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  • LEGALIZED GAMBLING: HAVE WE FORGOTTEN PHENIX CITY?

    Col. John Eidsmoe|Mar 1, 2024

    “They don’t have to gamble,” Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey says of gambling opponents. Perhaps not. But we all have to live with the evils gambling produces. And Alabamians should remember the lessons of Phenix City. Life Magazine described Phenix City as the “wickedest city in the United States, …everything from gambling to murder to arson to fraud.” Known as “Little Las Vegas,” between 1945 and 1954 this little town of 23,000 featured casinos, lotteries, cockfighting, and other forms o...

  • Trump Ballots: Primary Corruption & General Collusion

    John Sophocleus|Mar 1, 2024

    Reporting on Trump’s ballot access in States like Colorado and Maine prompted one loyal reader to recall a long past Gazette column about ineligible candidates on Alabama ballots; https://www.alabamagazette.com/story/2018/06/01/news/state-school-board-races-worthy-inquiry-to-secretary-merrill/1376.html. No shortage of disagreement on what constitutes ‘insurrection’ in these current State cases w.r.t. ballot access for Mr. Trump. Ineligible candidates Alabama’s Secretary of State (John Me...

  • The Invasion of the Destitutes

    John Martin|Mar 1, 2024

    Right now, America is suffering from the greatest invasion of foreigners in its entire history. Our borders are now so porous, they are utterly ineffective in keeping out many of the world’s most dangerous people. Just this past year, some three million migrants—nearly all of them penniless, destitute peasants—have poured across our southern border, overwhelming our barricades and security forces. An estimated 30 million more are still waiting in Mexico for their turns to assault it and...

  • The Northern Origins of Jim Crow

    John M Taylor|Mar 1, 2024

    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...

  • WAS THE FATHER OF OUR COUNTRY AN INCOMPETENT GENERAL?

    Col. John Eidsmoe|Feb 1, 2024

    “First in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen.” So said General Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee, speaking the eulogy of our first President whose birthday we celebrate this month. But recent polls suggest that many Americans hardly know who George Washington was, when he lived, or what he accomplished. Some even challenge his military skills, saying he was at best a mediocre tactician, lost more battles than he won, almost lost the war, and at one point was almost re...

  • Happy Birthday My Beautiful Bride: A Valentine's Day Baby!

    John Sophocleus|Feb 1, 2024

    A ‘Valentine’ themed column was requested for the February Gazette… I thought, Lord help this poor wordsmith - esp. when writing from the heart. Once again, help provided via Scriptures. I believe God answers all sincere prayers - sometimes the answer is no. Seems there’s no fool like an old fool for Christ; a moniker more obvious as my life comes to a close. Oldsters seem reluctant to share ‘University of Hard-Knocks’ education with others who may benefit, in particular our...

  • "Let the people vote!' is the pinnacle of deception.

    John W. Giles|Feb 1, 2024

    When the Alabama Legislature was feverishly pushing the gas tax hike, did you ever hear a legislator say, “Let the People Vote?” Or how about this one: “I am personally prolife, but I believe a woman has a right to choose”? The latest use of this ever-popular legislative phrase is, “I am personally opposed to the expansion of casino gambling, but let the people vote.” The phrase, “Let the People Vote,” has been in Alabama since the last lottery vote miserably failed years ago....

  • America's First Nitrogen Execution

    John Martin|Feb 1, 2024

    This past January 25, Alabama established a new milestone to implement the kindest, safest, simplest, and most practical method of execution known to man—nitrogen asphyxiation. Oklahoma was the first state to adopt this new procedure. In April 2015, Governor Mary Fallin signed a bill to allow it, and on March 14, 2018, Attorney General Mike Hunter and Corrections Director Joe M. Allbaugh approved it as the primary method of execution. In March 2018, Alabama became the third state, after...

  • Robert E. Lee: An Exemplary American

    John M Taylor|Feb 1, 2024

    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 replicatio...

