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First off one has to be proud of the citizens of Southwestern Nebraska. During our Independence Day celebration Senator Ben Nelson was on hand to dedicate a statue in his honor. It would have been a wonderful time to have staged a tea party in the park just a block away. Out of respect for McCook's native son, the rare individual from this area who has achieved high elected office, the tea party simply didn't happen.
I mistakenly drove by the small crowd (too large I thought) attending the dedication ceremonies and doffed my hat in respect for Senator Ben just then orating from his front porch. Joining the sentiments of a good friend I also resolved to cease any further donation to a Community Foundation that frivolously spends funds on assuaging the egos of still living elected officials. The obvious hope is that they might shower "earmark" (other taxpayers') funds on future government projects for this area whether needed or not. It has been stated that all the funds for Ben's statutes were from private donations but to date I've not seen an accounting with the names and amounts given for the project.
Speaking of earmarks, interested observers may have noticed that little (as in no) progress has been made in fixing the leak in the dam on Red Willow Creek. The dam in need is that large earthen structure impounding water to make Sen. Hugh Butler Lake. The lack of progress goes back to the way the leadership of the political party that has been mostly in charge of the federal government since about 1932 has chosen to do business.
Long practice has proven to be exciting, and profitable in the way of swinging votes, for members of Congress to secure the funding of new projects for their district. Evidently it is not so exciting in the way of garnering votes to budget funds to keep the infrastructure of roads, bridges and, yes, even dams in good repair.
Yes the Bureau of Reclamation, the agency charged with maintaining the Willow Dam does not put major infrastructure repair funds into their continuing budget. Now any prudent property owner will make provision for ongoing repair of roofs, siding, furnace, plumbing, air-conditioning, those things that keep a building functional. Not so the U.S. government who has found it expedient (as in easier) to go back to the taxpayer and plea for additional tax money to fund those repairs that should have been included in their budget in the first place. The military is not immune to such shenanigans either as evidenced to the current use of "continuing resolutions" to pay for our ongoing overseas wars.
So it is that we are waiting for McCook's favorite son Senator E. Benjamin Nelson to smile down on us and generate an earmark to provide other peoples hard earned tax money to fix a dam problem in our neighborhood.
The last straw, for this old retired career officer was Senator Ben's recent vote in favor of encouraging persons of avowed homosexual orientation to be integrated into the U.S. military services. Current federal law bars those flawed individuals from serving in our armed forces and evidently Senator Ben has decided to change that law. Senator Ben serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee and could have cast a NO vote to keep the bill banning "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" in committee but voted YES instead.
Now how in the world did Senator Ben get assigned a slot on that committee in the first place? Never a member of the U.S. military Senator Ben doesn't meet the first qualification for membership in my mind. But then darned few of our Senate members have ever served in the military so I suppose Senator Ben's willingness to be appointed to the Committee makes him qualified in our elite Democrat leadership's minds.
I'm reminded of Senator Barbara Boxer, Democrat California, recent putdown of a General Officer for the offense of referring to her with the appellation "ma'm" a term of respect commonly used in today's military!
President Bill Clinton, Democrat, tried his darndest to change the law to force our armed services to accept homosexuals for military service but ran into a storm of resistance. So a half-measure called "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was adopted.
Not content to leave well enough alone President Obama, Democrat, and his liberal minions are now trying to force the military services to accept as equals those morally flawed individuals (my opinion) who are proud to call themselves gay, lesbian, or some other term that sounds more appealing than homosexual.
Never mind that at least 10 percent of our currently serving military members vow to leave the service if openly avowed homosexuals are allowed/encouraged to serve.
I guess that in the liberal minds of the elite leadership, including Sen. Ben Nelson, Democrat, Nebraska, it serves the military right to be forced to put up with homosexuals. Somehow Sen. John McCain and thousands of others who served honorably in the U.S. military don't think it is a good idea but what do they know anyway?
That is the way the current bunch in Washington D.C. has chosen to do business.
Personally I think that it is high time that the majority of them be replaced! "We the people" can do just that starting in November this year.
That is the way I see it
Comments
Hhooo-AaHhhh!!!, Dick. Pulling the plug on the homosexual restriction is, in my opinion, also, not a good decision to make, and I also resent it, with my 22 years service.
Although, not quite as obnoxious,, our Government has also, now, decided to place groups of women in our Submarine Fleet. You know how uncomfortable life can be, couped up for long hours, or days, in an aircraft, Submarines get a bit cramped after two to three months submerged. I have my doubts of the successful implementation of this 'new' system, also. Time will tell, and I honestly believe we have very little of that left, to get our Freedom 'Ducks' in a row.
