Page 4 - Reedley Exponent 1-25-18 E-edition

The Reedley Exponent A4 Thursday, January 25, 2018 Editorial & Opinions
Serving “The World’s Fruit Basket” since 1891
A Mid Valley Publishing Newspaper
Founded March 26, 1891, in a two-story building on the corner of 11th and F streets, by A.S. Jones
Fred Hall — Publisher
In my OPINION Realizing that the great Central Valley in
general is a hotbed for team sports, this week’s discourse on the political landscape will be based on a sports analogy. We’ll use the four years of a president’s term as a complete game, with each of those four years being represented as a quarter.
Recall action by residents continues
Jon Earnest — Editor
Chris Aguirre — Sports Editor Felicia Cousart Matlosz — Panorama Editor Budd Brockett — Editor Emeritus
Obviously, the past eight years — represent-
ing eight quarters and two complete games us-
ing our analogy—would be considered losses
by most objectively thinking people. The econ-
omy dragged along, never having experienced
growth which approached even 2 percent; em-
ployment and wages grew little and were basically stagnant; record numbers of people were out of the workforce; poverty levels grew and the numbers of those on public assistance continued to swell. Meanwhile, respect for America fell; our dependency for foreign energy continued and ISIS remained unchecked, terrorizing the free world seemingly unimpeded.
What a change has been realized by changing Barack Obama for Donald Trump as our new coach with last November’s election. The stock market seems to set new records almost on a daily basis and is nowisnorthof26,000! Economicgrowthhasnowmorethandoubled compared to that experienced under Obama; unemployment is down; more people are working; Trump’s new tax plan has already begun pumping millions of dollars back into the economy rather than allow- ing government bureaucrats to spend it. In the process, companies have announced higher wages and many of those who took their busi- ness elsewhere under Obama because of tax and regulation burdens have announced plans to return production to the United States. Also, consumer confidence is at the highest level in many years. Many businesses have already announced the return of tax dollars from overseas depositories because of the new tax reform. What’s not to like about those numbers?
How much of what was just cited have you read about in your newspaper or seen on the nightly news? As far as we can tell, only one perfect man ever walked the face of the earth. Donald Trump is not that man, but we should all be above the current level of hate- filled garbage that is spewed from the media and our president’s detractors on a daily basis.
The hate Trump syndrome is not only damaging for the coun- try but we believe will deeply harm those who cling to such bitter- ness. When will all the irrational behavior stop and the people — the product of public education — accept that a majority of states in the Electoral College selected Mr. Trump as our president (coach) for the entire United States. Based on all the empirical evidence which I have been able to gather, he seems to be doing a pretty good job for the rank and file. Maybe it’s just the “bitter clingers” of the es- tablishment, academia and the deep state who aren’t mature enough to accept the situation.
It would appear that Hillary Clinton’s identification of Mr. Trump’s “basket of deplorables” showed all Americans how the Democratic party views their devotion to their deity, family, character and Ameri- can way of life that they were able to forestall the steady downward slide of this country toward socialism.
Whether it’s a game of football, basketball or it’s politics, there is never anything uglier than a sore loser. With the realities of what is happening with our economy in America under this president there appear to be no losers. The refusal to participate in America’s return to greatness is entirely at the discretion of the individual.
But, as always, that’s only one man’s opinion.
It was just brought to our attention that the High Speed Rail has requested another $2 billion for the Central Valley section. We’ve all become so accustomed to those high numbers from government as to become immune to what they really mean. Remember, that’s 2,000 million (2,000,000,000) taxpayer dollars. We’ll talk about that next week!
Residents of the River View Es- tates and the Kings River Mobile Home Park areas are continuing their effort to recall Reedley City Council Member Ray Soleno.
After the group of neighbors near the proposed Faith House emergency housing shelter turned in a notice of intention to circulate a recall peti- tion to the city on Jan. 12, Soleno re- sponded with an official answer level on Jan. 17.
