Whatever this guy is on is a hell of a drug.
I am truly sorry that this has caused confusion and pain, especially in my native hometown. But this is not about me. It never has been. If it were up to me, Iād be sitting on a beach in Australia or exploring the jungles in Africa. Maybe the beach in San Diego, or Portland or Madison remain on my bucket list of places to travel. Of course, Iām pretty blue collar, so Melvern Lake or a Royals game is more my style.
But my FAMILY has been in Kansas by choice and pro-life (iron-ic, huh?) since 1869. Iām not quite that old, but they must have some pretty good character and roots, because they voluntarily left amazing places like Indiana and Pennsylvania to come here, Kansas, a FREE STATE.
Some of us attend church on Sunday, some of us donāt. But WE are all God-fearing people. In fact, my family voluntarily donated land to establish a beautiful church here in the outskirts of nowhere/somewhere the world will never stop to visit. We prefer it that way, because we are busy farming, teaching, hunting, and attending or watching as many sporting events as possible, from youth to high school to college to professional sports on the world stage (cāmon World Cup, KC would love to host you with our unbeatable Midwestern hospitality).
What happened in Wellsville on Wednesday? Only God knows.
I have my version. You have yours. The kids, as we discussed in each hour BEFORE 5th hour and then also at the beginning of 5th hour before anything ānewsworthyā occurred, each as theirs.
So how do we find the Truth? Itās probably not be listening to the yellers and the screamers, is it? Yet look how quickly they get headline news today. They come after everyone. Our educators, our law enforcement, our doctors and frontline workers, our judges and court personnel. They attack Christianity while calling for God to be removed from the classroom and cancelled or erased from American history and modern society.
Itās not going to work folks. Do you like how our world looks right now? Do you like the skyrocketing divorce rates and teenage suicide rates? Of course we donāt. But how many of us pause to CHANGE our own actions? Any of you attended a #ZeroReasonsWhy meeting lately? You should. That group is amazing, and itās turning the tide on mental health.
Any of you volunteered to substitute teach #ForTheKids? Itās a financial sacrifice. Or ref middle school or high school sports to #CallItBothWays? Let me tell you, the pay is great. And if you think MY behavior in the classroom on Wednesday was inappropriate or even criminal, how about we compare it to YOUR behavior at any given PUBLIC SCHOOL (or private or home school) sporting event? Look how the world treats our children and our referees in those settings? I know, because Iāve reffed countless of them. And we are at witās end. I literally had a grandma on the front row holding a baby in Gardner, Kansas last week (AAU tournament, shocking they couldnāt find any refs who wanted to show up) calling me every 4-letter word in the book, and then some, because she was acting out of anger, hostility, and resentment. In those scenarios, we referees are frequently in fear for our safety. Yet THAT is American society that has become ānormal.ā And the helpers and good guys keep showing up so the kids can play. Why? God only knows. I would suggest itās because we love the kids and we love the game so much that we tolerate more abuse than the average American and dare I say keyboard warrior or yeller or screamer or chicken can fathom. THE KIDS NEED US. Like Coach Martin said, the kids havenāt changed. But boy has our society and parenting. And itās not good for our young people, folks.
On Sundays, I attend church. I know where I am going. A church that actually makes sense and uses the Lordās Word in a positive manner. I am aware that not all churches necessarily operate that way. I canāt change the world. And only Jesus can save. I am fine. I am saved. I am doing my absolute best to bring national attention to teenage mental health and prevention of suicide.
Folks, I get messages from our young people about every day, maybe every-other-day, dealing with things I couldnāt even imagine when I was a student at Wellsville myself. Anxiety, depression, hallucinations, suicidal ideation, attempted suicide, etc. In our small towns, ONE suicide deeply hurts our entire community. NO MORE FOLKS. Step up. Do something. Check on our neighbors. Get off our phones and social media. Godās country and His people are still incredible. He didnāt create skin colors. Humans screwed that up. He didnāt create hate. Yet look at what we do via social media every single day.
As President Lincoln, our beautiful Nation ā founded on God while fully respecting and protecting freedom of religion ā will NEVER be brought down from the outside. Conservative or liberal, black or white, gay or straight, it makes no difference, folks. In moments of need, AMERICANS rally together to heed the call. Out of many, ONE. Yet as so many prior American leaders have warned, here we are on the brink of destroying ourselves from within. How many more wake-up signs do we need? Riots at the Capitol? Mass shootings? Pure evil and hatred?
