Opinions

Voting has begun! Early voting began Oct. 7 in Nebraska, but the sad fact of this or any other election is that nationally only 67 percent of the population who are eligible to vote are actually registered to vote, meaning 33 percent of Americans are not registered to vote! During a presidential year like this one, only 54 percent (of the registered 67 percent) actually cast their ballots. This means only 36 percent of the total adult population votes in a presidential election and that 18 percent of the population actually decides the winner. Those statistics highlight just how much your vote matters!

Bison Nation, what a week it’s been! The week started off with the annual homecoming parade on Thursday, and it was a sight to see. There were no candy-filled hands or business floats rolling down the streets—just pure school spirit, with our homecoming court, students, and fall sports teams front and center.

As is to be expected with such a controversial issue, there is some confusion, misinformation and, frankly, some downright disinformation circulating about the Protect Women and Children ballot initiative which addresses the subject of abortion. While some of this may be intentional, I believe most is caused by simple misunderstanding of the language of the measure and false assumptions about what the initiative says and does not say.

Following our 17-day summer special session, Gov. Jim Pillen considered calling a second special session to attempt to pass the Winner Take All bill. Facing a certain filibuster in the legislature, the governor invited many of the state senators to the Governor’s Mansion to listen to one last pitch for this legislation. U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham was at the meeting to discuss the national and international consequences of Nebraska’s currently split electoral votes. Gov. Pillen did not want to call a special session unless he had assurances from 33 senators that they would vote in favor of the bill, however, that effort did not bear fruit. There will be no special session this year to address winner take all.

What is something in life that you never get back? Answer: time. Most everyone can recall a significant moment in their life. Sometimes those moments were intentional and other times they may have happened spontaneously. Either way, the time is spent and the moment has passed. As I dedicate a moment in my life to write this article, I am using some of the time that I am afforded in my life. Interestingly, while this moment (writing an article) is happening in my life, I am most certainly missing another moment.

Ah, homecoming week—a time when small towns come alive, the schools buzz with excitement, and for a few glorious days, everything feels like it revolves around one thing: school spirit. This week, it’s Central City’s turn, and after last week’s parade in Clarks for High Plains, I’m reminded of just how special this time of year really is. It’s more than a football game, more than a parade—it’s a celebration of our community, our history, and, most importantly, our future.

In a previous column we discussed two of the six ballot issues that will be on the Nov. 5 General Election ballot. Those had to do with the issue of abortion, with the Protect Women and Children initiative seeking to ban most abortions and the Protect the Right to Abortion measure, doing essentially the opposite and making abortion legal through the ninth month.

There I was, sitting at my desk, minding my own business—just a simple man in Central City trying to make sense of the world with a cup of lukewarm coffee and an inbox full of political press releases. You know, the usual. That’s when it happened. A press release appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, like a rogue tumbleweed drifting across a barren digital desert. The subject line? Something about Nebraska’s Electoral College system and winner-take-all.

Starting on Tuesday, October 1 students will once again be gathering at The Collective for the Bison Afterschool Program. Central City students in grades 3-6 are invited to participate in the program. We gather every Tuesday and Thursday when school is in session from October through March. Since we began the program in 2018, our mission has been to “promote healthy choices and love for learning in a positive environment of cooperation and support.” When they attend the program, kids eat a snack, choose from a variety of games and activities, and participate in educational programs. They are supported by caring adults and high school and middle school volunteers.