The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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Deborah Love, Executive Director, Eagle Forum of Alabama In the wake of the terror attack this weekend in Orlando, our hearts go out to the family and friends who lost their loved ones. Our prayers and thoughts will continue to remain with those injured as well as their family and friends. The facts show that this was an act of terrorism, an act of intolerance and an act of disgusting violence. What should unite all of us all no matter what our perspectives or backgrounds may be is our deep...
I am admittedly frustrated as I write this (these) Robservation(s). This first part is something I wrote over 3 years ago in February 2013. It is still relevant and after the Orlando shootings and the new calls for more gun control, I felt compelled to readdress this with an earlier Robservation and follow up with a more current assessment of the gun control debate. As a rule of thumb, I know that you should never write when you are angry. I kinda broke that rule with part 2. I apologize in...
Of course I had to. I had absolutely no choice in the matter. After the killings in Orlando, my government went out of its way once again to show that they are in fact the real JV team on the field of play right now. Literally, and you cannot make this crap up. The 49 bodies of those slain in the nightclub were still on the floor, their cell phones ringing from the calls of loved ones that would never get an answer, and our President was on national television blaming guns and calling for more...
Years ago, D. James Kennedy sent me a book which he had published through Coral Ridge Ministries, by this title. He had made a passionate search of particular sermons preached throughout New England by virtually all the ministers of the period, from the 1700s through the period of the American Revolution and beyond. They were titled Election Sermons and Artillery Sermons. Of all the sermons preached in those early pulpits, these were the sermons that were printed out and most widely distributed...
Romans 2:5-9 [KJV] "But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that...
The older you get the more you realize that old adages you heard as a child are true. There is a political maxim that says, “power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” It could very aptly be applied to the Mike Hubbard saga. Mike Hubbard was born and raised in north Georgia. He went to college at the University of Georgia and majored in journalism and landed a job in the Bulldog Sports Information Department. About that time an amazing athlete came from rural Georgia to play foo...
It may not be so well-known or prevalent down here, but when it comes to measuring up just how big and bad that buck you downed is, the go-to system for trophy hunters everywhere is the Boone and Crockett guideline. It’s a pretty darned detailed method for determining just how good that rack is on your buck! It requires a ¼ inch wide flexible steel tape in order to be up to snuff. After counting points, measuring beams, and a whole lot of other things, you can calculate just how many points yo...
By DAVID K. NELSON, Supervising Wildlife Biologist, Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries and DR. M. KEITH CAUSEY, Ireland Professor of Wildlife Science, Auburn University, Retired "This article was published in the Spring of 2001 in "Alabama's TREASURED Forests" True wild pigs are not native to Alabama or the New World. Wild swine in North and South America, which may include European wild hogs, feral hogs and hybrids between the two have been introduced. Pigs were domesticated...
In December, 2014, my column was devoted to the concept of certain college football teams moving their NCAA classification from Division IAA to Division I. The reasons that these schools make this move is based on a false premise that by playing the "Big Boys" it will bring them prestige, thereby attracting more students from more locations in the country. This is not a totally incorrect theory because the names of these former IAA teams will be in the news more. This could possibly attract some...
This will be my final article for the Alabama Gazette. As I compose it, my mind goes back to the hot August day 3 years ago when I first visited with Loretta Grant to propose this series of articles. I had grown up in Macon County, chosen law as a profession and watched tumultuous changes that had been wrought by law. I had deliberately chosen to stay close to a primary site of those changes. I had served as a circuit judge for 18 years. It had been a great learning experience. I felt burdened...
It won’t be long before we get into football season, and “Roll Tide” and “War Eagle” will be screamed across Alabama and surrounding states to root for our teams. It is a tradition of tailgating, get-togethers, and… ticket “scalping.” It is a known fact that our universities make big bucks with their sports. If anyone wants proof, he should have a look at the Alabama and Auburn campuses and note the numerous fancy buildings and facilities that have mushroomed everywhere. Parts of the Tuscaloo...
I am as truly horrified as you over the senseless killing of others especially when it involves random attacks on multiple people. However, there are several arguments against tighter gun restrictions, plus being unconstitutional. First lets put it in perspective; murder by gun this year over 5,200. Yep, that’s a lot. This year for alcohol caused deaths it is over 45,000 and drunk driving over 15,500. Is it the alcohol that makes someone pick it up and drink it? There would be over 60,000 p...
Christian recording artist TobyMac released a song several years ago titled “Lose My Soul.”* As our state deals with yet another political corruption conviction, I can’t help but be of the opinion that some of our elected public servants would be wise to consider the words of the song and particularly the chorus. “I don’t want to gain the whole world and lose my soul.” In these days and weeks following the conviction of former Alabama Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard, I want to hope and believe...
