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Last 7 Days

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• Lodi man takes taxidermy from hobby to profession

• Norm Mowery finding life in Carmel different, but rewarding

• Bethel Open Bible skips church, helps to clean up Lodi instead

• Public Meetings

February 9th, 2010

• Middle College High School rated one of the best — and a bargain, to boot

• Lodi decathlon boasts top team in county

• Man who sparked counterfeit case pleads guilty

• Local businessman will visit Haiti to look for family

• Man who claimed to be Yosemite Sam pleads guilty to meth charge

• David Harmer seeks Republican congressional nod

• Lack of evidence in case against suspect in 'drug deal' stabbing

• Regional Roundup

February 8th, 2010

• Public Meetings

• Locals pick best, most memorable Super Bowl commercials

• Regional Roundup

February 6th, 2010

• The Home Depot hopes to join Costco at Reynolds Ranch

• Meet Larry, Curly and Moe

• Baboon business

• Regional Roundup

• Several Lodi venues let you watch the Super Bowl in style

• Lodi Library celebrates 100 years of serving the community

• Culinary craft

February 5th, 2010

• Kids, teachers help Haiti by collecting pennies for Learning Link

• Lodi, Galt students reach out to help Haiti earthquake survivors

• Tasered suspect claims he is Yosemite Sam

• Hours of sweat and work go into putting on crab feeds

• Things looking up for state's real estate

• Correction

• Regional Roundup

• Stray bullet strikes Lodi home; police suspect gang activity may be factor

February 4th, 2010

• Managers at Geweke Toyota answer questions about recall

• Lodi City Council votes to replace play structure at Century Park

• Lodi extends ban on pot shops for another year

• Mokelumne River triathlon set for June

• Family, friends to run half-marathon in memory of Galt family

February 3rd, 2010

• Correction

• Delta College trustees again collide over stipend committee

• Bad bugs, weeds are hot topics at Grape Day

• Lodi-area senators Dave Cox, Lois Wolk admit to gifts; Tom Berryhill case pending

• Lodi Unified School District president issues warning to speakers over cuts

• Galt City Council avoids budget cuts — for now

• New Lodi Memorial Hospital emergency room opens to the public without a hitch

• Regional Roundup

February 2nd, 2010

• Local business leaders say tourism, Costco, Home Depot may play roles in city's future

• Correction

• Former Lodian Erica Davis is first paraplegic woman to summit Kilimanjaro

• Regional Roundup

• No snow leopards, otters for Micke Grove

• McNerney leads in campaign cash

• Police: Train victim was a Lodi teen

• Big rig plows 7 cars

• Jumpers across California

The following stories have received the most reader comments during the last 7 days.

• Will terrorists be given Miranda warnings? (75)
• Lodi Unified School District president issues warning to speakers over cuts (64)
• President Obama's first year (45)
• Many reject the politics of 'no' (45)
• Islamic symbol in mosaic — what is all the fuss? (44)
• Writer comments on Neely column (42)
• The Home Depot hopes to join Costco at Reynolds Ranch (41)
• Time to shed the convenient sham of 'Don't ask, don't tell' policy (34)
• We need to conduct respectful conversations (30)
• Tasered suspect claims he is Yosemite Sam (25)

ADVERTISEMENT

We don't recognize our leaders anymore

I hear it a lot, people talking about the good old days. I suppose it was a time when Americans were happy and united in their vision for the future. If that time ever really existed, I don't remember it.

My grandmother, bless her heart, used to say: "Good old days? We worked ourselves to death on that farm!" Others think everything is just fine. And in between are the rest of us, the mediocre majority.

I think there is a creeping mediocrity that infects us, a need for "controversy fueled by politics." We tend to lay many of our troubles at the feet of our elected officials.

And let's not forget the media for their unusual communication skills. Today, they seem to fuel division among the masses. When I was in college, we learned that journalists and the news media was a counterbalance to the government's power. On significant issues, the tone of media seems more like a position paper than news. But to the mediocre, we accept it as our Soylent Green.

I've stated the assumptions, but are there solutions? Maybe there is, but it's not your vote. Let me be clear about that. The Power over your lives is not at a level that you can vote for. It is much deeper than that, even within. And yes, we accept it with a mediocre wave of the hand, pointing to our favorite personal demons while the real power barely acknowledges our presence and none of our rights.

I write a lot of letters to Congress. I always have. I ask them "Where are the leaders?" I know they are here. We just do not recognize them any more.

This generation respects a basketball player accused of rape more than someone who spent their entire life working for the good of society. That's why teachers, firemen, policemen and other public servants are impugned almost daily. In many countries, this unbalanced set of rules for respect has led to anarchy and chaos.

Here's your sign, people!

Jerry Bransom
Lodi