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OPINION CONTACT US | OTHER THOUGHTS PHONE: (605) 665-7811 (800) 743-2968 NEWS FAX: Abortion Waiting (605) 665-1721 ADVERTISING FAX: (605) 665-0288 WEBSITE: www.yankton.net Period Fine As Is MAIL DDRESS E A : [email protected] ARGUS LEADER, Sioux Falls (Feb. 18): Some South Dakota lawmakers ——— support a bill that would essentially extend the time that women must SUBSCRIPTIONS/ wait before having an abortion. CIRCULATION: South Dakota law already requires a 72-hour waiting period before an Extension 112 abortion. Now some representatives want to exclude weekends and holi- CLASSIFIED ADS: days in that waiting period. Extension 108 What an insult to women. NEWS DEPARTMENT: The proposal, sponsored by Rep. Jon Hansen, R-Dell Raids, has passed Extension 114 SPORTS DEPARTMENT: the full House. Extension 106 South Dakota already has a conservative law that does an unusually ADVERTISING OFFICE: good job of balance when it comes to women seeking a legal abortion. Extension 122 There is no clamor that indicates women have not been able to seek and BUSINESS OFFICE: receive the counseling that is mandated under the 72-hour waiting period. Extension 119 The President’s Big Con NEW MEDIA: There is no reason for this latest proposed requirement other than what appears to be an attempt to backhandedly control the rights of Extension 136 BY BILL O’REILLY are protected from “environmental hazards.” That means women. COMPOSING DESK: Creators Syndicate increased payments to prospective moms for better It is fine for a lawmaker to be against abortion as an option. But legisla- Extension 129 food, housing and medical care. tive power should not be used to grandstand and chip away at the legal Please listen up. We are all being conned by the And the topper: right to an abortion by challenging whether women can get adequate *** • Direct cash payments to parents of poor children Obama administration. This year, the American taxpayer counseling if weekends and holidays are included in the 72-hour waiting MANAGERS will fork over about $571 billion to pay for educating who make sure their kids participate in school programs period. children in the nation’s public schools. All and show up for class. If that ever comes to Gary L. Wood told, the country spends close to $16,000 per be, America essentially will be paying parents We send lawmakers to Pierre to represent their constituency, to come Publisher student every year on primary through col- to parent. together on key issues that make life better in South Dakota. We don’t send them to Pierre to keep tinkering with a law until it fits their own per- Michele Schievelbein lege education. That’s the highest per-student It is all about control. Obama believes the Advertising Director spending rate in the world. deck in America is stacked against the poor sonal agenda. However, according to President Obama, and wants to get lower-income citizens as We urge lawmakers to drop the extended wait idea and get to other Tonya Schild it’s not enough. He wants more tax dollars, es- much cash and as many entitlements as he matters for the good of our state. Business Manager pecially for “early education.” He said so in can. Masking those payments under “more David Jeffcoat his State of the Union address, and it drew money for education” is a clever way to do Circulation Director that. big-time applause from his crew. Of course we Tera Schmidt need to spend more on education. And any- It is certainly true that poor children have Johanns Turns The Page Classified Manager one who opposes that hates kids! a much tougher academic road than affluent OMAHA WORLD-HERALD (Feb. 19): Nebraskans today can thank Mike The centerpiece of the president’s early- kids. And smart educational policy can close Johanns for three decades of public service. Kelly Hertz education vision is the “Head Start” program, Bill that gap. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush told His decision not to seek re-election next year will close another chapter Editor which has been in place since 1965. Over the me the reason Head Start is not delivering is James D. Cimburek that it doesn’t concentrate enough on read- in a political career that began with his election as a Lancaster County past 48 years, the feds have spent close to O’REILLY commissioner in 1983. He served on the Lincoln City Council, twice was Sports Editor $200 billion on Head Start. But there’s one big ing. In many school districts, it is primarily a problem: The program is not working. babysitting service. elected the capital city’s mayor, twice was elected governor, served as U.S. Beth Rye According to a recent study by the Depart- As a former high school teacher and a stu- secretary of agriculture and won election to the U.S. Senate. New Media Manager ment of Health and Human Services, by the end of third dent in a class of 60 urchins at St. Brigid’s grammar That resumé alone is impressive. But the