Columns

Anyone who knows post World War II history or anyone who lived through that period should remember the events that kept the world and our nation in a state of tension. The world was dealing with turmoil in race relations, the threat of nuclear war, and violent conflict in the Mideast in the 1950s, '60s and '70s. This was a time when the constant threat of violence between or within nations meant that any incident could be the possible catalyst for international or civil wars...

I've always been told there is a solution for every problem. Look hard enough and work hard enough and you'll eventually find that elusive solution. But the issue of race relations may be that single issue in this nation that currently defies a solution...

Just in time for the school year to kick off, education took center stage as a professor attempted to implement a controversial policy. Common sense prevailed, but the idea that it was even a consideration is alarming and another example of our cultural decline...

Sometimes there are connections in life that surprisingly tie us to people and events. Sometimes such links are simple and obvious. Sometimes they aren't. One thing that happens, if you grow old enough, is that the changes you witnessed half a century ago have rarely stayed unchanged. Some might call this evolution...

Many people have heard of the Battle of the Bulge but few know the details or the importance of the battle. That information will be easily available when the National Museum of the U.S. Army is completed in 2019 at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, just south of Washington, DC. The museum is currently under construction and when completed it will have displays and artifacts to tell the history of the U.S. Army in peace, during the Cold War, and in our nation's wars...

Scanning a Kansas City newspaper this week, I was reminded of the tragic election night plane crash that took the life of Congressman Jerry Litton and his family. It was August 1976 that Litton defeated former Gov. Warren Hearnes for the Democratic nomination to the United States Senate...

The only job security in a President Trump administration isÂ…well, doing a good job -- or at least the job one is expected to do. I find this incredibly refreshing. As a teacher by profession, I have seen what such security -- also known as tenure -- looks like. It is and will always be a controversial subject. Every teacher knows at least one other teacher who, but for tenure, would have gotten the boot a long time ago...

Editor's note: The following guest column with the same headline originally appeared in the Sikeston Standard Democrat. The Southeast Missourian has published a series of stories on the Sikeston murder case of Sheila Box in 2000. This case is being heard again by a Special Master of the Missouri Supreme Court. ...

I attended a terrific concert recently at our River Campus that turned into a celebration of success in that we as a community have achieved our goal to fund four dogs for our K-9 unit of the Cape Girardeau Police Department. I will write more about the concert later in this column, but first I want to develop the thinking and process behind this fundraising effort within our great city of Cape Girardeau...

Spoiler alert: Today, this space is devoted to wildlife, and not-so-wild life, including a bit about our goofy cat, Missy Kitty. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. ...

The threats coming from North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un, continued with another test of its Intercontinental Ballistic Missile. The North Koreans claim their missiles can now hit targets in the continental United States. In light of these threats it is appropriate for the U.S. Department of Defense to continue testing and improving missile defense systems to protect the U.S. from attack. The threats are fodder for the media as they emphasize the threats without putting it all in context...

The GOP is facing a dilemma unlike any in history. With each passing day, it becomes harder to defend President Trump's actions and words, though his policies still remain highly popular with the majority of Americans. The closest comparison is with Richard Nixon, who enjoyed strong support for withdrawing troops from Vietnam and opening long-closed doors with China. But on a personal level, Nixon's quirks and odd personality made him a standing joke for many including some within his own party...

What in the world is going on? That's not a new question in the President Trump era. People were asking that throughout his presidential campaign and many more times since his inauguration, but it certainly is a more pressing question now that he has chosen to use social media to berate Attorney General Jeff Sessions. So what is going on?...

How can throwing away original police notes, destroying witness testimony, hiding evidence favorable to the defense, manipulating documents, coercing witness', making deals and threatening witnesses to comply be anything but corrupt? It was a horrible injustice that was done to David Robinson. This also happened to Anthony Shaw and I wonder how many others...

I have no talent for or understanding of art. Here's why. The new sculpture in the roundabout at Fountain and Morgan Oak streets in our fair city doesn't look like art to me. But remember: I have no talent for or understanding of art. If I did, I would be able to appreciate the artist's efforts in this roundabout endeavor. I would more fully comprehend the expense of more than $70,000 (so far) on the latest addition to the many outdoor sculptures that adorn our downtown...

Last week it was announced that Sen. John McCain had been diagnosed with glioblastoma, a particularly aggressive type of brain cancer. The senator has had several bouts of fighting skin cancer, but this is a new and probable fight to the death with an incurable form of cancer...

After some intense soul-searching, the Democrat Party has arrived at the solution to their recent and ongoing election losses. The party of Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Shumer has decided their problem boils down to a slogan that will change both their image and their election losses...

What a week it has been in news and politics. So many takeaways. Let's start with the news that Sen. John McCain has been diagnosed with brain cancer. My heart goes out to the senator from Arizona, and he has my prayers. I have a bone to pick with how the media have handled the news. Never before have I seen such eulogizing of someone who was just diagnosed...

The news has been awfully heavy lately, so I thought you might like some light-hearted comments. n Remember slow food? Someone asked the other day, “What was your favorite fast food when you were growing up? “We didn’t have fast food when I was growing up,” I informed him...

More than 60 years ago, growing up on a farm was pretty much the same no matter where the farm was located. Boys, whether on farms in the flat Bootheel of Missouri or in the sloping Ozark valleys over yonder, had to be out of bed early to do chores: milk cows, hoe gardens, buck bales of hay and mend fences. ...

