Valentine’s Day is not a recognized state or federal holiday, however, it is important in many ways. Aside from the sales of flowers, candy, and a variety of gifts, sentiments in many directions are disseminated to individuals from six years to 100 years, and possibly older. The test could come to all of us. Expressions of affections are all around us.
Love is all around us and all we have to do is look, reach, search, absorb, understand, give. Love and peace prevail over hate and hostility. Every time. The delays of evil are only temporary and it is up to each of us to decide the temporary duration of the evil. We at The Voice are thankful for contributors, supporters, readers, advertisers, subscribers. Our glass is half full and not half empty.
• Valentine’s Day is based on history, even though it evolves every year and every decade. There are incomplete and conflicting reports and indefinite historical perspectives. Many reports revolve around Christian efforts to replace the Roman pagan holiday of Lupercalia in the Third Century A.D. with more love. Other historical perspectives include the Roman emperor Claudius II who executed two men in separate decades of the Third Century A.D. with the last name of Valentine, each February 14. Cards and messages have been offered for centuries. The Feast Day of St. Valentine is a focal point in several religious denominations. Roman culture began paying greater attention to St. Valentine’s Day in the 14th Century.
• U.S. representative Sean Casten, 6th District, announced this week that the first round of new federal transit funds under the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is on its way to Illinois to strengthen public transportation systems, support transit jobs across the State. Transit systems have suffered from decades of under investment. Communities in the State will acquire funds for safety, repair, bus facilities, funds for seniors, and funds for mobility of handicapped persons. Understanding and sacrifices are the gateway to improvement.
• Clear and Concise, Week 6 Year 3: Words and terms to help fortify communication, understanding, and ease of dialogue, week 2 in this gathering on differences between nouns and verbs. Fund is a noun, a specific collection of financial assets. Correctly: We collect funds; we receive funds; we require funds; we provide funds; we do not fund, which would make the word a verb; which it is not. It should be used as in we provide funds. Another word improperly used is transition. We do not transition to a new facility or venue or concept. We make a transition. Properly used, transition is a noun, to indicate what is in the process of change.