Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

Respect for the law

June 16, 2025

While watching the episode of The Andy Griffith Show called Lawman Barney, I began to think about the problems with law enforcement currently. First responders are becoming targets for those who dislike authority. Police officers are ambushed frequently. The justification for some of these attacks has been incidents of police killing what are thought to be innocent people.

I will not talk about these incidents here. Keep watching and I will write about many of these police shootings later. In 1962 when the episode aired for the first time, police officers were respected in most small towns in America. Nationwide murder rates from then until 2017 have not quite doubled. During this same period, all crimes have almost tripled.

Ambush deaths of officers increased from eight in 2015 to 21 in 2016. Common reasoning credits the public in general for being angry with law enforcement. The rash of police murders of innocent people is the claimed justification for these murders of officers.

Is there a general disrespect for those who are hired to protect us? According to a 2016 Gallup poll, respect for police rose from 64% in 2015 to 76% in 2016. The same year attacks on police increased, and Americans voiced more admiration for their protectors. Who then is responsible for these attacks?

The short answer is criminals. That should surprise none of us. Body cameras on more officers should decrease the number of members of law enforcement who are set free after abusing their power. Hopefully, that will bring a reduction in police ambushes. It will not eliminate all of them. Police are fighting a war for us, and the enemy is the criminal element. That group will always view the uniformed officer as a target. All we can do is pray for them and be more vigilant in our own communities.

If you are one of those who complain about lawlessness and the current state of crime, do not think you can turn your back. It is time to do something. Support the police, courts, and those who have been victims. I do not know what it is like to be the one in jail or victimized by them. I have been a witness on more than one occasion.

I’ve watched drunk drivers involved in accidents and try to get away. I had someone die from being shot in front of my eyes. It took me months to process that, and I’m not sure I’ve gotten over it yet.

I know that you think I am just one of those pampered white people. What about the pampered blacks, Hispanics, and other minorities that obey the laws and are not part of the problem. They are the solution.

CHUCK AND THE DEAD HORSE

June 16, 2025

This is a story I heard many years ago. I wrote it out and saved it in my files. It went into my files for my columns years ago. Before I tell you the story I must make a disclaimer. Although my friends call me Chuck, this story is not about me.

“A fellow named Chuck encountered a farmer one day. The farmer said he had a real deal for him. He was selling raffle tickets to win a horse. Chuck purchased one of the tickets and went on his way.

A few weeks later Chuck gets in touch with the farmer who tells him that he won the horse. Chuck says that is great and asks when he can pick up the horse. The farmer tells him that he regrets to report that the horse died last night.

Chuck demands to claim the horse even if it is dead and shows up at the farm with a truck. The farmer is perplexed as to what Chuck plans to do with a dead horse.

Several months later the two meet up again and the farmer asks about the horse. Chuck tells him he made $2500.00 off of the horse. When asked how he was able to get that much for a dead horse he is told that Chuck raffled the horse off and when the winner came to pick up the horse and was told it was dead, Chuck gave him his money back and disposed of the dead horse.

The farmer then explains that Chuck is now a congressman.”

There are many morals to this story that I could give you. One is that a creative person can accomplish a great deal even with a dead horse. Or I could tell you that caveat emptor is Latin for “let the buyer beware.” I could even explain to you the U.S. economy. It is based on buy low and sell high.

This is Father’s Day and as a dad I am enticed to just accept this as a good dad’s joke. Or you might call it a bad dad joke. I have told a lot of those over the years and a few of the former.

My favorite story about my joke telling experiences is the time we were moving our youngest daughter from one dorm at Rolla to a different building to become a residence assistant. Some of her friends brought trucks and we were using our van to load, move and unload her possessions.

We were all visiting with each other and my daughter told first one and then another of my tales. After a while I had the opportunity to speak to her alone and I mentioned that she was using the material that she always told me was not funny. Each time she told a joke her friends laughed.

Her response was that she knew how to tell a joke better than I did. This was a line from another of my anecdotes. On this occasion I want to wish all dad’s a happy Father’s Day and apologize if once again I have confirmed what Kayla said.

Good, good Father

June 14, 2025

I had a good father. Some of you may not have been as fortunate. In our current society fathers are in short supply. Good fathers are a rare commodity. I’d like to tell you about mine. He was the fourth of five children. He had two older brothers and one older sister. His other sister was the youngest.

