Martin Luther King Jr. once said that "Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal." Over the past year, we have seen violent protests spread throughout our country, and over and over, those who committed violence were not held accountable. In fact, when the statue of Christopher Columbus was torn down this past summer in Baltimore, Speaker Nancy Pelosi shrugged it off as "people will do what they do."...

On the morning of Jan. 5, a bestselling Christian author posted a picture of the Egyptian Coptic martyrs who were beheaded on a beach in Libya in 2015. Above the photo, the author asked: "What price are you willing to pay for what you believe in?" That's an excellent question I ask myself often. ...

In these trying times, I am grateful for the continued support from the Missouri business community in contributing to the health and welfare of our region. I am particularly grateful for Missouri Care Inc., an Anthem company, for donating a total of $54,000 to a trio of noble causes that will benefit the residents of Southeast Missouri...

There seems to be only one area of common ground in our country today: agreement that something is wrong. But regarding what that "something" is, and what we need to do, there is profound disagreement throughout the nation. The violence in which the sacred ground of our nation's Capitol building was violated by unruly hooligans, resulting in the death of five, is a low point in our history...

Many Americans are very upset that President-elect Joe Biden will replace President Donald Trump. For most of them, it's not that they will miss Trump's unconventional and often unacceptable behavior. Instead, it's that they fear that the size and scope of government will grow so fast that it will permanently change the country they love...

The lawless violence at the Capitol last week was criminal. ... Those who engaged in it should be prosecuted and punished. Lawless violence undermines the democratic process by which we settle our disputes and threatens our democratic life. ... But democratic debate is not mob violence. It is in fact how we avoid that violence.

I applaud Jon Rust on his column in the Jan. 9, 2021 Southeast Missourian. I agree with your personal thoughts completely, and with the thoughts expressed by most of the leaders whom you cited. However, I felt the basic thought of the column was diluted by your inclusion of quotes from Sen. Josh Hawley and U.S. Rep. Jason Smith...

At the present moment the USA is faced with three serious situations. n We have two forms of a pandemic called COVID-19 which is killing 1,000 to 2,000 people daily. n There is a vaccine for this illness. To date only a little over a third of the distributed doses have been used...

Democrats who want to argue that First Amendment protections don't apply to Trump's Twitter account because Twitter is a private company need to have the same view of private businesses not making cakes for homosexuals. Once again, if Donald Trump seeks to place blame on anyone or anything for his current state, he need look no further than the man in his mirror. Sad and historic day for America...

The integrity of our nation's democracy needs to be among the first priorities addressed in Congress next term. We've seen rampant corruption and a disregard for ethics, accountability, oversight, and rule of law that continue to plague our government...

This is in reference to the article "Cape Council OKs 13th community college survey proposal first reading." I am seeking to provide information that may answer some of the concerns mentioned in the article and by those offering comments. Accreditation is addressed by the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development. ...

Why is it so hard to accept reality and accept that Joe Biden is the president-elect? Americans did that in every other election up to this point. There is no difference between this election and all the others. President-elect Joe Biden is going to be your president, so accept reality...

It is amazing how many people seem to have discovered last Wednesday that riots are wrong -- when many of those same people apparently had not noticed that when riots went on, for weeks or even months, in various cities across the country last year...

Donald Trump was the president of Twitter. What radio was to Franklin Delano Roosevelt and TV was to Ronald Reagan, communicating 280 characters at a time on a social media platform that is a watchword for hyperactive inanity was to President Donald Trump...

Cape Girardeau firefighters recently rescued two people trapped in an apartment that was on fire. The individuals, unable to exit due to smoke in the hallway, were hanging out of a window of the William Street house that had been converted to apartments...

Rush Limbaugh, Cape Girardeau native and conservative talk radio pioneer, turns 70 years old today. Limbaugh was the first to develop a prominent place for conservatives in media, and no one has been able to replicate his talents. Former Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder grew up in Cape with Rush -- referred to as Rusty to differentiate from his father and grandfather of the same name...

What a mess went down Wednesday as miscreants overran the U.S. Capitol, penetrating its premises like knife penetrates butter. Sickening on so many levels, and the truth about who was behind it all, I believe, has yet to come to light. There's more here than meets the eye, so I won't race to comment on that aspect, but I will address the issue of race and its injection into the non-race-related tragedy...

Josh Hawley's name is all over headlines across the country, for the wrong reasons. Hawley led the pointless effort in the Senate to block the certification of the results of the presidential election, despite knowing as a constitutional lawyer it would go nowhere. ...

“It sure is great to live in Cape!” is a phrase Doug Austin, an active volunteer in Cape Girardeau, proclaims regularly. Austin and his wife, Fran, chose to retire in Cape Girardeau after living here twice during his career. This sentiment was echoed numerous times recently in the December issue of B Magazine, a Southeast Missourian publication, by individuals who decided to reside in the Cape Girardeau region for a variety of reasons. ...

