Have you been keeping track of the summer baseball programs like the one in Hastings that started just a few years back? They are called The Hastings Sodbusters.

I know nothing of their organization and expectations, but there was a little note in the Hastings paper last week I found interesting.

The Hastings team “Sodbusters” is joining a new league along with six other teams.

What caught my eye was the names of the other teams and I’d like to pass them on to you: Badlands Big Sticks (Dickinson, N.D.); Canyon County Spuds (Caldwell, Idaho); Casper Horseheads (Casper, Wyo.); Spearfish Sasquatch (Spearfish, S.D.); Fremont Moo (Fremont, Neb.); and Western Nebraska Pioneers (Gering, Neb.).

With all the political correctness going on now for many years concerning ‘mascot’ names, who can find fault with any of those above listed names? Even the most diehard liberal would have trouble finding fault.

However, I would not be surprised if someone would object to one of the names at some time in the future.

A O

Governments of all kinds have a lot of departments (many are necessary). The leaders are often appointed, but in the U.S. quite a number are elected, but many voters know little or nothing about the people running for elections in some of those offices.

For example: the average voter is usually asked to vote for Judges each election. Most of us know little or nothing about those judges as we’ve had little or no reason to be in contact with them in the course of our lives.

The State Department of Education is another example. We elect people we know little or nothing about. Many, or most, situations seem to work out as the majority of people seeking these positions are good people and do their jobs well.

However, sometimes it just doesn’t work out at all.

In the last year or more, the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) has received a great deal of attention as it was trying to write new “Health Standards” they thought should be taught to the children of Nebraska.

In general terms it seemed the NDE wanted to include items such as “gender identity” and “women’s choice on abortions,” among other subjects that are radically different than the generally accepted standard is right now.

Often governmental offices do their research into the subject matter at hand. They often employ “experts” in a field for advice and guidance. All great ideas.

The important thing is: “what kind of ‘experts’ do they invite?

It seems the NDE (or at least one person at the NDE) wanted a particular person to help write the new standards. The person just happened to be connected with “The Women’s Fund of Omaha,” which had given more than $8 million to Planned Parenthood and local transgender clinics.

It seems the Nebraska Catholic Conference was among the first to notice what was happening. They attempted to have four “experts” of varying backgrounds support character formation, abstinence until marriage and sound health and human sexuality practices added to the Committee re-writing the Health Standards.

All were turned down.

However, the news over the NDE efforts to hide what they were doing, and actually what they wanted to do, raised so much publicity the project was put on hold.

The situation is a prime example of just why voters need to keep informed about what their government is doing.

That is not always an easy thing to do. In this case, I had to find out who our representative to the State Board of Education was, and finally found out it was a woman from Beatrice, Neb.

Sadly, I did not give my effort to contact her enough effort. I also tried to contact our own local Superintendent of School, but did not receive an answer as well.

Our government in the United States is somewhat unique in the world, but is one that has lasted almost 250 years. That is somewhat of a record for civilization in our little world. It does, however, take the efforts of a lot of people to keep it going the “right” way. If you kept in touch with the election for governor in Virginia last week, you may have come to the conclusion another ‘correction’ in the path of our governments took place. Many of the Liberal practices were exposed and maybe a “common sense” person was elected to govern that great state.

A O

I have noted often in the past about how the national media seems to favor the Liberal element in the government and society in general. Occasionally I would see or read stories favorable to any conservative viewpoint, just not very often.

I’ve been warned “Not to watch FOX news” on TV.

I have heard and seen the magazine “Newsmax” once or twice in the past year or two, but just very recently a friend gave me one of his latest copies. After looking over the magazine, I decided it is the printed version of FOX TV. However, I think I enjoyed it more as I can pick it up and read it whenever I want. I’m not stuck with the TV schedule.

One article in the copy given to me was a nice little essay on “America Divided.”

The article reminded me of last year’s election campaign listening to Joe Biden talk about his ability to bring political sides together. He could unite America. I still contend that many an American voter voted for him on that lie.

This article reminded me that from the beginning, the U.S. has always been divided, but as the article noted: “The United States was never particularly united. Yet through it all, we’ve only grown stronger.”

I have noted before and this essay reinforced what I’ve said: “Division is not the problem. The problem is a centralized federal government.”

Is it as simple as that ? ? ?

Ya, I think it is.

A O