Thoughts On Recent News Stories

1.Bevin calls for Prayer Patrols...So far the governor’s only action to end violence in Lou-ah-vul was to call a meeting in the troubled west end and urge these. (He tried to keep the news media from the meeting but found out he couldn’t in that building.)

 

I believe in the power of prayer. It can’t hurt, and it may help.

 

But as a former Notre Dame football coach wisely said “Prayers work better when the players are bigger.” And this is,  as Nancy Reagan’s anti-drug program “Just Say No” was, truly a band aid.

 

Especially since it’s the governor’s party (here and in Washington) that allows so many guns on the street...with few background checks, bad rules against the mentally ill getting guns, the gun show exemption, larger magazines, etcetcetc.  Let’s pray our legislators realize their responsibility to end gun violence.

 

(And if you doubt that, as the Texas legislature ended a rancorous session, one GOP lawmaker  told a Democratic opponent he would “shoot him in self defense.”  Austin, as Frankfort, allows lawmakers to carry guns into sessions.)

 

2. America’s “longest war” (Afghanistan) took a horrible turn when insurgent bombs killed 90 in the capital, not far from the Presidential Palace. (Our White House.) Just one of such blasts recently. This while our president considers sending more American troops there...while corruption remains strong, tribal rivalries grow, local militia run many areas, etcetc.

 

(BTW, the US under Trump continues our policy of being one of, if not the largest seller of arms around the world. He inked a $350 Billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia on his trip there...just what the war torn Middle East needs. He argued this was a jobs creator back here. Maybe so, but it is sure to create jobs there...morticians, casketmakers, grave diggers, white helmets, etc.)

 

3. As we observed Memorial Day—if we observed it, instead of seeing it as another 3 day weekend...it was pointed out that there are still EIGHTY thousand US service members missing in action from WW2 on. That does not include the missing from WW1...and, perhaps, that “police action," officially, known as the Korean War. A thought to remember when next Congress or the President sends us into war...as has already been threatened in the first hundred days of this new administration and Congress.

 

4. Coal continued to slip...in terms of annual production---and JOBS---in the latest official figures. (SUR-prize.)

 

5. Jim Bunning died...a staunch conservative (and better baseball player) who represented Kentucky for many years in Washington. In KET’s tribute to him on “Comment on Kentucky” our fine public broadcast service couldn’t find a way to use a picture of him on its air.

 

I'm just sayin'...