After the evacuation of the British from Boston, Washington moved his Continental Army southwest to confront the British and Hessian troops in New York. Washington's force occupied New York City and moved to stop the British advance toward the city in Western Long Island. ...

Back in November -- though it seems a lifetime ago -- the American people gave the Republican Party control of the United States Senate, House and White House. And there was a reason for this political sea change. After eight tumultuous years of the prior administration, America was as divided as perhaps any point in our history. This disunity threatened all sense of progress and compromise on some highly critical issues...

First things first Meeting and re-meeting some of you at my Barnes & Noble book signing Friday night was an honor. Thank you for the encouraging words, book purchases and continued support. Your kindness makes me want to push forward. n Last Tuesday, Johnnie Moore, president of The Kairos Company, tweeted a photograph of President Donald Trump surrounded by people praying for him in the Oval Office while laying hands on him. ...

The board of aldermen was presented the final report of the community survey by ETC Institute at a recent meeting. The ETC Institute conducted the scientific survey of Jackson residents during the month of May. I would like to thank all citizens who took their time to fill out this survey. ...

Should shipping containers be used to create livable spaces in Cape Girardeau? That's a question currently before the city council. I was pleased to see that the council members voted to extend the city's moratorium on such projects rather than ban them outright. This gives everyone more time to assess shipping containers and their viability as permanent homes...

Every week I struggle to find a subject for this column that is interesting with a particular focus on military or veteran's issues. Often that search for a subject has led me to the story of one soldier, sailor, airman, Marine, or Coast Guardsman who has displayed courage "above and beyond" what is expected. ...

Given the current state of affairs, it seems the common thread that holds together our national fabric has unraveled. The adage that we have more in common than not seems a quaint vestige of the past. The great philosopher Rodney King once asked, "Can't we all just get along?"...

You saved the date, and it's just a few days away. I'm looking forward to seeing you at the Barnes & Noble book signing this Friday evening. Stop by anytime between 5 and 7 p.m. at the West Park Mall. On sale will be my three books, which include two #AuntAlma picture books and my inspirational work. ...

Ordinarily, most columns about national holidays would be presented to readers before, or maybe even on, the holiday. Lots of good writers do that, so there must be something right about such a sequence of events. But, here I am, a so-so writer at best. If I were a good writer, I wouldn't be so willing to bend the established protocol for wordsmiths. Not being a good writer does have its advantages...

I am writing this column on July 4, 2017, and the television in the background carries an endless stream of politicians making speeches where they explain why we should celebrate the birth of American independence. Unfortunately, many of these speeches quickly turn into political speeches calling for celebrations of political parties rather than our nation...

Parents are exercising their bragging rights by posting pictures of their children embarking on new seasons in their lives. It began as high school commencements approached and young men and women showed up in everyone's social media newsfeeds, compliments of their moms and dads oozing with pride. ...

In a nation blessed with abundant opportunities for all, we seem to spend an enormous amount of time focused on those who rely on taxpayer assistance. America's charity -- which is based largely on our Christian foundation -- has always marked the compassion of our generous nation...

Can you think of a single reason why a cat with the sweet disposition of an angel and two mockingbirds that give breathtaking concerts every day should be such mortal enemies? Neither can I. You might suppose it's part of the genetic makeup of both the cat and the birds...

In May 1969, James C. McCloughan was a 23-year-old army Private First Class serving as an infantry platoon medic in Vietnam. McCloughan was a veteran of combat and had already been awarded Combat Medical Badge, two Purple Hearts, and two Bronze Stars. McCloughan was also nominated for the Medal of Honor (MOH) for his actions during the two day Battle of Nui Yon Hill...

Ever wanted to thank local U.S. veterans in a way that is personal, meaningful and fun? At the SEMO District Fair this September, you can do so by taking part in a "Paint for a Cause" project, the brainchild of local artist and Navy Seabee veteran Aaron Horrell...

Earlier this year, the People's Republic of California imposed a state employee travel ban to four states -- Kansas, Mississippi, North Carolina and Tennessee -- who had passed laws the Californians thought were discriminatory toward the LGBT community...

I have been in New York state for more than a week. My old stomping grounds. I was honored to deliver the commencement address to Hudson City School District's (HCSD) class of 2017 on Friday. I taught in the district for more than 17 years, and many of the students who graduated Friday were in my class. ...

A confession: My wife and I have become a part of that technology-advanced option known as "binge watching." Binge watching occurs when an online streaming service (see, I know some of the lingo) makes several episodes of a popular program, like "House of Cards" or "Call the Midwife," available all at once. In other words, you don't have to wait for weekly episodes like in the good old days of black-and-white TV...

A new member of our military services is very quickly taught about the chain of command, which is the command structure that the new enlistee is part of. Orders are transmitted to that individual soldier, airman, Marine or sailor through a chain of increasing rank senior commanders right up to the Commander in Chief (the President). ...

NOTE: I put fingers to keyboard prior to the verdict in this case. The verdict has now been rendered. Read on for my pre-verdict thoughts, and read my "Followup" for my thoughts after the verdict. I am not a lawyer. I write this, therefore, not from the perspective of one deeply entrenched in the law, but as one immersed in common sense...