Page 4 - Mid Valley Times 6-17-21 E-edition

Thursday, June 17, 2021 | 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 An effort from the left to
re-segregate America
Walt Kelly was a cartoonist who
had a long, illustrious career which
produced a memorable little char-
acter from the Okefenokee Swamp
named Pogo Possum. Owing to the best-remembered quote attributed to
the small swamp-dwelling creature,
“we have met the enemy and he is us,”
if he were around today, he would be
“canceled.” This owing to the fact that
it appears there is little one can say or do that will not get one identified as either racist or a white supremest.
Nothing seems to make any sense these days! It's as if, with “critical race theory” becoming a part of your child's curriculum, there is a genuine effort to re-seg- regate America. Young children are being accused of something they hd nothing to do with nor even know about. Who, outside academia, knew that being born with certain pigmentation of skin amounted to original sin?
Making this issue even more egregious is that many major companies have joined the lemming-like proces- sional with our schools. The entire process is racist by definition when people are taught how terrible and privi- leged they are when they've done nothing other being born the way they are. What the hell ever happened to the proposition that all men are created equal?
As recent as this past week, a psychiatrist from New York was given the opportunity to address a college class at Yale University, universally recognized as one of the finest schools in the country. The comments by the young woman seemed to belie the educational serious- ness of the assembled group. Dr. Aruna Khalanani told the students that she often fantasized about “unloading a revolver into the head of any white person who got in her way.” She added that she would walk away with a spring in her step.
This is a woman who is demonstrably ill-equipped to practice medicine or represent any kind of role model for college age students. Ever wonder what your child or grandchild is being taught at that expensive university?
Mara Gay, a white female member of The New York Times editorial board , recently spoke of being upset during a recent trip to visit a friend on Long Island. It seems that Ms. Gay was disturbed to see the number of American flags being flown by people who live there. The alarm she felt at such a scene? You guessed it — it was racial! She believed that it was white supremacy sending a message that “this is my country.” With the Fourth of July rapidly approaching, here is a woman who should consider getting some help! Sadly, it seems everywhere one looks, this kind of thinking is becoming mainstream.
Even our president babbles every chance he gets about white supremacy and climate change being the greatest risks facing this country. That position is so asinine that it doesn't even deserve comment!
This administration's preoccupation with eliminat- ing carbon based fuels prematurely (we have nothing in place that can replace them at his time) will lead to shortages and soaring prices. We notice that Russia is biding its time, having been given the go-ahead on their pipelines and all things energy related. We sit idly by and watch the enrichment of Russia and China as our government does the bidding of a fringe group of envi- ronmental wackos. That would be AOC and “the posse.”
Actually, all this wrong-headedness would be easy to cure. Treat everyone as if they were one of God's Chil- dren. Like it or not, we all are!
But, as always, that's only one man's opinion.
Before I forget, just a gentle reminder that thanks to SB 1, passed in 2017, our California State tax on gasoline will once again be raised on July 1, 2021.
If you're vaccinated, masks can go from pockets to drawer or glovebox
Jon Earnest — Reedley Editor Dick Sheppard — Editor Emeritus
QUOTE
“If one morning I walked on top of the water across the Potomac River, the headline that afternoon would read "President Can't Swim".”
— Lyndon B. Johnson (1908-1973)
Fred Hall
On Tuesday, June 15, Cali- fornia finally offered its form or "parole" from COVID-19. As of this week, we no longer have to worry about orange, yellow, or even think of looking back at the dreaded purple color we all were getting on a longterm ba- sis for much of late 2020-early 2021.
The color tier system is now defunct (Fresno or Tulare counties hadn't reached the yellow moderate level by this time), and we finally can get back to a relatively normal life- style. Valley residents now can sit down and dine indoors with full capacity, watch movies and shows, go to ballparks and games with full capacity and generally return to social inter- action. Better yet, there's not a need to physically distance by six feet (although it's nice habit to continue when possible after these months of practice).
