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  • For this reason I take a knee

    John Sophocleus|Sep 1, 2020

    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...

  • Part Two: For this reason I take a knee...

    John Sophocleus|Aug 1, 2020

    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...

  • Part one: For this reason I take a knee...

    John Sophocleus|Jul 1, 2020

    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 Great Bailout: struggling to our next abnormalcy

    John Sophocleus|Jun 1, 2020

    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...

  • Blessed With Many Fathers

    John Sophocleus|May 1, 2020

    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...

  • October 1929 v. October 1987 Black Mondays: a tale of two crashes

    John Sophocleus|Apr 1, 2020

    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...

  • What's New Hypocrat? Time to Abolish Parties in the 'Age of Impeachment'

    John Sophocleus|Mar 1, 2020

    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...

  • Amendment One: 2020 Vision

    John Sophocleus|Feb 1, 2020

    Just as the Republocrats $1.2 billion Amendment One [2003] proposal of significant increases for individual income tax payers, the sales tax, property tax, cigarette tax, corporate income tax, etc. FAILED 2 to 1 (defeating the Hubbard/Riley full court press) on a GENERAL election ballot, we now have the next iteration of an Amendment One boondoggle before us on the March 3rd primary. Pray we have better “2020” vision on why this is placed on primary ballots looking in the rear view mirror of...

  • Doing the County's Bidding; Malice in Hubbardland spirit still alive and well in Lee County…

    John Sophocleus|Jan 1, 2020

    Two Lee county officials were bound by law and contract documents to procure bid proposals before spending taxpayer money. Records show one manager was not protected for her actions; the other was protected and lauded for his admitted wrongdoing. This familiar “tale of two bureaucrats” in a county believing in Mike Hubbard is as follows… One county manager was placed on administrative leave with pay, brought before a County Commission executive session, tendered a resignation and received sever...

  • Mary & Joseph: UNplanned Parenthood 33BC

    John Sophocleus|Dec 1, 2019

    Most Gazette readers require no reminder of the ‘unplanned’ (in this world) birth we venerate each Christmas. Some may recall a similarly titled 2015 Christmas column years ago. After accusation of over-emphasis upon the ‘tax-terror kings’ part of the story - i.e., the cruel tax Caesar Augustus levied coercing Mary and Joseph’s travail to Bethlehem -- I’ll focus on the righteous example of this brave union in God’s love who brought Jesus into this world some two thousand years ago. I nonetheless...

  • A Coward Dies a Thousand Deaths: I wish it were so few…

    John Sophocleus|Nov 1, 2019

    This month is the ten year anniversary of submitting my first Alabama Gazette column. It addressed eminent domain abuse; the infamous Kelo decision in the US Supreme Court and more specifically making a case for reparations to those like Mr. Williams (oft black landowners with insurmountable impediments to defend themselves in corrupt courts) who suffered wrongful takings in Alabama. Reflecting back it has been a ‘roller-coaster’ of highs/lows at our federal, local and State governments thi...

  • The AU Horror Picture Show: Bride of Felonstein meets YellaGrubbear

    John Sophocleus|Oct 1, 2019

    Recent ‘rocky’ times at Auburn University display a cult horror picture show on how ‘warped’ private interests extract wealth from students and taxpayers. No surprise to frequent readers of this column how AU gave rise to felon Mike Hubbard, who perfected ‘The Art of the Steal’ of using governments for personal gain in Alabama. Bobby Lowder mentored Felon Hubbard in the dark arts when Hubbard began in AU Athletics having just ‘grifted’ in from the Georgia jock adulation scene. The ‘plot sicke...

  • I'm a God Supremacist

    John Sophocleus|Sep 1, 2019

    There, I've said it. Perhaps I’m a little giddy penning my first column in retirement. More likely as the so-called ‘Cold Civil War’ gets hotter, I recall those of Antonin Scalia’s Spirit, intellect and understanding on issues of supremacy, sovereignty, power and authority. Witnessing Justice Scalia’s courage to be a more explicit fool for Christ helps, given his station and “originalist” reasoning. Long time, regular readers of my column will not find this opening surprising. A decade ago, w...

  • Steven 'Crash' Leath Hits The Silk Like A Good Auburn Man

    John Sophocleus|Aug 1, 2019

    I painfully witnessed ‘unonimous’ [sic] installation of Leath as AU’s 19th President at the University Ballroom March 20th 2017; it was a sound forecast he would “crash and burn” if/when sabotaging the gains of President Gogue’s stewardship. AU’s Board of Trustees [BoT] unanimously selected Steven ‘Crash’ Leath after a six-month national ‘search’ which provided little on how it was conducted. Eerily similar to our Lee County Commission Chair who correctly misspoke affirming something p...

  • Resting Under the Shade of the Trees..William George "Bill" Anthony 21 September 1944 – 1 June 2019

    John Sophocleus|Jul 1, 2019

    Dixie lost a great patriot of Southern heritage and longtime champion of our Southern way of life. Many in the Sons of Confederate Veterans [SCV] Alabama Division and small government activists at large likened it to losing a modern Stonewall Jackson, similarly difficult to replace as the 1863 General. William George “Bill” Anthony, a Kentucky boy whose roots harken back to the Commonwealth of Virginia and shores of Greece, has crossed over the river, no longer among the living on the attenuatin...

