LONDON, Ohio: There’s a big farm show going on here this week. They hold it every year. They have more American flags flying than usual. Planes are flying too. You notice them more than you used to.

You hardly hear a conversation without talk of where were you last Tuesday. But when the topic turns to farming, the enthusiasm is as high as ever.

Did you know the land area in New York that was occupied by the World Trade Center was 16 acres? In a city 16 acres is a lot of ground. On most farms 16 acres is a small field. I ain’t asked ’em, but I bet you there isn’t a single farmer in North America that wouldn’t gladly give up 16 acres if he could rewrite history and have back those tall buildings intact. They would all say Yes!!.

If some farm organization, or maybe all of them, would start a campaign asking farmers to donate the profits from 16 acres to the relief effort, you would be amazed at the number that would do it. Not everyone could do it – some don’t have 16 acres, some don’t have any profits. But others do, and would gladly share their wealth. The ones that didn’t make anything this year would say, “Let me work on it next year, and with the Lord’s help we can contribute then.”

Now it all don’t have to go to this one relief effort. We can’t forget our local charities. Folks are mighty generous for a good and worthy cause. We’ll find out a united America can reach deeper than anyone imagined.

This fight we’re in is against Evil. It’s not just one man, or his army of 3000 radical followers. And certainly not against one country.

I read in the paper where some Islamic clerics are meeting to decide if it’s a sin to murder women and children, and commit suicide. The outcome appears to be in doubt. Now I ain’t one to interfere in a religious debate. But based on what I’ve picked up from the radio, and from conversations with folks I know personally in that denomination, at least 99.999 percent of the followers of that particular faith know the difference between right and wrong.

It’s pretty clear that these terrorists, including the Taliban, are no more Islamic than Hitler was a Christian. And any cleric that needs more than ten seconds to decide where he stands, well, he ain’t Islamic either.

They had a fine luncheon yesterday at the farm show. The Governor was there, and Senator Voinivich and Congressman Boehner. Normally I would tell you more about it, but I just got room for Mr. Boehner’s closing comment. He said, while you’re offering up prayers for the innocent victims and their families and the police and firemen, remember to say a special prayer for President Bush.

Historic quotes from Will Rogers:

“Mr. Coolidge said in the next war we would draft wealth as well as men. Now everybody is arguing if it’s practical. Why not postpone having the next war till the cause for it is so popular that you won’t have to conscript either of them? If you will wait till we are invaded and everybody knows what they are fighting for, you won’t need conscription.

Yours from Kansas, the comedy relief of the United States, Will Rogers.” DT#86 Nov. 17, 1926.