Mountain View News Saturday, April 25, 2026 
1111OPINIONOPINION Mountain View News Saturday, April 25, 2026 
1111OPINIONOPINION 
AWARENESS AND RECLAMATION 

There are things I have lost, and I know that I have lost forever. 
There are other things though that I still hope to find again and reclaim. 
Let’s start with some of those things that have been forever lost. You 
know, my hair, my mobility, my teeth, my senses of smell and taste. Of 
course, many of my old and treasured friends are gone and in the process 
of going. I know I am fortunate to have reached the age of eighty-two 
which I will reach hopefully on the twenty-sixth of this month. 

I will happily accept all birthday wishes on that date but remind 
myself that this one day of the year is also the birthdate of an immigrant to our Country,
Mrs. Melania Trump. Despite the losses most of which could be expected and accepted, it 
is the losses associated with Mrs. Trump and her husband, whose name I do not choose to 
mention, that I did not expect and still refuse to accept. 

I am speaking now of a loss of certainty. For my entire life I have felt certain 
of being proud to be an American. Yes, there have been some difficult times and some 
seemingly unacceptable realizations. Entering College at UCLA in 1961 I was at least 
surprised to note that other than football players and famous athletes there were very few 
persons of color attending the College. Still, I was amazed that sitting right in front of me 
in my Physics 10 class were the gold and silver medalist winners of the Decathlon at the 
1960 Olympics held in Rome, Italy. Perhaps you remember their names. Rafer Johnson 
and C.K. Yang, a Taiwanese Olympian who also attended college at UCLA. 

There at UCLA, together with these world-famous men sitting in class probably 
also not understanding much physics. Really, that lack of understanding did not surprise 
me. I was the first person in my family to even graduate High School. What did I care 
about physics and math anyway? What difference does any of that stuff make? Yes, I had a 
lot to learn then and am still learning every day as the Artemis voyage has resulted in the 
presentation of all kinds of scientific advancements gained from the discoveries connected 
with the quest for space. I am talking about MRI’s and CT scans. Examinations involved 
in keeping me alive today. 

Okay back to 1960 -perhaps I was too unaware to notice what was right in front 
of me. In 1965, after two years at UC Berkeley, I entered UCLA Law School. Now I was 
sensitized enough to notice there were no females and no persons of color in any of my 
classes. I noticed and was aware enough to be appalled, and I sought out a work-studyjob creating a program related to bringing High School students from minority areas to 
college. As a lawyer, thirty years later, a female Judge called me up to the Bench and said,
“Mr. Tolchin. I am glad to have this opportunity to thank you for changing my brother’s 
life.” Those were her exact words. I didn’t know what she was talking about and said,
“Who’s your brother?” “He’s the mayor,” she said. Who knew, as far as I knew, he was just 
one of the kids who had a shorter name than the mayor. Today he’s one of the potential 
Democratic candidates for Governor. Life goes on. 

Yes, life goes on and today at the Law School, there is a female Dean, and I believe 
the majority of the Law students are female. My point is that changes have occurred but 
for many, many years there were disparities and discriminations and overall unfairness that 
had always been a part of this Country. For people like those who had the foresight to be 
born of the right gender, of the right color, and at the right time this country has provided 
a workable easy road to a very satisfying life. Like many Sierra Madreans I could not afford 
my house today or even pay the rent. Yes, I have always been certain that I was pleased, 
even proud to be an American and very proud of the work as an Immigration Attorney that 
my daughter practices every one of her hard-working days. 

I want to reclaim my hope and certainty in believing the world continues to change 
There should be a recognition of all the progress that has taken place and the awareness that 
progress will continue. Don’t despair and don’t be overwhelmed by the current negativity. 
Good things have always been done and now we all must do what we must. Believe we 
will find a way. Happy Birthday to us all and prepare to see a more humane world on the 
birthdays to come. 


HOWARD Hays As I See It 

“First woman: ‘I broke up with my boyfriend.’ Second 
woman: ‘What happened?’ First: “It was religious incompatibility.’ 
Second: ‘How so?’ First: ‘He thinks he’s God, 
and I don’t.’" 

