CeeTee's Journal

2011-07-11T07:32:00.000-05:00

Some of you said you don't think Alabama's immigration bill is racist. What happens if they pull you over in Alabama for giving a ride to a child with darker skin, i.e., an adopted child perhaps? I have friends who are Hispanic, Latino, Black--and this bill is no bloody different than what was enforced under Jim Crow for years! The children will be targeted in school and since we are supposed to preach the gospel to everyone, what about those who pick up a child to take to Sunday School? Under this barbaric law, they can be cited for breaking the law. What about kids in school who have friends who are Hispanic or Latino? Will they be picked up for giving a ride to their friends? These children have no control over their parentage.

I just don't get it. I can remember when we celebrated someone's becoming a U.S. citizen and I have friends whose parents were here from other countries who did not get their citizenship papers for 35-40 years and established restaurants and other businesses in the city and brought in business, and they were welcomed and featured on local TV and in newspapers. Why should it take that long for anyone to become a citizen? Does it take that long for those who come here from the “fairer skin” countries? I seriously doubt it.

I understand the need for controlling our borders but I think that those who work hard and want to become citizens should be allowed a "path to citizenship." And many of the ones who are here do pay taxes and do pay into Social Security. With this bill, farmers will have a difficult time getting their crops harvested and the prices will go up.

I can understand how the Border States have mixed feelings about the issue but we took the land from the Native Americans and put them on reservations, made slaves of the Blacks and treated our Black citizens as anything but American citizens, and we made life miserable for the Cubans and Haitians. Now, it is the Mexicans and Latinos. People admire them when they win a pennant for us, when they are on screen and making records but, like the Blacks, we just don't want "those people" to break bread with us or sit next to us in church.

I would certainly hope that if I were ever in another country I would not be treated this way. I just hate that the South—especially the Cradle of Civil Rights--is going this route again.

June 26, 2011

Donald Trump

2011-04-16T19:54:00.001-05:00

I have always considered Donald Trump to be a rich clown with bad hair. It amazes me that a man with his supposed education and expertise can become so crass as to suggest our President is not an American citizen. Someone needs to remind "the Donald" that his former wife Ivana was from Czechoslovakia. Does that mean his children aren't American citizens? President Obama could have been born on the moon and still would have been a citizen because his white mother was American-born and was from Kansas; her parents lived in Hawaii. My niece was born in Ankara, Turkey in 1965 and both of her parents were American-born citizens so she is also. Why don't these people concentrate on the issues rather than some knee-jerk criticism of our President?

What scares me is that with Trump's money he can buy his way into the White House. Frankly, I think it says more about the President's detractors than it does him and reminds me of one of my favorite sayings of Dr. Phil: "You can't fix stupid."

Recy Taylor, gang-raped by white men.

2011-03-22T10:03:00.002-05:00

This case makes my blood boil! Had the roles been reversed and a gang of black men raped a white woman they would have been lynched. This poor 24-year-old married black woman was subjected to a rape by white men who hated her and her kind--the same people who wouldn't be seen with a black woman; who thought blacks were unworthy of education, the vote, sharing a water fountain, restaurant, bathroom, school, church, a seat at the front of a bus, and always related to the "back door" of any establishment or a home. Rape is the most degrading of crimes. It has nothing to do with sex; it is about control and demeaning the person.

Hell isn't big enough for the likes of these men. At age 90, I am glad Mrs. Recy Taylor finally received an apology from the State of Alabama and that the State and, hopefully, its people recognize the cruelty of slavery and segregation, and that they realize that God created EACH OF US. I really wonder what the racists and bigots will think on Judgment Day when they realize that HEAVEN HAS NO BACK DOOR.

President Obama's Faith

2010-09-29T10:58:00.000-05:00

While in Albuquerque, NM this week, President Obama responded to questions about his Christian faith. He stated, “I came to my Christian faith later in life and it was because the precepts of Jesus Christ spoke to me in terms of the kind of life that I would want to lead -- being my brothers’ and sisters’ keeper, treating others as they would treat me. And I think also understanding that Jesus Christ dying for my sins spoke to the humility we all have to have as human beings, that we’re sinful and we’re flawed and we make mistakes, and that we achieve salvation through the grace of God. But what we can do, as flawed as we are, is [to] still see God in other people and do our best to help them find their own grace.”

But those with their own agenda will continue to push and spread the malicious lies about this man and our President. But the trouble lies within their hearts--not President Obama's. Many of them who raise the point are not even attending their churches regularly and seem to have forgotten "he who is without sin, cast the first stone," and "judge not that ye be not judged." Why should anyone think he/she has the right to question a man's faith? Our relationship with the Almighty is just that: OURS.

THE FLOODS IN PAKISTAN

2010-09-02T23:07:00.002-05:00

Because I have been working part-time, busy with choir, etc., I never seem to have time to blog anymore and God knows anyone who knows me knows I have a lot to say!

Tonight I watched AC360 as I do almost every night, and saw a moving video of Dr. Sanjay Gupta, neurosurgeon from Atlanta, who is still in Pakistan. It blows me away to see these children--hungry, displaced, covered in flies, and surrounded by water--huddled up and STUDYING! We are such prima donnas and have no appreciation of the blessings we have. They are living on rice, once a day, and have lost everything material to them. The lessons we could learn from the HAVE NOTS never cease to amaze and shame me.

Militia Raids

2010-03-29T09:23:00.002-05:00

It has been a while since I have had the time to post anything, but I'm making the time this morning.

With reference to the FBI's raid on several so-called Christian militias this past weekend, I find it
so offensive to see the word "Christian" before any Militia Group. There is nothing Christian about their mindset--think KKK/Neo-Nazis. Remember Ruby Ridge? Waco? Oklahoma City? All Americans. If these people want to defend our country, why not join the Armed Forces or National Guard (although I would shudder to think they were defending me and mine--they're too quick to turn on their fellow Americans.)

I dare say their reading of the Holy Word never reached beyond the Old Testament. Jesus' message is certainly not represented by these groups.

The age of "hunters" in Alabama

2009-12-28T23:41:00.000-06:00

Would someone explain to me the reasoning in allowing a child, at age 5, to deer hunt with "an adult," yet not be allowed to drive without an adult present until a child is 16? You put a child as young as five-years-old in the woods with a bunch of hunters and a loaded gun, but expel them as young as nine if they bring an unloaded gun to school, and don't let them get a driver's license until the age of 16. Surely, I am not the only person in the state of Alabama that finds this beyond irresponsible!

TO CONGRESSMAN JOE WILSON

2009-09-19T01:13:00.002-05:00

How could you? Forget the fact that you are a U.S. Congressman. You were in the presence of YOUR Commander in Chief. How dare you show such disrespect? What example are YOU showing your children?

The most despicable part of all this is your "riding your 15 minutes of infamy" to the satisfaction of blowhards and nonpatriots such as Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, Anne Coulter and others. You disgust me and I regret that "Southerner" is attached to your name. I am a white Southern Christian and you and people like you astound and embarrass me. May God forgive you for losing your sense and sensibility.

Other nations are watching us and YOU represent your state and act like this? After the apology to the President, you should have apologized to Congress and shown some remorse. Instead, you act like a bully whose pals have given you a pat on the back for being a bully. And you're proud of that?

And you have the nerve to talk about values? You obviously don't have any, so why would YOU be the one to talk about them?

Senator Ted Kennedy

2009-08-29T13:11:00.002-05:00

For all his failings, he is a testimony to the old saying, "God isn't through with me yet," and another from the Bible, "...for we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God." For his personal failings, he sought forgiveness and was forgiven by the One who counts--our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Regardless of what your opinion of him and regardless of your judgment of him, Google his name and you will see the worthwhile accomplishments of him and the Kennedy family. He deserves our respect for what he accomplished, for his work ethic, and for being a champion of the downtrodden. At least he did something for the country he loved and he could fight for a cause on the Senate floor and remain friends with his adversaries. The fact that there were well-known Republicans among his circle of friends is a testimony to him as a person, I think, more than as a senator.

As for me, I recognized his failings a long time ago and was one of many who thought he should have served time for not reporting the death of Mary Jo Kopechne until hours later. But, in spite of that scourge and others on his reputation, I have seen him claw his way back and he was always a patriot. For that I wish eternal peace for him and peace for the members of his family.

Philip Cameron Ministries and the Girls from Moldova

2009-08-28T12:37:00.002-05:00

On August 26, 2009, I attended a worship service at Frazer United Methodist Church featuring the "Girls from Moldova." What a blessing and inspiration for those of us fortunate enough to attend!

Philip Cameron Ministries sponsored these girls and they have traveled throughout the United States telling their stories of how they ended up in orphanages and how the Camerons have given them a better life. Until the Camerons came on the scene, they had no hope and had never been told about Christ. We learned that once the girls have "aged out" of the orphanages, they run the risk of being sold for sex.

In Moldolva orphaned girls are considered the dregs of society. One of the girls sang a most beautiful song, entitled "Orphans of God." Some of the lyrics are, "There are no strangers, there are no outcasts, there are no orphans of God." What a powerful message!

Also on the program were the Wesley Pritchard Singers from Fayetteville, North Carolina. If you have ever watched a Gaithers Gospel program, you have probably seen Wesley Pritchard's name listed on the credits. He arranges the harmony and produces many of the Gaithers' programs.

Homes called "Stella Houses" have been built to house these girls. While they were in Fayetteville, NC, an attorney generously made up the $100,000 difference needed to establish the fourth Stella House. Many Montgomery dentists and ophthalmologists provided free care and treatment for the girls while they were here.

The Camerons have a retreat near Ramer called "Brigadoon," (in honor of their native Scotland, I'm sure) and a link to their ministry can be found online under philipcameronministries.com.

The GOP, Limbaugh and Palin

2009-08-10T22:57:00.003-05:00

How dare anyone compare our President--or any President of the United States--to Adolph Hitler! Rush Limbaugh, a pompous pill-popping loudmouth who has nothing better to do than incite the American public with his lies and innuendos, makes me want to heave. And Sarah Palin, a woman who 'gee, golly, I can see Russia from my back door"? As soon as she and her husband are being investigated, she bales out as Governor of "Alas-KA." Just imagine if she had been elected VP--and she quit and left McCain high and dry when things got tough. Death panel? Where does she get this stuff? What is so disturbing is the fact that there are people out there who actually believe these people!

What is being proposed is no bloody different than an Advance Directive or Living Will as we know it. Is anyone so ignorant that they would believe this President and this Congress would tell people how to die? Where did McCain find this dingbat?

I know one thing: I have voted for Republicans in my day; never voted for one party. But the GOP has done it for me. In 2004 when there was no clear choice for President, I didn't pull the lever for either. If the only models the GOP can claim are the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich and Glenn Beck, they are in a world of hurt and they have gotten my last vote.

And, yes, I voted for President Obama and Vice President Biden and have never regretted it.

Fox News

2009-04-22T08:41:00.003-05:00

Thank you Joey King for your letter to the editor on April 22nd.

I have not listened to Fox News in over three years because of their racist, self-righteous tone. I just don't equate "Christian" with "self-righteous," nor do I believe that Christians should promote hate, prejudice and violence. And I don't want tabloid journalism--give me the TRUTH and the FACTS, with no grandstanding, thank you. I have the Bible and my innate sense of responsibility to guide my thinking. I READ, LISTEN and RESEARCH and try always to base my opinions on fact--not emotion and hyperbole.

