The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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Christmas CASH Giveaway - $1000 Nominations must be received by December 15th. The Alabama Gazette is happy to be presenting $100 cash to 10 deserving people! Each year, we learn about so many amazing, giving souls. Offering this cash gift is our way of recognizing these people during this season of giving! Send in your nomination letter stating why you think your friend or family member deserves $100 cash for Christmas. Please include address and phone numbers of your nominee. Winners will be...
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On the morning of the momentous November 3 Presidential Election Day, I began my day on my hometown radio station, WTBF in Troy, which has been my tradition for election days for over 30 years. As the polls began to open around 7 a.m., we began getting calls that the people were lined up for almost a mile outside of the two most populous voting locations in Pike County. Then, I started getting texts that a good many of the Republican boxes in major North Alabama cities had people waiting in...
Around Labor Day when this year’s presidential campaign was beginning to heat up, I wrote a column about the classic 1960 presidential contest between John Kennedy and Richard Nixon. This pivotal presidential race marked the beginning of television as the premier political medium. The first televised presidential debate that year was the turning point of that campaign. Kennedy won the Whitehouse with his performance or as some would say, Nixon lost by his appearance on TV that fateful night i...
Little has changed since earlier appellate cases and one will note slight subjective language in the subsequent decisions. These cases have arisen using the Establishment Clause of the Constitution of the United States to back up the adverse claims of individuals or groups in what they perceive as being unconstitutional. The Establishment Clause is a part of the First Amendment and reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,” followed by the Free Exercise C...
I have to admit one thing. As I look back at my Air Force career, I have had the honor and pleasure working with some of the most honorable, intelligent and patriotic men and women you can imagine. I will tell anyone that if I could handpick my team of 10 veterans and debate just about any other group of equal numbers in areas of national security, military necessity, homeland security and the like, we would crush all challengers. I honestly believe this. I say this because the group of men and...
Having studied Southern History for the last thirty plus years, I understand why certain types of people dislike Robert Edward Lee. Lee represented the best of American society. He was a devout Christian (Episcopalian) American patriot with an incredible family history; he loved his kinsmen and friends and constantly referenced duty as the most sublime word in the English language. One of Lee’s contemporaries was John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton, aka Lord Acton, of English and German l...
Four years ago, in November 2016, we Americans elected a president who has out-performed all others within the last 50 years. Donald John Trump has fought the deep state like no other in recent history. But fighting it has taken a terrible toll. The Deep-Staters have imposed numerous roadblocks, including frivolous impeachment proceedings, to block his efforts to drain their swamp. There is no argument that they passionately hate him and are willing to take any desperate measures imaginable to...
Doubtful I’m alone considering 2020 one of the worst years endured in recent memory. I type this year’s Alabama Gazette Christmas column with very heavy hands knowing it will be the first without William “Bill” Grant in the mix; an integral part of establishing this wonderful paper 21 years ago. Those who recall past Christmas writings know I consider the Grants a “Bailey Family” in Montgomery similar to the classic story and Spirit of Bedford Falls. Jimmy Stewart (George Bailey) and Donna R...
“The grass fades and the flower withers, but the word of our God stands forever.” During the Ten Commandments battle here in Alabama, this was one of my favorite scriptures to publicly quote as we struggled to keep the monument in the Alabama Judicial Building. The U.S. Constitution is not even a hint equal to the Bible, but, the founding fathers in their immeasurable wisdom, had full intent for the constitution to be strong as titanium standing against every passing fad, whim, wind and doc...
Joe Biden has won the presidential election, although President Trump alleges fraud. Mr. Trump, however, has not yet offered credible evidence of fraud. The current controversy involves “vote harvesting” and raises questions about the effect of selling votes. Vote harvesting involves individuals collecting mail-in ballots from voters. Clearly persons with limited mobility should receive assistance in voting, which relatives, legal guardians, and election officials can generally provide. Harvesti...
With so much news to absorb in recent months, it has been easy to overlook the continuing small business crisis in our state. While we have been preoccupied by the mounting Coronavirus cases and deaths, soaring unemployment, unprecedented political turmoil, thousands of Alabama small businesses have been teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. This is not their fault. They were ordered to close their doors. These businesses employ more than half of all Alabamians and are major drivers of our...
The Enduring Legacy of Margaret Thatcher Thirty years ago, [the week of November 23rd], the longest serving British prime minister of the 20th century resigned. Margaret Thatcher, having governed since 1979, saw her leadership challenged, but rather than continue to fight, she was gaslighted into believing she was losing her grip on her party and would lose her office in an embarrassing vote. None of that was true. In fact, the very men who rode to leadership positions on her coattails and hid...
In this season of Giving, may you discover that Generosity is Good for You! Generous people discover something about giving that selfish people will never understand. What is it you may ask? Generous people discover 7 reasons why generosity is good for you: 1) It guarantees that your priorities are served. Think about it – you can’t always spend your time on your priorities, but your gifts can see to it that the work you deeply believe in goes on. 2) It breaks the hold of selfishness. In every o...
Brig Gen Lawrence H. Stevenson: Age 73 Brig Gen Lawrence H. Stevenson serviced 30 years in the United States Air Force. He served as the Vice Commander, Warner-Robins Air Logistics Center, Robins Air Force Base, GA. In this position, General Stevenson was responsible for worldwide logistics support of most transport aircraft, F-15 fighters, support for remotely piloted vehicles, all Air Force helicopters, air-to-air missiles, surface motor vehicles, high-technology airborne electronics, as well...
Last month I said that by the time you read the November article we may or may not know who is going to be the President of the United States. It is still a matter of discussion, but it looks like we will know who it is by the time you read this article. The topic of discussion I hear mostly is that will this year never end! I think that we are ready to start a new year that is less stressful, less unknowing, and less chaotic. If you noticed the Christmas decorations and gifts were for sell in...
In this unsettling age of COVID we needed this game, and with the season unfolding in the pandemic era, this is the only game that mattered. You simply could not have imagined a scene like the one we witnessed on November 28, 2020. The stadium at Bryant Denny sparsely populated, neither band nor cheerleaders. And no head coach on the field for the Crimson tide. Coach Saban quarantined at home, not able to coach the Tide. The most highly contested of all football rivalries with only a few fans...
Christmas has always been such a joyful time of the year, and let's make this year even more joyful in spite of Covid restrictions. T'is the season for bright decorations, merry Christmas trees, poinsettias, forced amaryllis and daffodil bulbs, along with Christmas carols of the past. Even if there are fewer in attendance at our homes for Christmas this year, we can always make the best of this odd situation. If you have time on your hands, start making homemade cookies, fudge, bundt cakes with...
I grew up in the 1970s and 80s, and it was not a time when self-esteem was widely recognized as being terribly important. We did not all get trophies. We were not all winners. I don’t remember any standout losers either. Some of us tried harder and some of us were more talented or had more ability, some of us practiced more and improved out skills, some people could have cared less. We had one ole boy in high school that could sing pretty good, and we had another that went on to play s...
Merry Christmas, Everyone! Remember the song “O Holy Night” – A thrill of hope; the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn. Does Christmas thrill you? Children get excited at the coming of the season and often we might feel a bit of a charge through experiencing their amazement. However, planning the party, trimming the tree, maxing out the credit card, wrapping, shipping, traveling can often rob us from knowing the wonder for ourselves. And that's assuming we aren'...