Your account does not include highlighter on images.
Searches Highlighted on Image
National Sponsors
| January 26, 2011 Indian Valley Record |  |
|
©
Indian Valley Record. All rights reserved. Upgrade to access Premium Tools
PAGE 16 (16 of 28 available) PREVIOUS NEXT Jumbo Image Save To Scrapbook Set Notifiers PDF JPG
January 26, 2011 |
|
|
Website © 2025. All content copyrighted. Copyright Information Terms Of Use | Privacy Policy | Request Content Removal | About / FAQ | Get Acrobat Reader 
|
8B Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2011
E D I T O RIAL
and OPINION
Bulletin, Progressive, Record, Reporter
EDITORIAL
Freedom of
the press
challenged
Recently, both freedom of speech and, sub-
sequently, freedom of the press have been
part of the national rhetoric. In light of the
Wikfieaks fiasco and the Tucson, Ariz.,
shootings, people have been discussing how
words are used and how far the press can go
in reporting what is 'happening in the world.
Banning the use of certain words because
there is a hope that someone will not take a
gun and go on a shooting rampage is not the
answer in a free society. An intelligent soci-
ety can differentiate between metaphor, simi-
le and hyperbole. Words change with culture.
What was once cool is now hot. Being in the
crosshairs today was being on the hotseat in
past days.
And, while we don't agree that someone
working for the federal government should
leak confidential material to outside sources
and potentially put agents in harm's way,
those people need to be held accountable for
their actions, especially if they threatened
the security of citizens.
However, disseminating information to a
free world is a newspaper's job. It is your
right as the reader to know what the govern-
ment is planning, doing and wanting to do
that keeps it accountable. It is information
about accidents and crimes that keep people
safe. Someone may learn how to prevent an
accident, and someone may learn that crime
really does not pay.
In each issue of the paper, the editorial
board weighs what a Story means to the read-
er and if the information it writes tells a sto- "
ry readers need and want to know. This week
we report in detail what is in the warrants
that led to the arrest of alleged murderers
Joanna McElrath and Robin Glen James. The
information is graphic and tells an unforget-
table story of premeditation and hate.
John F. Kennedy said, "We are not afraid
to entrust the American people with unpleas-
ant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies
and competitive values. For a nation that is
afraid to let its people judge the truth and
falsehood in an open market is a nation that
is afraid of its people."
Claude-Adrien Helv6tius said, "To limit the
press is to insult a nation."
Even small towns like those in Plumas and
Lassen counties have to face horrific crimes
from time to time, and recent events in the
national news make us understand all too
well the wish to cover up hateful actions, but
burying our heads doesn't make us better
people, only ignorant people.
Feathe ishing
go to plumasnews.com
Michael C. Taborski ............. Publisher
Keri B. Taborski ...Legal Advertising Dept.
Delaine Fragnoli ........ Managing Editcr
Alicia Knadler ........ Indian Valley Editor
Kate West ............... Chester Editor
Ingrid Burke ................ Copy Editor
Staff writers:
Joshua Sebold Ruth Ellis
Will Farris Brian Taylor
Sam Williams Pat Shillito
Barbara France Christian Young
Susan Cort Johnson Diana Jorgenson
Kayleen Taylor Mona Hill
Feather River Westwood
Bulletin PinePress
(530) 283-0800 (530) 256-2277
Lassen County
Times
(530) 257-53211
Portola Reporter
(530) 832-4646
Chester Progressive
(530) 258-3115
Indian Valley
Record
(530) 284-7800
Check
Out Our
l PLUMASNEWS.COM
Women in combat:Are we ready?
MY TURN
M. KATE WEST
Chester Editor
chesternews@plumasnews.com
The Jan. 17 CNN political page featured a
story by Allison Harding. The topic: "Re-
port: Women should be allowed to serve in
combat."
Her written account of the work of the
Military Leadership Diversity Commission
not only looked at the potential assessment
of opportunities for the promotion and ad-
vancement of minority members of the mil-
itary but also presented a point of view
from National Organization of Women
(NOW) President Terry O'Neill.
