-school / here-to be the only one put under arrest (chargescomes-Summer pool party.later dismissed). Whatever it was that caused

According to Tatyana Rhodes, a 19-year-Casebolt to go unhinged, I hope he gets theold black resident of Craig Ranch, theyhelp he needs along with the punishment hearranged the “cook out” for classmates anddeserves. 
friends, providing guest passes for the pool.There’s no excuse, however, for certain 
Most of the guests were residents, as well. Sheindividuals in the media. CNN anchor 
says that when she went to get a keypad, sheAshleigh Banfied wonders, “I’m not sure 
heard white adult residents shouting racialwhere the racial issue comes in, other than 
obscenities at her guests: “Black f-ers”, “Gojust the fact that she happens to be black.”
back to your Section 8 (public) housing”, etc.Megyn Kelly on Fox News, referring to 
Grace Stone, a 14-year-old white friend ofDajerria Becton, rationalizes “the girl wasTatyana’s brother, “stuck up for us” andno saint either. He told her to leave and she 
confronted the hecklers, telling them theircontinued to linger.” Syndicated radio hostcomments were racist and “not right”. Then,Michael Berry referred to party guests asaccording to Tatyana, Grace became their“jungle animals”.
target – cursed at and told she should “doThen there’s Fox News bringing out Craigbetter for herself”. Tatyana says she then gotRanch resident Sean Toon, happy to tell theback into it, telling them they shouldn’t be“whole story” of what “really” went on, andattacking a 14-year-old like that. They toldhow officers like Casebolt had to do what 
Tatyana to go back to her Section 8 housing.they did to stem the “chaos” and “protect” theAfter responding, “Excuse me?”, Tatyana saysresidents. 
she was “smacked” across the face and “both One person who remembers Toon isof the women attacked me”. 14-year-old Grace Stone, the friend Tatyana

Brandon Brooks, a white 15-year-old guest,Rhodes says “stuck up for us” and who 
says he was in the restroom when a friend toldturned out to be the only white personhim of a fight outside. He said he grabbed hishandcuffed during the incident (orderedstuff and rushed out, but the fight was over bycuffed by Casebolt when she tried to explainthe time he got there.to them what had happened before they’d

Brandon was the one who made the video arrived).
posted to YouTube. He observed that theGrace remembers Toon as one of the 
police only went after the black and Hispanicresidents shouting racial obscenities at thekids. He says although he was in the middleguests, leading to the fight that led to the 911of them all, as a white kid “I was basicallycall. As she said later, “You shouldn’t be that 
invisible to the cops.” He offered this take onhateful.” She remembers Toon telling herwhat transpired: “The 911 call was probablyfriends, “You should go back to the Sectiondescribed as this black girl beating up this8 housing where you’re from because youmom, which was actually the other waydon’t belong in our neighborhood”. Shearound. The mom pulled the girl’s hair. Isays, “That’s when I went off. I called him anthink the cop just got nervous and just starteda**hole.” 
putting every black person on the ground,Many on the right maintain a big problemtrying to catch this one girl who was in thewith kids is insufficient respect towards eldersfight with the mom – while the mom just- and I agree. But for 14-year-old Grace Stone,
stood there and laughed.” she gets a pass on that one. 

TOM Purcell 

WHY CONSERVATIVE 
GIVE BETTER 
GRADUATION SPEECHES 


Get this: Conservatives give better “ P r o m i s e 
graduation speeches than their more yourself that 
liberal-minded counterparts.over the next 

After reviewing two commencement-year, you’re 
speech anthologies — “The World is Waitinggoing to spendFor You,” which features 18 speeches byhalf an hour a 
liberals, and “Remembering Who We Are,”day learningwhich showcases 30 conservative speechess o m e t h i n g 
— Washington Post blogger and booknew,” said Ben 
critic Carlos Lozada gives five reasons whyCarson, now a Republican presidential 
conservatives do a better job.candidate. 


First, he writes, conservatives are more “Immerse yourself in faith, family,
likely to speak to graduates as individuals,community, and work, and never wasterather than as members of a movement or your time chasing anything unearned,”
generation.said Arthur Brooks, American Enterprise

Whereas liberal speakers say things suchInstitute president.
as, “you are the first generation that ...,”“Watch what happens when youconservative speakers are more likely to sayspend a lot of time marveling at your lastthings such as, “you’ll rise or fall on youraccomplishment,” warned Theodore Olsen,
own” or “take opportunities as they presentformer solicitor general.
themselves and work hard. Eventually itFourth, according to Lozada, 
will come to you.” These latter points wereconservatives tell better stories that are 
made in speeches by Roger Ailes and Billmore memorable and personal. He offeredO’Reilly of Fox News.an example involving Fox News contributor

Second, Lozada writes, conservative Brit Hume: “Charlton Heston asked Hume 
speeches, on average, are shorter. Thisto call him ‘Chuck,’ and Hume responded:
became evident as he compared the length‘I could no more call you Chuck, sir, than Iof conservatives’ and liberals’ speeches.could call Moses ‘Mo.’” 
This makes sense to me. Fifth, writes Lozada, conservatives are 

Whereas conservatives tend to giveless likely to suck up to you.
speeches that push tangible, measurable Whereas Anna Quindlen told one 
performance improvements, liberals are audience “you totally rock” and Wyntongreat at sweeping generalities that fire Marsalis told another, “Check yourselves 
up audiences but are short on specificsout, because it’s a beautiful thing,”
(remember people fainting when conservatives are more likely to demandpresidential candidate Barack Obama improvement.
promised “hope and change”?)Lozada writes that Rush Limbaugh,

I offer other notable examples: when asked what he would say to aRepublican President Abraham Lincoln graduating class, responded,
gave one of the most compelling speeches“The first thing that I would say is thein history. The Gettysburg Address tookworld does not revolve around you, yet, andonly three minutes. Gasbag communistyou are not the future leaders of the country,
dictator Fidel Castro once gave a speechyet, just because you’ve graduated.”
that lasted seven hours and 10 minutes. Despite Lozada’s conclusion that 

Third, per Lozada, conservatives giveconservatives make better commencement 
more actionable advice, while liberals givespeakers, liberal speakers outnumber themmore general advice.6-to-1 at the top 100 universities (according

Whereas Cecile Richards, Planned to Young America’s Foundation’s 23rdParenthood president, says that “life asAnnual Commencement Speaker Survey).
an activist, troublemaker, or agitator isSo, if you have to sit through a collegea tremendous option and one I highlycommencement speech this spring, preparerecommend,” conservatives’ speechesfor sweeping generalities that are long onfocus on such topics as “The Art of thebluster and short on specifics — kind of likeEntrepreneur” (U.S. News & World Report’sthe last few presidential campaigns. 
Mort Zuckerman), how to “Restore andRemake Our Country” (historian Victor©2015 Tom Purcell. Tom Purcell, author of 
Davis Hanson) and how to “Do Your Best“Misadventures of a 1970’s Childhood” and 
to Be Your Best” (Supreme Court Justice“Comical Sense: A Lone Humorist Takes on a 
Clarence Thomas).World Gone Nutty!” is a Pittsburgh Tribune-

Lozada gives some specific examplesReview humor columnist and is nationallyof the differences. Liberal Marian Wrightsyndicated exclusively by Cagle CartoonsEdelman tells students, “Godspeed, as youInc. For info on using this column in yourgo out and change the world.” But more-publication or website, contact Sales@cagle.
conservative speakers tend to demandcom or call (805) 969-2829. Send commentsspecific action and results. to Tom at Tom@TomPurcell.com.