All born in the 1920s or 30s Their names fit the era. Clyde was the oldest, then Pauline. We called her Anie, pronounced with a long a. I never heard why we called her this. Raymond was next followed by Evan, my dad, and Virginia.

I have noticed in recent years that our younger generations are taking up dad’s name again. My brother was the only other Evan I had known of for most of my life. When I mentioned this to a cousin’s wife that their son had the same name as my dad He was surprised to learn what dad’s name was. He was a third cousin and had never met my dad.

Dad was always doing things for someone else in the family. A story that my mom’s sister Rosie told often was of her son Jeff being asked by his first teacher if he had a father. His dad left shortly after he learned they would soon have five children. I don’t know when they got a divorce, just that when Jeff started school, he had never met his dad.

Jeff attempted to explain that he did not but that he had what the teacher understood as an uncle in heaven. When asked about this my aunt explained that he was speaking of her brother-in-law, Evan.

Dad was close to all his family. We went to Anie’s house after school when my mother started working at Zenith. She would often give us toasted Cheerios for a snack. Before that, she worked evenings at different restaurants.

We often went to Paul and Virginia’s house in the evenings or on the weekends. Their daughters were some of the first girls I dated. I went with Loretta to a Valentine’s Day banquet at their church and would ask Bonita to go to movies or plays with me when I wasn’t dating anyone.

For one winter when I was in grade school the city of Springfield, MO experienced a natural gas outage during a very cold spell. We were advised to find an alternative way of heating our homes. Electric heaters were not common at that time.

Grandma and Grandpa Kensinger lived about three blocks away from us. They had a wood stove in their living room. I don’t remember if it was the only heat source in the house. Most of us gathered at their house for that night except for Paul and Virginia and their girls. That upset me.

I’ve spoken of Mel and Pauline’s son Russ and his brother Jim before. Remember, Russ sang the song “Running Bare.” We often had them at our house or went to their homes to play cards. We played Old Maid or Crazy Eights while they played more adult games like Canasta and Rummy.

I remember crying the first time I saw the original “Cars” movie at a theatre with my wife and kids. There is a scene where Mater tells Lightening about the interstate bypassing Radiator Springs, and they show some of the cars on a hill overlooking the construction.

I saw my Dad, brothers, Uncle Clyde, and his boys standing behind a gas station across the street from their home on Highway 66. We were watching the earth-moving equipment prepare the roadbed for Interstate 44. That was the first time I could remember that story.

Uncle Raymond was my Dad’s boss for most of his adult life. They worked for what is now Springfield Underground. My Uncle was called Ken, and he managed the trucking company and warehouse. My Dad was a truck driver, and everyone called him little brother.

In my career, I have worked in positions where I have been around many truckers. When I signed my name for deliveries of our freight pick-ups some would ask me if Ken was my dad. My response was always, “No, my Dad was little brother.” They all knew him but very few knew what his name really was.

I hope you have fond memories of your father and that you can join me in calling him a good father. For you men, strive to be that for your children. Remember dads, that Counselors tell us that most women who had positive relationships with their fathers have an easier time finding and keeping a husband. I give Mom and Dad the credit for teaching me how to be what my girls need.

My music

June 14, 2025

When I was growing up my favorite radio station was KICK which was 1260 on the AM dial. They played the top forty hits that I enjoy. There were so many funny disc jockeys. I hoped to be one. Let’s talk about them.

One morning when I was in college my clock radio came on and after he gave the news Bob Bright started to read the weather. “The National Weather Service predicts a thirty percent chance of rain today.” He paused and continued off script. “I’m going to update that after looking out my window. I give it a one hundred percent probability.”

I admire a man who could step out on his own senses and tell the truth. I used this line more than once when I did radio reporting in high school speech tournaments. Then there was Dan Coulter. His brother was in one of my classes in junior high. Dan had a unique style that was not fake. I laughed a great deal.

Jay Stevens was popular in Springfield for a few years and then we heard he had moved away. Years later he had a song published and it was a minor hit. In 1975 his song “Rocky” recorded by Dickie Lee made it to No. 1 on the charts. You know him today as Woody P. Snow.