These developments don't mean we're out from under the state government thumb. Far from it, especially if you haven't received a COVID vac- cination. If you've not taken the shot, keep that mask handy. State guidelines for now will
continue to mandate that un- vaccinated people be masked up when indoors at public lo- cations, and social distancing should be practiced both in- doors and outdoors when pos- sible.
If you're among the vacci- nated — as I am — the obvious question is, can I throw my mask away? As tempting as it maybe,Iplantohangontoall my facial covering (especially the sharp-looking Reedley Pi- rate mask given to me by Dan- ny Jimenez). Knock on (red- wood-sized) wood, there won't be need to return to the dreary scenario surrounding the past 16 months anytime soon.
•••
As unique and fascinating
as it was to experience, I don't want to repeat the events of 2020-2021 in the world of high school sports. While it was re- laxing at times in the fall or winter to have a break from Friday nights on a football/ soccer field or in a basketball/ volleyball/wrestling gym, there remained a tangible absence. But by mid-March, it became a crazy three-month glut of sports activity from each sea-
son — starting with football in the early spring.
The sports
season in June
usually is limit-
ed to state track
and field and
boys golf, but that's changed for this year. Both baseball and softball playoffs, and even an abbreviated basketball postsea- son schedule, have stretched into June. It's been a strange sight, indeed.
Locally, a salute goes out to the Dinuba High softball team, the Reedley High base- ball team (which reached the June 16 section semifinals) and Sanger High track and field section qualifiers for making it this far. And even add those locals playing in the June 18 City-County All-Star Football Game at Tom Flores Stadium in Sanger. Just make sure to stay hydrats this week with those expected 110-degree tempera- tures.
Jon Earnest is news-sports editor for The Times.
Jon Earnest
Perhaps the biggest problem facing the world today is a decreased level of health
What does your health and fitness mean to you? If you be- come sick, are you confident that your body is ready to fight off that sickness?
The number one cause of COVID -related deaths are un- derlying health concerns and a compromised immune system.
What if I told you that you can control your level of health and that control would result in a higher quality of living? Would you take control to live better?
Seventy percent of deaths in the United States are caused by chronic diseases. Chronic dis- eases include obesity, heart dis- ease, Type 2 diabetes, stroke, many types of cancer, artery disease, drug addiction, and more.
Our reaction when we are diagnosed w/ chronic disease is to take the medication our doc- tor prescribes; however medi- cine only masks the underlying issue. High cholesterol? Take this medication... Low bone density? Take this medication... Obese? Take this surgery and medicine... Diabetes? Take this medication...
What is the underlying is- sue?
A decreased level of health driven by our society's accep- tance that everything can be fixed with medication, or that everything has an easy fix. The reality is that most chronic dis- eases do have an easy fix. It is called hard work.
Blood pressure, bad choles- terol, triglycerides, lean mass, bone density, body fat, gly- cated hemoglobin. The recipe to increasing your health is to increase the positive ranges of metrics like these.
How do we do this? With a healthy dose of hard work. A focused nutrition plan coupled with a healthy amount of regu- lar physical activity.
My day job is as a personal trainer, group fitness coach, and health and lifestyle coach. I have had the benefit to help thousands in our community find and live more healthy ver- sions of themselves. I now plan to use my position as a Reedley City Council member to shine an even brighter light on this issue of a decreased level of health in our community.
I can speak with experience that when people become more aware of the benefits of living a more healthy and fit lifestyle,
their quality of living rises.
My aim is to
help as many in
our community
become more
aware of what
healthy living
means. To curb
the idea that
medicine is here to fix things and to educate that we are our best asset to fixing and/or pre- vention of health issues.
Let us not focus on the easy way out but rather accept that just like everything in life, with hard work, dedication, and awareness, we can lessen our dependence on medicine and take control of our lives.
The Reedley Fiesta is com- ing up in October. I challenge everyone to participate in ei- ther the 2- or 5-mile walk/run on Saturday, Oct. 9. Everyone can participate in at least a 2-mile walk.
I hope to see everyone out there!
Matthew Tuttle, Area 1 rep- resentative on the Reedley City Council, is co-owner of Gnardog Crossfit Gym in Reedley.
Matthew Tuttle