In the letter, Soleno said he wouldn’t meet with concerned resi- dents after being advised by City At- torney Scott Cross to avoid any poten- tial impropriety. Soleno hinted at what he called “nefarious intent” from the residents, saying he would not bend his integrity or integrity of his office. Residents immediately countered by saying they merely have wanted open
and civil discussion of their opposition to the facility that once housed the Marjaree Mason Center shelter.
Residents now plan to turned in the petition of intent containing at least 25 signatures, and will await city approval.
The shelter moved one step closer to opening when the Reedley Planning Commission approved a conditional use permit and environmental as- sessment of the property on Jan.18. Residents vow to continue fighting the project, and say their main objection is where the facility is located and not the project itself.
•••
You still have more than a week
to see a fascinating exhibit in nearby Kingsburg. “Courage and Compassion: Our Shared Story of the Japanese American World War II Experience”
runs Wednesday through Sunday from9a.m.to5 p.m. through Feb. 4 at the Kingsburg Historical Park, 2321 Sierra St.
The exhibit
chronicles the sto-
ry of the Japanese
American experi-
ence during the second world war. It features local stories of bravery and extraordinary support of Japanese Americans from communities across the country. This exhibit includes the Kingsburg Historical Society sharing that city’s role in helping Japanese Americans during the after the war.
The Kingsburg Historical Park is located east of Kingsburg High School.
Letters from readers
In addition to all the work behind the scenes, more than 200 people turned out on Dec. 16 to lay wreaths at the cemetery.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with this project, the work and the commitment involved is huge. There are more than 1,700 veterans buried at the Reedley Cemetery and that number alone should tell you the amount of work involved. Specifically, the many people involved made bows, tied on bows, designed and constructed stainless steel wreath hang- ers, brought doves for re-
lease, played Taps, trans- ported wreaths from the Armory to the cemetery, placed a wreath at each veteran’s headstone, picked wreaths up and transported them back to the Armory and, after allowing them to dry out for a week, bagged all 1,700 wreaths for storage until next year.
To all of you who have faithfully supported this project for the last four years, you have my heart- felt thank you. This year I would particularly like to recognize and thank the many Reedley High School students who came out on a
QUOTE
“Most people have seen worse things in private than they pretend to be shocked at in public.”
— Edgar Watson Howe (1853-1937)
Jon Earnest
Fred Hall
Movie pinpoints Winston Churchill’s darkest hour
By Paul Kengor
Guest columnist
Recently, I dropped off my two oldest sons and their friend at the theatre. I planned to kill a couple of hours at the bookstore, on my laptop, at a coffee shop, whatever. When I got out of the car the balmy two-degree temperature in Pittsburgh prompted second thoughts. Instead, I strolled into the theater complex, looked around and saw a poster for “Darkest Hour.” I vaguely knew it was a movie about Winston Churchill. I bought a ticket and went in.
I was hooked from the opening scene: a grim, dank, colorless House of Com- mons, nothing like the fun and festive place you see when you click on C-SPAN on Sunday night to watch “Question Time” with the prime minister. This was interrogation time with the prime minister, with Neville Chamberlain in the dock on May 9, 1940, while Labour Party opposition leader, Clement Attlee, barked at him for his failed accom- modation of Adolph Hitler.
Attlee, of course, would one day go on to national- ize everything his Fabian socialists could get their covetous government hands on, and Churchill in this film nicely refers to him as “that wolf in sheep’s cloth- ing, Attlee.” At this moment, however, Attlee was spot- on. Chamberlain had fully earned the evisceration.
Thanks to all wreath ceremony supporters
I would like to thank everyone who made the 4th Annual Wreaths for Reedley Veterans project an amazing success. My goal, my dream actually, when I started this project four years ago was to cre- ate an event that would in- vite participation by people in our community who feel as strongly as I do about honoring those who have served our country. The Reedley community has not only helped to reach this goal but surpassed it!
