Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, January 30, 2021

12

OPINION

Mountain View News Saturday, January 30, 2021 

MOUNTAIN 
VIEWS

NEWS

PUBLISHER/ EDITOR

Susan Henderson

PASADENA CITY 
EDITOR

Dean Lee 

PRODUCTION

SALES

Patricia Colonello

626-355-2737

626-818-2698

WEBMASTER

John Aveny 

DISTRIBUTION

CONTRIBUTORS

Stuart Tolchin 

Audrey Swanson

Mary Lou Caldwell

Kevin McGuire

Chris Leclerc

Bob Eklund

Howard Hays

Paul Carpenter

Kim Clymer-Kelley

Christopher Nyerges

Peter Dills 

Rich Johnson

Lori Ann Harris

Rev. James Snyder

Katie Hopkins

Deanne Davis

Despina Arouzman

Jeff Brown

Marc Garlett

Keely Toten

Dan Golden

Rebecca Wright

Hail Hamilton

Joan Schmidt

LaQuetta Shamblee

STUART TOLCHIN


BUBBLES VERSUS SILOS

SEGREGATION IN AMERICA

 As befit the times this column is more angry 
than usual. During my life, whatever other problems 
existed, I have never questioned the fact that one of the 
great strengths of these United States is our diversity of 
racial and ethnic populations. Contrary to almost anywhere 
else in the world the United States has significant 
percentages of people whose ancestry and traditions 
have entered our seeming great “melting pot” creating 
what most of us believe to be the greatest nation in the world. Some were brought 
to America against their will and for them the melting pot has never completely 
melted. Not only African Americans, but also most of us inhabit mainly discrete 
homogenous transparent protective bubbles. Some are more comfortable than 
others. 

 Within these bubbles we associate with people much like ourselves. This is most 
visibly obvious in racial terms. The existence of neighborhoods segregated by race is 
rarely talked about but it is an incontrovertible truth throughout the United States. 
Unless things change, and change fast, I believe potential troubles lie ahead for all of 
us who are still around. I am not forgetting about climate change. 

 Most of us don’t think much about residential segregated housing policies; 
nevertheless I assert that it is the segregated pattern of American residential housing 
that has prevented upward mobility for people of color in the United States. If 
inequality of opportunity is not achieved divisive instability will remain. The demonstrable 
effects of the Pandemic illustrate that people of color in America are still 
generally the “have nots”. Very frequently they are crammed together in low income 
neighborhoods, forced to live where there continue to be bad schools, no good jobs, 
poor health care and resultant physical stress and danger. They have been deprived 
them of their “natural rights, of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” which 
require an equality of opportunity. Prior to the Pandemic a wakeup call for many 
Americans came from the Black Lives Matter movement. Even here in isolated Sierra 
Madre Canyon there are many sympathetic displays. Nevertheless, something 
more than displays are required. 

 Of course, currently, in our particular safe White protective bubble we may 
feel safe and in which, at least until recently, many still did feel the need to lock their 
doors. Sadly our security and safety comes at a price. Our transparent bubble has 
become a silo isolating us from the problems of other less protected places. I realize 
now our happy isolation allows almost no experience of the problems of other 
neighborhood bubbles particularly the different type of bubbles which contain people 
of races other than our own. After all we have our own problems wondering what 
restaurants will accommodate outdoor dining.

 Many of us have become inured to the consequences inherent to the existence 
of racial residential discrimination. Regrettably, I assure you that in very diverse 
Los Angeles County our little paradise community could not have been maintained 
without very conscious racial discrimination in the availability of financing 
for housing. Neither Sierra Madre nor the entire United States have ever been a 
true melting pot. It is more obvious here but discrimination requiring the location 
of minorities, African Americans and Hispanics, away from the majority White 
neighborhoods has been our everlasting heritage with predictable results. Owning 
a home in this era of rising home prices has allowed the accumulation of great equity 
with no effort by the home owner. In time, this equity accumulation will eventually 
be available to children and grandchildren to help with their education or to start a 
business. The children of non-homeowners will not receive these benefits and upward 
mobility will be out the window.

 If we want to save the nation we must accept the fact that so much of our 
divisive instability is the continuing result off racial inequality. Discrimination in 
housing must be removed if Americans want a more stable future. Please stand up 
for Justice. 


Mountain Views News 
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Case number GS004724: 
for the City of Sierra 
Madre; in Court Case 
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LEFT, RIGHT OR CENTER! 

JOE GUZZARDI

TOM PURCELL

 
PUT PETE ROSE IN HALL OF FAME 
NOW!

For the first time since 1960, no new player will be added 
to Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame. Based on the voting, 
Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, players associated with 
performance enhancing drugs, are stuck in place, and have 
diminishing chances of ever gaining admission.

But the Baseball Writers Association of America should reconsider 
another notorious player: Pete Rose.

The debate about whether Rose belongs in the Hall of Fame has been going on since 
Major League Baseball banned him from the game for life in 1989. Two years later, 
the Hall of Fame passed a new rule that no player on the MLB lifetime ineligible list 
could appear on a ballot. The rule was specifically written to punish Rose.

The problem that many fans have is the sanctimony with which the two organizations 
treat Rose, yet willfully dismiss much more egregious cheating charges against PED 
cheats and an entire MLB team – the 2017 World Series champion Houston Astros.

Rose admitted that he wagered on baseball, including the team that he managed, the 
Cincinnati Reds. When the ban was handed down, Rose accepted his fate. But Rose 
has petitioned for re-instatement several times, including his most recent effort after 
information became public that electronic sign stealing helped the Astros win the 
World Series three years ago.

