Opinion: A look at two very different cases

Two widely different stories that caught my attention recently.

I had planned to do a piece on the Marion, Kan., newspaper kerfuffle, but the publisher of this newspaper beat me to it. I will add one fact to the story, that may be of interest.

The search warrant was signed on Aug. 11 and served on Aug. 14.. On Aug. 16, the Marion County attorney said his review of police seizures from the newspaper found “insufficient evidence exists to establish a legally sufficient nexus between this alleged crime and the places searched and the items seized.”

He also requested that the court release the evidence seized and return the material to the owners of the property.

When I read stories like this, I always wonder how it all came about. A meeting of some kind had to take place, involving members of law enforcement about the need to raid the local newspaper. The affidavit supporting the warrant has eight pages, plus a signature page. Then a magistrate had to sign the warrant.

I find it difficult to believe that nobody in that chain said anything to the effect that, “This may not be such a good idea,” or “Maybe we ought to get a legal opinion on this.”

It boggles the mind.

The U.S. Department of Defense notes that since February 2022, DoD deployed or extended over 20,000 additional forces to Europe in response to the Ukraine crisis, bringing our current total to more than 100,000 service members across Europe. In July 2023, President Joe Biden signed an executive order that makes as many as 3,000 American reservists available to go to Europe in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve, a mission that started after Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine almost 10 years ago.

Also in July, the Pentagon authorized additional hazard pay for U.S. troops serving in Ukraine. Troops who qualify will get back pay dating as far back as April 24, 2022. Back dating the pay to April 2022 tells me that we’ve had boots on the ground in Ukraine since that time and still do, when our government claims we don’t.

What we used to call combat pay is now known as imminent danger pay, and is offered to troops who serve in areas where they could be harmed by hostile fire or mines, insurrection, civil war or terrorism. If I were a military recruiter in Chicago or Portland or Washington, D.C., I think I’d put in for imminent danger pay.

Rube Render is a former Clovis city commissioner and former chair of the Curry County Republican Party. Contact him:

[email protected]