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“IS IT TRUE” JANUARY 14, 2024

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We hope today’s “IS IT TRUE” will provoke honest and open dialogue concerning issues that we, as responsible citizens of this community, need to address rationally and responsibly.
City-County Observer Comment Policy: Be kind to people. No personal attacks or harassment will be tolerated and will be removed from our site.”
We understand that sometimes people don’t always agree and discussions may become a little heated.  The use of offensive language and/or insults against commenters will not be tolerated and will be removed from our site.
IS IT TRUE that a recent examination of the campaign contribution and expense reports for the candidates for Mayor of Evansville are quite different and raise questions about the candidates and who may “own” them?…the stunning thing about the reports is that Natalie Rascher raised $1,030,377 and spent nearly all of it, and lost to now Mayor Stephanie Terry whose campaign only disclosed raising $560,632 and spent only $484,522?…it is quite unusual to see one candidate outspend the other by over 100% and lose the election?…this would imply that there was something very wrong with the big spending candidate who lost the election?…a further analysis of where the money was coming from and where it was being spent may lead the people of Evansville to some conclusions or maybe leave them as flabbergasted as the Mole Nation is?
IS IT TRUE that the Rascher campaign was sort of unique in recent Evansville Mayoral elections in that most of the money came from people who have addresses in greater Evansville?…there were 205 pages of information in the Rascher disclosure meaning either donations or expenses from a total of 1,025 people or businesses?…the donors were made up of the usual real estate agents and brokers, attorneys, political gadflys, business leaders, perpetual patronage job holders, local businesses, and a large number of just citizens who opened their wallet for the Rascher campaign?…most of the donations were for under $10,000 and many that were disclosed were under the threshold of mandatory disclosure?…there were of course some big contributions from Big Indianapolis based political action committees (PACs) but not to the extent we have seen in the past?…the overwhelmingly largest donor to the Rascher campaign was none other than the “Friends of Winnecke”?…if any donor would have had an overwhelming influence over Rascher it would be former Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke and now CEO of ERep and his wife?…that when it came to expenses, we are sad to report that most of the money was spent outside of the Tri-State?…the largest expense reported was to a political consulting firm in Leesburgh, Virginia named Brabendon Cox LLC that recieved a whopping $655,992 from “Team Rascher”?…that is more on political consultants than all of the other candidates combined?…there must be some sorrow and surprise for people to have invested over a million dollars to elevate Mrs.Rascher to the office of Mayor of Evansville only to see her lose because an underfunded campaign took votes from her?
IS IT TRUE that the Rascher campaign spent nearly $145 for every vote they received at the ballot box?…that is nearly 3 times the price of a vote spent by Mayor Stephanie Terry who only paid $55 per vote?…the overwhelming winner in the dollars per vote contest was Libertarian Michael Daugherty who spent under $20 per vote for the 2,032 votes he received?…the other reality is that the Libertarian and Republican candidates did draw more votes than Mayor Terry meaning that she won with only a plurality of the votes cast as opposed to a majority?…it is clear that Mayor Terry does not have a mandate to govern as she did not get a majority?
IS IT TRUE that it is a darn shame that only about 17,000 people in a city of 115,000 bothered to cast a ballot in the race for Mayor of Evansville?…that is only 15% of the population and when it comes to the winner who got 8,679 votes to win the Office of the Mayor only received a vote from 7.5% of the citizens of Evansville?…that my friends is a far cry from an acceptable total to ever dream of a mandate?
IS IT TRUE that Mayor Terry campaign disclosures were much less interesting and more typical than Mrs. Rascher campaign?…not only did Terry bring in less than half of the total than Rascher did, but there were many fewer local donors?…the big money contributors to the Terry campaign were statewide political action committees like Act Blue Indiana that put up nearly $100,000 of the $484,522 spent by the Terry campaign?…they spent their money elsewhere too with an unexpected vendor from Berkeley, California called “Uplift” that CCO Mole #3 tells us is also associated with campaigns by some of the big national progressive Democrat campaigns like President Biden, Nancy Pelosi, and California Governor Gavin Newson to name a few well-known libel politicians?…we wonder if Mayor Terry is as practical as she seems to be if she will be listening to some of her big progressive donors that support the tax and spend policies that have contributed to the main reason why the United States in well over 34 trillion dollars in debt?