Dear God, enough is enough. I pray the NEW NORMAL is one based on love. And compassion. And patience. And yes, fearing God Almighty and doing our best to understand and follow His word. The Bible. The 10 Commandments. I pray that Kansas and America returns to a NEW NORMAL where the laws WE mere mortals write are consistent with the teachings of Jesus. And that we all do our best to respect one another. We follow and obey the manmade laws that sit well with our own morals and religious beliefs, and when not, we firmly yet gracefully protest publicly ā quietly at first, then loudly if necessary ā in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Justin Bieber figured it out. And Katy Perry. And Blake Shelton. And Patrick Mahomes. And what politicianā¦ā¦itās hard to find one isnāt it, and yet we keep voting for these folks who do the same things over and over like SHEEP. For their special interests, political parties, and wealthy donors. Do we really wonder why America is hurting so badly right now? I donāt. Itās not rocket science. I would suggest Liz Cheney has it figured out. And yet look how she gets crucified. God bless her, her family, and all of Wyoming for sending her to Washington, DC to clean up a mess of perhaps unparalleled proportions. And yet how many of us have already moved on from the attack by the so-called āPatriotsā on OUR Nationās Capitol? I cried that day. I pray to God every day that we UNITE as a country to fix it. Yet I donāt see it. No, sadly, it looks like more business and life āas usual.ā
Was Wednesday unorthodox? Absolutely. Did I intend to hurt a soul or act for a single moment out of rage, animosity, or any other element of battery? Absolutely not. I honest to God love all His children. Thatās what Jesus teaches. Iām not trying to sound preachy. But how else do you tell the truth and speak about the Bible? I donāt know. Iām doing my best folks, and I am genuinely sorry for any pain or confusion this may cause anyone. But I will put my hand on the Bible right now and swear that I didnāt do anything wrong. Those kids are the LAST people on the planet I would ever do anything to intentionally hurt. Iāve known most of them for years, some for over a decade.
Now letās compare that to YOUR actions. I know several kids who care about me deeply and because of the nasty and false/misleading things written by the KC Star and others here on social media, THEY are hurting. Thatās not caused by me folks. Nope, thatās you, keyboard warriors. I actually show up at their events. Or at least I used to. And I will again after this storm passes, because their parents and they want me there. They invite me there. Not all of them. But many, or most. I canāt do anything about the haters. Nope, thatās beyond me. But I do listen to T-Swift. I shake it off. Always will. God has me exactly where He NEEDS me. And that scares folks and confuses āem. Some of them anyway.
The truth will continue to unfold over the coming days. Remember that patience is a virtue. Notwithstanding the efforts of some to convict immediately ā some for caring but misguided motives, others for ill motives ā here in American we are innocent until proven guilty. For all those worried about me and my mental condition, please put your fears to rest. I am good. Better than ok, but not great. It seems thatās about the best we can do in this world for anything more than a short period. For all the haters attacking me relentlessly, please stop. Your words are immaterial to me. You donāt know me. You donāt care to. Thatās fine. But your words are hurting the young people who are watching and paying attention. I deeply regret that my actions may have caused confusion or sadness among a handful of some young folks. But I only had ONE RULE. They know what is was, and it was simple. If they broke the rule, I told them the truth. Some of them did lie. Deceive. Etc. But not the vast majority. And many of them that appeared to, knew exactly what they were doing to serve a higher purpose. MENTAL HEALTH FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, and even our not-so-young. I said that every single hour, 1st-5th. I am beyond tired of attending funerals of our kids. I will scream that from about anywhere. If that upsets you, we probably donāt have much to discuss, so perhaps your keyboard is the best place for you. But I would honestly suggest that here a lot more important uses of our time, both yours and mine.
Please keep all the prayers coming for healing, for Teddy, for mental health reform, for criminal justice reform, for the right balance of God to be allowed in our public places and schools. Because itās not there right now folks. The proof is in the pudding.
Iām off to church. Take care everyone. Letās Go Royals! clap, clap, clap clap clap.
Rep. Mark Samsel
