A round-up of Sunday editorials from Alabama’s leading newspapers
A round-up of Sunday editorials from Alabama’s leading newspapers. Want to read more? Click the story’s title to read the full piece. The Anniston Star – A reasoned opinion from Moore In Roy Moore’s estimation, Lee Carroll Brooker shouldn’t be serving a life-without-parole sentence in Alabama’s prison system. Carroll, 76, was found guilty of drug trafficking in Houston County following his arrest in 2013. Previous robbery convictions in Florida stained his record. Under Alabama law, Brooker’s record and drug-related sentence kicked in a sentencing guideline the chief justice of the state Supreme Court would like altered. On Friday, Moore called for that change. “A trial court should have the discretion to impose a less severe sentence than life imprisonment without the possibility of parole,” Moore wrote in a statement. “I urge the Legislature to revisit that statutory sentencing scheme to determine whether it serves an appropriate purpose.” In Moore’s opinion, “grave flaws” exist within Alabama’s sentencing system, especially in cases involving non-violent crimes. On this, we agree with the chief justice. The profound overcrowding of the state’s prisons is made worse when overly harsh guidelines leave judges and juries no choice but to imprison the guilty for many years, or longer. The Birmingham News – Alabama scholar weighs in on wisdom of Iran nuclear deal As an Alabamian and scholar of international relations in the Middle East, I felt compelled to address the Iran nuclear deal. My Masters thesis concerned nuclear weapons in the Middle East, and my senators are some of the leading voices against the agreement. In short, this is objectively a “good deal,” a historic example of diplomacy, and a boon to our national security and that of our allies. I’m gravely concerned and honestly perplexed by opposition to the deal. I can’t predict all objections (though I’m available to any legislator who wants to discuss them), but I will attempt to anticipate a few of them. First, however, I’d like to outline some key details I think indicate what a success this deal is for America. Uranium enrichment capped at 3.67 percent is another extraordinary concession, well below the level to assemble even a rudimentary ‘dirty bomb,’ much less a modern nuclear weapon. Iran is agreeing to this stipulation, despite the fact the cap is far below that granted by Article IV of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. No stockpiling nuclear material. Quoting the agreement, “all spent fuel for all future and present power and research nuclear reactors” must be shipped out of the country. Iran will mothball tens of thousands of centrifuges used for enrichment and use older model (IR-1) centrifuges. This dramatically decreases enriched uranium production and increases the ease of monitoring enrichment. Again, this concedes a right granted in Article IV of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Iran is rebuilding the heavy-water reactor to preclude plutonium production. This reactor at Arak was built at great cost over a long period of time, and represents a serious concession. In 1981, Israel destroyed the Osirak reactor in Iraq with a risky, covert airstrike; we are accomplishing a similar feat today with diplomacy. The Decatur Daily – Another View: Around The State Benefits of breast-feeding babies have been much publicized lately, partly thanks to high-profile advocates such as actress Alyssa Milano (“Charmed,” ‘’Mistresses”). Tuesday, a ribbon-cutting took place in Birmingham for the Mother’s Milk Bank of Alabama, which collects breast milk from mothers, sterilizes it, then sends it to local hospitals for pre-term babies or those in neonatal intensive care units. The Community Food Bank of Central Alabama and its leadership are serving in an advisory capacity and have helped secure grants. Before that, donated breast milk was sent to Texas for pasteurization and distribution through the Human Milk Banking Association of North America. MMBAL is a member of the organization, but donations made here will stay here. Why does any of this matter? Alabama has made steady strides in reducing infant mortality rates. In 2013, the most recent year for which information is available, the rate was 8.6 deaths per 1,000 live births. For perspective, it was 36.4 deaths per 1,000 in 1950. Many factors have contributed to the improvements. Banking is merely one more tool to allow health care providers and parents a way to provide the unique antibodies and nutrients found only in breast milk. Breast-feeding is a hot-button issue right now, but its benefits have been confirmed by science again and again. Banking milk is akin to banking blood and blood products. Dothan Eagle – Food for thought on 9/11 anniversary On a clear Tuesday morning 14 years ago, a group of militant Islamic terrorists executed an intricate plan to attack the United States by hijacking passenger airliners and crashing them into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the U.S. Capitol. Three of the hijacked aircraft hit their targets at the World Trade Center towers and at the Pentagon. The fourth, United Flight 73, bound for the Capitol, crashed in a Pennsylvania field after passengers attempted to overpower the hijackers. The terrorists killed 2,977 people, injured untold others and left legions of responders and family members with emotional scars that aren’t likely to heal. For 14 years, we’ve seen rapid changes in our world, in our own country, in our own sense of security. We’ve seen our freedoms eroded in the name of fighting terrorism, we’ve seen local police forces transform into military units through the largesse of the federal Department of Homeland Security, and we’ve seen constant warfare against a changing cast of evildoers from Saddam Hussein to al Qaeda to ISIS. Meanwhile, we’ve failed to identify the enemy that’s killing us at home. Since Sept. 11, 2001, there have been between 25 and 30 “mass shooting” incidents, depending on who’s counting, with an average of about 10 deaths per event. For 2013 alone, the Centers for Disease Control tallies 16,121 homicides in the United States, with 11,208 committed with a firearm. The Enterprise Ledger – Childhood memories of Bates Stadium No telling what a grade-school boy
