The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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Aside from the lawyer jokes, being an attorney is a noble profession. In all professions you have the occasional bad seed even though law schools and Bar associations attempt to weed them out. And many lawyer jokes focus not on the misdeeds of the few but on one of the rules of ethics. The Alabama Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 1.3, Comment in part says, “A lawyer should act with commitment and dedication to the interests of the client and with zeal in advocacy upon the client's behalf. “ I...
While campaigning for office, Donald Trump, like any respectable candidate, promised to defend the people’s right to keep and bear arms along with the remainder of the United States Constitution. And, during his inauguration this past January 20, he formally swore to uphold that same Constitution. But then, early this past month (July), Trump made a dirty deal with the Chicago Police Department to continue an oppressive drive begun by Barack Obama to confiscate “illegal” guns and ammun...
In our fallen world, there is certainly no shortage of heartbreaking stories, yet the one that will not leave my mind right now is one from the United Kingdom pertaining to the medical and legal issues facing the 11-month old infant Charlie Gard and his parents. As a parent and a grandparent, I grieve with these parents for the shattered dreams for their child due to the diagnosis of his very rare genetic condition and apparent terminal prognosis for his life. Based on all I have read,...
God told Joshua to cross over the Jordan River and to go possess the land. The word “possess” means “to drive out the previous tenants”. This implies action. Jesus tells us in Matthew 11:12, “The kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, but the violent take it by force.” Indeed, it is time to be aggressive and energetic when it comes to letting go of the past and pressing forward to the abundant life God has in store for you. It’s time to rise up and boldly go after your victory! It’s time to...
A lot of songs, movies, and television shows have been about the trucking industry. That is because, as Merle Haggard sang in his hit song “Movin’ On,” “the white line is the lifeline to the nation.” Our economy would crumble if truck and taxi companies were not moving goods and people over our roads. A lot of people may not know that the Alabama Public Service Commission (PSC) helps those companies that help Alabama’s economy and people. One way the PSC supports the safety of those travelling...
“What General Weygand has called the Battle of France is over... the Battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization. Upon it depends our own British life, and the long continuity of our institutions and our Empire... But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new dark age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of p...
Congressional shooter James T. Hodgkinson most reproduced quote (linked to a Change.org petition) asserted, “Trump is a Traitor. Trump Has Destroyed Our Democracy. It's Time to Destroy Trump & Co.” Fascinating how many this past decade sincerely asserted Obama and now Trump have somehow single-handedly accomplished such great damage. Extremists of this sort refuse to understand we were not designed to be a democracy; those who’ve shilled loudest for democracy have ‘progressed’ us into oligarchy...
In Alabama politics many times appointments to political offices filled by an acting governor have an adverse effect on that appointee if and when they seek election to that office for a full term. Every time George Wallace appointed someone to a political post, even in the prime of his popularity and power, they invariably lost in the next election. Well folks, ole Dr. Bentley ain’t George Wallace and his appointment of Luther Strange to the Senate seat vacated by Jeff Sessions may come back t...
As you celebrate this Independence Day with family, friends, and all the commercialized activities that this day has come to represent in our culture, perhaps you’ll reflect a few minutes on this question: How much independence do we really have from our government? Since our government controls our education system, our health care system, and numerous other industries owing their profits or even existence to government bailouts and subsidies, it appears that the American government of today i...
This is certainly not my area of expertise but I will take a stab at it. First let’s take a look at a couple of historical concepts. In 1882 the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed in Congress, which forbade the immigration of Chinese workers for ten years. Section Six of the Geary Act of 1892 required that Chinese obtain a certificate or face arrest or deportation even if there had been no other crimes committed. In the United States Supreme Court case of Fong Yue Ting v. United States it was m...
It is supposed to be easy and serve as a transition into writing about others in second person, but there are always those who seem to draw a blank. They stare into space like they have been asked to describe a stranger. This is sad to me. One of the many responsibilities we are charged with as parents – and teachers too to some extent – is to help our children to know who they are as individuals. This is not the same as teaching them. You can’t teach them who they are the same way you can t...
Right now, in the United States Senate, the Sword of Damocles is hanging right over our heads. Keep an eye on it. Don’t let it drop and chop our heads off. It is Senate Bill 1134, labeled as the “Back the Blue Act of 2017.” It was introduced by Texas Senator John Cornyn and co-sponsored by our newly appointed Senator Luther Strange. This is a frightening piece of legislation that gives police and all other “first responders” near absolute immunity against legal action for almost any wrongdoin...
Happy 4th of July! Also known as Independence Day or July 4th, it has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941. However, the tradition of Independence Day celebrations goes back to the 18th century and the American Revolution. On July 2nd, 1776, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence and two days later delegates from the 13 colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson. From 1776 to the present day, July 4th has...