The Buzz about the President's Appearance on the Jay Leno Show

2009-03-20T14:03:00.003-05:00

People, give me a break! Lord, above, at least he used the time to explain things to the American people and didn't fly to Arizona for the 75th birthday party of Senator McCain when a Category 5 hurricane was bearing down on the Gulf Coast! If the Republicans are going to let the Rush Limbaughs, Sean Hannitys and Bill O'Reilleys speak for them, then I am forever thankful that I did vote for President Obama. And trust me, I have voted for Republicans; I have voted for Democrats. I do not vote for a PARTY but for a person and I KNOW I made the right choice.

As for his remark about the Special Olympics, it was unfortunate but there is not a one of us on God's green earth who hasn't said things we should not have. How many of us--myself included--have used the phrase, "I'm as busy as a one-armed paperhanger"? Now, never once have I said that as "making fun" of anyone handicapped. You will have to look long and hard to find someone more compassionate than I, so I just wish all these finger pointers would remember the old saying, "Every time you point a finger at someone, there are three pointing back at you."

Our President and his cabinet have a multitude of problems dumped on them--BIG problems that require more than 60 days to solve. At least he is trying. He is engaging; he looks you in the eye when he speaks; he is extremely smart and eloquent; and he is sincere in trying to make changes in Washington. We all know that the status quo does not like changes and people are prejudiced in their views when they are afraid. Relax; take a deep breath; ask God for guidance for OUR President and his cabinet, and please TRY to be a part of the solution rather than a part of the problem.

And the flak about his making predictions for the Final Four? Come on. Some presidents played golf; some sailed; some went to horse races, to ballgames. He has been working LONGER and HARDER than anyone in that office since forever, and he began working the day after election. He doesn't pass the buck. So, sit down and make yourself a list. WATCH HIM; LISTEN TO HIM. Don't read what he said or what the pundits said he said. WATCH AND LISTEN YOURSELF. Then write down the positive and negative points. And BE HONEST whether you are Republican or Democrat. And thank God every day that this awesome responsibility isn't dumped in YOUR lap. What would YOU do? It is always so easy to be a Monday morning quarterback, isn't it, but could you play the game? Do you have the physical and mental strengths to quarterback? Do you have the qualities and temperament to lead this country? Because if you do, throw your hat in the ring in four years. In the meantime, give this administration time to work through this plethora of problems and please don't label those of us who believe in this man and this administration as "liberal Democrats." I, for one, am a Christian who believes in law and order and freedom for all. I have always sympathized with the downtrodden. I want swift justice for child molestors and murderers, and I have a real problem with hypocracy. I am turned off by the self-righteous and "holier than thou." I have never understood why we can send money to the "poor little orphans in Africa," but not go to worship with a black person in the community, who also pays taxes and many of whom have also bled and/or died for this country. That is the one thing that as a Christian I can never accept from other Christians and if that makes me a liberal, then thank you, Jesus, for touching my heart.

Shootings in South Alabama

2009-03-11T11:00:00.003-05:00

I was distressed to learn about this on CNN last evening. From what I have read, this occurred around 4 p.m., yet I watched the 5:00 p.m. local news and there was NO MENTION of it!

This should be a "wake-up" call to all of those who rail about removing the AK-47s and other assault weapons from the streets. The Michael McLendons of the world can go to a gun show or gun shop and buy these weapons and enough ammo to take out a small town. Our law enforcement is being "outgunned" by those who have access to these weapons. Why would the average citizen want or need such a weapon? Too often, these weapons fall into the hands of the criminals and the mentally disturbed, and is a nightmare to those who put their lives on the line everyday to PROTECT AND SERVE us.

When is the NRA going to start being a RESPONSIBLE agency? I have no problem with anyone's owning a weapon (not an arsenal!) for protection and, as much as I loathe deer-hunting, I realize that the hunters want their rifles, etc. But how many rifles does it take to kill a poor deer? And why would any responsible citizen want an assault weapon in his/her cache of weapons, especially when there may be small children or teens in the home?

South Alabama is so blessed that there were only 11 deaths. Now, isn't that a bloody shame--that we have to face the reality that it could have been so much worse. Tell that to the families who are reeling this morning. Tell that to law enforcement. Tell that to your child. Explain it away however you wish, the truth remains that assault weapons have no place in our streets and in our homes.

Cock-fighting Bill HB 245

2009-03-11T10:49:00.003-05:00

The lobbyists who push against the cock-fighting bill make me sick. There is so much money made in cock-fighting, dog-fighting, and "hog dogging," and the money is made from the blood of these poor animals. People should realize that this is not a "gaming" bill, but a bill that addresses cruelty to animals. To vote against this bill is, in essence, voting to break the law!

The money is made through betting and drugs sold at these events. Children are taken to these events, and society wonders why we have children who are insensitive to the pain of animals and people? "Back in the day," these same people would probably be cheering on the lions against the Christians. If any senator or representative votes against this bill, I'll remember their names and be bloody sure everyone knows who they are and what they are and do my part to see that they never grace the legislature again.

Siran Stacy

2009-02-22T23:13:00.002-06:00

My sister and I went to Frazer tonight to hear Siran Stacy. What a powerful evening. How someone can do what he does after losing his wife and four of his five children less than 18 months ago just amazes me. That this man can hang onto one thread of faith that gets him through one breath at a time and have the faith and courage to listen to God's calling him again to the ministry he walked away from 18 years ago is a reminder to all of us of the old adage, "God isn't through with me yet."

We don't understand why these things happen but Siran Stacy is proof that God can take the most broken of lives and piece them together again for His glory. What a testimony!

Carver High-Valley Head Brawl

2009-02-18T15:37:00.000-06:00

How embarrassing to tune in to CNN and see the Carver-Valley Head brawl. I think both teams should be eliminated from the tournament. For those involved, do you have a clue how this makes people perceive you, your school and our city? This is despicable behavior and I hope the juvies and the adults face serious consequences for this behavior.

Rush Limbaugh and His Ilk

2009-02-18T09:26:00.002-06:00

I cannot believe that any American would hope a president would fail. How unpatriotic is that? And doesn't pill-popping Limbaugh realize by now that we had years of a failed presidency under GW and as, his failures went, so went the nation and now President Obama and his people have to try to clean up the mess.

While I never liked GW as a Governor or a President, I certainly never hoped that he would fail! After 9/11 when he went into Afghanistan, I supported him. But, people, the majority elected this man and I, for one, researched, read, watched and prayed before I decided to vote for him and I dare anyone to imply that I am neither Christian or patriotic.

There is no perfect solution to all of this but sitting on one's hands and backside is certainly no answer either. If you can't be part of the solution, don't be a part of the problem.

And for all the racists and bigots out there, since you feel the way you do, why don't you drop to your knees every morning, noon and night and thank God that when He designed you, He used the "white" brush. Because whether you like it or not, He made us all and the Bible says He made us in His image. Now, we know God is all-encompassing so there is nothing to say He is of any color. And all of you had better realize that God's Heaven has no back door. If you don't learn anything else on this earth, I hope you learn that before you make your final journey.

2008-12-18T20:53:00.002-06:00

Congratulations to President-Elect Barack Obama for his selections of Dr. Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life, to deliver the invocation at his inauguration, and of Civil Rights Leader and minister, Dr. Joseph Lowery, to deliver the benediction. Again--just as he has done in his Cabinet and Transition Team selections--President-Elect Obama has thoughtfully and carefully selected these two men who have their doctorates in Divinity and are known in the religious community. As Christians, they know that you don’t judge people on lies and innuendoes and that you are there to represent God, not any political party. Dr. Martin Luther King and Dr. Joseph Lowery, an Alabama native, founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Dr. Lowery’s résumé speaks for itself.

Those who want to criticize President-elect Obama, Rick Warren or Joseph Lowery must really have nothing better to do but nitpick. Could it be that they so want to believe that President-Elect Obama is Muslim and not Christian, that they will try to undermine anything he does? I admire Mr. Obama’s decision-making process, his demeanor, his steadiness in the face of all the problems facing him and his administration. He is a leader. Please let him lead.

Tommy Tuberville

2008-12-04T08:38:00.002-06:00

Well, here we go again! The hierarchy at Auburn has blundered again. Sure, we had a lousy season. Even the mighty Alabama team has had years of "bad seasons." But, to force a man of Tuberville's caliber out as coach really disgusts me. And there is no doubt in my mind that the "Powers that Be" have been beating the bushes to find another coach since mid-season. And now they are interested in the Texas Tech coach, Leach. Didn't Leach beat Texas with the "spread offense"? The trick there is that he had his coaches working with him. From all I've heard, the assistants at Auburn fought Franklin from Day One and Tubby has always been loyal to the assistants who came with him from Ol' Miss.

I know he will land on his feet, but he was forced to resign and everyone knows that. After Saturday's game he said he would be recruiting this week. It just sickens me. And the team has stayed out of trouble, largely in part because before Tommy hired an Offensive and Defensive Coordinator, he hired Chette Williams as Chaplain of the team because he said those boys needed spiritual guidance more than anything else. That, to me as an Auburn fan, means more than their winning every game.

And in today's economy, it would seem to make more sense to keep Tubby rather than having to pay out $5.1 million, plus another whopping salary for a head coach and assistants because I guarantee you whoever comes to the Plains will bring his own team. So, the assistants might as well start packing.

I appreciate all that Coach Tuberville did for Auburn in his 10 years there. I just pray that those in charge of finding a new coach will look at his character before looking at the win/lose column.

Attacks in India

2008-11-27T09:21:00.002-06:00

I was appalled to open the paper on Thanksgiving and find the story of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India relegated to Page 2C. The front page carried shopping and football news.

As someone said to me, "How would Americans have felt if, after 9/11, news of the attacks were relegated to the back pages of world newspapers?"

The death toll is 125 and Americans were targeted. I don't know who is responsible for front-page news at the Advertiser, but more often than not, I have been critical of what is considered "front page news" by your staff.

All of you need to remember that not everyone has cable or satellite news and/or Internet.

Run on Gun Shops

2008-11-09T23:39:00.001-06:00

It amazes me that people are running to gun shops and buying up guns because they think President-Elect Obama will rewrite the Constitution and do away with the Second Amendment. Like every other vicious lie that was spread about him over the airwaves and Internet, no one bothered to hear him say that he believes in the Second Amendment but wants to get the assault weapons off the street. After all, what does a homeowner need with an AK-47? Surely, you wouldn't shoot a defenseless deer with it. Law Enforcement is already outmanned by such weapons on the street. How many times do we read where an assault weapon was used in a home invasion or robbery?

Just last month, an eight-year-old child was killed with a Uzi at a gun show Why in the world was a child allowed to fire a loaded weapon of any kind, much less an assault weapon, at a gun show? So, please, don’t go out and stock your homes with arsenals and your hearts with hate. Don’t create problems where there aren’t any. This nation needs to pull together, and I am grateful that we have elected someone who does not make “knee-jerk” decisions and someone who will work hard and long to mend the torn fabric of this nation We just need to pray for him and know that God is in control.

