Page 4 - Reedley Exponent 6-28-18

The Reedley Exponent A4 Thursday, June 28, 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
It seems that now would be the appropri- ate time for a discussion about the disparity between what politicians tell us when they are running for office and how twisted that thought process can become once we have decided to elect them to represent us in Sacramento or Washington, D.C.
We can begin right here at home in Califor- nia with the prevailing Insanity of early release of prisoners to avoid overcrowding of jails.
Jon Earnest — Editor
Chris Aguirre — Sports Editor Felicia Cousart Matlosz — Panorama Editor Budd Brockett — Editor Emeritus
QUOTE
“A true friend is the greatest of all blessings, and that which we take the least care of all to acquire.”
Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680)
Fred Hall
Pam Melville’s four decades-plus in Reedley leaves an indelible legacy
Somehow, the politicos feel that by empty-
ing our prisons earlier and sending fewer crimi-
nals to jail that the state budget would be the
winner — and they would be right, but at what cost? They think only of the money that is “saved” for their discretionary spending. Little consideration is afforded for the harm and chaos criminals create for average everyday citizens.
The safety of every person would be impacted by allowing these miscreants to wander around freely on our streets and neighborhoods where they ply their trade of mayhem. The safety and well-being of every Californian should be the primary concern of every elected official — not having extra money for some other insipid giveaway program aimed at supporting their re-election cause.
We’re told that life-giving water will eventually be rationed to 50 gallons per day per individual per a mandate issued by our radical gov- ernor. How does that wash — no pun intended — with the millions who live here illegally and receive special attention by our government? The more people who live in California, the greater the need for water.
While we’re on the same subject, since we’re a major supplier of food and dairy products for the world trade perhaps it would help if less of the water from wet years would be retained by new or enlarged dams and dedicated to agriculture instead of silly environ- mental issues like trying to restore rivers that are long gone. It seems to completely defy common sense to allow such a spectacular amount of water to flow unrestricted and unused into the ocean which, ac- cording to environmentalists, is experiencing rising levels.
From where would the money come to build more water stor- age? Perhaps, since that was the original intention, it could come from the numerous water bonds which we have passed or realizing that the High-Speed Rail project is becoming a “black hole” for tax- payer money and never will be finished. Even if it were to be com- pleted, there is no empirical evidence that the economics of such an endeavor will ever pencil out. Taxpayers would have to underwrite operational costs of high-speed rail forever!
Already experiencing the highest per capita taxes in the country, our politicians are now advocating that we provide health care for illegals and have advanced the notion of everyone’s health insurance being state (taxpayer) paid. Sacramento says that illegals will only cost another $1 billion.
With nearly 900,000 state of California employees, we’re already overwhelmed with the status quo and told that we are essentially go- ing to have to make up the shortfall to fund the exorbitant pensions for those overpaid state employees. How the hell are we going to be able to do that?
Our politicians didn’t miss a beat with the mindless approval of the use of recreational marijuana. We were told that everything would now be controlled, but the pols fell in love with the idea of having one more thing to tax. We suspect that their greed in going after a new source of revenue will only result in bolstering the black market because that product will be cheaper and heaven knows it is certainly available on almost every street corner. Why does it appear that politics always breeds greed?
Considering the fact that cutting the state into three separate parts will appear on the November ballot, perhaps that might not be such a bad idea Judging from recent events, it appears that the largest dose of common sense can be attributable to that geographic part which would be designated “Southern California.” Much of the Central Valley falls within those confines. Perhaps with the mindless drivel coming from our most populous areas this is an idea whose time has come.
But, as always, that’s only one man’s opinion.
Letters from readers
You can get a pretty good idea at the high esteem Reedley hold for Pam Melville by looking at The Exponent’s Facebook page.
More than 360 reactions — most of them emojis of tears and hearts — along with around 125 comments and more than 60 shares were posted in re- sponse to the news of Melville’s death in Fresno on Saturday at the too-young age of 67.
