In less than two months, we will be voting across America. The election will no doubt have national implications, although all the races are local. There is only one national office in the country, and that is the office of president. So, we will vote for members of Congress, some senators and others in local races.

As I write this, it is September 11th. Seventeen years ago today, our enemies used airplanes to disrupt our lives here in the United States. They don’t need to be so crude and obvious in their attacks today – just come in through the internet – plenty of damage and mayhem can be done via this route.

In general, food for all the weekends on the farm was a problem until Mother perfected a system of dealing with eating in two places. We had bought a used refrigerator and put that in the McNary house. (It failed; and it was given to me to tear apart, and I became thoroughly drenched in ammonia when I relieved the pressure on the refrigerant lines. Is that child abuse or an environmental disaster?)

Today, diversity is rubbed in our faces with examples often plucked from what were once the fringes of society. It no longer addresses garden variety racism or sexism against our neighbors or coworkers. Today, one is labeled xenophobic for any number of reasons, usually because someone does not look or act like (I) (we) (you) do.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs is largely an exercise whereby the federal government looks after Native Americans – just like the Left desires for the rest of us. Such a stance fosters an attitude that we (or the Indians) are too stupid to look after ourselves, so the government will take over and watch out for us. How has this worked out?

For a country that allows a city such as Chicago to record more than 70 shootings in a weekend without one arrest is indeed spiritually broken. For a country that allows a congressional district in Ohio to have a multitude of voters on its rolls whose age is above 116 years is clearly broken. For a great city, such as New York, to allow safety on the streets and in the subways to degenerate to a level that is significantly impacting tourism is clearly broken.

At the end of the day, business and agriculture are the only activities paying all the bills. Let’s change the system and get honest about the source of government funding in this country.

“Energy/Lack of Energy Sources” has been a front burner issue for my entire career. So has the environment. For these issues to fall so low, indicates a complete turnaround from the last 45 years. Expect impassioned advocates to move to bring this issue back to the front burner.

This particular day, I was out in a distant suburb for lunch with a client, and then I was going to meet Laura afterward in the same area for yet another consultation with yet another doctor on her never-healing right knee. No point in driving home, but I had a bit of a time gap to fill, so I thought I would go into one of these foo-foo coffee shops I am always hearing about.

I don’t know if we are watching a reincarnation of New Harmony, Indiana, the Shakers, or reruns of “Friends” here, but something is going on. The difference between communal colonies of old seems to be that, rather than religion-centered, the WeWork concept is at best agnostic, at worst atheist.

The point is this: We are two countries. There is a city component and a rural component. If we change the political boundaries to match, we just may have a better chance of living in peace and harmony.

I am not responsible for nor should I be condemned for not agreeing with your values that lie beyond the fundamental values. Likewise, I should not expect any different treatment from you.

What has happened to “Hollywood” in the last 61 years to turn it from writing valuable life lessons like this (and “The Real McCoys” dish these out at the rate of about four or five per episode) into the garbage it turns out today? It wouldn’t be just plain old money, would it? Should we listen to “Hollywood’s” moral lessons about anything?

President Donald Trump has managed to rile up many corners of society lately, including some in Highland County who may even have voted for him. Nearly everything I see and read shows people are looking at him only from their own personal perspective, not the big picture. That’s understandable if you are seeing a sudden rise in newsprint prices or wonder where your soybean crop will be sold this fall and for what price.

The evening of June 14 found me high atop the Hampton Inn (seventh floor) at the corner of U.S. 41 and I-70 in beautiful Terre Haute, Ind. My view was south, looking toward Honey Creek Mall, or what is left of it.