Maranatha, Arley Steinhour
OH YES...THE RACIST SEXIST GOOD OL BOYS HAVE SPOKEN. It is good that you still have a place to do that. It means out country is still free!
So all men are created equal, unless they are GAY? What constitution are we defending with this military?
As far as women on submarines. Having ridden boats for 6 years myself I can proudly say that it will not make a bit of difference. Submarine sailors are the best and brightest that the Navy has to offer and far too professional to allow that to effect the way that they do their jobs Of course, when anyone first comes on board they are still considered a non-qual puke until they get their dolphins LOL.
Please be respectful and stay on topic? You should suggest that to some of your columnists. Some should also get the little bride to learn to proof-read as well. A statute of Ben Nelson and parents?
At any rate, I just love your columns Dick, as evidenced by how many people, from far away that I call and tell to log on. Sorta makes them wish they could live here.
I don't believe that a persons sexual orientation has anything to do with their ability to serve his/her country, nor does it effect their eyesight and ability to bear arms. Also, you are of the old school who want to keep women home and pregnant instead of serving in the civil service/armed service, etc., This is 2010 Dick!
Here is my burr. Up until yesterday I have read this person's stories and actually got some chuckles out of some of them. I never realized that he was such a hateful person and dislikes gays so much that he would write what he did. When I read this column I thought of the Kansas preacher that also hates gays. Doesn't seem to be much difference between the message of either of them. The line "those morally flawed individuals (my opinion) who are proud to call themselves gay, lesbian, or some other term that sounds more appealing than homosexual" really offends me because you are saying that my sweet, considerate, intelligent, trustworthy, and productive daughter is flawed because she lives with and loves another woman. I thought all day about what was written in this column and was trying to figure out what I wanted to write. Suddenly, out of nowhere, this booming female voice,(my opinion) said to me "ignore him, he is just another Dick in McCook".
Pigman1, kudos to you! I served in the military with known gay people, both men and women. I also work side by side with a gay female. I have absolutely no qualms with any of them. And to make the hateful comments about Senator Nelson is flat out uncalled for. Mr. Trail spent time in the military. I'm sure they had gays then just as they do now. Although I read the news and blogs in here on a daily basis, if I lived in McCook and subscribed to the newspaper, Mr. Trails comments are such that I would drop my subscription. Instead of bashing our great Senator from Nebraska and putting down gays in a very discrimanatory and offensive way Mr. Trail should look in the mirror and ask himself just how perfect is he?
Just one more voice echoing what java mocha, McCook Supporter and especially Pigman 1 have already stated. You are a narrow-minded, sharp tongued individual who wouldn't know morality if it bit you on your a**..I remember being in Sunday school when i first learned about people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw the first stone?? It amazes me that there are even a few people who ever agree with good ole DICK but bless Arley's heart he's always right behind him ..I'll draw to a close with each person drawing his own conclusion about "those" two men.....
How long would humanity last on this earth if everyone was gay?? Yet these gay folks want us to approve of their life style. Doesn't sound like God's plan to me.
Count me in with Dick and Arley's group!!
Dick,
Your comments regarding gay people, are quite disturbing, both small minded and vile.
Who are you to make such a judgment upon persons that you do not even know.
The hate you are spewing paints you as the morally flawed individual.
--The way gay and lesbian people are treated in our society is morally wrong. People should make moral judgments not on WHOM they love, but on WHETHER they love. ---- John Corvino
I do not hate homosexual people. I do not desire to live in close contact with them, and God calls the behavior an 'abomination.' I offer the following, for reasons noted in the words of Ezekiel, and have fulfilled my obligation of alerting to that behavioral penalty:
Lev 20:13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
Eze 3:18 When I tell wicked people they will die because of their sins, you must warn them to turn from their sinful ways so they won't be punished. If you refuse, you are responsible for their death.
Eze 3:19 However, if you do warn them, and they keep on sinning, they will die because of their sins, and you will be innocent.
Eze 3:20 Now suppose faithful people start sinning, and I decide to put stumbling blocks in their paths to make them fall. They deserve to die because of their sins. So if you refuse to warn them, I will forget about the times they were faithful, and I will hold you responsible for their death.
Eze 3:21 But if you do warn them, and they listen to you and stop sinning, I will let them live. And you will be innocent.
Rikkadog, my concern is about the closeness of conditions, but everything I rode has been decomissioned by now. I pray you are right, but 60 to 80 days is a long time, as you know.
I don't care what people do in the privacy of their own homes it's when they get all in your face about itthat it bothers me. I can see a domestic partnership but I don't want to see marriage for homosexuals. I don't think openly gay in the military is that big of a deal but it depends on how it is implemented.