Another was the husband of the drama teacher at Hillcrest while I was there. I met him while in college when I saw Sandy and Cliff at Little Theatre. We chatted and I asked her to say hello to my sister in class on Monday because I knew Vanessa would not believe me if I told her.

Not one of my favorites but one of my Dad’s was Barefoot Bob. After KTTS radio was purchased and became the Radio Ranch he joined the staff. He was a long-time country DJ as well as an entertainer. He played at least one of his own recordings on his program.

While in college I took the test and received my license to become legitimate as an on-air talent for radio. My theme song would be “I’m a Girl Watcher.” I had no luck in Springfield and then I tried to get a job after moving to school in Bolivar, MO. I would have decided how to be a personality on whichever station might hire me.

In the 1980s I began listening to Wayne Glenn, the old record collector on KTXR FM radio. Wayne is a historian. He has written books about the Ozarks musicians and towns. He calls himself the old record collector because when he started, he played music that had been recorded at least thirty years before. That meant from the fifties and before.

Each year more music is opened under these guidelines. By the early two thousand the format moved into the seventies and eighties. He did interviews and gave the history of the music and the entertainers. I learned more from him than any other radio announcer.

I might go on air on-line with my own broadcast someday. I have a style I would like to use and a format that would allow me to do interviews and discuss songs, writers, and artists. My choice of theme song would be “I’m a God Watcher.”

Do you have favorite radio personalities of your own? What type of music do you listen to? Would you rather listen to talk radio, podcasts, or do you stream your music? I’d like to hear about them in the comments.

A GREAT DAD

June 13, 2025

Last year I turned seventy. My Dad was sixty when he died. Kayla was just a baby. She now has babies of her own. Michelle remembers her grandpa from stories we tell her. Her own memories of him have been erased by the years.

I am a great father. How do I know this? Not because my children have told me, but because Dad taught me how to be a great father. He taught by example. Every day of my life he demonstrated to me what it meant to be a man. When times were easy, it looked easy. When times were tough, it still did not look that hard, because he made it look easy.

I also have a heavenly father. My brother, Jesus, teaches me about Him. He talked about His Father and said He was our Father. I read the scriptures, and Holy Spirit tells me who God is. We’ll talk more about what I have learned about the triune God, Jehovah, in future columns.

One of my favorite columns about my Dad was written more than fifteen years ago. I am reprinting it here for you.

The big rig was parked on Campbell Street. The driver was waiting patiently to back into the Positronic Industries facility. I worked in that building. I knew that driver.

There was not enough room at the loading dock to pull in and then back into the dock. The drivers had to wait on the street until the gates were opened and then back in. Some truckers parked on the street and unloaded the cargo there. Our receivers had to bring the forklift to them. They did not enjoy backing into the small area with employee cars on both sides. This driver was not one of them. He watched as the gates opened and carefully backed between them. My mind wandered.

I was a young boy. I don’t remember how young. We stood and watched another driver. This time I was with my father and brother. It was not a truck, the driver was backing, it was a large fifth-wheel camping trailer. Our family was tent camping in another part of the campground and we three had walked to where we could fill our water jug. The owner of the huge, expensive camper was making his fourth attempt to get the rig onto the pad straight while his wife stood on the pad and directed him. When the wheels fell off one side of the pad again, the driver cursed how small the pad was. He cursed his wife for not directing him properly. He got out of the pickup and cursed my Father. “What are you staring at?”

“Nothing”, Dad replied. “I just wondered if you wanted help.” The angry man looked at us and grumbled, “I’ll bet you a hundred dollars you can’t hit that pad with this thing.” “I don’t want your money, but I can try to park it for you.” The scowl on the trailer’s owner said nothing and Dad stepped past him and swung into the seat of the truck. He checked and adjusted both side mirrors. “I’ll spot you from the pad”, the other man offered. “If you and your wife stand with my boys so they’ll be safely out of the way, it would be more helpful,” he said as he started to pull the truck and camper forward.

“He’ll need to pull up more than that”, the other man said as the trailer started to move back up the pad. In less than a minute the trailer was centered on the pad on all four sides. “How could you do that so easily?”, was the question from the owner. “I’m a truck driver”, was the reply. “I do this all day for a living.”

