Page 4 - Dinuba Sentinel 11-8-18 E-edition

Opinion
A4 | Thursday, November 8, 2018
In My Opinion
Veterans Day, a day to pay Hhomage to our heroes
ere is the short version wrong but it does
of the story which I appear that the have taken the liberty of toughness exhibited
Fred Hall - Publisher Rick Curiel - Editor
excerpting from a source which offers no attribution.
Veterans Day is an official United States public holiday, observed annually on November 11, that honors military veterans; that is, persons who served in The United States Armed Forces. It coincides with other holidays, including Armistice Day and Remembrance Day. Celebrated in other countries that mark the anniversary of the end of World War 1; major hostilities of World War 1 were formally ended
at the 11th hour of the 11th month
in 1918, when the Armistice with Germany went into effect. The United States previously observed Armistice Day. The U.S. Holiday was renamed Veterans Day in 1954.
Veterans Day is not to be confused with Memorial Day, a U.S. Public holiday in May; Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U.S. Military veterans while Memorial Day honors those who died while in military service. It is also not to be confused with Armed Forces Day, a minor U.S. Remembrance that also occurs in May which specifically honors those currently serving in U.S. Military.
The long story is the importance
of remembering that, on this special day, we pay homage to those heroic men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country and fellow Americans. All paid some while many paid all!
We have reached the point in this country where we have become remiss in teaching history—especially that which may be unpleasant. While many seek to tear down statues
and destroy anything historically unpleasant, it is an integral part of who we are and how we got here.
The very fact that I am free to write about this and your free choice of whether you to choose to read it or not flows directly from the fact that some young man or woman was willing to put their life on the line to insure you continue to enjoy these freedoms. You should thank a veteran for the very fact that we are still an English speaking country. They felt that freedom was worth defending and fighting for.
I fear that the empirical proof
is, with the current generation,
we are increasing willing to cede those liberties to others in order
to maintain our “safe zones” and “safe places.” Take the word of an old man, that’s a fool’s bargain. “ Those who would give up essential liberty to secure temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” Benjamin Franklin said it better and more succinctly than anyone I’ve ever heard. I can only hope I’m
Guest Column
Fred Hall
by past generations of Americans has been “taught” out of many of today’s latest iteration of citizens.
The actions of so many of our
young people—especially those who inhabit our college campuses—is so counterintuitive to the spirit that helped this great nation we can’t help but arrive at the conclusion that their rationale simply must be a learned behavior. For us, many of the beliefs which they espouse do not meet the measure of common sense.
Probably a good project to undertake this Veterans (yes, that
is correct, there is no possessive
used in Veterans) Day would be
to offer solemn recognition for the sacrifices of those who gave all in
the defense of America and the most free country in the world. Prayers and special thank yous issued at gravesites all across the nation would be especially welcomed. Getting an extra day away from work is special but we would council everyone to take a few minutes during that day in recognition of the men and women we are honoring on a very special national holiday. Thank a soldier for their service!
No position taken nor method employed seems to be sacrosanct
in the pursuit of radical political positions in today’s world of “anything goes.” Stunts and claims are deemed acceptable for positions that, at one time, would have been
considered embarrassing and inane.
We’re all fortunate that we live in the Central Valley of California where the very essence of patriotism is alive and well. Mid Valley Publishing had the good fortune of being invited to be a participant in the Veterans Day parade in Sanger this past Saturday. One’s chest virtually swelled
with pride at the overt display
of the colors and thanks for the contributions of those who defended America’s freedoms.
For our part, special thanks go
out to Wally’s Body Shop in Reedley where the modifications were
done, at no cost, to the World War
II vintage tripod which held the 50-caliber Browning machine gun that was mounted on the hood of the Vietnam era Jeep we drove. Many thanks to Wally’s for their patriotic contribution. We recommend you add them to your list of good guys!
But, as always, that’s only one man’s opinion.
Fred Hall is publisher of the Dinuba Sentinel.
Guest Column
Report shows global warming clock is approaching midnight
P
ull on the seatbelt in your gas-guzzling car, folks, and strap in for the worst ride of our lives.
This fall, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a critical report warning that humans have about 12 years — until 2030 — before global warming reaches a catastrophic level.
The report concludes, frighteningly, that the world can’t allow global temperatures to warm past 1.5 degrees Celsius, or there will quite literally be hell to pay. And unless we take drastic action, we’re already all set to get there.
Consider this your all-hands-on-deck, siren-blaring warning that we need to act comprehensively to mitigate climate change now — or forever hold our peace.
