Speak Out: The impact of demonizing traditional masculinity; comments on Trump, Biden and other national politics

The Speak Out column allows readers to voice their opinions on topics important to them. Comments are meant to be short in nature. There is no guarantee that a comment will appear in print or online. We encourage positive comments, especially those that mark local accomplishments and acts of grace. To submit a comment, go to: Submit Speak Out comment.

Christmas lights

Thank you to all the groups, companies, schools, clubs and more who put floats together for the Christmas parade. You all add sparkle to the holiday season. My family loved being there even though we should have dressed warmer.

Don't demonize

Maybe the college-educated women now complaining there aren’t good men to date should have spoken up in all the college classes that demonized men who act like men.

Tucker Carlson

All indications are that Tucker Carlson is a very influential advisor to the Trump operations. Carlson has appeared in Moscow in recent times. Moscow shows his support on their TV. Carlson’s father is a lobbyist, who has represented Hungary, another fan of Putin. The question will remain — how much control will Putin have over Trump the next four years? More than you can imagine! Pulling out of NATO is a risk.

Like a fox

Donald Trump is playing chess again while his opponents play checkers. Sly like a fox, he has nominated a few clear lightning rods while building support for those who otherwise would be getting negative attention. Did anyone think Gaetz would actually get through? Meanwhile, he's nominating deputy directors who will actually do all the work who are disciplined and intentional. Very interesting.

Defense secretary

History repeats. In 1989, President George H.W. Bush selected John Tower, senator from Texas, as his secretary of defense. He was rejected by the fellow senators due to “heavy drinking and womanizing.” Why? When that happens, blackmail becomes a risk.

Trump staff

Trump has set a new record for appointing convicted felons to his new administration. Both his felony convictions and his staff’s are giving us a vivid picture of what his administration is all about — it’s OK to be a convicted felon and work in the White House!

Nadler is very wrong

Rep. Nadler, our current judiciary chair, has the nerve to say Donald Trump is a threat to democracy! If that isn’t the most outrageous thing I’ve heard when Biden is lying to the American people about pardoning his son who WAS found guilty of several crimes and now walks free because of the big guy ... his daddy. People like Nadler are why Harris lost. They have lost their minds.

Laughing stock

While in Africa, Joe Biden is making himself once again the laughing stock of the world!

Inauguration Day

Good Grief! January 20, 2025, can’t come fast enough!

Don't worry

Most of the stuff people worry about ain’t never gonna happen anyway. Every path has a few puddles.

Border patrol

Why not let the border patrol use motorcycles, stun guns, and zip ties to patrol their sections or areas of the border.

Wealth gap

One of the primary issues of concern is the division between the haves and have-nots. Currently, the top 1% of the richest have more wealth than the bottom 95% — put together. The tax and economic schemes of the past 40 years caused this. Throughout human history, this kind of discrepancy has caused social instability. The primary cause is the trickle-down concepts of 1980. (Reaganomics.) The difference in rates of capital gains and ordinary income is stunning. A worker in a factory can actually pay a higher tax rate than the capitalist taking much larger long-term gains. The primary supporters of this concept are the lower-income earners. The high-end earners have the money to buy the system through funded lobbying.