This is an opinion piece Chapman Rackaway put in the Hays Daily News on the day of Bryan Nichols funeral....
Soldier's loss adds perspective This week, I gave a speech to the Fort Hays State University faculty and staff in my role for the coming year as president of our faculty Senate. I'm proud to have been chosen by my fellow faculty members as the president and look forward to the challenges and opportunities involved in leading the Senate.
If you've noticed I'm not contributing columns every week in The Hays Daily News, the Senate leadership is part of the reason I'm cutting back on my columns to every two weeks.
Bigger things
I'm not thinking too much about Senate right now, though. I'm thinking about Bryan Nichols.
I never knew Mr. Nichols, but wish I did. I would have liked to thank him for his service before he was tragically taken from us. I feel like I know a bit about Bryan Nichols from the outpouring of emotion that is felt here in Hays.
Outside view
I am of a generation that never had the draft, and I never served. When I have seen members of our armed services, I always think about if I could possibly find the inner strength to train, to dedicate myself and to accept the sacrifice of my own life that every member of the military must face the possibility of.
Every time, I find myself coming up short. I don't have that strength, and I admire those who do.
The sacrifice
The squabbling of politics that I normally deal with seems inconsequential when compared to the life of Bryan Nichols.
The Facebook memorial group features a picture of Nichols with his young son, and I challenge anyone to look at that picture and not be moved. The sharing of grief and support for the Nichols family has been profound.
We overuse terms like hero, but Bryan Nichols really is a hero.
Chapman Rackaway is an associate professor of political science at Fort Hays State University.
http://www.hdnews.net/Story/Rackaway081811 From the piece....
"The squabbling of politics that I normally deal with seems inconsequential when compared to the life of Bryan Nichols. "
Ten days later he is using Bryan Nichols' funeral to bitch about the Republican governor. I guess the "squabbling of politics " doesn't seem so inconsequential to him now.