2008-11-04T22:26:00.001-06:00

I am so proud to have lived long enough to see this night. Now, maybe this nation can bind its wounds and forge ahead TOGETHER! And I predict that the next generation of every race will be better stewards of this land God has given us; they will strive harder to become more educated, to work harder, and to be all that they can be. I hope my grandchildren and all the youngsters in our lives will realize in time what a moment this is and what an opportunity it is for all of us to remind ourselves that Heaven has no back door. We are in this together and as Sen. Obama said four years ago: "we are not a nation of red states or blue states but we are these United States of America."

And God is still in control and for those of us who are Christians, He has given us this opportunity to rid ourselves and this nation of prejudice and hate. Peace and forgiveness begins in the heart and until we find that as individuals, we'll never find it as a nation. As for me, I could never understand the prejudice, the cruelty---nor could my mother. I could never understand why I was taught in church "to love thy neighbor as thyself," and to be taught that "all people are created equally," when they appeared to be just empty words. I could never understand why I was taught to pray for and send money for the missionaries in Africa when black Americans weren't allowed in our churches and schools. So, for me, this is a personal journey and one for which I am thankful I was blessed to see in my lifetime.

QUESTION ABOUT NEWS REPORTING

2008-10-20T11:22:00.001-05:00

Why did the Advertiser print the news of General Powell’s endorsement on page 3B—the Alabama Section--instead of Page One?

General Colin Powell

2008-10-19T08:44:00.000-05:00

THANK YOU, GENERAL POWELL! He has always been a favorite of mine. I have the utmost respect for him and I KNOW that he would never endorse or vote for anyone based solely on race. Again, a lot of it goes back to Sarah Palin, and the fact remains: at this juncture in our lives, Sen. Obama is the best choice on so many levels.

I'm still waiting to see if the McCain Camp will refute many of the allegations in this week's Rolling Stone article.

They threw out so many inflammatory inferences about Sen. Obama. but let's be honest: Sen. McCain has his own demons and ghosts. All idols have feet of clay. But, when it comes to leading, to winning the support of our NATO alliances, the economy, education, and healthcare--to say nothing of taxes--Sen. Obama is clearly the better choice as far as I am concerned. Sen. McCain's wife is worth $100 million so, naturally, he is going to oppose more taxes on the very wealthy. And I appreciate his military service to this country, as I appreciate the service of every young kid who has been maimed, killed and still fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. But those credentials alone do not give anyone the entitlement to lead this nation. And those of us who have decided to vote for Senator Obama have prayed to the same God and for as long, or longer, than have the Republicans. Contrary to public perception, the Republicans and Christian Coalition are not the only ones who are Christians and patriots.

October 16th Article in Rolling Stone on John McCain

2008-10-17T15:10:00.003-05:00

Will there be a response from the McCain camp? Some of this I've read in his books and heard over the years.

Just as Sen. Obama has been urged to answer questions about Bill Ayers and Acorn, so should Sen. McCain answer the plethora of accusations in this article.

To read it in its entirety, log onto:

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/make_believe_maverick_the_real_john_mccain

Third and Final Debate

2008-10-15T23:43:00.002-05:00

I thought Sen. Obama was on mission tonight; didn't get rattled, as did his opponent. I have always respected John McCain so much, but the last few weeks of the campaign have diminished him in my eyes. For one thing, he should remember that folks didn't take kindly to Al Gore's eye-rolling and looks of disdain in the debates with GW. I thought McCain came across condescending, temperamental, and sarcastic---characteristics surprising to me and characteristics that don't look "presidential."

Sen. Obama remained focused and so my choice for the last 18 months has not wavered. At one point in late summer, I waited to see who Sen. McCain would choose as a running mate and after the debacle of Sarah Palin to the ticket, that clinched it for me because it told me he made a hasty decision under pressure and God only knows, her "gee whiz," "golly Joe Six Pack," and winks aren't qualifications. The woman can't answer a question without a script, showed so much irresponsibility on the campaign trail with her inferences to Sen. Obama's being a terrorist, etc., hasn't a clue about foreign policy and thinks shooting endangered wolves from an airplane is okay.

Sen. McCain is a good man but being a war hero and a P.O.W. are not qualifications for the presidency. Like Bush, he has not focused on domestic issues until the economic crisis forced him to do so. Eisenhower was a great general but a mediocre president, and our own Jeremiah Denton, a P.O.W. for seven years, never succeeded as a U.S. Senator. Just like great ballplayers don't always make great coaches, an awe-inspiring, honorable service to one's country doesn't automatically make one a great president. Our nation is full of great warriors who sacrificed their lives and blood for us, but that doesn't mean they would be a choice for president on those credentials alone.

I have prayed and researched my choice since this race first started. Originally, I was leaning toward Joe Biden and was thrilled when he was put on the ticket with Sen. Obama. And I am so proud to live in a nation where finally a man who is the son of a Kenyan and a white woman from Kansas can not only run for president but more than likely be elected. We are God's people and we all should realize that Heaven has no back door. I truly believe he has the best economic policy, the best healthcare policy, the best ideas on education and the environment, and is a supporter of the Constitution, regardless of what his personal beliefs may be, and I think he has shown in interviews and in these three debates that he is capable of leading, that he is cool under fire, and that he will do everything he possibly can to prove his critics wrong and that is why I think he is the better choice.

2008-09-22T10:10:00.001-05:00

Now that the Southern Baptist Convention and Lifeway have decided to censor the “Gospel Today” Christian magazine because it featured stories of women pastors, I guess that ends my purchases from Lifeway.

For some time now I have been disturbed about the “change in mission” of the Southern Baptist Convention. It has become too political, discriminatory, prejudicial and self-righteous and, furthermore, what gives them the power to censor a Christian magazine from a Christian bookstore? And why would Lifeway succumb to such pressure?

God has always used women, and if it weren't for the women missionaries, many souls would not have been saved. When a woman missionary obeys God's commands, is she only allowed to sit in a circle and teach the word of God but not stand in a pulpit? Talk about "straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel"!

In Matthew 28:19-20 and, again, in Mark 16:15, Christ commanded:

19Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Mark 16:15:

15: And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."

His commandment was for everyone--I don't think he called just the "good old boys." If that were the case, then the Bible would only be for the male species.

Sarah Palin

2008-09-04T11:33:00.003-05:00

I started to watch Sarah Palin’s speech, but it was the same old, same old, so I switched to something else.

I liked what Joe Biden said this morning (and what Sen. Obama said yesterday): he isn't going to trash her or McCain. He said she gave an awesome speech but he was more impressed by the issues not addressed than what she said and that he thought they went overboard bashing Obama. He said he thought it was immaterial to say she couldn't shuffle children, a home, husband and a job because if people thought that, then they had never seen a strong woman! His wife married him and took on his two little boys to care for, taught school, went back at night and got her doctorate degree. As for McCain, they have been longtime friends and he has the utmost respect for his commitment to the country and his sacrifices (as do I) but being a great military leader doesn't mean he would be a great president---especially if he doesn't get away from Bush's policies.

I just remind people that General Eisenhower was a great general but a mediocre president. Jeremiah Denton (POW from Alabama) was in a POW camp for almost seven years but was not an effective senator. And while Steve Spurrier was a great QB, a great (albeit obnoxious) coach at the University of Florida, he failed as a coach of the Washington Redskins (pro team).

A patriot and a POW do not qualify anyone’s being president. I love John McCain but this year I simply cannot pull the lever for four more years of Republicans and Bush policies. Just can’t do it. Sen. Obama has been wrongly accused of being a Muslim and God-knows-what else. And since when did an Ivy League education hurt anyone? In Bush’s heyday, the Pubs were all too anxious to report that Bush was a Yale man!

So, I’ve followed Sen. Obama for four years---and Joe Biden longer. If Joe Biden were running against McCain, I would still vote for Biden. I worry about McCain’s age and everyone talks about how young Sen. Obama is. Well, Palin is not a “goldie oldie” by any stretch of the imagination. And because of McCain’s age, I have looked closely at the VPs this election. Hillary could run the country but I don't know about Palin. She was Governor of a major oil state and you know, and I know, they wanted her so she could get the influence to drill in Alaska. If they drill and destroy the wildlife preserves, I think I will march on Washington!

Isn’t America wonderful! People can agree to disagree. We all vote by our consciences and, hopefully, not just a party. I have never been one to vote for a party. And just as the Pubs pray for their party’s choices, I pray about the choice I have made and most of all, I pray that America’s choice will be one that will take care of domestic policies and mend the torn fabric of our foreign relations.

So far, nothing has happened to change my choice and I have found throughout my life that my first intuitions have stood me in good stead. Any time I didn't follow them, I almost always wished that I had so let's just all vote for the candidates of our choice and not bash anyone for his/her choice. As I stated before: People need to realize that not everyone who worships God is a Republican; not every Republican is a Christian; and just because someone decides to vote for a Democratic candidate does not make them or the candidate they choose a heathen or nonChristian. We all need to judge the candidates on their platforms and it makes no difference the party. And we should all continue to pray that the person elected will be a great leader of this nation.

The Loss of a Very Dear Friend

2008-04-03T09:07:00.002-05:00

NEVA BLAIR CAMPBELL

I met Neva when we worked at the Montgomery Advertiser in 1962, I believe. She was working for the editor, Grover Hall, and I was working for Arch McKay and Bob Hugger.

Neva was so full of life. She loved to water ski, bowl, dance, swim and fish; therefore, when she was hit with MS some 23 years ago, it was so hard for all of us to see.

When I moved back to Montgomery in 1984 because of my father’s terminal illness, I called Neva. We had dinner a couple of times and then she told me she had someone she wanted me to meet. I told her that I had no room on my plate for a relationship at the time and she told me, “this man is the brother of the person I’m dating. He has been a widower for 13 months and I think it would be good for both of you to meet each other.” So, I met Jack Weldon on March 4, 1984 and we were married May 25, 1984. Jack died on April 15, 1998—six weeks shy of our 14th anniversary.

So, Neva and I have had quite a history together. I continued to see her after she was ill. Jack and I used to get her and bring her to the house to watch the Alabama-Auburn games. It wasn’t fair to me: they were both Bama fans and I felt outnumbered, but we always had a good time.

Over the years, her friends at ALFA, Isobel Riggs, and I would get together for every birthday, Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving. I took pictures to memorialize all these events for the past 20 some-odd years. She knew that she could count on her brother Cooper and his wife Mildred, Linda and Richard Holmes, Jan and Jim Gibby, Becky Duncan, Sandy and Alan Wallace, Melanie Puckett, Carol Gargus--and before his death last March 24th--Charles Davis. We tried in every way to be there for her and this past Saturday we had her “early” birthday party. She was 65 on April 1st.

Her voice had weakened and we weren’t sure if she could really see us, so each of us would get close to her so that we could hear what she was trying to tell us. I asked her if she knew who I was and, after a few moments, she said, “Carole Weldon.”

So, while we have all lost a dear friend, we all rejoice that our God is a merciful God. And I pray that for all of us who have made Neva “our” mission these many years that we will find someone else to minister to in the same way. Neva was God’s gift to us; I think we all have grown more spiritually in our relationship with Neva Blair Campbell. And my biggest thrill yesterday was the realization that Neva now has her legs and I just know she is dancing with the angels.

