Tuesday, April 2, educator and reenactor Gamal Castile led an event in Gano Assembly to explain ancient Greco-Roman war techniques. Castile used accurate replicas of the weaponry and armor – even purchasing some props from the movie “Alexander.”

Educating people about Greco-Roman wars is important to Castile, who stressed the significance of the wars.

“One battle in 490 BC [the Battle of Marathon] could arguably be responsible for the entirety of what we consider western civilization,” said Castile, noting that, had the greeks lost the battle, our collective history could have been fundamentally altered.

Another point Castile stressed was the ferocity of ancient Greco-Roman war tactics.

“Greek culture was based on challenge and struggle – on bravery,” said Castile.

It was this bravery that Castile demonstrated through an orchestrated war reenactment, using volunteers from the crowd.

Overall, this event was well attended, and those present utilized Castile’s knowledge of Greek history to learn more about various war tactics and how they affected the culture of the ancient Greeks.

Images courtesy of MacKenzie Roth

In Missouri, the race for Senate has focused on Democrat Claire McCaskill, an incumbent, and Republican Josh Hawley.

McCaskill, 65, has been in the Senate since 2006 and was previously the state auditor and Jackson County Prosecutor. The senator has campaigned on her ability to work across the aisle and has reached out to moderates in the state – not wanting to appear too liberal in the red state

McCaskill visited all 50 counties in the state and held town halls in each. McCaskill has emphasized her positions on combating the opioid crisis, education and job creation. The senator has been criticized on the left for failing to appeal to black voters and on the right for being too liberal.

Hawley, 38, is the current attorney general and is campaigning on his conservative tendencies in court and on conservative views on issues in general. The attorney general is emphasizing his background fighting “big government and big business, the special interests, organized crime […] and anyone who would threaten the well-being of Missourians” in court.

Hawley’s primary issues include fighting for religious liberty and fighting against government overreach, the opioid crisis and human trafficking. Hawley has been criticized for being a political opportunist and for his position on healthcare.

The election is projected to be close and a potential seat for Democrats to lose in the Senate.

More information on McCaskill and Hawley can be found on their campaign websites (McCaskill, Hawley), in these articles (McCaskill, Hawley, both) and here.

The Kansas City, Missouri, area is in both the fifth and sixth congressional districts for the House of Representatives. In the race in the fifth district, Democratic incumbent Emanuel Cleaver II is running against Republican Jacob Turk.

Cleaver ran uncontested in the Democratic primary and has been in the House since 2005. The representative has campaigned on civility, bipartisanship and representing black Missourians.

Turk ran against Cleaver in 2012, 2014 and 2016. Turk has campaigned on commitments to small business and a strong military.

Cleaver is projected to win. You can get more information about Cleaver and Turk on their campaign websites (Cleaver, Turk) and on Cleaver’s congressional website.

In the sixth district, Republican incumbent Sam Graves is running against Democrat Henry Martin.

Graves was first elected a state representative in 1992. He is campaigning on issues of fiscal discipline, family values and gun rights. Martin is campaigning on issues of health care and taxes as a veteran.

More information can be found on their campaign websites (Graves, Martin) and on Graves’ congressional website.

Kansas City, Kansas, is in the third congressional district in Kansas. In this race, Republican incumbent Kevin Yoder is running against Democrat Sharice Davids.

Yoder has been in the House since 2010 and is campaigning on issues of cutting government spending, supporting public schools, health care and the military. Davids is campaigning on issues of the economy, education, health care, gun safety, the environment, immigration and equal rights.

More information can be found on their campaign websites (Yoder, Davids) and on Yoder’s congressional website. Don’t forget to vote in the midterm elections Nov. 6, 2018. You can learn more about local races here and here.

Photo courtesy of KQED.