By Sarah Spieth, MPAC, BS, BA

“…And not a dang thing in that Alanis Morissette song is ironic anyway…” 

I can’t remember who it was, but ever since someone nonchalantly threw this statement into a conversation a couple of years ago, I have been insecure about my degree of understanding of irony. It’s not? For fear I would look like a fool, I secretly avoided the term ‘ironic’ in my vocabulary like the poo-poo I had to step over on the way to my point.

This was until one fateful day, the day I got into a fairly substantial bicycle accident on a bridge, right in front of a sign that read ‘Murphy’s Overpass.’ That was the moment I understood that Iron does not equal Murph and that most things Murph-y are not iron-y and vice versa. I am still not totally confident in my use of the term, but my wounds have healed and I am ready to start bridging the poo-poo as opposed to avoiding it. Bring it on, I say!

But this piece is actually not really about irony. It’s more about Hitler. Well, it’s not really about Hitler, either. It’s a story about a great kingdom. Oh …I don’t know…, maybe it’s about propagandizing. Yes, propagandizing! Um…and irony, yes, and Hitler and definitely also about a great kingdom….. See?!?! Finally puts pen to paper and experiences massive brain aneurism – murph, not iron!

Here’s the thing. We all know that the rules of media-land have changed. Once upon a time, investigative journalism roamed the dark forest, followed tracks, and stayed up all night, watching, listening, and learning about its prey. Back then it was driven by a hunger to illuminate a subject and maximize transparency to ultimately lay it at the feet of the public as a gift – the gift of being empowered to form an opinion. Today, in this epoch of King Rupert who rules all the land, all that effort has become boring and unnecessary, as the fox makes its way to the freezer, microwaves an opinion and serves it to us. We inhale it – done. Burp.

You already know all this. I don’t need to bore you with this story again.

The part that is interesting in all of this though – is Hitler…

Let’s play a game – think of a really bad man, a man you frankly can’t say anything good about, where pretty much everyone will agree that this person was no good….? Yes! Hitler! Congratulations! You win as many washing machines as you can carry!

So, Hitler has become a symbol then, of tyranny, of evil, not a human being, which, on a little side note, he likely was. And as this symbol of evil, his name is uninterruptedly thrown around our media discourse because once someone is identified as Hitler or aligning with Hitler, really all debate about good or bad is over. You know, there’s someone else who used this little tool of rhetoric in steering the public sentiment……. Hitler.

When our media discourse uses ‘Hitler’ as symbol for the personification of evil and then applies it to entities and persons in an attempt to maneuver public cognizance, we ought to ask, how this is different from when Hitler writes in Mein Kampf, “…the personification of the devil as the symbol of all evil assumes the living shape of the Jew.”? To which degree is this a solicitation of the same tactics?

There does seem to be a difference in the application, however. Hitler applied this tool of public manipulation with much greater deliberation, precision and repetition in regards to his targets than does our media sphere of today, which more closely resembles an aimlessly running, sugar-high child with a hot branding iron for a toy.

Further, in Mein Kampf, Hitler fully owns the way in which the invocation of basic emotional responses yields itself to the manipulation of public opinion when he writes – “All propaganda has to be popular and has to accommodate itself to the comprehension of the least intelligent of those whom it seeks to reach.” – In other words, when we are ‘informed’ by our media of anything being in resemblance of Hitler, we are immediately inclined for this ‘anything’ to be something worth rejecting. The notion of anything ‘Hitler’ being ‘not good’ is a very palatable notion. It accommodates itself to a very basic response in all of us; it doesn’t take much thinking about. We don’t need to go back to the drawing board. We don’t need to have a discussion group. We don’t need to get to know Hitler, the man. No one has to go and google ‘The Holocaust’ to be sure that, indeed, it really was a bad thing. It’s basic. It’s simple. It’s over. Ladies and gentlemen, it is a no-brainer.

Whenever our media dialogue invokes base emotional responses within us and throws a stick into the spokes on the wheels of our intellect, it also side steps our sense. And here I get to write words I didn’t realize I ever would … I fully align with Adolf Hitler when he says “The man who has no sense of history, is like a man who has no ears or eyes”.

This is the point, where I have to wonder if Hitler would chuckle or be downright embarrassed about the fact that in the public discourse of the 21^st century, he himself is used as the kind of tool for public suasion that he once advocated for. And this, even after my minor concussion, I can say with almost complete certainty, is a great, great irony.

It’s none of my business what others like to have for dinner, but all I would like to say is that next time you hear ‘Hitler’ or related terminology thrown around in the media rhetoric, perk up your ears. That was the ‘ping’ on the microwave; the opinion is thawed and ready to eat.

There is, however, a potential for disastrous indigestion.

…

Well, I want to thank: the city of Tucson for maintaining no bicycle lanes whatsoever (okay, sorry, there are some), Hitler, for assistance in helping me become more confident in my understanding of irony (though I don’t think it will do much in affecting the karmic balance sheet if you know what I mean) Murphy for teaching me the hard way so the lesson always sticks, and the Universe for the once in a life time opportunity to bleed on my boss, and my desk and the computer and stuff. I’ll never forget it and forever relish in the symbolism – thank you!

Ms. Spieth holds Bachelorette Degrees in Management and German Studies from the University of Arizona and an MA in Conflict Resolution from the University of Sydney, Australia. She has worked in the fields of disaster response management, community bridge building and logistics management on an international level.  She enjoys working with children, teaching yoga and riding her bike.

By Liam McInerney

Serengetee is a new student-run clothing company that allows clients to customize T-shirt chest pockets with unique fabrics from all around the world.

With each T-shirt purchase, Serengetee donates half of its profit to a charity or organization in the region the fabric is from.

“Rewarding for our customers is our mission,” Jeff Steitz, 20, founder and chief executive officer said.  “We return 50 percent of profits back to the regions where the fabric comes from.”

Serengetee uses 80 different fabrics from more than 25 countries, and offers a variety of pocketed shirts including V-necks, tank tops and racer backs. Each shirt is customizable in black or white and made in the U.S.A.

“We needed a product that we knew anyone could wear and something that anyone could be interested in,” Ryan Westberg, 21, a University of Arizona student and chief marketing officer said.

Steitz met Westberg when both participated in a Semester at Sea program during the spring of 2011.  From their travels, the idea for a customizable T-shirt pocket began.

“I am always motivated by the prospect of traveling,” Steitz said.  “Having the opportunity to visit our partner charities and search for new fabrics abroad is an extremely appealing reason to be in such a unique field.”

Market-places in countries such as Ghana, Guatemala and New Zealand inspired the founders to purchase yards of fabric and get involved with the world outside of the United States.

Expanding their idea became the next task.

With the main guidance of Steitz, Westberg and the Serengetee staff looked at companies such as Tom’s and Patagonia.

“We based our business model a lot on Tom’s shoes,” Westberg said.  “They have the great one for one campaign, which is very effective and they have a great company image.”

Westberg found it important to interact over Facebook and Twitter when starting the company.

“We did a promotion in the first week where you change your Facebook profile picture and do three-plus statuses,” he said.

Doing so earned college students a position as a campus correspondent at their respective college.  With 100 plus students at more than 50 colleges, Serengetee’s popularity spread.

“It’s the buzz around campus,” Matt Wasel, 21, a University of Arizona student and campus correspondent said.  “I hand out Serengetee stickers and inform students of the awesome customizable fabrics.”

Along with Wasel, many others used Facebook as an opportunity to support Serengetee.

“Some people came out of the woodwork wanting to get involved, wanting to help us out to spread the word,” Westberg said.  “The support was overwhelming.”

With the help of Semester at Sea, Westberg believes their idea of making a difference in the world is achievable.

“They support our mission and are supporting us any way possible,” he said.  “We have been contacted and we hope to develop a relationship with them.”

Serengetee looks to expand from just an online store.  With fabrics ranging from seersucker to traditional Mexican artwork, there is truly a fabric for everyone.

“I can see us in every store,” Westberg said.  “We can be in surf shops, JC Penny or Nordstrom.”

Steitz said that their donations are a huge driving factor in the company’s early T-shirt sales and success.

“Twenty-five percent goes in the form of direct donations to a charity of the customer’s choice, while another 25 percent is reinvested in that community,” Steitz said. “College students are tremendous givers if you give them the chance.”

Despite the company’s early dependency on collegiate-level social media, Westberg feels there is no age too young or old to help support the countries around the globe.

“I can see us fitting in any situation because we can go for that urban look and we can go for that preppy look,” Westberg said.  “The possibilities are endless.”

Even though Serengetee is still developing, T-shirt sales are strong.

In the first month alone, over 300 T-shirts were purchased after their website launch in February.

“Customers all over the country have bought Serengetees for themselves and as gifts,” Steitz said.  “Even more impressive are the number of repeat customers who are coming back for more.”

As Serengetee looks to the future, the company is motivated by possible new relationships with charities and organizations.

“I cannot wait to watch the progress of our partner organizations and see our investment portfolio grow to new countries abroad,” Steitz said.  “We are truly going to make a difference in these countries.”

With more than 11 charities currently in partnership, Serengetee makes it known that it is a for-profit organization that fully intends to gave back to the country that the customer chooses fabric from.

Serengetee continues to look for support and spread its name through customer travels and support.

“Our future goals are to have schools built and to make a real difference in these countries,” Westberg said.  “Take a picture by a waterfall.  You will remember that forever and Serengetee will be there right with you.”

For additional information, visit serengetee.com.

Project SEARCH intern Melissa Moore inspects white blood cells at the University of Arizona Medical CenterÕs Laboratory. (Photo by Dan Habinek)

A high-school transition program for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities is giving children in Tucson with special needs the opportunity to gain real-world working experiences before making the transition to college or employment.

Project SEARCH, now in its second full year and provided through the Pima County Joint Technical Education District, is a proven success preparing developmentally disabled students for jobs in Tucson.

