Rick Kimble: In retirement, make a stand to help fix this nation
Retirement allows us baby boomers the time and opportunities to experience this great country. We can visit the many wonderful national parks (without the crowds). We can ride the rails in style. We can marvel at hot air balloons over Nevada and New Mexico or tall ships on the Great Lakes. Some go back to school, others volunteer. It’s not uncommon to take up gardening or painting or photography or sewing or dozens of other hobbies.
But we should not focus only on the diamonds in this country’s crown. A seat in the back of a courtroom in any county in any state will show how deeply flawed this country has become. Contempt of court should be considered a badge of honor. A couple of visits to your city council if not enlightening will prove an exercise in frustration. A school board meeting belies the condition of today’s public school system. What’s the dropout rate?
We learned about civil disobedience in high school. But starting out life with an arrest record was suicidal to a career. As a senior citizen, an arrest can be that statement. No political party is going to fix this country.
Rick Kimble, Riverbank
This story was originally published August 1, 2017 at 5:56 PM with the headline "Rick Kimble: In retirement, make a stand to help fix this nation."