We’ve been hanging out in Livermore this weekend where our son has a volleyball tournament against teams from the Bay Area and Central Valley. We like to expose him to the “outside world” whenever possible.
The Op-Ed page of The Union is a “living, breathing” example why it’s important to expose western Nevada County youth to the outside world. It often is filled with myopic, provincial, insular, hermit-like voices — and lo and behold, one from Todd “You can’t make this stuff up” Juvinall graced the pages this weekend. When you read The Union’s Op-Ed page from out of town, our little community seems even further away — like Brigadoon for wing nuts.
“I would like to see unicorns and sweet blueberries too, but let’s get real,” provincial Todd writes, framing politics as a simplistic “winner take all” blood sport, sort of like cage fighting. That’s all he knows.
And as predicted, here’s the reader response:
• “Perhaps it is best that your 1992 Assembly bid was unsuccessful. If your view of our laws is that they are designed to ‘hobble Americans,’ then you have no business in our Assembly.” (Todd, believe it or not, was once a county supervisor. His political views are a little to the right of Atilla the Hun. Predictably, he was a one-term supervisor, even back in the heyday of local wing nut politics).
• “Mr. Juvinall’s world view seems to be driven by a ‘winner takes all’ mentality. As humans, driven at our basic level toward survival, we all have an innate need to conquer. But as humans, we also have an innate need to cooperate.”
• “Our founding fathers, despite their passionate differences, found a path that led them to compromise. Today’s winner take all attitude is the result of the extreme wings of political parties having too much power.”
• “Your comment indicates an intolerance for any view that contradicts your own. That is the crux of the problem, partner. By the way, I am not an ilk of any kind. I’m an individual speaking my mind the same as you, Todd. Or, do you see yourself as simply an ilk with opinions that are of no consequence?”
• “His letter is wrought with misinformation and pure idiocy. His comments on abortion are a good example of one individual trying to generalize a belief.”
• “Todd what I read is your rants and lies and your inability to ascertain the difference between what is good for our nation and what is only good for the GOP. True to form you insult when you have no argument. My reading comprehension is fine, but what about your ability to spell and use proper grammar?”
• “Todd you are the epitome of embarrassment.”
As Todd puts it, “You can’t make this stuff up”!
