Opinion

was bled to have been reelected by my colleagues to serve as the Republican whip, or assistant majority leader, the second-highest position in Senate Republican leadership.

One of the things I appreciate most about those who served is that they didn’t rely on someone else to protect freedom. Veterans didn’t assume someone else would make the sacrifices so our kids could sleep safely in their beds every night. They raised their hand. They said yes to the call.

Some years ago, I can’t exactly remember when, it was suggested by some “foreign” radical thinkers that the Great Plains be fenced off from the rest of the country and turned into a buffalo preserve. They had western North and South Dakota in mind, as well as parts of Montana and Wyoming.

On Tuesday, Oct. 20th, it was my privilege to pheasant hunt the Mitchell area with 15 gentlemen hunters. The day was cold and rainy, but we were dressed appropriately and had a fine time.

The hops have been cut and baled, the aronia berries shaken from their bushes and frozen and the flax swathed. No, agriculture isn’t all corn and beans in South Dakota. In the September/October issue of South Dakota Magazine, we feature a handful of farmers who grow more unique crops.

PROVERBS 15:13 "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good."(KJV) With this scripture we can say that the Lord is omnipresent, meaning everywhere all the time.

My son is a cub scout, and I am den leader. Recently our den met outside and practiced putting up tents and learned how to build a fire. With efforts to stay distanced, every scout made his own s’more, and we had such a fun time.

I was reminded of that this week as I had coffee with Svitlana and Iryna. Both of these women moved to America from Ukraine two years ago. Both are married to hardworking husbands, and both have children.

It has been a tough year for the rule of law and law enforcement in certain parts of our country. Violent crime has surged in big cities nationwide, and some politicians have gutted offcers’ ability to respond to tough situations. Rioting and looting have devastated many communities.

Hunting partner Doug Koupal and I had 17 preference points for Black Hills elk going into this season.