Shane Dasso, 19, works Monday through Friday as a mailroom clerk at the University of Arizona Medical Center South Campus. His tasks include sorting, delivering, picking up and sending the mail. Shane has Asperger’s syndrome, or high functioning autism, and graduated from Project SEARCH in May after completing the nine-month program.

“It came on when he was just finishing eighth grade,” said Steven Dasso, Shane’s father. “He had trouble walking and started twitching really bad. He was being treated for Tourette syndrome and at first we just thought that the Tourette’s was getting worse.”

After spending weeks with different neurologists and psychiatrists in different hospitals and trying various medications and higher dosages, a psychiatrist in Phoenix finally diagnosed Shane with Asperger’s and prescribed four medications that cured his symptoms.

“It was amazing,” Steven said. “It only took about two days and we saw a remarkable difference.”

Shane never went to a regular high school after his diagnosis. The doctor told the family that he thought it better for Shane to be home-schooled. His parents chose Direct Link, Tucson Unified School District’s homebound program, for Shane’s schooling.

After three years at home, both parents and Shane’s home-school teacher saw improvements with his health and functionality and even considered sending him to a regular high school for his junior or senior year. Then his teacher recommended Project SEARCH.

“My family and I discussed it for like a month until we actually signed the papers,” Shane said. “I am glad that we did, because I don’t know what I would do without that program.”

Project SEARCH is for students with disabilities in their last year of high school and includes a nine-month internship at a health industry or business setting where there is immersion in the workplace, continuous feedback and application of new skills.

What started in 1996 as an innovative business employment-training model for high school students with disabilities at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Ohio has now been replicated in 39 states and four countries with the hopes of continued expansion.

Marcie Mendelsohn, transition coordinator for Project SEARCH in Cincinnati, said the process of bringing a site to a community could start as soon as contact with the national office begins. “If there is someone out there serious about getting a site started, we work with the statewide Developmental Disability Councils to create grants and partners to support a site,” Mendelsohn said.

The Sonoran University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities is the licensee with the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (national Project SEARCH) and coordinator for Project SEARCH at the UA Medical Center South Campus.

“After visiting the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital’s Project SEARCH, we started working with partners here to develop the program in Tucson,” said Laura Schweers, statewide coordinator for Project SEARCH Arizona.

The Sonoran UCEDD recruited the Pima County Joint Technical Education District, which agreed to fund the unique, business-led program by providing certified special education instructors who also were certified in career and technical education.

Greg D’Anna, director of public relations for Pima County JTED, said Project SEARCH Arizona covers most of the program’s operating costs.

Pima County JTED also provides necessary facilities, equipment, supplies, maintenance, property and liability insurance to conduct the JTED Courses. Students must apply for Project SEARCH.

“Our goal is to have a broad representation of students,” Schweers said.

A prospective intern must be able to maintain appropriate behavior, hygiene, and social skills in the workplace without immediate supervision. While instructors and job coaches support interns in their rotations, the expectation is that support fades as interns gain skills and confidence within a rotation. Therefore, a student requiring one-on-one support would not be a candidate for the program.

“Selection criteria can vary,” Schweers said. “We typically have candidates who have autism, but we don’t really look at look at disability types.”

Potential interns must also be from Pima County between 18 and 21 years of age who are nearing high school graduation.

Although there is a little bit of wiggle room in the capacity for the program, Schweers said enrollment is usually limited to 12 a year because there is only one dedicated instructor who is augmented by several job coaches.

“We wouldn’t really want a larger number in a particular business because you wouldn’t want to over saturate,” Schweers said. “And of course we hope that the business is going to hire 30 percent of the student interns. If you have a higher number then you are over saturating the applicant pool.”

Two graduates from last year’s pilot program have been hired part-time at the UA Medical Center South Campus.

There are 11 Project SEARCH students this school year who get to the UAMC South Campus every morning before 8 a.m. and stay until 3 p.m. In that time they have classroom instruction, morning rotation in a chosen hospital department, lunch, afternoon rotation and then reflection and journaling with the classroom instructor at the end of the day.

Project SEARCH class of 2012-13: Back row, from left, Chelsey Perpignani, Carina Loya, Daniel Morales, Christopher Crawford, Patric Sepulveda, Michael Morales. Front row, from left, Alexis Villalta, Melissa Moore, Job Coach Jackie Beem, Griselda Elias. (Photo by Dan Habinek)

“It is not a typical thing where a student would report to a rotation and be asked to go make a copy and get coffee or something,” Dan Habinek, Project SEARCH instructor said. “They are a part of the system at the hospital and they do dynamite work on a daily basis. We couldn’t be more proud of them.”

Frank Granillo, a paramedic and Project SEARCH supervisor in the emergency department, said he has seen a lot of social growth with the students after working with them the past 16 weeks.

“They have to get involved in introducing themselves to their co-workers to knowing who they are. You’ll see them develop and come out of their shell and have better social interaction,” Granillo said.

