OPINION

Opinion Unless otherwise stated, the views and opinions expressed are those of the respective authors and do not necessarily represent the views of The Signal.

READER LETTERS Let’s Play Baseball

Another tribute to Mr. Vin Scully: First, I want to thank Lois Eisenberg and Ron Singerman for their tributes to this wonderful man who had the ability to bring us ALL together (except Giant fans and a few others). My love for this man began when I was 8 years old. Let’s just say that my Dad and I sat in our patio, each on a hammock with a huge radio between us. (That will give you some idea of how long ago.) Of course, we were fortunate enough to graduate to TV. Or was that fortunate? Hmm.

I, like Ron Singerman, had a scorebook and kept score at every game my Dad and I listened to together. This amounted to a great number of games and a great number of scorebooks. At the age of 11 I could give you stats on every single Dodger.

So much more I could say but this is about celebrating Vin Scully.

NO one can ever replace Vin Scully as an announcer. Young announcers need to stop trying to be like him and just be themselves. I think too many ruin their chances by not being natural in their delivery. Vin would have wanted them to be themselves and follow in his great footsteps by loving the game and the fans the way he did.

Below are a few of the Vin Scully quotes I found on “A-Z Quotes”:

“As long as you live, keep smiling because it brightens everybody's day.”

“I would always say to kids, don’t be afraid to dream, because it can happen.”

“Some people die twice: once when they retire, and again when they actually pass away. Fear of the first one is a big incentive for me to keep going.”

“I have to go over my carefully prepared ad-libs.”

“The ability to throw 100 mph cannot be taught, cannot be learned, it can only be God-given.”

So many more. Really love this last one:

“I was saying on the air: ‘Victorino used the Twitter and he sent a twit to tell the fans he was coming.’ Well, the city went hysterical. The sky nearly fell down from laughter. I always thought that if you are going to use Twitter, it's going to be a twit. Why would it be a tweet?”

Thank you for every great moment you let us spend with you, Vin. Diane Zimmerman Santa Clarita

Those Darn Giants Fans

In the past few days I have heard some amazing stuff from Giants fans.

I was talking with a former business colleague who resides in San Francisco. I told him I just attended a baby shower for my grandson who is expected in October. I mentioned I was looking forward to teaching him how to throw and catch a baseball. My colleague’s response was, “Yes, there is nothing more satisfying in life than to see your grandchild become a Giants fan.” The next day, I attended a Dodger game with a high school friend who is also a Giants fan. He told me he is rooting for the Dodgers and even hopes they win 100 games. He pointed out the Dodgers have won 100 games in a season eight times, but none of those teams won the World Series.

Well, I guess talking baseball with Giants fans still beats discussing politics with someone who does not share your views. After all, baseball is the American pastime.

Jim de Bree Santa Clarita

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ETHICALLY SPEAKING

Can We Act Responsibly?

There is a strange dichotomy going on in our society. When someone’s mistake or carelessness or forgetfulness or laziness negatively impacts our lives, we insist on finding and exposing those responsible. Yet, when the situation is reversed, and we are on the accusatory end of the pointed finger, we often deny, shift, or otherwise attempt to escape responsibility. Mistakes exist, but it wasn’t me!

It is so ironic that great problems exist in our world but, apparently, they have no connection to any human error. No one seems to be responsible.

It reminds me of my college years here in SoCal. Back in the ’70s we had pretty bad smog in the Santa Clarita Valley, and pretty much everywhere else except the beaches. But, funny thing, you could never find anyone who actually lived where there was smog. We all declared that, while there were faint traces here, the wind actually blew it over to Pasadena, whose residents insisted the wind blew it to Riverside, where folks declared that it actually was on its way to San Bernardino. We were all coughing and wheezing but were united in denying we lived where there was smog.

Today it is uncommon to find anyone who will accept responsibility. At the highest levels of government and industry, hardly anyone ever takes responsibility for things going wrong.

Sadly, this attitude is filtering down to the most basic levels of daily living. Here’s why: For far too many today, any responsibility placed on them from outside themselves is really a curtailing of their individual liberty. It’s a power play designed to squeeze them into someone else’s reality … and they just won’t stand for such a slave mentality.

Take, for example, something as simple as arriving on time for an appointment. Some folks, like me, are so anal they always get there 10 minutes early. But most today have absolutely no problem arriving 10-20 minutes late. And when they finally do grace you with their presence, they can’t imagine why you might be miffed. After all, to impose your time frame on them just isn’t going to work. They march to their own drummer, and the rest of the world will just have to chill. Another example is not quite so innocuous. I believe we all have the responsibility to keep our word. When we say we’ll do something, we are obligated to do it. If exigent circumstances arise, we can adjust our obligation but we can’t nullify it; we can communicate and come to a new standard of expectation, but we can’t just throw our responsibility to the wind.

I could add more examples but you get the point. We stand at a crossroads in our culture. Once there were clearly understood and agreed-upon standards of behavior that included individual responsibility for things like keeping promises, showing up on time, working hard, being honest, caring for the weak, serving your country and loving your neighbors.

Today there are increasing signs that these standards are losing their value. We are watching as selfishness is repackaged as freedom, and freedom re-defined in terms of personal autonomy. But it was never meant to be this way.

From the beginning of our great American experiment the glue that held our democracy together was our realization we could only be strong when we held ourselves responsible for the welfare of those around us.

We still give medals to those who, on the battlefield, sacrifice their own wellbeing to save their comrades. Why? Because, regardless of how some may consider responsibility too confining, the human heart will always understand the nobility of taking responsibility for others, and the moral value of doing so as the necessary foundation of a healthy society.

Local resident David Hegg is senior pastor of Grace Baptist Church. “Ethically

Speaking” appears Sundays. 