Republicans are defunding the US, not China

March 27, 2023

House conservatives have devised a “new and improved” threat to the world economy if their demands are not met. Once again, they vow to vote against raising the cap on U.S. debt if desired cuts in government spending are not made. Once again, they insist their plan would not crash the world financial markets, because it would guarantee payments to holders of U.S. debt. Only Americans expecting to be provided certain government goods and services would get stiffed. (That the U.S. debt is tantamount to a balance already on the national credit card does not seem to have gotten ...

Cut administrators some slack

March 25, 2023

School administrators are not meteorologists, and they don’t pretend to be. By job title, they are forced to make decisions about school closures when Mother Nature comes calling with wintry mixes. One school administrator admitted making those decisions is easily the worst part of the job. There is a rigorous process in place to help with the decision-making, but it still leads to many sleepless nights. These officials are darned if they do and darned if they don’t. If they open school and it snows, the lynch mob comes calling. The same mob turns out if they close or delay ...

Don’t go chasing waterfalls

March 18, 2023

I recently spent a weekend in Pittsburgh. I have been there several times before, but never tire of turning the corner and seeing the city majestically standing there before me. I love this city of hills and bridges. It doesn’t take you long to feel the sense of pride these self-proclaimed “Yinzers” have in their city. What is a “Yinzer” you might ask. The best description, this is the way Pittsburghers identify themselves. It has derived from the way they refer to “you all”, or “you guys.” Such as, “Are Yinz going to the game”? As I shopped my way through the ...

Still searching for sunshine in ‘open society’

March 13, 2023

It’s been nearly 60 years since President Lyndon Johnson signed the Freedom of Information Act. The signing was done out of the view of the public, ironic considering a statement released with the passing of the bill noted Johnson signed it “with a deep sense of pride that the United States is an open society.” Turns out, Johnson’s hand was forced by a unanimous vote in Congress, which marked the end of a very interesting story into how the act — those in the biz call it FOIA, pronounced foy-ah — came into existence. Sunshine Week is observed March 12-18 across the United ...

Is censorship a dangerous trend?

March 8, 2023

Censorship is a destructive force restricting the free flow of ideas and information. It is an attempt by certain individuals or groups to control what others can see, hear, or read, often to protect their interests or ideology. Unfortunately, censorship has been used in various forms throughout history and continues to be a problem in modern society. Recently, the publishers of the works of Roald Dahl and Ian Fleming changed their books in ways deeply concerning, and we need to speak out against this type of censorship. Dahl and Fleming are two of the most beloved authors in modern ...

Celebrating women who tell our stories

March 4, 2023

March is Women in History Month and this year’s theme is, “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories.” As fate would have it, I recently ran across the story of a woman who was born, raised, and married here in Lewistown. Her name was Laura Lucretia Mitchell, and she was born in 1849. As you will soon discover, this woman with local roots, went on to write a very important chapter in the proverbial book of women’s rights. Growing up, Laura was described by those who knew her best as a passionate reader, which contributed to her becoming both a forward thinker and an expressive ...