work Johanns did for his com- Kathy Larson grade, Head Start children remain academically disad- school, I know that education is all about discipline and munity, state and country is impressive, too. The common-sense conserva- Composing Manager vantaged compared to their same-age peers. So why did motivation. Disadvantaged students need extra atten- tive displayed steadiness, energy, sound judgment and competence in every office he has held. Bernard Metivier the president not mention that? Why is he still pounding tion, a stable school environment and enough teacher District Manager the drum for more funding for a program that is not cut- creativity to stimulate their imaginations. Those things During tight budgetary times, Gov. Johanns made clear his determina- ting it? are not expensive. tion that the state maintain fiscal discipline. He showed statewide vision *** The answer is social engineering. But that’s not all of what federal education spending as his administration helped develop strategic policy to address Ne- Obama will not say this, but one of his devoted fol- is about, is it? It’s also about redistributing income. We braska’s water needs and pushed for community-based reform of the DAILY STAFF lowers, Columbia University professor Joseph Stiglitz, are being conned big time. And it’s the kids who suffer state’s behavioral health system. Andrew Atwal will. What the left really wants is to redistribute income the most because of it. After President George W. Bush called Johanns to Washington, congres- Melissa Bader through the public education system. sional Democrats and Republicans recognized him as a capable Cabinet of- Derek Bartos In a recent New York Times column, Stiglitz called for Veteran TV news anchor Bill O’Reilly is host of the ficer, while abroad he earned a reputation as a knowledgeable and skilled Brett Beyeler the following: Fox News show “The O’Reilly Factor” and author of the trade negotiator. As a senator, he has been a member of the bipartisan • More spending on preschool education. book “Pinheads and Patriots: Where You Stand in the Cassandra Brockmoller “Gang of Eight” seeking solutions to the nation’s fiscal problems. Rob Buckingham • More spending on before- and after-class programs. Age of Obama.” Johanns and his wife, Stephanie, said that in looking ahead, “We want a • More entitlements to ensure that pregnant women Randy Dockendorf quieter time with our focus on each other, our family and our faith.” Jeannine Economy There will be time to reflect more fully on his career, but for now con- gratulations are in order. After 30 years of service to his fellow Ne- Jeremy Hoeck braskans, Mike Johanns has earned it. Nathan Johnson Here’s A Different Drone Issue Muriel Pratt Sheldon Reed BY KATHLEEN PARKER Training” session that have been featured prominently in OUR LETTER POLICY Noelle Schlechter © 2013, Washington Post Writers Group conservative media in recent days. As detailed by Caro- Cathy Sudbeck line May at The Daily Caller, Betances leads a group The PRESS & DAKOTAN encourages its readers to write letters to the edi- Kelsey Thomas WASHINGTON — First they came for the drones. through a process of self-enlightenment. (See sarcasm tor, and it asks that a few simple guidelines be followed. Sally Whiting No, not the unmanned kind that kill strangers from a note above.) n Please limit letters to 300 words or less. Letters should deal with a single Brenda Willcuts safe distance but the sort who sit in meeting rooms and “I want you to say: ‘If we work for a federal agency.’ subject, be of general interest and state a specific point of view. Letters are ed- Jackie Williams repeat slogans until they absorb the proper way of think- Say that. (Audience repeats) ‘We have discriminated in ited with brevity, clarity and newspaper style in mind. ing. The killers, figuratively speaking, are the diversity the past.’ (Audience repeats) Say: ‘Every federal agency,’ n In the sense of fairness and professionalism, the PRESS & DAKOTAN will *** trainers who numb the human mind with slo- (Audience repeats) ‘has discriminated against accept no letters attacking private individuals or businesses. n Specific individuals or entities addressed in letters may be given the op- Published Daily gans and rote instruction on emotional cor- African-Americans,’ (Audience repeats) ‘His- Monday-Saturday rectness. panics,’ (Audience repeats) ‘Native American portunity to read the letter prior to publication and be allowed to answer the let- Indians,’ (Audience repeats) ‘and other ter in the same issue. Periodicals postage Would that it were unnecessary to say n Only signed letters with writer’s full name, address and daytime phone paid at Yankton, “figuratively speaking,” but in an era when groups’ (Audience repeats),” Betances number for verification will be accepted. Please mail to: Letters, 319 Walnut, South Dakota, under fundamentalist literalism is on the rise, it is preaches. Yankton, SD 57078, drop off at 319 Walnut in Yankton, fax to 665-1721 or email the act of March 3, always necessary to be perfectly, perfectly In other clips, Betances regales his audi- to [email protected]. 