To the Editor
Unless something happens very soon, a disaster is close to happening that will change not only our lives, but the lives of our children, grandchildren and many others who have come to cherish a unique piece of history.  I speak of The Old Opera House in Kooskia.
Many of you know that I spent 20 years entertaining people all over America under my stage name, “The Singing Mountain Man.”  I am now retired, but I am still an entertainer!  When I heard that The Old Opera House was getting a new life, I was thrilled.  What could be more wonderful than restoring this treasure and bringing back to this area of Idaho the glory of this facility?
A mighty effort has been made thus far to bring developments to the point they now are, but many people have a “wait and see” attitude before committing to help raise funds to secure the building.  The waiting period is past, folks!  Step up now before it’s too late!  The purchase price must be raised soon, or The Old Opera House will be sold for another purpose, and this, in my opinion, would be a tragedy!  
Please examine your heart and make as large a donation as you can to Freedom Northwest Credit Union, Account 21133.  Be a part of bringing a new life to a national treasure.  I say national treasure because those of you who remember the Frontier Music Festival of 1995-2004, know that people came to Kooskia from all across our nation to attend shows in The Old Opera House.  Let’s make that happen again.
Terry Raff
Kooskia

Redneck Review!
No. 109 - 5/22/2017
From time to time, we need to remind ourselves that learning the lessons of the past can help avoid similar disasters in the future.  To put it another way, we need to know the past to understand the present and to then foresee or forecast the future!  
Just last week it was noted here that Venezuela decades ago had one of the highest per capita GDPs in the world (simply put, individual standard of living).  However, with "50 plus years of socialist governments   importing basic foods has become very difficult, forcing people to hunt dogs, cats...even the protected pink flamingoes to stave off hunger."
And just this past weekend, in the Lewiston Tribune we read that people are rioting there and threatening to blockade roads to the capitol in frustration over their living conditions!
And earlier we were told that socialist favoring universities have been banning speakers who dare to advance arguments supporting free enterprise, and if not banning them, then promoting or at least tolerating boycotts and mob interference with such events. And this obvious curtailing of the right to free speech comes from many who proudly answer to the title of "liberal" or "progressive!"  Ha!  Seems to me a contradiction involved here!
So, why not look back to the past and see what history can tell us about this controversy!
The following section is taken from Rene Sedillot's book  THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD in 240 pages.  In this book he analyzes the rise and fall of civilization's greatest nations, and the conditions involved.
In discussing the history of Greece and Athens, noted for its democracy, we find it said:"Greek democracy carried the seeds of destruction in itself...it yielded to the temptations of mediocrity, self satisfaction and wastefulness...and condemned its best men because it had a horror of leadership..."(p. 45).
(p. 49): "She would have liked to remain an example of prosperity...But the prosperity of the few is not the prosperity of all.  There were rich and poor...Poverty was rife in the home of democracy... in vain was an attempt made to develop the system of pensions, allowances, and public assistance. The only effect...was to cripple the treasury.  Liabilities exceeded assets. The taxes weighed heavily on a minority which grew smaller by the year. Athens had recourse...to confiscations...but in the long run...what remained to her?  Nothing but memory of dead greatness.  For Athens did die.  Her death-agony was slow, but it was sure.  It worked itself out in an atmosphere of indiscipline and corruption, of excesses and bribery.  She persecuted the best of her children, while orators orated the birthrate fell and civic sense grew weak...and when...Athens tried to rouse herself to one last effort, it was already too late..."
(p. 57): "Wages fell, because it was necessary to compete with slave labor, and life for the poor became hard. There was a gradual breakup of the family.  Women no longer stayed at home, but went out into the world of men, where they practiced law...architecture, and even engaged in chariot racing.  With Cleopatra, a woman was actually to rule as queen.  But children were now more and more scarce, and the threat of depopulation lay over Greece...A falling birth rate is a logical consequence of great wealth and extreme poverty. Hellenism (Greece) in its decadence sinned by an excess of civilization.  Everything was turning soft---courage, faith, virtue, and even language.  Greece had finished her course.  It was time for a more virile nation to carry on the torch."   (And that nation next week will be Rome!)
Jake Wren

Home

Classified Ads