AFTER THOUGHTS

Page two

Some Religion and Politics;

At the family wake of brother Ira at Neosho, [Missouri] in January 1976, the natural son of Bill Pinnell the youngest son of Ira, for some reason had the Blue Book with him and he asked me about the part where it says that for the most part Pinnells are Democrats and Methodists. He said Dad and Ira were Republicans. So I told him that back in the time of the election year of Garfield, and boys being as they are, knowing nothing about politics, the boys it seems were mostly Democrats and Ira being stubborn, to be different became a Republican and never changed. However Bill had married a Democrat and she told me she felt like she should go along with his politics as that was their livelihood, I agreed with her.

I have never mentioned a half brother, James Tilden who assisted at our wedding in Kansas City, Kansas. He was a minister at a large church in Kansas City, Mo. He had held large churches in San Antonio, Texas and Joplin, Mo. He was a Democrat and was so elected Prosecutor of McDonal County.

And while we are on the subject of switchers, I could never see when two people of different religious faith couldn't live in harmony, and the same for political beliefs, and why it is that certain religious churches insist that when such two people unite, the opposite one has to take that other religion or their children will go to Hell.

And before I close this, I can not see why such a nation as ours will allow one person to tell the Supreme Court that they can not allow Prayer in the public schools and that same person can tell they have to change the "Pledge of Allegiance". Now I know it is supposed to say that in the Constitution, then I say let us change the Constitution. Just go back a ways, Dad used to preach that the word "Immerse" is never mentioned in the Bible. Not being a student of the Book, I wouldn't voice an opinion, but no one could ever prove to Dad.

And now for a little laugh; I used to get amused to the Jewish people I had to work with, always made such a [fuss] over a Son or Grandson that I got to the place that I would ask them "How in Hell could they get boys if there weren't any girls to help out?" I don't think I changed any minds but they never got angry with me.

I am afraid I could go on like this for ever but will finish with a few remarks on the change of time. I can remember back as much as fifty or sixty years when we never heard of the many worn out old parents being put away by their children and then mostly forgotten. We had poor farms for the indigent and the state paid for their keep and I never heard of them being treated like they are today.

Now to wrap this up;- The two most uneducated and poorest men turned out to be our best Presidents and came out as poor as they were when they went in.

I hope that I have not left a bad taste in anyone's mouth with any of this. I just hope that these writings will be preserved and passed on. And I hope that many years from now many of those who read these lines will be able to get together and make a toast to their parents for the love and care they have given and a job well done to. Pop and Mom Gosney and Lee and Mary Alice Pinnell.

A chicken does not cross the road to get to the other side, he does it to get on the side where he roosts.