To read the Front Page these days, you might not think that the home office of the Holabird Advocate is ever open. It is, but there hasn't been much to write about. That not withstanding, we are closing the home office tomorrow in order to allow our Publisher to take part in the Farmers Market, the benefit for the Mitchell Food Pantry at Resurrection Lutheran, and the forum at Dakota Discovery on "What makes a South Dakotan". With any luck we will have the home office set up at the Corn Palace on Sunday Afternoon. Come on over, shake hands and say "Howdy"!

     As anyone who has been a faithful Reader of  our little Newsblog for the past 11 years knows and could tell you, I fully support the 1st Amendment in all of it's forms, and as such despise political correctness whenever possible. Whenever I give my opinion, I welcome the other point of view to be included. When I edit someone Else's submission, I may edit the form, but never the content. However, it has come to my attention that, according to some, a certain word beginning with R needs to be retired from the American vocabulary. I am not going to try to convince any of you Readers to join me in this pledge, but certainly hope you will.

This move to retire the R word is not a new thing, in fact it's been around for a while. The fact that it has taken me this long to make the pledge is regrettable. When I heard how a certain alleged comedian made reference to a politician's son who happens to have down syndrome by using the word, I felt compelled to action.

In my family, we pick on each other, sometimes quite severely. If anyone outside the family called one of my relatives by that word, as the so called comedian did to that little boy whose only real sin is having a mother in the public eye, I'd take offense to it. As it happens, I have a cousin, with Downs Syndrome. Her name is Anne. Y'all Readers should meet he when you have the chance, because she is a very inspirational young lady. Yes, I do pick on her, but she is usually able to give back as good as she gets so that makes it even. Sometimes, she gets on my nerves, but then so do some people who don't have Downs, so that's a wash as well. The point is, she doesn't deserve that label. I've been called by the R Word my self a time or two myself, but I can take it. If you want to insult her, call her an old maid, call her Ginger (Call her Merry Anne if you dare), but do not use the R word. None of the best people do, which is why I've taken the pledge.

It's been pointed out that ignorance knows no political affiliation. Beside the unfunny comedian, there was a conservative commentator who called the President buy that word, and did not see the wrong she was doing. A lot of people have, though, so it's all good! As for me, my R Word is Respect!

God be with you and do the best you can!