Update

2008-02-19T07:06:00.002-06:00

I realize that I have been out of the loop since early December--due to illness, travel during the holidays, and then back to work on January 2nd. Since I am a retired legal secretary, I accepted a temporary position "down the road" with a law office and, between that, family, church and choir activities, I think I ran out of steam along the way! But, I believe I'll be back in the swing of things next week. (One can only hope!)

I have so much to write about and intend to get back into the swing again.

I was disturbed last night with Brian Williams' remarks on NBC News that Barack Obama's words weren't his own. Duh! Everyone seems to have missed the whole point. When attacked by Hillary that words wouldn't get the job done, he responded with (and I paraphrase here):

"Words don't matter? "I have a dream" doesn't matter; "All men are created equal..." And Brian Williams says, "but these are not his words." Well, saints preserve us! That was Obama's point--that some of the most eloquent speeches have words and phrases that stick with us for generations, as do the above. Give me a break. Focus on the issues and stop the bloody mudsligging.

Charles Anthony's The Pub

2007-12-05T09:54:00.000-06:00

While reading the article in today's Advertiser, I remembered how truly good the food and service were at the Montgomery Mall location. So, I called today to see if they were open for lunch again, especially during the Christmas Season when so many people are out shopping. Unfortunately, they are only open for dinner and I find that sad because the business was built on the lunch crowd, especially the older crowd. Most of the patrons have aged now and find it difficult to get out in the evenings.

So, I wish Anthony would reconsider the lunch decision and maybe open for lunch from the week of Thanksgiving until Christmas. I think he would find it profitable to the business in many ways.

Obscene Commercials

2007-12-04T17:44:00.000-06:00

Well, I thought Hardee's was the worst until I saw a Levi's ad on TBS a minute ago. It was so bad that I thought the channel had been scrambled or I had bumped the keypad to that moron, Dr. Ruth!

What are these advertisers thinking? An ad showing two young people taking off their clothes and pouncing on each other in bed is hardly "wholesome" advertising. Good grief, they ban alcohol and tobacco commercials, but they show this? (As if we haven't been inundated enough with the embarrassing ED commercials and feminine hygiene ones!)

This is 5:30 in the afternoon, when children are watching TV before dinner. I pity the parents trying to explain this one!

Integrated Thanksgiving Service

2007-12-04T09:19:00.000-06:00

Before Thanksgiving, Mt. Carmel Baptist Church in Simsville, Alabama had its seventh annual community Thanksgiving service with our "sister" church, Mt. Carmel Missionary Baptist. What a remarkable idea and blessing this was, and what foresight from the leaders in our little church.

Last Thanksgiving, we had the service at the "black" church and our minister, Larry Layne, delivered the message. This year, we hosted the service, and Rev. Glover delivered the message. What a treat. This dear old man is now 85 and this was his third service that day. He had undergone 42 chemo treatments this year and yet was committed to carrying on this long-overdue tradition. I only wish that all of mankind could be as committed to being the Christian examples set by Rev. Larry Layne and Rev. Glover, as well as the membership of Mt. Carmel.

Sunday we learned that Larry Layne is resigning as pastor of our little church. Larry is a full-time Hospice Chaplain at Prattville Baptist, a Chaplain in the Air Guard, and has led our little flock for eight years. He is being deployed to Iraq in January as Wing Chaplain and will be away for four months. Last year, he was deployed to Landstuhl AFB in Germany.

I pray that we will continue to carry on this blessed tradition in our little community. We are all made in God's image and He was the Great Artist who painted each of us with a different brush, much like He did the flowers in the field. What an inspiration to put aside all our denominations, races and creeds and come before the throne of the Almighty and worship Him as the One God of us all and to be reminded forevermore that Heaven has no back door.

This is the holiest of seasons for Christians everywhere and I pray that in honor of these two men of God we commit ourselves to peace in our homes, our communities, our nation and the world. It all begins with each of us and if we all strived to live by the Golden Rule--Do unto others as you would have them do unto you--there would be no domestic violence, no crimes, and no wars. As the song says, "Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me."

Tortured Beagles

2007-11-27T22:50:00.000-06:00

I was absolutely enraged when I tried to read this morning's article about the beagles that were skinned alive. Obviously, something interrupted the criminals because I don't think either dog could have run away while suffering that kind of torture.

When is the world going to wake up and realize that animal cruelty is a precursor to murder and torture? This goes beyond the pale. It took time and I don't believe a person goes to this extreme "the first time around." There have no doubt been other tortures of animals before this and when the perpetrators are caught--and I believe that there are more than one involved--I pray to Almighty God that they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Ten years' jail time is not enough.

The element of society who would torture animals, children and the elderly should receive no mercy. We try to live in a civilized society and the bloody criminals are treated with kid gloves. We put them in prison, educate them, give them access to computers and law libraries, while many law-abiding citizens can't even afford a computer, much less a college education. And most of the time they never even serve a portion of their sentence.

God help us all!

Comments by Mitt Romney

2007-10-24T10:35:00.000-05:00

While I respect Mitt Romney, I am disappointed in his recent remarks concerning Barack Obama because I just don't believe it was a slip, and the worst of it is that he had a worldwide audience.

It seems to me he capitalized on all the irresponsible, trashy reports on the Internet that Barack Obama is a Muslim, etc. First of all, if Barack Obama attended a school in Jakarta, Indonesia at age 10, he had little choice as to where he went to school or anything about his religious upbringing. While in Indonesia, he was living with his mother and stepfather. And as I remember it from his book, Dreams from My Father, the school presented classes in Islam and Christianity.

As I remember his book, he talked of his journey to faith and how he became a member of the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. He is intelligent, articulate, and an honorable man and Christian. And for the record, "Barack" means "blessed" in his father's native Africa.

But look at what Mitt Romney said:

"Actually, just look at what Osam--Barack Obama--said just yesterday. Barack Obama, calling on radicals, jihadists of all different types, to come together in Iraq...."

Now, come on people! He used Barack Obama's name TWICE. Had he said "Obama" instead of "Osama" the first time, I might accept this as an honest mistake, but, no, he knows very well who Barack Obama is and he invoked his name twice. That, to me, is totally irresponsible. Not every voter out there takes the time to learn the truth about a candidate. They glean what they want to believe by taking things out of context, believing what is written or broadcast by the media, and accepting--at face value--everything they read on the Internet. Do your research. Check things out on snopes.com or check the bios of the people you question. Remember the old "gossip" game we played in school? Tell something to the first child on the row and see what the last child says they heard? Think about it. Lives are destroyed by words; they can cut like a knife. Think about what you say and what you repeat to others. And above all else, know your FACTS before speaking or judging someone.

2007-10-19T18:12:00.000-05:00

Bob Ingram

Oh, "Bobby I," how we will miss you!

Bob was on the City Desk at the Advertiser in the early 60s when I first worked there. He was always the best at what he did; and you knew that if you heard it from him, you could take it to the bank.

I left Montgomery in the early 60s and was gone for 20 years. When I returned, I followed his political analyses on the various stations; his syndicated column, his books. Then, when I began working for Rod Nachman, he and "Bobby I" were close friends and tennis partners, so I saw him often.

When I learned of his illness, I sent him a card. I hated to know that such a viable voice of Alabama politics was going through such hard times, and knew that he would have so much to say about the "next election."

As I told everyone today, "Good Lord, "Bobby I" would be so upset to know that he will miss the Auburn-LSU game tomorrow night! He was such a fan." If we win, I think he'll know. But, now, I am just thankful he is out of his pain and with his dear Edith.

You were a good man, Bob, and you were so talented and gifted and used your "smarts" and your wit to inform us, to make us smile, and, most importantly, to make us get involved in what was happening on the political scene and to take our voting responsibilities seriously. I thank you for that. You were an original and Alabama will miss you. What a treasure you were!

Go gently into the night, my friend.

Sitcoms "Family Guy" and "South Park'

2007-10-08T11:58:00.000-05:00

"Family Guy" is a cartoon that many kids watch. It airs on one of the local channels at 8:00 on Sunday night. Last night's crude topic dealt with a gynecologist for homosexuals. A later episode was about Pontius Pilate and Judas Iscariot making a pact to "kick Jesus' butt'"--so irreverent. The show is preceded by a warning about the language and subject matter, but kids watch it, love it, and are already confused about Christianity and quite often have little respect for adults or each other.

I found both episodes to be repulsive and immediately switched channels, and parents should be aware of the content before allowing their children to watch it. I sincerely hope and believe that most parents aren't even aware of the contents of this program and "South Park," another one that children watch. Both should be for adult viewing.

Gary Aldridge

2007-10-06T10:58:00.000-05:00

Interesting. Do they really think we are stupid enough to believe this man tied his hands and feet BEHIND him and got into two wet suits? Gimme a break! I surely would like to know who is being protected here. There would have been an arrest in a similar scenario with the average John Doe citizen. And it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know what happened here.

I feel sorry for his widow, his family and the church family; but the church is all about TRUTH--at least it is supposed to be. And someone else was involved, whether consensual or not, if left alone like this, that person is culpable and, at the least, should be charged with manslaughter.

Lapel Flag Pins

2007-10-05T09:53:00.000-05:00

Doesn't the media have something better to do than report--ad nauseam--that Sen. Obama didn't wear a flag pin on his lapel? How ridiculous. How many of you--or the media--wear one EVERY DAY? Does wearing one make you more "patriotic"? Does not wearing one make you "less patriotic"? I dare anyone to accuse me of being unpatriotic because I don't wear one every day and don't support every edict that comes from Washington!

If YOU think that wearing a flag on your chest qualifies your candidate for the White House or qualifies your candidate or anyone as a "true American," then, people, this country is in worse chaos than I already believe it is.

Get a grip. Write about things that matter: world peace, health insurance, protection of our borders, education, rampant crime--the fact that our boys don't have proper equipment to defend themselves and that some are now on their third deployment to a War Zone. Write about the issues; speak about the issues; and quit trying to muddy the waters of public opinion!

Little Girl in Sex Video Found Safe!

2007-09-28T22:36:00.000-05:00

Thank God, she was found and thank God the hunt is on for Chester Arthur Stiles. Hell isn't big enough for the likes of this monster.

How in the world could this mother not know that her three-year-old child had been brutally raped? She had to have bathed the child; dressed the child; taken the child for regular checkups to a pediatrician. Was she bombed out of her mind, or what? The child is now seven and I will be willing to bet that this had been going on for a very long time.

The mother claims not to have seen the news which has been running the picture of the child for a week; yet she heard her name "Madison" and the person's name who is the suspect, and, suddenly, she looks at the news footage and recognizes the scene, the furniture? Was this some boyfriend of hers? Then she calls the police and they go to interview her and find the child "safe."

This poor little girl will have issues for the rest of her life. The members of law enforcement couldn't bear to watch the tape because of its brutality and noticed the "vacant" look in her eyes and the fact that she never cried out. As the actress who played the part of Nellie on "Little House" said last night (she, too, was a child victim and came forward a couple of years ago), "after a thousand times, you don't cry anymore because nobody hears you."

