The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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Individuals who have recently attended school or worked in the business world are aware of "diversity." During my Russell Corporation career, one company leader was nearly fanatical about it; it often seemed to be more important than making quality products and providing good customer service. Some claim the term itself is classic "Orwellian double-speak" – a word having two opposing meanings. Others reference Kurt Vonnegut's "Harrison Bergeron" short story about a dystopian society that p...
Her name is Liberty and she is a 22-story tower of strength overshadowing the NY Harbor, which symbolizes to the world the best in freedom and democracy, but today her tears fill the rivers of her great land. Down through the course of time she has greeted millions crossing onto her soil from abroad with a hearty welcome to the land of the free and home of the brave. Until now, her interior borders, blanketed and protected by two great oceans, have never been perpetrated by foreign missiles,...
History is filled with conspiracies and conspiracy theories. I would like to look at a genuine conspiracy from the 1800s. As a teen, I worked in construction and encountered some interesting individuals. One was an older black gentleman who frequently used the expression: “I’ll be John Brown.” I did not know if that was the equivalent of “I’ll be a ‘sob’” or something similar in the entertaining vernacular of the construction world. As I learned more history, it became clear that my assumption w...
One of the best things about living in Alabama is that its taxes are among the lowest in the nation. Of particular importance, the property tax is THE lowest in the nation—by a wide margin. The property tax is one of the most oppressive taxes there is. In essence, it requires a person to pay “rent” to the state to occupy and use his own private property. It can also be arbitrary. A so-called “appraiser” can set, within certain limits, whatever value he chooses on anyone’s property. The owner h...
Part one opened with Apostle Paul’s caveat in Ephesians to not be faint in tribulation and his cause/reason for kneeling to God in Truth and Love. Part two opened with excerpts provided by fellow Alabama Gazette columnist John Taylor from his book Union at All Costs to help illustrate ‘Judas rhetoric’ cloaking the avarice of ‘America’s deadliest president.’ My third and final part is a plea to rise above this rhetoric which has put far too great a burden on Black lives these past several sco...
The American stage is now set and ripe for a new leader to emerge in the black community, but it will not be the likes of Al, Jessie, Elijah or Maxine. Their tactics flamed out decades ago, but there is fertile soil now for a MLK 2.0 to lead the black community into the Promise Land, ascribed by the late Martin Luther King (MLK). King emphasized the importance for whites in the 60’s to look at the content of character of the black man, not the color of his skin. Right here my friends, is the e...
Term Limits One of the most popular ideas is term limits. I have heard quite a few people propose a limit of twelve years for anybody in our congress—two terms for senators and six terms for representatives. In many respects, it sounds like a good idea when we see examples of career politicians like Ted Kennedy (even with Chappaquiddick), Nancy Pelosi, Charles Schumer, Dianne Feinstein, and many others who don’t seem to ever go away. The problem with term limits is they also weed out the good pe...
Author John Taylor [fellow Alabama Gazette columnist introduced last edition] provided some quotes from his Union at All Costs book to help illustrate ‘Judas rhetoric’ to cloak avarice for revenue: Lincoln delivered his First Inaugural Address on March 4, 1861. He made several interesting comments regarding slavery: “I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no in...
Besides appreciating where I came from, my love for the South and its traditions originated with my late mother, Mary Alford Taylor. She was very easy going; however, if anybody talked badly about the South, she would become instantly defiant. It was ingrained in me from day one that Southern people are special and have been wrongly ridiculed by outsiders. As a youth in the 1960s, I remember listening to WBAM (The Big Bam 740 in Montgomery) and WVOK (The Mighty 690 in Birmingham). Living in Alexander City, I could pick up both stations...
My father, W.O. Giles, Sr., taught my brothers, sister and I a famous slogan we can all recite, even today. He would say: "There is your side, their side, find what is right and do not move." This notion has served me well over the years, because I can hear my father's voice when he would say, "Don't Move," which enables one to face turbulent winds when standing alone. It is my motivation in this article to help you find what is right, and "Don't Move." Coach Tuberville has gained some momentum...
One of America’s greatest tragedies was what many of us call the “Civil War,” also known as “The War Between the States,” “The Great Rebellion,” “The War of Northern Oppression,” and “The War for Southern Independence.” It was the bloodiest war ever fought on American soil by more than an order of magnitude. We suffered an estimated 620,000 to 750,000 (revised) casualties from combat, starvation, disease, and injuries. In many ways, this war was like the American Revolution—a war of independence...
In his prayer for the Ephesians, Paul doesn’t want them to be afraid, deterred or faint by the tribulations he is enduring. My paternal grandmother lived in Ephesus until forcibly removed at the Burning of Smyrna; tribulation is a common happenstance in our human, yet not so humane travails through history. The cause/reason (two most used words I’ve found) Paul knelt unto the Heavenly Father of his Lord, Jesus Christ, was to be strengthened by the Holy Spirit, which is anchored in God’s Truth...
The Alabama Gazette welcomes its newest contributor: John M. Taylor: Married (Susan) with two sons and two grandchildren, most know me by my nickname “Johnny.” After graduating from Benjamin Russell High School in Alexander City and then attending Central Alabama Community College, I earned a B.S. in Transportation from Auburn University. During most of my college years, I worked at Russell Corporation then upon graduation, the majority of my career was spent there in various management posit...
