Page 4 - Mid Valley Times 6-16-22 E-Edition

Thursday, June 16, 2022 | A4 | Mid Valley TiMes Editorial & Opinions
Serving the Readers of the Reedley Exponent, Dimuba Sentinel and Sanger Herald.
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Founded March 26, 1891, in a two-story building on the corner of 11th and F streets, by A.S. Jones
Guest Column
Is Donald Trump boring now?
By Rich Lowrey
Guest columnist
Donald Trump implicitly endorsed a half-baked con- spiracy theory for why his candidates lost in the Georgia Republican primaries, and it created barely a ripple in the political world.
The man who shocked and outraged his way through four transfixing years as president of the United States has become a known commodity, indeed predictable and even monotonous.
It’s a blessing and a curse for formerly cutting-edge musicians to see their once radically counter-cultural ma- terial show up in TV ads for cars. There’s no danger that Trump will ever be similarly laundered into the main- stream. But he can become boring, which will put at risk one of the pillars of his appeal as the most wildly enter- taining, mad-cap national political figure of our lifetimes.
Now, I say this as someone who thought Trump’s act might begin to wear thin some time in 2015. I was wrong then, and I may well be wrong again. At the very least, though, Trump can’t benefit from the shock of the new a sec- ond time, or a third time, depending on how you’re counting.
The rallies, once an innovation and still his cam- paign signature, long ago fell into a groove of famil- iarity — the stilted reading of scripted remarks off the teleprompter, interrupted by spontaneous riffs and ridi- cule of his enemies.
Perhaps, by now, the terms of abuse have become such timeless classics that fans would be disappointed not to experience them live, a little like going to a Beach Boys concert anytime over the last half-century and not hear- ing “California Girls.”
Yet you could have heard the same lines at any Trump rally at any place on any occasion over the last several years. The media is still “Fake News.” MSNBC is still “MSDNC.” Adam Schiff is still “shifty” and Chuck Todd still “sleepy.” And, as you might have heard, Chris Wal- lace always wanted to be like his father Mike of “60 Min- utes” fame, but sadly didn’t have the talent.
Much of his focus is backward-looking. Republican vot- ers care, as they should, about the beginnings of the poorly predicated Russia probe that consumed so much time and attention during Trump’s first couple of years in office, but there’s no way they care as much as Trump does.
The former president said the words “Russia” or “hoax” innumerable times during a recent rally for Liz Cheney’s opponent in Wyoming. The casual observer could have been forgiven for thinking it was an event primarily about the Mueller probe with some throwaway lines about Har- riet Hageman mixed in purely for variety’s sake.
He talked about his two impeachments, and, of course, his “perfect phone call” with Ukrainian president Volody- myr Zelenskyy.
There is wisdom in the famous William Faulkner line that, “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” It’s an adage that’s traditionally been best suited to Southern gothic novelists, though, rather than American politicians who usually benefit from putting an accent on the future.
Trump’s signature 2016 boost of, “I alone can fix it,” has become, “I alone can fixate on it.”
The candidate who brought relatively neglected issues that mattered to the average voter into the center of the political discussion in 2016, from immigration and trade to opioids, is now largely telling voters about the slights and ill-treatment that matter to him in 2022.
All that said, there’s no doubt that rally attendees still enthusiastically enjoy Trump’s lines. And there’s also no beating something with nothing. If Trump’s rallies are stale, what hot new event in Republican politics is going to supplant them? The fact is that Trump at his most dull still may be more interesting than a conventional Repub- lican at his or her most entertaining.
A Trump march toward the GOP nomination will elate his supporters and create a five-alarm fire in the press and among Democrats. But at least this time around, ev- eryone will know what he’s going to say next.
Rich Lowry is editor-in-chief of the National Review. © 2022 by King Features Synd., Inc.
Parlier, Sanger graduations are tales of contrasting celebrations
Fred Hall — Publisher Emeritus Jon Earnest — Editor
Dick Sheppard — Editor Emeritus
Another spring season of college and high school gradu- ations is in the books. That means thousands of young graduates have reached a sub- stantial milestone —and ar- rived at a major fork in the road — in each individual path- way to their ultimate destiny in life.
The final two high schools in our little region of the world had their seniors take a final walk and receive their diplo- mas last week. And they were in starkly contrasting settings.