A round-up of Sunday editorials from Alabama’s leading newspapers
A round-up of Sunday editorials from Alabama’s leading newspapers: The Anniston Star – Religious beliefs and the law Kim Davis, the county clerk from Kentucky, is getting her uncomfortable 15 minutes of fame because she won’t follow the law. Davis is a devout Christian, but that’s not why she’s in jail. She’s not being persecuted for her faith, despite what some of her supporters — including Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee — have claimed. She’s in jail because she won’t perform her duties as the Rowan County clerk. It’s that simple. Federal law, backed by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, says same-sex unions are legal. This week, a federal judge stopped the national sideshow that has surrounded Davis’ Kentucky office. Davis refused any compromises from the court and went to jail. Meanwhile, the county’s deputy county clerks began issuing licenses to same-sex couples on Friday. The law won, and rightly so. It’s an odd comparison, but Davis’ story is similar to that of Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore, whose 2003 Ten Commandments fiasco ended with Moore, like Davis, on the losing end. For months, Moore defied a judge’s order and refused to remove his Ten Commandments monument from the Alabama Supreme Court building. Protests ensued. Moore’s cause — an unconstitutional merging of church and state — became national news. And Moore’s defiance didn’t keep the monument in place. It was removed, per the judge’s order. The law won, and rightly so. The Birmingham News – The University of Alabama must reinstate ‘Dixieland Delight’ The University of Alabama’s SGA is likely going to have a very exciting and active week ahead of itself. The vast majority of students on campus are familiar with, and proud of, the tradition of having Dixieland Delight played in Bryant-Denny Stadium during the fourth quarter of home games. It is truly a time when the stadium comes together and unites as one. Unfortunately, last year, in response to our fans acting less sportsmanlike than we usually do during the playing of the song, the athletics department made the decision to remove the song from our game day playlist. Naturally, many students were upset with the decision, wanting a chance to reform in a way that we could not only reinstate the playing of Dixieland Delight, but preserve it for everyone to enjoy for years to come. I decided to act, crafting legislation that requests the athletics department to allow Dixieland Delight to be played once more in our treasured stadium, while stressing the importance of good sportsmanship on Crimson Tide game days. We want to assure the outside world that having good sportsmanship on Alabama game days is as much of a tradition to us as winning is. Although open to the public, Senate meetings do not usually draw large crowds. I wanted to change that for this coming week. I feel that the most effective change in government comes from involving as many people as possible – stressing that we all have the capacity to play a role (no matter how big or small) to bring good change on campus. As a proud student body, we will find firsthand this Thursday, that only when we are united, acting in solidarity, are we as productive and strong as we can be. Not much is clear about what will happen after the meeting. The only thing we do know is that the normal Senate chamber with a maximum capacity of 80 people will not be able to hold us for this week. The Athletics Department, Dean of Students, and the rest of our administration have been very helpful in helping us find a venue to accommodate the crowd. I thank them for that. The Decatur Daily – Legislators get one final budget chance Gov. Robert Bentley’s call for the second special session of the Legislature includes many of the proposed tax increases that failed to gain ground in the previous special session. Whether they stand a snowball’s chance is doubtful. He is asking lawmakers to increase the business privilege tax, raise cigarette taxes and eliminate the individual income tax deduction for the Federal Insurance Contribution Act, which is paid in equal parts by employers and employees. Bentley said these three changes would generate $260 million annually, which would close the General Fund revenue gap. What’s new in the special session call from the previous one is a catch-all for “any other revenue measures that provide revenue for the General Fund.” That wide-open phrase gives legislators an out to take action on a number of adjustments that would help close the budget gap. Preventing large corporations from dodging income taxes would be a good start. There won’t be any painless solutions to the state’s financial problems. They’ve been brewing for years, and there are no more reserves from which to draw money. Some lawmakers want to divert the use tax from education to the General Fund. Bentley proposes