Puffs

• Gosh, a beautiful blue sky. What a wind we’re having today . . . We must be in Nebraska.

• Gosh, those clouds sure look like a rain may be possible. What a wind we’re having today . . . We must be in Nebraska.

• Gosh, look at the dust from the field a farmer just prepared for planting. What a wind we’re having today . . . We must be in Nebraska.

• Driving north or south is a lot easier than driving east of west. What a wind we’re having today . . . We must be in Nebraska.

• Didn’t we just shovel four + inches of snow the other day? What a wind we’re having today . . . We must be in Nebraska.

• Was that a calving shed we just saw upside down? What a wind we’re having today. We must be in Nebraska.

Get the idea ? ? ? It’s Spring Time in Nebraska.

To top it off, that Nebraska wind last weekend helped one of the angel statues guarding the St. Stephen parish cemetery take flight in the wind. He didn’t get very far, however. I understand it was the second flight it ever took . . . both courtesy of that Nebraska wind.

A O

Staying up to date . . .

In this day and age of big businesses of all kinds, it is hard to stay ‘up-to-date’ on many, many items. I found an article in the newspaper last week telling the public that Walmart was “recalling” 51,000 electric food choppers.

Who would have known?

A O

Polls . . . There are so many groups, organizations and individuals taking polls these days that I sometime wonder why I’m never asked my opinion on public policies. No, not really, but I do question the value of some polls. And I question the need for so many polls. I sometimes dismiss the results.

However, last week I read a poll result from the Associated Press Center for Public Affairs Research. While I’m not sure I agree with the conclusion they reached, I did find their results interesting.

The conclusion was that “Americans agree on most core values.”

The poll’s results noted that more than 90 percent of Americans believe in • the right to vote, • the right to equal protection under the law, • a right to privacy and that more than 80 percent felt the same about the freedom of religion.

What I’m trying to wrap my head around is this: if almost all of us agree on our basic core values, why is there so much difference in what we try to do in the public forum.

If that is true, why is there such a difference between the liberal and conservatives in so many areas of the public forum?

I’m guessing they didn’t ask questions about a number of items that many hold as a core value. For example: abortions, gun ownership, education, gender identity, plus many more.

Another explanation of the reason for the differences between our common belief in core values and the actions of our leaders in positions of power in the federal and state governments is this: A group or individual, size upon an activity that generates a great deal of sympathy and desire to change, or correct, and those people get elected to positions of power and then enable changes that maybe is not in alignment with core values.

For example: When America was convinced that abortions were a good idea, some people had trouble accepting a new baby into the world because it might cause economic hardship, or the parents might have to change plans to care for the baby, or many other reason. What happened was a “few” people lied about some basic facts about abortions that were already taking place.

They somehow convinced the public that killing all those unborn human beings was the only way to solve what they thought was a problem.

So, somehow, even though the poll noted that 84 percent of the populations believed in “equal protection under the law,” Our leaders didn’t think the unborn fell under this “equal protection.”

A O

Finally, a lady in Guide Rock wrote a letter to the Hastings Tribune concerning postal service changes in Nebraska. A proposed change in operations in western Nebraska, specifically in the North Platte area. The Postal Service wants to combine operations in Denver for everyone in western Nebraska and a large part, or all, of Wyoming.

We happen to live a little east of the area where changes are being proposed. However, most all of us have experienced those change already. The government made a big deal when our changes were made. They had public meetings, many of them, before the changes were made. However, I was convinced at that time, and I am convinced now that the decision has already been made and the public meetings are just a show. From what I understand, there were “No” postal customers of the postal service in favor of the changes.

In central Nebraska, if I want to send a letter from Lawrence to Guide Rock, that letter has to go to Omaha first and then back to Guide Rock. The same will happen in Western Nebraska as well. Any mail will have to go to Denver and then back to the local address in order to be delivered.

If you have ever wondered what a Socialistic society would be like, learn from the Postal Service. Someone, or some committee decided what was best for everyone. They held open meetings, giving people a chance to voice opinions, but then they went ahead with what they had already decided upon.

The Postal Service has always had a difficult job. However, today I hear more and more complaints of its service and performances.

A O