Page 4 - Mid Valley Times 7-9-20 e-edition

Thursday, July 9, 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 Weeks of 'woke' are taking
a toll on America
I'm not sure about the rest of you, but to me I don't believe America can stand to be any more “woke” than we are right now!
Rash of illegal fireworks puts needless burden on safety workers
Rick Curiel — Sanger Editor Jon Earnest — Reedley Editor Dick Sheppard — Editor Emeritus
For roughly the past six weeks
we've endured rioting, looting, burn-
ing of inner cities, personal property
destruction, lives being devastated
and historical monuments being des-
ecrated. While the mayors and gover-
nors of the impacted locations stood
by — sometimes even offering aid and comfort to the miscreants — our “woke” press continued to tell us that these rioters had every right to strike back against “white supremacy.” A brand new state sprang up on the streets of Seattle where their leadership was too busy threatening and brandishing their guns to decide if they were “Chaz” or “Chop.”
Through all of this turmoil, we were told that Black lives matter and warned when we had the temerity to say that all lives matter. As near as we can tell, the loudest and most vociferous of the agitators have been caucasian, female “trust fund babies” who are the proud product of our educational system. To us, it shows greater racial animus toward Black people when our privileged “whites” feel the need to step in and help guide their cause. That seems to be the ultimate example of white supremacy — but, what do I know?
These are the same group of anarchists who have managed to make our policemen the bogeyman and turn entire police departments into a grand social ex- periment. I presume we would be expected to send out social workers and psychologists to counsel those who are busy robbing or killing someone. It has to be that way because a college professor once told them of the suppression being suffered by the minorities at the hands of so called “white supremacists.”
Trouble with that rationale is that it doesn't hold wa- ter, because people from all over the world risk life and limb to get to America. The very country that is con- demned continually by Black Lives Matter and Antifa is the same one that immigrants see as presenting the greatest opportunity for freedom and financial stabil- ity of any in the world. Experience and theory are very different issues.
This past weekend produced one of the bloodiest on the cities being run by Democratic mayors on record but has barely been reported. It seems that the virus has caused the inane actions of poorly educated young people. They can't help but remind me of the actions of animals that run in mindless packs. Individually, they are timid and present no danger but when they come together as a pack they gain courage and a feeling of invincibility. The death of George Floyd was used as the rationale for all this thuggery — today most of them don't even remember George Floyd.
Bureaucrats and those in charge of the enforce- ment of the laws of this land have been so cowed at this development and fear of offending political cor- rectness that they have literally emboldened the thugs that make up these packs. Protests have been held in the Central Valley and, so far, they have all been non- violent nor have they created any destruction of other people's property through burning and looting. I may not agree with either group of demonstrators but must offer a tip of the hat to our locals who show more so- phistication than those whose emotions overrule their common sense.
With all the current lawlessness in America today and looking the other way or even joining on the call to rid ourselves of police protection can there be any doubt about the sudden rise in killings in large cities and liaissez faire demonstrated toward rioters.
No cash bail currently being touted as social justice in California and New York has literally turned cell doors into revolving doors. Get out of jail free.
Maybe it's wishful think- ing, but I'm looking forward to relatively peaceful quiet, evenings this week. After all, the Fourth of July is in our col- lective rear-view mirrors.
Then again, 2020 is hardly a year to expect the ordinary.
At one time, the ordinary consisted of four or five days, maybe a week, of fireworks ("safe and sane" along with il- legal) lighting up the evening and occasionally filling the sky. In California, we would be used to two or three pret- ty bad nights (the Fourth and whatever weekend surround- ed the holiday). The illegal py- rotechnics, aerial rockets and firecrackers make life rough for animals and military vet- erans with PTSD or similar symptoms. I remember my childhood days in the Midwest when the "cool" (illegal) stuff consisted of pretty much basic bottle rockets, cherry bombs and the dreaded M-80s.
Were it to be so simple these days. Now, aerial rock- ets that have no business any- where but in a professional- ly-handled fireworks show are fired up on neighborhood street intersections, park- ing lots and backyards. Ma- ny times, they're being shot off in an extremely reckless manner; oftentimes multiple launches in short order cul- minating with multiple blasts; leaving hazardous embers to float down to houses and trees.
This year has been the best and worst when it comes to fireworks. Because of CO-
VID-19, there have been a record number of sales of safe and sane fireworks, pro- viding welcome revenue for churches, schools and vari- ous nonprofit organizations. People who have had to deal with shelter in place and the suspension of many activities at times in the past three-plus months — not to mention the suspension of all live Fourth of July shows in the immedi- ate region — happily spent their disposable money. And some may have made pyro purchases they really couldn't afford, but that's all well and good. More power to them.
But it's been the illegal fire- works bought, obtained, per- haps resold and then ignited throughout our cities' neigh- borhoods that has been the most disturbing. It's been on- going since at least mid-June, probably earlier.
Last Saturday was a rough night for firefighters, police and many residents in Sanger and Reedley, with a combined three fires that damaged or threatened structures. All suspected to have ignited by fireworks. In Sanger, one room at the Town House Motel was damaged along with nearby trees. In Reedley, an unoc- cupied house on I Street was damaged while another struc- ture on the east side of town was threatened when fire- works ignited a tall palm tree.
Credit goes out to hard- working firefighters in Sanger, Reedley and other area agen- cies who helped battle the
three blazes.
The fires pre-
vented fire of-
ficials from
helping police
to conduct op-
erations to lo-
cate and seize
illegal fire-
works on the holiday. But credit also goes to Sanger and Reedley police, with both de- partments issuing 20 citations (including fines of $1,000) to those blowing off illegal ex- plosives. Thank you for help- ing keep the community safe.
It's an actual pipe dream, but the wish is that people would start to show a little re- sponsibility when it comes to bringing illegal fireworks into the picture. At the very least, blow them all off in one night.
For now, we take a break. Until New Year's Eve, at the latest.
•••
As we go through the sec-
ond of three weeks with no dine-in restaurants, bars or brew pubs, remember to sup- port your local dining estab- lishments with takeout or de- livery orders. And continue to show support when you can to all small businesses struggling to stay afloat in this COVID-19 atmosphere.
As for masks, feel free to follow your beliefs and prin- ciples. Just remember to con- tinue to practice courtesy and civility to others.
Jon Earnest is Reedley edi- tor for The Times.
Fred Hall
Jon Earnest
Letters from readers
But, as always, that's only one man's opinion.
Supporting the police
To the Reedley Police Department:
Our nation is being assault-
ed and destroyed by fanatical Marxist revolutionaries remi- niscent of the 1960s. Recent events in our country have placed a great deal of focus on police departments all across the nation.
The hostility, vitriol, and damage perpetrated by ex- treme anti-American luna- tics is not a reflection of the entire nation. The Marxist radicals committing high cul- tural crimes by destroying and tearing down valued public art and statues should be consid- ered enemies of our nation and treated accordingly.
All police organizations
across our country need public support and respect at this very critical moment in our nation's history.
My gratitude to the Reedley Police Department and all sup- port staff — you define true heroism and courage. Semper Fi.
Gary and Elizabeth Barsoom Reedley
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QUOTE
“There are two ways to slide eas- ily through life; to believe every- thing or to doubt everything. Both ways save us from thinking.”
— Alfred Korzybski (1879-1950)