Mountain View News Saturday, February 14, 2026 
B4B4 OPINIONOPINION Mountain View News Saturday, February 14, 2026 
B4B4 OPINIONOPINION 
MOUNTAIN 

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PASADENA CITY 
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Dean Lee 

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Patricia Colonello 
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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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STUART TOLCHIN PUT THE LIGHTS ON 
ARE YOU ENJOYING LIVING IN THIS 
AMERICAN DEMOCRACY? 


Of course these are 

two separate questions 

and behind these ques


tions there is one more. 

I am motivated to cre


ate this article as con


versations with several 
people have revealed to me that they have 
great concerns about continuing to live in 
America, but they want very much to continue 
living within a democracy. I need to 
emphasize at this point that I just viewed the 
Congressional Hearing of Attorney General 
Pamela Jo Bondi who evaded a question 
concerning the Justice Department’s failure 
to properly investigate and release documents 
pertaining to the Epstein File. The 
Justice Department (DOJ} post-Watergate 
has maintained a significant degree of independence 
in investigations to prevent partisan 
influence.

 Being well aware of the concern to maintain 
at least the appearance of independence 
I was shocked to hear the Attorney General 
evade questioning by proclaiming their irrelevance 
and criticizing behavior of the 
Trump administration when it is clear to everyone 
that “ Donald J. Trump is the greatest 
President in American history in addition 
to the Dow now being over 50,000.”

 If you are anywhere close to agreeing with 
this statement, there is no reason for you to 
continue reading this article. Perhaps you 
are a wealthy person only concerned with 
the Stock Market and have closed your eyes 
and are disinterested in anything else. With 
your eyes shut, you perhaps have managed 
to ignore the horrors going on around us. 
American citizens and children with no 
criminal records have been arrested and 
detained. News broadcasters such as Don 
Lemon have been arrested. Many people, 
particularly non-white minorities have been 
afraid to leave the house to go to work or 
take their children to school. This should 
not be happening in a Democracy or anywhere 
else! 

Let us return to my original two questions 
behind which is the question "What Is a Democracy?” 
I am a University of California 
Berkeley graduate with a major in Political 
Science, a graduate and later a member of 
the faculty at UCLA Law School, so I have 
an educational background to help answer 
the question. First the word Democracyis not present in the Constitution of the 
United States. After the commencement of 
the Revolutionary War in 1776 the independent 
thirteen English Colonies attempted 

to combine in such a way as to maintain 
their independence but to still formulate an 
agreement of cooperation and resistance to 
England. There was no mention of creating 
a President who would lead and preside over 
a united country. Instead, what resulted was 
an agreement which went by the name of the 
Articles of Confederation. These articles established 
a weak central government and referred 
to a “league of friendship” among the 
sovereign states to manage the Revolutionary 
War. This “League of friendship” lacked 
the authority to tax, regulate commerce, or 
enforce laws. With our historical perspective 
it is not surprising that this attempt at 
governing was ineffective.

By 1787, 21 years later, to meet the apparent 
need of a stronger Central Government 
the Constitutions of the United States war 
was written and ratified. Its first three words 
-” We the People” make clear that the government 
of the United States exists to serve 
its citizens rather than have its citizens serve 
its President which seems to be the case today. 
For over two centuries the Constitution 
has remained in force resulting from the 
framer's careful separation and balancing 
of governmental powers by creating three 
equal branches of government.

 To this President, his presence and actions 
automatically represent the “will of the people”, 
and all guardrails have been destroyed. 

This is not Democracy and I understand 
why many call what we are living through autocracy 
and tyranny. If we don’t like it, what 
options do we have? The primary framer 
of the Constitution, Thomas Jefferson, proclaimed 
that an “informed electorate” is the 
prerequisite to an operating democracy. Today," 
we the people” are bombarded with so 
much news, “fake news” and distractions 
that staying informed is very difficult. Last 
week I concluded my article by emphasizing 
that the greatest weapon of the people 
is “honesty.” To maintain honesty, we must 
reject myths that tell us we should cooperate 
and trust the powers that be who we really 
want to believe have our welfare at heart. It 
is clear today that the powers don’t really 
care about us unless we are billionaires. The 
rest of us must care for ourselves or remain 
indifferent, ignorant, and try to be as comfortable 
as possible. 