A hundred-dollar bill was offered but was refused by the trucker. After tough negotiations and a whispered plea from the wife, he accepted twenty dollars to take his family to dinner. The walk back to the campground was a quiet one, but Mom was not quiet when she was shown the newly acquired twenty. When told by my brother that they could have had a hundred, she said Dad was right to only accept twenty dollars. “Christians shouldn’t take advantage of others”, she replied.

As I watched the trucker swing out of the seat of the tractor, a tear dropped from my eye. I wished I could call Dad and tell him about the distant memory that had come back. A whispered, “Dad, I love you and miss you.” was all I could do that day.

Dogs and Cats

June 6, 2025

Recently I published an article entitled “Animalities” in which I spoke of the personality traits that we attribute to our pets as being animalities, not personalities. These characteristics of humans that seem to carry over can also be referred to as doganalities and catanalities.

Along with these ideas, I believe that we humans have some features that we recognize in our pets but may not see in ourselves. We have all heard the saying, “Dogs have owners. Cats have servants.” You could call this a dogitude and a catitude.

A dog is usually easygoing, loyal, and laid back. I know this leaves out pit bulls, chihuahuas, mastiffs, and some other breeds. I hope that I am following our dog, Biscuit’s example. I also do things my wife does not approve of. I do not pee or poop in the house or dig trash out of the cans like he does. We all have our faults.

Both the cat and the dog like to get loved and petted and so do I. I however am not welcome on Cindy’s lap. I think it is because I weigh a lot more than they do. I can be noisy like the dog. However, I do not bark. My loudness is usually just talking or snoring.

Biscuit likes to do what he is told unless I am the one speaking to him. He looks at my wife to see if she says he must obey me. If she repeats my requests he listens. Sometimes children do this to one parent or the other. That is when you know who the real head of the house is.

I hope none of you are like cats. Ours believes that the house is hers to do whatever she wants. She plays or fights depending on the mood she is in. Anything she can get to is a toy. Anywhere she can squeeze into is her space. Life is easy for Essa until the claws come out. That is when we stop playing or loving. We bleed easily.

Time heals all wounds. I heard that stated differently once. Time wounds all heals. Think about that for a while. When I was in college my sister had a cat that loved to attack and play with me on the stairs leading to my bedroom. After Cindy and I got married and went over to my parents and played with her, I had scratches all over my hand and arm. Today I am on blood thinners, and this is not a good habit to get back into.

Living a dog’s or cat’s life is not good for humans. You need to earn your own pay, pay your own keep, and keep all you can. Don’t take more than you give or let others take advantage of your generosity. Life isn’t easy. It is manageable.

It’s okay to spoil your pets. Allowing your children or others to run roughshod over you is not a good idea. I have spoken against trying to make yourself number one. It is also inappropriate to make anyone your priority 24/7. Our spouse and kids should get much of our time. Bosses or others may think that your salary entitles them to all your time. If so, now is the perfect time to look for a better employer. There are numerous positions available currently.

The Lottery is my retirement plan

June 4, 2025

Is this your attitude to estate planning? Do you play the lottery in your state or wager in other ways regularly? In my state of Missouri, the lottery began on January 20, 1986. Do the math. If you purchased one ticket each week from that day to this, you would have spent over $2,000. That does not sound like much over thirty-nine years.

I know some people who “invest” ten or twenty dollars out of each paycheck. That puts you out of pocket up to more than $20,000. Check the lottery website for your state. Statistically speaking, if you put that amount in the bank for the same period, you would still have the money. It would be earning interest.

Do you have that much in your retirement fund? Why not? Ten dollars a week is less than one meal out at most restaurants. Do you smoke, or drink coffee, sodas, or beer? Could you give up that much of those for your future? We don’t think about it that way.

If your employer offers a matching plan on a 401k account of up to four percent of your annual wages like mine did this would take away about $2,000 each year from your salary. They added that to my investment. I quit buying vending machine food at work and saved that much. I could pay my bills with forty dollars less each week. That would be $90,000 by the time you retire. Add the interest to that.

Remember that some accounts compound interest daily. At 5% in 45 years, you would have more than double what you put in, as interest in your investment. The amounts will vary. Check with your company or bank for a return on what you can afford. I think you will be surprised. A financial planner can help you as well. Make sure you get their charges in writing before they receive your money.

