Thank God the election is over, and everyone now knows which party is in control of Congress.

I am betting that if the majority of Democrats were elected to serve in Congress, part of the victory will be blamed on the recent sex scandal relationship of Pastor Ted Haggard with gay prostitute Michael Jones. Haggard was the president of the National Association of Evangelicals and one of President George Bush’s closest allies.

If the majority of Republican candidates were sent to Congress, part of the victory will be blamed on Sen. John Kerry’s “botched joke” about those serving in the armed forces.

He made that joke on Oct. 30 at Pasadena City College in Pasadena, Calif., when he was the headline speaker at a campaign rally being held for California gubernatorial candidate Phil Angelides. At that time, he stated

the following: “You know, education, if you make the most of it, you study hard and you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq.”

This year, the campaign has been described as one of the nastiest ever, and the 34 days that I had been counting down have now ended.

Today, I can watch my favorite programs on the tube without hearing that same statement repeated over and over again by each candidate that sometimes resulted in my hitting the mute button.

Now that these mud-slinging ads telling what the opposite candidate has not done are over; it is the winning candidates’ time to show us what they are going to do.

Most people don’t like to mix religion with politics, but there is one way that religion and politics are similar. That is the fact some church morning worship services close with the hymn, “Now the Service Begins” to emphasize that this is the main job of Christians after that meeting. After political campaigns have ended, politicians now have to relate to that same message.

Speaking of message, I just want to say and hear this one for what I hope is the last time,

“My name is Evelyn Wall and I approve this message.”

Remember the veterans

Saturday is Veterans’ Day, and there are approximately 19 million living American veterans.

When Kerry made his “botched joke” statement last week, I know for a fact that it is without merit. I take the meaning of fighting the war in Iraq as an example of being in any war or the armed forces.

I know a few smart men who completed college, and before they went forward with their non-military careers, they chose to serve their country. The majority of these that I know served in the Vietnam War and some in the Korean War.

On the other hand, the way I understand it, the Armed Forces offers many educational opportunities, and with the rising costs of college tuition, I don’t see any harm in a person taking advantage of that. By doing this, they are killing two birds with one stone by serving their country and finding the means to obtain a good education. Then, there is the third set of dedicated people who have desired to serve ever since they were kids. In reality, if it weren’t for those who were willing to serve, where would we be today in regards to our freedom and the freedom of future generations?

In my opinion, it doesn’t make any difference why a person chose to serve in the military. I, for one, want to say thank you all for jobs well done, and for your sacrifices, effort and dedication.

On Veterans Day, why don’t you do something nice for a veteran? That is exactly what I am planning to do, but haven’t decided what at this time.

I just wanted to pass the idea on to you.

Happy Veterans’ Day!

Wall is a former News-Herald reporter and regular contributor to the Town Square Page.