These are difficult alternatives especially 
when you are as old as I am and incapable of 
much change, so, no matter what, I am staying 
here. 

What about you? 


HOWARD Hays As I See It 

“It’s just insane, when I read that post I can’t believe what I’m reading,
but it’s par for the course.” – Mayor Drew Dilkens of Windsor, Ontario 
on President Trump’s demand for half-ownership of the Gordie Howe 
International Bridge 

The news, as I’m writing this, is all about the Bad Bunny halftime show 

at the Super Bowl. There was Ricky Martin, Lady Gaga, a real wedding 

and L.A.’s own Villa’s Tacos of Highland Park in the production – with 
chef Victor Villa himself appearing. It had themes of love, joy, family, unity and hope for 
the future – so of course it made MAGA heads explode. 

Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) called the performance “pure smut . . . Children were forced 
to endure explicit displays of gay sexual acts, women gyrating provocatively”. Roger responded 
on X; “Sir, I believe you are conflating a dream you had with the actual halftime 
show.” President Trump’s complaint was made in the context of 500 million Spanish 
speakers worldwide, 41 million in the U.S., when he said, “Nobody understands a word 
this guy is saying.” 

The Gordie Howe Memorial Bridge connecting Detroit with Windsor, Ontario has been 
in the works for a dozen years and is due to open soon. Though paid for entirely by Canada, 
Trump says he won’t allow it to open on our side unless we get 50% ownership. The 
NY Times reported that hours before making this demand, Trump got a call from Commerce 
Secretary Howard Lutnick, who’d spoken with a billionaire Trump donor with 
his own interest in that bridge. Matthew Mouron’s family are private owners of another 
bridge connecting Detroit with Windsor. They’d been trying to kill this publicly-owned 
bridge project for years; because of the impact it would have on their own toll-collecting 
revenue. 

Threatening relations with our neighbor and largest trading partner to protect the interests 
of a campaign donor would, in normal times, lead to removal from office. Now, as 
Mayor Dilkens would say, it’s “par for the course”. But it also helped divert attention from 
stories dominating the news over preceding days – events that, again in normal times, 
would have buried any administration in disgrace. 

In Philadelphia’s Independence Mall, near the Liberty Bell, the National Park Service 
maintains the house where George Washington lived when serving as president in the 
1790s. This last week of January, right before Black History Month, workers took a crowbar 
and pried off the wall plaques which commemorated the slaves Washington had 
owned. State Senator Nikil Saval described it as “not dissimilar from a book burning. 
You're watching history and knowledge that people have struggled to bring to light being 
erased and in such a brute fashion.” 

Also maintained by the National Park Service is the home of Medgar and Myrlie Evers 
in Jackson, Mississippi. After service in WWII, Evers returned to fight segregation. Earlier 
this month, informational brochures were removed from the home because theydescribed Byron De La Beckwith, member of the White Citizen’s Council and KKK, the 
man who shot Medgar Evers in the back, as a “racist”. Martin Luther King III posted,
“The murder of Medgar Evers was an act of racial terror. That fact is not partisan. It is 
historical. Calling it anything else is not ‘restoring truth.’ It is erasing it.” 

When reaction came to the President of the United States posting on his personal account 
a depiction of former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama as 
apes, press secretary Karoline Leavitt called it “fake outrage”, suggesting attention instead 
be on something “that actually matters to the American public.” 

Posted in reaction on X: “This would be a nuclear-level scandal like 10 years ago. But 
Trump has lowered the bar so much that I don’t think this even gets a news cycle worth 
of coverage.” Governor Newsom responded, “Every single Republican must denounce 
this. Now.” Maybe a handful did. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), the only Black Republican 
in the Senate, called it “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House”. As for 
the president himself, he blamed it on a staffer – said “I didn’t make a mistake” so had 
nothing to apologize for, telling reporters on Air Force One, “I’m the least racist president 
you’ve had in a long time.” 

Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, reminded; “This 
is the man who built his political fortune by way of a vile campaign of birther lies and 
harassment against President Obama. Bigotry has been his brand since Day 1, and the 
wretched ‘yes’ men who surround him enabling or endorsing this conduct aren’t going 
to change that. As his scandals continue to escalate, and as he continues to lose the little 
lucidity that remains with him, I expect Donald to only retreat deeper into the sewers 
of racism and ignorance. That’s where he’s most at home. That’s where he’s most 
comfortable.” 