The IPCC predicts an increased risk of devastating climate-related risks to health, livelihoods, food, water, security, and economic growth.
As sea levels and global temperatures rise, low-lying communities will disappear and heat-related deaths will increase, along with diseases like dengue fever and malaria. Areas that cease to be inhabitable by humans will fuel an accelerated refugee crisis, while resources like agriculture and crops will be decimated in key areas impacted by climate change.
That’s just a few of the highlights of the Ten Plagues-like punishment we’ll get for endangering our planet. We’re facing a pretty grim future — and that’s even if we manage to cap the rise at 1.5 degrees, which we’re not on track to do.
For those of us who are pretty young like me, our golden years may be anything but.
Before you slip quietly into your doomsday bunker or start praying that someone invents interstellar space travel, there’s an urgent message of hope: We’ve got a little bit of time to save the only home planet we’ve got. And it’s going totakeallofustodoit.
While dire, the report also contains some critically useful recommendations.
Governments, companies, indigenous peoples, local communities, and individuals all have a critical role to play to solve this crisis. We can and must act quickly and
Olivia Alperstein
collaboratively on a local and global scale before it’s too late. Acting alone or failing to cooperate, the IPCC report emphasizes, will fall short.
The Paris Climate Agreement isn’t going to be enough — we need massive, World War Two-level mobilization. The victory will be that we get a living, healthy planet.
The report also highlights the need to consider justice and equity as we consider solutions.
Some nations, like the United States, are leading contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and
other accelerants of climate change. Others contribute
less to emissions but are more vulnerable to catastrophic damage. A number of low-lying nations (on whose approval the Paris Agreement depended) will literally be underwater if temperatures rise beyond the IPCC’s limit.
The point being: The countries that have contributed the most to climate change need to contribute the most to fixing it — and to helping those who suffer most to adapt.
What can you do, right here, right now, besides giving up meat, your car, or plastic bags and straws?
Urge your local or state government to commit to 100 percent renewable energy in the next decade. Get your community and your state to ban the use of fracking and other fossil fuel production that will drive us to doomsday that much quicker, not to mention the other dangerous risks to people’s health.
Call on the federal government to implement the recommendations of the IPCC report, and commit to working with the rest of the world to act swiftly.
And if you vote, remember the planet when you do.
Olivia Alperstein is the Deputy Director of Communications and Policy at Progressive Congress. Her prior experience includes work in development, legal organizations, political campaigns, and not-for-profit advocacy.
Ballots in other states could change political arena
Is it possible to get public policies out of our political system that benefit common
people rather than moneyed elites? Yes!
We the people can bypass corporate- purchased lawmakers and write the laws ourselves. In 26 states and numerous cities, grassroots people can put statutes and constitutional amendments on the ballot through a citizens initiative process.
In this era of plutocratic rule, that’s become a major avenue for achieving progressive change.
For example, on November 6, voters in Albuquerque, Baltimore, and Denver will be offered new forms of small-dollar, public financing of elections to counter secret, unlimited donations by corporations.
A South Dakota measure would ban corporate donations to candidates and political parties and bar “gifts” from lobbyists to elected officials.
To stop incumbents from handpicking their voters by gerrymandering their districts, people in Colorado, Michigan, Missouri, and Utah will have a chance to turn redistricting over to independent, non-partisan commission.
Other reforms to democratize voting are proposed in Florida, Michigan, Nevada, Maryland, South Dakota, and Massachusetts.
Jim Hightower
Ballot measures have proven so successful that corporate front groups have begun proposing deceptively worded initiatives that — get this — would forestall citizens from putting initiatives on the ballot.
So far this year, initiatives to stop or restrict initiatives have been filed in Maine and South Dakota to curtail people’s access to this process of direct democracy. Also, ALEC, the secretive, Koch-funded anti-democracy group, has generated bills in six state legislatures essentially to keep citizen initiatives off the ballot.
Corporate elites are so afraid of democracy that they’re actually trying to outlaw it.
Jim Hightower, an OtherWords columnist, is a radio commentator, writer, and public speaker.
Join the discussion
The Dinuba Sentinel welcomes submissions of letters to the editor on topics of local relevance. Word limit is 350. Letters are considered once per month for each submitter.
Letters must include the author’s name, phone number and address for verification. Mail to 145 South L Street, Dinuba, CA, 93618, or e-mail to editor@
thedinubasentinel.com.
Letters will be edited for length, grammar and clarity. Libelous letters will not be printed.
Guest columns will be considered for publication -
E-mail editor@thedinubasentinel.com. Word limit is 650.
To subscribe to the Dinuba Sentinel, call 591-4632