Some people will offer unheard-of returns from speculating on a wild shot. These are usually no better than the lottery. Before-tax money may not be the way you want to invest. That money may not be able to be removed before you reach a certain age.

The mantra to remember is to start early in your career and invest what you can from every paycheck. Most of us do not start saving on our first part-time job in high school or college. A friend of mine taught his children by buying them a used car when they turned sixteen. He and his wife required a payment like a loan company would charge on that purchase each payday. When their child decided they needed to finance another vehicle they would give them a check for the money that had been paid to them plus the interest earned at the bank.

That amount was how much the next purchase could be. These students learned it was better to pay themselves and let the bank pay them than pay interest to loan companies. I wish my parents had done that for me.

Think about how you spend, invest, or waste the money you earn. Wisdom does not have to come with age. Begin wisely and things will get better for you as your responsibilities increase. Do not learn it the hard way like I did.

How many sides are there?

May 31, 2025

Once again, Race is in the news. Groups of racists were allowed to march for their rights. It seemed at first that they wanted a peaceful protest. Counter protestors marched against them. Both groups had peaceful individuals in them. As with any organization, there were those on both sides that wanted a violent confrontation.

Those nonviolent people were overshadowed by the ones that wanted to kill the other side. Whose fault was this outbreak of tragedy? It could be the authorities which authorized this march. Those who organized the meeting can be accused of knowing that counter protestors would be there. It happens with almost every gathering of any kind. Someone comes that opposes their views.

The groups that marched in opposition knew they were confronting some violent antagonists. The authorities had a police presence available to keep the peace. What went wrong?

Our Constitution guarantees a right to peaceful assembly. Has this type of violence been present at other rallies by these groups? If so, the event should not have been authorized. If opposition groups had been known to start fights, that should have been defused before the two groups met.

In hindsight, we know that the National Guard and a stronger police presence were needed. Someone misjudged the danger that was forming. The blame, however, is justly placed on those individuals who started the fights. The man who drove into the crowd is responsible for his actions as well.

The problem is that no one wants to admit that they were partially at fault. This is a growing problem in this country. More of us refuse to accept responsibility for our actions. We also deny guilt for those who agree with us.

We need to remember that just because you disagree with me does not mean you are wrong. There is almost always more than one side to every disagreement. Violence is never the answer. Just as we have seen in other demonstrations in the last few years, the violent minority can cause problems for the peaceful majority.

I’ve seen a suggestion on Facebook that if you are part of a protest and violence breaks out, sit down, raise your hands and let those assigned to protect lives and property know that you are peaceful. Be sure you obey the instructions of the police and National Guard. If they tell you to disperse, walk away to protest another day.

Choose the side of truth. Not truth as you see it. Truth as it really exists. Each of these opposing groups believe they are correct. Neither is completely on track. Who is the most important person in your life? It should not be you. You must choose someone else as most important.

Always put others first. The philosophy that you are number one will put you on a downward spiral. I’ve seen books that encourage you to make yourself most important. I hope you eventually learn, as I have, that these writers are incorrect. Jesus said we should treat others as we want to be treated.

The Book of Love

May 29, 2025

In 1957 the song “Who Wrote the Book of Love?” came out. As a youngster, I did not understand what love was and the actual meaning that question held. Is there a book of love and if so, who is the author? As a writer, authorship is of personal importance. I have learned that the Book of Love is also known as the Bible. It has many authors and many of the Bible books speak of love.

Let’s take the book of Genesis first. Jehovah created the universe. He also made men and women, the Hebrew Nation, and the freewill He gave them caused a lot of trouble for humanity. He showed His love for us by giving us a second chance. Even if you do not believe in a worldwide flood, I hope you can see that exterminating almost all the people on the planet was an act of love.

The next four books finish out what is referred to as The Law. It can be difficult to understand why a loving God would create these rules that many believe spoil their fun. The Law is Yahweh’s love letter to humanity. We rejected His love when Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

You and I had no choice at that time. Today, we do have the opportunity to say yes or no to Jesus. He showed His love to us by giving His life to renew the relationship that was lost in the garden. The Law was put in place to show us that we had missed the mark. That is what sin is. Being unable to accomplish what we need to do is a failure.

