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OPINIONOPINION

Mountain View News Saturday, October 12, 2024

RICH JOHNSON 

NOW THAT’S RICH

STUART TOLCHIN

MOUNTAIN 
VIEWS

NEWS

PUBLISHER/ EDITOR

Susan Henderson

PASADENA CITY 
EDITOR

Dean Lee 

SALES

Patricia Colonello

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John Aveny 

DISTRIBUTION

Peter Lamendola

CONTRIBUTORS

Michele Kidd

Stuart Tolchin 

Harvey Hyde

Audrey Swanson

Meghan Malooley

Mary Lou Caldwell

Kevin McGuire

Chris Leclerc

Dinah Chong Watkins

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

PUT THE LIGHTS ON


LOVE AND MARRIAGE FROM A CHILD’S 
PERSPECTIVE

IS EVERYONE LOSING?

 OR

ARE THEY LYING TO US?

Let us take a week off from 
all things political. I’ll 
just make one observation 
for your consideration (I 
promise):

• Some countries, such as India, 
Greece, Ukraine, and Colombia, have a 
"None of the Above" option on their election 
ballots. In the United States, only Nevada 
offers a "None of These Candidates" option.

Now, let’s talk about something really, really 
dangerous…love and marriage…from a 
different, neutral and insightful perspective. 
An untapped cornucopia of new ideas and 
thoughts on relationships.

We are in luck. A source ignored by the 
relationship and self-help professionals. 
Who would that be? Why, kids under 10 
years of age of course! 

How would you make a marriage work? “Tell 
your wife that she looks pretty, even if she 
looks like a truck.” Ricky, 10

What do you think your mom and dad have 
in common? “Both don’t want more kids” 
Lori, 8

How can you tell if two people are married? 
“You might have to guess, based on whether 
they seem to be yelling at the same kids.” 
Derrick, 8

What have they to say? An eight-year old girl 
named Judy was asked at what age people 
should get married? Her reply, “Eighty-four. 
Because at that age you don’t have to work 
anymore and you can spend all your time 
loving each other in your bedroom.”

At the other extreme Tommy, aged 5 told 
us, “Once I’m done with kindergarten, I’m 
going to find me a wife.” Good luck Tommy.

Mike, 10, told us what usually transpires on 
a first date: “They just tell each other lies, 
and that usually gets them interested enough 
to go for a second date.”

Is it better to be single or married? Lynette, 9, 
tells us, “It’s better for girls to be single, but 
not for boys. Boys need somebody to clean 
up after them.”

Nine-year old Roger was asked what falling 
in love was like. “Like an avalanche where 
you have to run for your life.” Hmmmm.

David, 8, informed us: “Lovers hold hands 
a lot because they want to make sure their 
rings don’t fall off, because they paid good 
money for them.” 

Ava, 8, reminded us of a quality necessary 
to be a good lover: “One of you should know 
how to write a check. Because, even if you 
have tons of love, there is still going to be a 
lot of bills.”

Carin, 9, was asked how a person learns 
to kiss: “It might help if you watched soap 
operas all day.”

Winding down, how to make love endure: 
eight-year old Roger suggests that you “Don’t 
forget your wife’s name. That will mess up 
the love.” 

Randy, aged 9, offered this up: “Be a good 
kisser. It might make your wife forget that 
you never take the trash out.”

And finally: “Never laugh at your wife’s 
choices…you were one of them!” anon 
(smart little kid)

Let me give you another shameless pitch 
for my up and coming (early) Halloween 
Birthday Concert. My 1960s-1970s band, 
JJ Jukebox is performing at Nano Café, 
Saturday night, October 26 from 6:30-9:15. 
You are invited to come in costume or in 
street clothes (please, no clothing optional 
options). There will be costume contests, 
access to a delicious dinner menu, full bar 
and a dance floor.

And yes, it truly is my birthday (answers a 
lot of questions, right?) Call the restaurant 
at (626) 325-3334 if you want a table reserved 
for you. Or, you can just show up, take your 
chances and at least, capture a seat at the bar.

Sound deadening ear plugs are optional and 
will be on sale for $250 a pair.

Hope to see you there!

This morning in the rebroadcast of an interview with 
Connie Chung, I heard her use the term “tabloidiism” as 
a way of describing what has happened to news reporting. 
I consulted the internet and read that tabloidism is “a style of journalism 
that uses the tabloid format to focus on popular culture and celebrity gossip 
and uses sensational headlines and quick unverifiable articles.” Typical of 
the genre is focus on intimate details about the lives of celebrities and other 
pop-culture figures.