What about women in the service who get pregnant on purpose to get out of being deployed? It happens folks do they belong in the military?
I just have to laugh dick is part of the older generation adn is just as entitled to his opinions as anyone. When I see the hateful remarks directed at him and the typical liberal knee jerk labels I have to laugh at the so called tolerant and inclusive lefties. As long as it's your view it's ok no room for an oposing viewpoint is there.
As to Ben he has proven to be nothing more than a party hack and deserves to be voted out in 2012 along with his president.
Old Dick has again showed how jealous he is of Ben Nelson's achievements, not to mention how bitter he is.
Chaco1, Senator Nelson has done a fine job,(in my opinion) and has done many positive things for Nebraska and especially Southwest Nebraska. No one is perfect.
His vote for the health care bill was wrong in your opinion, but was correct in many other's opinions. I am waiting to see what actually happens before passing judgement on it. Many parts of the bill won't take affect for years. But the "righties" already know everything about it?! Many of you righties forget that "Benny" (as dubya used to call him) voted for Bush policies more often and more with the republicans than many actual republicans did during the Bush years. A party hack??? Far from it. But guess as you say there is no room for an opposing viewpoint is there?
As far as gays in the military, they have been there for years, will continue to be for years, just have to decide whether it will be in the open or continue like it is now. I do not condone their lifestyle, but it is their business not mine. As far as women on subs, give it a try, see what happens, according to a good friend there is not a whole lot of privacy on a sub, few chances for "relations", but guess where there's a will there's a way.....
i neither condone nor criticize dick trails opinion. what i find amazing is the folks who condemn or approve of his opinion using the same rhetoric as those whom they oppose.
Thats exactly the problem wondering Ben voted for a bill his constituents opposed without reading it or knowing what was in it.
Wondering70, It is the closeness, and lack of privacy that concerns me, plus one other thing, perhaps I should not go into, but some may understand, and that is the "Dead-Light," presuming it hasn't been removed, or renamed. The Dead-Light, is a four inch (apx), circular window, allowing one to view into the adjoining compartment, when the water tight doors are closed and 'dogged.' I offer my concern with a question: Can every male submariner restrain themselves from opening the water-tight door, if they see a woman, who will drown, on the other side, if they do not open the door and try to save her??? Chances are very good, the door could never be closed again, and two, instead of one, compartment might flood, killing everyone in the two, and precluding the rest of the crew from saving the ship, and themselves; simply because we are trained, from birth, to defend women.
That is my primary concern. One woman does not equal the ship, nor the lives of the rest of the crew, any time, any way, any how. Men can and have watched their fellow male shipmates die in this manner, but few, in my opinion, could refrain from trying to save that 'one' woman in danger.
If women are to be allowed on submarines, then I do pray that the men can harden their hearts enough to let the woman die, rather than hazard their other shipmates. I will say no more on the subject.
When the armed services were polled during the 1940s about allowing blacks and whites to servie together, over 80% thought it was a terrible idea. Guess what - our miliatry became desgregated, and it's been better and stronger for it. Very few people would argue for this landmark decision to have never taken place.
Today, we face another landmark moment. This is our time to extend basic rights to all of our citizens.
-Straight but not Narrow
comparing a homsexuals to the plight of blacks is a huge insult to blacks not even close to the same thing. I only know if someone is gay if they tell me not so with a black person. It is a terrible analogy.
I notice none of our resident liberals wants to adress my point about females geting pregnant on purpose to get out of being deployed.
You are so right on target with this article. Some have said you "stirred up the pot". I believe we need to flush the thing. Knowing how floaters are we will most likely have to flush more than once! Please, everyone do their part in November!
Females getting pregenant so they wont have to be deployed. I will respond, and that responce is, So?
Unfortunately the important points of Dick's essay were overpowered by emotional response over the homosexual debate. What's critical are the following two questions:
1. Are political contributions going to be accepted, and thus circumvent reporting limitations, when disguised as charitable gifting in the future?
2. Will the system of earthern dams providing flood control, irrigation and recreation for the area that my grandfather Harry D. Strunk worked so hard to create be forsaken?
As to homosexuality, 15-20 percent of the population will remain in this sector. More than 450 species of nature distribute some kind of homosexuality, biblical references can be distorted both ways and the first 100 years of the Olympics were performed in the nude.
If someone says they have the magic answer to this debate, like that of abortion, then they are a self righteous know it all. As the Bible says:
"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. LUKE 6:37
Humbly submitted,
Harry Allen Strunk