There were messages of love and condolence from co-workers at David’s, members of the Reedley business community, civic leaders and everyday people who called the downtown business owner a friend or acquaintance. The sentiments were just as profound on the David’s social media page which included a similar number of tributes.
Many expressed surprise and even shock at Pam’s passing. Perhaps much of that was due to her relent- less fighting spirit so prevalent in her 12-year battle with cancer. Her hus- band, Dale, said that even in her final days she remained upbeat and talked about returning to work at her labor of love — her specialty stores, David’s and Party Plus. The adjoining stores have been downtown fixtures since 1980, and a favorite stop for many shoppers from Reedley and surround- ing communities.
I got to know Pam when I came to work in Reedley full-time in 2015. Her stores were a shining beacon of activity in a downtown area that has seen its peaks and valleys for years. But more noticeable than that was her advocacy for downtown and Reedley in general. Not to mention her amaz- ing energy considering the health or- deal she battled.
One of the last events I got to see Pam at was the annual Reedley Rum- mage in early April. Despite steady rain in the morning dampening the conditions for the street sales, she was walking along G Street checking out booths and making sure vendors were handling the conditions. A number of vendors didn’t show up because of the wet weather, but she seemed unfazed although she admitted with a smile “I’m not much of a morning person.” She said “people bring umbrellas, and we go on.”
One of the many touching trib- utes to Melville on The Exponent’s Facebook page came from Reedley resident Penni Johnson: “We all have been blessed to have called Pam a friend. She knew no stranger. We used to linger among the card racks, laugh- ing our heads off over her choices of cards, always poignant and meaning- ful...or just plain funny!” As Johnson offered prayers and hugs to the Mel-
ville family and David’s co-work- ers, she posted that “memories of her will soon be stron- ger than the deep sadness each now feels. Be like Pam!”
No doubt, Jon Earnest there’s not many
ways to be better than to “be like Pam.” Our deepest sympathy and con- dolences go out to the Melville family.
•••
There’s good news to report on the
drive to bring Reedley a new public library. City Manager Nicole Zieba told the Reedley City Council near the end of the June 26 meeting that she is close to signing escrow docu- ments for the library property at the end of this week. She said she plans to reach out to Fresno County to start the process of transferring the prop- erty over to them when all paperwork is completed. That eventually will be followed by Zieba band library offi- cials going before the County Board of Supervisors to formally accept the property transfer.
We’ll have more details as they be- come available.
American Revolution successful because citizens had guns
Congress must denounce family separation policy Our members of Congress
must denounce the family sepa- ration policy and use their au- thority to stop it! There is no ex- cuse for inflicting these abuses and trauma on children.
When a president enforces an abusive policy against chil- dren and then withdraws from the UN Human Rights Council when called on it, it is clear he doesn’t care about human rights and that he lacks the commit-
ment and values to lead our na- tion.
Being the child of immi- grants and having a family full of people I know are hard-work- ing and beautiful makes living my free life feel almost unfair. To see the people I love live in fear of a president who would gladly cage them like dogs breaks my heart. Congressman Nunes, Senator Harris and Sena- tor Feinstein must fix this.
Stephanie Calvillo Reedley
By Harold Pease
Guest columnist
Many may not remem- ber their basic U.S. History courses as to why the Sec- ond Amendment exists in the first place. Certainly, when enacted, there was no thought of restricting type of firearm, or where, or who could carry. So its placement as the second most valued freedom in the Bill of Rights had nothing to do with personal safety or hunting, these were already assumed. It was specifically placed right after freedom of religion, speech, press and assembly to make certain that these freedoms were never taken from us. It was aimed (pun intended) squarely at the government. But certainly we have no fear of the gov- ernment today?
One must remember that early patriots did not ask the existing British government if they could revolt. They argued in The Declaration of Indepen- dence, that they were “en- dowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” coming from a much higher source than mere man and that “when- ever any form of govern- ment becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government.” God is referenced five times in this document and thus, they be- lieved, He sanctioned their rebellion. They were ex- pected to suffer evils while sufferable, “but when a long train of abuses and usurpa- tions, pursuing invariable the same object, evinces a design to reduce them un-
der absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security.”
