Don's Tuesday Column

THE WAY I SEE IT by Don Polson    Red Bluff Daily News 10/14/2025

    Death, destruction, ugliness abound

It was a horrific, murderous attack of death, injury and arson—a word that scarcely contains the magnitude of evil that befell the Latter Day Saints, more commonly referred to as the Mormon, church in Michigan.

While not a national, or strictly a local issue or event, I found myself trying to contact a local Mormon bishop, Cal Hunter, to express my condolences for that act of pure evil that deeply wounded LDS members nationwide, I’m sure. I got to know Cal, and his radio show partner, Earl Wintle, when I shared the microphone each weekday to pontificate on news and issues in our county, state and nation. Just some guys providing (hopefully) entertaining “chewing of the fat” from our unique perspectives.

May this provide my own heartfelt condolences to the families of the local LDS community. Please know that the unfathomable hatred that tore that Mormon community to its core was so despicable that I’m sure church-goers throughout Tehama County, California and the nation know that it could be them next targeted for murder and destruction.

The prayers of many have risen to the heavens; here on earth, let all faithful resolve to implement defensive measures, as there have been many attacks on Christian houses of worship. As in many such situations, when seconds count, police are only minutes away; see to your own protection with weapons sufficient to meet the threat. ‘Nuff said.

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Given the local, informative announcements regarding the flu season and availability of vaccines, here’s my “two cents worth” for readers: We’ve not availed ourselves of any flu or COVID vaccine shots. No flu shots for decades since I quit managing restaurants where every bug going around came floating over the counter; no COVID since the first round in 2020. We rely on our own immune systems and supplements for protection of our health.

We’re basically hermits, avoiding contact with other humans beyond other shoppers or people in waiting rooms. At the first sign of a “tickle” in our throats, it’s salt water gargling, extra vitamin C and golden seal herbal pills. I and many well-informed folks have had great skepticism of COVID “vaccines,” which have proven to have none of the initially-promised protections from getting, or spreading, that flu, though some have benefited.

I urge avoiding them unless your doctor believes you will genuinely benefit and be protected. Seasonal flu vaccines are a bit of a “crap-shoot” and may, in fact, give some protection, if the calculations of which “bugs” will be prevalent this winter are correct. Little harm has resulted. Use your own judgment.

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Here we go again with the useless mask mandates—starting in Sonoma County (it always starts somewhere with no logical, rational limit to where it goes). This after it has been documented that “mask mandates,” like the “6-foot” rule, had no scientific or medical basis, viruses being orders of magnitude smaller than the spaces in any masks used by the public.

I wrote about this five years ago and, having COPD, which exempted me from being forced to wear them as attested to by my doctor, I was kicked out of some stores for refusing to wear one. The supreme hypocrisy is that Gov. Newsom signed a law disallowing federal law enforcement from wearing masks for their own personal and family’s protection from the fanatical, violent, even murderous thugs of “antifa”—even as he encourages the intrusive COVID masking. We’ll see how far the despotic mandates go; I will not comply.

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It was refreshing to read Chico editor Mike Wolcott’s editorial against Prop 50’s attempt to deprive the nearly 40 percent of California’s Republican voters of any congressional representation. While our sub-20,000 votes are a rounding error in the grand voting scheme of Northern California, our votes against our own disenfranchisement do count, if only for our own civic pride.

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A lot of (unflattering) attention has been drawn to herself by gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter. First it was the bizarre way she dealt with a Sacramento reporter who was posing the same questions to all candidates for governor of both parties. We all saw Porter’s deflection, obfuscation, and condescending and arrogant attempts to intimidate the reporter, and her shocking ending of the interview with protestations of not wanting an “unhappy” experience. The only one unhappy about being pressed to give answers was herself.

What followed was publicity over her overbearing, abusive treatment of her staff—including profanity-laced chiding of one young woman who had the temerity of “getting in my f-ing shot” during a recorded event; it should show voters “The ugliness inside of Katie Porter” (nationalreview.com, 10/8). I doubt that the CA Democrat machine will want her stern, bloated, un-photogenic face to be the face of the Democrat party next year. I could be wrong.