2008
Week 10
March 15, 2008

Hi

“Lawmakers ill serve the public when they become so petrified that they cannot even approach an issue -- especially one as important as gun violence -- without cowering in fear over political consideration, real or imagined.” (Summary sentence of an Omaha World-Herald editorial, 3.14.08)

I was there. Surreal. The issue: gun violence. Are you for it or against it? Strange question. Split vote. The sponsor had removed all reference to gun ownership, the petrifying issue. The NRA declared itself neutral on the bill. Still, in fear of their reputation, some senators had to be called to the floor to get 25 votes, all to boldly declare that we want to study what contributes to gun violence in Nebraska. We even had one senator who said he could not vote for it because the NRA had at one time opposed it (before it was rewritten). I have never heard such a statement on the floor, openly pledging allegiance to a lobby. Unthinking allegiance.

Gun ownership is not the question. It will be forever. I come from a gun-toting family, but I am outraged by the NRA defense of steel jacket bullets, good only for killing cops. Rabbits are fairly safe. Assault-type weapons are hopeless. They are everywhere, thanks to the NRA. Now in Oklahoma officials are considering arming the students. Let's see, 1,000 young people with guns and hormones. What could possibly go wrong here?

Frankly, the gun owners I know are solid, stable citizens. But we also have nuts. Senator Schimek has a bill that would require home schools to have minimal accountability through testing. As we do with all other schools. We have home schools on my district in which children are seldom taught -- they file every year on time, but that is about it. Since the legislature is responsible for every child, not just the majority who are indeed well educated in home schools, it seems reasonable. Wrong!

The web points out, at length, that this is a Jewish move and that is what is wrong with America. Quotes: (The homeschoolers) should have drug the Bitch out by the hair and took turns Jap slappin' the Bitch for a few hours. (No, I do not know what that is, but I bet the dude carries a concealed weapon.) The only thing worse than Jews is Niggers, who are Jews with tans. If you're not mad as hell you are not paying attention. Unquote.

The senator did not know she was Jewish until reading this. They have proof positive. She and Herb named their sons Samuel and Saul. She is a kike or a kikealike. Since the writers declare they and the homeschoolers are the only true whites, how would you like to meet them some night on a poorly lit street?

The senator learned all this by Googling her name. So I tried my name. O my. Over 180 hits. Two pages of them are articles about my trying to stop teenagers from having wine in communion. I did not do that, but what the heck. Maybe I am Jewish. Obviously there has to be a reason I would try to stop teenagers from receiving communion.

These characters give conservative a bad name. They should have met a really classy conservative, William Buckley. Newsweek, March 10: “His tone and level of civilized discourse set him in great relief to the shrill type of commentary we often hear today. ... He felt deeply hurt ... if something he wrote or said hurt someone personally. ... He believed that if government would just leave man alone, the human spirit would triumph. ... Buckley was hardly a saint .... His idea of a compromise was to deny both uneducated whites and blacks the vote. ... Conservatism has lost something. In the conservatism spawned by talk radio and TV, the haters and know-nothings are back, ranting about immigrants and liberals.” Sigh. We already miss your thoughtful, strident ways, Mr. Buckley.

The final debate on budget comes this week. I do not know whether to cheer or cry. It is a strong budget, doing much of what is necessary. But it fails at several points. For example, It does not provide enough funds for services to the elderly in their homes, so many will be forced to go to rest homes. Instead of paying $1,000 a year next year, we will pay $30,000 a year in two years. All in the name of holding down taxes.

Taxes are a tough subject, but not everyone shouts. We may decide to tax ourselves to improve the roads, for example. The talking disconnect is in relating services to payment for them. What really hurts are the subjects we cannot discuss. Guns is one of them. Abortion is another where the discussion generates more funds than light. The death penalty would be gone if we could actually evaluate it. Immigration. A 12-year-old granddaughter of a pastor friend was blocked at the airport, from Panama, basically because we cannot talk. Her papers were in order and her uncle was waiting for her a few feet away. A clerk wondered WHY she would want to come to Nebraska and deported her without further talk.

I am always optimistic. The causes of death and injury from drunk drivers is a subject we are beginning to talk about. Still a lot of posturing about responsible businesses, but it is clear they are not the problem. We know the causes, including public attitude, and could cut the mayhem by 90% if we could talk about them. Second hand smoke received good attention. The university is going great guns. Our Med Center is a national leader in research. All had major improvements during these eight years when I was privileged to watch at close range.

And now it is Spring!

Lowen