December 20, 2019 Issue, Page 4 of 22

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Page 4 The Elk City News, Elk City, Oklahoma Friday, December 20, 2019 Honoring Opinion Page “ElkCituNews our elderly Glynda Lomax is a Chris- an elderly gentleman with a than I will ever be able to do Serving Western Oklahoma since 1901 tian author and podcaster big smile in a wheel chair. in return by serving her.” who resides in the Ozark He was very helpful and just Trolling along at the His smile brightened as he handed me my change. As I Mountains of Northern Ar- before I left, as he chatted walked through the door, I kansas with her two very on, he told me he had signed basketball game over the antique store to bossy dogs. She wrote her turned back and said to him Jirst About Life..column in his daughter because of his “Remember what I said — 2003 for a newspaper in you are a blessing, not a bur- health. Dallas. She is planning her “T hate being a burden to den - just as my mother is to next book. her,” he said sadly. me.” looked him square in the We live in a society to- I would sit in the rocking eyes and replied, “Let me tell day that worships youth and chair and do needlework as “Patience is the compan- ion of wisdom.” ~ St. Au- you something from the bot- beauty. So many disregard she talked of the past, told gustine tom of my heart. I cared for the wisdom of our elderly me about her day, or shared my mother for many months and miss the blessing of her concerns. Thinking of the elderly in before she entered a nursing serving them, spending time People pass on and leave this country, I am reminded home, while working full with them and learning from our lives, but memories of an encounter I had with an them, remembering with never die. Nothing can ever time and commuting three elderly gentleman in West- hours a day. I promise you them. All the days of my take away those treasured ern Oklahoma not long ago. your daughter does not see life, I will have the memo- moments with my Mother — T was traveling to visit my you as the burden you see ries of quiet talks with my moments I would never have Mother and stopped at an an- yourself. I consider it a great mother shared over a cup of tique store in a small town. honor to serve my mother in coffee, times shared of days known had I not been will- Elk City students cheer for their team Tues- ing to serve. I wanted to surprise her her latter years. She served long ago, moments from my day night. Photo by Terri Chervenka with some magazines from me as a child, raised me to childhood she remembers, the 1940’s, which I thought know right from wrong, talks of the grandparents I “The years teach much By Don Munsch, Editor she would enjoy. I walked loved me even when I was never knew. Secrets shared which the days never knew.” Weatherford didn’t have a huge number of people in its in and was soon greeted by bad and did far more for me between just the two of us. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson student section at the boys basketball game between Elk Horn and other vulnerable City and Weatherford Tuesday night at the Pioneer Center, but they made their attitudes known through written words. Students held up signs mocking Elk City’s football team and athletic program, with messages of 0-22, “Golf Town” and 775 days. I think the 775 days refers to the last time the Elks won a varsity football game, in October 2017, give a few days by my calculations. dems are in a bind Elk City students fired back with some of their own troll- The Oklahoman Editorial are hoping to hang on to dis- which ultimately had many tricts Trump won in 2016, ing, as one student wrote Runner Up on his T-shirt, refer- Board tricts that Trump carried in Democrats crying “quid pro have said publicly that they Sometime soon, Rep. 2016. Michael Graham, pol- quo” and “bribery,” could oppose impeachment. ring to Weatherford’s fooball team losing in the state final. Kendra Horn will have to itics editor for InsideSourc- have been conducted outside One sign said Poteau, referring to the team Weatherford Horn is the target of a decide whether to join most es.com, wrote last week that the impeachment process. Republican-aligned group lost to in the state final. And yet another sign read “Daddy’s U.S. House Democrats and these members are “in a po- She later voted to extend Money.” I’m not sure I get the total idea behind that senti- vote to impeach President litical bind” because while the impeachment inquiry that’s using a flood of TV ment, as I’m still pretty new here, but I would bet it has Trump. It’s quite the Christ- some polls show support for into a public phase, citing ads to criticize her for not op- mas gift Speaker Nancy impeachment is slipping, the the importance of Congress posing impeachment. Eight something to do with economics. Pelosi is foisting upon her party’s base “is demanding being able to conduct over- people have filed the paper- Basketball and football games can bring out the inner most vulnerable members, it — 74% of Democratic pri- sight. “I did not seek out and work to seek the Republican troller in fans. At some basketball games I’ve heard about, because their decisions will mary voters strongly support did not call for an impeach- nomination for her seat, with students for the winning team will jiggle their keys late in reverberate throughout their impeachment.” ment inquiry,” she said at a the most active saying Horn a contest to signify to the losing team’s fans that their play- 2020 re-election campaigns. Horn represents a district November town hall, “and is in lockstep with Pelosi and It’s something Horn, D- in which Republicans out- I was not one of those that the most liberal wing of the ers’ bus needs to be warmed up, that it’s time to go home. Oklahoma City, isn’t par- number Democrats roughly was there saying, ‘We've I suppose that key gesture also could be interpreted in a party. ticularly eager to talk about. 