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Mountain Views-News Saturday, January 24, 2026 
OPINIONOPINION 1111 
Mountain Views-News Saturday, January 24, 2026 
OPINIONOPINION 
MOUNTAIN 

VIEWS 

NEWS 

PUBLISHER/ EDITOR

Susan Henderson 

PASADENA CITY 
EDITOR 

Dean Lee 

SALES 

Patricia Colonello 
626-355-2737 
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WEBMASTER 

John Aveny 

DISTRIBUTION 

Peter Lamendola 

CONTRIBUTORS 

Lori A. Harris 
Michele Kidd 
Stuart Tolchin 
Harvey HydeAudrey SwansonMeghan MalooleyMary Lou CaldwellKevin McGuire 
Chris Leclerc 
Dinah Chong WatkinsHoward HaysPaul CarpenterKim Clymer-KelleyChristopher NyergesPeter Dills 
Rich Johnson 
Rev. James SnyderKatie HopkinsDeanne Davis 
Despina ArouzmanJeff Brown 
Marc Garlett 
Keely TotenDan Golden 
Rebecca WrightHail Hamilton 
Joan Schmidt 
LaQuetta Shamblee 

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PUT THE LIGHTS ON

STUART TOLCHIN 
PERSERVERANCE: 
A LESSON WE MUST ALL LEARN 


First, let me emphasize as strongly as possible that I am not a fan of the 
current American President. In fact, I shall do my best to avoid mentioning 
his dreaded name within this article that I am trying to create. 
Now that this avoidance is understood, let us begin. The first lesson 
involves the results that can be bought about by simple perseverance as 
demonstrated by the President. 
Perseverance. If you want something, keep pushing, keep trying until you get what you 
want. Once you get it, you might realize that you really didn’t want it. It makes no difference 
now that you have achieved what you set out to do; you can now take a minute or an 
hour or a lifetime to congratulate yourself on your achievement. It is not even important 
that you understand why that achievement was ever so important in the first place. Now 
that you have done it, what do you want to do with it? 

Perhaps we all understand this better than the President himself. There is much agreement 
that the President really doesn’t care about being President. There is nothing he wants 
other than attention, victory, and acceptance. He believes that these are goals which can be 
reached by his imagining the attitudes of other people. 

The second lesson we learn from the President is that his goals cannot be reached from 
without, they must be reached from within. He has been elected to the American Presidency 
twice. Many better educated, more intelligent, even richer people have undoubtedly 
wanted the same thing, but he’s the one who did it; shouldn’t that be enough? 

Why do we need attention, admiration, and validation from other people? Aren’t those 
things we should be able to attain for ourselves? One would think that achieving money, 
status, power, and even being admired by other people would be enough. Perhaps the great 
drive that allows certain individuals to persevere arises from a certain inner void. Maybe it 
has to do with genetics, or upbringing, or experiencing a painful tragedy at a young age, or 
feeling rejected by a loved one or just the realization that one is unloved. 

The reasons for the feeling of continual dissatisfaction are multiple and unanswerable. Another 
lesson is that we, the unpersevering masses, benefit greatly from the efforts of those 
strivers. They work hard and make discoveries, create jobs, and entertain us. In a certain 
way it should be understood that they live their lives that have consequences that benefit 
the rest of us whether it is their intention or not. 

The problem is that as a result of their persevering efforts these individuals often end up in 
powerful positions that affect the rest of us. Clearly, the present President has little interest 
in our welfare, he is a slave to his unquenchable needs which can never be fulfilled. Poor 
guy—but it is difficult to have much sympathy for him. What can we do to help ourselves? 
The lesson that is clear is that society at large must take action that influences the rich and 
powerful. There are such people, officials, or appointees that can bring about change. I 
would suggest universal boycotts, perhaps everyone could stock up on food and then stopbuying stuff, stop going out to eat, even stop driving and buying gas. Universal strikes and 
boycotts could do the trick. We all must be ready to do what must be done even if it hurts 
for a while. That is how we can persevere ignoring our current desires and focusing on the 
long run. 

I did go to college and learned a little about the effect of boycotts and strikes. During the 
brief time I worked with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Mississippi I 
witnessed how joint action which affect the pocketbooks of the upper classes will inevitablybring about change. We can do it and I hope we do. Otherwise, there will be more painful 
lessons for the rest of us to learn. There is a huge potential for unimaginable discomfort. 

