The Iola Register
Saturday, August 10, 2013
~ Journalism that makes a difference
Crawdad with a tear in its eye This week’s rain would have been a bittersweet occurrence when I was a kid. In the early 1950s summertime activities were pretty much whatever me and my little friends wanted to make of them. We didn’t have TV, the many electronic devices of today were beyond anything even Buck Rogers’ innovative creators envisioned and there were no organized recreation programs in Humboldt. Our parents, not far removed from the Great Depression and winning World War II, were concerned with our upbringing, but that was sandwiched around work-a-day lives and homemaking chores that didn’t have the benefit of today’s time-saving appliances. Dad worked at Monarch Cement, at a job physically demanding, and understandably wasn’t much in a mood to play games when he got home; besides there were homestead duties, such as tending the yard with a reel-type push mower. Mom was sequestered in the kitchen much of the day. We had three sitdown meals, every day, and washing was done in a two-step process, soak in suds in one tub, rinse in a second and squeeze the water out with a wringer. I had a role, daily taking kitchen scraps to the chickens and carrying out wash water. Consequently, we kids — the neighborhood was home to several of the same age — were left to our own devices. A half block that the owner let grow up with what we called horse weeds, become “the jungle” each summer. We made trails through the undergrowth and even built a few flimsy structures with cardboard boxes. We also had an area in
At Week’s End Bob Johnson
another neighbor’s yard where we constructed small underground fortifications, occupied by plastic soldiers. It was a confrontational game, with lead fishing sinkers the missiles we fired — thrown by hand — that had quite a devastating effect on matchbox bunkers covered with loose dirt. When it rained, we were forced indoors, which wasn’t as boring as it might sound in a world without TV. I read books. Sometimes in a summer I’d consume close to 100, including every science fiction novel I could find. The first of that genre, and the one that got me hooked, was “Forbidden Planet.” After the rain stopped, we immediately dashed outdoors and headed for “the ditch,” a rock-bottom slough that wound its way through east Humboldt. We’d float homemade boats, build dams when the water started to recede and, most fun of all, hunt for crawdads. It was quite the sport to see how big of a crawdad we could find, and then pick it up by its back without it painfully grabbing a hunk of skin. The real prize was a mommy crawdad, with a bunch of little ones under her tail. Our fun and games changed dramatically in 1957 when Humboldt’s swimming pool opened, boys found girls and vice versa and I’d like to think a good many crotchety old crawdads pined for the days of having to avoid capture by a rambunctious kid.
Egypt on the edge It’s hard to imagine things getting worse in Egypt, but they could. The generals who now call the shots and their handpicked civilian government have halted efforts to reach compromise with the Islamist supporters of the man they ousted — Mohamed Morsi, the country’s first democratically elected president. Instead, they have threatened to forcibly disperse thousands of pro-Morsi civilians from two sit-ins in Cairo. Such an intemperate response could end disastrously. Nearly 300 people have been killed in political violence since July 3, when the military overthrew Mr. Morsi. The government has carried out a sweeping crackdown against the Brotherhood, jailing Mr. Morsi, and blamed the group for inviting the crackdown even though the two main sitins, demanding Mr. Morsi’s reinstatement, are open and seemingly nonviolent. After working its backchannel ties to the army with little obvious effect, the Obama administration sent William Burns, deputy secretary of state, to Cairo to join a European Union representative and envoys from other Arab states in presenting both sides with sensible, face-saving proposals to calm the cri-
sis. The army, they suggested, would release some Brotherhood leaders from detention and allow the Brotherhood to participate in elections; in exchange, the Islamists would forswear violence. The generals and some civilian leaders, however, refused to budge, despite warnings that America’s $1.5 billion aid package could be at risk. It is difficult to understand why the army, which considers itself the guardian of the state, would think that crushing the Brotherhood could benefit the country. Egypt is existing hand-to-mouth on donations from gulf allies when what it needs is to rebuild a strong economy that provides jobs, housing and education to its people. The Brotherhood, having been tossed out in a coup, might legitimately wonder whether the democratic process can ever be trusted. But that process offers the only path to long-term stability. The U.S., which has gone too far in accepting the coup, must keep making the case for a political solution. With Europe and the Arab world, it must also be prepared to condemn the army and consider stronger action if more bloodshed occurs. — The New York Times
Snuggling up with Doris My brother and I aren’t big on giving gifts, but this past Christmas we decided to give it a shot. I spent a whole $20 on an electric beer sign (from some German brewery I’ve never heard of) — he loved it. He gave me his old guitar, which he affectionately named Doris. Doris is an old (probably around 1970s) Fannin acoustic guitar, which he bought for $35 off Craigslist down in Texas. It plays surprisingly well, and only has a few dings here and there. As a (very) amateur player, it was good enough for me. So, I started playing a few chords, learning some easy songs. Starting out it feels like your hand will never get the notes quite right, but over time it starts to come together. Before I knew it I was playing “Wish You Were Here” by Pink Floyd in its entirety. Although, it wasn’t perfect. I noticed my girlfriend winc-
Steven Schwartz
ing as I missed notes and let the “twangs” fly as I suffered through the songs. Maybe I should get lessons, I thought. I called over to our local guitar shop, T&R Guitars, and spoke to Randy Bevard. He agreed to pencil me in on Wednesdays at 2 p.m. for a half-hour lesson. This week I took my first lesson, and things went well. We talked about what music I liked, and what my goals were with my new instrument. He taught me some fundamentals that I didn’t know and set me on my way for the next week of practice. I’m pumped.
