When they start taking away rights

I saw the most "right on" bumper sticker today: CONTROL CRIME, NOT GUNS! That kind of says it all and it is a lesson that the Nebraska Legislature could take to heart. State Sen. Brad Ashford (District 20), has introduced a bill, LB 958), to control the ownership of "assault weapons," those which columnist Robert Nelson calls weapons "used only to kill people."

Right on! I think that is exactly what the writers of our Constitution's Bill of Rights had in mind, a weapon that the ordinary citizen could use to prevent an autocratic government from infringing on his personal right to life, liberty or pursuit of happiness. We would all be much better served if the Legislature tended to legislation effective in decreasing crime.

Twenty some years ago when we returned to McCook the city was blessed to have Erv Westphal on the Council, and sometime Mayor. Erv was a man that spent considerable time walking the sidewalks of this city and Erv made notes. At nearly every council meeting Erv would report on sections of sidewalk that had cracked, broken or deteriorated and were in need of repair. Erv got action and most sidewalks got fixed.

Sad to say, McCook evidently needs another Erv because large segments of our sidewalks are in serious need of repair. A young mother recently told that she found sidewalks so bad that she pushed her baby carriage in the street. Not a good choice in my way of thinking but experience confirms that she is spot on. Ann and I have found that walking the alleys is safer than most sidewalks. We find alleys surfaces smoother and at night better lighted than about any sidewalk in the residential sections.

Ordinances spell out that when building on a McCook lot it is also necessary to construct a public sidewalk. The lot owner is then responsible for keeping that sidewalk in good repair. Like many things that need attention, cutting weeds for instance, the city will only get involved on what they call a "complaint basis." In other words if the neighbor, or anyone for that matter, lodges a formal complaint, the City will inform the property owner that action is needed. There seems to be little follow up and the City has been reluctant to mow the weeds or repair the unsafe situation and attach the bill for expense incurred as a lien against the real-estate. Erv we need you!

Well I see that our Nanny-State Legislature and Governor made our lives so much safer by creating a smoking ban state wide. I also note that our gumpy representative/senator voted for the ban. That was to be expected as he loves taxes for us to pay for water we aren't getting either.

I wonder what our state minders are going to take away next. Booze would be good but that wasn't popular last time. Actually you will never convince me that more liquor came into dry Nebraska in the trunk of bootlegger's cars than the semi-loads we now receive. Maybe they can ban Jews like the Nazis did during the '30s in Germany. Little by little "they" take away our rights but we say "I don't smoke so it doesn't matter as it doesn't hurt me!" Sadly when it does start to hurt it will be too late but then that was the lesson of the Holocaust, a long time ago and far away.

That is the way I see it.