Page 4 - Mid Valley Times 6-4-20 E-edition

Thursday, June 4, 2020 | A4 | Mid Valley TiMes Editorial & Opinions
Serving the Readers of the Reedley Exponent, Dimuba Sentinel and Sanger Herald.
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 We're too willing to
relinquish our freedoms
Set your eyes on a brighter future, Class of 2020
Rick Curiel — Sanger Editor Jon Earnest — Reedley Editor Dick Sheppard — Editor Emeritus
These are strange times indeed when one considers that I recently had a doctor's appointment and there was a sign on the door warning that if I were experiencing any of the symp- toms of the Coronavirus I should wear a mask to enter the office. Made per- fect sense to me. Another stop en- tailed going by the bank where I find that we were absolutely barred with no face mask.
The vision is clear for the class of 2020.
That was the opening line I came up with last spring when thinking about this year’s graduating class. It was an easy pun. After all, 20/20 is considered perfect vision so incorporating vision into a message for the corre- sponding class seemed not only clever but also, I hoped, apropos.
Fast forward a year and... well...that vision can appear slightly less than perfect. Ok, it’s murky. It’s downright squint-your-eyes and hope for the best as you move for- ward.
But here’s the good news. Your vision is not based on our current situation. It has nothing to do with viruses, or masks or sheltering-in-place. It has nothing to do with the current state of the economy, the current state of politics or a current state of mind.
Your vision is based on everything you have been through to date and your will- ingness to look past this fog and into the future.
This fog will subside. This pandemic will pass. Things will be much clearer soon and when that happens – meet the moment.
Don’t look at this pandem- ic as a setback, but rather as an opportunity to set back into motion a future worthy of fighting for.
Though you may be enter- ing a world of uncertainty like no other time in modern history, one thing is certain – you represent the hope of all future generations. When his- tory looks back at this period in time, what will be written about our response, about your actions after the smoke clears?
Things will get better and you will likely be apart of that process. Who will you become in the new world? What will you take from this experience that you can use in building a better future?
Will you remember the time you spent hunkered down with family and loved ones? Will you emerge from this with a better understand- ing of what is essential in
life? Realize
that in spite of
drastic chang-
es you were
still able com-
plete your se-
nior year and
make it to the
finish line. Build off of that resilience and know that the only constant in life is change.
Some of you have already entered the workforce. Whether you’ve done so out of drive or necessity, in do- ing so you are already play- ing an integral part of this country’s, and the world’s, recovery.
So it’s ok that things aren’t so clear these days. What’s important is that you have a clear understanding of who you are and where you’re go- ing.
Look past this current sit- uation and set your eyes on a brighter future. Let nothing get in your way. Go and make the world a better place.
Rick Curiel is Sanger edi- tor for The Times.
Those episodes alone explain to me just how ham- handed our politicians and “medical experts” are in dealing with this pandemic.
Many of these so-called “masks” are no more than a bandana tied around one's face which isn't going to impede anything in the way of a virus from entering the lungs. Those finding reason to celebrate this new “fashion” would be the criminal element because this allows them to “hide in plain sight” when everyone is wearing a mask.
Probably one of the best ways to properly identify myself is as one of those people who truly decry the de-emphasis on the subjects being taught in our schools today. Primary among those would be history. One of the scariest pieces of advice which arises from that neglect of history would be “those who are either ig- norant of history or choose to ignore it are doomed to repeat the mistakes years of experience have taught.”
I bring this up because, during the current pan- demic, we seem to willingly relinquish Constitution- ally guaranteed freedoms—seemingly some disappear almostonadailybasis. We'veallowedpeopleofpower, or those who wish more of it, to use the element of fear to hand down lifestyle mandates that American people would ordinarily not stand for. Think of the damage this country has sustained during the last two months in terms of economics and basic deprivations of our rights.
How, you ask, does any of this have relevance to whether we learn from history? Martin Niemoller, a 20th century theologian penned the following prescient thoughts in regard to the growing Nazi threat in the 1930s. He foresaw and thoroughly understood the pol- itics of incrementalism. Take small bites and before anyone really suspects anything the entire cake is gone.
“First they came for the Jews, but I did nothing be- cause I'm not a Jew," he said. "Then they came for the socialists, but I did nothing, because I'm not a socialist. Then they came for the Catholics, but I did nothing because I'm not a Catholic. Finally they came for me, but by then there was no one left to help me.”
Benjamin Franklin once said “those who are will- ing to give up essential liberties and freedom for tem- porary security deserve neither freedom nor do they deserve safety either!”
Just when it seems that things can't get any worse we have a weekend of burning and looting which some see as a proper protest of the unjustified death of a young man in Minneapolis. Where are the protests for hundreds of young black men who are killed without justification every year in Chicago and numerous large predominantly Democrat-ruled metropolitan complex- es?
Mr. Floyd's family are among those who are plead- ing for peace. They do not want this to be the legacy of the son they lost. Empirical evidence all points to out- side forces, like Antifa and Black Lives Matter who are professional agitators, as being the people who fanned the flames of a riot that served their purposes. When there were bricks conveniently stacked on pallets along the streets to facilitate criminal action, one can find nothing organic or instantaneous about these riots.
Letters from readers
Fred Hall
Rick Curiel
But, as always, that's only one man's opinion.
Happy for the return of dine-in restaurants
Friday, May 22, was a day long awaited. It was only about 24 hours since the Fres- no County Board of Supervi- sors announced that restau- rants could reopen and allow dine-In services. On social media, I saw that The Wake- house in Reedley was indeed open! For several months I have gotten takeout from the famed eatery and even though it still tasted great, it did not feel the same.
That Friday, we arrived at the restaurant and were im- pressed by the new measures that were implemented. Or-
der first, seated outside — distanced of course — and served with one-time use utensils. Seeing friends and family there was great, too!
Despite some changes, our city is returning to normalcy. I've met and had dialogue with people that have different opinions on whether to reopen, but now the choice is once again in our hands. I'd like to thank the Fresno County Board of Supervisors for their hard work during this time and working with the state to reopen our economy. Since the beginning, the county supervi- sors never took too drastic or too weak positions which will be well remembered.
Unfortunately, we have cases and we have deaths. These individuals will forev- er be remembered. Any death reminds us of the limited time we have but also reminds us of the limited time we have to live. The era of COVID-19 shows us what we might have taken for granted. The people, the eats, the attractions, and society has a whole.
The local reopening shows that the great American come- back is now underway. Hope- fully, we can come out of this together and as one united people under God.
Matthew Casarez Reedley
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QUOTE
“I do not feel obliged to be- lieve that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intel- lect has intended us to forgo their use.”
— Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)