Christopher Crawford, 19, finished his first rotation of the year a few weeks ago in the emergency department with Granillo. Crawford said he helped restock the department storage room and get the patients what they needed while keeping them comfortable and warm. He said that he enjoys every part of his day at the hospital.

“Project SEARCH has been a blast. It’s been really fun. You’re always seeing a lot of new faces, entertaining people… and lunch—the food is very delicious,” Crawford said.

The students don’t need much outside motivation to come to the hospital every day and work hard. Habinek said they are all dedicated and committed to their work in a professional environment and that many kids will only miss a day or two throughout the year.

“One fascinating thing that we’ve seen with these students is that they want to be here,” Habinek said. “They love the program and they buy into it.”

Now working in the mailroom and attending a writing class at Pima Community College, Shane has come a long way from where he was with his Asperger’s.

“I can’t believe what a blessing and what a great program it is,” Steven Dasso said. It was the best thing so far that has happened for Shane.”

Shane agrees. “I’ve learned a lot of great job skills, met a lot of really nice people, and I got hired — that’s the main thing,” he said.

He has transformed and grown tremendously and not only do his family members notice it, but also doctors and nurses in the hospital.

“In the first two weeks of school, you could hear a pin drop. And then all of a sudden they start growing,” Habinek said. “We will be in the hospital and doctors and nurses will say that they saw these students the first week of school and they were so timid and so shy but that they have grown so much since then socially, and that’s the biggest part of the program — they become advocates for themselves.”

Not only has the program been successful for the students and their families, but it has been beneficial to the hospital as well. From a financial aspect, Habinek said the hospital saves about $200,000 a year having interns help with their tasks and rotations.

Other businesses will have the opportunity to save money if the program follows through with plans to expand to new JTED-funded Project SEARCH sites.

The Sonoran UCEDD is recruiting another business partner in hopes of having a second Project SEARCH site.

Schweers said discussions have been underway with UA student affairs to develop a program for the 2012 – 2013 school year that would include internships in the bookstore, campus recreation and dining at the student union.

“We are in the process of establishing a memorandum of understanding of what they will offer.” Brent Neilson, director of central campuses for Pima County JTED said. “This involves a classroom space and access to different clinical rotations similar to that of at the hospital.”

Although the partnership has not yet been finalized, Habinek said it is looking like a slam-dunk.

“One of the big things we were looking forward to in our expansion with the University of Arizona is to give students a little more taste of the business world.” Habinek said.

Pima County JTED hopes to continue to expand Project SEARCH sites throughout Tucson in the near future, and many businesses and organizations such as Raytheon have expressed an interest.

“There is a huge need for this program,” Habinek said.  “So that is kind of the goal, awareness and to expand.”

Got Junk for Jesus is a charity that collects unwanted vehicles throughout Southern Arizona, refurbishes them and provides them to families in need of transportation.  We would like to share with you the story of a remarkable organization and the remarkable people they assist.

Denise (not her real name) lost her mom when she was a mere seven years old. She grew up in foster care homes in Las Vegas. Some foster parents are not as family-oriented and loving as we might assume they are. As a result, when Denise learned that she could be declared an adult, she arranged to be “emancipated’ by the courts. This young 15 year old girl, in a spirit of hope and survival, freed herself from the far too often flawed foster care system.

Denise was easy prey, at her tender age, to the predators in the adult world. She tried to live with friends and stay safe, but soon an older man who promised security, became her “boyfriend.” Soon enough, her “boyfriend” turned into her boss. It turns out that he was really a pimp. Denise was broke, on her own, without anyone or anything except her “boyfriend.” In that same spirit of survival, she figured she really had no choices left for survival, so she went to “work” for him.

Due to her youth and inexperience Denise was naively pleased with her success and the rewards of her hard work. She went from having nothing to being able to buy anything and everything she wanted. She prostituted for about seven years, and during that time she was arrested over and over again. It got to a point where the police knew her by name, as did the casinos she frequented, which started to bar her from their premises.

During this time, with only the guidance of her “boyfriend” upon which to rely, Denis gave birth to two children. However, her core values made her realize that she did not want to raise her kids in this environment. Realizing she’d be facing years of jail time if her life went on like this, Denise started thinking to herself that there must be a better life…a better way.

During her “working” days, Denise was looking for a way out. A friend told her about an organization called Hookers for Jesus (hookersforjesus.net). There, she says, she learned that with God in her life, she wouldn’t need a pimp to protect her, or a “man” to take care of her. Denise, and other women in her position, say that the pimps brainwash them into thinking they can’t make it without them, but Hookers for Jesus showed them that God could be their “Man” – and their savior.

Denise found another Way, she found God. From that point on, she saw another way to live life. That included changing her life completely. She needed to leave Las Vegas, and her old friends. Denise had nowhere to go to get a fresh start, and no way to get there. She knew that she would have to keep “working” to raise enough money to get out of town.

The father of her children, who was also her pimp had a strong hold on her and was not inclined to let go.

One day, her pimp was arrested. Denise saw her opportunity to save her children. So, while he was in jail Denise took his car keys and left everything behind.

