Monthly PrimeLife Circuit Columnist, former Missouri State Representative
Recent Stories
Mayday
May, the fifth month of the calendar year, is named after the ancient goddess of fertility, Maia. This is the month in which we pay homage to those special individuals who brought us into this world and nurtured us as we grew to manhood or womanhood – our mothers.
Salus Populi Suprema Lex Esto
In a visit to the state capital, I had the opportunity to stop by the Secretary of State’s office. While there, one of the assistants showed me The Great Seal of Missouri, which had been adopted by the Missouri General Assembly in 1822.
March Madness
Last month Missouri held a meaningless presidential primary. For Democrats, it was irrelevant since there is little doubt that President Barrack Obama will be nominated for a second term.
Politics and Legislation
This year is an election year. All 163 state representatives and one-half of the 34 state senators are up for election. Due to redistricting, many readers will find at election time that they now reside within a new legislative district and/or have an unfamiliar name seeking their vote. The current House and Senate members will continue their representation during this year, but all will be running in new districts. Some legislators will be forced into a primary battle with a member of their own party because redistricting has placed two of the same party within the revised district. Others may choose to move to another district to seek election and others are deciding to retire from politics.
A New Beginning
It is now January, the beginning of a new year. Strange that January 1 is now considered the commencement of a new year. It has neither astronomical nor agricultural significance. Of course, it is my birthday … but, again, not significant. The ancients began the new year in the spring with the beginning of new life. The cold of winter fades and the warmth of spring arrives, flowers begin to bloom, and it becomes a time to plant, a time of new life. Julius Caesar, however, in 45 B.C., when he fashioned the new Roman calendar (the Julian Calendar), began the new year on January 1. This was the date on which the consuls of ancient Rome began their term in office.
The Perfect Gift
t is now December. The month in which the Christian world celebrates the birth of its Savior, Jesus Christ. It is a time to wish others good cheer and to exchange gifts. Usually, Christmas creeps up on me unprepared and I rush about at the last moment with hundreds of other husbands, fathers and grandfathers looking for “the perfect gift.” But, not this year!
No Greater Love
This month, on November 11th, we will set aside time to honor those who have shown their love for our great country by being willing to take up arms and even to lay down their life in defense of our nation and our liberties. I shall not recount the deeds of valor of our veterans throughout our country’s history for these are recorded in the pages of history and forever engraved upon the monuments of our land.
Sapphires in September
Those readers whose birthday falls in September know that the birthstone for this month is the sapphire, for wisdom. Kings and priests in ancient times desired to possess this gemstone in the belief that it would make them wise. The Missouri General Assembly was called into special session last month with the expectation that a number of important bills that were not enacted during the regular session could be passed. Leaders of both major political parties, in their wisdom, thought that unfinished important legislative business rapidly could be completed during the special session. It costs you and me, as taxpayers, approximately $25,000 a day for each day that the legislature is in special session. How wise were the governor and legislative leaders in believing that a special session could be beneficial to the people of Missouri? Was September truly a month of sapphires?
The Winds of Change
The month of September is when the winds of change blow down upon the Missouri General Assembly. Pursuant to constitutional mandate, the legislators come back into session to have an opportunity to override the bills that the governor had vetoed over the summer. Overrides do not happen often since it takes a simple majority in each chamber to pass a bill but a two-thirds majority in each chamber to override a veto. During the eight years I served in the Missouri House, this happened once. First, there are those legislators who did not support the legislation and, of course, will not support overriding the veto. Second, many of the governor’s party do not want to embarrass him and are reluctant to override a veto even though they may have voted for the legislation originally. But, it does happen. We saw this earlier this year when the governor vetoed the congressional redistricting plan adopted by the General Assembly. Members of both parties joined together to form the two-thirds vote needed in each chamber to override the veto.
We Must Never Forget
No American must ever forget the attack on America and America’s freedom on September 11th, 2001 nor the thousands of men and women who perished that day. We must remember all those who died, pay tribute to them, and thank all who did everything possible to save as many individuals as possible. As George Santayana, the Spanish American philosopher and novelist, said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” This is similar to what Edmund Burke, the great British statesman and philosopher, had said earlier, “Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it.” It has been ten years since the attack upon America but “we must never forget!”
