50 Years Ago
Michael Evens, a 14-year-old Marin City youth, has been named 1969 “Boy of the Year” of the Marin City Boy’s Club. The award was made last week at the annual club awards banquet attended by several hundred persons at the Corte Madera Recreation Center.
According to club executive director Manny Chandler, Evans won because he “participated in all club activities, was a good sportsman, the club’s best athlete, was courteous, helpful, and a gentleman at all times.”
—Uncredited, 2/25/70
40 Years Ago
Being an American is never having to say you’re sorry. That’s the John Wayne tradition, and that’s giving us a lot of trouble as we try to nail down a solution to the Iranian hostage problem.
William Beeman, an anthropologist and resident of Iran for seven of the past 10 years, told Pacific News Service that the final hurdle to getting the hostages home is a cultural one. The Iranians want us to apologize for past actions in their country. Says Beeman: “We advise our sons and daughters never to apologize for past actions, never to make excuses. John Wayne and Vince Lombardi never apologized. It’s something Americans do with resentment and loathing…”
…Beeman winds up by pointing out that in asking for America to apologize, Iran is not out to humiliate us. Quite the contrary; by Iranian cultural standards the call for an apology is a statement that they are willing to forge a reconciliation.
—Steve McNamara, 2/22/80
30 Years Ago
The homeless population in Marin may be four or five times greater than previously estimated. At least that’s the conclusion of a recent San Rafael task force report, which says there may be between 1,500 to 2,000 homeless in the country with about 20 percent living in San Rafael. Meanwhile, the U.S. Census Bureau will do an actual homeless count March 20 to 21 when they scour local streets, abandoned buildings and shelters.
—Newsgram, 2/23/90
20 Years Ago
Republicans prefer decorous political conduct. Indeed, Ronald Reagan once promulgated an “Eleventh Commandment” requiring that GOP candidates not speak ill of each other. That’s certainly not the way the current Republican presidential campaign is unfolding. George “Dubya” Bush and John McCain are beating each other up in a manner no Democrats have matched in decades. It’s a sight to behold.
The bitterness of the fight is odd because, with the conspicuous exception of campaign finance reform, the positions of the two candidates are not all that far apart. They both embrace the far right position on abortion, they both want to fatten up the Pentagon’s portion of public spending and they both have environmental positions to range from timid to terrible.
But there is a difference. Bush is a personable fellow who wants to be president without much knowing what he might do when he gets there, just like his daddy. He is also deeply beholden to the moneybags who dominate the Republican Establishment. McCain, the feisty war hero, is amazingly frank on all things and is committed to cleaning up the campaign finance swamp.
The Sun endorses John McCain as the Republican candidate for president.
—Endorsements, 2/23/00
Compiled by Alex T. Randolph