budget “reforms” that would further rob schools of money. Neither is an acceptable solution. School funding has not recovered from levels attained before the 2008 recession. Public education should be a strength for any state. Without it, the workforce is at a competitive disadvantage, which would in turn affect the state’s ability to attract high-wage employers. Dothan Eagle – Behind the 8-ball Could 2015 be the year that it all crumbles around us? If it isn’t, it won’t be because of Alabama’s stellar leadership. The start of the new fiscal year is less than a month away, and the State of Alabama doesn’t have a General Fund budget. Anyone who has paid even scant attention to current events knows that there is a dire need for new income to bridge a gap of about $300 million between revenue and expenditures, but after the Legislature’s regular session and one special session, lawmakers have produced exactly zilch, and have actually dug the hole deeper by wasting as much as another half-million dollars on the unproductive special session. The governor has called another
A round-up of Sunday editorials from Alabama’s leading newspapers
A round-up of Sunday editorials from Alabama’s leading newspapers: The Anniston Star – More time is good for charter schools in Alabama Some states sprinted toward charter schools 20 years ago. Others jogged, calmly and orderly. Alabama’s journey to charter schools, meanwhile, has resembled a pedestrian’s slog up and down Anniston’s Henry Road — slow, with twists and turns and peril. Those comparisons get us to this: Alabama’s first charter schools won’t open until 2017, state officials said this week, and that sounds about right to us. For too long, Alabama has been hampered by a virulent anti-charter school belief that stomped down most rational discussions about those schools. Now that the state Legislature has OK’d charters, a 12-month rush to christen Alabama’s first charter school next fall would be the height of foolishness. We’ve waited this long. Methodical preparation will prove beneficial. Quite frankly, our concerns about charter schools don’t involve calendars and start dates. They involve implementation, oversight and performance. If anything, these years of Montgomery debate about charters have allowed informed Alabamians to get a better understanding of how these schools work — and how they don’t, in some cases. That is the key. Charter schools are neither utopias nor universal successes. They can work wonders and they can be dismal additions. In truth, the entire concept of charter schools in Alabama rests on the decisions made by the Alabama Charter School Commission. Its members are contractors building a house from scratch. If their blueprints are sketchy, if the foundation they pour is weak, then it won’t stand. Cracks and failures will be inevitable. We’re as eager as anyone to see substantive change come to public education in Alabama. Our children, especially those in many rural and low-income areas, deserve better than what they’re getting. Another year to build a charter-school program built on concrete, defensible policies isn’t such a bad thing at all. The Birmingham News – Acclaimed director says Civil War was about ‘slavery. slavery. slavery.’ The most celebrated Civil War documentarian of the modern era said yesterday that the War Between the States’ boiled down to one thing: “Slavery. Slavery. Slavery.” Long before Downton Abbey and Sherlock, 40 million viewers tuned into PBS to watch Ken Burn’s acclaimed documentary, “The Civil War.” The nine episode series won more than 40 industry awards and is widely regarded as contributing to a revival of interest in Civil War history and analysis. Now Burns is making the media rounds promoting an updated and remastered version of the series which will air September 7 – 11 to recognize the 150th anniversary of the end of the war and the 25th anniversary of the series. According to Burns, from the country’s beginning, “slavery was like a sleeping serpent. It lay coiled under the table during the deliberations,” and that the Civil War continues to inform and affect life in America. In part because of films like Birth of a Nation that glorify the Ku Klux Klan, Burns argues that Americans have “permitted themselves to be sold a bill of goods about what happened.” Emphatically, he lays to rest the myth that the Civil War was about states’ rights or nullification: In South Carolina’s Articles of Secession, they do not mention states’ rights. They mention slavery. Slavery. Slavery. And that we have to remember, it is much more complicated than that, but essentially the reason why we murdered each other… was over, essentially, the issue of slavery. Since the beginning the United States has been a nation of complexities and contradictions. As Burn puts it, “the main American theme is freedom. It’s about individual freedom in opposition or in tension with collective freedom.” The Decatur Daily – Hits and misses Jurors need to follow rules Evidence of jury misconduct was presented in court Wednesday relating to the May conviction of Joel Moyers for capital murder. According to one of the jurors, five other jurors discussed the case at lunch. Specifically, they talked about how to convince a holdout juror to change his mind. While the pressure on jurors to reach a verdict can be intense, the consequences of misconduct are dramatic. It erodes confidence in the system, and it potentially wastes money. The cost of a capital murder trial — including defense and prosecution costs — runs close to $300,000. Limestone County Circuit Court Judge James Woodroof soon will be in the unpleasant position