Opinion

Last Sunday marked an anniversary of infamy for American freedom. That sunny day in the South Valley marked 70 years since President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave the U.S. military broad powers to force 120,000 American citizens to leave their homes and possessions to be relocated behind the barbed-wire fences of concentration camps in desolate locations. I consider Roosevelt's decision on Feb. 19, 1942 to sign Executive Order 9066 one of the most atrocious failings by a U.S. president in upholding America's traditions of freedom and democracy.

Like a majestic lumbering herd of wooly Ice Age beasts, the leadership of the Republican Party has in recent years been engaged in a great migration toward the rightmost edge of the political spectrum, and by this point they are sending out scouting parties to see how much more territory remains to squeeze into before they run up against the edge of the known ideological universe and are crushed like overzealous fans rushing the stage at a rock concert. These intrepid forerunners are called "candidates" and their enthusiasm for the task now borders on comical.

Cheers to Michael "Poppy" Castelan and Rocca's for joining forces. Beginning March 1, Castelan - a third generation fisherman and former owner of Poppy's Fish, Poultry & More in Morgan Hill, is bringing fresh seafood such as Ahi tuna, Chilean sea bass, wild salmon, halibut and oysters and a line of all-natural, grass-fed beef to the San Martin market.

It's that time of year, preparing for your annual tax filing and

President Barack Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Dec. 31, 2011, allowing any president to imprison a suspected terrorist without trial until the threat of terrorism subsides - that is, indefinitely. With the signing of this bill, the president's power has expanded in the monitoring of suspected terrorist threats while sacrificing civil liberties. Previously, by the executive order of George W. Bush, the president could only imprison people without trial if they were possibly involved with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. But now, the new law states that anyone can be taken into custody if he or she is a suspected supporter of terrorists groups or those groups' affiliates. These vague parameters make the NDAA bill threatening to civil rights. An individual's suspected affiliation with a certain group is based on the U.S. government's fear and desire to control.

Let's talk about teacher evaluation. This is one of the most complex topics in education, and I cannot say that I have the answer. What I do have, however, is the perspective of a teacher who cares deeply about the success of the public schools, the reputation of the profession and of my own school, and the experiences that students have every day.