Page 4 - Dinuba Sentinel 3-1-18 E-edition

Opinion
Fred Hall - Publisher
In My Opinion
Government regulations come
Wat cost to cherished freedoms
ith today's prevailing J. Trump has made conditions, perhaps this a good start toward would be an appropriate his announced goal
time for us to remind our readers— and the public in general—of the sage and cautionary words in a quote by Benjamin Franklin. “Those who are willing to give up a little essential freedom to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither freedom nor safety.” With red flags of warning all around us, we would all be well served to remember that once those rights have been ceded to the government they are gone forever!
It seems that every time we get a government driven regulation or law we give up a certain amount of our cherished freedom. In today's social media driven society which features such devices as “bots” and “troll farms” a situation has arisen where a literal handful of people are able to present an image of there being a huge hue and cry for one side of an issue while providing no dissenting position to their argument.
As more Americans turn to social media as their source of information being presented as news, the
risk is omnipresent for a massive disinformation campaign. We expect and hope that our readers are far
too sophisticated consumers of news content than to be “suckered” into believing much of the propaganda being disseminated by these sites. The best security against being taken in is to read and research as many sources as possible which speak with authority. Educate yourself in self defense against mediocrity.
It's my sincerely held position that many in the “mainstream” media have such hatred for our current President that they, in complete abrogation of journalistic standards, help stoke this fire of hatred.
“The Press” will face a daunting task over the several years of restoring public confidence in what they read
in newspapers and hear on radio and television.
So far, it seems to us, that Donald
Guest Column
Mass shootings shouldn’t be the only Atime we talk about mental illness
Those against gun control say this isn’t the time to talk about it. The Onion reprints its story titled, “‘No Way To Prevent This,’ Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens,” and updates the dateline to reflect the location of the new mass shooting.
When the shooter is white, we talk about mental illness. If they’re not, we talk about terrorism.
Then, Congress does nothing.
But, so long as we’re discussing mental illness, I’d like to weigh in. That’s something I know a bit about. I suffer from anxiety, PTSD, and depression.
I’m not a potential murderer. Mostly I just hide in my bed and cry and get down on myself. My mental illness paralyzes me and keeps me from getting work done, and then I heap shame on myself for not getting work done.
There are an awful lot of mentally ill people like me who are not potential security threats. We’re already stigmatized enough without being suspected of mass murder too.
From where I stand, there are
two problems with “solving” mass shootings in this country by simply keeping the mentally ill from owning guns.
First, banning the mentally ill from owning weapons only takes guns away from people who are diagnosed with mental illness. That includes a lot of people like me who’ve sought out help. We’re under a doctor’s supervision. Many others aren’t.
Second, taking away guns while not actually fixing how we treat mental illness isn’t much of a solution. That basically says it’s OK to let millions of Americans suffer so long as they don’t shoot anybody.
We have a system in place that deals with only the most extreme cases.
We can lock up people who commit violent crimes, or take kids away from parents who abuse them. We provide (some) help to the most severely disabled mentally ill people, through Social Security disability. And we
can temporarily put people who are dangerous to themselves or others in a mental institution.
Jill Richardson
it’s relatively affordable to get
on medications
for problems like depression and anxiety. Medication, when it works, literally saves lives.
A4 | Thursday, March 1, 2018
Fred Hall
of making America great again. To reiterate that which I have espoused before, the economy is growing stronger everyday; the stock market is in record
territory; unemployment is growing; job killing regulations are being repealed; businesses are returning stateside and America is simply stronger and safer due to efforts to rebuild the military. All of that plus we got a tax cut which puts money in the pockets of Americans.
The man has managed to accomplish much while dragging the dead weight of the Republican establishment, the Democrat party and the “deep state” that is represented by professional government employees who have become fat and lazy while feeding at the trough of big government. All
of that plus being bedeviled by a “witch hunt” investigation by Robert Mueller which after a full year has yet to uncover any evidence. The indictments have nothing to do with Mr. Trump or his administration. Some are even process crimes.
We'll begin to be impressed when members of the Clinton regime and yes, even Mr. Obama, come under scrutiny for their shenanigans.
As a closing thought, those of us who live and work here in California probably should not have been surprised when The Democrat party of California voted not to endorse Diane Feinstein in her reelection bid. When a San Francisco liberal who has carried the water for the Democrats for all these years and is now found to be too conservative to represent them one knows the sea change in our politics in this state is here!
But, as always, that's only one man's opinion.
Fred Hall is the publisher of the Sentinel.
Guest Column
CASA gives vulnerable children a voice
If you had the opportunity to make a substantial from outlying areas within Tulare difference in the life of a child, perhaps even save County, which include communities
that child’s life, would you step up?
CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) recruits, screens, trains, and supports community volunteers to
serve as advocates for abused and neglected children throughoutTulareCounty. Webelieveeverychildhasa story and every child deserves a voice.
When a child is taken from their home due to abuse or neglect, he or she enters a world of court proceedings and confusing, competing interests— they have a lawyer, but that lawyer may have hundreds of other cases to administer. The child’s social worker, likewise, has a full case load and may only see the child once a month. The judge gets to know the case, but only sees the child infrequently, and in a courtroom setting. This environment is unfamiliar and can be intimidating
for most adults. Can you imagine how frightful this might be for a youngster who is scared, vulnerable, and wondering if they matter?
That’s where CASA volunteers come in.
A CASA volunteer becomes familiar with the child and the child’s situation. The volunteer sees the child every week, and regularly talks to the child’s teachers, parents, other family members, social workers, lawyer, and often therapists, to construct a clear picture of what is going on in the life of that child—and then the volunteer advocates for that child’s best interests.
Children with a CASA volunteer have access to more services, and they are more likely to thrive, and spend less time in foster care or under court supervision. The CASA volunteer helps make the system work
as effectively as possible. CASA volunteers make a measurable and lasting difference in the lives of the most vulnerable children in our community. The CASA volunteer is likely the only individual not paid to see the child. This is extremely meaningful and empowering because the child or youth learns the CASA is there because he or she wants to be.
In Tulare County, approximately 1,100 children have been detained due to abuse, neglect, or abandonment. These children did nothing wrong and are innocent
in and around Dinuba, Woodlake, and Porterville.
The primary goal of this system is to provide biological parents with needed services,sothechildcanbereturnedtoa safe and loving environment. If parents do not engage in services, the second option is to find a suitable relative who
will love and protect the child. When these options are exhausted, the child may be adopted by a loving family. In the interim, many of the children reside in resource homes (foster families) and the CASA volunteer monitors the child’s well-being and provides information to the Juvenile Court judge so he or she can make the most informed decision possible regarding the child.
Our Juvenile Court judge has said she would assign every child a CASA if we had one. Unfortunately, we do not have enough volunteers for 1,100 children. That is why we need you to step up, stand up, and speak up for a child in your community. You can help improve the life of an abused or neglected child in the Dinuba area.
The training is less than 40 hours, and you will have all the support and guidance necessary to do a great job. The reward of witnessing a child heal, become resilient, and find permanency because of your actions is a type of personal satisfaction many other volunteer positions simply cannot offer.
If you would like more information about CASA of Tulare County, requirements for volunteers, or training dates in Porterville or Visalia, please call Anthony Maldonado, the Outreach, Recruitment, and Training Coordinator for CASA of Tulare County. The numbers are 625-4007 & 786-2142. Please visit our website at www.casatulareco.org or Facebook page @casatulareco to become familiar with our family of supporters, volunteers, and staff.
Anthony Maldonado
fter every mass shooting, we What about repeat all of the same things. everyone else?
Some call for gun control. If you’re insured,
If you’re not insured, it’s trickier. And when there’s
an underlying problem that needs to be addressed through therapy, medication is a Band-Aid.
I still wonder why no adults
noticed my problems when they were developing when I was a kid. A simple screening in my school could have gotten me started on treatment much earlier.
Even teaching mindfulness meditation or yoga in school would have helped.
It took until age 34 to discover the treatment that works for me: a form of psychotherapy called Somatic Experiencing and a form of bodywork called myofascial release. Together, these two therapies are changing my life in a way I never even dreamed was possible.
But they cost $10,000 per year if I go every week.
I’m not so sick that I need to be on Social Security disability, but I am too sick to work full time at most jobs. I struggle to earn enough just to live in general, so coming up with an extra ten grand a year is almost impossible. I’ve relied on crowdfunding to help.
I’m lucky I have friends who can afford to help. Not everyone does.
Survivors of the shooting in Florida are leading a courageous new call for gun control. Maybe this time will be different.
But if we’re going to talk about mental illness in the mean time, can we really talk about it? It’s not OK to let millions of Americans keep suffering and call it a success so long as none of them kills anybody.
OtherWords columnist Jill Richardson is the author of Recipe for America: Why Our Food System Is Broken and What We Can Do to Fix It. Distributed by OtherWords.org.
You can give a vulnerable child a voice. their hero!
You can be
victims of crime.
A disproportionate number are
Anthony Maldonado is the Outreach, Recruitment & Training Coordinator for CASA of Tulare County.
The Dinuba Sentinel welcomes submissions of letters to the editor on topics of local relevance. Word limit is 350.
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.
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Letters will be edited for length, grammar and clarity.
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