The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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On Friday, July 26th, 2024, The American Village which is located in Montevallo, Alabama will close out its summer film series with the 1992 adaptation of James Fenimore Cooper's, "The Last of the Mohicans". For those who are feeling their wallets thin out due to the ever-increasing costs of groceries and gasoline prices, there is some relief for their pocketbook as the admission to the film is free. With the movie being set to begin at seven in the evening in the air conditioned West Wing...
In the modern world, we are encouraged to demonize certain individuals and idolize others. For years, those who control the narrative have promoted Abraham Lincoln as an individual to be admired and, sometimes even lionized. As a proponent of centralized power and government/corporate partnerships, Lincoln had and still has many like-minded supporters. Lincoln has also been lauded for his role in ending slavery despite the fact he supported the Corwin Amendment, favored colonization most of his...
The election of 1860 featured four presidential candidates: Stephen Douglas, John Breckinridge, John Bell, and Abraham Lincoln. Stephen A. Douglas – Nicknamed the Little Giant due to his 5’ 4” stature, Illinois-native Douglas was a political giant. A wealthy land speculator and lobbyist for the Illinois Central Railroad, Douglas supported the Missouri Compromise, then sponsored the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, whose popular sovereignty provision virtually negated the Missouri Compromise. He cr...
The late Paul Harvey famously said: “Now, for the rest of the story.” “Jim Crow” is a classic example of an incomplete story. Establishment media incessantly blames the South for everything considered “historically bad.” Some modern TV shows and movies will make a sane person want to heave. In reality, when all racial and ethnic groups were in close proximity, segregation was essentially a non-issue in the Old South. Segregation was actually born in the North. Jack Trotter contends that everyo...
The assaults on Robert E. Lee and anyone who fought for Southern Independence never abate. Lee symbolizes most things his critics hate – he was a devout Christian, he believed in the sovereignty of the States within a voluntary federal republic, his primary allegiance was to Virginia (his “country”), and he felt “Union” at the point of a bayonet undermined the entire American experiment in self-government. One might ask: Why did the colonies seek independence if the goal was replication of the m...
When James Monroe addressed Congress 200 years ago, many assumed his annual message would be limited to legislative initiatives. Since he had no spin doctors to help him explain his position, clarify its broad impact, or narrate its context, it was left to him to simply announce the Monroe Doctrine and let others decide its ramifications. Two centuries ago, the New World was shedding Old World political connections as new nation states were emerging after achieving independence. President...
This month, Turkey will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its national Republic Day, which recognizes its transformation from a theocracy to an elected, representative democracy. And, while the contours of Turkey have been around as part of any number of empires, it has only been in recent memory that the nation turned from only facing Mecca and began to look West to the political systems more representative of Europe and Western civilization. Achieving this republic was not an easy task, but...
In the October 2022 Alabama Gazette I covered part of the legacy of Nathan Bedford Forrest (https://www.alabamagazette.com/story/2022/10/01/opinion/the-false-demonization-of-nathan-bedford-forrest/2434.html). If anyone has been a victim of “the winners write the history,” it is Forrest. From his humble Tennessee roots, Forrest was the quintessential self-made man, a masterful military leader, and the antithesis of most of his critics. After his father died, sixteen-year-old Forrest became the...
Adam Smith, the anchor of that group of inquisitive Scotsmen who spawned the Scottish Enlightenment and significantly changed the world, was born 300 years ago this month. The era of his birth was still primarily agrarian with superstition superseding science. He would alter this status by observing his community, pursuing the life of a scholar, and questioning his experiences in the world around him. And...... he wrote his thoughts down. Scotland was ready to nurture the likes of Smith. With...
Two hundred and fifty years ago, the British Parliament stumbled into what can only be described as a textbook case of how to alienate friends and lose loyal subjects. When the Tea Act was passed in 1773, British conventional wisdom was that decreasing the tax on tea would be well received. And even though the science of economics had not fully developed, reducing the cost of a household staple would arguably increase consumption to the applause of merchants and consumers. Little could anyone...
“I supported President Lincoln. I believed his war policy would be the only way to save the country, but I see my mistake. I visited Washington a few weeks ago, and I saw the corruption of the present administration—and so long as Abraham Lincoln and his Cabinet are in power, so long will war continue. And for what? For the preservation of the Constitution and the Union? No, but for the sake of politicians and government contractors.” J.P. Morgan—American financier and banker, 1864. Many individ...
Marjorie Taylor Greene’s recent “national divorce” comments angered nationalists, globalists, and others who view these United States as an “unbreakable union.” How could such authoritarian thinking evolve from a country that was founded on individualism, voluntary self-government, and belief in God? At least part of this agenda can be traced to the Southern States being militarily forced back into a Union they democratically voted to leave. Abe Lincoln rebuffed multiple compromise efforts initi...