Denise ended up in Tucson even though that was not her plan. She was trying to make it somewhere else but the car broke down in Tucson, so she checked into a women’s shelter and ended up excelling in the shelter’s program. Denise became involved with Arizona’s Department of Economic Security, and recently, through one of their programs, obtained her GED. A job soon followed, at a local call center (where she’s been working for the last six months), and she’s almost got enough money saved to get her own apartment.

A representative from Got Junk for Jesus said, “Yeah, we’re going to give her a car, and my friend, along with his family, are going to provide Denise and her three little ones with some clothes and presents for Christmas!”

Denise is doing really well these days. She’s such a smart girl, who at the age of 24, is well kept and well spoken. No one would guess that she had anything less than a wonderful childhood. She accepts full responsibility for the decisions she’s made. She knows that she is still a work in progress, who has come of the dark, and into the light.

Got Junk for Jesus, a Non-Profit 501 3(c) charity, calls upon the community to lend a hand to this amazing young woman, as she walks the path to a productive life.

Christina Cruz, a native Tucsonan, is an advertising adviser specializing in Internet Marketing and Social Media and Public Relations for TagLine Media Group. She serves on many non-profit boards throughout the community, including the Tucson Police Foundation, Midvale Park Neighborhood Association SNAPP and several others.

By Scott Weiler

With the landing of the Space Shuttle Atlantis, many Americans are feeling a sense of loss. Some may say that the pride of the American Space Program is being packaged and mothballed to be put on display in a museum with other lost artifacts. That it has become part of our history, instead of our future. This summer, I saw things differently.

Through a program with Tucson Values Teachers and the University of Arizona, myself, along with other of Tucson’s Math and Science teachers had the privilege of being brought to Tucson’s industries to work side by side with scientists and engineers, working collaboratively, to build our future.

Who are these teachers? I have the privilege of being one.  My career is a Math and Science teacher at Presidio School, one of the fine charter schools in Tucson.

The University of Arizona does recruitment and evaluation processes to get teachers into businesses whose success depends on science and engineering. Many companies, such as Raytheon and Tucson Electric, stepped up to include teachers in what they do. I was selected to work with Paragon Space Development Corporation. It is a locally owned small business that provides environmental controls for extreme and hazardous environments, such as space.

Companies like Paragon could have easily had us come in a few days over the summer to shadow an engineer or two, but the program was designed to have us not only spend our entire summer involved with the company, but doing real tasks—collaborator ting with engineers and not just watching passively.

Working with Paragon, allowed me to do real rocket science with real rocket scientists. Paragon is a hard charging company with an adventuresome spirit that was formed by Biospherians and Space scientists and engineers who wanted to change the future by creating life support that would allow humans to expand beyond their limits. They are working with other companies on making the American space program thrive again. Like Paragon, like the rest of the companies that were involved in this summer internship, also know that the future needs scientifically minded and mathematically oriented work force to continue on their path. As teachers, we know that students in the classrooms today are the scientists, engineers, and astronauts of tomorrow.

Many schools start in the coming weeks, so I will be switching back to my teacher hat. But I will have a newer and more exciting approach to teaching my students. I will not only bring my teaching experience to the classroom, but also that of a scientist and engineer. I know my students will benefit from really using the math, science, and technology that will be important in the future.

Students are coming into a world that asks more from them in the fields of Science and Math than ever before. The real opportunities for personal success are going to be areas where they create, discover and invent the future. By using skills more geared toward this century, students get glimpses of the future. My hope is that now they will be a little more aware and mindful of how they can fit into that future.

Scott Weiler is a math & science teacher at Presidio School and has six years experience teaching, including a year in South Korea. He is a gradute of University High School, and has a B.A. from Lousiana State University. He got his teaching certificate from Pima Community College.

Dr. Barbara Warren, Physicians for Social Responsibility

Arizona is burning.  We are amidst a severe drought, a climate growing hotter and our water resources are shrinking.  Without adequate rainfall, forests will become tinderboxes and fires will rage.  Was this expected?  Yes!  Climate scientists have been warning us for years that this is the future for the Southwest with the scenario of climate change.

And yet many of us we still behave as if there is nothing happening out there on our planet and in our own environment.  We have been told how to make the necessary changes in our lives for a long time now.  Read Lester Brown’s book, “Plan B” or a whole host of other writers.  It is late, but there is still time to make very significant adjustments to the way we live and to dramatically reduce the rising carbon levels that are the cause of these changes.

We all work to try to make the future for our children and our grandchildren and other family members’ futures on this planet a better one.  And yet we are ignoring the obvious, the 1,000-pound gorilla in the room.  What will their lives really be like if we continue on this path?  See Thomas Friedman’s  Opinion piece from 4/8/11.

