The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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The discordant views in modern America mirror much of the animosity of the 1700s and 1800s. Unfortunately, there is presently a dearth of individuals who possess the wisdom and historical perspective of the Founding generation. The great secession document known as the Declaration of Independence spelled out the colonies’ grievances and asserted the God-given right of representative government. Many in Great Britain viewed colonial secession as treasonous since the colonies were part of an e...
As former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Sam Rayburn once said, and I’ll paraphrase, “Any fool can kick down a barn, but it takes a good carpenter to build one.” In our political landscape today, from Washington, D.C. down, we have plenty of folks kicking down barns, but not nearly enough carpenters building them. During the most recent legislative session, the legislature passed a package of bills called “Working for Alabama,” which is a prime example of building good, effective...
I must admit, this is becoming an almost monthly event. With so much going on and so many topics to cover, it has become increasingly difficult to write about a single topic. As you can see, this month’s contribution is no different. So, let’s get started. 1. The toughest job in the country. Let there be no doubt, there are dozens of difficult jobs. Jobs that tax bodies physically and that drain the mind and soul spiritually. But as I watch the news, I have come to believe that there is one job...
The use of automatic weapons when fighting an opponent can cause great fear in that opponent who may only be able to return fire each time the trigger to a weapon is pulled by the finger. An automatic weapon or machinegun can by definition fire multiple rounds with a single pull of a trigger by a finger or single finger engagement of the trigger. Firing a semi-automatic weapon is hard enough when you have a fair amount of control, especially a handgun at anything greater than close range....
Many today know the name of Samuel Adams more for ale and pubs than for American history. But Thomas Jefferson said of him, “I always considered him as more than any other member [of Congress] the fountain of our important measures.” Preparing his first inaugural address, Jefferson recalled, “I often asked myself, is this exactly in the spirit of the patriarch of liberty, Samuel Adams?” Encyclopedia Brittanica says Sam Adams “did more than any other American to arouse opposition against E...
Back in 2018, I wrote an article about Zimbabwe when it was poised to become blessed with a great economic recovery. In 2008, Tendai Biti became finance minister, and in a 30 minute speech, he announced the end of essentially all government interference in the economy. He treated Zimbabwe to instant free markets. Regulations, licensure, import permits, and exchange and price controls all went out the window. In 2009, Biti replaced his country’s worthless hyperinflated dollars with U.S. d...
Those familiar with Alabama’s rigged duopoly election results understand Jury Box removal of corrupt politicians (re)installed via uncompetitive Ballot Boxes. Highly restrictive ballot access laws, hyper-gerrymandered districts, poor voter turnout with week open records laws, buttressed by our unresponsive ethics commission make our State ripe for a higher incidence of attempted Jury Box discipline with election results so unrepresentative of the population. Well seasoned, righteous p...
Inspired by the Protestant Reformation and Martin Luther’s confrontation with church hierarchy, peasants staged an insurrection which challenged the socioeconomic order. This revolt would have a lasting impact on Europe and set the stage for future conflicts between the elite aristocracy and the growing middle class. In 1524, the strata of society was organized according to land: its ownership, its use and ultimately, its profitability. The various plagues that decimated Europe in the past c...
Every July 4, we celebrate our nation’s independence. For nearly 90 years, our programs have helped create financial independence for millions of hardworking people. We have useful online resources like the Social Security Statement (Statement) and our benefits estimator tool that helps people not yet receiving benefits. The Statement shows the benefits that you and your family may be eligible for and provides personalized fact sheets tailored to your age and earnings situation. The benefits e...
Chief Warrant Officer 3 Jeffery Mathews: Age 66 Chief Warrant Officer 3 (CW3) Jeffery Mathews served 29 years in the U.S Army. His Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) was Supply (76C) involving requests, receipts, storage, etc. of supplies and (920A) as a Chief Warrant Officer. CW3 Mathews’ work also included working as a property account technician with inventory control, purchasing procedures and stock control. He received the following decorations, medals, citations and campaign ribbons: Gl...
Technical Sergeant Jason R. Hughes: Age 52 Technical Sergeant (TSgt) Jason R. Hughes served 12 years in the U.S. Air Force including nine years in the AL Air National Guard and three years in the Air Force Reserve. His Air Force Specialty Code was 2E2X5, Electronics Computers and Switching Systems. He received the following medals, awards, citations and awards: Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with...
Specialist Travis Parker: Age 72 Specialist (SPC) Travis Parker served two years and six months in the U.S. Army. His Military Occupational Specialist included MedicalCorpsman, Medical Specialist and Bandsman. He received the following medals, decorations, commendations and ribbons: National Defense Medal. Since his tenure in the military, he has exhibited excellent, dedicated and consummate service to veterans. SPC Parker was born June 8, 1952 in Montgomery, AL, to his parents, Ted and Martha...