It's easy to put things off. There are so many things that we have to deal with on a daily basis that when it comes to some things that we know we need to do, we just put it off until tomorrow. The next day rolls around and we either forget that we were going to do it or we find yet another reason to put it off. That is not always a bad thing, but when it comes to important matters in our lives and the lives of our family members, then it could be devastating. One of those important matters is...
Anytime an individual or a group of people set out to accomplish an agreement that is meant to have a favorable outcome for all participants, you better be good at negotiating or you just might come out with a raw deal or even a bad deal. This is what happened to our Nation in the Paris Climate Accord. Fortunately, we now have leadership in place that has seen just what kind of deal the former administration made on our behalf which would be described by all standards, a very bad deal. In fact,...
I just returned from a 3-day trip, turned on the news and saw where 19 people have been killed at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England. Again, the sorrowful, cowardly words, “New Normal” raises its ugly head. No, I will not accept that. I won’t. I can’t. I refuse to. Anytime I go to the movies, a concert, the mall or out to dinner, I am supposed to have a reasonable expectation that I will get killed by some cretin with a grudge against the whole world? I DO NOT THINK SO!! Let me see,...
“Brother against brother” oft conjures remembrance of how a voluntary coalition of States morphed onto the forced coalition of states result observed these past several score. Mr. Trump swore his oath of office hand on the Lincoln bible to then speak of another FDR (increasing debt per capital twelve fold) type federal spending model in his inaugural address. President Trump recently asserted war between the States could’ve been avoided. Accomplished with compromise [lowering] tariffs to atten...
Patriotically and emotionally if the destruction of an American flag is done in a manner of disrespect, I would think that it should be criminal and I would say give that individual a chance to live in another country! I guess this country is so big on tolerance that about the only thing that I see as intolerant by this country is being disrespectful of minority groups (racial, ethnic, sexual orientation, religious, etc.). For me to be a southern Christian white male, proud of my heritage I...
Have you been offended today? No? Well, you’ve likely not checked social media or various news outlets to learn what is trending as the offense of the day. It seems that there is a long list of things that are supposed to offend me, but in many ways it’s just becoming tiresome chatter. As I read and learn about these issues that are now serving as “triggers” for insult, I realized that our culture seemingly exists in a state of perpetual offense and outrage at any thought, speech, or person...
In his State of the Union address in January 1964, President Lyndon Johnson declared “an unconditional war on poverty in America.” Since that time, our nation has spent trillions of dollars fighting a war it cannot win. That money has only given us welfare-dependent people who cannot see the importance of meeting their own needs. The “war on poverty” turned out to be another democrat debacle that has done nothing to eliminate poverty; in fact, there are more Americans living below the poverty...
DID YOU KNOW that right here in America, “The Land of the Free,” we have FIVE TIMES the percentage of our population in prison than the rest of the world? Of every 100,000 of our people, we have 756 locked up behind bars. This is a sharp contrast to the world average, which is only 158. And of our 50 states, Alabama has the third highest incarceration rate [after Louisiana (1) and Mississippi (2)]. Yes, the Gulag Archipelago is right here in our own back yard. Since 1977, our prison pop...
Recently, my husband, Brian, and I participated in a bible study called Freedom. What a life-giving experience it has been for both of us! "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1 Sadly, for many Christians today, they don’t have freedom. They may go to church, but they still carry burdens and guilt. God wants us to know that Jesus came so we can be free. Completely free! How about you? Y...
May 3, 2017 Well, folks, let’s put the final coup de grace to the Robert Bentley six year Governor’s reign and move on. Ole Bentley was quite a story his last two years. He had become the ringleader of a circus and an infamous national cartoon character. The salacious and lurid details of his affair with Mrs. Rebekah Mason were a never ending, titillating saga. The story, along with his picture, could aptly be a plot for a tabloid or a Soap Opera. I will actually be surprised if it does not mak...
Way back in 2010, there was a huge debate in the Montgomery Advertiser over whether the God of our Bible and the Koran’s Allah are the same deity. I bring this up now because recently I have heard the same argument raise its ugly head yet again. I knew I had written something about it then so I dug it out and have wiped away some dust from it. One thing I have never intended is for my "Robservations" column to become a Christian mouthpiece. Those of you who read my column probably know this t...
There are so many things that have affected medical treatment in the last thirty years or more. Technology has come so far and because of it we are living longer and we are paying much more for health care. Living longer means less populous generations than the Baby Boomer generation will have to pay Social Security for that group and Medicare will have to pay longer per person than they did for our grandparents or maybe great grandparents. When my grandfather had a heart attack in the 60’s a...