of having to decide whether the alleged jury misconduct requires a new trial. His focus must be entirely on whether Moyers received a fair trial. Looming in the background, however, is the enormous amount of time and taxpayer money that went into the case. Cold Case Unit shows its value Technology at times seems to be a mixed blessing, but its benefits were evident in this week’s trial of David Leon Garth Jr. A series of brutal rapes in 1985 and 1986 traumatized Decatur. With no firm identifications, and without the benefit of DNA technology, the rapes went unsolved. In 2012, however, the state attorney general’s Cold Case Unit opened an investigation. Decatur police still had three of four rape kits from the incidents, and the DNA matched Garth. Garth, 46, already was in prison serving a 99-year sentence. Any questions about the financial wisdom of trying him for the rapes was answered conclusively by one of the victims after the jury found him guilty. “I never knew if the person I’m talking to could’ve been that person,” the victim said of her assailant. “I’ve been his prisoner for 30 years.” Lawrence County needs to resolve animal issues A handful of volunteers stepped up in a big way to address a growing problem with stray animals in Lawrence County, but it’s a problem the County Commission is legally obligated to address. Since terminating an animal control contract with Bobbie Taylor, who was charged with animal cruelty and neglect, the county hired a minimum-wage animal control officer temporarily. She collected 300 strays in six weeks. Lacking a place to house them,
A round-up of Sunday editorials from Alabama’s leading newspapers
A round-up of Sunday editorials from Alabama’s leading newspapers: The Anniston Star – Missed opportunities for fairness in Calhoun County Activists’ efforts urging the Piedmont City Council to formally ban LGBT discrimination have failed. Their brief flurry of political activity in that northern Calhoun County locale is, apparently, over. They presented their case. Residents’ opposition was immense. The council took no vote. That’s unfortunate. Piedmont, a small city in a mostly rural part of Alabama, missed an opportunity to send a message of equality and fairness. Anniston may be the activists’ next stop. There’s no guarantee, but the co-president of the local PFLAG chapter told The Star this week that its members have discussed their options for Calhoun County, which includes seeking a city more receptive to codifying the legal rights of gay, bisexual and transgender residents. “Anniston, I think, is gonna be our best demographic,” PFLAG’s Sterling Fiering said. Compared to Piedmont, Anniston is larger and more diverse, though that hardly proves the county’s biggest city wouldn’t have a similar reaction. Anniston’s religious conservatives who share views in line with those voiced in Piedmont might also protest a move to become a more LGBT-friendly community through a discrimination ban. The wildcard, if you will, would be the reaction of Anniston Mayor Vaughn Stewart and the Anniston City Council. Regardless of residents’ opinions, the council would be the ultimate test of any effort to import a discrimination ban into the city. The Birmingham News – ‘Black Like Who?’ panel, exhibit prove hip-hop is part of the American experience It’s an undeniable fact – hip-hop culture has been permanently woven into America’s tapestry. What was once considered rebellious fringe music is now simply a piece of the American story. Need proof? Well, numbers don’t lie: Last week “Straight Outta Compton,” F. Gary Gray’s biopic about rap pioneers NWA, grossed $60.2 million opening weekend, becoming the fifth-highest grossing August opener for any film in history. It’s currently hovering at about $80.2 million worldwide. With the eyes and ears of the nation tuned into sounds of hip-hop culture, the Birmingham Museum of Art’s latest exhibit provides perfect synergy: Hip-Hop You Don’t Stop, a daylong celebration of hip-hop’s impact and influence, begins Saturday, Aug. 22 at noon. Dance instruction, lectures, a screening of the film “Style Wars,” and of course, lots of music will coincide the museum’s current exhibition, “Black Like Who?: Exploring Race and Representation.” The exhibit shatters stereotypes that tend t fence hip-hop into one segment of our population. “Black Like Who?” masterfully combines the works of black and white artists, from Gilbert Gaul’s Civil War depictions of the early 20thcentury to Iona Rozeal Brown’s unique blend of hip-hop culture with 19th-century Japanese art. The exhibit defies conventions and embraces diversity – the stories it tells are integral to both hip-hop and American culture at large. We got a head start on those stories Friday evening. The Decatur Daily – Around the state Montgomery Advertiser on General Fund budget, educational funding: There’s much to lament about the Legislature’s failure during the special session to produce a workable General Fund budget to pay for critical state services. But at least the Republican supermajority wasn’t able to raid the state’s separate Education Trust Fund in a maneuver to avoid the hard work of good fiscal governance. Not that they didn’t try, with a number of faulty proposals to divert education dollars to other areas. As the Advertiser’s Brian Lyman reported, both chambers looked at moving $225 million in use tax dollars from the ETF to the General Fund. Senate leaders said they’d find a way to replace the money next year. We’ve heard that one before. The idea of the transfer is not without merit. Gov. Robert Bentley included it in his proposals for shoring up the General Fund during the regular session. But he paired it with new revenue measures to replace the lost funds for schools. Good for House Ways and Means Education chairman Bill Poole, R-Tuscaloosa, who helped stall the irresponsible bill by opposing any plan that doesn’t come with a replacement method. The fight isn’t over yet, however. You can bet on similar attempts in the second special session. Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh, R-Anniston, doesn’t believe restoring the loss to the ETF is a priority, perhaps because he wants to increase pressure on other lawmakers to support his gambling proposals. That’s a risky political game he’s playing with Alabama’s students. State Superintendent Tommy Bice warned taking the money from the ETF without replacing it could force the education department into proration, with harsh across-the-board cuts to schools. Advocates for education in the Legislature must refuse to pass any transfer of use taxes until a reliable revenue back-fill source is identified. Dothan Eagle on open government: One of the basic tenets of our representational government is the concept of inclusion for members of the public. The business conducted by those appointed or elected to governmental bodies is expected to be open for public scrutiny. Deliberations and votes are to be made in public meetings that have been adequately announced and advertised to the public at large. The product of the work these governmental entities produce is to be available to anyone who wants to examine it. There are few exceptions, but generally speaking, the Open Meetings and Open Records laws of Alabama ensure the people of our state have access to meetings and documents, and assurance deliberations of matters of public interest are not conducted in private. The intent is crystal clear, but the execution often is muddied. Earlier this year, the Alabama Legislature considered legislation that would tighten language in the law, which contained a loophole that could be interpreted to allow secret meetings between two or more members of a board, but less than a quorum. That’s responsible government. However, in the otherwise fruitless special session that recently ended, the Legislature passed a measure that would allow members of public boards to phone in their votes to public meetings in
A round-up of Sunday editorials from Alabama’s leading newspapers
A round-up of Sunday editorials from Alabama’s leading newspapers: The Anniston Star – They’re having fun in Iowa Alabama could roll out its agricultural finest, display its best culinary takes on pork-chop-on-a-stick and fried peanut butter, and still presidential candidates would consider our state a far-flung American outpost. Alabama isn’t Iowa, in other words. The Iowa State Fair is full swing this weekend in Des Moines, where 18 White House aspirants are congregating, entourages and TV cameras in tow. Republican front-runner Donald Trump is planning to arrive Saturday via helicopter, a very Trump-like tactic. Hillary Clinton, the Democrats’ thus-far top candidate, is Iowa-bound. Jeb Bush and a host of others are already there and making sure “they sample the Iowa delicacies, which are often packed with cholesterol,” The New York Times reported Friday. Alabama and Iowa share similarities, but the differences are just as stark, particularly when it comes to national politics. So long a one-party state — once the home of Democrats, now the virtual domain of Republicans — Alabama is seen by candidates as a waste of time. It’s either in the bag or a no-chance state, so no reason wasting valuable campaign money on it. Iowa’s Midwestern tastes and its popular state fair offer an alternate story, and has for decades. It’s an American political tradition — pols getting face time with ordinary Joes — that dates back to the nation’s earliest years. In fact, President Lincoln told the Wisconsin State Agricultural Society in 1859 that, “Agricultural Fairs are becoming an institution of the country; they are useful in more ways than one; they bring us together, and thereby make us better acquainted, and better friends than we otherwise would be,” according to The Atlantic magazine. The oddities of America’s presidential election process turns states like Iowa into must-go places and condemns others, such as Alabama, into political wastelands. This isn’t an advocacy of sweeping alterations to U.S. presidential elections, but it is a lament that Alabama isn’t more of a player in this country’s biggest election. This weekend, Iowans are having all the fun. The Birmingham News – Are Alabama’s leaders missing the point of the Gospel? Week in review Alabama consistently ranks among the “most religious states” in the country, but what does that really mean for our culture? Should religion guide Alabama’s values and laws and, if so, whose religion? There’s a wide gap in social values, even within the church, in Alabama and the process of legislating based on what particular viewpoint is unwieldy. This week we heard from three ministers about how Alabama’s leaders have deviated from the Gospel, despite publicly professing the importance of their faith. Dexter Strong, a minister from Huntsville, writes that a culture truly rooted in the Gospel would stand against misogyny, racism and exclusion based on sexual orientation. The piece is strikingly self-aware as Strong professes that “as a Gospel preacher, I’m forced to take stands against every form of cultural and institutional oppression, no matter who it implicates, even if that person is me.” Should religion also influence the way that we fund government programs? Rev. Rob Couch and Rev. Brian