The books of history from Joshua through Esther tell how Jehovah kept trying to convince the Israelites and Gentiles of God’s love. God guides the Hebrews to take the land He has given them. Killing those who oppose God’s law may not seem like love to you. Jehovah wants the Children of Israel to learn who He is and who He can be to them. Israel as a nation needed to give Yahweh a place to be born and teach us what He wants to do for us.

Poetry like Job and Psalms tell us about love. God’s love is shown to Job by not allowing Satan to destroy him and giving him a new life as we can have through Christ. Look at Psalm 8, 23, or 119. These are love songs from David and others to God. The 119^th Psalm declares the writer’s love for the law, word, and statutes of our Lord.

Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are books of wisdom from Solomon and David. The love of a father is expressed throughout the proverbs and is seen in the frustration of the preacher and his realization that the only thing that we can believe in is Jehovah and His promises.

The greatest love story in the Bible is in the Song of Solomon. The King of Israel declares his love for an unidentified woman. As a teenager, I found the use of certain terms such as breasts to be sexual. They are but God created them and sex. The language describes the sexual desire of a man for a woman. This can be an expression of love.

Both the major and the minor prophets show the love that Jehovah has for the Hebrews as well as all the people of the world. These books predict the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus and identify Him as the son of God and heir to David’s throne for eternity. What more can love be, than that God would become a man and die for us.

The gospels and the book of Acts show us Jesus’ love for humanity and how the plan of salvation through his death and resurrection brings us to new life through Him. His words of love for mankind and His promises to get us into His presence speak volumes.

The New Testament letters all point us to the fact that our only hope is accepting the salvation that Christ brought us. These were written by several men who Knew Jesus both as a man on this earth and as their Savior and Lord after His resurrection.

Revelation is the final statement of God to His followers. He wants us to know that we will win the battle with Satan. We don’t know when this war between Jehovah’s goodness and the rejection of Him which is evil, began. It will end in time at some point in our future. Much of this book is a mystery.

Symbolism is rampant here. The love of Christ which is the love of God is shown in those who love Him coming to be in His presence and those who reject Him will spend an eternity separated from the one they would not even acknowledge existed. Which are you?

Every kiss begins with . . .

May 28, 2025

No, it isn’t Kay or Hallmark. It is with desire. When my wife and I watch rom-coms I have a saying, “It’s a Hallmark.” Most Hallmark movies have the starring couple kissing in the last five to fifteen minutes. Others like Larry Levinson productions have lovers kissing much earlier.

My wife and I kissed for the first time after our first or second date. I can’t remember exactly. I think it was the first time. It might not have been. I know I wanted to kiss her every time I saw her and I still do. This was the start of love.

Remember that I do not believe love and lust are the same. Lust is a kind of desire. Love prompts desires of its own. These are not the same. Love makes you want to be with someone. Not for sex or any of that superficial stuff. You want to spend your life with them.

We have been together for over fifty years. Today is our forty-ninth anniversary. We are both retired now and spend almost every moment together. We don’t have to be together all the time; we just enjoy each other’s company. We share the chores around the house, run errands together most of the time, and still sleep in the same bed.

We both have sleep apnea which means without our CPAP machines we snore. During the first year we dated I spent ten weeks over a thousand miles away for the summer. When I returned home, I had turned twenty-one and decided that we needed to be married as soon as possible after I graduated from college the next spring.

Two weeks after the wedding My job moved us to another city, and this gave me justification for marrying her before she graduated from high school. She completed school in the new community and found a job after she was out of school.

Many people think that if you get married at a young age it will be difficult to stay together. For us that has not been a problem. We have learned that the key to loving each other is forgiveness. Everyone has disagreements and makes mistakes. Don’t let these problems break up your relationships.

What we need to do is watch what we say to each other and forgive when we have differences in opinions. Another requirement is to make compromises. When our first daughter was born Cindy wanted to start a tradition of talking about Santa Claus with our daughter. I disagree with that idea.

I felt that promoting this kind of falsehood in our children’s lives would make them distrust what we told them about Jesus and God. She wanted them to be given the fun things these fantasies could bring. It turned out that we were able to explain the differences between real and pretend at the appropriate ages with each of them. Love sometimes is a compromise.

Walk With a Servant