The right of revolu- tion requires the means of revolution and this is the primary reason the Second Amendment exists. Nor- mally the ballot box is the only self-correction needed but they had no intention of forfeiting the right to revo- lution they exercised giving us liberty in the first place. Nor did they assume that future generations would never need the serious self- correction they used.
The wordage of the 2nd Amendment was stronger than any other sentence in the Constitution. “A well- regulated militia [the peo- ple], being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” They saw this right as being connected with a free country and specifically forbade the federal government any authority with respect to it because historically it was always a government that took away liberty.
An armed populace twice proved its value to liberty in the Revolution- ary War. First, many do not remember why Lexington and Concord were so im- portant. The Americans learned that the British planned to go door to door to confiscate their firearms so they gathered and hid them in these two villages. Now the British night gun raid, and Paul Revere’s des- perate midnight ride warn- ing the Americans en route, so they could retrieve their guns to use against the Brit- ish, makes sense.
Second, the Battle of Saratoga preventing the conquest of the northeast by General Johnny Bur- goyne was stopped, not by the military, but by angry farmers with their own mili- tary styled “assault” rifles. This American victory en- couraged other countries, notably France, to inter the war on our side. We would not have won the war with- out an armed citizenry.
The Founders’ attitude regarding guns—even military issue— was clear. Thomas Jefferson wrote: “No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.” And George Washington said: “A free people ought not only to be armed,” but also, “they should promote such manufacturies [sic] as tend to remind them independent of others for essential, particularly mili- tary, supplies” (Gun Con- trol, Freemen Report, May 31,1975, page 1).
But many do fear our government today. If free- dom is measured, as it was in Jefferson’s day, by the “least government is the best government” we are less free today than when ruled by the British. We fear when all three branches ig- nore constitutional restric- tions of their power. When the Executive Branch issues more restrictions on our be- havior, through executive or- ders, than Congress passes new laws. When Congress will not limit itself to listed powers. When the Supreme Court interprets the Con- stitution in such a way as to bestow themselves with powers never intended by the founders such as health- care, marriage, and abortion.
We fear when unelected bureaucrats (DOJ, FBI and
CIA) refuse congressional (the peoples’) oversight. When justice for sharing classified documents dif- fers widely for a Clinton from that rendered General Petraeus. When pro-Clinton investigators exonerate Hillary on her 33,000 de- leted emails on a personal server (many classified), are the same investigators as on the Mueller Special Counsel designed to alter the results of a presiden- tial election, equal justice is compromised and the Justice Department is wea- ponized.
The Second Amendment is the Constitution’s final check on tyranny. We have the same right of revolution the Founder’s used, fully ex- pressed in The Declaration of Independence. Wide- spread gun ownership has never been a threat to truly free societies. An armed citizenry keeps the govern- ment on notice of the gov- erns’ ability to resist should inalienable rights be taken from them.
A popular slogan runs. “I love my country but I fear my government.” Giv- en the unconstitutional an- tics noted above perhaps we should hang on to the 2nd Amendment as designed as our final option against tyr- anny? An option we hope never to have to use again.
Harold Pease is a syn- dicated columnist and an expert on the United States Constitution. He has dedi- cated his career to studying the writings of the Found- ing Fathers and applying that knowledge to current events. He has taught his- tory and political science from this perspective for more than 30 years at Taft College in Kern County.
Letters Policy
THE REEDLEY EXPONENT invites letters from the public on any topic of local relevance. We reserve the right to edit letters for clar- ity or brevity, and we reserve the right to NOT publish them if they could be deemed libelous or profane. Letters should be 300 words or less, and bear the author's name, address, and phone number. Letters can be mailed, emailed (jon@midvalleypublishing.com),
or personally delivered to: Editor, Reedley Exponent, 1130 G St, Reedley CA 93654.