As for Trump’s having since deleted that post, Rep. Clarke quoted her mother; “Too late. 
Mercy’s gone.” Mayor Dilkens of Windsor, Ontario and other observers by now seem 
simply resigned to these “just insane” posts from our president as “par for the course”. 

I’m going to log into YouTube and re-watch that Bad Bunny halftime show. Love, joy,
family, unity and hope for the future – no wonder it made MAGA heads explode. 

RICH JOHNSON 


WE NEED MORE HOLIDAYS 
AND KISSES 

Did you know that we, as Americans, are slighted by having 
only 11 recognized federal holidays. AND there are 
none, zip, zilch and nada in either March or April. Our 
government doesn’t even celebrate my birthday officially. 
You may know it as Halloween. Fits, doesn’t it? 

When was the last time we, as a society, added holidays to our calendar? 

I can’t think of any…can you?

Forget about Federal Holidays! I want to share some of my favorite 

holidays:

March 4th “Do Something Day” (Well, do something)

March 5th “Cinco de Marcho” (A little play on words)

March 26th is actually “Make Up Your Own Holiday” Day!

April 16th “Wear your Pajamas to Work Day”. Intentionally created to 

invite U.S. Taxpayers to relax the day after Tax Day

April 29th “Zipper Day” celebrates the day in 1913 when Gideon Sund


back received the patent for the modern zipper

 May 4th “Star Wars Day” (figure it out) (Hint: May the _ _ _ _th) be 

with you.

 May 21st “Talk Like Yoda Day” Remember, Yoda mixes up speaking 

order. We do “subject-verb-object”, and Yoda does “object-subject-verb”. 

Instead of “Rich eats ice cream”. Yoda would say, “ice cream rich eats, he 

does”

 June 4th “Hug Your Cat Day” As we all know Cats rule the world. We 

have two, Mabel and Gizmo. They rule our home and heart.

June 7th “VCR Day” (Really?) Actually changed the way we watched 

television. Which was later changed by streaming services and pushy

daughters.

 June 17th “Eat Your Vegetables Day” (I faithfully celebrate this holiday 

every year with a load of fries from In ‘n’ Out.)

June 18th “International Panic Day” Held the same day as International 

Picnic Day so you can relax the same day. 

I’ll end this list with 

July 6th “World Kissing Day” Kissing Day is thought to have begun of


ficially in the United Kingdom. Anthropologists have no real theories on 

the origins of kissing. A couple of holiday suggestions:

Steal kisses from your sweetheart throughout the day. And don’t forget…

scientists tell us we use 34 of our 42 facial muscles in kissing. Using more 

muscles could result in serious injury…maybe marriage and then…you 

know what. 

Since I’ve come up a bit short on the column I will, as a public service, 

discuss kissing to the end. Let’s briefly discuss the 6 rules of social kissing:

Rule One: Kiss the correct cheek. You want to kiss the right cheek first.

 Rule Two: Kiss the cheek the correct number of times. One kiss is 

quite enough for first encounters and in business (business?). Acquaint 

yourself with rules in other cultures…like kissing in Orange County or 

Bakersfield.

 Rule Three: Use humor in awkward moments (like going for the same 

side.)

Rule Four: Don’t actually kiss the other person. (It’s not really an actual 

kiss but an air kiss. If you make the slightest and briefest contact with the 

cheek that’s okay.

 Rule Five: Make it a quiet kiss. Mo sound effects, no big Mwah.

 Rule Six: be respectable all over. Make sure your hands are above the 

waist. 

Don’t want to kiss or be kissed. Then extend your hand swiftly for a 

handshake (I get that a lot on dates). 

I may have reported that my band, JJ Jukebox’s next performance was 
on April 11th. It has been moved up to March 28th. Come hear rock 
and roll. Make reservations at Nano Café, (626) 325-3334 after 4:00pm 
Wednesdays through Saturdays. Located in Sierra Madre near the southeast 
corner of Lima and Sierra Madre Blvd. 6:30-9:30 pm (626) 325-3334. 


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