Rose’s lawyer argues that baseball is hypocritical to have what amounts to two sets 
of rules regarding cheating – one cast iron regulation that applies exclusively to Rose 
while looking the other way at the Astros, and according to indisputable evidence, 
PED abusers like Clemens, Bonds, Mark McGuire, Sammy Sosa, and Manny Ramirez, 
who are or have been on HOF ballots.

I’m not a lawyer, but I can read and understand English. Under the Federal Anabolic 
Steroid Control Acts of 1990, the possession, distribution or use of steroids without a 
valid medical prescription is a federal offense punishable by up to five years in prison 
and/or a $250,000 fine.

Although unindicted, players suspended for using banned drugs appear to have committed 
federal felonies. By comparison, in Ohio where Rose placed most of his bets, 
off track gambling is most frequently classified as a misdemeanor. Again, I’m not a 
lawyer, but that’s how I interpret the Ohio statutes.

What the Rose case boils down to is that MLB and the HOF are willing to give the Astros 
and PED criminals a pass, but not one of baseball’s all-time greats. Then-Astros 
manager AJ Hinch received a one-year suspension, and he’s back piloting the Detroit 
Tigers. The Boston Red Sox rehired Alex Cora, then-Astros coach and identified by 
insiders as the mastermind of the Astros’ cheating scandal. Manfred didn’t strip the 
Astros of their World Series title. The National League’s 2011 Most Valuable Player, 
the Milwaukee Brewers’ Ryan Braun, admitted that he used PEDs, but he still has his 
award. In 2015, the Miami Marlins Dee-Strange Gordon, a PED user, won the NL 
batting title; he’s still in the record books.

In November 2018, Manfred added another farcical layer to the Rose affair when 
MLB announced that MGM Resorts had been officially designated as its “official 
gaming partner.” Said Manfred: “There’s been a huge change in public opinion on 
sports gambling.” Manfred approves of the Washington Nationals permitting a BetMGM 
sportsbook at Nationals Park this season, but his “huge” tent, isn’t big enough 
to include Rose.

Meanwhile Rose, approaching 80, remains on the outside looking in. In addition to 
his 4,256 hits record, Rose is the only player in MLB history to play more than 500 
games at five different positions. Among Rose also played in a record 3,562 games, 
and between 1965 and 1985 he was named to the NL All-Star team 17 times.

Rose reasonably asks that his name be placed on the writers’ annual ballot or the Veterans 
Committee, which will convene again during winter 2023. If writers reject him, 
Rose said that he can live with that outcome.

MLB and the HOF are petty and vindictive. Giving Rose a shot at what he deserves 
would give the two spiteful and bitter institutions a chance to demonstrate dignity 
and forgiveness.

Joe Guzzardi is a Society for American Baseball Research and Internet Baseball Writers 
Association member. Contact him at guzzjoe@yahoo.com


RESISTING GIRL SCOUT COOKIES’ 

TEMPTATIONS HARDER THAN EVER

The country is divided, in massive debt, and our future isn’t 
looking so good – but thankfully, I have more immediate worries 
to consume my energies.

Girl Scout cookies are back.

I’m on a diet, you see – the same diet I’m on every year at this 
time as I struggle to lose the weight I put on during the holiday season.

This year offers a far greater weight-loss challenge, however, because most of 2020 
offered millions of us the perfect conditions to pack on the pounds.

They don’t call it “COVID-19” for nothing.

And just as I was looking forward to a shortage of Girl Scout cookie stands, which 
usually set up shop at every single store I normally go to, I just learned that Girl 
Scout cookies are now easier to purchase than ever before.

Newsweek reports that the Girls Scouts are partnering with Grubhub to make online 
ordering and home delivery of cookies as fast and easy as downing an entire sleeve 
of Shortbread/Trefoils dipped in ice-cold milk.

To be sure, the Girl Scouts’ “virtual cookie booth” is going to make NOT buying Girl 
Scout cookies harder than ever before.

That doesn’t bode well for me.

In pre-coronavirus years, as I struggled to maintain my diet, I tried to avoid any store 
where a Girl Scout cookie stand was active (and succeeded every once in a while).

If Girl Scouts knocked on my door, I’d attempt to hide in the basement or lock myself 
in the garage.

During one close call – I was out for a walk when I saw a couple of Girl Scouts heading 
down the street in my direction – I dove into a snow drift behind my neighbor’s 
forsythia shrubs. Thank God, they never saw me.

I face a huge challenge at this time every year, you see.

If not ever-vigilant, I’ve been known to eat Thin Mints as though they were Tic Tacs.

I’ve gobbled down Peanut Butter Patties the way grizzlies gorge on wild salmon.

I once ordered so many Do-si-dos/Peanut Butter Sandwiches that the Girl Scout 
bakery had to call me to tell me they Don’t-si-don’t have any more!

But this year I’m grateful for this difficult challenge.

From Feb. 1 until Girl Scout cookie sales end on March 1, my energies will be consumed 
with trying NOT to buy and eat the daggone things.

For a little while, I’ll stop worrying about the vitriol in our public discourse and 
the ever-hardening group-think forming on way too many sides of the political 
spectrum.

I’ll momentarily quit fretting about the lack of curiosity among too many at our 
major media outlets about holding every politician and government representative 
accountable.

I’ll even try to stop wondering where the COVID-19 vaccine is that hopefully will 
keep my 80-something parents safe until this pandemic finally passes.

And so it is that I’m actually looking forward to my annual Girl Scout cookie challenge 
this year to take my mind off my many woes.

Though I expect to do better than I did four years ago.

In 2017, one Girl Scout made the national news for selling 100,000 boxes of cookies.

I was her only customer!

Tom Purcell, author of “Misadventures of a 1970’s Childhood,” a humorous memoir 
available at amazon.com, is a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review 


Mountain Views News

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Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com