The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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This is a big election year in Alabama. All of our constitutional offices are up for election on May 19, 2026, and the races have begun. Included in the cavalcade are Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Agriculture Commissioner, State Treasurer, Secretary of State, and State Auditor. All of our statewide elected officials are Republicans, and all will be after the dust settles next year. We are a one-party state when it comes to statewide offices. Our legislature, House and Senate, are...
The morning of September 11, 2001, started like any other Tuesday. People were heading to work, children were in school, and the sky was a clear, brilliant blue. But by the end of the day, the world had irrevocably changed. The coordinated terrorist attacks on the United States, carried out by 19 al-Qaeda hijackers, left an indelible mark on the nation and the world. Remembering 9/11 isn't just about recalling a tragic event; it's about honoring the victims, understanding the global shifts that...
Oftentimes. we get confused with the idea of “it's all part of God's plan” and “God has a plan for it all”. There is a big difference between these two statements. If everything that happens, every tragedy, every heartbreak, every trauma. was simply just all part of God's plan”, then how would we cope with the fact that God is a loving and good and just God? Because if it was His plan, then why didn't He stop it or why didn't He intervene? Why did I have to go through it? And I think a lot of...
“From the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli…” Most of us know why the Marine Hymn speaks of the halls of Montezuma. It refers to the Mexican War (1846-48) in which the Marine and other American soldiers, led by General Winfield Scott fought a fierce battle from Vera Cruz to Mexico City and stormed Chapultepec Castle. But what about the shores of Tripoli? That’s another story. It goes back nearly 1,400 years to the beginning of Muslim Jihad, but let’s start with 1785. Thomas Jefferson...
With fall definitely in the air, it is time for football games, taking short trips to view the fall colorful leaves, and cooling off from the brutal heat from the summer. And whether you are an Auburn fan or an Alabama fan, Saturdays will be game day for the season. It is amazing how much of our scheduling in the South centers around football games. So for much of you, ROLL TIDE and WAR EAGLE. In assessing my garden outcomes, the extreme heat and lack of rain did a number on our flowers, trees,...
Miranda rights rise out of a 1966, United States Supreme Court case of Miranda v. Arizona. In March of 1963, Ernesto Miranda was arrested for the kidnapping and rape of an eighteen-year-old girl. At that time, Miranda was twenty- three years old, was indigent and his educational accomplishment was only as high as one half of the ninth grade. He was examined by a medical doctor who both said he had an emotional illness, of the schizophrenic type but also said he was alert, intelligent within...
Since President Trump took charge, the nation’s capital is already changing, shopkeepers are standing taller, criminals are on notice, and Attorney General Pam Bondi is proving that law and order can be restored where weak liberal leadership failed. Since President Trump took over, in a matter of days things have already changed in Washington, D.C. Let’s be honest, before Trump stepped in, our nation’s capital had become more dangerous than ever. Each trip I made in recent years was worse than...
Every passing year, our automobile engineers continue to fail miserably in their production of quality products. In their efforts to build bling, style, and needless options, they are neglecting the basic essentials—durability, dependability, economy, and most of all—SIMPLICITY. That means easy to build, easy and inexpensive to repair, and the ABSENSE of gimmicks that tend to disrupt basic functions. Among the most neglected car parts are the BUMPERS. Like their names imply, their purpose is...
Preparation for deer season is in full swing. Just check out any of your favorite groups or people on social media and you’ll see that we’re all doing the same thing. Checking stands and cameras. Making food plots. Shooting bows and guns. Gathering clothes, boots, and other gear. It’s all happening right now. In some places the season will open in a few days. In others, it’s just around the corner. And nothing brings a greater sense of peace than being prepared before the season gets here. The r...
Most of my readers will recall Elkanah Tisdale’s iconic political cartoon evoking "Gerrymander" nomenclature for Massachusetts’ redistricted manipulations following the 1810 census. A July 18, 2024 post by Neely Tucker [https://blogs.loc.gov/loc/2024/07/gerrymandering-the-origin-story/] featured former chief of the Rare Book & Special Collections Division guest, Mark Dimunation. He offered the following on gerrymandering which has become part of our lexicon these past two centuries: “The term,...
“You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” -Jesus, John 8:32 “I am the way, the truth and the life.” - Jesus, John 14:6 The Apostle Paul states, “ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth.” -1 Corinthians 13:6 “No legacy is so rich as honesty” - William Shakespeare “Rather than love, than money,than fame, give me truth.” - Henry David Thoreau When we tell the truth, we live as our Creator intended for us to live and as God has commanded us to live. “You must not...
I wrote this Robservation almost 20-years-ago for another newspaper. How things have not changed. Actually, they have gotten worse. After the summer of mass migration in 2015, the entire Western world has been turned on its head. All you have to do is go to YouTube and search for the dozens and dozens of protests that are breaking out all around the world because of the mass migration and countries allowing immigrants in who either have no desire to assimilate into their new culture or in many...