It’s after this open- ing that we see Winston Churchill for the first time — instantly riveting because of the incredible perfor- mance by the leading man. I had walked into this movie cold (literally), with no clue of the actors, the writer, the directors, the producers. Not until the credits did I find out who played Churchill. It was Gary Oldman. I would have never guessed it. Old- man was flatly amazing.
There are plenty such kudos to go around for this film. Among the characters and those who played them: Churchill’s wife (Kristin Scott Thomas), Anthony Eden (Samuel West), Neville Chamberlain (Ronald Pick- up), Viscount Halifax (Ste- phen Dillane), King George VI (Ben Mendelsohn), and the young woman (Lily James) who had the lead female role as Churchill’s secretary/typist. The writ- er was Anthony McCarten, whose script was superb.
McCarten and direc- tor Joe Wright delivered so many fine scenes, from the tragedy at Calais to the capitulation of France. As to the latter, in one pain- ful exchange Churchill asks French Prime Minis- ter Paul Reynaud incredu- lously, “Tell me how you plan to counterattack.” To Churchill’s horror, the leader of France responds: “There is no plan.” Reyn- aud and one of his lackeys sniff at the Brits for being
so “delusional.” Churchill is less delusional than aghast. “France must be saved!” he insists. That, unfortunately, was not the French plan.
“Darkest Hour” depicts all of this so beautifully and so, well, visually, which his- tory books and news reels cannot or could not do.
But above all, the take- away from this film — and from the Churchill experi- ence — is an enduring his- torical moral lesson: you cannot negotiate a just peace with a brutal aggressor. Sav- ages are not appeased. This is poignantly captured when Churchill snaps at Viscount Halifax and Neville Cham- berlain: “You cannot reason with a tiger when your head is in his mouth!”
What makes that mo- ment and this overall film so valuable is the paramount fact that Churchill is shout- ing at Halifax and at Cham- berlain, both Conservatives, both looking to negotiate “peace in our time” with Hit- ler, and neither of which had quietly disappeared when Churchill took the helm on May 10, 1940. We tend to have a nice, tidy, black-and- white view of what happened in Britain when Chamberlain stepped aside.
This film, however, shows what really occurred, namely: Chamberlain and Halifax became part of Churchill’s official War Cabinet and remained tacit leaders of the Conservative Party, while the disrespect-
ed Churchill was merely a compromise prime minister leading a precarious coali- tion government in which the Labour Party accepted him more than his own Con- servative Party had. Thus, Churchill still had to deal with intense pressure to settle with Hitler, as Cham- berlain and Halifax pushed him relentlessly to “negoti- ate terms” with the Nazis — with Benito Mussolini their recommended splen- did mediator. It was a lousy situation for Churchill, who faced a possible vote of no confidence if he couldn’t keep Chamberlain and Hali- fax on the reservation.
Churchill’s “Darkest Hour” was, in truth, a series of dark hours that lasted two or three weeks in May 1940, when Western civilization hung in the balance. He was severely tested. He respond- ed with bouts of confidence and doubt, turmoil and inspi- ration, cigars and (lots of) al- cohol — as Oldman shows so vividly. Ultimately, mercifully, he persevered. This powerful film portrays what he was up against and how he prevailed — a rousing lesson from the time and for the ages.
Paul Kengor is professor of political science and exec- utive director of The Center for Vision & Values at Grove City (Pa.) College. His latest book (April 2017) is “A Pope and a President: John Paul II, Ronald Reagan, and the Extraordinary Untold Story of the 20th Century.”
chilly Saturday morning to bag up and store all 1,700 wreaths in less than an hour. You guys were awe- some! And to those of you who have yet to experience this incredibly inspirational event, I invite you to join us next year and share in the joy we all feel in honoring those who answered the call to serve our country.
Thank you to all who have served or are serving in the military. And thank you, Reedley, for making my dream come true!
Susan F. Lusk Wreaths for Reedley Veterans Coordinator
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