It is hard to imagine, but there were no transcripts of the events that occurred when the Continental Congress was debating and deliberating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Thankfully, many of John Adams’ and John Dickinson’s extensive notes survived.  Historians will foreve…

The Supreme Court banned prayer in public schools in 1962. Those born after that have been inadequately exposed to the importance that faith played in our Founders’ lives. Other than being the Father of our Country, many do not fully appreciate the essential and miraculous role of George Was…

Former Hopkinsville Mayor Wally Bryan was the guest speaker at a recent Wide Open Wednesday at First Presbyterian Church. He spoke about the very successful Challenge Houses that he helped create throughout our inner-city neighborhoods.

Entitlement and entrepreneur are two words frequently used when we engage in political discussions. Dictionary.com defines these words this way: Entitlement — “The right to guaranteed benefits under a government program.” Entrepreneur — “A person who organizes and manages any enterprise, esp…

Using Sen. Rand Paul’s words, I am a “Lover of Liberty.” I treasure our Constitution and the Rule of Law. I never thought I would ever hear a U.S. attorney general tell state attorneys general that it is OK to ignore laws passed by their state legislatures if they didn’t agree with the laws …

The Magna Carta, written in 1215, guaranteed the English people political liberties and is recognized as the keystone in the historic process that led to constitutional Rule of Law. It forced King John to consult with the nobles before making capricious decisions like passing taxes. This bec…

Even with special days like Groundhog Day, Valentine’s Day, and Presidents Day, February, the shortest month of the year, has been too long and too shivering. Hopefully, Feb. 19 was a day that warmed your heart.

We have been fighting a war against poverty for 50 years — ever since President Lyndon Johnson made that declaration in his first State of the Union speech in 1964. President Obama constantly reminds us of the plight of those Americans and blames it on income inequality.

The delegates at the Constitutional Convention must have felt the weight of the world on their shoulders when they began to create a new form of government for the United States.  They came together knowing the Articles of Confederation had been too weak, and they did not want a government t…

How many New Year’s resolutions did you make this year? There is evidence that humans have been doing this ever since ancient history began to be recorded. The Babylonians started each New Year by promising their gods that they would return all the items that they had borrowed and pay off th…

Are you getting tired of hearing secular progressives complain about the Christmas season and express their disgust with Christmas celebrations? Their public relations programs are designed to make sure our government does not allow any preference to religious beliefs.

Because winter is on the way, my husband decided it was time to get new tires on my SUV. Rich and I drove separately to the service station so I would not have to wait while the tires were being changed. Another customer, Doug, was also getting work done. He and Rich began conversing, and Ri…

I know how Golde and Tevye from “Fiddler on the Roof” must have felt when they sang:

The timer on our bedroom TV is set for the Weather Channel to wake us in the morning. Instead of hearing “Local on the 8s,” I recently woke up hearing President Obama proclaim, “We all have to share the responsibility for keeping the planet habitable.”

The debate that exists in American today is a clash between two visions — that of our Founding Fathers who shaped the Spirit of 1776 and that of the mid-century Radicals who introduced the “Spirit of 1968” to the United States. I must give credit to Dinesh D’Souza, author, filmmaker and form…

I become very melancholy whenever I am reminded about the thrill killing that occurred on Aug. 23 in Duncan, Okla., which is about 80 miles south of Oklahoma City. Christopher Lane of Melbourne, Australia, had just returned to the United States after a trip to his homeland. He was visiting h…

We are in the middle of U.S. Constitution Week. We have been marking this event since 1956, when President Eisenhower proclaimed that it be observed after The Daughters of the American Revolution petitioned Congress for a week to remember and promote the study of our Constitution.

Each year the president issues a proclamation to designate the first Sunday in September after Labor Day as Grandparents Day. People, groups and organizations are to observe the day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

The world’s last official telegram was sent in India on July 14, but sending telegrams has not been completely terminated.  An obscure international telegraph service will continue to operate on the Indian sub-continent. Cheaper long-distance telephone calls, the Internet and modern technolo…

The first time the “town-hall” forum was used during a presidential debate was between President George H. W. Bush, Gov. Bill Clinton, and H. Ross Perrot on Oct. 15, 1992 at the University of Richmond. A pony-tailed man from the audience addressed the candidates. He told them that he was tir…

Today we hear a lot about spin. Bill O’Reilly has the “No Spin Zone.” Spinning is nothing more than propagandizing. Propaganda is a form of communication designed to influence the attitude of a community toward a particular cause or position by presenting only one side of the argument.  

On June 25 at Georgetown University, President Obama outlined his new action plan on climate change. Included in the president’s proposed regulations was the directive for the EPA to limit carbon emissions from coal-fired utilities by June 2014. Prior to the president’s speech, White House s…

Transparency may be the word most often heard when one listens to the daily news. Because it is used so frequently, it almost passes us by without garnering much attention. Prior to becoming an expression associated with politics, transparency was a term often used in the photographic world …

Flag Day is June 14. And what is its significance? It is not even a day off from work. Is it more than a yawn? Special thanks go out to our local Habitat for Humanity, which honors Flag Day and other patriotic holidays by placing a flag in front of homes where residents have made a donation …

This year Memorial Day is on May 27. It is the one day reserved to remember those who have died while serving in our nation’s armed services. Originally called Decoration Day, it was first on May 5, 1868, to honor all Civil War dead. After World War I, the purpose was changed to honor all Am…

Michael Barone, the senior political analyst for the Washington Examiner, has suggested dividing U.S. history into increments of the very “American number of 76.” He starts with 1789, the date of Washington’s first inauguration. He adds 76 years to 1789 three times, which takes us to 2017 an…

Dr. Benjamin Carson, the director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at John Hopkins University, has just about achieved celebrity status since his keynote address at the National Prayer Breakfast on Feb. 7. Carson received worldwide recognition in 1987 when he led a surgical team that for the first …

I have lived in Kentucky for almost 13 years, and I will publically admit, I am not a basketball fan. March Madness may be my least favorite time of the year because I have learned whenever the living room television is turned on, a basketball game will be playing over the airwaves.