Miller, two senior pastors of United Methodist Churches in Alabama, appeal to our legislature to reject gambling as a mechanism for generating state revenue. They note that “gambling has the power to decimate families and communities and tends to have a disproportionate negative impact on the poor.” Instead, they argue, Alabamians must be willing to fund their government “the right way.” One wrong way to fund state government is apparently through an online fundraising campaign. In a widely publicized effort, Sen. Paul Sanford set up a GoFundMe campaign as an effort to pay off Alabama’s deficit (to date, the campaign has raised $1,315 of its $300 million goal). The campaign is “despicable” argues frequent contributor Clete Wetli, “because it trivializes an issue that he and other lawmakers have known about for years and, yet, they have steadfastly refused to take any action to remedy the problem.” The Decatur Daily – Partisan politics not working The dance has begun, and if the stakes weren’t so high, it would be amusing. The dance steps are most obvious in the Republican Party, which has a larger field of candidates and already has had a debate. To have a chance at becoming their party’s nominee, each candidate must attract the support of a very conservative base. This has bizarre results when it comes to the stance they must take on specific issues. Most polls indicate a majority of Americans favor increased gun control, lean toward deferring to women on abortion issues, favor diplomacy with Iran, and support marriage rights for gays. A Republican candidate who espouses the majority view on these issues, however, has little or no chance of surviving the primaries. The extent to which this forces the candidates to play to extreme views is evident in their treatment of the proposed deal with Iran. Maybe it’s a bad deal or maybe not, but the issue is too complex to expect every single GOP candidate to have the same opinion of it. To begin with, the entire goal of the agreement is to keep Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Absent military action — an option most Americans strongly oppose — the U.S. has minimal leverage without the cooperation of Iran’s major trading partners. So while GOP candidates uniformly gripe we did not negotiate the best deal with Iran, our most complex negotiations were with nations — including Russia and China — whose participation was necessary if Iran was to come to the negotiating table. Iran is suffering from multi-national sanctions; U.S. sanctions alone provide inadequate leverage to compel Iran to make concessions. And however problematic the proposed agreement is, it provides for monitoring of the Iran nuclear program. Without the agreement, there is no monitoring. The issue is complex, and involves negotiations to which the GOP candidates were not privy. The idea that every candidate would have the
A round-up of Sunday editorials from Alabama’s leading newspapers
A round-up of Sunday editorials from Alabama’s leading newspapers: The Anniston Star – The GOP’s Trump problem In 2011, the question of Barack Obama’s birthplace so confounded Donald Trump that he claimed he sent a team of investigators to Hawaii in hopes of settling this question to the satisfaction of the celebrity CEO and the rest of America’s dead-enders unable to come to grips with the legitimacy of the 44th U.S. president. So, what’s the toll of Trump’s foolish conspiracy-mongering, as well his other intemperate remarks of late? Well, at Thursday night’s Fox News Republican debate featuring the top 10 presidential candidates, Trump was front and center, the leader in the GOP polls. It’s too soon to tell just how long he will stay atop those polls. The analysis from the punditocracy following Thursday’s debate was all over the place. What’s certain is that the Republican Party has a problem on its hands. On the debate stage stood several governors and legislators who can point to a track record of Republican-style governance, the sort of politicians whose campaigns could put Democrat Hillary Clinton to the test. Trump is a sideshow that’s messing up a more controlled rollout of a Jeb Bush, John Kasich, Marco Rubio or Scott Walker run in the 2016 general election. In a twist, however, Republicans must shoulder most of the blame for Trump’s success. Following Obama’s election in 2008, Republicans had options. They could have chosen to adjust their message, focusing on protecting families from an out-of-control economic system that indulged Wall Street’s excesses that created a mortgage crisis. They could have worked with Obama on health-care reform, even legitimately claiming the Affordable Care Act as something Republicans developed and first implemented in Massachusetts. They could have found compromise on immigration reform, taking a divisive issue off the table. The Birmingham News – Are you ready to dump Trump? Donald Trump may be many things but he’s certainly not boring. Just days after a heated debate in which the business mogul turned GOP presidential frontrunner shared a series of heated exchanges with moderators, Trump was booted from Saturday’s conservative RedState Gathering. The organization said Trump was not welcome at the gathering after his comments that Fox moderator Megyn Kelly “had “blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever.” Trump maintains that Kelly had targeted him with a series of hard-hitting questions during Thursday night’s debate. Rupert Murdoch, executive chairman of Fox News Channel’s parent company, 21st Century Fox, has come to Kelly and the other moderator’s defenses. Trump’s GOP rivals – all of whom are lagging