  • THE BIBLE: UNDERMINED BY LIBERAL THEOLOGY

    Col. John Eidsmoe|Jan 1, 2024

    Church and State are separate kingdoms, but both are established by God upon the authority of His Word, the Bible. Christian churches have historically recognized the Bible as the inspired and authoritative Word of God, and as President Andrew Jackson said, "The Bible is the rock upon which our republic rests." But during the last two centuries, the Bible has been under unrelenting attack. Unsurprisingly, secular philosophers denounce the Bible as a collection of fables, myths, and legends loose...

  • SCOTUS: What Would Solomon Do?

    John Sophocleus|Jan 1, 2024

    Many thanks for all the wonderful correspondences on my Christmas 2021 column; Christ is Born, Glorify Him! Pleasantly surprised how many included kind inquiry on my “Tough Roe to Hoe” column [https://www.alabamagazette. com/story/2021/10/01/opinion/tough-roe-to-hoe/2231.html] evoking Solomon’s wisdom. This third king of Israel reigned circa 968-928 BC, heralded for his wise judgments. One of the more notable Solomon decisions I wanted readers to recall comes from 1 Kings 3:16-28...

  • The Threat from Hamas

    John Martin|Jan 1, 2024

    Just before dawn on Saturday morning, October 7, 2023, about 4000 people gathered in a remote part of southern Israel north of the Re'im kibbutz, about 3.7 miles east of Gaza and began celebrating the last day of the Sukkot holiday with a Supernova music festival. Organizers had promised a "journey of unity and love" with dance, music, art, and drinks. The people were happy and cheerful as they danced and prepared for the gala event. Without warning, Hamas militants arrived in motorized...

  • Robert E. Lee: An Exemplary American

    John M Taylor|Jan 1, 2024

    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 replicatio...

  • Advent and the Whimsical Nature of Christmas

    John W. Giles|Jan 1, 2024

    We know that Christmas is centered around the birth of Jesus, the Christ child, but what is it about the Christmas season that is so different from the rest of the year? Kindness seems to emerge, benevolence is more prevalent, evil thoughts take a pause, differences are often suspended, and “Merry Christmas” greetings broadcast in the market square are jubilant as if to say, “God Bless You.” It is a centuries old quest to somehow bottle the grandeur, supernatural attributes, and...

  • But no one believes Jesus was born December 25 - Do they?

    Col. John Eidsmoe|Dec 1, 2023

    That’s the way many want to celebrate Christmas today. The secularizers note that America is more diverse than it used to be, that we shouldn’t offend others, that saying “Merry Christmas” might be bad for business, and that public Christmas observances might even violate the First Amendment. Then they deliver their crowning blow: “Besides, everybody knows Jesus wasn’t born in December.” But saying “everybody knows” begs the question, as saying “all scholars agree” defines...

  • Christ is Born - Glorify Him!

    John Sophocleus|Dec 1, 2023

    This year’s Christmas column is once again intended to be at least one sobering moment in veneration of our Saviour’s birth; reaffirming the importance of standing against tyranny in this world. My devout, wholehearted prayer is all who know the Power of Jesus Christ’s teachings will take Him into their hearts this blessed season and overcome alethophobic [fear of truth] distractions and destruction by those make government(s) their god. Little surprise as more deny/reject God’s Truth,...

  • Mr. Speaker: Why Is CASINO GAMBLING Expansion A Priority?

    John W. Giles|Dec 1, 2023

    Mr. Speaker, I read with great interest and frustration the 1819 News article, “Rampant' illegal gambling in Jefferson County shows need for enforcement arm, House Speaker Ledbetter says.” In the past, advocacy for legalized gambling was all about the need for additional revenues. Now that state coffers are overflowing with surplus revenue in the General and Education Trust Funds, however, the “new message” to legalize gambling has turned into the need for a Gaming Regulatory...

