Opinion

Thoughts on Election Day

Tuesday, November 6, 2018

I am writing this on the eve of Election Day so outcomes are all unknown as of this moment. What we do know that it has been a long and raucous campaign so far. Possibly all the uproar is the normal way of things and we just forget every two years until the next election. Maybe we want to forget.

One thing that I won’t miss is the constant deluge of requests to send money to political parties and candidates campaigns. The requests come in the daily mail, on TV and radio plus about every website on the computer. Throw away, mute, delete delete delete is my usual response. Surely the requests must work though because they keep coming. They just don’t work at my house.

Thankfully we live in an area in our world where identity politics is not much of a factor. We don’t have large segments of our population with skin color black, brown or anything but white. About the main division between our homogeneously white population is between the sexes and bless the Lord for making us male and female. Viva la difference.

Identity politics on a national scale is, however, a more bothersome trend. They, always the ubiquitous “they”, accuse we white people of being racist because I guess we view people of different skin color, or different religion or different sex or some other perceived difference, rich, poor, something that we aren’t so all those other people must be inferior to ourselves. Not a good trend in my way of thinking and I would like to see us all try harder to get along with each other. Let’s all strive to be proud to be Americans together and live by what Jesus was trying to teach. “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

I noticed recently that our Nebraska’s most successful investor, Warren Buffett put a bunch of money into the current campaign ballot initiative to make Medicaid for all. Not a good idea in my opinion but with Buffett there must be some angle. I suspect that if the initiative passes Buffett will be holding some stock or enterprise that stands to make money off the change. Gee, I wonder why I’m not looking forward to getting to pay more in taxes to support Medicaid when Buffett profits from it.

Doubt me? Then explain why it is that Buffett is consistently against completing the underground pipeline across Nebraska to carry crude oil from the fields in the north to refineries and exporting ports in the south. Ever notice the long unit trains of petroleum cars carrying crude oil running past us on the Burlington Rail Line? Not only does Buffett own controlling interest in our railroad he also owns the cars carrying the crude oil that make up the unit trains. So we get to pay more at the pump just to help line Buffett’s pockets with a little more gold. Why is this old guy a little suspicious or maybe a tad bitter?

Big talk at the coffee shop, the font of knowledge, last week about Gene Morris’ total back page ad in the Gazette bad mouthing our duly elected president. Several encouraged me to write a response. Gene for me has been a good reporter and editorial writer over the years. I always thought him to be an honest observer unprejudiced either for the Democrat or Republican Party. Truly an unbiased reporter as all should be but a rare commodity as of late. Unfortunately, Gene rather destroyed his reputation in his diatribe against President Trump. Maybe the pressure just kept building up and he finally exploded.

President Trump reminds me a lot of people that I served with in my own military career. Fellow crewmembers, officers and enlisted alike, for instance, expressed opinions of women that let’s say were different than laid out in the Bible our rule and guide for life. Mostly it was talk or boastful thinking that rarely came to fruition. Just talk or idle boasting. At times the words were gross and not for public consumption. Of course, during my career, we were not integrated with the capable females that serve today. It is a different world. So it is with Trump using his bully pulpit in the world of tweets. Idle boasting that really has no meaning or substance. No need to be offended, just the coarse individual that we elected to the highest office in our land.

It is what he gets done that is important. Believer in the Bible, understands that a large tax burden holds the economy down. Believes that strong fences make for good neighbors. Tends to abide by the intent of the framers of our Constitution. No need to be offended even if it isn’t the current way of Gene’s beloved Democrat party of today.

Oh yeah, tomorrow (the 7th) is Gene’s 80th. Wish him a Happy Birthday.

In another two years, there will be another “Most important election of our lifetime” and I have faith that our wonderful country will survive just as it will survive this one. Whether your favorite political party will gain or lose points, win or lose, America will still be the best country in the world to live in and raise our families. We are indeed blessed!

That is the way I saw it.

Dick Trail

Comments
View 2 comments
Note: The nature of the Internet makes it impractical for our staff to review every comment. Please note that those who post comments on this website may do so using a screen name, which may or may not reflect a website user's actual name. Readers should be careful not to assign comments to real people who may have names similar to screen names. Refrain from obscenity in your comments, and to keep discussions civil, don't say anything in a way your grandmother would be ashamed to read.
  • This is a bit out of character for you Dick. Normally, we see pot shots at the people that would never be exposed to your column. (You know, the comments that essentially say we, with manure on our boots, are pure while the ones to be feared are in far off places. aka tribalism) I have read your quotes in here about the integrity of the news channel you prefer to watch, which is FOX I believe. Dick, how do you feel about an news anchor, from a network that you watch, appearing on stage with a candidate? No disrespect intended but, your selective outrage is laughable.

    -- Posted by hulapopper on Thu, Nov 8, 2018, at 12:08 PM
  • Oh boy Mr. Trail, this column is a real doozy.

    First of all, unlike you, receiving free space to spew your diatribes of the far right point of view, Mr. Morris took out the full page ad, an ad that was PAID for! Free speech and the right to take out a paid political ad is still protected, but your president is trying to muffle free speech.

    If you had done a little research, (like google) you would have learned that those big long trains with petroleum cars, that come through our local line, are ethanol trains not oil trains. Ethanol made from corn grown by local farmers. Perhaps you should do a little research instead of bashing Warren Buffett about something you do not know anything about. Those oil trains most of the time go from North Dakota to Texas, north and south routes, not on east-west lines. Yes BNSF runs oil trains but they go north and south, just like UP's.

    Now your statement, that trump is a "Believer in the Bible". Sure hope a lightning bolt didn't get you on that one! Just a few on the Commandments he breaks or has broken.

    #1. I feel the only God he worships is himself: me, myself and I.

    #4 Remember the Sabbath. You bet he does, at his golf courses.

    #7. Do not commit adultery! Wow, not only has he committed adultery on all 3 wives, and then brags about it, then tries to muzzle a porn star with money! And how many women have filed lawsuits against him for fondling them?

    #8 Do not steal....at least 5 bankruptcies to avoid paying his bills! He has had numerous lawsuits against him for not paying contractors for work they have performed. Not paying your bills is stealing!

    #9. Thou shalt not lie: Wow, verified lies and untruths from his mouth, average 9 per day. He really observes this one doesn't he?

    #10. Do not covet, other men's wives?, no that one he doesn't observe for sure. Other's wealth? He's all about material things and wealth. Like he told his wealthy buddies, the tax cut is going to make you all wealthy!

    One more thing concerning your president, numerous times he bashed Obama on his golf trips. Your president is on track to spend more of the tax payers money on golf trips in one year than Obama did in the entire 8 years he was president. To make it even worse most of the trips are to courses owned by him. Now how does fit into your preaching on fiscal responsibility?

    -- Posted by fit2btied on Thu, Nov 8, 2018, at 7:50 PM
Respond to this story

Posting a comment requires free registration: