Epiphany

Ann and I thoroughly enjoyed strolling "along the bricks" downtown McCook on "First Night." What a neat idea it was to celebrate New Years Eve by enjoying with friends a variety of venues along the sidewalks. There was an open fire to do smores, homegrown music in the Methodist Church, dinner and entertainment at the Bieroc, a street dance, model railroads in action, music and a variety of acts on the stage at the Fox. And those where just the things we stopped in on. I noted people of all ages out enjoying the brisk, but not unpleasant, night air under a brilliant blue moon. Absent were any drunks but we didn't last 'til the ball dropped. Great idea, well done!

The word epiphany has also been adopted into our common lexicon to mean: "a sudden striking understanding of something." As in "ah ha"!

This week President Obama had one of those "ah ha" moments when after a year he recognized that "Yes Virginia, there really is a war on terror." Finally he admitted that Al Qaeda is out to kill us in a variety of ways: example, the underwear bomber's flubbed attempt to blow up an airliner on Christmas Day. Hello, it only took him a year to finally utter the word "terrorists," -- an epiphany indeed.

In a sense the term "Terror" is not the proper term for a war that is actually a radical Islamist Jihad. Terror is just one of the techniques that the Radical Islamists use to magnify the effects of killing large numbers of Americans, Europeans, Christians, especially Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, and yes even Muslims from sects they consider infidel. It will be interesting to watch the administration's change in tactics from now on out.

Last week I wrote of my own epiphany when I realized that Senator Ben Nelson had chosen to no longer represent the people of Nebraska. It came at the moment when he could have voted "No" to cloture and thereby kill the Obama Health Care Bill. Sadly Senator Ben showed his true colors, a Democrat first, foremost, and forever. Ah ha, I was in error to think he would vote what his constituents think best.

Actually Senator Ben could still redeem himself by voting against whatever cobbled up legislation is to come out of the attempt to justify both the House and Senate bills.

There will be another 60 Yea required majority final vote before sending the compromise bill to President Obama for signature. I've no doubt that the deal made to exempt Nebraska from a huge increase in Medicaid expense will go by the wayside along with a watered down agreement of abortion funding but I fear our Senator will cave again.

I had a couple of complaints on my last column. Significantly both objections came from old (older than me) women, both blonde. One especially objected to my comments about President Barack Hussein Obama's performance in office, particularly his preference to lead this country to socialism. She thought that unfair, and how come I'm not a senator or president myself if I am so smart. Good point; if smart means educated I can attest that I possess the same qualifications as Sen. John McCain, for example and NO I am not at all interested in running for office. Been there and done that for 12 years!

Actually it is a mistake to think that those elected to Congress are smarter than the rest of us; they aren't, and way too many of them are crooks to boot. Also there are way too many lawyers involved!

No sense addressing Garnet's complaint as he no longer reads my column.

That is the way I saw it.