IS IT TRUE that the presence of a grossly underfunded (by personal choice) and a real Republican running as a Libertarian who was the most efficient campaigner when it comes to votes may have cost Rascher the election?…it should have been hers to lose and lose she did?…many people were expressing wonder why she let former Mayor Winnecke and his wife run her entire campaign and seldom let her speak for herself?…we and many others are concerned for the future of Evansville as it is now being ruled by a person who garnered 7.5% of the people and was bankrolled by big progressive money from outside the region?…that many people are also mystified about how many friends of former Mayor Winnecke are getting appointed to the Terry Administration?… Evansville once again it looks like a machine politics kind of town.

Today’s Readers Poll” question is: HOW DO YOU RATE THE JOB THE MAYOR TERRYS TRANSITION TEAM IS DOING?

Please take time and read our feature articles entitled “OBITUARIES, BIRTHDAYS, AND HOT JOBS” posted in today’s City-County Observer.
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MAYHEM RALLY LATE TO DEFEAT THUNDERBOLTS 3-2

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Evansville, In.:  Despite leading late into the third period, the Thunderbolts fell victim to a Macon rally of two quick late goals to steal the victory away from Evansville, 3-2 Macon the final score at Ford Center on Friday night.  The Thunderbolts’ next home game will be on Saturday, January 28th  against the Macon Mayhem at 7:00pm CT.  For tickets, call (812)422-BOLT (2658), go to EvansvilleThunderbolts.com, or visit the Ford Center Ticket Office.

Evansville grabbed their first lead late in the first period, as Bryan Etter scored on a breakaway from Aaron Huffnagle at 18:35.  The Mayhem responded with a power play goal from Carter Roo at 16:53 of the second period to send the game into the third period tied at 1-1.  Brendan Harrogate gave Evansville a 2-1 lead at 6:49 from Scott Kirton and Felix Sasser, however the lead would not last as the Mayhem scored twice to put themselves in front 3-2 late.  The first goal, on a late power play from Aaron Aragon at 17:09 tied the game, before a takeaway in the Evansville zone led to a go-ahead goal from Rhett Kingston only 36 seconds later at 17:45 to make it a 3-2 Macon lead.  Despite several close chances in the Macon zone, the Thunderbolts failed to tie it back up as the Mayhem took the first game of the weekend series with the rematch on Saturday night at Ford Center.

                Etter and Harrogate had Evansville’s goals, while Sammy Bernard stopped 26 of 29 shots faced in net.  The Thunderbolts and Mayhem meet once again on Saturday night at Ford Center.

 