In reading her article three paragraphs
in particular jumped out and provoked a
response from me. They read:
"Since 1990 (NOW) has been calling for
fair treatment of women in the military
who are in fact at risk but are not getting
combat pay or opportunities for promo-
tion."
"The commission also dismissed con-
cerns that allowing women to serve in com-
bat units would negatively impact troop
morale, saying there is little evidence to
support the theory."
"One freqfiently cited argument in favor
of the current policy is that having women
serving in direct combat will hamper mis-
sion effectiveness by hurting unit morale
and cohesion. Comparable arguments were
made with respect to racial integration, but
were ultimately never borne out."
First I would address the NOW com-
ments and say that although I am a product
of the 1960s, with a fairly "live and let live"
philosophy, I have never been a fan of the
women's liberation movement.
I am, however, a tremendous fan of inde-
pendent women.., those savvy enough, for
example, to have an available man fix the
screen door but capable enough to do it
themselves should it be necessary.
I also do not believe that men and women
were created equal in all things and there-
fore they cannot, in my opinion, be equally
"qualified" in all things.
Lastly, I don't trust, based on my own
seven years of military experience, the
United States Department of Defense to ac-
Where in the world?
Taylor Rogers (right) caught and released a striped marlin during a weeklong trip to
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. His dad, Harry, shows a newspaper photo of a marlin
Christmas light display taken at their ranch in Indian Valley. Next time you travel,
share where you went by taking your local newspaper along and including it in a
photo. Then e-mail the photo to smorrow@plumasnews.com
curately judge who is equally qualified.
As a case in point, when I was assigned
to two postal units in Germany, I worked
both postal operations and finance. Fi-
nance is working a customer window in a
military post office. Operations is offload-
ing as many as four semitrailer loads of
mail in a single shift and pitching it into in-
dividual unit boxes.
In this particular instance there were
two female soldiers assigned to postal oper-
ations who individually weighed maybe
105 pounds. Neither had the physical quali-
fications to unload (drag), lift or dump a
single mailbag, yet the military spent the
money to send them to a special school to
gain the postal skill identifier.
That they never had to work the heavy
end of the job was not appreciated by many
of their male co-workers. In fact, that same
lack.of appreciation developed into resent-
ment, which in turn did impact morale on
the operations sideof the unit.
From that one example you have to ask
just who does the entire oversized tire
changing in motor pools when male and fe-
male mechanics areequally assigned?
Then look at truck drivers. While I might
be able to learn to drive a deuce and a half
as well as any man, I sure the beck would
never be able to lift or change a flat tire
without assistance.
While I am sure there are any number of
women who could more then hold their
own in the strength department, more
women couldn't in all three of the occupa-
tions I mentioned above.
As to NOW's push for equal pay for equal
jobs, that is the way it should be, for every-
one in every job, civilian or military.
And as to women on the front lines, I
don't honestly know ifI am all the way.
there yet.
While I don't believe the life of a woman
service member is more precious then that
of her male counterpart, I am hesitant, per-
haps, because I am likely, as a woman, to
be overly sensitive to the h~storical abuse
women have received at the hands of male
captors.
Yet I don't believe my reservations carry
over past women pulling frontline duty on
the ground.
I believe they have the strong aptitude
and physical coordination to make great jet
jockeys, company commanders or ship cap-
tains'. The same goes for their planningtar-
gets, launchmgm~ssiles and other dwect
support duties in the air and at sea.
Even though I believe there are still a
host of other involved issues to debate, my
main purpose here is to provoke conversa-
tion on whether further debate or public
input is needed.
I would hope most readers understand by
now that I truly don't buy into decisions
made from generalizations.
However, understanding I might gain
from more opinions might help to settle my
internal debate.
REMEMBER WHEN
KERI TABORSKI
Historian
75 YEARS AGO ......... 1936
California Governor Frank F. Merriman
married the former Mrs. Jessie Stewart
Lipsey this week. The new Mrs. Merriman'
will be receiving visitors at the Governor's
mansion in Sacramento after March 1.
