The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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PART 1: A Face to the War on Ukraine – A Father Flees with his Family By A. C. Beck On February 27, 2022, a citizen of Ukraine posted that he was safely at home in Odesa with his family, about 15 kilometers outside of the city, which is a seaport and the third most populated city in Ukraine. This was three days after Russia invaded Ukraine. That beautiful Sunday morning, he was fairly relaxed in his Facebook video, stating he felt that Odesa was still reasonably safe. Although a curfew was in p...
Allow me to deviate from politics to discuss an important event for our state. The World Games 2022 will place Birmingham and the entire state of Alabama squarely in the global spotlight. Believe it or not, this once-in-a-lifetime event is only a few months away with approximately 3,600 athletes from more than 100 countries and up to 500,000 visitors expected to flood Birmingham for one of the world’s largest athletic competitions. Folks, there are many questions about the World Games 2022. Is i...
Eighty years ago this month, with the stroke of a pen, President Franklin Roosevelt in Executive Order 9066 effectively relegated 120,000 Japanese Americans to internment camps. Many of these American citizens were afforded no rights to object to their removal, and there was no procedure to prove loyalty to the United States. These citizens were interned solely because of their ancestry, nothing else. In the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, there was widespread fear that the Empire of Japan might...
Here I go again with several interesting stories that have happened or are happening as I write this. Let’s face it. The world can be a disappointing place. I call this installment of Bits and Pieces, “Where in the Heck Is...?” 1. WHERE IN THE HECK IS THE U.N.? In my last Robservation, I asked a similar question. Regarding the likely Russian invasion of the Ukraine: Where is the U.N.? What are they doing? What have they said? What actions are they willing to take? As the last month has come...
Critical race theory (CRT) is an academic discipline, formulated in the 1990s, built on the intellectual framework of identity-based Marxism. Among its claims, it teaches that the color of a person’s skin is more important than as Martin Luther King exalted “the content of a person’s character.” It is antithetical to all we believe as Alabamians. In August, the Alabama State School Board passed a resolution that banned the teaching of certain concepts or tenets that promote Critical Race Th...
For many decades, our elected officials have relentlessly usurped our cherished constitution and fundamental civil rights more times than we could ever hope to count. Many of these violations are imposing severe restrictions on our right to travel and to buy, sell, own, and drive affordable vehicles to exercise that right. Beginning in the late 1960’s, “Uncle Sam” began to impose mandates on auto manufacturers to “reduce emissions” and impose more “safety.” Every year, these mandates beca...
Once upon a time, I’ve been told, students were taught ‘taxation without representation’ as a trigger in our first war for independence. Sadly, it wasn’t something stressed in my government school approved education. Thankfully enough true teachers remained to direct me toward some of the more important clauses of our Declaration and Constitution. Some classmates may also cite old textbooks stored in the back of a high-school classroom where I’d try to hide (bored in trig class, desperate...
I think that you are doing the hardest thing and the best thing for your husband and yourself by facing this right now. When our loved ones are faced with such devastating diseases it’s easier to not face it and believe they will improve. Being proactive will have you prepared. First I will advise that you visit an attorney that can assist you with estate planning. The three basic documents that your husband will need (and you) are a Last Will and Testament, Durable Power of Attorney (health a...
Advertisements for “Lincoln’s Dilemma” have been aggressively promoted. It is said to begin with the January 6, 2020, event that some call a riot and some call an “insurrection”—a so-called insurrection with no weapons, individuals walking around taking pictures and chatting with Capitol personnel, and a few mysterious instigators with seemingly nefarious intentions, e.g., Utah’s John Sullivan (connected to CNN) and Ray Epps. In similar fashion, competing views of the War Between the States ex...
The New York Times’ 1619 Project examines the impact of slavery on America. One essay contends that our economic system was built on slavery. Was America’s ascension as an economic powerhouse due to slavery? Slavery was a repugnant and evil institution. Its abolition is a sign of humanity’s moral progress. Slavery taints America’s founding and was incompatible with “all men are created equal.” Yet Emancipation took ninety years and a terrible civil war, plus another 100 years to extend the...
1. Speak to people. There is nothing as nice as a cheerful word or greeting. 2. Smile at people. It takes seventy-two muscles to frown, only fourteen to smile. 3. Call people by name. The sweetest music to anyone’s ears is the sound of his or her own name. 4. Be friendly and helpful. 5. Be cordial. Let’s speak and act as though we are grateful people. 6. Be genuinely interested in people. If we try, we can like almost everyone. 7. Be generous with praise – cautious with criticism. 8. Be consi...
When I think of the month of March, I see kite flying with colorful tails dancing in the wind, I see bright yellow daffodils bobbing their heads, and tulips bursting into bloom. I see the harbingers of spring. And what a sight to see. There are also so many wonderful scents such as the old fashion French hyacinths which return year after year at the farm planted years ago in gumbo soil. The daffodils, which multiply and come back year after year are: Mount Hood, Ice Follies, and Carlton. If you...
Technical Sergeant Christopher Laneaux (89) Technical Sergeant (TSgt) Christopher Laneaux served 21 years in the U. S. Air Force with four separate periods of voluntary service. His Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC) was Supply/Logistics. TSgt Laneaux’s service included deployments to Germany, Italy, Thailand, Turkey and an assignment in Alaska. SSGT Laneaux distinguished himself by meritorious service as a Noncommissioned Officer in Charge of Material Control Branch while assigned to the 7307th S...
“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly” – Psalm 84:11 In 433 A.D., history tells us that St. Patrick was praying for God’s divine protection in his work and ministry in Ireland while facing powerful enemies. He wrote this prayer called St. Patrick’s Breastplate, which is still widely known and recited today. God soon opened the door for him to share Christ with the Irish King Laoghaire and his subje...
The United States surgeon general has issued a report stating the negative effects social media platforms are having on mental health, especially in teens and young adults. The platforms generate feelings of loneliness and erode self-esteem. Social media has proven to offer the opposite of what the name states, allowing users to isolate while constantly comparing themselves to others. This has been exacerbated further by the pandemic. There has been a rise in suicide attempts, depression,...
The bass fishing tournaments are getting ready to start with a vengeance. Once they begin, each weekend will offer another opportunity to fish for money. All bass tournaments have pretty much the same rules. Two fishermen, one boat, and the five biggest fish by weight, win. Some men will literally come to blows in pursuing first prize. And first prize can be worth lots of money, even in the smaller tournaments. As I have said before, these types of events touch both the competitive and...
The recipes chosen for this issue were determined by the weather and age.. Last night was the coldest for the year. It is only February, so colder days could come back at anytime. Besides the weather, I wanted to continue with my theme of finding older recipes that I have ignored or how to prepare them has been lost. With all of the premade meals you can find in grocery stores and with the partial opening of restaurants, it is very easy to have a meal and not have to prepare it. And just the...