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Mine Creek Revelations: A Grumpy One

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YES, I AM STILL HERE peeking out of the newspaper’s window on Main Street and I don’t know if I should laugh or cry at the disclosures of our nation’s past and current Commanders-in-Chief possessing classified documents away from the security of the White House. Apparently, one purposely took material from his time in the White House; and the other absentmindedly left some at his residence. One is a crook; one might to be too feeble to lead the nation.

Frankly I don’t like either one for our next President.

Why can’t either party find a moderate candidate who has no skeletons in the closet?

My gut feeling is that one of the problems is that in Washington it is too easy for former officeholders and their dependents to find new ways of making money after they leave office.

I’d like to see term limits. I’d like to see an end of the legislators’ families lining up at the trough. I don’t like it that one Supreme Court justice’s wife is so involved in politics. I believe she has undue influence in the justice’s decisions. 

One of the shortcomings of our election process these days is that the extremists in both parties have so much influence in the selection of party nominees. I long for the days of moderates.

But back to the classified materials. What is good for the goose is good for the gander. Both men need to be punished and then retire from the public eye. We need to trust our leaders again.

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REVENGE OR REGRET? Oklahoma executed a guy by lethal injection, last week. His name was Scott James Eizember. I had forgotten the name. Twenty or so years ago he murdered an elderly Oklahoma couple, then crossed the street to his ex-girlfriend’s residence and shot her and her son. Fled to Arkansas and hid out for awhile.

Then on a stormy night he was on the move again but had car trouble somewhere south of Ft. Smith with the vehicle he had stolen. A passing motorist took mercy and gave him a lift.

It was our town’s Dr. Sam Peebles and his wife, Suzanne, on their way home from a wedding.

Eizember kidnapped them and made them drive to Texas. Our local hero knew in his bones that their lives were in danger. He managed to get his hands on a gun hidden in the car, and shot the kidnapper. Then, as I recall, gave him medical attention until authorities could arrive.

From time to time I have had doubts about capital punishment.

Ten Commandments. The Pope says be merciful, don’t execute.

But, this story reminds me that forgiveness just isn’t in my soul. This guy broke into a house so he could await the arrival of his ex-girlfriend across the street. The elderly couple in whose home he was hiding were murdered — the wife with a shotgun blast and the husband beaten to death with the butt of the gun. Across the street, the ex-girlfriend and her son survived their wounds. Mercy, my foot.

An Oklahoma jury gave him the death penalty; an Arkansas jury gave him 25 years on top of that. The Okie Pardons and Parole Board denied him clemency and so the man went to Death Row after decades of haggling.

According to news media accounts, the killer’s attorney argued that the man’s life still had value. The attorney argued that there was no reason to kill Eizember other than revenge.

That’s enough for me.

The death penalty, also, for the nuts that spray kindergarten classes or shopping malls with automatic weapon fire.

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# 1 ARKANSAS RAZORBACK FAIR WEATHER FAN. Lots of people have asked me how to survive the woeful trend in Razorback Basketball.

I’ll be glad to.

When the Hogs are about to play — just before tipoff — I go outside and listen to the birds.

My blood pressure can’t take much of what’s happening.

After all, I am THE Fair Weather Fan. All Hog sports.

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I’VE ORDERED MINE. The oft-delayed or Covid-cancelled 4-H Super Bowl BBQ fund-raiser will be Saturday, Feb. 11, the Saturday before the Super Bowl. Cornish hens and slabs of ribs done to perfection in big, black cookers by 4-H moms and dads and supporters. The event, previously held by the radio station on South Fourth Street, will be at the county fairgrounds this year.

Please order yours in advance by calling the Extension Office at 845-7517.

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THINGS I LEARNED by opening the email: Always be yourself because the people that matter don’t mind and the ones that mind don’t matter.

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WORD GAMES. The twins: Divide and Conquer. A lesson learned the hard way from “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”

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HE SAID: “We cannot change our past. We can not change the fact that people act in a certain way. We can not change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude.” Charles R. Swindoll, radio preacher

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SHE SAID: “We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.” Anais Nin, writer 

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SWEET DREAMS, Baby

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