In the Southwest, we are fortunate to have ready access to a large and plentiful and renewable energy source.  We all value our sunshine and our desert climate.  And yet many of us seem blind to the opportunity it presents to capture the sun as energy. We can each do our part in helping to reverse the trend of global warming. And yet the majority of us do not act.  It is puzzling indeed.  It is especially ironic to listen to the many who say:  “I cannot afford to put solar energy on my house because I am renovating my kitchen… or bathroom… or buying a new car.”   Most often that new car is not a hybrid or electric vehicle. Our choices are backwards, short sighted and certainly not in the best interests of our children’s future on this planet.

There are a number of very helpful incentives to get on with choosing solar electricity and solar hot water and many other energy conserving options for our homes.  The State and the Nation allow us tax credits for each of many items.  The Federal government provides a 30% tax credit for solar installations.  And our utility companies offer generous subsidies that reduce the costs of solar energy choices for our homes by an average of 40%. Must it be free for us to care enough for our children’s future?

It is time to get our priorities straight and to do the right thing for our families and this planet. We can do it!  We can also find ways to help those who truly do not have any funds to go solar and make this happen. Let’s all compete for the best solar arrays and not the fanciest bathrooms and kitchens!  And kudos to all of you who have “gotten it” and have those panels on your roofs, those hybrid and electric vehicles, that water harvesting, those bicycles and so on! Thank you for doing your part!

About the Author:
Barbara H. Warren, MD, MPH is a retired physician who is the Arizona coordinator for Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) and a Southwest Director on the National Board of Directors of PSR, Washington, DC.  She also is the coordinator of the Issue Team on Global Warming and the Environment for the Pima County Chapter of Progressive Democrats of America (PDA).

Pirog, an artist and student, recently visited Louisiana and interviewed people in the community to uncover the spill’s devastation and potential permanent ruination of  life as they knew it.

Tracy Toland

The circus will be in our town June 30 and once again I will protest against it. Two years ago I set out with the same mission. I received an email from a well known animal rights group asking if I would be willing to help organize a protest against Ringling Bros.

I accepted.

This was the first time I’d ever taken on such a task. The circus attendees had many harsh words for me, “dirty hippie,” “baby killer,” “liberal nut,” to “get a job” and many other colorful stereotypes and demands.

I come from a conservative Catholic family with very conservative beliefs, many of which I regard. I also have a full time job.

This made me contemplate: Why are animal rights an assumed project of the left?

Protesting is typically done by progressives and liberals. For many it can be hard to get past the rhetoric of groups, especially when they’re telling you to never eat an animal by-product again.

But it seems that for some in the religious sect and conservative party, where animals are concerned nothing serious could be at stake. This is simply not true.

A dog is not the moral equal of a human being, but it is the moral equal of an elephant. Would you whip and beat your dog into submission with a metal hook? How about chain it for most of its life and make it perform tricks that caused the body extreme pain and depletion? This is the reality of circus animals.

The challenge here is consistency. We have laws and societal standards to protect domestic animals but we do not in force them or apply them to exotic animals. This is not fair or a rational standard of conduct.

We, as a human race, have rightful power; we have evolved and protected ourselves from dangerous animals in the wild.

But when did we let the rightful power become abuse of power? When did caring about all God’s creatures become just some of God’s creatures? When has the conservative party ever adopted the slogan “ignorance is bliss?”

I’m asking all people to come together – liberals, conservatives, and people of faith – to recognize the blatant abuse of power that few are inflicting on exotic animals but many are supporting.

Tracy Toland works running operations for a local Tucson investment firm and is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu. Contact her at tracytoland@hotmail.com

Rob and Sue Krentz receiving their plaque for being inducted into the Arizona Farming and Ranching Hall of Fame. Michelle Roles Photography

by Jim Olson, Stanfield, Ariz.

Don called Rob up one day and said, “Hey Rob, I’ve got this prolapsed cow over at the Double Adobe Ranch locked up in the corral and I was wondering if you could give me a hand?”

“Sure,” says Rob, “just come on over and get me on your way.”

So the two men headed over to the Double Adobe Ranch which is about an hour away from Don’s main ranch at Apache. They didn’t take a horse with them because Don had trapped the cow in the water lot earlier. Upon their arrival they found a mean old hussy who was none too happy about her current uncomfortable condition or the arrival of the two “would be” cowboy doctors.

“You run her up the alley and I will catch her with the head gate,” Don instructed.

After giving Rob quite a run around in the alley, he finally got her headed up the lead-up. She was really moving fast as she hit the front. As a matter of fact, she hit the front with such a force that the old bolts holding the head gate in place just popped like buttons on a shirt! The old gal then proceeded to run around the water lot with the head gate on her head and Don still holding on to the lever. Don didn’t want to let her go for fear she would escape, or worse yet, chase him around while wearing the head gate.

After a minute or so of dragging Don around, the cow smartened up and back out of the contraption till she was free of it. She then chased Don around the lot until at last she cleared the top rail of the fence like a hurdler at a track meet.

Laughing at the sight of all this, Rob says, “Well now what are we going to do boss?”

It would take about two hours to go back to the main ranch and get a horse, so Don rummaged around behind the seat until he came up with an old catch rope.

“We’ll rope her using this old truck,” declared Don. “You drive!”