What a tragedy! And I can't wait for the investigation into this child's family because, let me tell you, if the mother had any contact with her child who, by the way, was the age of my great-nephew when this video was made, there is no way on God's green earth she didn't know something physical had happened to her baby.

Juan Daniels - Louis Vitton Animal Cruelty

2007-09-25T10:50:00.000-05:00

Praise the Lord! The Marshals arrested him in Tuscaloosa, and one can only hope he will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

A few days ago, I urged everyone who can use a pen or a computer to write letters to your editors, to the Legislature, and to Animal Welfare groups about this. The Legislature finally passed the Animal Abuse bill and it carries a 10-year jail term. Now, we need some "teeth" in this legislation. Let's see how genuinely concerned our lawmakers are. And I agree with Stephen Tears (Montgomery Humane Society) that it is just a matter of time before this escalates to abuse of a person. I am sick to death of these criminals who are cruel to children, the elderly, and animals.

And for all those Michael Vick's "wannabees," maybe the Old Testament justice was the best method after all--"an eye for an eye." I wonder how this perpetrator would feel if he were tied to a post, beaten with a shovel, doused with lighter fuel and set afire?

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

2007-09-24T12:52:00.000-05:00

First of all, I am outraged that this idiot is being given a forum in these United States, especially in New York, which has been the epicenter of the 9/11 tragedy.

I began watching Ken Burns' "The War" series last night and was tragically reminded of how these United States refused to let its own black citizens share in American rights that we all cherish and for which our forefathers fought. And we, in the year 2007, can allow a terrorist president from Iran, who is known for his "in your face" attitude, to speak to a university in New York or anywhere in America? How ironic is this? I don't give a flying flip about Ahmadinejad's "right to free speech." He is a dictator and doesn't know the meaning of the term. Frankly, I think the American Press should put away its cameras, pens and microphones and not give him a platform. As it stands now, he is laughing at the turmoil his visit has brought to the United States. And God forbid that some passionate soul take it upon himself to rid the world of this vermin. I pray that cooler heads prevail and the sooner he is out of our country, the better.

Thoughts of 9/11

2007-09-11T23:57:00.000-05:00

I am watching Larry King's tribute to New York's Fire House 54-4. They lost 15 of their firemen on 9/11, leaving behind 28 children in that firehouse alone. A total of 343 firemen were killed that day. And we still don't pay our first responders what they deserve; we're still not making arrangements for all these people who inhaled fuel, dust, body parts and God knows what else on that fateful day--and our borders are still not protected.

This is six years down the road. Where will be in 2013?

Filthy and sexually explicit e-mails

2007-09-10T17:29:00.000-05:00

I am sick to death of receiving sexually explicit e-mails! Even when I freelance at law firms, I see this sick stuff on companies' e-mails. No matter how many times I "block sender" or set up message rules, this horrible stuff gets through. As a Christian, I find this beyond offensive.

I sent several of these to the AG's office about a year ago. Guess what? I am printing them, gathering "e-mail addresses" where possible, and sending sets to the AG's office and to my Internet carrier. If we can send people to the moon, we can do something about this. If either office needs my help tracking this scum, I will be happy to help.

You can't set up an e-mail account without an address, right? So, how do these low-lifes invade our space? I, for one, send bccs to people in my address book and urge that everyone else do the same; that helps to cut down chances for hackers to get into your address book. I changed accounts last year and I shouldn't have to continue to do this to rid my computer of someone else's filthy thoughts and mouths.

So. perpetrators, be on notice. If I have to do so, I will send your filthy transmittals to every State and Federal agency I can think of and I hope to make your lives miserable. The FCC should be able to control this.

Heat wave

2007-08-22T23:42:00.000-05:00

I apologize for being quiet for so long but the heat has just about fried my brain and I have not had the heart to editorialize about anything!

So, here are things that have been on mind:

Seriously, I have been so angered and disturbed over the Michael Vick fiasco. I cannot stomach the thought of anyone's mistreatment of man or beast and when it is funded by the wealthy and those who have the means to do so much good in the world, I just want to see them behind bars until they are 90 and 9! I am sick to death of reading about athletes, entertainers, and other "famous" people throwing away their God-given talents and opportunities. It just angers me so.

And the tragedies in Minnesota and Utah and the tragedies in Iraq and Afghanistan every day. The loss of life and the billions sunk into that hellhole while our Gulf Coast is still in disrepair for the last two years. As an American and a Southerner, that one really sticks in my craw!

Then, I read ads in newspapers where people can be paid more to "demonstrate dog food" than a teacher is paid in the state of Alabama and I just want to scream! Why can't we give an honest day's pay to the educators, peace officers, and firemen? What does that say about our country? Our state? It is shameful!

And the illegal alien situation. Why can someone who is not a citizen of this country reap the benefit of free healthcare, and other Government handouts, when we have our own citizens who are below the poverty level? Why does it take 30 years for one to become a citizen? Why can't you come into these United States, register as a noncitizen, get your green card and take citizenship courses and become a legal citizen? At least we would be able to know who is here, where they are, what they are doing. My lands, 12 million people that we can't track and we still can't protect our borders?

Oh, and did anyone just happen to notice how fast FEMA got to the state of Texas at the first sign of Hurricane Dean? Duh!

Bobby Bright's Fight with Knology

2007-07-21T16:35:00.000-05:00

What is this REALLY all about? First Wal-Mart, now Knology.

I have Knology "bundle" service and, except when things were first being streamlined, I have not had any problems with them. Whenever I have had service knocked out because of a storm, construction crew or automobile accident, they have ALWAYS responded promptly and to my satisfaction.

Why does the Mayor think he has the right to decide what cable service his constitutents want? We need the competition in cable service and I, for one, welcome it in the mayoral race.

A lot of the choices he has made lately has made me wonder if he isn't just getting to feel a bit too powerful. As the old saying goes, "we've been there, done that." So, please, Mr. Mayor: lighten up, and remember YOURS isn't the only opinion that matters.

Don Siegelman

2007-06-29T07:20:00.000-05:00

Don Siegelman’s being taken away in shackles? Give me a break. Murderers, rapists, pedophiles, hardened criminals and repeat offenders waltz through the doors of prisons everyday with a Carte Blanche card and more often than not aren't in shackles.

I think the sentencing was fair for him. As for Scrushy, any man who would become a "bible-thumping preacher" between the day of conviction and the day of sentencing doesn't show me anything!

But I really wonder what all this cost the taxpayer? Far more than any $200,000 or whatever, I assure you. I would much rather the Government have spent the money funding the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, securing our borders, cleaning up the devastation left behind by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and funding more law enforcement and paying them more, and seeing that our injured troops are given the physical and mental care they so deserve when they return from war-torn Iraq and Afghanistan.

Our public officials should be held accountable and if anyone believes that Don Siegelman is the only politician on Montgomery's Goat Hill or in Washington who has broken the law and tromped on the public trust, they really have on blinders. Greed and power run rampant in Government on all levels and little is ever done about it, which is why from Day One, I have always been bothered by the fact that this matter was not pursued until the day after Siegelman announced his candidacy for governor. I just hope that all the others out there who are "on the take" are being carefully watched and brought to justice, too.

Seatbelts

2007-06-12T08:18:00.000-05:00

This last weekend there were five deaths of young people reported in the paper---all because they weren't wearing seatbelts. Our hearts break for the family of the Montgomery teen, and the four teens who were killed in Georgia this weekend. The ones killed were in the back of the SUVs. Again, no seatbelts. PLEASE REMIND YOUR KIDS!

And this isn't just a "teen" problem. Some adults won't fasten their seatbelts either. My late husband had to be reminded EVERY DAY to fasten his seatbelt. His argument was that he was afraid he would end up in a situation where he couldn't unfasten the seatbelt.

People, lives are saved by seatbelts! Please fasten yours and teach your children to do the same. It only takes a second to "click it," and it only takes a second to lose a life.

Forest Fires

2007-05-28T22:03:00.000-05:00

First of all, I did not realize it has been a month since I last "blogged."

It disturbs me to know that there are people out there who will deliberately set a fire, with no thought of the welfare of animal or beast. Personally, I think they should get 20 years behind bars if they are caught. Not only do they destroy precious forests, but they drive the deer, birds, squirrels, rabbits and snakes, into our habitat. They are left with no shelter or food source. The drought itself is taking its toll on the wellbeing of the human population, as well as the animal population.

If caught, they should have to don a "hot suit" and fight fires in the blistering heat during the day, and locked up at night. Maybe that--and a good 20 years behind bars--will stop some of this nonsense.

Transgendered children

2007-04-27T23:54:00.000-05:00

I watched Barbara Walters' 20/20 tonight on transgendered children. These are beautiful children who as early as two are trapped in their own bodies. It is so sad for them, for their families. And people don't understand and can be so cruel. As explained by one of the parents tonight, transgendered is wanting to be the opposite sex; to be gay is to want to be with the same sex. To see the tears running down the faces of these mamas and daddies--and to see these little children crumble in tears because they are different and misunderstood--will just break your heart.

And no one can tell me that a little child knows anything about gay, heterosexual or transgendered. I believe there are hormonal differences and I don't believe for one minute that one "inherits" this. I believe that they are born with more "female" or "male" feelings or chromosomes. It is so confusing for these beautiful little children, and their parents are heartbroken and lost and don't know what to do. Some are so ignorant and bigoted that they would turn their back on their own flesh and blood rather than accept them, love them unconditionally and seek professional help for them. The suicide rate is extremely high among these children. Can you imagine being so sad, so depressed at the tender age of six that you pray God will take you away? And it comes to my mind the way they used to tie the hands of left-handed children behind their backs, to make them write with their right hands. Another stupid idea and this, to me, is the same principle.

It was an awesome program. I taped it. I wish that everyone could have seen it. It will open your heart and your mind to the heartbreak of these little ones who, although born biologically either as male or female, in their hearts and brains believe that they are either a girl or a boy and cannot function in their gender in a child's world, much less an adult's world.

Oh, that the people of this world would learn to be tolerant of those who are different--sexually, racially, physically, and mentally. The world is full of bullies who make the lives of those different a living hell. What courage for these little children to just get through a day. Would to God that we would all remember, "but for the grace of God, there go I.”

Holocaust Memorial

2007-04-26T10:09:00.000-05:00

I attended the Holocaust Memorial Wednesday and for those of you who never have, I would urge you to make plans for next April. These forums are conducted nationwide in April--not just in Montgomery. (By the way, these are free to the public.)

There are only a few witnesses left to these atrocities and it is a stark reminder that the blind eyes and deaf ears still continue--in Damfur, Rwanda, Somalia, and countless other regions of the world. For those who ever believed this was untrue or exaggerated, I will remind them of Max Steinmetz's comment that he wished they had been there instead of him, then they would know the truth. It is an honor to be there and to remind ourselves of the hate and intolerance in today's world, even after all these years.

The Nazi Regime exterminated 11.5 million people, including 6.5 million Jews (40% of their population) and 5 million Christians. Of the 6.5 million, I believe it was stated that 1.5 million were children.

As stated yesterday, the crematoriums annihilated 5,000 people a day--the equivalency of the Auburn Montgomery student body; at that rate, the entire city of Montgomery would be executed in 43 days.