187,500 to 160,000, and got to do this.” broad sense, that it’s time for the fans ofthe losing team to She has consistently said she which Trump won by 11 The stakes grew larger At last week’s town hall, leave. hasn’t made up her mind, percentage points in 2016. Friday, however, when the reporter Chris Casteel noted, Speaking of signs, I used to always see signs at high and that she’s trying to cut Horn’s surprise victory over House Judiciary Committee frustration about impeach- school football games back in the 1970s and 1980s. Usu- through the noise and focus a two-term incumbent Re- approved two articles of im- ment was evident among on working on behalf of her publican last year came by a peachment against Trump, many independent — vot- ally, they were made by the school’s cheerleaders, often constituents in the Sth Dis- margin of just 1.4 points. for abuse of power and ob- ers who attended. “I think were hung at the bottom of stands and usually contained trict. On whether to impeach struction of Congress, and you're in a lot of trouble if the typical messages of encouragement. Sometimes signs “T ran to fight for Okla- the president, Horn has tried sent them to the full House. you vote for this impeach- taunted the other team. homa, for education, for to tread carefully. A handful of vulnerable ment,” one of those voters health care ...,” Horn said She was one of the few Democrats sought to hold a One time I was at a playoff game between two rival high at a town hall last weekend, House Democrats who didn’t censure vote instead of im- told Horn. schools whose nicknames were the Trojans and Blue Raid- “and that’s where I’ve been come out in favor of an im- peachment, but they were Whether she does, and ers. We sat on the Trojans’ side of the stadium, and we spending my time.” peachment inquiry, saying rejected outright by leader- how the dominoes fall af- could look across the field to see a number of signs taunting Her approach mirrors that Trump’s phone call with ship. Only two Democrats, terward, we’ll know soon or ridiculing the Trojans. One sign read “Hector was a Tro- of 30 other Democratics who Ukraine’s new president, both of whom represent dis- enough. Senate drug plan brings jan, too,” which was an obvious reference to what occurred to Hector in “The Iliad.” Watching football on television in the 1970s and 1980s meant seeing plenty of signs hanging in the stands. death and taxes Pittsburgh Steeler fans always seemed to be the most pro- lific of sign-makers during the days of Three Rivers Stadi- um and those Super Bowl teams. Many signs touted players on their team, although a few would taunt the opponent. By Stacy Washington lion less over its first 10 harm patients by making it maceutical sector supports One memorable sign: A Pair of Jacks Who Sack the Quar- The Prescription Drug years than originally esti- harder to fund drug research. close to 5 million jobs and terbacks. Complete with playing card imagery. The Jacks Pricing Reduction Act would mated. It takes $2.6 billion on contributes more than $1 referred to Steeler linebackers Jack Ham and Jack Lambert. stall future drug develop- Unfortunately, the Pre- average for researchers to trillion in economic output Both players had their own fan groups who brought their ment and deprive Ameri- scription Drug Pricing Re- bring one new treatment to each year. Nearly half of signs to games: Lambert’s Lunatics and Dobre Shunka. cans of lifesaving cures -- all duction Act would upend market. Scientists rely on drug firms said that reduc- without reducing patients’ this tried and true structure. the revenue from successful Signs at stadiums back in the day could be clever or rude out-of-pocket costs. The bill’s most egregious drugs to fund future research tions in R&D could lead to or funny. One sign from Soldier Field back in the late 70s/ The bill would alter Medi- penalty might be the 20 per- projects. layoffs and facility closures. early 80s: “They sent the wrong Armstrong to the Moon.” care Part D, the federal pre- cent tax it would impose The myriad taxes in the bill That was a reference to Chicago Bears head coach Neill scription drug benefit for on manufacturers for some would impede manufactur- The Prescription Drug Armstrong, an Oklahoma A&M alum. [He played during seniors and people with dis- drugs sold in Part D. The ers’ ability to earn back de- Pricing Reduction Act abilities. Today, 45 million package would cost biophar- velopment costs. That would would cripple the life sci- atime when OSU was Oklahoma A&M.] Neil Armstrong Americans receive drug cov- maceutical firms $55 billion make it difficult for firms to ences sector and do nothing was the American astronaut, obviously. erage from Part D. over the next 10 years. attract the investment they to help patients afford their You don’t see as many signs at high school or pro foot- Part D is a free market This massive tax would need to research new treat- medicines. Talk about a ball games anymore, and I can’t recall seeing many, if any, success story. Instead of save the government mon- ments. Without that fund- lose-lose. administering the benefit di- ey, but it wouldn’t do much ing, scientists would have to at college games years ago. Oh, some fans will hold up rectly, Uncle Sam subsidiz- for patients -- 98 percent abandon the roughly 4,500 Stacy Washington is a signs at college and NFL games, and College GameDay is es private insurers who sell of Medicare beneficiaries drugs currently being devel- decorated Air Force Vet- entertaining primarily because of the fans’ signs. plans to beneficiaries. Since won’t see a reduction in oped for cancer, Alzheim- eran, an Emmy nominated But fans at any level can be as rabid as they were back in these insurers compete for their pharmacy bills. Some er’s, and other diseases in TV personality, and the host customers, they have every could even face increased the United States. of the nationally syndicated the day. The lack of signs is probably, yeah, a sign of times. incentive to keep costs low. out-of-pocket costs. The package wouldn’t radio program “Stacy on the People now save their vitriol or trolling for the web. Part D cost nearly $350 bil- Over time, this bill would just hurt patients. The phar- Right.” Have something to share? Send your editorial to [email protected]