I will be the first to admit that until recently the words sequester and sequestration were foreign to my daily vocabulary. Before the daily news inundation of these words, the only time I recall sequester being used was in regard to a jury when it is locked away. Today we are also reminded …

If you have ever worked an election, you have taken the Kentucky Oath of Office. We are asked to swear that we have not participated in any aspect of dueling. Many of us suppress laughter or chuckle under our breath at what we think is an outlandish affirmation.

Rep. John Tilley, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, will soon be given the opportunity to show his constituents in Christian and Trigg counties how he views religious freedom. House Bill 279 “The Religious Freedom Act” will be presented to his committee sometime within the next two weeks.

The president and Congress are exceeding their authority. Whatever happened to individual rights? Taxes should be paid by everyone, not just a few. Should the Constitution be interpreted strictly or loosely? It is immoral to burden our children and grandchildren with our debts. These are arg…

The beginning of a new year almost always causes us to reflect over the past. When I think back to my childhood growing up near Pittsburgh, I will never forget when the third TV station, NBC channel 11, was added to our lineup. Mom would call me home in the evening so I would not miss my fav…

I know you think the presidential election happened on Nov. 6, but in reality it happened on Dec. 17.  That is the day the Electoral College met in state capitols across our nation.  When you voted for a candidate, you actually voted to instruct electors who represented the candidate’s party…

Is there a war on Christmas? Today we often hear many pundits like Bill O’Reilly warning there is a war on Christmas.  We are reminded that the PC police are doing their best to make sure that non-Christians do not feel excluded during the Christmas season. Only secular songs can be sung in …

Just four years ago Kentucky was the first state called for McCain/Palin, and on this election night we were the first state called for Romney/Ryan.  Most Kentuckians, more than 60 percent of us, could not believe the election results that were coming to our TVs. Were we that out of sync wit…

I was sorely disappointed when I read the New Era editorial board’s assessment of David Williams’ years as senate majority leader. I believe that we in Kentucky owe Sen. Williams a debt of gratitude. He is responsible for the military income tax exemption. If the Senate had rolled over, we d…

Election Day is 19 days away. You have heard many times that this may be the most important election in your lifetime. Please believe it. We are facing the loss of one of our most precious rights given to us by our Constitution — liberty. It is slowly being eroded away in our city, at the st…

When speaking at the Democratic National Convention, Michelle Obama aroused my interest when she said, “Being president doesn’t change who you are, it reveals who you are. … At the end of the day, when it comes time to make decisions as president, all you have to guide you are your values an…

into American winterI feel like Yogi Berra. “It’s déjà vu all over again.” Is this Nov. 4, 1979, when in support of the Iranian Revolution, a group of Islamic students and militants took over the American Embassy in Tehran? Fifty-two Americans were held hostage for 444 days.  Prior to the re…

I grew up in a Democrat, union family. My father was a steel worker in the Pittsburgh area. Occasionally, Dad would be on strike, and there were times when he was laid off. No matter the circumstances, as a child I always felt very secure. I knew there would be food on the table at all times…

I grew up in Washington County, Pa., just south of Pittsburgh.  This county is recognized as one of the bell weather counties to watch during the presidential election.  The electoral map of Pennsylvania looks like two blue islands floating in a sea of red.  Those islands are Pittsburgh in t…

It is almost impossible to talk about politics today without labeling an issue as “left winged” or “right winged.” These terms date back to the French Revolution. The terms refer to the seating arrangements of the 1789 French National Assembly.

The American dream has always meant that we in America have the freedom to achieve whatever our hearts desire.  Opportunity and prosperity are possible for those of us who have the where-with-all to seek the dream.  We have no caste system, and upward social mobility is a way of life.  Why h…

Almost all high school U.S. history classes have a unit on the Constitution, and will quickly cite the Constitution’s uniqueness by pointing to the separation of powers among the branches of government. The three branches of government are equal, and a grand system of checks and balances is …

The NAACP, Eric Holder and his Justice Department, the ACLU, and the League of Women Voters are all working toward the same goal regarding voter identification. They are opposed to voter ID laws and back a national effort to take them down.

The Washington Post has now made it vogue to reminisce about our good old high school days. Yes, it was many years ago, but how I remember May Day and all of the activities associated with it. Growing up in western Pennsylvania after the long and often times severe winter, the coming of spri…

In this divisive election year, it is apparent to me that the White House will do and say anything to curry women’s votes. Many pundits are calling this the “War on Women.” I prefer to call it the War for Women. I do believe that this “war” was contrived.

I am now officially a member of the “Gushing Grandma Club.” Levi Duffy Cooper was born on April 19 in Scottsdale, Ariz. I had purchased an airplane ticket many weeks prior to the blessed day. Of course, I begin thinking about his future …

The day has come and gone. What day am I referring to? Dreaded Tax Day! Is this the most disliked day of the year? You may remember President Ronald Reagan’s famous quote about Tax Day.  Reagan, the eternal optimist proclaimed, “Republicans believe every day of the year is the Fourth of July…