A new wave

Hear that noise? It’s the first cracking of the rottedpillars supporting ‘affirmative action,’ as propped up by the Supremes of1978. Witness: www.cnn.com/video/#/video/living/2011/02/28/nr.white.male.scholarships.cnn?hpt=T2

I suspect that this is just the first ripple of a newwave, the long overdue, visible beginning of the end for ‘affirmative action’institutionalized discrimination.

We now have a new generation of 30+ year old, whiteAmerican males who don’t quite see the ‘pop justice’ in why they or their sonsshould be discriminated against by their government for ‘sins’ that at bestended on any possibly meaningful scale well before they were born. They’renot quite up to speed on why their female or minority peers have somehow earnedspecial breaks, quotas, hiring/promotion preferences and economic set-asidesforbidden by government policy to white men.

There willbe the predictable, old-school, knee-jerk reaction to sling around terms like’racism!!!!’ and ‘sexism!!!!,’ but that’s what is uniquely bellwether aboutthis story.  It is among the first emerging signs (for all those who’vebeen on Mars since Obama gained the White House…) that those terms are nowobsolete to describe in any practical sense real barriers in America… exceptfor the young white male victims of the enduring pop bigotry perfumed as’affirmative action.’

And they’re beginning to question it.

High time.
Bill Slusher

Okanogan

What is a monopoly?

I just got back from a week in Caboand read the response to my letter. 

Usually when someone says somethinglike “well, in my mind…,” (Referring to an issue being debated) you knowthey’re full of crap!

Mr. Forhan, here are thedefinitions of a monopoly (Webster’s):

1 “Exclusive ownership throughlegal privilege, command of supply, or concerted action”

2. “Exclusive possession or control”

3. “A commodity controlled by oneparty”

Obviously, the Obama plan, whichuses private insurance companies, encourages competition, and does not have apublic option, is not a government controlled monopoly. (As you falsely claim).

BTW [By The Way], other examples ofgovernment programs/polices that are similar: FAA airline rules, state mandatedauto insurance, regulated utilities. Same thing. (And they are also notgovernment run monopolies).

Change of subject: 

I’m not sure if you’re just bad atgetting your facts right (And hopelessly blinded by right wing propaganda), orhave a deliberate strategy to keep the “pot boiling” in the local paper bywriting demonstrably false stuff that keeps a steady supply of letters comingin. Those letters of course interest people on both sides of the politicalspectrum and keep readership up. As a business guy myself, the “pot boiling”strategy would be something I’d seriously consider. It makes sense.

That said, why not ask for peoplein the community to actually write opinion pieces pro and con on various issueslike government mandated healthcare, global warming, defense spending,abortion, tax rates, the war in Iraq/Afghanistan, arms spending, the “groundzero” Mosque, etc. etc.

You could let folks know in advancewhat the subject was, and ask for submissions. My guess is you’d get a lot, andspark even more interest on various subjects (local and national). Maybe youjust do it once a month? Maybe every week?

Just a thought.

GregJames

Seattle

Bill’s response: Greg, talk aboutblinded by ideology! Your response clearly makes my case: 1) the governmentdeveloped the “legal privilege” to sell their insurance policy throughconcerted action; 2) if you try to sell something different you are fined; 3) thelaw mandates that everyone must buy their product so they are in completecontrol of the “commodity;” 4) the government maintains exclusive right andcontrol of the content and quality of the product. The insurance companiesbecome nothing more than commission sales staff for the approved governmentplan. The buyer has no options. They cannot “opt out” and they cannot choose aninsurance policy that doesn’t include everything the government says it must.When the company selling the product has no control over the service, qualityor content of the product they have no competitive advantage. As a businessmanyou should understand that.

As far as a topic of the week, Idon’t try to control my readers and I have no idea what topics will be hot eachweek. Readers can write to me at any time on any subject, and as long as theydo not libel someone, use profanity, or threaten to harm someone I will printit. It doesn’t really matter how well they write or how thoroughly they haveconsidered the issues that they are passionate about. I do not censor or limitlength. If they write too much I contact them to advise them to shorten it up.I do edit articles for spelling and grammar so the writer doesn’t look stupid.

Proud of Tigers

To the Tonasket Boys Varsity Basketballteam, just wanted to thank you for your hard work and dedication to basketb
alland each other as a team this season.

You were dealt a lot this year,from unnecessary articles in the Wenatchee World to shouldering all the blamemost of the time. Yet you handled it all with dignity and class and because ofthat you will always be successful no matter what life throws at you. You are agreat bunch of guys who so many are proud of.

To the seniors it has been a joy toknow you and watch you play over the years. I wish you the best in your futureendeavors.

A proud Tiger Mom,

Robin Stedtfeld

Tonasket

Take responsibility

Over the years there seems to be anincreasing occurrence of not taking responsibility for our actions. Itgenerally seems that we have a proclivity of blaming someone or something else.That is to say that it is too easy to say “It’s his fault,” etc.

You know how that goes – “I’m latebecause the traffic was too heavy.” In reality I’m late because I didn’t plancorrectly or I didn’t leave early enough or I was too lazy to set the alarm,i.e. I left it up to my spouse and didn’t take responsibility. I could go onand on but if I did I would just be reiterating, so let’s take this a stepfurther.

Much complaint today is economic.And, I’ll admit that economically we, as a nation adrift. But, how did we gethere? We got here by not taking responsibility. Granted, this seems to besimplistic but let me share some statistics with you.

In scripture we read: “…even so Ido not leave sin unpunished, but I do punish the children for the sins of theirparents to the third and fourth generations.” Granted, all have sinned and comeshort of the glory of God. To paraphrase Huey Long when he said to the votingpublic, “I’m a hick, you’re a hick and we are all hicks together”, I want tochange that to say I’m a sinner, you’re a sinner and we are all sinnerstogether. We need to recognize our sins, address them and ask forgiveness.

Let me illustrate how this affects,say the economics of even such items as social security. Social security existsbecause a current work force supports the retired. As the current work forceretire, the incoming work force continues to bring the support. But, if theincoming work force is reduced then the whole system is in danger.

By illustration. Let’s take the sinof abortion. Not all agree that it is a sin, though I believe it is. But lookhow that action has reduced the work force. In 2005, which is the lateststatistic I have, there were, in the United States 1.21 million abortions. Thenumbers vary but, for simplicity, let’s say that there were 1 million in eachof the years from 1995 to 2005, that would be a minimum of 10 million peoplewho would be in or soon to enter the work force. You can do the math andrealize the economic input 10 million people would have in contributing to thesocial welfare situation.

For every action there is areaction. That reaction can be either positive or negative. The reaction toabortion, besides being a sin, is also economically threatening. But, then whenwe, as a nation, allow something we also choose the consequence orconsequences.

So, let’s not blame other for wherewe are. Let’s look in the mirror, be aware of the image we see, ask, with truerepentance, God to forgive us and begin growth with a new birth. And returnthis nation to what I believe God intended it to be, our forefather establishedit to become and secured that in our Constitution.

The Coffee Drinker,

Randy Middleton

Tonasket