  • US 280 and College Avenue: 20 years of devastation…

    John Sophocleus|Jun 1, 2019

    Another horrific crash at this infamous “T” of US 280 & AL 147 has many decent folks angry again and our corrupt county commissioners running for cover. It broke my heart to once again see a medical helicopter taking off from the intersection to rush another terribly injured member of the Auburn Family to the trauma centers in Columbus. The course of this deadly result was set over two decades ago. Long before land (used as a rest area until widening) was wisely acquired by more economically eff...

  • Sen. Ward Kudos and APAEP in our Prison Crisis Debate

    John Sophocleus|May 1, 2019

    Kudos to Sen. Cam Ward [R-Alabaster] head of the Senate Judiciary Committee blocking the ethics bill proposed by Marsh and Albritton. Reported dead in Ward’s committee by Bill Britt [APR 4/18/19] who wrote, “However, since then, the pair have continued to lobby Republican caucus members to climb on board with the measure. Albritton is even suggesting that he and Marsh go around the Judiciary Committee to get the bill to the Senate floor” to circumvent the usual process. Amazing to watch polit...

  • Passed Gas Tax - more Goat Hill flatulence…

    John Sophocleus|Apr 1, 2019

    Gov. Ivey and our Goat Hill legislators ‘passed the gas’ tax to fuel a more over-built/unsustainable road system in Alabama. Pray for our posterity and those of limited means weathering the next contraction after our current bubble pops. No doubt our low class, high end political prostitutes will prosper as usual. Montgomery has not generated such loud, foul flatulence since all the Republocrat rhetoric following the 14% special election turnout result (49 days before a general election) to rob...

  • What Shall it Profit Apparatchiks to Win Rigged Elections and Lose their Souls?

    John Sophocleus|Mar 1, 2019

    As designed, the $80,000 rigged special election on February 19 tax votes in Lee County proffered low (3.6%) turnout results similar to convicted felon Hubbard’s $3 million wasted on our 2012 Statewide special election sham result (14% turnout 49 days before a general election) to rob the ETF back in 2012 and 4.5% turnout to get the last Lee County sales tax to pass after failing twice on a general election. I’m confident most of my readers are familiar with Mark 8:36-38 (KJV) scripture the tit...

  • "Malice in Hubbardland" (cont.) Signs, chief swapping & special election abuse

    John Sophocleus|Feb 1, 2019

    “I don't like the looks of it,' said the King: 'however, it may kiss my hand, if it likes.' 'I'd rather not,' the Cat remarked.” The King and the Cheshire Cat, Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. Forgive the length of my last column, much to write about in retrospect and on the continuing malice ‘public servant’ Hubbard put in place and orchestrates in our State. First, many thanks for all the comments - as usual ‘nastygrams’ tend to be more entertaining than the kudos. Second, I had absolutel...

  • "Malice in Hubbardland"

    John Sophocleus|Jan 1, 2019

    “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?" "That depends a good deal on where you want to get to." Alice and The Cheshire Cat, Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. During this Thanksgiving/Christmas I donned the best mask I could muster to hide thoughts on this 20th Anniversary of being made homeless by our federal government in symphony with some of our most corrupt State politburo members. The M-14 episode twenty years ago provided more evidence of the calculated m...

  • Eminent Domain

    John Martin|Jan 1, 2019

    Eminent Domain is defined as the power of government to condemn private property for public use—provided that “just compensation” is provided to the owners as payment for suitable and fair replacements. In our nation’s history, seizures were often done for needed public projects. Compensation normally covered more than a property’s market value; it also had to include all other expenses suffered by the owners. An owner’s losses must be fully compensated and restored before a settlement can be co...

  • The Scourge of 'Straight Ticketers'

    John Sophocleus|Dec 1, 2018

    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 will be among the last of seven States still suffering this practice when Texas (increasingly more a ‘battleground’ State) abolishes it for the 2020 election cycle. Texas will become the 15th State since 1994 to end this scourge, r...

  • Giggin' for Dollars in Opelika as forecasted: OPS they did it AGAIN!

    John Sophocleus|Nov 1, 2018

    How do you make $14 million as the first Gig City in Alabama? Spend about $60 million... Some readers may recall last November's piece entitled, "Giggin' for Dollars in Opelika: Scent of a Birmingham Sewer?" Few columns have generated more nastygrams from politburo types and other lotharios of leviathan in Alabama. The Hubbard 'spin machine' is in overdrive with the 'fire sale' of Fuller's Folly as one of our most notable local corruption fighters dubbed the endeavour. Inveigled as a tremendous...

  • "Peoples' Paper" 19th Anniversary May God Grant the Alabama Gazette many more years!

    John Sophocleus|Oct 1, 2018

    Empty screen before me once again, hands at the keyboard [see Mark 9:43-47 below] contemplating what to address for this month’s column... • The ray of hope for corrupt politicians upon reversal of Felon Hubbard’s 5th count of the twelve jury convictions? • The adulation of McCain? Boycott gubernatorial race voting to reduce signature requirements in our ballot access restricted State? • The Anita Hill DC flashback? • Explain the deleterious history of Nazis to those who are too blind/ignor...

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