Vanderburgh County Recent Booking Records

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Booked Last 24 Hours-Public

Vanderburgh County Crash Report

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Crash Report

IS IT TRUE AUGUST 28, 2023

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City-County Observer Comment Policy. Be kind to people. No personal attacks or harassment will not be tolerated and shall be removed from our site.
We understand that sometimes people don’t always agree and discussions may become a little heated.  The use of offensive language, or insults against commenters will not be tolerated and will be removed from our site.
Reader’s comments in this column do not represent the views or opinions of the City-County Observer or our advertising.
IS IT TRUE that the suppression of EREP not allowing Libertarian Michael Dauaghty to participate in their upcoming debates is an assault against the Constitution of the United States?  …that we feel that EREP’s decision not to allow Mr. Dauaghty to participate in their upcoming Mayoral debates is not only discriminatory but an act of elitism?
IS IT TRUE that the State of Indiana always has all three (3) political parties in their debates for governor, senate, etc.? … that when there were District 8 Representative debates, all three party candidates were invited to participate?
IS IT TRUE that the City Of Evansville has an annual budget of $480 million? …that the Evansville City Council approves the annual operating budgets? …that the Mayor of Evansville is responsible for using the budgeted money to pay the bills and create economic activities within the budget restraints of the City Government?  …that the Evansville City Controller is responsible for ensuring that the spending of our tax dollars will meet the stringent criteria of complying with auditing principles?  …if the above City officials did their financial due diligence then why can’t the City borrow Municipal Bonds for future capital projects?
IS IT TRUE back in the day the voters considered the majority
of elected officials to be “Good Stewards Of The Public Trust”?  …that today many elected officials are not considered by the voters as “Good Stewards Of The Public Trust”?  …that it looks like political patronage, self-serving greed, corruption, and nepotism have finally taken their toll?
IS IT TRUE that a late great professor from the University of Evansville once said, “Come to the revolution all of this $%#! will cease?”…the obsession with fun and game spending is what has led the sheep to this unsustainable abyss?
IS IT TRUE that the CCO gives five (5) cheers to the Teamsters  Local 215 for establishing the Taft-Hartley Scholarship Fund?  ..that since 1998 the fund has awarded many millions of dollars in Scholarships to deserving students?
IS IT TRUE that fiscal conservative and former Evansville  City Councilmen Justin Elpers said: “that the Evansville health insurance plan is supposed to be self-funded by employee copays and deductibles, but what we have seen over the last five years is that the self-funded plan is not self-funded,”  …that now Vanderburgh County Commissioner Elpers also commented, “That’s why we see the imbalance in the City’s employee Insurance Plan.”  …that the CCO feels that now Vanderburgh County Commissioner Elpers’s comments concerning the above Healthcare plan are spot on?
IS IT TRUE we are told that the EVSC officials have authority under the “Tememory Loan Resolution” to draw down millions of dollars in loans to help defray current operating expenses?  …that we are now told that the practice of EVSC Administration applying for and receiving a “Temporary Loan Warrant” may have been going on for many years? …we look forward to the Superintendent  Of Schools, Dr. David Smith making a public statement clarifying the number of years that the school system has participated in making the “Temporary Loans” program.  …that we also wonder if any of the “Temporary Loan” money was ever used to fund any capital projects.
IS IT TRUE that we are pleased with the way that the good folks at local TV Channel 14 are providing the masses with up-to-date local news, weather, and sports?  …we are so impressed by the way they are providing current and accurate news that we have included Channel 14 TV in our 2021 advertising budget.
IS IT TRUE that the Evansville city employee’s hospitalization fund has been insufficiently funded over several years? …that the city’s hospitalization fund, from which city employee medical claims are paid, has had a negative balance of several millions of dollars over the last several years?  …that we are now hearing that the city’s hospitalization fund will continue to be an issue in the proposed 2021 City budget?
IS IT TRUE that we wonder what the Board Of Directors of the Evansville Museum has done with the multi-million dollar “PICASSO On Glass” painting?
IS IT TRUE that the most important issues for Vanderburgh County and Evansville today are the COVID-19 pandemic and the economy?  …we feel that the majority of our elected officials and medical experts realize this?
IS IT TRUE when well-credentialed scientists cannot make prediction better than a dart-flinging monkey, what is an intellectually challenged elected official to do?…the answer is to panic and makes edicts that are then overturned time and again because most politicians are literally in way over their heads?… the official position of seemly of some government officials has gone from “Corona will never come to so please come visit us for a virus-safe holiday” to “wear a mask but we are not going to do anything about it if you don’t”? …the litany of inconsistencies has shaken people’s faith in the ability of government to know right from left or up from down?
IS IT TRUE when the people fear the Government we have Tyranny?  …when the Government fears the people we have Liberty?
IS IT TRUE that we are proud of the success of the Ivy Tech LPN Nursing students because every year they achieve an extremely high pass rate for their LPN State tests? …that we would like to congratulate Ivy Tech-Evansville faculty for preparing the LPN student to pass these extremely challenging tests?
IS IT TRUE we get a kick out of career politicians when are they talking to the masses about race issues and political, social, economic, judicial, and police injustices? …it’s even more intriguing when career politicians masterfully try to convince the masses that they understand and feel their grief, they understand their economic plight and suffering caused by racial injustice and institutional racism.
IS IT TRUE when small-town politicians that preside over an increasing crime rate and a mediocre economy that gets national attention, every pissant politician who rides in parades hearing “Hail to the Chief” in their mind catches “Buttigieg Derangement Syndrome”?…we hope that this political disorder won’t be contagious enough to infect the thinking of a few current local elected officials?
IS IT TRUE that several people are wondering if the City stopped building the waterfront Skate Park because of cash flow problems?