First was the Parlier High commencement on June 9. The senior class of 212 braced themselves for the hot outdoor conditions at Parlier High foot- ball stadium by literally chill- ing in the cool, comfortable solace of the school gymna- sium. But like all graduations, there was palpable excitement among the soon-to-be-gradu- ates.
The steady walk to the sta- dium, west out of the gym and then north to the field, featured smiling graduates and proud administrators leading them to their big night. Both east and west sides of the small stadium included crowds of parents, family and friends; with more filtering in as the ceremony be- gan with a classical rendition of "Pomp and Circumstance' playing on the loudspeaker.
The graduates worked their way to their seats, flanked by school faculty and some par- ents seated at ground level inside the stadium. Fireworks exploded in the dusky sky dur- ing the national anthem, and the graduates listened to vale-
dictorian speakers Jared A. Herrera and Guadalupe Lopez Trejo, along with other student and administrator speakers, before coming up to get their hard-earned diplomas.
Basically, it was your clas- sic traditional graduation that takes place in smaller towns. The community comes to- gether to celebrate the young people's achievement.
A night later, on June 10, the Sanger High commence- ment ceremony in Fresno was an indoor event inside the usu- ally cavernous Save Mart Cen- ter. In this instance, there was a buzz you usually don't feel at a Fresno State basketball game — it was more like the occasional concert that plays and draws large crowds.
It also screamed big, given the number of graduates this year, more than 730. The se- niors were well-sheltered from the crowd, gathering inside the bowels of the arena in prepa- ration for their entrance from the west end. Big also usually is the atmosphere when Sanger High is involved, as the "Tribe" of parents, family, friends and supporters packed most every seat of the lower level. There were some people even sitting in the upper sections, areas usually used only during con- certs and other graduations.
Sanger High grads — like those of the Fresno schools who annually use the arena - get the added bonus of seeing themselves on the large over- hang video screen on the score- board along with a number of conveniently placed video screens along the lower level.
Loud shouts
and applause
greeted the se-
niors during
the entrance,
then descended
to respectful
quiet during
the ceremony
before the closing eruption of celebration.
Congratulations to the Class of 2022, who had to withstand two years of online learning and more than a year separat- ing from most of their class- mates because of the corona- virus. Despite all the social upheaval, they persevered and have a diploma to show for it.
•••
The annual Sanger Cham-
ber Community Awards ban- quet at the end of the month is close to sold out, But there's still a chance to get tickets to the event — scheduled for Sat- urday, June 25, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Sunnyside Country Club in Fresno,
This year's honorees are Cheryl Ing, Hall of Fame; Pas- tor Gilbert Carrisalez, Citizen of the Year; Josie Rivera Lo- pez, Mother of the Year; Rog- er and Emilee Hudson, Mr. & Mrs. Farmer; Wallin's Funeral Home, Recycler of the Year; Bertha Munoz, Fire Person- nel of the Year; Dawn Pearson, Educator of the Year; and Mal- lory Scott, Rotary Youth Ser- vice Award.
For ticket information or to purchase, RSVP to (559) 875- 4575.
Jon Earnest is news-sports editor for The Times.
More U.S. flag etiquette
Those who attended the Me- morial Day ceremonies at the Reedley Cemetery expressed high praise for the veteran's flags displayed and the main or central flag behind the cannon. The United States Code, Title 36, U.S.C. Chapter 10 states that on Memorial Day that "the flag should be displayed at half staff/mast (Army/Navy) from 8 a.m. to noon and thereafter raised to full staff/mast for the remainder of the day."
The inevitable question aris- es as to what part of the flag should be at the midpoint of the staff/mast. The answer is simple, but not codified in the code. The blue canton with the 50 states represents each state of the union and its people. The flag is about our people. There- fore, when the flag is without wind and draped on the staff/ mast, the lowermost part of the blue canton should be slightly above midpoint of the staff/ mast. Those are the rules. But the "midpoint' is defined as a
measured distance from the top of the staff/mast. Visually, the midpoint should be raised above the denominal midpoint by the amount of one half of the flag width.
During the playing of the "Star Spangled Banner" or recitation of the Pledge of Al- legiance, military veterans are permitted to render a military salute.
Anthony Jewell American Legion Post 35 Reedley
QUOTE
“I can picture in my mind a world without war, a world without hate. And I can picture us attack- ing that world, because they'd never expect it.”
— Jack Handey (1949 - ), Deep Thoughts
Jon Earnest
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