The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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Hopefully we kneel in thankfulness - not in protest of our country and its heritage. May we consider the needs of others on this special day. A day which brought different cultures together to form a nation. A needed break from politics then and now! Our American Thanksgiving is uniquely our own holiday, set aside by Presidential Proclamation, the day to give thanks to our heavenly Father for His Providential care for us, and for His gracious mercy. It is a day set aside for the Family, acknowle...
World War I – known at the time as "The Great War" - officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of "the w...
With all the changes and uncertainty surrounding Alabama government in recent months, including political appointments, high level resignations, special elections, runoff elections and a host of new candidates tossing their names into the 2018 election circus, Alabamians might be relieved to know one thing remains steady and solid and many may never have heard of it – Alabama’s Silver Haired Legislature is one of Alabama’s crown jewels. This illustrious and distinguished array of Alaba...
The biggest issues that I see unfortunately occur after someone is dead when a new Will is now an impossibility. Some people will do a Will with a lawyer at some point in their life . . . . . forty years ago and never update it. An old Will that is defective in language or the kids in the Will are now grown with their own families can make the probate process considerably more difficult than it should be. The person who sees me for other estate planning that does not include a Will, I have come...
On October 1, 2017 over 500 people were injured and 58 people lost their lives when Stephen Paddock opened fire on concert goers at a country music festival in Las Vegas from his hotel room. This catastrophic event is the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. As usual, when the responses came out following the shooting, the nation was shown honesty and compassion from the right and lunacy from the left. The debate over gun control and the second amendment have long been a point of...
Did you know that more than 64,000 Americans died of a drug overdose last year? The majority of those were heroin or opioid overdoses. Our country is in the midst of a heroin and opioid epidemic, with 91 Americans dying every day from an overdose. The problem is particularly acute in Alabama, where opioid drugs are prescribed at a higher ratio than any other state in the nation. Alabama averages an alarming 1.2 opioid prescriptions per person, according to the Centers for Disease Control....
For months now, we’ve heard the term “fake news” batted around and attached to news organizations across the political spectrum. The term has been increasingly applied by President Trump as it relates to the coverage of his administration by liberal news outlets, and while conservatives have long known that the dominant mainstream media outlets were skewed to the left, are they truly culpable in an agenda of pushing propaganda under the guise of news? James O’Keefe, conservative activis...
There's a different scent in the wind on Goat Hill with Felon Hubbard in the rear view mirror. House Speaker Mac McCutcheon has shown himself a different Spirit than his predecessor he once shilled for, recently highlighted by efforts focused on reducing waste and revising our State budgeting process. More hidden from public view, some political junkies were pleased how quickly McCutcheon rebuked shady, vulgar 'political business as usual' Riley, Inc. type fundraising tactics to further signal...
Once again, so many stories, so little room to write. Sort of like a Lays potato chip, I cannot have just one. So here goes. 1. DOUG JONES FOR SENATE. In my column, I do try to remain "politics neutral" without necessarily coming out with an endorsement of any candidate. But by now, I am sure most of you know where I am coming from politically. Have any of you noticed that in Doug Jones' commercials, (two that I have seen thus far), he doesn't mention he is a Democrat? No, really, he doesn't. My...
The tragic lessons of History will be repeated if History is removed from a nation's memory, as it has been for several generations. America's Christian History was replaced by Social Studies in public schools nearly a century ago. How many adults know what sacrifice and triumph brought about our uniquely American Holiday tradition of Thanksgiving? Through brief bits of the story here, let's look at this American legacy, our own American heritage, and embrace it for a true Thanksgiving...
In the August issue of the Alabama Gazette, my column was entitled: "1st Coach to Fall". This story was about the demise of Coach Hugh Freeze at Ole Miss. The full story of the Ole Miss debacle has not been revealed, but enough was known by June to force Freeze to resign. Because of the short time left before the season started, Ole Miss officials had no time to search for a new head coach. Therefore, they did the only thing possible by naming a member if the present staff to be "Interim...
As you read this, Bow Season has already started for all of Alabama. Despite the rough weather we've had in recent weeks, I've seen quite a few deer out and about, later in the evening. So take heart, Bow Hunters; they'reout there! If setting up trail cameras is a part of your pre-season scouting efforts, they can really pay off when setting yourself up for bow hunting. While there is no such thing as a guarantee when it comes to placing a buck, you can get a fair idea of where the deer are...
Saint Francis of Assisi changed the world during his brief life, and he is still remembered worldwide today for the miracles people say God performed through him and the compassion he showed to the vulnerable -- especially poor people, sick people, and animals. The man who became known as Francis of Assisi was born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernadone in Assisi, Umbria (which is now part of Italy) around 1181 into a wealthy family. He lived a life of leisure in his youth, but he was restless, and by...
