Quote for the day…
Never sacrifice your class to get even with someone who has none. Let them take the gutter. You take the high road. -Unknown
Today’s independent commentary deals with these issues:
- The Western Word Poll
- POW-MIA Flag
- Montana Lottery
- John Boehner
- One More Thing
THE WESTERN WORD POLL:
This week’s poll asks, “Should businesses require their employees to get the COVID vaccine?”
The results will be posted later this week.
POW-MIA FLAG:
Reuters reported last week that U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration restored a flag honoring missing war veterans atop the White House after his predecessor angered some veterans by moving it last year to a less prominent location. The POW-MIA flag, dedicated to prisoners of war and service members missing in action, was relocated by former President Donald Trump in 2020 from a prominent position atop the White House to a spot on the South Lawn.
This is good news.
We know that Trump did not think too much of POWs. Back in 2015, he attacked U.S. Senator John McCain saying, “He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.”
Trump managed to stay out of the Vietnam War due to medical and academic deferments.
MONTANA LOTTERY:
The Associated Press (AP) reported last week that due to a new law the Montana Lottery now allows prize winners to remain anonymous. The Legislature passed the bill last month and Gov. Greg Gianforte signed it into law on March 31.
Now I can win those millions in peace and not worry about long-lost relatives or “best friends” showing up at my door.
In other Montana Lottery news, Gianforte announced the appointment of Scott Sales to serve as lottery director for the State of Montana. That announcement was made on April 2.
JOHN BOEHNER:
Former Speaker of the House John Boehner has a new book out, “On the House,” so he is making the rounds on the networks and cable news.
Some interesting things he writes about is that as Speaker he became “the mayor of crazy town.” In an interview with CBS News, he called the far-right the “crazy right” the “knucklehead right.” He called Rep. Jim Jordan “a political terrorist” and Senator Ted Cruz “a false prophet.”
Watch the short interview on CBS Sunday Morning HERE.
ONE MORE THING:
The posts saying Biden wants to do away with the Second Amendment are becoming more and more comical. They are also nasty and posted by uneducated people who have no idea about our Constitution or how the government works.
As you may know, the Second Amendment is part of the U.S. Constitution. As a fact check, Snopes reports:
Biden has never called for abolishing the Second Amendment. Moreover, under the U.S. Constitution, abolishing an amendment requires two-thirds approval in Congress and ratification by three-quarters of states. Though Biden’s proposed administration could push for an overhaul of the Second Amendment, that power is not vested in the president alone.
It would be almost impossible to get “two-thirds approval in Congress and ratification by three-quarters of states” to do away with the Second Amendment.
To my fellow gun-owning friends, stop with the bullshit.
The Western Word 
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You might like this article I link to. It pretty much mimics my life growing up. Growing up in the west, we always had guns, mainly .22’s, .30.30,s, and of course .30.06. And a shotgun or two. 12 gauge. Pistols we had were mainly .22 caliber. The only assault type rifle I ever saw as a kid was the M-1 Carbine, and every kid wanted one. Pretty impractical rifle but oh so cool looking. I never touched an assault rifle until ‘69 in the military. I carried the very first type of ARs in Nam called a CAR 15. They were issued to us dog handlers because they were so short and made handling a dog and rifle at the same time much easier. I liked it as a tool, but I never could have imagined what it has become as an object idolized by so many. I always thought plastic guns were ugly, and still do.
I still love guns, but mainly old guns with some character and beauty. I also love studying the history of firearms in this country because they are so inextricably interconnected with our history itself. They really have played a huge role in our history.
But now, guns have morphed into something bizzare. The west is settled. There are no more Indian wars. And except for in Montana, your chances of getting ate by a grizz are pretty slim. I just can’t fathom why someone living in a big city or urban area would need an AR. Kinda hard to believe I guess that I made it to seventy years of age and never once felt the need for an AR to defend myself as a civilian.
Of course I still have guns for self-defense. In fact, just three nights ago I had to pull out a pistol to chase a meth head off my porch. He retreated to the neighbor’s house and attempted to break in. But that’s the world we now live in. (P.S. The city cops did an excellent job. The guy boogied just before the cops arrived, but he left in such a hurry he left behind lots of stuff. The cops secured the area, and then discovered that he had also tried to get into another neighbor’s house too, and they had a security camera. Now with pics, the county cops were able to nail him down the road just a bit.). This was one lucky perp. Break into someone’s house in my neighborhood and you’ll be lucky to get out alive.
http://smirkingchimp.com/thread/lucian-k-truscott-iv/95962/americas-gun-madness-how-guns-went-from-tools-to-ideology-to-identity
Larry- I enjoyed e article. It’s very true. I grew up in the Midwest with guns for hunting. 22, shotguns, etc. In the military I qualified on the m-16, 38, 203, m-60. Later on the 9mm. I don’t believe people need to own a grenade launcher or m16 or a tank. It’s gone too far.
Thanks, JmB