The Eastern New Mexico News - Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities

Few people understand the difference between tolerating a behavior and endorsing or approving of it. There are things I don’t approve of but don’t have the right to stop others from doing. I may...

Stocking up on food and supplies before the worst part of the forced shutdowns could turn out to have been good practice for what may be coming after the presidential election. Especially considering...

I wish people were more consistent. Many people in this country say they are for smaller, or “limited” government. Most change their minds as soon as they think of something they want government...

Last week I was reminded how intensely I dislike bureaucracy. People who impose bureaucracy on the rest of us are as useful to society as plague-spreading fleas. You might believe bureaucracy has a pl...

If you go looking for trouble, you’ll probably find it. If you’ve seen any national news recently you’ve watched it happen. Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, intentionally went to Kenosha, Wisconsin, a...

Quick, name something you really and truly believe even though you know it’s wrong. You can’t, can you? If you knew your belief was wrong, you’d change it. It’s the same for every person on Ea...

There’s a lot of irresponsibility and selfishness in the world around us. We can choose to not be part of it. People who litter or dump their trash are childishly irresponsible. People who leave...

Government actions have consequences. Some people were happy with the so-called stimulus checks they got from the federal government. Most of them are excited about the prospects of getting another...

Humans are adaptable. More so than any creature other than, possibly, cockroaches. It’s our greatest strength. We have adapted to living almost everywhere on the planet and, soon, with the right tec...

On the personal front, there are new developments in the continuing saga of the Greatly Feared Virus Pandemic of 2020. Two family members caught COVID-19 several weeks ago. They both apparently...

America is in crisis. Nearly everyone agrees on this point; they only disagree over what the crisis is. Fewer still agree over what caused the crisis they can’t agree on, so they can’t agree on...

When a politician makes a mistake and makes a problem worse (or creates a problem out of thin air), they rarely change course. Instead, they double down. It’s hard for them to admit they did the wro...

You bear no guilt for things you had no part in. Don’t accept guilt you didn’t earn. I’m not going to blame you for things you have no control over, nor will I accept blame for the same sort of...

Why is there so much anger in the world? People fight over statues; over differing opinions on gender, race, and policing. Over masks and whether to end the shutdown or keep society imprisoned until...

The world’s a bit crazy. Not as bad here as in other places, but we see the effects of those crazy paces even here. Pandemics, riots, gangs of trespassers setting up their own governments ......

There’s a correct way to protest injustice and there’s a wrong way. You may have recently noticed people in several big cities doing it the wrong way. Although, perhaps people pretending to side...

As the panic over coronavirus loses steam, and everyone who isn’t a political power junkie gets back to normal, remember the lessons you learned over the past few months. The virus wasn’t as...

Many problems in modern societies happen because people confuse political government for something it isn’t. They expect it to do things it can’t do and isn’t suited for. To do things right you...

The world’s economy is being damaged by this pandemic, or, more accurately, it’s being damaged by government reactions to the pandemic. The damage is adding up; getting worse with time. The only...

I would expect, given the record of failure, this coronavirus experience would cause people to reconsider their belief in the credibility of government. From past experience, I know hope — or someth...

To open or not to open; that is the question. But it’s the wrong question. While there’s plenty of debate and disagreement over allowing businesses to re-open; when and how it should be done, the...

It’s a quirk of human nature that a crisis can bring people together, bring out our best, and give our lives meaning. Sure, it can also bring out the worst in some damaged people, but we can...

What have you learned from the coronapocalypse so far? Has it changed you? The experience has shown me where my preparedness was good and where I could make improvements. I discovered the need for...