Falsehoods and myths attacking my friend, Jeff Sessions, need to be dispelled. I have known and worked with Jeff for 27 years. Loyal Trump supporters in Alabama have been torn for 3 years over his verbal assaults over the Jeff Sessions recusal from the Russian investigation into the 2016 election. Yesterday, Senator Sessions set the record straight and wrote an open letter to the people of Alabama, making a compelling heart-felt argument, detailing why he recused himself. I encourage all GOP...
As I am writing this (mid-May, 2020), the American people are still suffering from the sanctions that our governors, mayors and other authorities have imposed onto them and the U. S. economy. Unfortunately, most of us are still ignorant of the catastrophic, long-term consequences. At this time, it is impossible to calculate the final cost. But people who are knowledgeable about economics can understand that this three-month shutdown of much of our business will total in the trillions of...
The struggle from DC on down to my Lee County commissioners (along with politburo mayors) in the effort toward our next distorted result is full steam ahead. Gamblers on Wall Street – investors is poor nomenclature where market forces no longer drive results – reveal they’re betting that ‘whatever can be bailed-out WILL be bailed-out’ remains Trumpocrat policy as Dow, NASDAQ and S&P exchange indices return to “bubble, bubble toil and trouble” results. The recent $3 trillion air patch (more t...
I was recently awakened early one morning at 4:00 am with a horrific dream about America. When we were having coffee, I told my wife about the dream, which shook me to the core. The first thing that came to her mind was the New Testament scripture found in Acts 2:17 – “And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.” I gue...
Toward the end of last year (2019), a new strain of flu erupted in Wuhan, China, spread very rapidly, and soon began killing people. Rumors circulated that it escaped from Wuhan’s level-4 bioweapons research laboratory. Other sources suggested it came from unsanitary preparation of meat from dogs, cats, bats, and pangolins at Wuhan’s world-famous Huanan seafood market—a “wet market” where live animals are bought and sold. The pangolin is an anteater-like creature prized for its scales and Chine...
Columnist John Sophocleus learned of his earthly father's passing while writing his piece for this month’s issue. Adamant about his submission these past ten plus years, he requested The Alabama Gazette reprint “Blessed with Many Fathers” under the circumstances. We hope you find it a worthy (re)read. Editor’s Note: Our prayers & sympathies are extended to John & his family at this time. Empty screen before me now, heavy hands upon the keyboard, I struggle to type this month’s column… informed h...
Trumps ability to fill stadiums and maintain an unshakable base of support is defined by his adversarial opponents as a cult. To the contrary, in the face of a daily tsunami of hostile incoming artillery, Trump has stared them down and marched full speed ahead championing an over achievement in his delivery of campaign promises. In my lifetime, since working the grass roots in 1980 for Reagan, we have never seen ANY elected official deliver beyond expectations surpassing campaign promises like...
These are indeed unwonted times – certainly a first in my ten plus years as an Alabama Gazette columnist. I wholeheartedly concur with the wise decision to not print an April issue for many reasons, mostly driven by loss of distribution points with so many businesses closing. I’m nonetheless blessed to be included in this ONLINE-ONLY edition. Seems apropos in the midst of this current crash to repost my October 2017 Gazette column on the anniversaries of 1929 and 1987 crashes. Rewarding to hav...
This past February 18, under the watchful eye of Montgomery’s Mayor Steven Reed, five of the city’s nine city councilmen, spearheaded by Councilman Glen Pruitt, quickly voted their final approval of a 1% city occupational tax. Three others voted “no.” Councilman Tracy Larkin, who was ill and absent, did not vote. Reed claimed it would bring in $45 to $55 million in extra revenue every year, beginning in 2021. This tax is essentially an income tax on everybody who works and earns his living...
In 1987, I sold my portion of Giles Enterprises and did a little real estate development in 1988 and in 1989 joined the Hunt Administration as Small Business Advocate for the State of Alabama. Also in 1988, on a scratchy low powered AM radio station in Montgomery, Alabama, a strange, but different kind of radio talk show was launched, “The Rush Limbaugh Show.” I was 34 then, and now 31 years later, I am 65 and still mesmerized by the depth, insight, revelation and the almost prophetic sense Rus...
Back in the day, in the 1800’s, the Democratic Party in the United States stood solidly for our fundamental Constitutional principles—liberty, justice, and free enterprise. But as the 20th century rolled around, many of our Democrats slipped over toward statism, socialism, and even communism. During that time, the American people suffered under the administrations of three of our most terrible presidents—Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, and Lyndon Johnson. The only decent Democrat was John...
Hypocrisy in overdrive these past months, now less fueled by DC politburo members, is decelerating back to ‘coasting speed’ toward the usual destination of ‘Dershowitzian’ good intentions (feigned, foolish or sincere) if history is any guide. The 1990s US House turned a blind eye to “Whitewatergate” (as Ken Starr’s absurdly long investigation uncovered too much dirt on too many politburo members) and focused on a ‘seedy’ blue dress - showing how much they truly care about sexual harassment...