STOPPED ON OCT 2020

Eagles split spring opener against Racers, Phoenix

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HARDIN, Ken. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Tennis (2-1) completed its first roadtrip of the 2023 campaign, falling to Murray State University (1-0), 6-1, before defeating Cumberland University (2-1), 5-2, at the Kenlake Tennis Courts Friday afternoon. The Screaming Eagles went into three singles tiebreakers against the Phoenix, winning two to clinch the victory.
 
USI vs. Murray State
Doubles: USI did not receive a win in the doubles competition.
 
Singles: Freshman Elle Dewees (Newburgh, Indiana) was able to capture the lone singles win for the Eagles after taking a 6-4, 6-4 victory at number six.
 
USI vs. Cumberland
Doubles: USI kicked off the match with a pair of doubles wins with junior Rachel McCorkle (Tulsa, Oklahoma)/junior Lauren Rowe (Terre Haute, Indiana) duo taking home a 6-0 victory in the first doubles spot. Sophomore Abby Myers (Evansville, Indiana)/sophomore Madison Windham (Clarksville, Tennessee) combination was the deciding factor in doubles play after securing a 6-4 win to give the Eagles the doubles point.
 
Singles: Singles competition started with a commanding 6-0, 6-1 win in the four spot for freshman Khandice Thomas (Pickerington, Ohio) before Rowe went into USI’s first singles tiebreaker, clinching a 6-2, 2-6, 1-0 (10-3) victory to give the Eagles a 3-0 advantage. Sealing the Phoenix fate was McCorkle in court one after earning a 7-5, 4-6, 1-0 (12-10) tiebreaker win to guarantee USI its second win of the young season. Also defeating her opponent was sophomore Abby Brown (Evansville, Indiana) with a 6-2, 6-1 triumph.
 
 
NEXT UP FOR THE EAGLES:
The Eagles head back to Evansville, Indiana for a duel against Western Illinois University Friday, February 3 at the Evansville Tennis Center starting at 1 p.m.

WIU got the upper hand over USI in the fall when the Leathernecks took six of eight in the Redhawk Invitational. This will be the first regular season dual match between the two squads.

No. 7/9 Hoosiers Down No. 17/6 Louisville

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Indiana swimming and diving ended its 2022-23 dual meet slate with a pair of wins on the road at No. 17/6 Louisville on Friday (Jan. 27) inside Ralph Wright Natatorium. IU set three pool records in the win.

The Hoosier women picked up their first win over Louisville since they beat the No. 13-ranked Cardinals in Bloomington on November 18, 2019. Both squads ended the regular season with 7-1 records in dual meet competition, with their lone losses coming against No. 2/3 Texas in October.

“Every time we come to Louisville, it is a really challenging atmosphere,” IU head swimming coach Ray Looze said. “A credit to them, they packed the stands, and they were ready. They have two good teams, and I feel incredibly fortunate that we came out with a couple wins. I give a lot of credit to our women. It’s rare to win a dual meet when you lose both relays, and our women fought hard. I think that shows a lot about our depth as a swimming and diving team. It wasn’t perfect, but we’ll take a win on the road in just a very challenging environment any day.”

The meet was IU’s final competition before championships season.

“This is exactly what championship swimming feels like, so I think this was really good for us,” Looze said. “We really needed to be pushed to remember what it takes. We have to do better than this performance-wise, but we were tough, which is important.”

Brendan Burns performance in the 200-yard butterfly highlighted the men’s win, as the senior set a pool record at Ralph Wright Natatorium, going 1:43.28. His time beat the previous mark set by former Cardinal All-American Nicolas Albiero against Kentucky on January 25, 2020, in 1:44.00.

Burns completed a triple with victories in the 200-yard backstroke (1:44.95) and 100-yard butterfly (46.19).

Three IU divers combined to go four-for-four in the diving events. On the women’s side, junior Anne Fowler won both the 1-meter (328.88) and 3-meter (349.88) competitions, while Andrew Capobianco secured the 1-meter (418.65) and Carson Tyler the 3-meter (431.40) wins for the men. Both scores set pool records at Ralph Wright Natatorium.