behind him in most polls by wide margins – have also been quick to criticize. We want to know what you think. Are you ready to dump Trump? Two things to keep in mind: In AL.com’s unscientific quick poll, 35 percent of those responding said Trump won Thursday’s debate. He was followed by Dr. Ben Carson at 17 percent. Carly Fiorina ran away with the poll of the winners of the pre-debate gathering, receiving 72 percent of the vote as compared to Rick Perry’s 10 percent and Bobby Jindal’s 7 percent. In a separate AL.com poll, 78 percent said they thought Kelly unfairly targeted Trump. The Decatur Daily – Lawmakers still failing to address budget crisis Gov. Robert Bentley called the Legislature into a July 13 special session on the budget. It was earlier than lawmakers expected, and for good reason. Bentley had just watched the elected representatives of the state fritter away an entire regular session with no progress — none — on the budgetary crisis that will slam the state Oct. 1. And while he has been part of the problem in the past, Bentley also must have recognized the Legislature has known the crisis was coming for years. And done nothing about it. He knew lawmakers needed plenty of time to hammer out legislation that would eliminate a shortfall in the General Fund of at least $200 million, but in reality closer to $500 million. Rather than acknowledging the urgency of the situation, lawmakers responded to the earlier-than-expected special session with indignation. “I’m just flabbergasted. I just can’t believe it,” said House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Steve Clouse, R-Ozark. Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh said lawmakers were angered by a special session that interfered with their schedules and vacation plans. So legislators shot Bentley down. They convened the special session July 13, as they were legally required to do, but immediately adjourned until Monday. To keep the move from looking as petty as it was, they gave assurances to their constituents the delay was not about vacations, but about maximizing the chance for a consensus. Dothan Eagle – A right to vote, but a lack of will This week marked a watershed for the American political scene. With President Barack Obama locked out of the race by the two-term limit, the Oval Office is up for grabs, and candidates are coming out of the woodwork. On Thursday night, an eagerly anticipated televised debate featured 10 of 18 Republican candidates seeking the party’s nomination in the 2016 presidential election. Five Democrats are seeking the nation’s highest office – six, if Vice President Joe Biden decides to run. And that’s not counting the slew of significantly underfunded major party candidates, third-party candidates, write-ins and other hopefuls. With the campaign season in full swing, one would think the presidential race is the biggest thing going. They’d be wrong. Perhaps it should be, but it’s not. While there are Americans watching the process with rapt attention, much of America is consumed by other things. A flag from a war that ended 150 years ago. Sexual preference and human rights. A lion killed by a game-hunting dentist. Thursday marked the 50 anniversary of the signing of the Voting Rights Act, which guaranteed the right to vote for African-American citizens long blocked from the ballot box by unconstitutional poll taxes and other insurmountable requirements. The social fights that led to that hard-won measure,
A round-up of Sunday editorials from Alabama’s leading newspapers
A round-up of Sunday editorials from Alabama’s leading newspapers: The Anniston Star – Sorry, kids, summer’s about over Summer’s glorious respite for Alabama’s school-age children is short. It’s over before it begins, or so it seems. For those kids, August’s arrival epitomizes a double-decker buzzkill, a sudden end (of summer) and a rude beginning (of the new school year). With few exceptions, all of the state’s students will have suffered through the first day of the 2015-16 academic year sometime in the next two weeks. The sound you’re hearing this weekend: moanings from oblivious teenagers realizing that if they’re going to end summer with a bang — a party, a beach trip — they’d better do it now, cause time’s ticking away. Kids don’t get pretzeled up in the concerns constantly surrounding our public schools. Our arguments over Common Core standards, per-pupil funding, school consolidation and the overall health of public education in Alabama aren’t their arguments. Though make no mistake, the arguments are because of them. Alabama’s schools remain one of the state’s largest enigmas. Despite having their share of quality educators and administrators, our schools continue to impress few national evaluators. Yes, our pre-K programs are good. Yes, some of the state’s top public schools and systems can compete with the best anywhere. But when mixed in a pot, the quality along with the not-so-hot, Alabama’s schools lag behind, as they have for so long. Comparisons are a dangerous online byproduct where everything is judged. Top 10 lists are the Internet’s reality TV, ubiquitous and often useless. Nonetheless, here are two to consider: At Education Week, which releases an annual Quality Counts report, researchers gave Alabama’s schools a grade of 67.7 — a D-plus — in its January 2015 report. That was near the bottom, but not on it. That trophy went to Mississippi, which nearly flunked with a D (64.2). At U.S. News and World Report, researchers in May published a study on the best high schools in the states. Instead of giving a state ranking, per say, it ranked individual schools (giving them