J
4 I The Lovell Chronicle I November 4, 2010
www. LovellChronicle.com
A "seismic shift" on
Tuesday, but Will
Congress listen?
Political pundits like to use natural disaster terminology
when describing large election defeats or turnarounds, so
lots of grandiose terms like landslide, tidal wave and seis-
mic shift were used Tuesday night and Wednesday to de-
scribe the incredible Republican swing in Tuesday's general
election.
The GOP picked up at least 60 seats to take control
of the House of Representatives and at least six seats in
the Senate, with three elections still too close to call as of
Wednesday morning. Even if the Senate stays in the hands
of the Democrats, the filibuster-proof Democratic edge is
long gone.
Remember how, just two years ago, the so-called "ex-
perts" were saying that the 2008 election sounded the
death knell of the Republican Party? So much for the ex-
perts. The Republican Party is alive and well and smashed
the opposition nationwide Tuesday from the U.S. Senate
and House to state governor and legislative races.
The United States has always been a center-right na-
tion, and while population trends are shining, it would be
unwise to ever count out the moderate to conservative
makeup of the large midsection of America - the so-called
flyover states - even if the Republican Party isn't the largest
party in terms of registration. A swing to the right by Inde-
pendents on Tuesday was huge.
Voters are clearly upset with the economy and with
Washington's massive spending and power grab.
While Tuesday's results are clearly a repudiation of
what's been going on in Washington over the last two years
with the Obama agenda, Republicans shouldn't~ be too
cocky asthey take over the House and come close in the
Senate. Voters are upset with politicians in general and with
Congress in particular, and if the next two years produce
more business as usual, there will be more changes made
in 2012.
There are fears of political gridlock in Washiington, with
Congress not able to get major legislation passed as politi-
cians lock horns and refuse to budge. That wo~ld spell di-
saster, however, and lead to even more turnover two years
from now. /
Let us hope, somehow, that a spirit of bipartisanship
will develop, that our elected leaders will learn the lost art
. of compromise and work together with civility and thought-
fulness to craft legislation,,~
That sounds like a pipe dream, but if some1
happen, our nation's government is likely to gri
We're hoping for compromise but fearing st
But at least now the Congress must clearly list~
p~ople, who spoke loud and clear on Tuesday.
deed.
hing doesn't
nd to a halt.
agnation.
~n to the
Jery loud in-
- David Peck
Letters to, the
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Editor and Publisher: id Peck
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Letters to the editor
Religion in Halloween decision is appropriate
Dear Editor,
Question: If the day change
for Halloween was actuated by re-
ligion, what is wrong with that?
I think Lovell is made up of
mostly Christian/religious people
who would agree that Halloween
is not an appropriate way to keep
the Sabbath day holy. And I would
hazard a guess that most of your
subscribers are religious people. I
think they want their children to
be aware of the special meaning
of the Sabbath and how it fits into
their Christian beliefs.
Remember, this country was
founded with Judeo/Christian
beliefs underpinning the Consti-
tution as well as the laws of the
land. There has been a big effort
by some in recent years trying to
make religion a bad word, some-
thing to be shied away from, work-
ing to make the word God some-
thing that can't be said in public.
There has been a big effort
to require schools to treat Chris-
tian holidays as something that
doesn't have its origin in religion,
calling them winter holidays in-
stead of Christmas, spring break
instead of Easter, etc.
Please rethink your com-
ments about it making you un-
easy if the change was because of
religion. We as a community and
as a nation will do well if we don't
move away from the beliefs that
make us a strong, loving commu-
nity and a strong, compassionate
nation. I know that I honor the re-
ligious people in our community,
whatever faith they are. I am glad
to be numbered among them.
Incidentally, I think your sug-
gestion that Halloween be on the
last Friday in October is an excel-
lent one! That would solve all the
problems.
Ann Baird
Lovell
Let's keep the Sabbath Day holy
Dear Editor, opinion on trick or treating. (Poem apologize. Keep the Sabbath Day
Just thought this poem might enclosed), holy.
be an appropriate answer to your ........ '
Obey the scrlpttlres and don t ::= ~'" Gerald B~inkerhoff
Thank you CARES director, staff
Dear Editor, here in Big Horn County to assist thy organization to receive your
I am writing this letter to victims. They spend many tireless monetary donations. Thank you
express my appreciation to the hours working on behalf of those Leslie and staff for all the help
CARES, Inc. organization and who need help, assurance, love you have been,
director Leslie Hoffman and her and encouragement. CARES Inc. Sincerely,
wonderful staff. We are so fortu- provides many needed services to Corine Tilley
nate to have Leslie and her staff victims and I feel it is a very wor-
Hands off, the holidays, government folks
Dear Editor,
I totally agree with editor
David Peck that moving Hallow-
een trick or treating to Saturday
night instead of Sunday night was
strictly a religious decision.