Veteran Sonarman Harry Ural Jackson WWII D-Day Veteran Sonarman Harry Ural Jackson was honored June 6, 2024, the 80th anniversary of D-Day, at a commemoration event at the Crossings, a full-service senior living community in Montgomery, AL. Jackson, a 98 year-old Navy veteran, served three weeks as a sonarman on a subchaser at Normandy. Two other WWII veterans who served in the Pacific Theater, Dr. Cecil Prescott and Eugene Crooks, were also honored. Lee Jackson, the son of Harry Jackson led...
With the Fourth of July approaching, everyone is thinking red, white and blue. If you have a pot garden, you can switch out some of the pots with RED, WHITE AND BLUE at the speed of a blink of an eye. Buy white vinca, red begonias, and blue salvia (or whatever you can find in this color scheme) and plunge them into some existing or new pots to highlight the patriotic season. Every year I bake a sheet cake and ice it with white icing. Then with red strawberries for the stripes, and blueberries...
My first visit to the Davis Ranch in the Dallas Texas area was in 2013. There I met several men including John Davis, the owner. We hit it off almost immediately. It was not too long after that, I began flying there a couple times a year to do hunting and speaking events with a small group of men. That place holds a lot of great memories. It was there I took my first Rio turkey. It was there I harvested several pigs. And it was there where I met the most amazing men, many who have become lifelon...
Southern women especially I think know how to talk cookery. Take the pound cake. Three times in the past week I have been involved in conversations about pound cakes. And that's not to ignore the chats about tomatoes fresh from the vine, or about new potatoes, or about running beans in early summer. There is hardly a shortage of recipes for pound cake. Church cookbooks and community cookbooks always offer several. The variety stemming perhaps from women using ingredients they had on hand. The...
What if I told you the devil's goal wasn't for you to follow him? It's a crazy thought, right? I had this realization the other day when I was asking how anyone could follow the devil versus follow God. It seems like such an easy decision, but I realized that devil's goal isn't for you to follow him. The devil’s goal is for you to follow yourself. It's for you to truly believe in yourself so much that you will follow your own way and your own desires. And even say that you do not need God and y...
John Eldredge, in his book, Epic, tells us that life is a story. God is telling a story and you have a crucial role to play. Do you know what kind of tale you were born into? Do you know the story? Do you understand your role in the story? Life will never make sense until you do! In Epic, Eldredge writes: “ Notice that all great stories pretty much follow the same story line. Things were once good, then something awful happened, and now a great battle must be fought or a journey taken. At j...
One of the ministry traditions I grew up with is that older ministers would often give us younger ministers a treasured book—either one from their libraries or a copy of one they found encouraging. I think this tradition is all but over now. Many of us older pastors have tried to give away portions of our libraries we’re not using now, only to find that the “young bucks” don’t value books like we do. Research suggests the typical pastor in my day acquired a library worth $50,000 or more. I think...
On Tuesday, the leading national pro-life group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America reiterated its call to preserve national protections for unborn children in the GOP platform ahead of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in July. The group is urging former President Donald J. Trump (R) to keep the party platform strong on life in order to remain unified and defeat Joe Biden. SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser is the President of SBA Pro-Life America. "If...
My, what a difference a few days makes! It seems like just yesterday Joe Biden's defenders were continuing to insist that he was fine. The campaign was trumpeting the $27 million he'd raised since the debate, and after all, no serving Democrat had called for him to step down, had they? Then on Tuesday, Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) became the first Democrat to formally call for Biden to bow out. "Recognizing that unlike Trump, President Biden's first commitment has always been to our...
The 2024 Summer Olympics will take place in Paris from July 26 to Aug. 11. It marks the city's third time hosting the Summer Olympics after previously hosting them in 1900 and 1924. So, of course, a huge chunk of the Olympic events will be held in Paris. Neighboring cities like Saint-Denis, Le Bourget, Nanterre, Versailles, and Vaires-sur-Marne will also host certain events. Way.com reports the opening ceremony of the event will take place in Jardins du Trocadéro on the Seine, and the closing...
For athletes and sports fans alike, the Olympic Games are the pinnacle of sporting events. Every four years, more than 10,000 athletes from nearly every country come together for the Summer Olympics and compete in dozens of sports. With over 3 billion people watching, it's arguably the most popular sporting event in the world, showcasing sports and countries both large and small on the global stage. Every Olympics has great competitions, but upsets are the most memorable. Underdogs take the...
The American population is aging—and much-needed mental health care providers are in short supply. Earlier this year, the federal government rolled out new rules to help older Americans access more services and give health care professionals the flexibility to help those in their community with the greatest needs. But better health care access only works if the people poised to benefit understand the new rules. It's not unusual for Medicare patients to need to advocate for themselves in h...