So let’s all remember to honor those survivors and to be sure that our children and grandchildren bear witness to what happened in those horrible five years during World War II.

VT Shootings

2007-04-17T09:01:00.000-05:00

I, like the rest of the world, watched yesterday’s story unfold at Virginia Tech and, while there are questions and the need to blame someone, why don’t we start at the root of the problem? Who sold these weapons and a large number of "magazines” to this young man? Until America wakes up and stops making assault weapons available to the general public—with no questions asked--we will continue to see this violence. And what about all the violent videogames that children play? Games where you are knocking “people” over, slashing them with swords, “shooting” them? And the violence on TV, in the movies, in the music?

And I don’t want to hear “guns don’t kill, people do.” If the weapons weren’t so easily accessible, then someone would not have a trigger to pull. Sure, a person could come in with a machete or knife, but I hardly think you would have 33 people dead with such a weapon, do you?

Violence has been glorified in our culture and our children see it and are desensitized. Diplomacy and communication have been left by the wayside and violent means are learned at an early age to settle differences.

How very sad for these families; so many futures obliterated; so many great minds forever silenced. How sad for the shooter’s family. They, too, are victims of this tragedy. And we must remember the University officials, campus police and all other members of law enforcement who were faced with this trauma. To see members of law enforcement shaking with sobs is a scene not lost on this writer. May God have mercy on VT and the Blackburg community.

Don Imus

2007-04-10T07:46:00.000-05:00

Well, this moron finally did it! I've only watched him for a few minutes--which, for me, was a "few minutes" too much. What was the attraction to him anyway? He is as despicable as Howard Stern (the one of Satellite Radio; the other--Howard K. Stern--is a whole new blogging topic!).

What he said about the Rutgers Black Female Basketball team members was beyond disgusting. And, unlike Mel Gibson, he can't say he was "under the influence." I applaud Cal Ripkin, Jr. for canceling his appearance on the show. It is good to see someone stand on principle in this world.

I have never trusted anyone who never looks anyone in the eye. Everytime I saw Imus, his head was bowed under that big hat, he was looking down and mumbling. I always switched the channel and am glad I did. He isn't worth watching and his hateful comments aren't worth hearing.

Howard K. Stern

2007-03-29T15:18:00.000-05:00

What is this moron so afraid of? He and his legal team make me want to regurgitate! First, they say that "only Bahamian law" controls; now that they are about to seat a jury for the inquest into Daniel Smith's death, he wants to "rewrite" Bahamian law. What a creep and sleaze he is; a hanger's on; a poor excuse for a man---one who rides the coattails of someone who pays his way through life and all he had to do was keep pumping the drugs and keeping her under control.

Anybody remember the "mushroom" video? How he was laughing when she was stoned out of her mind and two months from delivery? Remember what he said? "This is worth a lot of money." And she slurringly asked, "what, the camera?" His reply: "no, the video." If he cared about her he would never have let her appear on ET the night before she died when she couldn't even form a sentence. And this is who the courts are considering as the parent for this poor baby who probably has problems from the plethora of drugs her mother took?

I think he needs to be disbarred and that what he has done is criminal. And any attorney who would sit there, with a straight face, and tell the world that the "clown" video was a "play" video for an 8-year-old must think we all fell off a turnip truck! And the South Carolina man, son-in-law of the Bahamian official, said that he would never forgive him for filming that in the presence of his eight-year-old daughter, and not allowing her to call home.

What a despicable piece of humanity.

And these "doctors" and "nurses" who prescribed every drug known to mankind in every name under the sun, all picked up and doled out by HKS, ought to lose their licenses and be brought up on charges, too.

Of course, she died before anyone could get her to the hospital! God forbid that HKS would stop his shopping for a yacht with Anna's check and see about the "woman he loved more than life itself," who was running a 105 temperature.

I pray this baby goes to the care of her father, Larry Birkhead. God help her if she is given to Howard K. Stern to raise. She'll be on drugs before she gets out of Daycare.

Things that irritate me

2007-03-27T22:19:00.000-05:00

If I hear one more newsperson use the terms, "went missing" or "the emotionalism," I think I will scream! What in the world happened to the words "disappeared" or "vanished"? And what happened to "emotion"? The same applies to football when they use the term "intercept" instead of interception. Intercept is a verb; interception is the result. And "further" instead of "farther," "affect" instead of "effect," etc. Affect is a verb; effect is the result or can be a verb when used (to effect change). Lord, I could go on forever. Please, people, check your spelling and grammar rules. Remember to use "me" instead of "I," as in "he threw the ball to Jane and me," not "Jane and I." You don't throw the ball to "I." !!!!

Okay, this may be trivial to most but it is a burr in my saddle.

I promise to sound off on more important issues!!!! :)

John Couey's Death Conviction

2007-03-15T08:58:00.000-05:00

I couldn't believe there was no mention in today's Montgomery Advertiser of the death conviction in Florida of John Couey yesterday for the murder of Jessica Lunsford. So, I thought perhaps I had missed it and went back and looked at the A section again.

Instead:

Front page--Blue Gray Tournament Begins Today: In light of the fact that the news of the four Ohio students who were killed in Atlanta was relegated to the sports section, why not this one, too?

3A--Laurens, S.C.--Educators accused of selling beer to students.

Billings, MT--Unicorn claim incorrect.

4A--Dallas, TX--Methodist council oks SMU land for Bush library.

5A--Male gorilla causing baby boom in zoos.

The Adam Walsh Act was passed last July and I wrote then that I was disturbed that there was no mention of it in your paper. It was landmark legislation, but unless Washington and state legislators put teeth to the rhetoric and fund it, as well as the Jessica Lunsford Act, the Acts will die on someone's desk and no one will fund our law enforcement and courts to go after the John Coueys of the world. Instead our local legislators seem to care more about giving themselves a 60% raise than they do about fighting sex predators in our state, and Washington seems to care more about passing "pork" legislation, such as bridges that go nowhere.

Your child or grandchild could be next. The verdict in the Couey case just saved another child who may have crossed his path.

Mark Lunsford

2007-03-05T15:58:00.000-06:00

I am so proud of this man; he was thrust into the limelight through the most horrific of circumstances--just an everyday Joe, truck driver who loved to ride motorcycles. With John Walsh's help, he has learned everything he can about these child predators and has fought all the way to D.C. and continues to march the halls of Congress and go state-to-state.

He said the reason he is in court is to not only fight for Jessie, but for every child. "Not many parents can speak publicly about what has happened to their child but I will break my heart a hundred times a day if it will save one child."

He said that when he testifies before State Legislators, quite often people leave because they can't bear hearing it. But you have to hear it, you have to know the face of evil and know how the Federal and State systems failed Jessica Lunsford and countless others.

I pray God brings justice and peace to this family; Lord only knows, there will never be closure; but out of his pain, God has given him the strength to fight tooth and nail to rid the country of the John Coueys of this world. We should contact our legislators, our congressmen, never let up. Voting for a law, and not providing funds, is no win. Sure, they passed the Adam Walsh Act but they haven't funded it yet. It just angers me so to think that so much money in this country is wasted on so much pork and our leaders don't have the wherewithall to do the right thing. I am sick to death of rhetoric.

Oprah Winfrey's School for Girls

2007-02-26T22:48:00.000-06:00

I watched the ABC special tonight on the opening of Oprah's school for girls in South Africa and was so impressed with these girls. They all have lived in poverty, most are raised by their grandmothers, so many of their mothers died of AIDS and they have witnessed so much devastation and heartbreak in their young lives, but their hunger for education should make many students in these United States ashamed of themselves. We take so much for granted and so many students never live up to their potential and here these girls are, begging for a chance to learn, to grow, to be.

Oprah was struck by one girl's courage to ask the question: "Do you think I am good enough to come to your school?" What a powerful question. And as Oprah said, we're all always wanting to know if we are good enough; everyone wants validation.

God gave us all a purpose in life and I agree with Oprah Winfrey: this was why she is where she is today, perhaps why she never had children of her own---God has sent her 150 "daughters" to guide and educate, so that perhaps they might become the future of Africa.

What an inspiration she is; how compassionate and how unselfish. The world would do better to have a lot of Oprahs in it. She has taken her background of poverty, sexual molestation, and become a voice for the downtrodden.

For those who missed it, I urge you to watch it Saturday at 7 on ABC when it will be aired again.

$12 BILLION UNACCOUNTED FOR IN IRAQ

2007-02-07T07:56:00.000-06:00

What kinds of idiots would take duffel bags of $12 billion in cash to a war-torn country to "hand out" and trust the carriers to do just that? One had $7 MILLION in cash--with no accounting of where and to whom it went.

This defies logic. No bloody wonder we are sinking in a stinkhole over there. God only knows who or what faction has the money or if it was ever delivered to responsible people. Every "business" has an accounting system, a "check-and-balances" operation, and the United States Government doesn't? The least that should have been done was to have a ledger as to whom, where and how much this money went. (Frankly, I think $12 billion is just the tip of the iceberg.)

OUTRAGED!

2007-02-01T19:49:00.000-06:00

OUTRAGED! That is what all of us should be at the news that a prisoner on Alabama’s death row—Jack Trawick—not only has access to the Internet, but is allowed to draw, sketch, paint and sell obscene art from his prison cell! How can sketches of mutilated bodies come under the First Amendment? Where are the Commissioner of Department of Corrections and the State of Alabama in this?

This man is a serial murderer, for God’s sake! Stephanie Gach’s family has to be traumatized again by seeing pictures depicting their daughter’s murder all over the Internet.

The prisons—even Death Row---offer some people more than they ever got on the outside. I NEVER got to go to college; have worked hard all my life and only acquired a computer within the last five years, and it absolutely infuriates me that the public is paying for these low-lifes to get a college education, have access to computers, law libraries, and three meals a day. I would rather feed and educate people in this state who need a helping hand. I surely want no part of making a prisoner’s life “all fuzzy and warm.”

This is absolutely obscene, and I truly hope that Troy King and the State Department of Corrections do something about it.

I can't believe the people of these United States continue to tolerate such egregious behavior.

20/20 Report on Poverty in America

2007-01-26T22:29:00.000-06:00

"Waiting for the World to Change"--I do hope that this program was seen by many. What a sad commentary on these United States. When so many of us have more than we will ever want or need; when we waste so much; and all these children want is something to eat, a place to live, to be warm, to feel safe, to be able to go to school and learn. We have closets stacked with clothing, toys, books, stuffed animals, and these children have NOTHING. They sleep in rat-infested, bug-infested rooms, the heat from a gas stove, if they are lucky; no electricity. And when asked to name the three meals a day (breakfast/lunch/dinner), one little boy couldn't because he was lucky to get collard greens once a day. The poverty drives the younger ones to drugs, to take them, to sell them, and the few who rise above this are miracles. And one child's prayer: "Lord, thank you for this beautiful day. Bless you, and may tomorrow be better." God only knows, they didn't choose their parents or their circumstances.