1979. clear. Signal: The following may include exag- ence with a little history lesson. Not only did Weekly Dakotian gerations, sarcasm and, possibly, snark, all in- the U.S. steal the lands that are increasingly established June 6, tended to make life somewhat more bearable. being populated by illegal immigrants (Texas, 1861. Yankton Daily Then again, hyperbole is superfluous California, Arizona) — hence, implicitly, they TODAY IN HISTORY Press and Dakotian when real life is so absurdly over the top. have a right to re-occupy — but America’s established April 26, Thanks to Judicial Watch, the conservative- founding fathers took their governing cues By The Associated Press new signs of real cooperation, but Presi- 1875. Kathleen Today is Monday, Feb. 25, the 56th day dent George W. Bush was dismissive, pre- Postmaster: Send leaning watchdog group, and The Daily Caller, from Native Americans. Oh, and they stole of 2013. There are 309 days left in the year. dicting Saddam Hussein would try to “fool we recently have learned about the United their symbol, too — the bald eagle. address changes to PARKER Today’s Highlight in History: On Feb. the world one more time.” Roh Moo-hyun Yankton Daily Press States Department of Agriculture’s magical Well, gosh, I feel so bad about all this that 25, 1913, the 16th Amendment to the U.S. became South Korea’s new president. & Dakotan, 319 Wal- diversity training programs, i.e. “professional I’d like to cede the lower U.S. to Mexico and Constitution, giving Congress the power to Five years ago: An Associated Press nut, Yankton, SD development opportunities,” wherein em- adopt the chicken as the national symbol. levy and collect income taxes, was de- photograph of Democratic presidential 57078. ployees learn how they ought really to “think” about There’s no end to the ways by which nations can make clared in effect by Secretary of State Phi- candidate Barack Obama wearing tradi- lander Chase Knox. tional local garb during a 2006 visit to things. Lessons include such angst-inspiring tropes as recompense to those whose fates were altered by his- On this date: In 1836, inventor Samuel Kenya began circulating on the Internet. *** the U.S. has destroyed other nations, we all commit sins tory. Shouldn’t we all just pack up and return whence we Colt patented his revolver. The New York Philharmonic arrived in MEMBERSHIPS of discrimination, and America should repent and stop came? In 1862, Nashville, Tenn., became the North Korea to perform a concert, the being so proud of itself. This is, of course, emotional extortion designed to first Confederate state capital to be occu- same day Lee Myung-bak was sworn in as The Yankton Daily More or less. engineer behavior while enriching people who have in- pied by the North during the Civil War. South Korea’s first conservative president Press & Dakotan is a One does not have to be a flag-waving, uber-patriot to vented an industry around the notion that people can be In 1901, United States Steel Corp. was in a decade. member of the Associ- find this sort of mind-training repugnant, though watch- numbed into niceness and, therefore, more easily man- incorporated by J.P. Morgan. One year ago: A gunman killed two ated Press, the Inland aged. It is helpful to recall that drones are also stingless In 1913, character actor Jim Backus, American military advisers with shots to Daily Press Associa- ing clips of the USDA sessions might help one better un- who played Thurston Howell III on “Gilli- the back of the head inside Afghanistan’s tion and the South derstand the recent rush to collect ammunition. (Ahem: I bees. gan’s Island” and voiced the cartoon char- heavily guarded Interior Ministry as Dakota Newspaper am merely making an observation here, not suggesting There was a time when such lessons, otherwise acter Mr. Magoo, was born in Cleveland. protests raged for a fifth day over the burn- Association. The Asso- behaviors that some might find troubling or offensive; known as manners, were taught in every American In 1922, French serial killer Henri Lan- ing of Qurans at a U.S. army base. Lynn D. ciated Press is entitled one wishes it were unnecessary to say.) home. Said homes were not privileged in most cases but dru, convicted of murdering 10 women and “Buck” Compton, 90, a veteran whose exclusively to use of all The sessions recently highlighted are not new. Most they were occupied by a mother and father who, though the son of one of them, was executed in World War II exploits were depicted in the the local news printed they perhaps did not adore each other every waking mo- Versailles. television miniseries “Band of Brothers,” in this newspaper. corporate employees — and all American students — In 1943, Allied troops reoccupied the died in Burlington, Wash. have been