The Greenville Community Hall project,
involving $11,383 by the federal Works
Progress Administration (WPA) and $5,210
by the citizens of Greenville is being held
up in Washington for final approval. The
project will furnish five months work for
an average of 30 men. Other WPA projects
ready to proceed locally is the regrading
the grounds at Quincy High School and re-
seeding the groundsand lawn at Greenville
High School.
A new Caterpillar tractor was delivered
to Road Camp 28 to speed the construction
of the Feather River Highway from Tobin
to Storrie.
50 YEARS AGO ....... 1961
A thirty foot display featuring enlarged
color photographs and a large map of Cali-
fornia showing where Plumas County is lo-
cated will be on display at the National
Warm and
MY TURN
ALICIA KNADLER
Indian Valley Editor
aknaoler@Dlumasnews.com
Flap, flap, coo, coo that's the status I
wanted to post on Facebook last week.
We were in Yuma, Ariz., the land of the
snowbirds, where the sun felt hot and the
temperatures hovered in the low 80s dur-
ing the day. My husband soaked it up for
all he was worth, while I kept taking trips
to stand under the air conditioner.
I'd been a little whiney before the trip
sotRh, remembering that somehow we'd
taken the cold weather with us the last
three years wetried to get warm in Janu-
ary. And what a wonderful feelingit was
after being stuck at home on the iceberg, as
I called Greenville.
After we left, we heard from friends that
the below freezing temperatures finally
sunny doesn't touch
broke, for a moment anyway.
Today, while writing this, I'm almost
dreading the trip home, because we heard
the freeze was back again -- but that was
from someone over in Westwood. Maybe
our banana-belt corner of Indian Valley
will be warmer-- I hope.
But no matter what, I guess I'm ready to
come home, back to the mountains in
search of clean air, even if it's icy cold.
Traveling in search of a hot sun in Janu-
ary is fun, but it's not so hot when the
warm air stinks.
In Yuma it was.heayy agricultural burn-
ing along the Colorado River, with the oc-
casional burning-tire thrown in the brown,
sludgy acridness. The brown layer was
constantly in view, if not in olfactory
range. So when the temperatures dropped
back into the 70s, we decided to head over
to the Southern California coast for some
beach time.
We pulled into Bolsa Chica State Beach
just after sunset, after some rush-hour traf-
fic on the San Diego freeway. Next time I'll
take the toll road.
Air at the beach seemed better until the
evening breezes carried over wafts of refin-
ery smell. I sat outside with a Sam Adams
Light and wanted to post a question as my
Sports and Boat Show at the Cow Palace in
San Francisco next month at the informa-
tion booth there sponsored by the Plumas
County Chamber of Commerce.
25 YEARS AGO ....... 1986
The Plumas County Board of Supervisors
upheld a county Planning Department deci-
sion which allows Sierra Pacific Industries
to construct a 20 megawatt co-generation
plant at the company's Quincy sawmill.
10 YEARS AGO .......... 2001
A white Chrfstmas snow was a month
late in arriving when snow quickly and
steadily fell throughout Plumas County
this week, signifying the first snow of 2001.
clean and,clear
new status: Who stole the stars?
I sat there counting stars and their num-
ber equaled 25, the same as the number of
things I forgot to pack in my hurry to get
my husband off the iceberg.
The offshore oil rigs were lit up real pret-
ty at night, though.
People-watching was a 1Qt of fun there,
and we marveled at the many kinds of dogs
that were walked along the several miles of
beach trail most of them smaller than
our beagles. Joe kept waiting for babes in
bikinis to wander by, hopefully jogging,
but these southland city dwellers need
more than 70 degrees to bare some skin.
I'd end that sentence with a smiley face if
I could.
Now that we're away from the beach,
he's thinking about home again, and firing
up the woodstove. We're visiting the grand-
babies and enjoying one more day of tem-
peratures in the 80s.
If we look straight up instead of side-
ways, the sky even looks nice and blue, al-
most as nice as the sky over our home in
the Plumas National Forest. Yes, we're
ready to trade the hot sun for some clean,
cold air.
Until next year, when we catch up with
the snowbirds again.