Opinion
EDITORIAL BOARD Steve Baker
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The Democrats’ rhetoric is just as dangerous as Trump’s
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Never be afraid to be yourself
T
he start of a new school year means many new opportunities have opened for students in the Alexander City and Tallapoosa County school systems. From new subjects to new friends, extracurriculars to research projects, an untold number of doors and windows have opened for children and teenagers to understand themselves and find their niche in life. Students, this message is for you. Take the opportunities this school year provides and explore new things. Join a new club. Make new friends. Read books you’ve never read before. Try something you’ve never tried before. Sure, you may not enjoy everything you try, but that is all part of the experience. As Thomas Edison once said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that don’t work.” At the same time, be yourself in the process. Don’t try to become something you aren’t. Stay true to who you are, and the rest will fall into place. There may be those who make fun of you and your quirks, but that is simply because they do not understand you and your thought processes. Names like “freak,” “weirdo” and “oddball” are, to some degree, your critics’ way of saying, “I don’t understand you and I don’t feel like taking the time to understand you, so I’m just going to make fun of you because I don’t get you.” You are who you are, and never be afraid to show who you are to the rest of the world. If we were all the exact same, this world would be a boring place. It takes all kinds of people to make the world go round, so never forget who you are and where you come from. Being quirky can be a good thing. So, students, don’t be afraid to be you. Critics will always exist and attempt to ridicule you in an attempt to put you down, but do not listen to them. Take part in as many new experiences as you can while you have the opportunity, and stay true to yourself along the way.
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his week a New York man, Carlos Bayon, was arrested after leaving threatening messages for House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., and Conference Chairman Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., promising to go after their families and “feed them lead.” When police raided his home, they found 200 rounds of ammunition as well receipts for an assault rifle and handgun and books with titles such as “How to create a foolproof new identity,” “Middle Eastern Terrorist Bomb Designs” and “Silent But Deadly,” instructions for making homemade silencers. This is the same Steve Scalise who barely survived an assassination attempt last year when James Hodgkinson, a Bernie Sanders campaign volunteer, fired at least 70 rounds in his attack on Republicans practicing on an Alexandria, Va., field for the annual Congressional Baseball Game. Scalise was shot in the hip, spent weeks in the ICU, and had to undergo multiple surgeries. It’s worth keeping these incidents in mind as we listen to the rising chorus of warnings that the president’s irresponsible attacks on the media will result in violence. CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta recently tweeted, “I’m very worried that the hostility whipped up by Trump and some in conservative media will result in somebody getting hurt.” And New York Times columnist Bret Stephens warned, “We are approaching a day when blood on the newsroom floor will be blood on the president’s hands.”
camps. It isn’t difficult to imagine how an unbalanced MARC mind could be influenced by overheated rhetoric THIESSEN by people in positions of Columnist authority. Let’s be clear: No individual, Democrat or Let’s pray something Republican, is responsible so awful never comes for the violent actions of a to pass. But by that deranged person. But we are standard, the blood on all collectively responsible the Alexandria field was for creating the climate of blood on the Democrats’ hatred that is permeating our hands. Before shooting politics today. Those who Scalise, Hodgkinson joined call Republicans Nazis and Facebook groups such terrorists, and call Trump as “Join the Resistance supporters “deplorables” Worldwide,” “Terminate who “didn’t like black the Republican Party,” people getting rights” are and “The Road To Hell Is just as guilty of feeding this Paved With Republicans.” climate of hate as those who He posted that “Trump is a call journalists the “enemy Traitor” and “Republicans of the people.” are the Taliban of the USA.” Here’s an idea: If we Where did he get the idea are really concerned that to compare Republicans to the state of our political terrorists? Well, just to give discourse is going to get one example: someone killed, then During the 2016 maybe people on both sides campaign, Clinton compared should cut it out. I’ve been Republicans to al-Qaeda outspoken in my criticism and the Taliban, declaring of those on the right who “Now, extreme views on engage in divisive rhetoric. women, we expect that from It would be nice if voices on some of the terrorist groups, the left would do the same we expect that from people on their side. Journalists who don’t want to live in are not “the enemy of the the modern world, but it’s people,” and don’t deserve a little hard to take from to be called such. But while Republicans.” they express understandable And Bayon, the man outrage over being labeled who threatened Scalise enemies, they should also and McMorris Rogers, be doing a better job of was reportedly driven to calling out Democrats who rage over Trump’s border compare Republicans to our policies. actual enemies. Because Many Americans were demonizing our fellow outraged by the horrific Americans is not only policy of family separation, wrong and dangerous when but it is inexcusably Republicans are the ones irresponsible for those such doing the demonizing. as Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., to compare Marc A. Thiessen’s Trump’s policies with those column is provided by The of Nazi Germany and the Washington Post News detention centers along Service & Syndicate. the U.S.-Mexico border Follow him on Twitter @ to Hitler’s concentration marcthiessen.