Sometimes I don’t realize the opportunities I have in my life, to expand my horizons. We all have the opportunity to enrich our lives, and sometimes don’t take the chance. All it took for me was a quick phone call, and now I’m learning a new musical instrument. Sure, I’m no Jimi Hendrix at this point, but I’m having a good time. All it takes is that first step. Whether you want to learn a new sport, take up knitting and crocheting (I’ve been through that phase, believe it or not), learn an instrument or just learn how to change the oil in your car. I get caught up in work, watching TV and relaxing — sometimes I forget that life can just pass me by, I might as well make the most of it. Either way, I have something to pass the time on a rainy day. Doris and I are getting pretty close these days.
Special session will test leadership By MICHAEL A. SMITH Insight Kansas
Governor Brownback has called for a special session of the Kansas Legislature on Sept. 3, the first since 1995. At issue is the so-called “Hard 50” law, allowing judges to impose a 50-year prison sentence without parole or probation to those convicted of crimes deemed particularly heinous. Ruling on a similar Virginia law, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that juries, not judges should decide the sentences. Attorney General Derrick Schmidt wrote the governor to express concern that this ruling may affect more than two dozen cases pending in Kansas. A special, joint legislative committee has been formed, headed by Rep. Lance Kinzer (R-Olathe) to draft legislation fixing the “Hard 50” law and have it ready to move quickly. However, House Speaker Ray Merrick (R-Stilwell) and Senate President Susan Wagle (R-Wichita) may have their hands full, keeping a lid on restive colleagues’ desires to raise other issues. The most pertinent metoo concern will probably be dismissed quickly, because it is being raised by the badly outnumbered Democratic minority. Rep. Jim Ward and Sen. Oletha Faust-Goudeau, both D-Wichita, want the legislature to respond to another recent Supreme Court ruling. In Arizona v. Inter Trib-
al Council, the Court struck down an Arizona law requiring that a birth certificate be shown when registering to vote. Plaintiffs challenged the law and won on behalf of voters who had tried to register using a federal form created by the 1993 “Motor Voter” law, which requires no birth certificate. Ward and Faust-Goudeau contend
speed approval through the Senate in a few days, with little scrutiny. However, Hensley’s concern will probably be dismissed with little fanfare. By far the bigger headache for leadership comes from Kansas Right to Life President Mark Gietzen, who seeks to reintroduce the “fetal heartbeat” bill. The
Those who register using the federal form and no birth certificate can vote in federal elections but not state ones, creating a loophole that may save the Kansas law from unconstitutionality. that given this ruling, the special session would be a great time to scrap a similar Kansas law championed by Secretary of State Kris Kobach. However, Kobach counters that the Kansas law was written with this in mind. Those who register using the federal form and no birth certificate can vote in federal elections (for president and Congress) but not state ones, creating a loophole that may save the Kansas law from unconstitutionality. Others have their own agendas for the special session. Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley (D-Topeka) expressed concern that it will allow Brownback to quickly nominate a judge for the Court of Appeals and
bill in question would prohibit abortion once a fetal heartbeat has been detected, which would probably put the state before the U.S. Supreme Court to challenge the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling. Frustrated that the bill did not pass before the legislature adjourned this year, Gietzen sees the special session as a chance to finish the job. Brownback, Merrick, and Wagle are all anti-abortion. Yet, as leaders, their job is to keep the legislature on task: to say to colleagues, “I agree with you on this, but the special session isn’t the right time.” Can they do this effectively without losing their antiabortion credibility? The special session will put their skills to the test.