I’m happy for our seniors, Andrew (Capobianco), Zain (Smith) and Margaret (Rogers),” IU head diving coach Drew Johansen said. “Margaret (got) a zone cut here on the platform event. We also had a couple zone cuts from our freshmen, Will Jansen, as well as Alaina Heyde, redshirt freshman. The whole team chemistry and atmosphere, coming down here for a tough meet against Louisville, was great, especially for the women. And we’re trending in the right direction for Big Tens.”

Senior Noelle Peplowski also won 3-of-3 events, sweeping the breaststroke races and adding the 200 IM. Peplowski tallied NCAA B cut times in all three events. Her sister, sophomore Anna Peplowski, won the 200 freestyle (1:47.35) and 200 backstroke (1:56.47).

Indiana swept the distance freestyle events, with sophomore Mariah Denigan winning the 1,000 free (9:48.97) and 500 free (4:48.14) on the women’s side and senior Mikey Calvillo on the repeating the feat on the men’s side with times of 9:04.23 and 4:23.60, respectively.

TEAM SCORES

Men

No. 7 Indiana 193, No. 17 Louisville 107

Women

No. 9 Indiana 155, No. 6 Louisville 145

HOOSIER WINNERS

Men

Luke Barr – 200 medley relay (1:25.95)

Brendan Burns – 200 butterfly (1:43.28), 200 backstroke (1:44.95), 100 butterfly (46.19)

Mikey Calvillo – 1,000 freestyle (9:04.23), 500 freestyle (4:23.60)

Andrew Capobianco – 1-meter diving (418.65)

Tomer Frankel – 200 medley relay (1:25.95), 200 freestyle relay (1:17.96)

Van Mathias – 200 medley relay (1:25.95), 100 freestyle (43.60), 200 freestyle relay (1:17.96)

Rafael Miroslaw – 200 freestyle (1:35.28), 200 freestyle relay (1:17.96)

Carson Tyler – 3-meter diving (431.40)

Gavin Wight – 200 medley relay (1:25.95), 200 freestyle relay (1:17.96)

Women

Mariah Denigan – 1,000 freestyle (9:48.97), 500 freestyle (4:48.14)

Anne Fowler – 1-meter diving (328.88), 3-meter diving (349.88)

Kacey McKenna – 100 backstroke (54.91)

Anna Peplowski – 200 freestyle (1:47.35), 200 backstroke (1:56.47)

Noelle Peplowski – 100 breaststroke (1:01.06), 200 breaststroke (2:09.05), 200 IM (1:58.30)

NCAA CUTS

A: None.

B: Brendan Burns – 200 fly (1:43.28), 100 fly (46.19); Mackenzie Looze – 200 breast (2:13.23); Rafael Miroslaw – 200 free (1:35.28); Anna Peplowski – 200 back (1:56.47); Noelle Peplowski – 100 breast (1:01.06), 200 breast (2:09.05), 200 IM (1:58.30)

NCAA ZONE QUALIFYING SCORES

1-meter: Andrew Capobianco (418.65), Megan Carter (283.88), Anne Fowler (328.88), Quinn Henninger (348.38), Alaina Heyde (276.15), Carson Tyler (358.35), Maxwell Weinrich (333.83)

3-meter: Andrew Capobianco (371.25), Megan Carter (307.58), Anne Fowler (349.88), Quinn Henninger (400.35), William Jansen (322.05), Carson Tyler (431.40), Maxwell Weinrich (353.70)

Otters re-sign outfielder Baez

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EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The Evansville Otters announced Friday morning the re-signing of Jeffrey Baez.
Baez was a solid bat for the Otters in 2022, batting .243 and playing in 82 of the Otters’ 96 games. He had 10 doubles, 2 triples and three home runs in the 2022 campaign.

Baez was a 2021 midseason acquisition for the Otters, being acquired in a trade with the Kane County Cougars of the American Association. For the Otters, Baez batted .319 with 14 runs, five doubles, two triples, seven home runs, 24 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases in 22 games played.

Earlier in 2021 with Kane County, Baez hit .296 with 41 runs, 12 doubles, four triples, 14 home runs, 49 RBIs, and eight stolen bases in 65 games played.