Did you know that street corners in Camden, NJ are "rented" for $10,000/day to dealers? When a child has nothing and someone "recruits" him, can you see how vulnerable these lambs of God are? My God, I watched this and thought of the beautiful children in our family and thought, these children are someone's beautiful children, too, and they have no one to take care of them. Many of the parents try really hard. For all those who don't, there are many that do. And poverty knows no racial boundaries. As one woman said this week, when she, her husband, and two children fell on hard times and ended up in a homeless shelter for a couple of months: "many Americans are one paycheck away from being homeless." Jobs are lost; devastating illnesses occur; they can't meet their mortgage and utility payments; they are evicted or foreclosed and they can't get ahead because they keep falling behind.

So, when we all crawl into our warm beds tonight, I hope that we remember to thank an Almighty God for sparing us and our loved ones. As Mama used to say, "...there, but for the Grace of God, go I."

And I was struck by one child who, when asked if he could have one wish, what would it be? He thought, and thought, and said, "I don't know." Because there were so many needs and so many disappointments, he didn't even know what to ask for anymore. What a tragedy.

OUTRAGEOUS JUSTICE SYSTEM

2007-01-20T09:20:00.000-06:00

BEYOND OUTRAGEOUS!

I was stunned when I read this morning that Gary Steven Krist, who buried Barbara Jane Mackle ALIVE for over three days in Georgia in 1969, not only was released after serving ten years of a supposed life sentence, but was PARDONED so that he could get a medical degree?!!!! What in the world is wrong with the justice system?

Other than the OJ Simpson fiasco, this is just the most horrendous miscarriage of justice I have ever seen. How any court or prison system let this man out after ten years--much less pardon him so that he could study medicine--is the craziest thing I have ever heard.

He practiced medicine in Indiana before his license was revoked in 2003 as a result of lying about disciplinary action received during his residency. Would you want to have as your physician someone who had kidnapped and buried a girl alive?

In March 2006 Krist and his stepson were arrested after Georgia police found an underground drug lab for manufacturing cocaine buried beneath a shed on his property, so, obviously, he is still into burying things! They were arrested on a sailboat off the Alabama coast with over 38 pounds of cocaine in their possession(about $1 million worth). On May 16, 2006 Krist pled guilty to drug smuggling, and on January 19, 2007 he was sentenced to more than five years in prison.

God help us all!

E-mails for drug sites, Viagra, etc.

2007-01-12T09:14:00.000-06:00

I would appreciate it if responders would not use my e-mail address to swamp me with advertisements for their drugs, some of which are illegal. That is not the purpose of this blog and I would appreciate your honoring that. Thank you, "Anonymous."

Donald Trump - Rosie O'Donnell Feud

2007-01-11T08:54:00.000-06:00

Is everyone as sick of this fiasco as I am? They both act like two petulant children and what is more disgusting than their tirades is the fact that the media wastes ink and airtime for these dumbbells. This is all for ratings. Doesn't anyone see this? Remember the second season of "The Apprentice"? Trump slashed his former "friend" Martha Stewart (as if he is in any position to be the moral authority of anybody!) I have always found him ridiculous and never bothered to waste my time watching his show, which is in the same category as "Survivor" and oh-so-many other trashy programs on TV.

So, enough already! There is more newsworthy events going on than the "TomCat," Brittany Spears, Paris Hilton, Trump-O'Donnell stories.

Where are the stories of the role models for young people and children? Can't we focus on those?

More Troops

2007-01-10T21:55:00.000-06:00

Well, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that we never had enough troops to do the job. Instead, we keep sending the same war-weary troops back more than once while some never go at all. Those families where both parents are in the Guard quite often get sent, leaving their children to be raised by family members, while others never have gone. None of this has ever made sense to me.

And the new troops will be garnered mostly from our Guard units. Lord knows, Alabama has supplied more than its share of troops, and Fort Stewart, too.

But all the troops in the world won't help if the Pentagon continues to send them their with "their hands tied behind their backs." Let them do the job, please, and get out of there. All the billions we have put into Iraq while our Gulf Coast is still in ruins is a thorn in this voter's side. And for every school we build, the morons tear it down.

At least the world is rid of Saddam but I would feel so much better if we knew where Osama is and could rid the world of that scourge. Maybe we could have had we stayed on course.

But our troops need our support. God love them, they answered the call to duty but we need them safe on American soil and the sooner, the better. Our prayer is that all of them will make it home safely--and soon.

Rosa Parks

2006-12-11T07:38:00.000-06:00

I heard or read somewhere a few days ago that $80,000 in discretionary funds will be used to hang five plagues at Troy University in memory of Rosa Parks. Since I was astounded by this, I would really like to find the article to confirm my facts.

If these facts are correct, I feel that the legacy of Rosa Parks would be better served by spending this $80,000 toward civil rights. Money could be applied to anger-management classes for children, to educate children about domestic abuse and hate crimes. This is not just an issue for the black community but for all communities; however, I believe that Rosa Parks, being the gracious lady she was, would prefer that the money be used for something other than five plaques. There is a plethora of tributes, plaques, and memorials to this wonderful lady. Why not give something to enhance the lives of the children whose lives she made better by her courageous stand 50 years ago?

Wal-Mart's Filthy Bathrooms

2006-11-27T19:03:00.000-06:00

I went in the Wal-Mart on the Atlanta Highway today, and was horrified at the DIRTY Ladies' Bathroom. There was paper strewn everywhere, water all over the place, graffiti on the walls in the stalls, and it was beyond messy. Several of us were disturbed about it and two of us asked for a manager (not the first time, I might add, that I have had to get a manager because of the dirty bathrooms).

For a company that makes the amount of money Wal-Mart does, this is inexcusable. Sam Walton would roll over in his grave if he could see what "management" has done to his beloved stores. My trips there have gotten fewer and fewer, and this may just keep me out of there for good. The store on the Troy Highway was wrecked years ago, now this one. What will happen to the Ann Street and Chantilly Parkway ones?

People should take more pride in their environment; they made the mess and I wish there were some way to drag those in there to clean it up; but, since that "ain't gonna happen," as some would say, it is up to the store management to keep the bathrooms clean.

Prejudice in the Churches

2006-11-20T23:11:00.000-06:00

I belong to a small church and on Sunday evening. for the sixth year in a row (on a rotating basis), we worshipped with our neighboring black congregation. It was a most inspirational evening, and so uplifting. There was great music, prayer, reading of the Scripture, laughter, and good food. And our minister delivered a powerful message, which I wish everyone could have heard. (Last year their minister delivered the message in our church.)

There were so many, many good people there, and it had nothing to do with race. We were just God-fearing, God-loving people, all trying to make the world a better place. Prejudice is taught and if all of us would remember the following, our church, our community, and our world would be a much better and safer place:

• God made us all in HIS image. The same brush that colored our neighbors black, colored us white.
• Heaven has no back door.
• “Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me,” should be more than lyrics to a song usually sung during the Holidays. It should be a commitment. Just like prejudice and hate begins in the heart, so does peace.
• And with every serviceman or woman whose life is lost in Iraq, the blood that flows is not black or white: it is red.
• So let’s make this holiest of seasons a time of self-reflection and commitment to the Bible’s teachings that we are to do unto others as we would have them do unto us; and that we should learn to love our neighbors as ourselves.

O. J. Simpson

2006-11-15T20:43:00.000-06:00

Is everyone as incensed as I am about the latest O. J. Simpson fiasco? How dare Fox Broadcasting and Regan Books pay this murderer $3.5 million to tell how he "would have killed" Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman? My God, she was the mother of his two children. I really wonder what the jurors who let him walk free think of this piece of nonhumanity now. For 12 years he has thumbed his nose at the "system," by refusing to honor the civil judgment against him. He makes money and squirrels it away somewhere and people are stupid enough to continue to be mesmerized by this murderer. I don't care that he was "acquitted." Being acquitted doesn't mean he isn't guilty and I think most right-thinking people know that.

What message does this send to his children, to the Goldmans, to justice? I know that I, for one, will not tune into Fox for anything and I surely won't help pay his bills by purchasing the book. He is disgusting and how he can smirk over the slaughter of two people just makes me want to heave.

What a nightmare for his children, Nicole's family, the Goldman family. At least I know that he will have to answer to a Higher Power one day and I dare say he won't be smirking then.

ELECTIONS

2006-11-07T22:50:00.000-06:00

I, for one, am beyond glad the elections are over! Not too many surprises. I was sick to death of the mudslinging--especially the campaigns of Drayton Nabors, Luther Strange and John Tyson. I'm glad Troy King was re-elected because he supports law enforcement and having lost a nephew in the line of duty, I want someone tough on crime. Riley has done a good job and I am glad he's back. And I welcome back Jim, Jr. I would rather take my chances with him than someone who never discussed issues--just mudslinging.

And it warms the cockles of my heart to have a woman as Alabama's Chief Justice. But, with all of them, we have entrusted them with our values and I say we need to hold their feet to the fire.

At least we'll have a two-year respite from the tawdry mudslinging, I hope. Lord knows, it will take two years to clean up all the signage.

The Latest Lee High Band Fiasco

2006-11-05T22:15:00.000-06:00

What is going on with the Lee High Band? It is so disturbing to see this. I can remember when Lee and Lanier were THE schools in the area--reputable--and powerhouses in football. Now, suddenly, we have band members playing vulgar music and refusing to adhere to the standards of the school and to do as they were told by the band instructor. And, because of a few irresponsible students, the band was sent home during the final Lee game. I don't blame the director. Yet, at the same time, for those who try to do the right thing, their final game was disrupted by those students who do not respect authority, the feelings of their fellow students, and certainly have no respect for the Lee High tradition.

Young people: you'd better get it together. YOU are the future of this world, like it or not, and you need to start thinking beyond the MOMENT. Life goes by in a blink of an eye and unless you learn respect and good manners in this world, you're in for a very miserable life.

Political Labels

2006-10-30T22:37:00.000-06:00

I don't know about the rest of the world, but I am sick to death of the mudslinging in the campaigns and the labels stuck on the opponents. It seems if you oppose the war, you are a traitor; if you are Democrat, you are a liberal; if you go against the "good ol' boys" network, you are a liberal. I say campaign on the issues and show the voters what YOU stand for. These races remind me of the Graddick-Baxley-Hunt fiasco of the 80s. Look where the backlash got us then! I am at the point where I would just as soon stay away from the polls as to give any candidate my vote.

Domestic issues have taken a backseat to the war; we are pouring BILLIONS into Iraq's economy and our Gulf Coast has not been rebuilt; people are still living in FEMA trailers or with family and friends; education is in dire straits; the elderly are drowning in medical bills and on and on it goes. So, because I care about these issues, I suppose I will be classified as a liberal. So be it. God knows I'd rather be a liberal than one who doesn't give a flying hoot about the citizenry of this country, about our safety at the borders and on the streets, and the welfare of the most vulnerable in our society.

I am tired of hearing about "blue" states and "red" states. How about let's talk about these United States for a change? Why don't we work on becoming united again like we were after 9/11. Our troops are dying everyday and, if we can't take care of matters on the homefront and pull this nation together, how in the name of all that's holy are we supposed to lead Iraq out of the mire and muck?

Barack Obama

2006-10-22T17:58:00.000-05:00

I have been quite impressed with this young man. He is articulate, smart, has a grand sense of humor and, above all else, seems grounded in his faith. His single mom did a wonderful job seeing to it that he was educated and brought up in the faith., and I look forward to reading his new book,The Audacity of Hope, taken from a sermon he heard as a youngster. (Now how many us of can remember sermons of our pastors years ago?)

