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

Usually, the more I learn about something the more I appreciate it. There have been many times when a friend has introduced me to something I knew next to nothing about; something they were...

In the wake of the recent mass shootings and the hype surrounding them, people are asking “why?” Simpletons parrot the popular answer: “guns.” Sensible people know there’s no single reason....

Once again we approach that saddest time of the year: when the majority of parents send their kids back to school; back into the local government concentration day-camps. If you’re someone who...

There are many things I don’t know. There are things I think I know but I get wrong. There are also things people may believe I’m wrong about, but I’m not — a topic for another day. When...

President Trump makes people crazy. Or maybe he magnifies the crazy already present in people. It’s like a superpower. His supporters seem desperate to defend and support just about anything he does...

If your idea of a good time is to vandalize someone’s home, I have no sympathy for you no matter what consequences result. Last year a relative’s home near Clovis was burglarized and cleaned out....

There are few things I enjoy more than helping people. In the past few months, I’ve opened a car for a neighbor who locked her keys inside. Twice. I gave a military-style can opener I was carrying...

America was born in an act of secession. Those future Americans told an overbearing central government — the world’s most powerful empire and military at the time — it was no longer welcome. It...

One way you can tell laws are not legitimate, ethically or morally, is in the way they vary from place to place. Those of us who live near an arbitrary political line — a state line or a national...

I love watching the market work. I don’t call it “the free market” because if it’s not free it’s not a market. Under government rules and regulations what survives is a pale shadow of a...

It amazes me how often people create worse problems while trying to solve problems. Most problems can be solved; some probably can’t. Don’t give up trying to solve the hard problems, though. You n...

There’s a sense of personal accomplishment, of self-worth, when you make something with your own hands through your own efforts. Even if you seek guidance from someone with experience, you’ve...

A few years ago, I was hiking down a trail in Colorado. Exploring trails — and off trails — is probably my favorite activity. After a few hours, I decided I needed to turn around and head back....

Preferences are a personal thing. Some people prefer dogs while others prefer cats, and some like both species equally. None of these choices is wrong, even if one choice might make more sense or be...

Would you rather live in a world where it’s normal for people to try to convince each other of something, or a world where it’s acceptable to just give an order and shoot anyone who doesn’t imme...

It’s fascinating how easily people accept something they would otherwise know is wrong when someone they view as an authority figure tells them it’s right. Voltaire observed, in 1765, “Those who...

I’m sure there will be a final answer on the racetrack/casino any month now. Right? Those who support a local racino must see by now how giving government the power — permission from the people ...

Imagine you have an antique car in your back yard behind a privacy fence. A neighbor climbs your fence, sees the car, and decides something must be done about it. How he decided your property is his...

“Validly enacted laws.” This is how New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas deceptively characterizes the new anti-gun laws he wants enforced against you. They aren’t validly enacted. They...

Recently, out of curiosity, I scanned the daily jail log for Curry County. I had never done so before and probably won’t do it again. Afterward, I felt guilty and was ashamed of myself. I learned...

Never before have I needed my emergency preparations twice in so short a time. For the second time in just over two weeks, I’m glad I make a point to prepare for the unexpected. First, it was the...

People are often their own worst enemies. They listen to those they should ignore or laugh at while they ignore (or laugh at) those they should listen to. It’s always been the same. Harriet Tubman,...

How much did you enjoy our recent “shingle apocalypse” brought on by the little wind storm? Probably about as much as I did. I even went out and took a walk in it. I love the feel of gravel...