Rob says “Your ranch…your cow…your truck…you drive…I’ll rope.”

So off they went across the mesquite flat dodging bushes and arroyos chasing after the prolapsed cow. The rope was tied to the gooseneck ball in the back and Rob had fashioned a hand hold onto the headache rack for balance and support. After chasing the cow far enough that she finally began to wear out a little bit, Don was able to line out on her in a fairly level area. As Don pulled up beside the cow, Rob swung a time or two and then landed a loop that should have made a professional roper proud.

Rob threw the trip and Don turned the pickup off to the left just as if he was in Cheyenne at the Frontier days! The truck didn’t quite work like a good quarter horse would have, so the cow was difficult to throw down. Don figured that after a while, the old cow would just choke down enough that they could tie her up and doctor her. The ole gal was too smart for that though and she always kept just enough slack in the rope to keep her breath.

As Don and Rob tried many different methods of getting the cow down, about all that was accomplished was she was mad. Very mad. So mad as a matter of fact that she spent all of her time trying to chase the two cowboy doctors. Around the truck, in the cab, on the back, it didn’t matter; she was after her antagonists with a vengeance.

Finally the two men came up with a plan; they had rummaged around behind the seat and came up with another catch rope. This one they tied off to the base of a larger mesquite bush.

Don says, “Let her chase you by here and I’ll heel her.”

Rob says, “You’re skinny and fleet of foot…you chase…I’ll rope.”

So as Don let the cow chase him around like a champion bull fighter, he finally got her to go by the spot where Rob waited. With a heel shot that was sent by the Gods, Rob snagged a hind leg. Don jumped in the truck and took out the slack; the cow was tied down. Then, and only then, was she given slack.

Well they got her stuffins put back where they belonged and sowed her up, then they cautiously let her go. Both men were wore out from the ordeal. As they headed back towards Apache Don told Rob, “I sure do thank you for helping me out pard. That would have been quite a job for one man.”

Robs reply? “Well that’s what friends are for.”

This is a true account as told by a neighbor when asked, “Just what kind of friend was Rob Krentz?”

The immigration vs. secure border issue has gotten more press lately than a political love scandal. It seems everybody has an opinion on the subject and most are quite vocal. But you know what they say about opinions . . .

While this subject is not new by any stretch of the imagination, if you could point to one thing that has brought it to the forefront of political issues lately, it would have to be the murder of a southern Arizona rancher on his own property. On March 28, 2010 Rob Krentz became the poster child for the secure border issue. Unfortunately, it cost him his life.

At the time of this writing Rob is without a doubt the most widely known rancher in America, maybe the world. Just ask anyone, anywhere, to name an American rancher today and they will more than likely say Rob Krentz, or at least, “You know…that guy that got killed down along the border.”

Rob Krentz and his dog Blue. Both were killed in March by a suspected illegal immigrant. His ATV was found running at the scene.

As I read with interest all of the stories concerning the border and immigration, I started to wonder “just who was Rob Krentz?” I mean the person Rob Krentz, not the image or martyr that he has become for the secure border issue. I know several of the Krentz Ranch neighbors, and when one of them approached me about doing a story on the subject, I readily agreed on the condition that it was with the Krentz family blessing and that it would be a story on the man himself, not the political issues. I am honored that they agreed, because now I feel as if I know who Rob Krentz really was. I only wish that I could have met him prior to March 28.

While interviewing several family members and neighbors of Rob’s, I got a glowing report of a great man. Friend, family man, conservationist, good rancher and kind-hearted were all thrown about. Of course they wouldn’t have bad things to tell me about one of their own, I thought, but you know what? I read articles and contacted several people who are on the other side of the political issue, if you will, and couldn’t find one single person who had anything bad to say about Rob. Even the most adamant immigrant rights people had nothing bad to say about the person Rob Krentz himself. All they could talk about was being against the reform issue. Amazing! Even the so-called enemy could not run down Rob’s character. Here is why:

Rob Krentz was a man of values. From the time he was just a little boy, Rob’s dad Bob grilled into him the importance of doing things the right way. Throughout his life, Rob worked extra hard on doing just that. He wouldn’t cut corners when it might have been easy to do so – not if it weren’t the right thing to do. Little things that some people don’t think twice about like moving cattle without the proper inspection papers or running red (illegal) diesel in his pickup truck were out of the question as far as Rob was concerned. You never cheat, not even one little bit, was what Rob lived by and he inspired friends and family in the same way.

To understand Rob, you need to know more about his family history. The Krentz family emigrated (legally) from Alsace-Lorraine (which once was a little country between Germany and France and now is part of France) around the turn of the last century. They were butchers by trade and first went to St. Louis. Family lore says that after government regulations became too cumbersome there (even back then), the Krentz family headed west. Upon leaving St. Louis, they settled in Winslow, Ariz., about 1902, operating a butcher shop and a ranch. While operating the Chevelon Creek Ranch south of Winslow, the family recorded one of the earliest brands in the state of Arizona, the 111 bar brand, which is owned by the Babbitt family today. In 1907 the family sought out new ventures in the border town of Douglas, which was booming at the time. The Krentz’s bought the historic Tovrea Meat Market in Douglas and also the Spear E Ranch at the foot of the Chiricahua mountains. In about 1918, the meat market was sold and they concentrated their efforts solely on ranching from then on.

It took several years, but eventually the Krentz family was able to buy up the little homesteads surrounding them when they became available. Back then just about everyone in that country had a section or two of land that had been homesteaded. As people went broke or moved away, the Krentz family was in a position to buy out the smaller outfits and eventually put together one big ranch. Most of their pastures had been individual homesteads at some time, and are named after the original homestead. Each has its own history as well.

In media reports that circulate these days, the Krentz ranch is said to be 35,000 acres. I can tell you that isn’t quite right, but it is impolite to ask a person the size of his or her spread. It’s kind of like asking people how much money they have in the bank. Only the IRS and a rancher’s banker are privy to that information in the eyes of most ranchers, including the Krentzes.

Brothers Phil and Rob Krentz, in a 2006 Arizona Highways article about the Krentz Ranch involvement in the Malpai Borderlands Conservation project.

The family were pioneers. They were the kind of people that settled and developed this country and made it safe for others to follow. They are the kind of family that should be considered the backbone of America. Surviving bad droughts, cyclical markets, government regulations, and a myriad of other issues made them into the strong ranching family that we have today. The Krentz Ranch has been there since before Arizona was a state. It has been there since long before there was ever a United States Forest Service dictating rules to them. This is the background and legacy that Rob was born into, a salt of the earth kind of old time ranching family.

When asked about some of Rob’s other qualities, over and over again I am told about his willingness to help out. Rob’s wife, Sue, says, “Most of the time when Rob left the house he would say, ‘I am going to help (fill in the blank).’” Rob’s neighbors all have great stories to tell about Rob going out of his way to help them out of a jam. Not only would he help a neighbor, but Rob was kind to strangers as well, including the illegal immigrants that inundated his property.

Rob was known to help out a thirsty, starving or wounded immigrant on more than one occasion.  That may have been what got him killed. Rob’s last radio transmission to his brother Phil was something like: “going to help an illegal in distress.” Rob and his dog, Blue, were found shot several hours later.

Rob’s friends and family could not stress strongly enough that he loved to help people. “A friend in need is a friend in deed” was a motto of Rob’s. Not only did he help out friends and strangers in and around the ranching country of southeastern Arizona, but Rob was very involved in many other projects as well.

Rob was very active in the cattle growers’ associations at the local and state levels. He worked with the Malpai Borderlands group trying to preserve ranching and wildlife habitat for future generations. He testified numerous times to congressional leaders about the issues facing the international border and always seemed to find the time to continue helping out where he could.

The Krentz family were well known as good stewards of the lands that they control. They were honored for practices such as their long gravity flow water pipeline that served cattle and wildlife across their large ranch. Rob and his family took such good care of their land that they were used as examples of range stewardship on numerous occasions, and to top it off, the Krentz ranch was inducted into the Arizona Farming and Ranching Hall of Fame in its inaugural year, 2008.

Rob was a favorite around brandings on the nearby ranches. He was nicknamed “Crunch” and everybody laughs as they recall the “Krentz Crunch” that Rob used on waspy calves. Rob was a large man physically and after watching younger or smaller cowhands get mucked out by an unruly yearling, Rob would come running and put the Krentz Crunch on the offending animal. The move has been described as a cross between tackle football and wrestling.

Rob loved to hunt, fish, and do just about anything outdoors. He was a good roper, rancher, horseman, cowman, husband and father. Everybody I talked to had nothing but praise for Rob. He was easy to get along with. He was always positive. He was a genuine kind of person. Those are just some of the comments.

Rob loved life and would constantly tell his family, “We are so very blessed. We are blessed to live in this beautiful place that we live in. We are blessed to get to live the lifestyle that we want to and do what we want to every day.” As one of Rob’s friends put it “Rob was one of the good guys, he was a good ole boy.”

About Jim Olson:

Jim Olson was raised a cowboy on the high plains of Eastern New Mexico.  There he learned to ride young colts, tend cattle, and also drive heavy farm equipment at an early age. Jim spent a few years competing in the calf roping event at the PRCA level  and even went to the “Circuit Finals” a few times; now he is a weekend team roper.   Jim is the owner of Arizona Ranch Real Estate, a business that deals with Rural Property sales throughout Arizona. Today, Jim lives on and operates his own ranch near Stanfield, Arizona (which was once a part of John Wayne’s “Red River” ranch).   All of these things have led to great life experiences which Jim now uses in his writing career.   Jim writes stories about interesting and extraordinary people of the west including short stories of both fiction and non fiction.  He writes a monthly column titled “My Cowboy Heroes.” Jim’s articles are published monthly by several magazines throughout the southwest.  Jim has received national coverage also.  Jim currently has two books in print and is constantly working on several other projects as well.