Practice what you preach

Practice what you preach

The news announced that Mike Gill, former Trump official tragically died after being shot in Washington D.C. during a car hijacking. Then you may have noticed that Congressman Henry Cuellar (D) Texas made the news, this weekend, by having his personal automobile hijacked in Washington D.C. It was 9:30 at night and he was just parking his car when three thugs approached with drawn pistols and informed him that they were taking his car. Now Cuellar was unarmed but possessed a Black Belt in Judo, but looking at the three menacing weapons pointed at him told them that they were welcome. They drove away along with his iPad, his cell phone and still warm sushi dinner. The car was recovered by the police, shortly after along with his personal items, including the now-cold sushi.

Ah, Washington D.C., home of our U.S. Government. Remembering a little U.S. civics from school the D.C. stands for District of Columbia. It is a “District” not a state and has no elected Representative nor Senator. Instead the U.S. Congress is charged with oversight. They do have three elected representatives to Congress but the three have no vote.

The city does have an elected Mayor, Muriel Bowser (D) and a city council with 13 elected members. It also has a legal department. Not a whole lot different than the government of McCook or any small town USA. The big difference is the legal oversight of our U.S. Congress.

Washington D.C. like many other democrat-run cities in our country has seen a recent up take in violence. Muriel Bowser is one of those who has been vocal in the Defund the Police movement and we are now seeing the inevitable result of that nonsense. It will be interesting to watch to see if Texas Representative Cuellar will be behind any movement to conduct the Constitutional oversight of the failing government of D.C. It may happen because he has earned a reputation of being quite a little more conservative in Texas’ approach to our current border crisis.

As you, dear readers, purview this column I will be returning from getting a cataract removed from my right eye. The removal from the other eye will take place on Thursday. I’m assured that the few seconds of time that the operation takes will be painless and complications are unusual. In visiting with friends I’m amazed at how many, including my wife, have already had the operation without complications. Modern medicine is a fantastic benefit in our world today.

While I face this minor operation with trepidation I remember my friend who had an operation on his eye while a prisoner in Hanoi after being shot down in his OV-10 during the Vietnam War. The crew ejects through the canopy.

After about three days in the Hanoi Hilton the guard announced that today he was going to be operated on. Lynn said they strapped him down on the operating table so that he couldn’t move. Imagine being a Prisoner of War facing surgery by an enemy doctor and strapped down so you are completely helpless! Then the young Chinese surgeon inserted two slivers of bamboo through the whites of his eye anchored to the bones of his skull. That didn’t really hurt but inserting tools into his iris to remove the slivers of shattered airplane canopy Lynn remembers as being unbelievably painful. It was all done without any anesthetic! Back to the USA a little over a year later, after being freed again, one of our ophthalmic surgeons using modern instruments removed a few more tiny slivers. The Doctor told him that Lynn’s operation as a prisoner saved his eye so he will forever be grateful. And, yes, our surgeon used anesthetic.

Date night Friday the 10th. Come dressed in your finest, and bring your sweetheart for it will be a special evening with superb food, open bar and entertainment, Dueling Pianos to follow. It is the annual fundraiser for Hillcrest Foundation and promises to be a very special fun-filled evening.

Hillcrest Long Term Care Facility is a real asset for this community here in Southwest Nebraska. Our government is a little stingy in paying for the services that it directs Hillcrest to provide so its Foundation for years has stepped up to help update the building, provide attractive landscaping, and a thousand other improvements. This is our chance to show pride in our community by helping the Foundation and have a really good time doing it. Grannie Annie and I hope to see you there!

That is the way I saw it.

Dick Trail