Category: Point of View

At the Chico Cemetery, celebrating Día de los Muertos Families gather to honor a Latin American tradition

photo by Ulises Duenas
An altar at the Chico Cemetery.

by Ulises Duenas
essay posted Oct. 29

Death is universal and inevitable. It’s almost impossible to prevent a loved one’s death from being emotionally painful when it happens. But how a culture or family views death and the passing of a loved one is far from universal.

Día de los Muertos, or “Day of the Dead,” is a Mexican holiday that came from combining Aztec and Spanish traditions. The focus is on celebrating the lives of those we lost and using food and music to give them a good time before their souls return to rest. The holiday is all about associating death with feelings of joy and thankfulness rather than with reopening old wounds. read more

Protesting our military extravagance Looking ahead to "flooding, melting polar ice, human migration"

photo by George Gold
September protest at Beale Air Force Base.

by George Gold
guest commentary posted Oct. 26

In September, about a dozen members of the Chico Peace Alliance traveled to the front gate of Beale Air Force Base to deliver a message to pilots and support workers.

We wanted to share our view — not often noted by the defense establishment — about the hazards that are caused by the U.S. military industrial complex. Our view was that peace is more important than war, and that the U.S. defense infrastructure causes a huge negative environmental impact right there in Marysville and around the world. read more

Facing climate grief during terrible week Life-affirming work is empowering

by Leslie Layton
commentary posted June 19

The photos this past week that showed tens of thousands of dead fish washing ashore on the Texas Gulf were haunting. Then, reports surfaced that dead wild birds were washing up on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, too.

‘Haunting’ became macabre.

Temperatures around the world soared, breaking records in Mexico and producing the hottest June day on record in Mexico City that sits more than 7,000 feet high. The Canadian wildfires turned some smoke-filled skies in the Northeast an eerie orange, and ocean temperatures underwent a “sudden escalation” because of global warming combined with natural events like an El Niño. read more

Memorial Day: Losses both human and non-human "... all life is radically interdependent"

photo by Karen Laslo
Chico Cemetery on Memorial Day 2023.

by Karen Laslo
commentary posted May 31

Some humans, like some of those on our Chico City Council, (except Addison), still cannot comprehend that even the most seemingly insignificant plant or animal, such as the Fairy Shrimp found in local vernal pools, or the Burrowing Owl found in Chico’s foothills, have the right to exist, not just those we eat, hunt, or use for our benefit.

Species lose this right to life when deprived of essential habitat, most commonly through the effects of climate change, construction and land development, such as the proposed foothill sprawl development Valley’s Edge. read more

Chico’s police chief and de-escalation Aldridge defends use of weapons obtained from military

by George Gold
guest commentary posted May 2

The Chico City Council approved the police department budget and use of military weapons earlier in April 2023, weapons that were obtained under the U.S. Department of Defense 1033 program.

Recent California statutes require the police department hold at least one community engagement meeting to discuss the purchase and deployment of these military-style weapons.

During the only “meet the community” on April 27, which was called to review the Chico Police Department’s use of military obtained weapons in Chico, Police Chief Billy Aldridge repeatedly called the use of these weapons a way to de-escalate a given situation. read more

When the truth won’t set them free Misinformation peddlers have been spreading lies for decades – and the cost is personal

Natalie Hanson

by Natalie Hanson
commentary posted March 14

For those of us who have lost a parent to illness, or conspiracy theories, the pain of witnessing a massive campaign to debunk medical science runs deep.

When COVID-19 hit and began devastating millions of lives, misinformation about the virus -– whether to profit, politicize or divide -– also hit. I felt alone, recognizing telltale signs of the same messaging that tore my family apart.

I have learned how to speak publicly about my mother, and missing her. But I have never spoken publicly about why my mother died. She died of colon cancer, after about four years of suffering. What most do not know is that my parents refused to seek professional medical care, or to find out the exact cause of her mysterious illness. They had already spent years immersed in the conspiracy theory and anti-vax side of the Internet. read more