Editorial

EDITORIAL - Doubters of Satan were furnished all the proof they should need as a living Satan arose to the top of Mandalay Bay hotel last Sunday night and unleashed hell for about eleven minutes. Stephen Paddock acted only as Satan and someone possessed with evil knows how to act. He wreaked devastation in the deadliest mass shooting in the history of the United States. Fifty-nine deaths and over 500 wounded people were the result of Paddock's calculated, well strategized maneuver to bring about mass carnage.

Evil works hard to find a way. Evil is cunning, calculating, sly, secretive, hypocritical but works toward the goal of destruction. Whether we are talking about devils who were involved in the September 11, 2001 attacks that resulted in about 3000 deaths or Timothy McVeigh and the Oklahoma bombing or the recent attack on a theatre in Paris, France, evil finds a way.

EDITORIAL - A happier life is an active life. Doing nothing does not generate much in the realm of feeling good about yourself and is detrimental to your health. A friend of mine reflected on his career and often six day work weeks and said, "Those were the happiest days of my life." I know of people who live very fulfilling lives of retirement but also know of too many who don't have much to do or much interest in doing a whole lot.

Sometimes sickness or injury keeps us from doing anything. This can happen to us all and it's no fun being sick and shut-in the house. Inclement weather can drive us inside and for that reason many people dread the cold wintry months that are sure to come. However, we all need to strive more in our daily activity. You don't have to be a member of a high priced gym to move every day. You don't have to have a lucrative retirement to move every day. If you can walk and move your arms you are really on your way to activity.

EDITORIAL - Professional football fans were treated to some relief last Thursday evening as the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears stood arm in arm for the singing of the National Anthem. People in the stands either did likewise or put their hands over their hearts. Americans felt proud but mostly relieved.

Owners of the National Football League teams employ the players. Some of the owners obviously are okay with whatever the players do during the national anthem. I wonder how the owners would feel if a player decides they are simply going to let the other team score in order to make a statement? What if they decide they are going to stand back and watch while the other team kicks the field goal? Or what if they want to wear their own style of uniform? There are rules and expectations by the league and every team owner. The owners need to step up and be owners.

EDITORIAL - Multitudes of people are suffering through the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Florida. The Keys and the Caribbean Islands are devastated. Other parts of Florida are suffering from damage and no electricity as well.  Food and clean water has run out for some.

Hundreds of thousands of people fled Florida being warned well in advance that disaster was coming. I was on Interstate 75 and Interstate 24 and can attest that the highways headed north were bumper to bumper with many of the license plates saying Florida. Lots of Florida people got out of state. Obviously a lot of people stayed in Florida and rode the Hurricane out. Television crews have interviewed more than one person declaring they wished they had evacuated. People throughout the Florida Keys and other parts of Florida have wished they had hit the road north.

EDITORIAL - Hurricane Harvey and Irma have been bad news to all in their paths. Lives have sadly been lost, houses demolished and personal items blown or washed away. Such horrific acts of nature remind us that we are all fragile and vulnerable. The right wind and rain can wash everything away including us and people we love so much.

We love our stuff. We store it. We hoard it. We want to pass it on to our children and grandchildren. There are storage facilities being built almost everywhere in America because we love our stuff so much. Harvey and Irma remind us again that our greatest assets are our lives and the people we love. If we have our health, safety and valued people in our lives then everything is either secondary or worthless in perspective to life and people.