In regards to Allan Stellar’s opinion piece titled” Cottonwood Rodeo put surrounding populations at risk,” I would like to address the column.

I would like him to know that I am a resident of Tehama county with a long family history of rodeoing and ranching. They are some of the most well read, intelligent and innovative people that I know.

Calling people that attended Cowboy Anarchists, a part of a Yee Haw Nation was meant as an insult and unnecessary. A retired agricultural teacher I know once said that words matter and if you disagree with someone’s opinion, do it respectfully and with intelligence.

In my opinion, Mr. Stellar’s opinion lost any credibility when he used the terms Cowboy Anarchy and Yee Haw Nation, not to mention his obvious disdain for “Big belt buckles and big hats.” His tone and disdain for the rural agricultural, ranching and rodeo community is unappreciated. One might say his opinion only addressed rodeos, but what he doesn’t realize is that rodeo people come from rural agricultural and ranching backgrounds. Furthermore his mockery of a newscaster was uncalled for.

I take issue with Mr. Stellar’s opinion that the sheriff’s department was ineffectual, as people conducted themselves appropriately for an event of that nature. And he was correct, the town of Cottonwood and the sheriff did not want to stop the rodeo from happening. What an astute observation for Mr. Stellar.

Most people even in Tehama and surrounding counties do share Mr. Stellar’s concern for public health, even in the Yee Haw Nation, and yes, 2,000 people at one event violates the states guidelines on safety at this time. But naming and shaming the contestants and families that attended the Cottonwood Rodeo is not the way to go about influencing the masses.

Seems that folks around here are unleashing their opinions very publicly from whatever pulpit that they are standing on in the name of self importance.

— Leslie Tharp, Red Bluff