 When the interviewer, Walter Issacson, asked Connie to explain the 
reason behind the phenomena, her answer was a simple one-word response, 
“money”. No surprise, huh? Human beings are who they are and as Walter 
Issacson has described in the five biographies that I have read covering 
Leonardo da Vinci, Elon Musk, Albert Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, and 
Steve Jobs all exhibited questionable behavior. And these are, or were, all 
celebrated people.

For example, I hate knowing that Albert Einstein the super-brilliant physicist, 
pacifist (in fact I am wearing socks with his picture on them at this very 
moment) a man whom I admire greatly, did something that I cannot forgive.

 No- I am not talking about the indisputable fact that he was the impetus 
behind the creation of the atomic bomb eventually dropped unnecessarily 
upon the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Even now, as Iran 
appears to be just a moment away from the possession of their own nuclear 
bomb, I do not connect Einstein to this situation. Einstein did his best to 
explain his reasoning but explained that he had been caught up in wartime 
hysteria and misled.

 This is the point. All of us are imperfect but most things are forgivable if 
understood in context. Instead let us move away from the bomb and instead 
focus on what really bothers me. At the very beginning of the Einstein 
biography, in a section entitled “main characters” there is described “ Lieserl 
Einstein (1902-?) Pre-marital daughter of Einstein and Mileva Maric”. 
Mileva was Einstein’s future wife but the shame of fathering the child prior to 
wedlock influenced Einstein to refuse to acknowledge the birth of the child. 
He never saw the child who may have been adopted away and lost to history.

 Poor Liserl and poor me! As I said above. I hate knowing that my hero would 
yield to pressure from his mother, public disapproval, and even financial need 
and refuse to acknowledge the birth of his first born. Yes, I am afraid that 
this is what is typical of we human beings influenced by needs for approval 
and acceptance and instead pursuing money and status. Certainly, Connie 
Chung was correct as she characterized tabloidism as inevitably resulting 
from the corporate and media owners desire for money and thereby profiting 
and taking advantage of human weakness. Where are the true journalists 
and seekers of truth? Yes, we are surrounded by corporate masters who use 
shocking or exciting stories or language at the at the expense of accuracy in 
order to provoke public interest. Of course, the master of this unfortunate 
phenomenon is Donald Trump who has absorbed so much public attention 
despite his lies, or perhaps because of them, that he may well be re-elected as 
President of the United States. 

 Most of us have been affected by tabloidism and the short and often 
inaccurate descriptions of what is actually happening around us. Few of us 
any longer read full books and bookstores are closing all over town. Seeing 
the “For Lease” sign at the nearby Vroman's bookstore felt to me like the loss 
of a dear relative. 

 HERE IS MY HOPE: We should know that much of the news that surrounds 
us ARE LIES designed to just keep bringing more money to the undeserving 
power brokers. Perhaps the best remedy is to pay attention only to GOOD 
NEWS and to eschew the spectacle. 

Sure, I know that Hurricane Milton is about to land in Florida and there may 
well be catastrophes, but we must try and not be distracted and keep our 
eye on the ball to find the best true pathways to cope with future needs. Of 
course, I will feel better tonight if the Dodgers win their game. After all, like 
the rest of you, I am only human.

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HOWARD Hays As I See It

“With all due 
respect, he is 
lying.” - Abby 
Phillip, CNN, 
on Donald 
Trump’s claim 
of the Biden 
Administration 
withholding aid 
from victims 
of Hurricane 
Helene

 

“A smooth lie is still a lie.” - Joy 
Reid, MSNBC, on JD Vance’s debate 
performance

 What stood out to me in Special 
Counsel Jack Smith’s recently 
unsealed brief on Donald Trump’s 
efforts to overturn the 2020 election 
was the extent of his sociopathic 
lying. It isn’t a matter of being wrong 
and later correcting oneself (as Gov. 
Tim Walz said on Fox News, “I own 
up when I make a mistake”). With 
Trump it’s constant, deliberate lying.

 As the brief makes clear, Trump knew 
what the truth was - no meaningful 
numbers of missing ballots, ineligible 
voters, voting machine hacks or 
corrupt election officials. He’d 
been repeatedly so advised by staff 
and personal counsel. His concern, 
though, was not discerning the truth 
but staying in power - so he lied about 
it.