I look with, not disdain, but rather pity and heartache on the remaining 20% of my fellow Cape Girardeau County residents who refuse to wear a mask when shopping. My heart aches for you and your self-centered mentality that has enabled unnecessary sickness and destroyed economic livelihoods. ...

There’s a reason we expect presidents of the United States to say that they support the peaceful transfer of power. Donald Trump has never committed to it, and we saw the bitter fruit on Wednesday afternoon when, shockingly, pro-Trump rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol and disrupted the counting of Electoral College votes...

The mayhem of the riot has united most of the country in horror. “This is not America” has become a common refrain. Yet it happened, and the nation is at a crossroads. Will the mayhem of this day cause the country — including the media and both parties — to lower the temperature, restrain the inflammatory rhetoric, and seek more common ground? Or will divisiveness and disrespect continue to reign?

While sitting in the Delta lounge in the Atlanta airport waiting for my flight back to Washington, a white gentleman approached me and struck up a conversation. Politics was on his mind, and seeing me, a Black woman, he was sure that he had found a kindred spirit to share his hopes that Democrats will prevail in both U.S. Senate runoff races in Georgia...

Amid the current hysteria of toppling statues and renaming things, we keep mindlessly expanding the cancel culture. We are now seeing efforts to ban classics of Western and American literature. These hallowed texts are suddenly being declared racist or sexist by preening moralists...

Recent events on the national scene remind us of the need to control our tongue! "No man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil." (James 3:8) The tongue can be a godly servant or a terrible demon. It can speak the truth or tell lies. It can comfort or it can cut. ...

Years and years ago, Greyhound had a good route going along I-55 and one going along U.S. 61. Ending of bus service was a stupid thing to do. Greyhound had two good drop-off/pick-up locations in Cape Girardeau where the Greyhound bus passengers could make a connection to the Cape Girardeau County Transit Authority bus service...

Jefferson Elementary has a new principal, but she's a familiar face with Cape public schools. Tracy Haggerty, previously an assistant principal at Cape Girardeau Central High School, is taking over at the helm of the elementary school. Haggerty follows Kara Jokerst, who recently submitted her resignation to pursue other opportunities outside the state. ...

The GOP will now be known as the anti-democracy authoritarian party now that Trump incited his base to storm the Capitol building. Republicans sat on their hands and held their tongues for the past year while Trump spiraled down the rabbit hole of conspiracy theories and delusional dreams of an election victory. They allowed him to act like a banana republic tinpot dictator and did nothing to stop him...

On Wednesday, we saw what can happen when indignation and anger are emphasized over American unity, and when our protective institutions are falsely maligned.

"Out with the old!" Cliche, though it is, it seems to concisely sum up the sentiments abounding at the start of a new year. It's especially poignant now, as many have expressed that 2020 couldn't have ended soon enough. But that saying doesn't end there. "In with the new" usually follows, so this begs the question: "Now what?"...

I almost feel sorry for David Limbaugh as Biden's victory has to have hurt his recent book sales. I do believe the real danger to democracy comes not from Democrats but from Trump's cult followers who buy whatever he is selling. If we are going to put a symbol on the GOP, then it should be changed from an elephant to blind sheep. ...

It's very sad that schools can find a way to be good at a sport, but can't find a way to graduate 95% of their students. Stop wasting resources on turf and balls until we have enough money for computers and science teachers. It's just sad that administrators think schools are where kiddos receive inspiration, motivation, hope and love. ...

President Donald Trump has turned a narrow electoral defeat into a bid for infamy. His goal in the postelection interlude has been more and more explicitly to overturn the results of the election. Indeed, a couple of weeks ago he tweeted simply, "#OVERTURN."...

The clear results of the 2020 election must not be overturned. The Republican Party is on trial this week. Do they believe in our democratic republic? Do they truly believe in elections, or only in elections their side wins? Are they truly opposed to tampering with elections, or is it okay when their president does it?...

Cape Girardeau Central High was the No. 1 seed coming into the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament. The expectations were high. But entering Day 1 of the tournament, the Tigers were 0-3 to begin their season. That would soon change. Central defeated Bell City, Woodland and Charleston to make it to the championship game of the annual tournament at the Show Me Center. ...

The current president of Planned Parenthood is unafraid to use the word "abortion." In a Christmas-season interview with The Washington Post, Alexis McGill Johnson scolded those who would downplay the importance of abortion in her organization's work. She says it is "stigmatizing" to do so...

What makes the special election vote in Georgia historic is not just the specific issues or the specific candidates for the Senate who are on the ballot. As a nation, we are at a crossroads in the history of America. And if we take the wrong road, we may never get back again...

The year 2020 has come to a close. As I have done in past years, I would like to review the major annual accomplishments of the City of Jackson. It is important for the city to set goals on an annual basis and, more importantly, to review its performance against its goals at the end of each year...