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Rats in hell among items in e-mail bag
| Thursday, Jun 5 2008 7:07 PM
Last Updated: Thursday, Jun 5 2008 7:10 PM
So many issues plopped into my lap via the Internet this week that I decided to pick a few for an "e-mail bag" column.
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The right to be ignorant
Sven Eriksson (I have no clue who Sven is. He gave no address or telephone number) asked:
"I can't believe you guys haven't written a proper editorial condemning these people-haters." He was referring to Kieffe and Sons, who lashed out at non-Christians in a radio ad promoting their Mojave car dealership.
"Maybe you guys in B'field all love their kind of talk? Or maybe they sponsor too much advertising in your paper? I swear, I can't figure it out. There's no room in contemporary society for these crusaders."
Maybe, Sven, the bigoted ad was so ignorant that an editorial condemning it would be, "No duh!"
If Eriksson is waiting for us to editorialize that the car dealer has no right to spew bigoted views, he shouldn't hold his breath.
That's what's great about this country. People have the right to say stupid things. And customers have the right not to shop at Kieffe and Sons.
Will this case end?
A few weeks ago, I wrote about former Californian reporter Christopher Krueger, who is now a senior deputy attorney general. Krueger argued before the California Supreme Court to uphold the ban on same-sex marriages voters approved in 2000.
When the justices last month returned with a decision overturning the ban, I wrote Krueger, the losing attorney stuck arguing the case for years and years, "Tell me it's over for you now."
You could almost hear him sigh, "I think it's mostly over for me now."
But within days, I read Krueger was still in the fight, this time on the other side, pleading with justices not to stay their decision. Conservative groups were pressing for a delay until voters could consider a new proposed ban that will appear on the November ballot.
"This historic litigation is now concluded. It is time for these proceedings to end," he wrote in a court filing.
Justices Wednesday declined to stay their decision. County clerks are scheduled to start issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples on June 17. But Krueger is a long way from getting rid of this case. He heads the AG division that defends ballot measures. If voters pass a new ban, Krueger will have to defend it.
Honoring Jane Fonda
Nicholas E. Dukellis of Bakersfield wrote, "I understand that Jane Fonda is to be honored as one of the 100 notable women of California. She was nominated by the governor. What a slap in the face of all Vietnam veterans. She is a traitor to our country."
Dukellis is partly correct. Fonda is among 13 people nominated this year to the California Hall of Fame. The others are Dave Brubeck, Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss), Robert Graham, Quincy Jones, Jack LaLanne, Dorthea Lange, Julia Morgan, Jack Nicholson, Linus Pauling, Leland Stanford and Alice Waters.
The governor did not nominate them. Officials at the California Arts Council and the California Museum did. Gov. Schwarzenegger and his wife, Maria Shriver, gave final approval.
This guy's a piece of work
I received an unsolicited opinion article titled, "Ashamed To Be An American," from Rick Ruffin, an American living in South Korea, where he teaches English.
Particularly galling was Ruffin's opening statement that because Californian readers "support Bush over Scott McClellan, well, then, there's a rat's chance in hell this will get published."
I responded for the "rats in hell" that his article stood no chance of being published because it was written by someone who lives in South Korea. Publication is generally limited to local writers. I asked him if he had local ties.
Ruffin: "My brother lives in Mill Valley. Not close, but closer than Republic of Korea." He also said he was "struck by how truly redneck your readership is."
Hardisty: "How would someone in Korea ... know what our readers are thinking? Redneck? How did you come to that conclusion?"
Ruffin: "Because there was a poll on your Web site and the people, by a majority of 2-1, took Mr. Bush's side over that of Scott McClellan ... If that isn't an indication that your readers are Bible-thumbing nutcases who value creationism over science, I don't know what is. Sorry, but I'm a prejudiced snob. Just like your readers."
Hardisty: "Actually, that represents only those who are into blogging, not necessarily ... the entire readership. And certainly not deserving of your blanket conclusion that we are all rednecks."
Ruffin: "Send me some lettuce or something."
I'm not going to send him anything. But others in this redneck "rats in hell" hick city might. His e-mail is rick.ruffin@gmail.com.
Contact Dianne Hardisty at 395-7414. E-mail dhardisty@bakersfield.com.