Monday; April 19
April 19th and 20th have the reputation of being troubling dates in our nation’s history. April 19th, 1993 was the day the government’s conflict with the Branch Davidians came to a head in Waco, Texas. While much of the nation was focused on the events in Waco, many of us in South Dakota were mourning the death of Governor George Mickelson and his staff who died the same day in an airplane crash. Two years later, in 1995, Timothy McVeigh blew up the Federal Building in Oklahoma City. Not only was April 20th Adolph Hitler’s birthday (1889), but it was also the date two killers invaded Columbine High School (1999). No, not every April has been horrific, but for a while I got to where I would have gladly skipped this week and moved directly into May. I must admit that this week can weigh heavy on me, but this year I would like to propose something different. Rather than allowing ourselves to get down because of the events of our past, let’s look forward to the hope of the future. Le