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Today's Opinions

  • A VIEW from LICK SKILLET by Gerald Largen: Democratic primary candidates considered

    Time flies when you’re having fun, if we may coin a phrase.

    Here it is, well into the popular “early voting’” season, and we have only covered about one-half of the choices to be made as we enter the voting place.

    Last week, if you recall, we discussed the Republican candidates for the Third District House of Representatives seat, based upon the candidates’ appearance at the Tea Party forum.

    But, we have not said anything about the Democratic candidates for that position.

    Click here to read more...
  • Gratitude, even after losing so much in house fire

    On Wednesday, June 27, while vacationing in Florida, our home burned completely to the ground.

    The only home that our 19-year-old daughter has ever known now sits in ashes.

    Except for the loss of family members, this has been the single-most devastating event in our lives, but we are recovering and know that we must move on.

    A couple of days ago, a young lady asked me how we were doing.

    She stated that out of all this tragedy, God would bless us a thousand times over.

    I looked at her and said, “He already has!”

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  • GUEST OPINION: Most Americans protective of 1st Amendment

    By GENE POLICINSKI
    First Amendment Center
    Americans once again don’t run up big positive numbers in an annual First Amendment Center survey when it comes to being able to name all five freedoms in the opening 45 words of the Bill of Rights.

    But once reminded of “religion, speech, press, assembly and petition,” they do have some strong opinions about how those freedoms ought to work.

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  • A VIEW from LICK SKILLET by Gerald Largen:Old curmudgeon goes to Tea Party meeting

    As we told you in our column of the 29th ult., we maintained our desire, and our intention to attend a Tea Party meeting, so that when we saw that they would have another meeting on the day after Independence Day, we resolved to attend and we did. This is our report of that meeting, and of our impressions and conclusions:

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  • A firsthand look on the need for health benefits

    Who would it hurt if the working poor had health insurance? If elected, Mitt Romney claims he will begin to repeal the Universal Health Care Act on Day One.

    When will the Republican brethren realize that there is only one class of people who can’t see a doctor when they need to?

    The truly poor get free health insurance, and the truly rich don’t need it! The rest of us are only one accident or illness away from bankruptcy.

    Way before my wife ever got sick, I looked into buying health insurance for my family.

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  • GUEST OPINION: Religious freedom favors none, protects all

    By CHARLES C. HAYNES
    First Amendment Center
    Louisiana State Rep. Valarie Hodges used to be a big fan of school vouchers. “I liked the idea,” she explained, “of giving parents the option of sending their children to a public school or a Christian school.”

    Then last month Hodges got a First Amendment reality check when she discovered that Christian schools wouldn’t be the only religious schools getting tax dollars.

    “Unfortunately, it [vouchers] will not be limited to the Founders’ religion,” she said.

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  • Sinking real estate prices show flaws in reappraisal

    Like many other seniors in the area, we enjoy walking or bicycling the streets of the neighborhood in an effort to get a little exercise and fresh air.  

    Moving at this slower pace enables us to become more aware of our surroundings, such as the duck that was not quite quick enough to avoid the automobile traffic, or the latest real estate sign.  

    Even though we have no intention of buying a house, it seems almost impossible to walk past those signs or pass up reading the accompanying brochures.

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  • Reading to kids early on solves problems later

    Preliminary information from a survey of parents of children in Roane County elementary schools is interesting enough to share.  

    The survey was done by the schools sending home the survey form which had been put together by Kingston Rotary Club’s Ralph Best.  

    The data analyzed so far comes from the Kingston Elementary and Midway Elementary schools and there is rough consistency in the answers.

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