Columns – Page 197

Columns

Army Bob: Should all ‘weapons of war’ be banned?

June 16, 2016

by Robert M. Traxler The Orlando terrorist attack has renewed the call for the elimination of weapons of war. Let us put aside the Second Amendment for a time, an amendment that is as sacred as the First Amendment, and look at weapons of war. We want to ban weapons...

Basura: Marching orders landed me a day of mess duty

June 16, 2016

“I'm killing time while I wait for life to shower me with meaning and happiness.” — Bill Watterson, “Calvin & Hobbes” Once, very early in my military service, a lapse of discipline resulted in a day scrubbing garbage cans. I didn’t enjoy my day of mess duty, but...

Ranger Rick: A common sense explanation of building a wall

June 14, 2016

The idea of constructing a wall between the U.S. and Mexico is either cheered or jeered, depending mostly on your political affiliation and feelings toward illegal immigration. The vast majority of American citizen’s favors legal immigration but detests illegals entering the country and the cause is failure of the Obama...

Monday Moanin’: Underfunding public schools continues

June 12, 2016

by Jeff Salisbury Mindless underfunding of schools continues, doing irreparable harm to kids High school graduation season is in full bloom in many communities around the nation, but in some places, parents with kids still in schools have to be worried about the conditions of their schools they’ll return to...

The Muck Starts Here: Revisionism is easy, decisions are hard

June 12, 2016

Revisionism is easy... but making harsh, horrid, homicidal decisions, in real life and real time, is not as easy as most people think (check out the ever-whiter hair of every U.S. president). The demands never cease — often enough, the nights are longer, more dangerous, stressful than the days. The...

‘The Wizard of Wayland remains an enigma to me

June 11, 2016

John Wooden, legendary college basketball coach at UCLA, was nicknamed “The Wizard of Westwood.” In these parts, we could call Lady Wildcats’ softball coach Cheri Ritz “The Wizard of Wayland.” Though she lost a boatload of talent from the state championship 2015 ballclub, particularly in the pitching department with Pitcher...

Democracy Tree: First Amendment rights under seige

June 9, 2016

by Amy Kerr Hardin “Truth comes from the competition of ideas. Critical thinking skills involve listening to both sides.” — Robert Rosenkranz, chairman of Intelligence Squared, speaking at a debate over the question of free speech on campus. Troubles come to a boiling point on campus: The First Amendment is...

Columns

Army Bob: Are Americans returning to our tribal past?

June 9, 2016

by Robert M. Traxler Identity politics, hardly a new phenomenon pitting one group against the other, rules in our political systems, divide and conquer. If you are a minority and the majority of Americans are a “minority” you are put upon in some way by others or by the government....

Basura: Close encounters with a now departed champion

June 9, 2016

“I'm the one that's got to die when it's time for me to die, so let me live my life the way I want to.” — Jimi Hendrix, musician and U.S. Army veteran I saw Muhammad Ali twice. Once was at CMU, during his 3½ years of forced idleness. He...

Ranger Rick: Trump causing GOP metamorphosis

June 7, 2016

My cousin came to me one time after completing her degree requirements and asked if she should continue on with a master’s degree after her bachelor's completion. I commented it would be good to get some experience in her field of concentration to understand why a higher degree would be...

Category: Columns