Letters to the Editor for the week of 1/22/20

Guidelines for letters

All letters must contain an address and phone number. Only one letter per week per person will be published; only one letter per person per month regarding the same topic will be published. Feather Publishing does not print third-party, anonymous or open letters. Letters must not exceed 300 words. Writers responding to previously published letters may not mention the author by name. The deadline is Friday at noon; deadlines may change due to holidays. Letters may be submitted at any of Feather Publishing’s offices, sent via fax to 283-3952 or emailed to [email protected].

The gifts of Mr. Schott

Even though my time with Mr. Schott was limited, I want to share that it was largely his influence that kept me moving through a late start at a degree in Music Therapy. I know that in inspiring me, he greatly assisted many of my clients without even knowing it!

Kathleen Hasty McBain

Chico

Samuel Langhorne Clemens

American writer and humorist (Mark Twain) once said, if you don’t read the news you are uninformed, if you read the news you are misinformed. Mark Twain’s words ring true in a Where I Stand article dated Jan. 18, 2019.

His propaganda letter on socialism reminds me of a conversation long ago between a serpent and Eve. I’m sorry, I just can’t bite that apple.

Millenials, this is America. It was founded by Christians, not socialists. The fight for your freedoms and liberties were paid for by the blood, sweat and tears of hardworking men and women with Christian values and ideas, not socialists. The Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights and The Constitution of the United States of America were written by men of Christian values, not socialist values.

Your personal liberties and God given rights are written in these documents and should be defended and protected at all costs, and not sweet-talked away.

In 1905 a group of young men met to plan the overthrow of the predominately Christian world-view that still pervaded America. At this first meeting five men were present: Upton Sinclair, Jack London, Thomas Higginson, J.G. Phelps Stokes and Clarence Darrow. Their organization was called the Intercollegiate Socialist Society. Their purpose was promote an intelligent interest in socialism among college men and women. Although a small group in the beginning, these adherents of socialism more than succeeded in their task.

By using the proven method of gradualism, taken from the Roman general, Quintos Fabius Maximus, these men and others who joined with them slowly infiltrated the public schools of our nation. By 1912 there were chapters in 44 colleges. By 1917 there were 61 chapters of student study groups off the League of Industrial Democracy.

Most Millenials and K– 12 and college students have been thoroughly indoctrinated in the socialist ideas of government by their teachers and professors. I’ve talked with many ex-K.G.B. agents over the last 40 years and they all said this is how socialism/communism takes over a country. They said it takes about three generations of slow indoctrination of our kids to eventually gain full control of a country. Do the math. From 1912 to 2019. Then look at Bernie Sanders and his young millennial followers.

J. Williams

Portola

On Socrates

Most of us tend to focus, if at all, on his death by hemlock in 399 B.C. With the help of his friends, he could easily have escaped the death sentence. But, why? Seventy was old age at that time. After a lifetime of fighting in Athen’s wars and serving as a unique purveyor of reason and logic to a society that was ruled by emotion, why renounce all that he stood for? We only know his life through the writings of Plato and, to a lesser extent, Xenophon. The man appeared to have lived an incredible life in Periclean Athens. During his years of military service (he fought in at least four major wars), he must have suffered injuries. But little is said on that subject. However, he did keep himself in fighting condition.

Insecurity and ignorance were prevalent in Athenian democracy. It was Socrates’ ability to provoke reasonable thought in response to his questions that sets him above most of the educators of his (and Plato’s) day. By many Athenians, he was simply tolerated. By others, he was undoubtedly an odd and eclectic soul, having too much association with the controlling political and economic classes. His three sons and possibly two wives seem to have been due to social conformity. In appearance, he was usually barefoot and wore a thin robe, even on a frozen battlefield. There can be little doubt that he existed, though he left no direct written record. Had he agreed to be taken to some safe port of exile by his friends, we might never have heard of him. Today, we could use a few more educators like Socrates. Our people also need to be coerced into learning how to think.

Wallace B. Eshleman

Quincy