Greg Abbott and Ron DeSantis are the two most vocal Republican governors who have declared war on “woke education.” Kevin McCarthy says that the nation can save lots of money by getting rid of wokeness in the military. He promises congressional investigations into how a woke agenda is making our military weaker. I guess being […]
On complaints from old white guys
In two recent opinion articles in the Reporter News, the authors complained about the general state of affairs in our country. One writer (March 3) suggested that immorality and the decline in religious belief were undermining our democracy. He included a list of things he considered immoralities.The other author (March 17) included a laundry list […]
It depends on how you define “sanity”
Walter Meller wrote an impassioned opinion article in the Abilene Reporter News on June 13 calling for a return to sanity in our country. I concur with his premise, that we as a nation have lost our “moral underpinnings” and that we must “come to an understanding that honesty, fairness, and morality form the foundation […]
The climate will not wait for us
While the governor, lieutenant governor, the ERCOT board, and others who stand to look bad because of the recent electrical failure are busy pointing fingers and providing rationale, each fails to mention one glaring fact. No one is talking about the need to transition to completely renewable or carbon-free forms of energy. Regardless of what […]
Ignoring climate change at our own peril
Joe Biden is taking heat after his comment in the last presidential debate about the need to “transition away from fossil fuels.” Trump seized on the moment, saying that will be very interesting for voters in Texas and Pennsylvania and Oklahoma, all big oil producers. Trump has gone on to hammer away at the statement […]
Here come the Christian politicians!
Competition for “Best Christian Politician” has begun. In our local elections, Christian humility is busily elbowing its way to the front of the line. The dizzying mixture of Christianity and conservative politics makes “America First” seem indistinguishable from “Seek first the kingdom of God.” On television, in the mail, and in the newspaper, the ads […]
Words can harm or heal
The old adage, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” has never been true. Words are powerful and have the potential to hurt, to comfort, to enrage, to heal. A few weeks ago in a Reporter News opinion article, the author lamented the loss of toughness in our society […]
Victims of any trauma deserve to be heard
Now that we have heard from the children, will we be the adults? I was impressed, humbled, and inspired by the teenagers who participated in the March for Our Lives. The speakers stood in front of hundreds of thousands of marchers, knowing also that millions more were watching them on television, and still they spoke […]
Out of the chaos, some clarity
Out of the chaos will come clarity. At least that is my hope. Amidst the incendiary rhetoric, ongoing investigations, incessant legal and ethical crises, accusations, lying, and blaming for all that’s not working, the chaos of Donald Trump’s administration may provide some important clarification for us as a nation. The Donald will not be the […]
Bathroom wars hit Texas
“We know it’s going to be a tough fight. The forces of fear and misinformation will pull out all the stops, both in Texas and nationally. But we know we’re on the right side of the issue, and we’re on the right side of history.” These were Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick’s words a few weeks […]