Originally from Venezuela, Baez spent eight years in the Chicago Cubs organization from 2011-18, reaching as high as Double-A with the Tennessee Smokies. Baez spent 2019 with Jackson, the Double-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. Overall, in the minors, Baez batted .258 with 416 runs, 661 hits, 125 doubles, 26 triples, 71 home runs, 320 RBIs, and 212 stolen bases.

Season ticket packages are on sale now for the 2023 season. Individuals who pay in full by March 1 are eligible for exclusive season ticket holder benefits. Find more information here or call us at (812) 435-8686.

Group and single-game tickets will go on sale in the Spring.

HAPPENING TOMORROW: Beginning Genealogy Program

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BROTHERS FROM OTHER MOTHERS

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redline

GAVEL GAMUT

By Jim Redwine

www.jamesmredwine.com

(Week of 30 January 2023)

BROTHERS FROM OTHER MOTHERS

This week I ran into a man whose family has connections to Ukraine. They live in the country of Georgia now as Peg and I have been doing for the last five months where we are working with the Georgian judiciary. His perspective on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is quite personal as is the perspective of the Russian man who sat next to me on a flight from Istanbul, Turkey to Batumi, Georgia last Wednesday.

The two men looked quite similar. Both were rather tall and athletically built and about 40 years of age. One man’s native language is English but the other speaks fluent Russian. His English created several entertaining exchanges for us that we worked through in mutual good humor. My Russian barely qualifies as communication even though Peg and I picked up some phrases when I was in Russia in 2003 working with the Russian judiciary.

I also managed to pick up a few Ukrainian words when I was in Ukraine in 2000 working with Ukrainian judges. I tried my Ukrainian lexicon with the man whose relatives speak Ukrainian, but it was more comic relief than communication.

Both men have children and both would like to see the war between Russia and Ukraine ended immediately if it can be done in a reasonable manner as each sees it. Peg and I are much more aligned with Ukraine than Russia, which the Russian obviously suspected when I told him at our mutual introduction Peg and I were Americans. He was initially rather cautious in his comments but once he decided I did not hold him responsible for Putins’s military decisions, he relaxed quite a bit. Unfortunately, our flight was only about two hours in length so he and I did not have time to bring Ukraine and Russia to the Peace Table.

He did share several deeply personal experiences and emotions with me during our short flight. When I told him our son had boxed at West Point and that I had helped train both amateur and professional boxers, he opened his mouth and showed me a set of perfect lower teeth. He said he had boxed in Russia and once got into the ring against a much larger boxer without wearing a mouthpiece. He had $3,000 worth of false teeth and a hard-earned lesson about uneven and unfair fights as a result.

The English speaker is a swimmer and an avid hiker who believes physical health is essential to mental health and both men do not hesitate to strongly state their views which are closely related to what kind of future their children may look forward to in a post Ukrainian-Russian war environment.

If the two fathers were to be placed together in a lineup, I would have a difficult time picking out which one was which. Both are about 6 feet tall and weigh about 200 pounds. Both have very short cropped, light colored hair and lean facial features. They could be brothers if looks were the only criteria.

They could, also, be brothers if their concerns for their families and their countries could be considered relevant DNA features. It struck me that both of them might be better choices for leaders of Ukraine and Russia than what we have, although this is purely my thought, as neither of them made such a suggestion. Of course, their natural national allegiances probably interfere somewhat with their ability to set aside any magnanimity. However, each of them recognized the children in the other country are not to blame; only the adults may be held accountable. That is, if the adults come to a realization they should be. 

I shared with each man my concern that Russia might be of the same mind a friend of mine who was a supporter of Israel had in 1973 when Egypt could have overrun Israel with its superior, but non-nuclear, military power. At that time most experts believed Israel had stolen enough nuclear secrets from America to construct nuclear weapons. Now, we know they have.

Anyway, my friend stated his passionate support for Israel included Israel’s “right” to destroy the whole world if Egypt were about to destroy Israel. Such nihilistic blindness is what I and my new acquaintances most fear in our current war.

For more Gavel Gamut articles go to www.jamesmredwine.com

Or “Like/Follow” us on Facebook & Twitter at JPegOsageRanch

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