Beachcombing

I  see from our online poll that 85 percent of our readers disapprove of being part of a sanctuary city or state. If I were a politician, this appears to be a “third rail” topic that would cause those voting for the measure to be kicked out of office come 2018.

The same thing applies to Columbus Day. Everyone knows it was common practice centuries ago to have slaves and engage in activities unacceptable today. So what good does it do to re-write history and ignore what happened by having a Indigenous Persons Day, which henceforth I shall refer to as the Indignant Publishers Day?

It seems to me that this city council has too much time on its hands and needs to have fewer Tuesday meetings … like one per month. That should fix the problem.

One agenda item for the Oct. 10 meeting had to do with opioid addiction. Since when is this topic a city council concern and not in the domain of medical and legal professionals? Next they’ll want to ban plastic bags and junk food in liquor stores, license cats and other non-council business that got Suja Lowenthal in trouble.

History does repeat itself. According to Gerrie Schipske’s “That’s The Way It Was” story on Page 6 this edition, the city council in 1960 attempted to have the book “The Last Temptation of Christ” removed from the Long Beach Library because it was “morally offensive.” Librarian Blanche Collins politely explained to the council “…when one begins pulling books from the shelves there is no stopping place.” The council voted not to ban the book, but restricted it to adult readers.

So now we need to ask readers what they think about changing Columbus Day. Granted several other cities voted to do away with Christopher’s day, but when will this madness of re-writing history stop? Go to www.beachcomber.news and give us your two cents worth on this topic: Do you agree or disagree with renaming Columbus Day?

One thing is absolutely certain: every government entity will continue to call this a holiday and every business will not. Oh, and guess how many city council members run their own business. Now you know the “why.”

The Beachcomber encourages readers to provide us with news tips, which can make the person submitting the information eligible for court side tickets to a Long Beach State athletic event, such as the upcoming women’s volleyball game versus UC Davis on Friday, Oct. 27.

News tips can include breaking local news, photos or videos as a YouTube file, investigative or feature stories, or anonymous tips, such as the recent tip received on corruption within the Long Beach Police Department’s jail. [See the redacted submission here: https://beachcomber.news/content/news-tip-lbpd-jail-corruption].

Unfortunately anonymous tips sometimes go nowhere if the person submitting the information is not willing to speak with us and/or provide proof of their claims. Moreover, they won’t be eligible for the free tickets!

Some of our best journalistic efforts come from citizens willing to come forward and be interviewed for a story. Typically these conversations are audio recorded for our protection, the sources can remain anonymous – if desired – and documentation (or other sources) are usually required.

If you have a news tip, call (562) 597-8000, fax (562) 597-9410, email tips@beachcomber.news or mail to: Beachcomber News Tip, Post Office Box 15679, Long Beach, CA 90815-0679.

Photos of Long Beach landmarks, statues, murals and other unique local images will also be considered as a news tip in the absence of more compelling material, but the submitter will not be eligible for Long Beach Treasures prizes.

More humor from Donna:

• Today a man knocked on my door and asked for a small donation toward the local swimming pool. I gave him a glass of water.
• I find it ironic that the colors red, white, and blue stand for freedom until they are flashing behind you.
• When wearing a bikini, women reveal 90 percent of their body; men are so polite they only look at the covered parts.
• A recent study has found that women who carry a little extra weight, live longer than the men who mention it.
• Relationships are a lot like algebra. Have you ever looked at your X and wondered Y?
• Did you know that dolphins are so smart that within a few weeks of captivity, they can train people to stand on the very edge of the pool and throw them fish?
• My therapist says I have a preoccupation with vengeance. We’ll see about that.
• I always wondered what the job application is like at Hooters. Do they just give you a bra and say, “Here, fill this out?”
• My 60-year kindergarten reunion is coming up soon and I’m worried about the 175 pounds I’ve gained since then.
• Denny’s has a slogan, “If it’s your birthday, the meal is on us.” If you’re in Denny’s and it’s your birthday, your life sucks!
• I think it’s pretty cool how Chinese people made a language entirely out of tattoos.

publisher@beachcomber.news