The lesson is that temporary willing sacrifice can do the trick. I know that economics is 
important not only to those of us who buy things but also to those who sell things. It is a 
wonderful demonstration of ultimate equality that can ultimately benefit everyone. That is 
something worth persevering for! 


HOWARD Hays As I See It 

“Get it all on record now – get the films – get the witnesses – because 
somewhere down the road of history some bastard will get up and 
say that this never happened.” – Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, on viewing 
evidence of Nazi atrocities following the German surrender 

President Trump, for whom the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace was 

named (until last month known as the United States Institute of Peace) 

and owner of a Nobel Peace Prize (received from its actual recipient in exchange for a 

White House swag bag) is setting up a Board of Peace. $1 billion buys a permanent seat; 

money controlled by the Chairman, membership and board decisions upon approval of 

the Chairman – named as Donald J. Trump, who’d hold the position indefinitely and name 

his successor. 

Trump sees it as replacing the United Nations. A stated mission to “secure enduring 
peace”, run by a guy eager to deploy 1,500 federal troops against Minnesota (Stephen Colbert 
assures, “That’ll calm everybody down”), and whose top aide Stephen Miller insists 
we’re entitled to Greenland simply because our military can defeat Denmark’s. 

But whatever Trump’s commitment to peace, it’s now up in the air. He told Norway’s 
prime minister that since he wasn’t awarded that Noble Prize, he’s not that into it anymore. 
He now demands Greenland for “security”. (Jimmy Kimmel notes the irony of war threats 
over a peace prize.) For our allies, it’s like restaurant management dealing with a toddler 
throwing food on the floor while not wanting to lose that family’s business. For China and 
Russia, it’s delight over the sinking of NATO – unable to do it themselves and now Trump’s 
doing it for them. 

Ninety years ago in Europe, “security” was the stated justification for crossing borders to 
seize territory – echoed today by Trump. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and others blame events 
in Minneapolis on Democrats’ calling federal agents “Nazis” and “Gestapo”. In response, 
there’s the pro-tip that if you don’t want to be compared with Nazis and the Gestapo, then 
don’t act like them. 

Or dress like them. When CBP chief Greg Bovino showed up in that long trenchcoat with 
black scarf in Minneapolis for his photo op, one wondered if, when watching “Hogan’s 
Heroes” as a kid, he didn’t yearn to grow up and be on the other side. The Mirror collected 
posts from X: “Chief Greg Bovino walking around Minneapolis in his custom Nazi cosplay 
coat . . . harassing American patriots exercising their First Amendment rights”. There was,
“Why does he look like Hitler to me?” and “Absolute Gestapo.” 

At the Department of Labor, there was Trump’s face on what Gov. Newsom’s office called 
a “Thank You, Glorious Leader” banner hung over the side of their building. They captioned 
one of their social media posts, “America for Americans”, which many connected 
with the ubiquitous “Deutschland den Deutschen!” from early last century. 

At DHS, Secretary Kristi Noem had the phrase “One of Ours. All of Yours” on her podium 
the day after Renee Good was killed. It’s connected with the 1942 massacre in the Czech 
village of Lidice, wiped out when villagers were accused of killing an SS officer. Nazis used 
the slogan now embraced by Noem to warn that if their soldiers were attacked, an entire 
population would be killed or sent to concentration camps. Trump blasts out a Wagnerian, 
“THE DAY OF RECKONING & RETRIBUTION IS COMING!”. (This all began 
with allegations of fraud at daycare centers.) 

Another Labor Department post was headed, “One Homeland. One People. One Heritage.” 
Joking about the obvious “Ein Volk, Ein Reich, Ein Fuhrer” connection, government 
affairs attorney Robert Kelner posted, “That sounds very familiar. Can’t quite place 
it. Maybe something in a different language? As for me, I remember who I am. I am the 
grandchild of immigrants. In a nation that welcomed all four of my grandparents when 
they were dirt poor, with no formal education, fleeing tyranny, pogroms and war.” 

The University of Pennsylvania is now in federal court, resisting the Trump Administration’s 
demand they provide a comprehensive list - names, phone numbers, home and email 
addresses – of all Jewish students, faculty, staff – and those affiliated with campus Jewish 
organizations. UPenn Religious Studies Professor Steven Weitzman reminds, “The Nazi 
campaign against Jews depended on institutions like universities handing over information 
about their Jewish members to the authorities.” A group of faculty members warns 
of what this means “not only for the Jewish community but for all of us: unfettered government 
power to stifle opposition, impose ideological uniformity and undermine civil 
society.” 