Demonstrations broke out around the country following the murder 

of George Floyd. Donald Trump was concerned they made him look 
“weak” heading into his 2020 reelection bid. He urged governors to deploy National 
Guard to “dominate the streets”, otherwise U.S. Military would “quickly solve the problem”. 
Chemical grenades, rubber bullets and batons were used against peaceful protestors 
in Lafayette Square. Trump asked, "Can't you just shoot them? Just shoot them in 
the legs or something?" Clergy and volunteers were forcibly removed from St. John’s 
Episcopal Church. The New York Times described “a burst of violence unlike any seen 
in the shadow of the White House in generations”. Its purpose was essentially to enable 
a photo-op for Trump at that church - holding a Bible. 

Trump had named the Bible his favorite book, though demurred when asked for a favorite 
passage - explaining it was “very personal”. In 2024, Trump announced, “HappyHoly Week! Let’s Make America Pray Again. As we lead into Good Friday and Easter,
I encourage you to get a copy of the ‘God Bless the USA Bible’.” – available online at 
$59.95. He warned that “Christians are under siege”, that we can’t “allow the media or 
the left-wing groups to silence, censor or discriminate against us”. The website stated no 
sales proceeds would go to the Trump campaign; that his name, likeness and image were 
under license from “CIC Ventures LLC”. Disclosure forms listed the manager, president, 
secretary and treasurer of CIC Ventures as one Donald J. Trump. 

In 2023, as Trump was facing civil fraud charges in a Manhattan courtroom, he re-posted 
a doctored courtroom sketch of himself seated next to Jesus. One poster commented,
“Amen, I literally cry for what is being done to our beautiful and patriotic leader, President 
Donald J Trump” while another asked, “Who, exactly, are these MAGA rubes that 
still support him? All of you should be ashamed of yourselves.” 

Earlier this month, Trump posted AI slop showing him not with Jesus, but depicted as 
Jesus himself. Vice President Vance found it unfortunate that “a lot of people weren’t understanding 
his humor”. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) seemed satisfied Trumpdidn’t think it was “sacrilegious at all”, noting that he “showed great respect to others by 
removing it.” Trump himself explained he thought he was being depicted as a doctor. 
More than anything, that comment simply reconfirmed that Trump regards his base as 
stupid. Another image was subsequently posted, showing Trump being consoled byJesus. As MAGA faithful would insist, both suffered similar persecution. 

All this came in the context of Pope Leo XIV spreading the message of “blessed are the 
peacemakers”, decrying war. Trump took this as a challenge; somehow claiming, “If I 
wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican.”, adding, “Leo should get his 
act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left”. As CNN 
pointed out, Trump went from “a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear 
Weapon” to “a pope that’s gonna say that it’s okay to have a nuclear weapon” and ultimately, 
“The pope made a statement. He says, Iran can have a nuclear weapon.” The 
president, as usual, was just making stuff up - lying. 

Pope Leo responded, “I have no fear, neither of the Trump administration nor of speaking 
out loudly about the message of the gospel.” There was the bizarreness of the likes of 

J.D. Vance (“very important for the Pope to be careful”) and Sean Hannity (“more interested 
in spreading left-wing politics than the actual teachings of Jesus Christ”) deigning 
to school the Vicar of Christ on matters of theology. 
For decades, the Archdiocese of Miami’s Catholic Charities ran a program for unaccompanied 
immigrant children – arranging foster care, reuniting families and providing 
other needed services. Days after Trump launched his spat with Pope Leo, the announcement 
came of the end of federal funding for the program – with its expected demise. 
Though the administration blamed declining immigration numbers, Christopher Hale, 
author of a newsletter on Pope Leo, wrote, “the timing tells you everything about the 
motive . . . This is the context in which the administration chose to strip funding from 
a Catholic ministry that cares for traumatized children. The real reason is retaliation”. 

Archbishop Thomas Wenski wrote to the Miami Herald, “It is baffling that the US government 
would shut down a program that it would be hard-pressed to replicate at the 
level of competence and excellence that Catholic Charities has achieved”, adding, “You 
don’t cross several borders, you don’t walk across Mexico if you are 10 or 12 years old 
without being exposed and suffering trauma of one type or the other”. To get back at the 
pope, Trump will see that these kids are traumatized further. 

On tour in Africa, Pope Leo said, “Woe to those who manipulate religion and the very 
name of God for their own military, economic and political gain, dragging that which 
is sacred into darkness and filth”. Meanwhile, Trump was scheduled to read a favorite 
“Christian nationalist” Bible passage from the Oval Office as part of an “America Reads 
the Bible” event. I managed to miss that. I’d imagine Pope Leo did, too. 