If the parents were so con-
cerned about their children get-
ting all sugared up on a night be-
fore school, maybe they should act
like responsible adults and limit
the amount of candies and goodies
their children eat, instead of im-
posing their beliefs on the entire
town; this includes you, Mr. May-
or. Also, they could have had their
children stay at home on Sunday
night and just forget about Hal-
loween this year.
It is also interesting that so
many religious people even cele-
brate Halloween, as according to
some books and folk legends, "All
Saints Day" is a pagan celebration
day when the souls of the depart-
ed, good (ghosts) and bad (goblins)
are allowed to pass into the after-
world.
It will also be interesting to see
if these same parents will insist
on Easter Sunday being moved to
Saturday so their children won't
get all sugared up on a day before
school by gorging on jelly beans
and marshmallow peeps. How
about Valentine's Day? Will that
be moved to Fridays only so kids
can exchange their Valentines
and have time to get over their
sugar high from candy hearts and
chocolates.
I don't think so.
Luckily, we don't have to wor-
ry about moving Christmas, as
schools are closed for vacation.
All levels of government, lo-
cal, state and federal, should keep
their hands off of moving holiday
dates. If not, soon we will be cel-
ebrating the Fourth of July on the
closest Monday and Christmas on
the last Monday of the month of
December and New Year's Eve on
possibly the fifth of January.
Let's move all holiday's back
to their original calendar dates
and no more three-day holiday
weekends. After all, the country
survived for years without all this
political correctness garbage.
Celebrating or not celebrating
any holiday or commemorative
day on its original day is a mat-
ter of individual choice, not gov-
ernments.
Jim Szlemko
The 'Holidaze' means too much good food
It's getting to be about that time. Yep: and fat content don't count for much be-
"The Holidays." Or as I prefer to term it, cause, hey: It's a holiday! And besides,
"The Holidaze." we can "work it off' with the start of the
And with those special days, begin- new year. Right. And the moon is made of
ning with Halloween and then moving green cheese.
into Thanksgiving, Christmasand the At any rate (perhaps five for a dol-
New Year, comes food. Especially cook- lar), the coming feasts, snacks, treats,
ies, pies and pastry, candy and other such TV nibbles and midnight meals deserve
treats. Or as someone once said, "Every- to be met with exercise. One that works
thing I like is either illegal, immoral or well is to sit at the dinner table, place
fattening." I know about the latter, your hands on the edge of the table, ex-
But first we have Halloween, which is tend your arms and push yourself away.
not a holiday, but a time for reflection. Yes, My late Uncle Louie always said that he
a time to look in the mirror and see that Bob could diet by eating as much as he want-
we have become well fed. Perhaps too well ed, but not swallowing. He was kinda'
fed. The sweet stuff notwithstanding. Rodriguez weird.
As for my Halloween nights as a kid in I tried exercising the other day, be-
the Linda Vista section of San Diego, I would come ginning with a headstand, which I heard was a good
home with a large paper grocery bag full of candy, way to get your blood circulating. After I managed
leave and head out for more. Usually stopped at three to turn upside-down (it only took four tries and I'm
bags full. It's a wonder I had any teeth left. Anyway, sorry about kicking over that table), I could not see!
the biggest mystery for me, until I lost some of my I had gone blind. Then I realized that my stomach
na~vet~, was why the next morning all the chocolate had fallen over my eyes. So I gave up that exercise,
was gone. And why my haul had shrunk to fitin one and had a snack to recover.
sack. My parents always claimed innocence. Yeah, If I am possessed further to exercise, I'll just go
right, for a long walk. And if it's after Thanksgiving, I~l
But I digress. Because of the Holidaze, and have a turkey sandwich with stuffing and gravy to
sometimes the hollandaise, we eat ,more than we replenish my energy. After all, I can work it offnext
might otherwise. I mean, we figure that calories year.