Making the connection directly was U.S. Marine vet “Skye”, who told how as she was following 
ICE in Minneapolis, they suddenly braked and jerked into reverse, tried rammingher car, broke her window, “yanked” her out by the neck, shoved her face in the ground, 
stomped on her and warned, “Have you not learned? This is why we killed that lesbian 
b*tch”. Referring to her own service, she said, “I took an oath. And it’s the oath they’re 
spitting on and stomping on. And this isn’t Germany. They’re Nazis. They’re Gestapo. 
They think that they’re above the law. They don’t care.” 

We need to get those records, films and witnesses in order, as Gen. Eisenhower advised. 
Not just for “down the road of history” - but as we approach the midterms, for those who 
still might not have been paying attention. 

RICH JOHNSON 


PRESIDENTS, PARROTS, AND 
PECULIARITIES 

Presidential legacies are best viewed in a rearview mirror. 
Never reserve your final opinion of our chief executives 
until they are out of office for a considerable length of 
time. While they are in office upwards of 50% of the com


mentariats extol our chief executive’s glowing successes while the other 
half decry the pending destruction of modern civilization. In Trump’s 
case 93% of the major purveyors of news decry his villainous reign and 
our impending doom. Let’s look at some other presidential peculiarities:
Andrew Jackson, our 7th caretaker of the White House, had a pet parrot 
named Poll. Poll was an extension of President Jackson particularly inJackson’s fiery use of the language. During Andrew Jackson’s funeral the 
parrot had to be removed due to his “inappropriate language”. I wonder 
if Poll did press conferences? 

If you want to document a presidential act that added substantially to 
not only the quality of life here in the good ole’ US of A, but also the 
waistline. Thomas Jefferson, number 3 in the White House, invented 
what possibly was the first hand-cranked ice cream machine. Now there 
is a president who deserves our eternal thanks. And by the way, don’t 
play “Trivial Pursuit” with President Jefferson. He will win! 

President #26, aka Theodore Roosevelt, campaigning in 1912 in Milwaukee 
was shot in the chest. “Teddy” was not about to let a little bullet 
in the chest slow him down. The consummate politician continued 
his hour long speech before seeking medical care. And don’t let him 
take you out for dinner. “Teddy” was described as an adventurous eater. 
Loved the exotic cuisine. 

Most people don’t know this about president #16, aka Abraham Lincoln. 
Abe was a accomplished wrestler. He was always known for his 
physical strength, but he limited his wrestling career to his youth. Except 
when it came to wrestling rhetoric. 

The first president to throw out the first pitch in a baseball game was 
president #27, William Howard Taft. Taft, by the way, was 5’11” tall, 
weighed 322 pounds, wore 54-inch waist pants. His shoe size was 14. 
The first pitch was thrown in 1910 at a Washington Senators baseball 
game. Presidents have been doing it every since. 

#37, President Nixon not only had a dog named Checkers, Tricky Dick 
had a passion for playing the game of checkers. 

We have all heard #1 president, George Washington, had false teeth. 
The claim his teeth were wooden is a bit in error. To be truthful his 
“dentures” were made out of wood, ivory, gold and human teeth. How 
and where did he get the human teeth? 

John Quincy Adams, #5. Please don’t let Mr. Adams swim in your pool. 
He was known for swimming in the all together. The “all-together” 
means no clothes. 

John Kennedy could read 1,200 words per minute. The average reader 
reads at 238 words per minute when reading silently. Out loud readingdrops to 183 words per minute. 

Ronald Reagan had a big old jar of jelly beans on his presidential desk. 
Many think it was there to remind him and others to give up smoking 
and replace that vice with jelly beans. 

I sometimes wonder why people run for office. Chutzpah, a Yiddish 
word, can be interpreted for good or for bad. Some call chutzpah “courage 
bordering on arrogance”. Whether good or bad, people who run for 
president put themselves smack dab in the bull’s eye. They should be 
given credit, and they should also be publicly held to a high standard, 
particularly if elected. 

In conclusion, let me quote my doppleganger, Winston Churchill: 
“Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this 
world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-
wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government 
except all those other forms that have been tried from time 
to time; but there is the broad feeling in our country that the people 
should rule, continuously rule, and that public opinion, expressed by 
all constitutional means, should shape, guide, and control the actions of 
Ministers who are their servants and not their masters.” 
And on we go. 


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 
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