Editorial: Thumbs

To political advertisements showing people in military uniforms.

Frankly, it is unbecoming of a soldier, sailor, airman or Marine to don any military uniform and enter the fray of politics. That’s because soldiers prefer to leave politics to the civilians. But don’t take our word for it. Just ask the Pentagon. It says service members may not engage in activities that associate the branches of the military with any partisan political campaign or election, candidate, cause or issue. There are many more Department of Defense rules on this matter we could cite.

Still, campaigns cannot resist. When campaigns show military members in uniform, the ads are supposed to have, at the very least, a disclaimer to say the images do not reflect a military endorsement of the candidate or issue. Even when that disclaimer is made, it still produces a queasy feeling among anyone who wore the uniform. It even is disturbing to see men wearing their Legion or VFW uniforms in TV ads. Candidates and their supporters can talk about the military all they want, but leave the uniforms out of the politics. It’s disrespects the soldierly purpose of the uniform.

 

To cold weather.

Winter might not be an old man yet, but his young form came howling into Albert Lea on Thursday morning, shortly after midnight. It was complete with bolts of lightning and blustery winds. By the morning, the thunder was gone, but the winds were stronger and the wet weather was making for a yucky Thursday and a gloomy Friday.

The rain, we welcomed. We need rain. The cold, not so much. We know winter is coming, but if it could wait until December, we would appreciate that.

 

To Steve Overgaard.

We are glad that this local businessman was able to leap through the hurdles set in place by banks and government agencies to be able to buy the assets of Enderes Tool Co. with the intention to make Enderes-branded tools once again. Enderes was a century-old Albert Lea manufacturer, and it would have been a shame to see this quality maker of tools shutter for good. Thanks to Overgaard, the workers can return, and Albert Lea can be proud of the hometown product once again.