Know Your
represents District 2. Her phone number is 256-7500663. Her address is 786 I Street, Alexander City, AL 35010. Chairman of the Buildings and Property committee.
Scott Hardy represents District 3. His phone number is 256-4962450. His address is 549 Sleepy Hollow Drive, Alexander City, AL 35010. Chairman of the Parks and Recreation committee. Eric Brown represents District 4. His phone number is 256-3972011. His address is 1421 Parrish Drive, Alexander City, AL 35010. Chairman of the Public Works committee.
Buffy Colvin
Scott Hardy
Eric Brown
Tommy Spraggins represents District 5. His phone number is 256-234-3609. His address is 1539 College Street, Alexander City, AL 35010. Chairman of Finance committee.
Tommy Spraggins
Tim Funderburk represents District 6. His phone number is 256-825-2993. His address is 1431 River Oaks, Alexander City, AL 35010. Chairman of Utilities committee.
I’ll fight for Mother Nature, will you?
I
Buffy Colvin
Tim Funderburk
Today’s
Scripture
“For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation.” —Psalm 149:4
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Jim Nabors
Bobby Tapley
Quote
“Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task.” —William James
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Bobby Tapley represents District 1. His phone number is 256392-0344. His address is 1821 LaVista Road, Alexander City, AL 35010. Chairman of the Public Safety committee.
Today’s
How to
Officials Jim Nabors is mayor of Alexander City. His phone number at city hall is 256-329-6730 and his home number is 256329-1320 His address at city hall is 4 Court Square; Alexander City, AL, 35010. His home address is 1695 Magnolia Street Alexander City, AL, 35010.
Thursday, August 9, 2018
didn’t want to get involved in politics, but my common sense made me realize the United States was in trouble if Trump was elected. I was living in peace in my little world – gardening, crafts, exercise, etc. then this election came and, with a sense of trepidation, I realized my world was going to be turned upside down. Why? Let’s get to the crux of the issues, which made me irate and become an advocate for Earth. I am a biologist and Trump and his cronies are destroying America and the world. He doesn’t believe in climate change, he is trying to destroy the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act and is now going after endangered species. I love nature and I want it left alone so generations of my family can enjoy it. I want them to experience Lake Martin and see the clean water and watch the gorgeous sunsets and sunrises. I want them to be able to go to Yellowstone, Glacier Park and see a glacier before it melts because of climate change, to see the redwoods and
it. We would talk about pollution and how it got in JUDY the streams through runoff. PALFREY This pollution included trash, oil, pesticides, Guest insecticides, thermal columnist pollution and other items that got in the water. The Bears Ears before the oil and kids seemed to understand gas companies destroy it. why it is important to take Trump has stated there care of the water and air. are too many regulations, Do you fish, swim or like but if we didn’t have these to drink clean water? Do regulations, we wouldn’t you like to breathe clean be enjoying the clean air? Do you want your air and clean water. As children to enjoy National an industrial inspector, I Parks such as Yellowstone inspected companies and or do you want the Trump was pleasantly surprised administration to destroy at how many individuals it so someone can get cared for the environment. richer? It will not hurt In fact, several people us to do solar, wind and told me it was cheaper geothermal. It will hurt us to to do the right thing drill oil wells, frack and let environmentally. Several coalmines destroy the water. companies recycled because So to end this letter, you it saved them money. I now know why I am as mad was quite impressed and as a mother grizzly with cubs. some seemed quite proud I’ve lost friends and some of what they were doing family members because of to help Earth. I love taking this election, but I don’t care. kids to the streams to look I’ll fight for Mother Nature for macroinvertebrates and America the Beautiful – (bugs such as caddisflies, not for money. What about mayflies and stoneflies). I you? Do you care? loved to watch the joy when they found a crawfish or Judy Palfrey is a resident a salamander and handled of Dadeville.
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