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Today's Opinions

  • GUEST OPINION: More on media and government secrets

    By Gene Policinski, First Amendment Center
    Will the government ever do it — charge a reporter under the Espionage Act with endangering national security for disclosing classified information?

    No journalist ever has been prosecuted for receiving and writing about such leaked information. Two recent controversies raised questions of how far the Department of Justice officials might go in investigations of such “leaks.”

    But President Obama clearly stepped back from taking the issue to any constitutional cliff.

    Click here to read more...
  • LETTER: Bigots wrongly think they can speak for us

    No, racism isn’t dead. It isn’t even sleeping. It is hiding behind closed   doors of houses built with cow’s dung.  It is just as strong and ugly, and it raises its head to announce things, opinions and people it will not tolerate.

    What arrogance to make personal decisions for someone else because their own fragile senses are offended.

    A cereal company had the audacity to include a mixed-race couple with a child in their commercial.

    The cow’s dung house exploded with anger and indignation.

    Click here to read more...
  • LETTER: School-shooting security increase is unnecessary

    Should we raise taxes and spend huge amounts of money on beefed up security in our schools — NO!

    Here’s why:

    Since 2000 the United States has averaged 2.46 school shootings per year, including shootings where no one, including students, were injured or only the shooter died (suicide).

    The chances of any particular K-12 school in the United States experiencing a shooting incident in any given year is approximately 1 in 53,925.

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  • Congressional investigations must be done right

    By Lee H. Hamilton, Center on Congress
    By my count, 11 separate Washington investigations are looking into the three big issues besetting the Obama Administration right now: Benghazi, IRS targeting of Tea Party groups, and the Justice Department’s pursuit of national security leaks to Associated Press reporters.

    That’s a lot of scrutinizing by any measure.

     Don’t get me wrong.

    Click here to read more...
  • Ken Yager: No need to go far for relaxation

    By KEN YAGER
    12th District State Senator
    There is a state park within an hour’s drive of just about anywhere in Tennessee. 
    Several of these state parks are located in the 12th Senatorial District, including Indian Mountain in Jellico, Cove Lake in Caryville, Frozen Head in Wartburg, Norris Dam in Lake City, Cumberland Trail in Caryville and Pickett in Jamestown, as well as the Alvin C. York Historic Park in Pall Mall. 
    In fact, the 12th District may have more state parks located in it than any other.

    Click here to read more...
  • Do we really want to get involved in Syrian dog fight?

    Have you ever seen a dog fight between three or more of these normally docile animals?
    Believe me, it can be  fierce and not a pretty sight.
    A canine free-for-all can mean major injuries to every participant.
    And the unwary human who tries to stop the fray can be much the worse for wear; his own pet may savagely attack him in the excitement of the battle.
    Assad’s Syria is like a dog fight, and if the U.S. enters the fray directly we may see all the warring parties turn on the U.S. forces at some point.

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  • A VIEW from LICK SKILLET: Edward Snowden may have done us a favor

    The Constitution of the United States, Article 3, Section 3, Sub-section 1, says: “Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying war against them, or, in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort.”

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  • Snakes alive! Panic no option after reptile intrusion

    We had a visitor recently, one that was neither invited nor expected.
    It was of the reptilian types, 5 feet long and slim with a mottled gray and black skin. It seems the storm door that has recently been closing slowly, and sometimes not completely, left just the right amount of space for it to slither into our living room.
    I saw its tail disappearing as I reached for the door to enter.
    “Snake!” I warned, and stepped gingerly into the house. There it was on the hardwood floor, looking around as if to choose which room to inhabit.

    Click here to read more...

Copyright © 2013

The Roane County News is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Roane County and Kingston, Tennessee, and the surrounding area.