The State of Alabama is filled with interesting history. At least two schools of thought exist about the name’s origin. One contends it is derived from Alabamas or Alibamons, a tribe in the Creek Indian Confederacy. The other claims it is the combination of two Choctaw words (Alba and Amo), generally thought to mean “vegetation gatherers.” Either way, the name has American Indian roots. The mild climate, fertile soil, and abundance of water, create an indelible link to agriculture. Those livin...
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...
The War for Southern Independence produced many divisions in both North and South. Southerners overwhelmingly supported the Confederate cause; a small percentage supported the North and some preferred to remain neutral. One individual who preferred neutrality was John W. Hinson, commonly addressed as “Jack” or “Old Jack.” Hinson owned a plantation called Bubbling Springs, near Dover in Stewart County, Tennessee. The area, known as Land Between the Lakes, separates the Cumberland and Tenness...
Ninety years ago, Portugal was the poster child for instability. New governments came and went roughly every 6 months. Change seemed the only constant, which created a vacuum of leadership tailor made for military intervention. Out of the confusion and the void of effective leadership emerged one Antonio Salazar; he would govern Portugal for 36 years. American Secretary of State Dean Acheson remarked that Salazar was the closest thing in the 20th century to the philosopher-king outlined in...
May was an interesting month for our neighbors to the South. This year, Mexico commemorates the 200th anniversary of the coronation of Emperor Agustín I, and the 160th anniversary of the Battle of Puebla. These seemingly obscure events are vital to a complete understanding of the Mexican experience. As a colony of Spain, the internal government of Colonial Mexico was dependent upon the competency of Spanish officials sent to govern in the name of the King. The absolute power of the King was...
Government-approved “history books” claim the War Between the States/Civil War was fought over slavery; however, the main characters in both North and South, including Jefferson Davis and Abraham Lincoln, insisted that was not the casus belli. The Hampton Roads Conference provides further insight. In early January 1865 (after over 3½ years of struggle) American journalist Francis Blair spearheaded an effort to have both sides meet face-to-face to work out a compromise. Blair was concerned abou...
There has been considerable controversy regarding the Fourteenth Amendment. A brief look into its origin and history reveals, “something is rotten in Denmark.” Although it was “adopted” on July 28, 1868, it was never legally ratified. The following is a summary of each section: Section 1: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the state wherein they reside.” It asserts that no State can make laws to abridge their rights, de...
We are constantly bombarded with issues instigated by individuals attempting to cause division in America. For example, the 1619 Project (reminiscent of something in the old parody magazine, National Lampoon), Critical Race Theory (an outgrowth of Marxism), and a seemingly endless stream of individuals who insist they are victims. What kind of parent would want their children to consider themselves victims? As Booker T. Washington observed: “Nothing ever comes to one, that is worth having, e...
July is an important month in the American Republic. Long-standing traditions surrounding the 4th inspire many individuals to be thankful they are Americans. Holiday celebrations often include fireworks, flags, barbecues, and other activities. After the 1776 Declaration of Independence and a bloody war, the colonies successfully seceded from the British Empire. At the war’s conclusion, the 1783 Treaty of Paris, defined the parties to the agreement: Great Britain on one side and thirteen ...
When great powers stump their toe on foreign policy, the initial pain, though slight, often causes loss of focus, a stumble, and sometimes a more serious accident. Sixty years ago, the United States sponsored an unsuccessful invasion of Cuba, and the colossal failure ultimately damaged our nation’s reputation, emboldened our enemies, worried our allies, and clouded our vision of proper objectives for foreign relations. President John Kennedy’s inauguration was a cause for much optimism as a you...
We take freedom of conscience for granted, but, 500 years ago, accepting and practicing beliefs outside of the mainstream was deadly. The 1521 Diet of Worms was a legislative gathering held in Worms (one of the oldest cities in Europe) to consider Martin Luther’s theology. The stakes were extraordinarily high as Luther, a mere monk, parried with the leading Roman Catholic scholars of his day. The ramifications of this meeting, while couched in religious terms, had clear political u...
It was President Harry Truman who said, “The only thing new in the world is the history you do not know,” and King Solomon, perhaps the wisest man ever, stated pretty much the same thing a few millennia ago when he recorded in Ecclesiastes 1:9 that “there is nothing new under the sun.” Recent studies have shown the people look fondly upon the era that was one to two decades prior of their birth as the “good old days,” but few take time to really examine what made those days so seemingly g...
The Enduring Legacy of Margaret Thatcher Thirty years ago, [the week of November 23rd], the longest serving British prime minister of the 20th century resigned. Margaret Thatcher, having governed since 1979, saw her leadership challenged, but rather than continue to fight, she was gaslighted into believing she was losing her grip on her party and would lose her office in an embarrassing vote. None of that was true. In fact, the very men who rode to leadership positions on her coattails and hid...