Ok, so you’ve heard me talk about the importance of life insurance and long term care insurance. But there is another type of insurance that is very important as well. If something happened to you today and you were not able to work anymore or at least for a long period of time, how would you pay your bills, buy food for your family or buy anything else needed for your family. Now, most of you might have a good six months or more worth of income saved up which could cover you or at least buy y...
After witnessing the inefficiencies and abuses of government-run programs, it is no surprise that government is grossly inept at providing adequate help to the victims of natural disasters—i.e. earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, and of course the three devastating hurricanes we have suffered this year. Disaster relief, like practically every government program, is not only inept, but is much more expensive than relief provided by the private sector via charities and volunteers. And to make m...
Anti-Bullying Campaign The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office has begun an anti-bullying campaign where we take our "Billy, the Beaver" mascot out to mentor fourth and fifth graders at local school in Montgomery County. Bullying has become a huge factor in today's society and it is up to us to change their mentality. ~~~~~~ Firearms Familiarization Course Sign up NOW for our Firearms Familiarization Course scheduled for Saturday, December 9th and learn how to protect yourself! We know that...
Mission Statement We, the professional men and women of the Autauga County Sheriff's Office, are committed to defend the Constitution of the United States and the State of Alabama. As law enforcement officers, we declare our fundamental duties to serve the community; to safeguard lives and property; and to protect the innocent, weak, and the peaceful from evil while we respect the constitutional rights of all to liberty, quality, and justice. We will fairly and diligently enforce all laws bringi...
"To be, or not to be--that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune Or to take arms against a sea of troubles" As I'm certain we are all too familiar with this famous quote from one of William Shakespeare's most beloved plays, "Hamlet", we too are faced ofttimes with a dilemma we'd rather not face. In his infamous soliloquy, Hamlet toils with the notion of whether to continue to exist or not – whether it was more noble to suffer t...
While most of the months of the year derive their names from some sort of significant or romantic root, three months of the year have no special meaning other than numerical. September gets its name from the Latin word septem, seven, October for the Latin octo, eight, and novem in Latin means nine. That's how the months of the year lined up numerically in times gone by. Unlike July, which was named for Julius Caesar, or August, which got its name from Augustus, the word November just means that...
Disability is something many people aren't faced with in a direct way. The reality is, a 20-year-old worker currently has a one-in-four chance of becoming disabled before reaching retirement age. That makes Social Security disability benefits something you should learn about and understand. One fact you should know is Social Security's definition of disability: the inability to work because of a severe condition that is expected to last for a year or end in death. Social Security disability...
Fall, with its cool dryer weather, is the ideal month to begin planting shrubs and trees. These newly planted plants can get established quicker because of the lack of stress. Stress comes in the forms of insects, mildew, fungus, plus add heat and not enough water if there is no sprinkler system. Any fertilizers applied will not last as long as when applied in the fall. And if a commercial grade fertilizer is not watered in properly, the roots can be burned. Let's articulate some good plants...
I belong to a social group called "Overseas Brats". The members were dependents of military parents stationed at military bases around the world. As a group, we get together for gatherings and reunions around the country. We share experiences about coping with living in a foreign country and coping with the different lifestyles when we came back to the United States. The members of the group are from a wide range of ages, so we compared what is was like living in, let us say Germany. Some of us...
We have all heard the Good News Bad News jokes. One of my favorites is this one: Doctor: I have good news and bad news. Patient: Tell me the good news first. Doctor: You have 24 hours to live. Patient: What!?! How can that be good news? So, What is the bad news? Doctor: I forgot to tell you yesterday! My wife, Janeese, and I went on an exploratory trip to Uganda and Kenya this past Summer with Compassion International. We learned so much about the current plight of children in various parts of...
Just to be clear, I am writing about the banana spiders found in the southeastern region of the United States. They live as far north as North Carolina and as far west as Texas. I am not referring to the banana spider of Central and South America that is venomous and will chase people. There are those who believe the banana spider arrived to our area aboard banana boats as they docked at the port of Mobile years ago. But experts claim Mobile had banana spiders long before the banana boats...
Often in the bad times our eyesight gets foggy and we fail to recognize God’s hand of blessing. We focus on the negatives and let them pull us down. At times, we may not even see any positives in our situation. But God. Yes! But God always gives blessings even though they may not be readily seen. “Praise be to the LORD, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.” Psalm 68:19 Psalm 68 is an interesting passage. It was intended to be used in worship by Israel as a song of victory and deliv...