RICH JOHNSON 


PRESIDENTS ARE PEOPLE TOO! 

Would you want to be president? Of the United States? 

If you answered yes you might have a screw loose. Or possibly been hit too many times in the 
head with a basketball. 

Go ahead and get elected. Before you are inaugurated half the country can’t stand to look at 

you. They think you’re crazy. And the other half? They’re undecided. But they’ll already have 
their doubts. At the very least you can’t be thinking straight. Let’s not jump to conclusions. Rather, let us take a 
bit deeper dive down this rabbit hole. 

We’ll take a peek under the hood. In some cases, under the covers if you know what I mean. First one out the 
chute…Bill Clinton. The young native of Arkansas Bill beat out George Bush Sr. and then 4 years later …Bob 
Dole. (Truth be told Bob should have let his wife Elizabeth run. She just might have been elected the first woman 
president). Other than Monica Lewinski, Clinton’s only notable vice was Mickey D’s. The closest McDonalds was 
just three blocks from the White House. Despite Hillary’s orders to change the White House menu, Bill still ended 
up a quadruple bypass surgery in 2004 and the unclogging of a blocked artery in 2010. Bill then went Vegan and 
he still is today…vegan that he is. And he is is (if you know what I mean). 

Lyndon Johnson didn’t like to waste time. So, if he was in a conversation with you and he needed to use the bathroom 
he would drag whomever he was meeting with into the bathroom to keep the conversation going without 
stopping the flow of…well, you know information among other things. 

Franklin Roosevelt entertained the King and Queen of England, threw a private dinner for them in the back 
yard and fed them hot dogs, soda pop and strawberry shortcake. True Americana. 

Ulysses S. Grant remains the only U.S. president arrested while he was president. Grant got busted for speedingdown the streets of D.C. Yep, police officer William Henry West pulled the president off to the side of the road 
and wrote him a ticket. West, a black man and a veteran who fought with an all-Black union regiment during the 
Civil War actually pulled President Grant over 3 times for speeding. Cut the president slack the first two times,
but got tough as nails the third time. Good on ya’ Officer West. 

President Andrew Jackson holds the record for presidential involvement in duels. At the minimum he participated 
in 5 duels minimum. Some suggest up to 100. Andrew Jackson had a pet parrot named Polly. Polly attended 
Jackson’s funeral and got 86’d for bad language. 

Teddy Roosevelt enjoyed boxing and wrestling. He would order young military aides to spar with him. 

James Monroe was a serial shopper. Or was it cereal shopper. He bought paid for refurnishing the White House 
after those nasty British burned it to the ground in 1812. Monroe went near broke refurnishing the White House. 
He ended up asking Congress to reimburse him. Congress gave him $30k. 

John Kennedy was known to have short affairs with women he wasn’t married to…while he was married to 
Jackie. Marlene Dietrich and Anita Ekberg were two participants which also included White House secretaries 
and even a Soviet spy. 

Warren G. Harding was guilty of hiring his crony friends to be on his cabinet. He knew they weren’t perfect but 
he liked to drink, smoke and play poker with them. 

President Eisenhower authorized the CIA to orchestrate the overthrow of Iran’s democratically elected government 
in 1953. In hindsight maybe he should have left them alone! P.S. The British helped us overthrow Iran. 

President Ford’s greatest dastardly decision in many people’s eyes was fully pardoning Richard Nixon for any 
and all crimes he may have committed as president. As disappointed as many of us were, it was the right thing 
to do. 

Carter was blamed for mishandling the Iranian hostage which ended up lasting 444 days. One of the hostages 
was Gary Lee, son of the pastor of the First Nazarene Church of Pasadena right next door to Sierra Madre at the 
time. Interesting to note, all hostages were in the air and out of Iranian airspace on their way home just as Ronald 
Reagan finished taking the oath of office as the new president. The Ayatollah of Iran was afraid of what Ronald 
Reagan would do once he became president. 

Well, I’ve run out of room. I’m sure George Senior, George W., Barack, the Donald, and Joe will rest comfortably 
finding out I didn’t out them and their dubious distinctions. Once Michelle Obama is inaugurated in 2029 I 
may resume the discussion if I’m not in the great beyond. Then I can really stir up the muck. Have a good week. 


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