It is encouraging in this day and age to have a politician we can respect and I really like him and Sen. John McCain. Washington is so full of hot air; it is refreshing to have a breath of fresh air breeze through the halls of Congress.

69-AND COUNTING

2006-10-18T22:29:00.001-05:00

I am struck by today's figures that 69 of our troops have died in Iraq in the month of October, and we're only half-way through the month. Among those were Montgomery's own Brad Payne, and Prattville's Steven Bicknell. Both of these young men left behind two very young widows, and Pvt. Bicknell's young wife is five months pregnant. How many more?

I support our military and I pray for peace. But, another 10 years? Hello! Does Vietnam ring a bell? How can we save a nation when its very foundation is being destroyed by its own people? And I wonder: how would we feel if we were in the middle of a civil war and another power came over to try to get us on track? Would we be grateful for the help? No doubt, many would, but I suspect most would react as they did during the Civil Rights Era: there would be resentment for "outsiders."

This war has divided this nation as nothing has since Vietnam. History has proven that those who protested for peace then were right about a lot of things. Protesting doesn't; mean you are un-American or that you don't support the troops.

I just wish we could find a way in this world to fight as hard for peace as we do for war. Mattie Stepanak, who died before his 14th birthday, wrote a beautiful poem, entitled "Our World." This child, ravaged by a neuromuscular disease, showed more wisdom in his young years than many adults. I might add that this was written after 9/11 when Mattie was only 11.

FOR OUR WORLD
We need to stop.
Just stop.
Stop for a moment.
Before anybody
Says or does anything
That may hurt anyone else.
We need to be silent.
Just silent.
Silent for a moment.
Before we forever lose
The blessing of songs
That grow in our hearts.
We need to notice.
Just notice.
Notice for a moment.
Before the future slips away
Into ashes and dust of humility.
Stop, be silent, and notice.
In so many ways, we are the same.
Our differences are unique treasures.
We have, we are, a mosaic of gifts
To nurture, to offer, to accept.
We need to be.
Just be.
Be for a moment.
Kind and gentle, innocent and trusting,
Like children and lambs,
Never judging or vengeful
Like the judging and vengeful.
And now, let us pray,
Differently, yet together,
Before there is no earth, no life,
No chance for peace.

September 12, 2001
© Matthew Joseph Thaddeus Stepanek
Used with permission from Hope Through Heartsongs, Hyperion, 2002

John Mark Karr

2006-10-17T21:10:00.000-05:00

I watched John Mark Karr's interview with Larry King last night. He dodged a whole lot of questions and is as crazy as a fox. Dr. Keith Ablow interviewed him, too, and he's on the Larry King Show tonight. How this man can be let loose on society again is amazing to me. I surely wouldn't want a child near him. His thoughts and words are filthy and then he said he's a victim of the media blitz. As Larry King told him: "no one knew you existed until you created this media storm by inserting yourself into the story." And he looks like Lee Harvey Oswald!

What I would like to know is how he supported himself all these years and has been able to travel the world on a teacher's salary. How could he afford to ride around in a DeLorean in Hamilton, AL when he was a teen? I believe he's been somebody's "sweetie" all these years and that "someone" has financed his trips because he's probably very active in the porn business. So now he has access to a passport again? Guess he'll have a sex change and become an adult "JonBonet Ramsey." How sick is that!

Coming out of retirement

2006-10-16T22:37:00.000-05:00

As a retired legal secretary, I sometimes fill in at various law firms, and am presently on a six-week assignment. Well, folks, this is why I haven't blogged! My word, how did I ever find the time to do anything when I worked full-time? I have the utmost admiration for all those working moms out there who have to get children dressed and off to school, themselves ready for work, work eight hours, run to various activities---ball practice, cheerleading practice, doctors' appointments, the grocery store, and still find time to get home, prepare dinner, spend time helping the children with their assignments and, if they are married, find time for their spouse! There is just me and my cat, Tara, and I am exhausted! When do you find time to clean house, do the laundry, RELAX? All of you deserve a gold medal and I will be the first to pin one on you!

WARRRR EAGLE!

2006-10-14T22:23:00.000-05:00

Okay, boys! You proved you could play tonight, and what a joy it was to watch you! Now, see, had you given that effort last week, you might have won and, with USC's in trouble tonight, you could have been in the driver's seat. But, that is history, and all I can say is that the second half of tonight's game was a thriller! What a game! Now, take this with you to the field next week, and leave it all on the field again.

Thank you, Tubby!!!!

Local Marine, Brad Payne, killed in Iraq

2006-10-09T09:27:00.000-05:00

I wondered this morning as I read this "blurb" on page one of the Tri-County section why the Talladega Motor Speedway antics took precedence over this. Here is a young man, age 23-24, on his second tour of duty to Iraq, who was killed, along with his fellow Marines, when a Humvee hit a roadside bomb; yet, we put sports before that? He was the only son of Howard and Carol Payne of Pike Road. His dad has been the pharmacist at Baptist South for many years. He died, leaving a young wife and two small children.

Why wasn't he given the same coverage as poor Officer Houts? Why didn't someone go to interview his family?

This is a military town and I am sure there are many who are shaking their heads this morning. While I am thankful that at least it appeared in the paper, if I live to be a hundred, I will never understand who at the Advertiser determines what is front-page news. Because the truth is, the paper lacks sorely in that area. This paper is an institution of the state of Alabama and more care should be given to what is determined news in your paper.

You didn't cover a deadly crash down the road on Hwy. 80 that involved a Ft. Deposit policeman, but yet you cover a "crash" at Talladega Motor Speedway. Go figure. (I might add that the White Hall crash was put in the paper the following day, after I expressed my concerns to the editorial staff.)

So, I truly hope that Brad Payne will get the homage he so rightly deserves.

Funds for police video cams and computers

2006-10-06T00:11:00.000-05:00

While I find it admirable and touching that the family of Officer Houts is using the contributions in his name for the purchase of video cameras in the cruisers, as well as computers for the cruisers, it disturbs me that we have come to that. Why weren't our members of law enforcement, as well as those who serve with the sheriffs’ departments, and fire departments--not given FIRST PRIORITY by the City of Montgomery, rather than the Riverfront Stadium? So many officers have to work two jobs or a lot of overtime to make ends meet. And for those who are in the Guard and called away from their jobs to serve a year in Iraq, the financial hardship is worsened. Why do we put so little value on their service? We do the same for teachers, and then it takes a tragedy such as this to "open the eyes of our heart, Lord."

I think a percentage--maybe ten percent--of the revenues from the Riverfront Development should be put into the coffers for our public servants.

My nephew, Bruce Evans, died in the line of duty with the Jackson County, MS Sheriff's Department on July 18, 2000. He, too, was 30. Too many of our young men and women are being taken on the streets they are committed to "protect and serve." We, as a community, need to do more. And it starts with the City Government.

We appreciate Chief Baylor and the job he does. We have a mayor who wants to see growth in our city. But, first and foremost, we should take care of those who take care of us, and I just regret that we only recognize it when we are overwhelmed by tragedy--a tragedy for the Houts family, the Police Department, the City, and, yes, the parents of Mario Woodward. How tragic for them to know that their son is responsible for this tragedy.

I hope we all learn valuable lessons from this and make protecting our public servants more than lip service. I want us to remember this every day and make it our mission to get the materials our Police Departments, Sheriffs' Departments, and Fire Departments need and when the City considers the next budget, stop and remember Officer Houts and all the others who paid the ultimate price. Don't send them to "war" on the streets without adequate protection.

Congressman Mark Foley

2006-10-03T09:00:00.000-05:00

It angers me to no end that Congressman Mark Foley (R-Florida), and co-chairman of the Congressional Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus, is involved in this latest cyberspace scandal. The very idea that not only a Congressman, but one who claimed to be protecting children as the co-chairman of the Congressional Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus, could send these vile messages to an underage boy, makes me want to heave. I don't care if he's a Democrat, Republican, married, gay, white, black, Christian or whatever, he is nothing more than another Mark Karr. And as vile as Mark Karr is, at least he didn't hold public office.

And when the heat is on, what does he do? He checks himself into a rehab clinic, as if that will explain away his reprehensible behavior.

And if anyone—and I do mean anyone—knew of this and didn't do anything about it, they, too, should be held accountable. The very idea that these predators can hold themselves out to be other than the scum they are is disgusting. I say dump him out of Congress and prosecute him as you would the other sexual predators.

I am sick of hearing about teachers, preachers, lawyers, congressmen---people who have access to our most valuable resource, our children—using their authority and power to satisfy their own sick urges.

Voter Guides in the Church

2006-10-02T08:11:00.000-05:00

I am disturbed by this morning's article that "voter guides" will be distributed to churches from the former Christian Coalition of Alabama, as well as Redeem the Vote. We have separation of church and state for a reason and I believe that our pastors and church members should be in the "business" of leading people to Christ, not to the voting booth. I, for one, would not want to worship where a voting pamphlet is handed to me when I cross the threshold. Try handing out a Book of Psalms, the New Testament, or a spiritual bookmark. I think Christians can make their own decisions about who they want to vote for and I think we are treading on dangerous ground when our pulpits become entangled in politics. There is enough political grandstanding in the world today. As far as this Christian is concerned, I see no place for it in the church. If I want to go to a political rally, I will; when I go to church it is to worship the Almighty God and His Son, Jesus Christ, through choral praise, prayer and the Biblical message.

Officer Keith Houts, Montgomery, AL

2006-09-29T10:06:00.000-05:00

This is my first attempt at blogging, so I am winging it.

But I am extremely distressed by yesterday's shooting of a Montgomery Police Officer, who is clinging to life in a local hospital and, if he survives, he may very well be paralyzed. He is only 30 and has already survived a tour in Iraq.

My nephew, Bruce Evans, formerly of Montgomery County Sheriff's Dept. and Jackson County, MS Sheriff's Dept., was killed in the line of duty in Mississippi on July 18, 2000. He would have been 37 tomorrow--September 30th.

So, our family knows the anguish of Officer Houts' family, the law enforcement community, friends, church, and everyone touched by this terrible tragedy.

We lift his family and friends to God's throne of grace and pray for strength during these awful times. And we pray for justice.

Perhaps the naysayers should rethink their position about gun control. The enemies are many and they all have access to weapons. While I realize that every gun cannot be removed from the streets, it seems to me that we can make it much more difficult to obtain one. And the courts need to work closer with law enforcement and keep these people behind bars. I, for one, am sick to death of hearing about the criminals' rights, and when the death sentence is imposed, everyone is up in arms about the "cruel and unusual punishment" of lethal injections. And to have someone sit on death row for 25 years is beyond insane. But that is another blog.

These criminals certainly don't think of the pain and havoc they wreak when they kill someone or maim someone for life. My nephew left a young widow and two very young children. What about their loss? His parents' and brothers' loss? The loss felt by his aunts and uncles, friends, church community and comrades in law enforcement?

There is so much sin in this world; the devil is working overtime. It is time for all of us to put "feet to our prayers" and become actively involved in fighting crime and injustice on any front.

Carole Tindoll Weldon

Montgomery, AL