Although not an “abolitionist” in the strict sense, Abraham Lincoln opposed the expansion of slavery. Lincoln’s view was common within the Republican Party. Abolitionists were generally despised in both North and South--many would be considered radical even by today’s abysmal moral standards. Abolitionists, e.g., Wendell Phillips and Lysander Spooner routinely criticized Lincoln for his tepid anti-slavery views. Lincoln’s focus was on maintaining the geographical Union--slavery was a secondary...
World War II ended 80 years ago. But, before any peace dividend could be paid or the euphoria fully experienced, the Cold War started. Victory in the total defeat of the Third Reich and the Empire of Japan failed to usher in a new world order for peace, prosperity or universal rights. To the Russians, the defeat of the Nazis was not an end, but an opportunity to assert itself and insert an ideology that used peace as an opportunity for conquest. This shocked many in the West who believed Stalin...
WASHINGTON – Today,U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) released a video honoring U.S. Coast Guard Captain George Krietemeyer as the August “Veteran of the Month.” Excerpts from Sen. Tuberville’s remarks can be found below, and complete remarks can be found here. “When natural disasters strike, you can always count on the United States Coast Guard. This month, the Guard celebrates 235 years of excellence and life-saving emergency missions. And that’s because of heroes like Captain George Krietem...
Col Charles A. Bonasera served 37 years in the AL Army National Guard. His Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) included: (1) Military Police Officer, (2) Quartermaster Officer, (3) Infantry Officer and (3) Aviation Officer. He received the following medals, decorations, badges, commendations, citations and campaign ribbons: Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with one Bronze Oak Leaf, Army Commendation Ribbon with One Oak Leaf, Army Achievement Ribbon, National Guard...
Chief Master Sergeant Zacchaeus Buckner served 24 years in the U. S. Air Force. His Air Force Service Code included Supply Manager for one year and 11 months, Supply Management Superintendent for six years and 10 months and Inventory Management Supervisor for 15 years and four months. CMSgt Buckner received the following decorations, medals, badges, citations and campaign ribbons: Meritorious Service Medal with one Device, Air Force Commendation Medal with one Device, Air Force Outstanding Unit...
Staff Sergeant Drew Donis Lufkin served 15 years in the U.S. military including six years in the Army Reserve and nine years on active duty in the Army. His Military Operation Specialty (MOS) was Infantryman eight years and five months and Counterintelligence Agent for four years and five months. His decorations, medals, badges, citations and campaign ribbons awarded included Afghanistan Campaign Medal with three Campaign Stars, Army Achievement Medal, USA/USAF Presidential Unit Citation, Army...
Col Hugh David McCracken Jr. October 27, 1935 to August 18, 2025 He served 28 years in the U.S. Air Force. His article was published in the June 2021 issue of the Alabama Gazette....
The POW/MIA Recognition Day will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, September 20, 2025 at the Alabama State Capitol South Lawn, 600 Dexter Avenue, Montgomery, AL 36130. National POW/MIA Recognition Day is an annual observance in the United States dedicated to honoring and remembering the sacrifices of American service members who were prisoners of war (POWs) and those who are still missing in action (MIA). This day serves as a reminder of the nation’s commitment to accounting for every s...
Operation ReConnect is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded, operated and managed by current and former service-members with one simplistic Mission: “To provide the ‘GIFT OF TIME’ to the men, women and their families who have dealt with the difficulties from an overseas Combat Deployment.” The mission is executed by providing Post 9/11 combat veterans and their families with a full seven nights of uninterrupted time together in a resort environment typically located in coastal Alabama...
The Montgomery Military and Veterans Affairs Commission is partnering with the AL Department of Veterans Affairs to honor and remember veterans who lost their lives to suicide. The campaign features a powerful display of American flags at Rotary Park behind Montgomery City Hall on Tuesday, September 2, 2025. The flag laying ceremony will take place at 2:00 p.m., and parking is available in the Municipal parking garage behind City Hall. Veterans and the public are invited to attend this special...
Robert Clifton Fell……….. September 4th Robert E. Dinsmore……… September 5th Robert Wesley Marcus…..September 6th George A. Hill…………….. September 11th Eddie Digby Compton……September 12th Charles A. Bonasera…….. September 13th Thomas Leon Harrell……. September 17th James Earl Jackson……... September 17th John Lakeos……………… September 18th Kent Stephen Kline…….… September 21st Douglas S. Catchings…….September 23rd Roy Franklin Stephens…...September 27th...
Hope Hull Eyes Incorporation: A Historic Crossroads Prepares for Civic Identity Hope Hull, AL — August 2025 Residents of Hope Hull, a historic community just south of Montgomery, are exploring the possibility of formal incorporation—a move that could reshape local governance, infrastructure planning, and economic development in southern Montgomery County. The push for township status comes amid growing interest in preserving Hope Hull’s identity while managing the pressures of industrial expansion and suburban growth. A recent WSFA repor...