  • Mill, Dickens and Southern Independence

    John M Taylor|Dec 1, 2023

    T he War for Southern Independence impacte d events worldwide. In Great Britain debates raged as to why their “American Co usins” w ere i n conflict. Two renowned Englishmen – John Stuart Mill and Charles Dickens -- sparred over this very matter. This was not their first disagreement. John Stuart Mill was a poli tica l eco nomi st, politic ian, and p hilosopher who endorsed utilitarianism, a theory that advocated maximizati on of h ap pin ess and well -being. He supp orted fre e speec h,...

  • The Legacy of Lyndon

    John Martin|Dec 1, 2023
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    In my November article about the JFK assassination and others, some people might conclude that Lyndon Johnson’s misdeeds, or at least most of them, had already been covered. After all, his assassinations alone were worthy of a dozen public executions. What more could he have done? There is much more—as Amazon would say it, “A Truckload More.” LBJ was not a nice man by any stretch. He was a heavy drinker and had no qualms about maintaining simultaneous sexual partners. He was very...

  • WHY THE PILGRIMS FORSOOK COMMUNISM AND EMBRACED FREE ENTERPRISE

    Col. John Eidsmoe|Nov 1, 2023

    We know the basic Pilgrim story: The Pilgrims crossed the Atlantic in the Mayflower to find the freedom to worship God as the Bible commands, established a colony at Plymouth, faced great hardships that took the lives of half of them the first winter, but somehow managed to survive and held a feast to thank God for bringing them through these hardships to a land of blessing. All true. But few realize that forced communal living was a major cause of the Pilgrims’ suffering. How did that...

  • Who Killed JFK?

    John Martin|Nov 1, 2023

    This month marks the 60th anniversary of the most controversial presidential assassination in American history—that of John F. Kennedy. It stands supreme in suspicions of corruption and cover-ups. In spite of tons of evidence to prove otherwise, the official historical record still claims that it was planned and performed by a lone assassin—Lee Harvey Oswald. Even today, there are still people who believe he acted alone. Evidence clearly shows that Oswald was actually a patsy to divert...

  • 25th Anniversary: Bulldozer v. M-14

    John Sophocleus|Nov 1, 2023

    Alabama Gazette’s 24th Anniversary evoked recalling a 25th anniversary. My first column submitted at the end of last century addressed Kelo type unconstitutional takings via eminent domain abuse. I’m a victim of armed robbery and one who’s exercised his 2nd Amendment civil right as intended by ’intelligent designers’ of the 1787-9 ratified Constitution. I hold more respect for the criminal who attempted pistol whipping me with a nickel plated revolver while robbing this former...

  • That Devilish Battle Hymn

    John M Taylor|Nov 1, 2023

    Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn stated: “To destroy a people, you must first sever their roots.” An example of Southerner’s historical ignorance is manifested in The Battle Hymn of the Republic, written by Unitarian “minister” Julia Ward Howe. Julia Ward was born in New York City in 1819 but spent much of her youth in Boston, Massachusetts. She was related to the affluent Astors of New York and her brother, Sam Ward, was a Wall Street financier (sometimes called “War Street” due to the...

  • The "Gift" That Keeps on Giving ~ 20th Anniversary

    John W. Giles|Nov 1, 2023

    On the heels of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe vs. Wade, ground zero for saving lives of the unborn children is taking place in approximately 72 pregnancy resource centers across the state. Post Roe Vs. Wade, the pressure at these centers has intensified. This good news is traffic has increased, yielding in saving more lives, but the interchange is soaring operating cost. Phone calls, office visits, counseling sessions, expanding office hours and demands on staff are being felt in these...

  • Seven Pillars of Conservatism

    John W. Giles|Oct 1, 2023

    If you have read any of my previous work, we talk a lot about economic, social, moral and constitutional conservatism. This level of conservatism does not happen by accident. It takes years to develop a depth in conservatism; this is why you do not want a novice Republican running for office, they will always disappoint you. One cannot wake up one day and say Republicans are winning, decide to qualify, color in the conservative squares and off you go. Very Shallow Thinking!! Let’s discuss the...

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