 64 lawsuits had been filed with only 
one partially successful (involving 
some 200 disputed votes). In response, 
Trump replaced reality-based counsel 
with Rudy Giuliani - more amenable 
to the continued lying. Erstwhile 
advisor Steve Bannon suggested 
Trump simply declare victory; “That 
doesn’t mean he’s the winner . . . He’s 
simply going to say he’s the winner.”

 Then-V.P. Mike Pence spoke with 
Republican Governors who assured 
him there’d been no evidence of 
election fraud in their states. But 
regardless, Trump warned Pence that 
if he didn’t go along with the lying, 
hundreds of thousands would “hate 
your guts” and “think you’re stupid”. 

 In late November 2020, then-
Attorney General Bill Barr heard 
Trump lie on Fox that the Justice 
Department had “ignored evidence 
of fraud”. Barr told the Associated 
Press they had indeed thoroughly 
investigated whatever “evidence” and 
came up empty. He resigned shortly 
before Christmas. 

 This remains relevant today as Trump 
on the campaign trail continues 
repeating what he knows to be lies - 
with MAGA members now sitting on 
local election boards continuing to 
believe them. 

 I use the term “sociopathic” advisedly, 
but in terms of “manipulation, deceit” 
and “lack of empathy” - it fits. I’ve 
no sympathy for the 1,300 who’ve 
been charged with federal crimes 
for January 6, with some 500 behind 
bars. Many are there because they fell 
for Trump’s lies of a “stolen election”- 
and Trump couldn’t care less.

 Election workers throughout the 
country have been subjected to 
physical (and death) threats against 
themselves and their families. 
Considerable time ahead of the 
election is now devoted to security 
training and site reinforcements - but 
for Trump, all the better.

 Beyond elections, Trump and his 
surrogates have been lying about 
Hurricane Helene, accusing the 
Biden Administration of withholding 
aid from Republican-leaning areas. 
(As president, Trump sought to 
withhold wildfire aid from California 
- until staff brought him electoral 
data showing there were in fact parts 
of California that voted Republican). 
He’s lied about funds diverted from 
FEMA - lies repeated by MAGA 
congressmen who know full well how 
the appropriations process works.

 More than 230 have been killed in 
Hurricane Helene, with hundreds 
of thousands homeless or without 
power. From former Lt. Gov. Geoff 
Duncan of Georgia, “The lies are one 
of the biggest reasons, I am a lifelong 
Republican supporting Vice President 
Harris. The lies are dangerous. … 
We need to hold him accountable for 
it.” Knox County, Tennessee Mayor 
Glenn Jacobs posts that if MAGA 
“could maybe put aside hate for a little 
bit and pitch in to help, that would be 
great.” But Trump relies on the hate.

 This unabashed, unabated lying was 
on full display at the debate between 
Trump’s running mate Sen. JD Vance 
and Gov. Tim Walz. PolitiFact scored 
Vance “False” or “Mostly False” on 
subjects ranging from immigration 
to abortion, Iran, opioids, healthcare 
and January 6. 

 Vance refused to acknowledge 
that Joe Biden won in 2020. But 
the highlight was his outburst, “you 
guys weren’t gonna fact-check!” It 
was like - “You’re telling me I can’t 
just lie? There goes the gameplan!” 
At the beginning of last week’s “60 
Minutes” interview with V.P. Harris 
and Gov. Walz, it was explained that 
a primary reason for Trump’s refusal 
to participate was that there’d be fact-
checking. (As CBS reminded, “That’s 
what we do.”)

 JD Vance is an educated guy. He 
undoubtedly knows the truth (as 
in 2016 when he wrote that Trump 
could be “America’s Hitler”). But for 
now, he has to follow the head of the 
ticket: It’s not campaigning on the 
facts to win an election, but lying 
as necessary to ultimately prevail 
regardless of how votes are cast. 

 

And as noted by author Nancy 
Farmer, “Lying is the most personal 
act of cowardice there is.”


‘SO WHAT?’: TRUMP’S REAL 
THREAT TO DEMOCRACY

DICK POLMAN


How sweet it is that 
Donald Trump’s crimes in 
the wake of his 2020 defeat 
are finally back in the 
headlines, just in time for 
the final sprint to the 2024 
election.