Child Abuse- Child abuse can result from physical, emotional, or sexual harm; it can even result from neglect. There are multiple causes and connections which can contribute to child abuse such as alcoholism, substance abuse, anger issues, and poverty just to name a few. But child abuse has no limits--it affects all strata of life. It does not see or care about who you are, where you come from, or where you have been. Studies show that one in eight boys and one in four girls are sexually abused...
When I was in the third grade, I raised my hand one day and asked the teacher for permission to "go to the bathroom." She nodded, and I hurried down the hall to the door designated "Boys." When I had relieved myself, I headed back in the direction of my homeroom. As bad luck would have it, the doors in the hallway all looked alike, and I opened the wrong one. Two second-grade girls were standing there with their mouths open in disbelief. Then they both screamed and pointed at me. The loudest...
On May 20, 2016 the Fountain City Lodge 22 held the Annual Memorial Service on the Autauga County Courthouse lawn. Speakers for the event included, Lodge President Tom Allen, Mayor Bill Gillespie, Police Chief Mark Thompson, Sheriff Joe Sedinger, ADA Jessica Sanders, Prosecutor Brad Ekdahl, Captain Tom Allen (ACSO), and Lodge Chaplin Donnie Walker. Taps was performed by a member of the Millbrook PD Honor Guard. At the conclusion of the memorial service, the family of fallen deputy William Troy...
We encourage you to stay indoors as much as possible and check on those loved ones to make sure that are ok with such high temperatures! Fishing Rodeos We would also like to thank everyone for the enormous response to our annual Kids Fishing Rodeo we had back on Saturday, June 18th. As I always say, it's up to an adult to set the example early in order to have a positive outcome which is why I focus on programs that cater to our youth. During the month of September, we will our Senior Fishing...
There are a number of times each week that our Deputies are asked about proper procedures regarding evictions and small claim suits. This article will attempt to clarify and simplify the laws concerning “the way to recover monies or property in a small claims suit.” Next months we will address evictions. If a person has reached the age of 19 a “claim” may be held in the Circuit Clerk’s office of the Elmore County Judicial Building located at 8935 U.S. Highway 231 in Wetumpka. If this person is s...
As the temperatures continue to rise, so does the excitement for all of the upcoming events and programs happening here in Wetumpka. We have just been selected as a designated Main Street Community which will work with all of our downtown businesses to enhance downtown and business growth. The positive comments on Main Street have been overwhelming. We appreciate the buy-in we have received from not only the downtown businesses but the entire community. Positive steps like Main Street and the...
I am sitting in the kitchen, looking outside and wondering how hot is. It doesn’t make any difference. I know it’s hot. My phone says its 97 and feels like 101. It is time to water my garden. I have to water much more than I did just two weeks ago. The plants are larger and require more water and it’s hotter than it was two weeks ago. I need more water! The tomatoes, basil, and blueberries need a good amount of water. The Carolina Reapers, the Ghost Peppers along with the Habaneros, Jalap...
I do not know about you, but the Zika virus has me nervous. And the first thing I want to do is to fumigate my yard, besides emptying any and all standing water. This means for me that I have to check after my sprinkler system comes on daily for water that may have collected in magnolia leaves and other receptacles. I was reading an article published in a gardening magazine, that we should be very careful when spraying insecticides in our urban yards. The United Sates bee populations have...
Your first job is a landmark occasion. You’re meeting new people, making professional connections, and probably cashing that first paycheck. You might be a little surprised when you see a portion of your earnings go to a tax called “FICA” for the Federal Insurance Contributions Act. This deduction goes to Social Security and is your way of helping us secure your today and tomorrow. It’s our job to keep the safety net of Social Security strong through your incremental contributions. Underst...
On June 23, residents at Elmcroft at Halcyon, one of Montgomery's assisted living facilities, learned that one out of three senior citizens falls each year. A troublesome fact that, but one that may be greater than what is on the books. Many seniors who experience falls tend not to bother their family physician, for one reason or another. This, and other facts relative to falling, were shared with the residents by Delane Richardson, one of the Central Alabama Aging Consortium's team of experts...
America is at a crossroads again. We are watching the system designed by our forefathers in the Constitution strained like never before. Instead of choosing between good and better in leadership, we find ourselves bitterly divided so that compromise to find the best direction for the country whoever is elected this fall as President seems unlikely, if not impossible. The same kind of unrivaled partisanship filters down through both houses of Congress and the Supreme Court where the choices boil...
I vaguely remember the high school dating scene with multiple cases of “going steady” and break-ups. Some of these on-again, off-again relationships were hard to keep up with since they were on-again today and off-again tomorrow! Sometimes the break-up would be a note passed in class, or a tense telephone call. Break-ups were always hard to do, as Neil Sedaka used to sing. I heard on the news lately about a new break-up service for those too timid to do it themselves. For a fee the service will...