Butch Has a Few Year-End Observations . . .

   We live in a great country, wouldn’t you agree? This year has been interesting to say the least. Here are a few things that stand out in my mind . . .

. . . Every time I click on the news on the Internet, Hillary Clinton appears. Can she just leave us alone? Why does she think she has to offer her opinion on every political subject? It’s like a bad dream, and I’m stuck in a loop like the character in the ‘Groundhog Day’ movie.

. . . Likewise, why do people listen to the political views of Hollywood actors and actresses? These people are paid millions $$$ to pretend to be something they are not. They aren’t any smarter than you or me. The absolute worst is Robert De Niro. I would rather listen to a stump. He dropped out of high school when he was 16!

. . . The government was shut down for the longest time in history. My life went on as usual. How about you? Of course, the Congressmen still got paid for their little vacation. Speaking of that, why do we hand over all of our tax money to politicians? It’s like saying to your teenage son, “Here’s a couple hundred dollars, a bottle of booze and the keys to my car. Have a good time!”

. . . Speaking of politicians, why do we let those people participate in debates? All they do is shout at each other and make promises they will never keep. I propose that each person be hooked up to a lie detector with a buzzer attached that goes off each time they tell a whopper. It could be like “The Gong Show!”

. . . People are already talking about the 2028 Presidential election. The TDS (Trump Derangment Syndrome) people cannot wait for him to be out of office and bring in their favorite candidate. Those running for office will be announcing their candidacy at any time. Gimme a break! In my opinion, all political campaigns should be limited to one year before an election. One month would suit me.

. . . The U.S. continues to give away more money in foreign aid than all of the other countries combined . . . trillions and trillions of dollars. So why do the people in those countries hate us? And what about those people who came here and now criticize our country, our ways, our history, etc. I want to buy one of those T-shirts from the past which say “America – Love It or Leave It.”

. . . I have received hundreds of E-mails about Medicare signup and suggested changes, etc. I wish they had told me many years ago that Medicare was going to be offered to everyone. People live longer now, too. I should have invested money in nursing homes and companies that make walkers and Depends.

. . . It seems that every kid nowadays has a cell phone. They stare at their phones hundreds of times 24-7. We already have DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education). I think it’s time to institute a new program…CPARE…Cell Phone Addiction Resistance Education.

. . . I recently watched the National Dog Show. I was amazed at the number of different breeds. We have always owned dogs. They are excited and happy to see us. They are faithful their entire lives and they can be trained to do tricks and retrieve items . . . you know, kind of like kids . . . well, maybe not . . .

. . . I took out a business loan this year. I had to pay a $275 “loan origination fee,” and then pay 8.5 percent interest. The banks only pay me 0.03 percent interest on the money I have in my checking account, and 3 percent on savings. So how did all of these banks come up with the slogan “We are your friendly bank”?

. . . Everyone is guaranteed freedom of speech. If someone has something important and relevant to say, they should be allowed to say it. However, if you have checked Facebook lately, you likely have come to the conclusion that no one has anything important or relevant to say.

   That’s all for now. As the late-night commercial for Richard Bennett Furniture used to say, “Mother, put the coffee pot on.”

John “Butch” Dale is a retired teacher and County Sheriff. He has also been the librarian at Darlington the past 36 years, and is a well-known artist and author of local history.