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This 2022 Election Year in Alabama has been monumental and memorable. Any gubernatorial year is big in the state. It is the brass ring of Alabama politics to be governor. However, the race to succeed our Senior Senator Richard Shelby has been the marquee contest. This year will be the last hurrah for our two leading political figures in the state. Senator Richard Shelby is retiring after 36 years in the U.S. Senate at age 88. Governor Kay Ivey will be elected to her final term as Governor at...
One hundred two souls left England in 1620 to land in Virginia where they were to receive land through contract by the Virginia Company. The Virginia Company was chartered by King James I to set up English colonies in Virginia. Yes, it’s the same King James that commissioned that version of the Bible. We often think of the Mayflower as a ship of Pilgrims but only forty-one were on that voyage to separate themselves from the Church of England. The others, whom the Pilgrims referred to as s...
FECKLESS: lacking initiative or strength of character; irresponsible, useless, worthless, incompetent, inefficient, inept, good-for-nothing, idle, slothful, indolent, shiftless, spiritless, apathetic, aimless, unambitious. At 2128 local time, on the night of 16/17 May 1943, the first of 19 British Royal Air Force (RAF) Lancaster bombers took off on OPERATION CHASTISE: The raid to attack German dams in the Ruhr. In arguably the most perfect example of a center of gravity analysis turned...
One hundred years ago this month, Italy succumbed to a new political order that would ignite a worldwide struggle for freedom. Completely abandoning its rightful claim as the birthplace of republican self-government, Italy embraced the fanatical politics of Benito Mussolini and embarked on a sad journey of prioritizing rhetoric over reason and ideology over experience. The permanent scaring and disability of the veterans who suffered the horrors of trench warfare were a constant reminder of the...
To those who don’t want to be a part of the Bloods or Crips political gang…. https://www.alabamagazette.com/story/2018/12/01/opinion/the-scourge-of-straight-ticketers/1518.html Straight-ticket voting enables a voter to cast all their votes for one party with a single mark at the top of the ballot. This duopoly party enhancing practice finally died in most States. Little surprise it remains in uncompetitive/ballot access blocked Alabama which is among the last with six other States still sufferin...
Being born in the middle of the Baby Boom, I have seen society improve in some ways and deteriorate in others. Declines in education are well documented. Although a large percentage of teachers seek to properly educate students, some have political agendas contrary to that of the traditional Christian South. Thinking back, it is clear parts of this agenda were under way during my youth, i.e., we were taught mostly “Yankee history.” (Post-war, Brown University President Dr. Francis Wayland sai...
On the 8th of this month, we will be going to the polls to vote for and against various candidates in this year's mid-term general election. For some offices, we won't have much of a choice-the lesser of two evils-typically a lack luster Republican against an even more lackluster, if not tyrannical, Democrat. That is the routine of many elections, and this year is no exception. Nearly all of our really fine candidates met defeat in the Republican primary. These include our brightest star, Mo...
Master Sergeant (MSgt) Kent Stephen Kline served 22.5 years in the United States Air Force. His 1st Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC) was as a Reciprocating Aircraft Maintenance Specialist (43131A), and his 2nd AFSC was as a Structure Technician (Carpenter/Mason 55270). His decorations, medals, badges, citations and campaign ribbons awarded included: Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal with two Devices, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with six Devices, Air Force Good Conduct...
Lt. Col Douglas Spencer Catchings served 23 years in the United States Air Force. His Military Occupational Specialty Code (MOSC) included Fighter Pilot of the F4 Phantom Jet and of the A10 Thunderbolt II Wart Hog, Chief of Standardization and Evaluation, Squadron Operations Officer, Liaison Officer with U.S. Army and Wing Plans Officer. He received the following decorations, medals, badges, citations and campaign ribbons: Purple Heart, Distinguished Flying Cross, Meritorious Service Medal with...
Staff Sergeant (S Sgt) George Wendell Alexander served nine years in the United States Air Force including four tours in Vietnam. His Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC) was Airborne Electronics Navigation Equipment Specialist. His decorations, medals, badges and citations included: Air Force Good Conduct Medal, Air Force Longevity Medal, Air Medal with Two Oak Leaf Clusters, Vietnam Service Medal and Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal. S Sgt Alexander was born July 24, 1947 in Tuskegee, AL, to his...
Tech Sergeant (TSgt) Willie Mack Wheeler served 23 years in the United States Air Force including one tour to Korea during the Korean War and two tours to South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. His Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC) was Food Supervisor. His military decorations, medals, badges, citations and campaign ribbons awarded were: Air Force Commendation Medal with clusters, Air Force Good Conduct Medal (three), Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (two), Air Longevity Service Award Ribbon...
Senior Master Sergeant (SMSgt) Michael Springer served 26 years in the United States Air Force. His Air Force Specialties (AFSC) included: Professional Military Education Instructor for two years five months, Weather Superintendent for four years four months and Weather Technician for 18 years 11 months. His decorations, medals, badges, citations and campaigns included: Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with...
Corporal (Cpl) Johnny Saxton served in the United States Marines for 1.6 years in the United States Marine Corps with eight months of heroic service in the Vietnam War where he was seriously wounded and received the Purple Heart. His Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) was Machine Gunner. He received the following decorations, medals, badges, citations and campaign ribbons: National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with two Bronze Stars, Presidential Unit Citation, Republic of...
Several years ago, I took my daughter on a medical mission trip to southern Zimbabwe. Ciara had just graduated from high school and was about to begin nursing school. We were working with our ministry partners there, Saving Safaris; while I helped with drilling wells and renovating schools, Ciara worked in medical clinics fitting people with glasses and volunteering at Mutare Provincial, a Methodist mission hospital that has been around for decades. It was a wonderful time with my girl, who seal...
November, which celebrates Thanksgiving Day on the 24th this year, should instead be a celebration for the whole month. And we do have much to be thankful for . Our military is not sending our boys to war, the pandemic is over (according to the President),we still have gasoline in the stations, and food on the grocery shelves. Although everything is more costly, Americans have a way of making do. This is probably a great time to be on a diet by eating less, drinking less and driving less. Let's...
Next week I’m going on my annual trip to Missouri. I’ve been deer hunting there for years and have some wonderful friends there. My memories are many. I think about everything from the times of extreme weather (one time I hunted without a shirt) to trying to find my lost deer with a famous deer dog, that happened to be a dachshund. I can remember seeing some monster bucks just out of range and missing some within range. But no matter what the past held; I still look forward to going back eac...
I bought a purse last week I will probably never use. It is small. A simple zippered change pouch. I don’t need it, and it doesn’t particularly suit my taste. It is not my shade of pink. Typically, I think it might would appeal to someone much younger, but I touched it. I felt the texture of the beadwork…and it reminded me of a similar beaded change purse I had when I was a kid. The church my family attended would have an annual Family Day. Or at least that is what we called it. It was meant...
Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and so I’ve been thinking about gratitude a lot lately. What is it? When should we show it? What does God say about it? 1 Thessalonians 5:18 tell us, “Give thanks in all circumstances”. This verse doesn’t command us to feel thankful in all circumstances. Instead, it says we should “give thanks in all circumstances.” When I begin to praise God in a difficult situation, even if I don’t feel like it, many times the scales fall from my eyes and I begin to se...