Thank you, Jack Smith, for 
the recently-released court 
brief that meticulously 
details the federal case 
against Trump. And thank you, Liz Cheney, 
for crossing the aisle and warning voters that 
Trump’s “depraved cruelty” – putting his 
own vice president’s life in jeopardy on Jan. 6 
– is proof that he “can never be trusted with 
power.” And thank you, Tim Walz, for those 
final minutes in the VP debate, exposing JD 
Vance as a election-denying MAGAt who 
hates democracy.

 Trump has been rage-posting about 
Smith and Cheney (of course), and it’s easy to 
see why. He’s terrified of losing his campaign 
to stay out of jail, and the timing of Smith’s 
evidentiary brief could not be worse for him. 
Even though he’s horrifically stupid about 
substance, he instinctively understands media 
optics, so he knows it’s politically perilous 
to have the coup criminal case in the news 
between now and Nov. 5.

 Granted, there’s a huge pool of 
potential voters who’ve inexplicably forgotten 
about the violent Capitol insurrection, and 
who don’t know or care about Trump’s 
relentless efforts to overthrow the free and fair 
election he lost – like plotting with various 
conspirators to scream “election fraud” where 
none existed, pressuring local authorities 
to “find” him votes that didn’t exist, trying 
to bully some key counties to stop tallying 
ballots, and ginning up slates of fake electors, 
and much more. For millions of feckless or 
oblivious voters, the developments will not 
matter a whit.

 But with less than a month left on the 
clock, in a race that’s supposedly close, the 
chilling factoids in special counsel Smith’s 
court document could resonate with enough 
Trump-averse independents and Republicans 
to buttress Kamala Harris’ campaign in the 
home stretch.

 In Bruce Springsteen’s endorsement of 
Harris, he said that our fight for a democratic 
future depends on “women and men with 
the national good guiding their hearts.” It’s 
those people, across the political spectrum, 
who might well heed the tidbits in Smith’s 
narrative. Especially these:

– On Jan. 6, after Trump personally tweeted 
his Capitol goons with the news that VP 
Mike Pence was refusing to play ball, the 
goons went ballistic and Pence (plus his 
family) had to be whisked to safety because 
his life was in danger. Trump, alone in his 
dining room, watched the violence on TV. 
When an aide informed Trump that Pence 
was imperiled, his answer was: “So what?”

– Trump told family members that “it doesn’t 
matter if you won or lost the election. You 
still have to fight like hell.” (Translation: 
If you vote against a totalitarian, your vote 
doesn’t count. The totalitarian will say he 
won anyway.)

– When Trump’s lawyers told him that his 
baseless election fraud claims wouldn’t 
hold up in court, Trump ordered them to 
file lawsuits anyway. The fight was all that 
mattered; in his words, “The details don’t 
matter.” (Example: At one point Trump 
spread word that 36,000 non-citizens had 
voted in Arizona. Fuve days later, he upped 
the figure to “a few hundred thousand.” 
Then “40 or 50,000.” Then back to 36,000. 
All those numbers were illusions.)

– One Trump aide, who repeatedly told 
Trump that his loss was legit and that his 
election fraud claims were delusional, got 
so fed up that he emailed a colleague: “It’s 
tough to own any of this when it’s all just 
conspiracy shit beamed down from the 
mothership.”

– Trump wanted Republican national 
chairwoman Ronna McDaniel to circulate 
a lie about (non-existent) election fraud in 
a key Michigan county, but McDaniel told 
Trump that even Michigan’s Republican 
House Speaker thought the claim was “f...
ing nuts.”

At the tail end of the VP debate, slick Trump 
supplicant JD Vance tried to dodge questions 
about the 2020 election aftermath, insisting 
that he’s focused on the future. Too bad 
his boss didn’t get that memo, because in 
Michigan last week, Trump focused yet again 
on the past. Referring to 2020 he said: “We 
won, we won, we did win.”

I doubt Trump knows who William Faulkner 
is, but he clearly hews to one Faulknerism: 
“The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”

The bloody chaos he inspired in the wake of 
that election – for which he’s been indicted 
on four counts by a federal grand jury – is a 
harbinger of what’s to come unless Harris 
wins by the most decisive possible margin. If 
that were to happen, he might finally be held 
accountable in court for the havoc he has 
wreaked on our core democratic institutions.


Mountain Views News

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