They Never End

As long as their are people on this earth there will be conflicts. In Reveille in Hot Spring one of the veterans states that "there will always be wars" and I really believe that. Be it greed, power or  misunderstanding...disagreements, conflicts and even wars will continue to haunt us.

Our community has been involved in many issues, the longest lasting this far being the fight to save our VA in Hot Springs. We stand together against those in power who continue to erode veteran benefits. We were split on the issue of "to buy, or not to buy", when it came to the decision for the city council to purchase the Evan's Plunge, the worlds largest natural indoor, heated swimming pool.

The entire Black Hills is caught up in a struggle to battle foreign companies (and many local politicians who support them) who want to obtain permits for mining uranium by in situ mining, a process not un-like fracking, that has a long track record of contamination of aquifers in many countries, followed by an absence of thorough clean-up by those same companies, which prefer to pollute in countries other than their own.

The latest struggle will be our battle to save our American Legion in Hot Springs. Once again, it is those in authority who want to close us up in order to get at the leader of this legion who has been leading the charge to save our VA and irritating, to say the least, those who have the power to take away benefits from veterans. Those in charge have been doing it gradually and rather quietly for over 15 years and we citizens of Hot Springs, together with our veterans, are saying "No, it must stop here and now."

At a recent meeting in Rapid City, several of the leaders of their city council congratulated us, the people, for fighting for a cause. They said it has been the grass roots groups who have changed our country - from civil rights, the war in Vietnam, voting rights, etc. They asked us to continue to fight. It is, after all, a country "of the people, by the people and for the people" not of, by and for the corporations. At times it is difficult to believe that. They do have the money and greed is a huge influence on outcomes. But it did boost morale to hear kudos from elected officials for us who are fighting yet another battle.

There will always be battles and I hope many will continue to take up the fights, in whatever manner they can, rather than sit back and complain and criticize those who do. In looking back over my years I believe that it is in the battle that I will stay forever young and growing. There is nothing more that I can ask out of life, and life has indeed been good to me.