Opinions

Our Unaccountable Judiciary It has become commonplace in our day for people to raise the alarm about “threats to our democracy!” However, the very premise of the statement is skewed. The United States is not a democracy. It is a constitutional republic. A pure democracy would require everyone to be involved in the lawmaking process, the entire population would vote on everything and the majority would rule. (Never a good thing for those in the minority!) But in a constitutional republic the voters elect people to represent them in Congress and the Senate (or the legislature when we’re talking about a state like Nebraska that is organized the same way). The intention of our founders was that the nation would be governed by the “rule of law”—that is, it would be a government of laws not a government of flawed men whose opinions shift like the wind. After our war of independence from Great Britain, America’s founders were done with being ruled by the whims of men like King George III.

The battle for winner take all While it appears the current iteration of what’s known as the Winner Take All Bill in the Nebraska Legislature will be defeated once again this year, it continues to live on and will take determined effort and strategic thinking to finally change how our state helps elect the president of the United States.

In Central City, we’re known for our robust sense of community, our unparalleled high school facilities, and, occasionally, our borderline obsessive fascination with the finer points of “boarder” control. That’s right, folks—this Friday, we’re raising the stakes and finally addressing the elephant in the room. With Senator Pete Ricketts gracing us with his presence to talk about border control, it’s high time we tackle the pressing issue of securing our southern border... from those fine folks in Aurora.

Welcome to the end of the school year! During this part of the school year it is important to stay focused on finishing strong. Here are a few things to keep in mind… As a parent, you need to continue to check your students’ grades, social media, gaming, and extracurriculars. Keep in mind that the improvement in weather and amount of activities may distract your student from getting their homework done and prioritizing study time. They are still learning how to manage their time, so help hold them accountable. They do not need to do everything; have them put away electronics by a certain time each night; help prioritize activities; and ask about upcoming testing, quizzes, and projects. These evening discussions will help your student keep in mind what they should be doing and prioritizing. Creating good habits stays with students throughout life.

Our changing culture (or) Immigration or invasion? Culture consists of a society’s politics (its government and economy), religion and values, customs, language, institutions and the most basic unit of culture—the family. Following World War I there was a great influx of immigration into our country mostly made up of people fleeing their own war-torn countries.

A Note from the Chamber . .

As I sit down to pen this column, marking my fifth year here writing for the Central City Republican-Nonpareil, I’m struck by the outrageous, bold and certifiably crazy life journey that brought me here. Reflecting on my first personal column and the somewhat audacious cover letter that preceded it, I’m reminded of the blend of naive optimism and deep-seated love for this community that has been my compass.

Free to Disagree The most profitable class I took in college was debate. That year the topic debated in every college across the country was whether passive restraint systems should be mandatory or optional on all new cars. That might seem to be a simple case to make depending on which side of the argument one personally fell, however, my debate partner and I had to be prepared to defend either side of the question. In one round we might be called upon to defend our position of making passive restraint systems mandatory, while in round two we were expected to promote with equal vigor the customer’s freedom to choose whether or not to add the expense of passive restraint systems to the cost of a car. From this exercise I learned the importance of critical thinking and that there are two or more sides to every topic. My partner and I learned it well because we never lost a debate!