In the course of building each week’s Opinion pages, I tend to read many different opinions, some of them on the same topic, but with wildly different interpretations.

When I skimmed Governor Noem’s column that was published in the Feb. 27 paper, two sentences in the seventh paragraph gave me pause.

“…we trust those families to exercise their personal responsibility and make the best choices for themselves. In our state, it’s simple – less government, more Freedom.”

Now, there’s never been anyone running for office, who has campaigned on the plank of “more or bigger government.” Well, at least not a successful candidate.

“I promise to reduce the size of government,” is a common applause line in a speech

What gave me pause is the legislation over over the last couple years, that specifically targets LGBTQ and transexual people.

Creating, debating and then enacting laws that are solutions in search of a problem (see HB1080 this year) and single out one segment of society, which is not doing anything that affects anyone but themselves really feels like creating more government and reducing freedom, not expanding it.

-------

There was a story on the Associated Press newsfeed a week or so ago, which talked about the city of Seattle, Washington’s upcoming debate and then vote on adding the word “caste” to the list of things about which Seattle would not discriminate.

The debate and vote took place and the discrimination against any ‘caste’ -  a division of people based on birth or descent - was indeed incorporated into the city’s philosophy.

Now, bear in mind it was added to this paragraph in the city’s codes:

“WHEREAS, it is the City of Seattle’s declared policy to assure equal opportunity to all persons and to remove restrictions based on race, color, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, political ideology, age, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, or the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability in employment, public accommodations, housing and contracting; and…..”

The story and Seattle’s non-discrimination policy took me back to a city council meeting while we were in Hot Springs. The council there was also discussing adding to its non-discrimination guidelines, which, while not quite as extensive of those in Seattle, were still quite sizeable.

Someone in attendance at the meeting asked to speak and when recognized asked, “Why don’t you just adopt a policy that says ‘the City of Hot Springs does not discriminate for any reason?’”

Kinda makes sense, doesn’t it? Make it policy not to discriminate for any reason and all of the ambiguity that arises when a laundry list of different items is presented goes away.

No more “Yeah, but what about….?” Some times, less really is more, isn’t it?

-------

Huron will see a large influx of people this week, when the Class “B” State girls’ basketball tournament once again comes to the Fair City and Huron Arena.

Some of the best girls’ basketball played in South Dakota has taken place on the Huron Arena court, at state tournaments, which have included all three girls’ hoops classifications at one time or another.

Huron is, to put it simply, an ideal spot to host the “B” tournament, as we are located smack dab in the middle of the eastern half of the state, where the majority of smaller schools are.

Plus, over the years, Arena Manager  Terry Rotert and his staff at the Arena have honed the hosting of a state tournament down to where the operation is a finely tuned machine.

This year, a local team will enter the tournament as its top seed, as the Wolsey-Wessington Lady Warbirds achieved that milestone down the stretch this season.

It was just over 45 years ago, in the fall of 1977, that the Wolsey Cardinals capped a 24-0 season with a one-point win, 37-36, over Clear Lake in the state title game, right there on the Huron Arena floor.

There is probably something poetic about the fact that the only other team that played Wolsey to a one-point game that season was….Wessington, in the championship game of what was then District 13. That score was also 37-36.

It was the third meeting of the teams that season and Wessington had gone to the “B” the previous year. We in the Wolsey student body were on pins and needles throughout the district game. I hope that a student from another small-town school will enjoy the same thrill as I did that night, when my team stood alone atop the Class “B” mountain.