The ease with which Americans are prepared to welcome boots on the ground, regional lockdowns, routine invasions of their privacy, and the dismantling of every constitutional right intended to serve as a bulwark against government abuses is beyond unnerving. I am referring at this moment to president Donald Trump’s decision
The Old Farmer’s Almanac has been on my stocking-stuffer gift list ever since I can remember. It is interesting reading, economical, and gives both history as well as future prognostications. How is that for a 2018 word of the day? Before I take it to the Goodwill, I will share
Let’s discuss the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, shall we? The Second Amendment has been the one part of the social contract between the government and the governed which has been largely misinterpreted. And, if I may be so bold as to say so, much of
Grandpa, Four years ago, I got out of prison. I did 17.5 years for holding up a small neighborhood grocery store. I only got $(XX) dollars from them. I used a handgun and am now so grateful I did not pull the trigger. Nearly 22 years after the crime, I
As a Nation, we have a tendency to sentimentalize cultural icons in death in a way that renders them non-threatening, antiseptic, and easily-digested by a society with an acute intolerance for anything controversial, politically incorrect, or marred by imperfection. This revisionist history has proven to be a far more effective
Carl Kleimaier of Elburn visited India for six weeks on a spiritual and meditation retreat in Tiruvannamalai, a city of 150,000, earlier this year. A sense of spirituality and chaos pervade the culture in India.. Here is his report: By Carl Kleimaier Spirituality and chaos: India and the modern world
As a society we rarely stand still. We celebrate, observe anniversaries, and seek to be helpful. We are in a time of acknowledging the 50-year anniversary of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King’s death. He was shot April 4, 1968, a volatile time in American history. He took our society to
The color purple is popular with religious organizations and there is a movie entitled “The Color Purple” with Oprah Winfrey. AARP (American Association for Retired Persons) writer Kim Hayes submitted the following article regarding purple superfoods such as cauliflower which provides key vitamins for a diet. Hayes wrote: “The late
From the French carrousel, the Italian carosello, and the Spanish carosella “little battle,” the American word carousel or merry-go-round, was an amusement ride usually with horses for seats that were mounted on posts. They moved up and down as if the horses were galloping to the accompaniment of circus music.
Remember when a lot of stuff used to be made in America? Then everything went to Japan, then to foreign countries no one realized actually existed, and now China? We still make some things here. We make the top of lists in yearly deaths from guns, highest health care costs,
Grandpa, My wife surprised me recently. She told me to quit calling her homemade soups and stews “chlamydia chowder.” I have always had pet names for her favorite recipes; Ptomaine Tacos, Shigellas and cheese, coli cake, crypto-casserole. You would think that after all of these years, she would be used
Enough is enough. That was the refrain chanted over and over by the thousands of demonstrators who gathered to protest gun violence in America. March 24, 2018, more than 200,000 young people took the time to march on Washington, D.C. and other cities across the country to demand that their
Penning my previous entry for The Voice in the April 5 issue about working on a television assembly line got me into a 367-jobs-I-once-had mode and the fun I endured performing them. Driving a forklift for Budweiser was one job. Working for a beer company would be a dream come
By Steven L. Aldrich – I joined approximately 100 to 150 residents Saturday to support the national “March For Our Lives” movement at Oswego High School. It was an overcast, blustery, and cold day, but the spirits, grassroots activism, energy levels, were exuberant. The rally was organized and led by
In the long run, society finds a benefit from those who work to make a difference. Included in the fabric of our society are police officers when they properly do their sworn duty and anyone who uses a First Amendment right to peacefully state a case of injustice which needs
Helen entered the kitchen of her home in the small village of Ksawerow, in central Poland. She carried some firewood needed for the day’s soup cooking and for the warmth within the house. She struck matches to light the lamps. It was almost Easter and the family had eggs from
From the vault, May 23, 1997 (revised): Spring has sprung! The trees are budding, the grass is growing, the birds are chirping, the squirrels are scampering, and the days are getting longer, and warmer. Re-birth is with us at last. Unfortunately, there is a downside to all of it. Now
Grandpa, I was looking at various race horses on the internet. I typed in (Grandpa won’t say) to look at some older stud horses. I was very angry when I got locked into an ad for (a men’s personal product). This stuff is for human use and has nothing to
With the recent Parkland, Fla. school shooting, America and some in the world are upset more than usual. Not because of the numbers killed, but the fact that the Parkland shooter legally got the weapons. So why do we need 30 round weapons that only need one bullet to kill
I wasn’t prepared for how fast death came. He only had been mine for six months, but as soon as the drug hit his veins, he was gone. As the vet guided him on his back with her hand, his breathing stopped. I expected to hold it together for him,
