Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Being informed is important to help make changes in our culture.
What is it going to take to make the average citizen pay attention to all that is going on in our government? I admit to being frustrated as I read surveys indicating that people are not aware of what is going on around them. Are we so busy trying to make a living, look after family needs, and pulling for our favorite sports team that we don’t have enough time or energy to know what is happening in our government? Recently, a phone caller wanted to bend my ear concerning his opinion that “NOBODY” is doing anything to promote the conservative principles of life. I invested a large amount of time listening to the caller as he vented about all the negatives going on in the world and how no one is answering the call to stand up for the right. …
Monday, November 19, 2012
Whatever has happened in this last year, let us find reasons to be thankful.
This week, many people will be on the road driving to be with family and friends for a special day of remembrance and thanks. It is suggested more people will be driving to join others for the festive celebration known as Thanksgiving Day than in the last few years. That remains to be seen. As families gather for the big day on Thursday, there is always lots of good food and family time in which to celebrate the day. Looking back over many Thanksgiving Day meals, the most remembered thing is the fact that after lunch one is stuffed full of food and needs to find a relaxing place to take a nap. As people gather on Thursday, I wonder how many will take moments to share with each other the things for which they are the most thankful. It is …
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
The more eyes looking out for each other, the better we would be as a community.
It seems every day, week and month is set aside to highlight an organization or cause. Recently, I missed National Donut Day and felt guilty later when I realized I had a free day coming not to feel bad about enjoying donuts. The range of awareness issues are kept before the public in order to call attention to certain needs and causes in our culture. I see the positive side of that type of promotion. Many people would never think about certain causes if there were not a day when it would be designated as such. In no way would I ever suggest we need to rethink the way some of the events are planned to promote real causes of harm against animals, people or the environment. We need to be aware and we need to pay attention to certain aspects …
Monday, October 15, 2012
There should never be a time that because we disagree with someone’s position we should find ways to silence them.
Being intimidated into silence may be another way around allowing for freedom of speech. This nation, above all others, has the greatest record regarding freedom of speech. With the open use of the Internet, media reports from every side of almost all stories and personal freedom of expression now available to every segment of society, we enjoy freedom of speech. Even with all the guarantees going back to the first amendment to the Constitution, we find people who think it would be best if we could somehow find a way to silence people and their beliefs. In Schenck v. United States, 1919, the ruling granted that speech that was used to incite actions harming others, such as shouting fire in a crowded theater, was unconstitutional. Pretty …
Monday, October 1, 2012
It is important for the people (voters) to be informed and know what is taking place in their government.
Mona Charen’s column appearing in Real Clear Politics chronicles reporting of the so-called mainstream media as they continue to show their bias in support of a second term for President Obama. Someone has reminded that not only is President Obama our current president but a candidate for a second term as president of the United States of America. Some might be wondering why being so detailed in the description of the president and his run for a second term is necessary. There should never be a time when anyone thinks because I write about any person in elective office that I do not respect the office they hold or seek. I am a diehard patriot and thankful to have been graced to be born in the United States of America. I respect every …
Monday, August 20, 2012
The change in bus routes was not political.
It is said that all politics is local. While the issue with the bus routes in Barrow County is not a political one, it brought out parents to be involved to express their dislike for the way the issue was handled. There are several lessons to be learned from this episode as school started back for another year. The first lesson is the need for an evaluation of the way decisions are communicated from the BOE to the public. Many, not all, people have computers. Having a website is one way of getting a message out to the people. Many, but not all, people have cell phones capable to receive text messages. E-mail has almost taken a backseat to the ever-advancing upgrades in technology. At some point in the process it would be good for the BOE …
Monday, August 13, 2012
With more media sources than ever in Barrow County ready to let the public know what is going on, one has to wonder why the public was caught off guard by the changes.
The new rules concerning bus routes in Barrow County proved to be harder to implement than had been thought by the Board of Education. Tuesday night’s meeting found the board room full with parents concerned about the safety of their children. Following a tense meeting, the BOE announced they would backtrack on the plans to change the bus routes and go back to the older system. With cuts being made in funding, hard decisions are necessary. We are accustomed to bus transportation for our little ones to assure their safety in being transported back and forth to school; we have learned to depend on the school system to provide the necessary bus transportation. At this time of the year, I always try to remind everyone to be careful as they are…
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Whatever the excuse used for not voting, short of a major illness coming on suddenly or some other personal or family disaster, just simply to say that you forgot it was Election Day is not acceptable.
The biggest losers in the election last week are those people who decided not to vote. Once again, we watched the returns last Tuesday night across our state to discover many people who are registered to vote but who did not exercise their freedom to vote. Often people tell me they do not vote as a protest against those who are already in office. That type of thinking makes no sense. There are other people who express their displeasure with all of the candidates by saying they do not like any of the people running, so therefore, they stay home and do not vote. Once again, that makes no sense to me. The faulty reasoning of people around election time is interesting. One person told me they did not vote in Primary Elections because they had …
Monday, July 30, 2012
Do not let anything keep you from going to your voting place Tuesday and casting your vote.
Tomorrow is Primary Election Day in Georgia. There have been many days of advance voting, and those who needed to vote absentee have had their chance to do so. Citizens living outside of Georgia as part of their work or service in the military were given time to receive their ballots and have it returned in order for it to be counted once the poll votes are counted tomorrow night. The airwaves, print media and online news sources have been filled with ads for candidates. There have been debates, forums, receptions, fundraisers, “meet and greet” times with the candidates. To say that this Primary Election Day has caught someone off guard would have to mean they live on another planet. For a person to say they are undecided at this late hour…
Monday, July 16, 2012
The Supreme Court allows lying about military service when a person is running for elective office.
Almost lost in the ruling by the Supreme Court, recently, with all the news of the upholding of Obamacare, was the ruling allowing for lies about military service if one is running for elective office. When I first heard this ruling, given by the Supreme Court, I was sure it was a ruse. Someone trying to be funny was my first impression of the reality of the Supreme Court ruling that when a person is running for elective office, they can make speeches filled with lies about military service, including medals they received (which turns out to be false) without fear of being prosecuted for lying. The obvious question begging to be asked is; “What is up with that?” The answer that must be given is the United State Supreme Court has taken …
Robbi McCaig
2:34 pm on Sunday, May 12, 2013
I'm afraid that it is more that people simply don't care. They are being told that all is well from print and TV. They don't take the time to become informedof the loss of liberties(and in some cases, death) that they will hear very little of from the mass media. Jimmie Kimmel is a fine example of going out into the streets to see what people know. Most of them have never heard of Benghazi. more ›