Opinion

Time on his hands

Tuesday, August 4, 2020

Methinks that Darrell Meister has too much time on his hands. Being quarantined could do that to a person. Of course I don’t know the rules for the 14 day quarantine rules for Hawaii. Can one stay in their own home? Can they get out and drive somewhere to enjoy the grand outdoors of Oahu. Bars and restaurants closed? How about groceries and outdoor markets if one wears a mask? If he has to stay home and watch too many hours of TV I can see how he could get fed up with the 14 day quarantine.

Gee reading such experiences of people in other places makes this old guy appreciate living in this relatively rural setting in a state with good sense even more. I packed Grannie Annie into the Ford Saturday and we drove to Grant, Nebraska. I person needs to get out on our hiways and byways to enjoy a Nebraska green in August. I’m told that drive 25 miles in any direction from McCook and you’ll find evidence that our neighbors didn’t receive the timely rains that make our countryside so green and verdant. Then too near Wallace there is evidence that thunderstorm hail can completely destroy a pivot of standing corn about ready to tassel. I hope that he had it insured.

Darrell’s plea that what our country needs is a president in the mold of Franklin Roosevelt or as he calls him FDR. Yes FDR was our first three term president and that is also why our constitution was changed to prevent that from happening again. A term limit of two terms and that would be a good idea for Congress as well in my opinion. FDR did some things that according to what I’ve read prolonged the great depression for instance the rule that rural banks could only loan to rural businesses instead of maintaining a diversified portfolio. That rule caused a lot of rural banks to needlessly fail which really hurt rural communities. Then there was the ploy of killing and plowing under the carcasses of baby pigs in order to get the price of pork high enough that a profit could be made. What a waste when near starving people were waiting in food lines.

Obviously your old columnist isn’t exactly a fan of FDR. I am a fan of our present President Donald J. Trump and feel it imperative that he be reelected in November. Is he perfect? Well no but compared to the alternative of Joe Biden who would lead our beloved country to certain disaster I don’t think that there is any choice but to vote for Trump.

I do enjoy looking at Darrell Meister’s bison herd. It adds a nice touch to the variety of scenery that we enjoy here in southwest Nebraska. Production of corn, soybeans, sorghums and occasional millet can be seen. Yet in the breaks leading to steep canyon walls we see native grasses being grazed by a variety of beef cattle. We even have dairy herds too. Most of the grass pastures are harvested by cattle plus Darrel’s few native bison. I’ve been told that in our USofA that the numbers of cattle come close to the numbers in bison herds before white men came to settle this country. All those cattle plus the number of acres devoted to crop production.

Hmm, why in the world don’t all cattlemen produce bison instead of cattle? Personally I can think of several reasons. Have you seen the fence required to keep those bison confined to their allowed acres? Tall and electric equates to expensive. Then too all people are cautioned about getting close to the animals because they can be dangerous to unprotected humans.

Then there are the facilities to handle the beasts much more robust, equates to expensive, than required for cattle.

Yes our local bison herd is a novelty much like the raising of ostriches awhile back. The ostrich and emu industry came and went after a few short years even though they too were reportedly good to eat. Bison have the distinction of touching our memory to appreciate this land before it was greatly changed by our European ancestors. Yes Darrell may your bison venture endure. We need it.

I had an interesting telephone visit with a pilot friend who is now a medical doctor near Chicago. Henry went to McCook College and attained his EMT and Para Medic ratings here. We also flew some together. Evidently the medical training whetted his appetite and he trundled off to Australia and studied to earn the title of MD down under. Now he is in the USA studying to take tests that will qualify him for honorable Doctor of Medicine degree. Surrounded in the medical world of today Henry is learning all he can about the Chinese Virus that is responsible for our pandemic of today. It wasn’t planned but he contacted the disease himself and spent a rough three weeks recovering. He says that you and I don’t want it as it is one rough experience and yes people are dying from it. Henry wasn’t as optimistic for a cure as seems to be the consensus on television today as he says the virus keeps changing its mode of operation in attacking our bodies.

Henry looks at the medical end of the disease but really deplores how it has become politicized. Dumb pronouncements like you can’t go to church but it is okay to demonstrate and riot at night drive him up the wall. Sounds to me that Henry has acquired a big dose of good sense even though he did grow up in Hollywood, California.

That is the way I saw it.

Dick Trail

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