exposed to this wee-minded busy-ness. More ment, were at least committed to the mutual task of rear- Kasserine Pass after clashing with Ger- Today’s Birthdays: Country singer *** than a decade ago, I wrote that the demise of newspa- ing thoughtful, well-behaved children. man troops during World War II. Ralph Stanley is 86. Actor Tom Courtenay pers was owing more to the Human Resources Depart- Sensitivity training, alas, is one of the many legacies In 1950, “Your Show of Shows,” star- is 76. CBS newsman Bob Schieffer is 76. SUBSCRIPTION ment than to the explosion of the Internet. The of our sundering of the family, which has led necessarily ring Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca, Carl Actress Diane Baker is 75. Actress Karen Reiner and Howard Morris, debuted on Grassle is 71. Humorist Jack Handey is 64. RATES* “tidy-desk memo mentality” of management bean-coun- to greater dependence on third parties to instruct and (Payable in advance) ters began killing newspapers long before pajama-clad order. We are unlikely to hear much about that in the NBC-TV. Movie director Neil Jordan is 63. Rock mu- In 1963, the U.S. Supreme Court, in sician Dennis Diken (The Smithereens) is CARRIER DELIVERY bloggers began mastering hyperlinks. next government diversity seminar and, soon enough, Edwards v. South Carolina, upheld 8-1 the 56. Rock singer-musician Mike Peters (The Once you kill the spirit, the rest is a matter of decom- there will be none left to recognize that there is some- 1-month . . . . .$12.09 right of civil rights demonstrators to peace- Alarm) is 54. Actress Veronica Webb is 48. 3 months . . . .$36.27 position. thing wrong with this picture. fully protest outside the South Carolina Actor Alexis Denisof is 47. Actress Tea Exhibit A this go-round is sensitivity trainer Samuel State House. Leoni is 47. Comedian Carrot Top is 46. Ac- 6 months . . . .$72.53 Betances of Souder, Betances and Associates, who ap- Kathleen Parker’s email address is In 1973, the Stephen Sondheim musi- tress Lesley Boone is 45. Actor Sean Astin 1-year ...... $133.09 MOTOR ROUTE pears in clips culled from a 3.5-hour “Cultural Sensitivity [email protected]. cal “A Little Night Music” opened at Broad- is 42. Singer Daniel Powter is 42. Latin way’s Shubert Theater. singer Julio Iglesias Jr. is 40. Rhythm-and- (where available) In 1983, playwright Tennessee Williams blues singer Justin Jeffre is 40. Rock mu- 1 month . . . . .$14.51 was found dead in his New York hotel suite; sician Richard Liles is 40. Actor Anson 3 months . . . .$43.53 YOUR LETTERS he was 71. Mount is 40. Comedian-actress Chelsea 6 months . . . .$87.05 In 1986, President Ferdinand Marcos Handler is 38. Actress Rashida Jones is 1 year ...... $139.14 the week. If Wednesday were chosen, there would fled the Philippines after 20 years of rule in 37. Actor Justin Berfield is 27. Actors MAIL IN RETAIL A Better Approach the wake of a tainted election; Corazon James and Oliver Phelps (“Harry Potter” never be three successive closing days. Thanksgiving TRADE ZONE Charles Snyder, Apple Valley, Minn. Aquino assumed the presidency. movies) are 27. Rock musician Erik 1-month . . . . .$16.93 is our only fixed mid-week holiday, so that would re- In 1991, during the Persian Gulf War, Haager (Carolina Liar) is 26. The need for USPS to cut service back to five days sult in only one for sure instance of two consecutive 28 Americans were killed when an Iraqi Thought for Today: “If people behaved 3 months . . . .$50.79 a week is understandable. But, there is little rationale non-delivery days per year, with additional two-day Scud missile hit a U.S. barracks in in the way nations do they would all be put 6 months . . .$101.57 for suspending service on Saturday. The one advan- closings depending upon where the other holidays Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. in straitjackets.” — Tennessee Williams 1-year ...... $148.82 tage that I see goes to the postal workers, granting Ten years ago: Chief U.N. weapons in- (1911-1983). MAIL OUTSIDE fall. For 2014, there would be four two-day closings spector Hans Blix said Iraq was showing RETAIL TRADE ZONE them two consecutive days off per week. Yearly, USPS because New Years falls on Tuesday, Independence 1 month . . . . .$19.35 observes five holidays on Monday, so there will be a Day on Thursday and Christmas on Wednesday. 3 months . . . .$58.05 minimum of five occurrences of three consecutive Whereas for 2014, for Saturday closures, there will be FROM THE BIBLE 6 months . . .$116.09 non-delivery days per year. six occurrences of three consecutive days of no mail 1-year ...... $186.33 The optimal approach, making the closure day delivery along with 46 two-day periods absent of mail. The birds of the air come and make nests in its branches. Matthew 13:32. * Plus applicable least disruptive, would be to move it to the middle of Portals of Prayer, Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis sales tax for all rates