gold, silver and bronze designations) and then counted which states had the most standouts. Only two states had no schools earn a medal. North Dakota was one. Alabama was the other. Most of Alabama’s children starting school this month neither care about nor understand these rankings. At the end of the day, they deserve the best we can offer, and more. Improving the state’s offerings is something Alabama’s adults must figure out. The Birmingham News – Is education or retirement funding in danger? Week in review If you get your news from your Facebook feed, you might think that the only major story this week involved the shooting of an African lion. Not so, according to this week’s guest columnists. Major developments are in the works, regarding education and retirement funds and, yet another questionable shooting of a black civilian by a police officer. In Montgomery, lawmakers appear to be gearing up for a second special session, failing to find consensus to pass a budget. Rep. Craig Ford, D-Gadsden, the Alabama House Minority Leader, is adamant that the legislature should not rob the Education Trust Fund to patch the gap in the General Fund, saying that “there are very real needs in education where that money needs to be spent.” Bob Jones High School student Jordan Cozby agrees. Cozby, who was recently elected National Chairman of the High School Democrats of America, writes that “since the recession, state funding has been cut 20 percent per K-12 student.” Lawmakers should be pushing a stronger commitment to education, not raiding its coffers. Speaking of money, one store owner that profited from selling the Confederate flag during the 1980s says he regrets it. During a fierce debate over a controversial Old South debate at Auburn University, Stan Voit saw demand for the flag spike at his army/navy store. He says that he continues to feel discomfort every time he sees the flag. Earlier this week, Daniel J. Smith, an associate professor of economics at the Johnson Center at Troy University, criticized the Retirement Systems of Alabama’s for making risky investment decisions, suggesting that the “RSA is a poor steward of our retirement resources.” Smith says state employees should be offered a range of retirement options by competing private companies. For its part, the RSA counters that Smith and the Johnson Center are a poor steward of facts where RSA concerned. David G. Bronner, CEO of the Retirement Systems of Alabama, suggests the Johnson Center “is partially funded by an organization that seeks to abolish public pensions,” and offers a defense of the RSA’s investment decisions. Huntsville has successfully recruited manufacturing jobs to North Alabama in recent years, including Remington Outdoor and Polaris. However, John R. Whitman, co-author of “Understanding the Social Economy of the United States,” thinks it’s time for the Rocket City to develop or recruit a “mega-charity” on par with Goodwill Industries or the Red Cross. Whitman writes that “Alabama has the second lowest proportion of nonprofit employment as a share of private employment among all states in the nation, at 5.2 percent” and a homegrown charity may increase giving. The Decatur Daily – Voters deserve straight answers from Clinton We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what’s in it.” That was then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s now infamous remark about the Affordable Care Act. Whether you think the ACA is good legislation or not, Pelosi’s statement summed up much of why Congress has such dismal job approval ratings — 16.2 percent, according to the latest Real Clear Politics polling average. Rep. Pelosi, a California Democrat, is now the House minority leader, and the ACA is still opposed by more Americans (48.5 percent) than those who support it (42.5 percent), according to Real Clear Politics, although, taken separately, various ACA provisions, such as coverage for pre-existing conditions, are popular. One would think an experienced politician such as Hillary Clinton would avoid similar pitfalls,
A round-up of Sunday editorials from Alabama’s leading newspapers
A round-up of Sunday editorials from Alabama’s leading newspapers: The Anniston Star – It’s just $400,000, anyway, to the Alabama Legislature By the editorial board of The Anniston Star The Alabama Legislature, divided to the core, couldn’t pass a General Fund budget this spring that Gov. Robert Bentley would support. Bentley hated the one they did pass and threw it back at them, saying, in essence, it wasn’t worth the paper on which it was printed. The result: added expenses of as much as $400,000 — the cost of this summer’s special session, according to The Star’s Tim Lockette. It’s technically not overtime costs, but that’s what it feels like. If Montgomery had done its job a few months ago, Alabama wouldn’t be on the hook right now for an additional six-figure expense. Funny it was this week to hear lawmakers tell The Star about “evergreen appropriations” — House and Senate requests for more cash — and that a $400,000 bill isn’t that big of a deal in the big picture of Alabama state finances. Well, legislators no longer have the luxury of evergreen appropriations (they banned them this spring) and $400,000 is still $400,000. The Birmingham News – See inside Alabama’s oldest hardware store The plan was 31 towns, and 31 stories. But every town has so many more stories to tell. It is so often so hard to choose. While in Huntsville this week to speak to Ruth Gräfin von Saurma — a countess who worked for Wernher von Braun and has lived a remarkable life — I was wowed by the Harrison Brother’s Hardware store on the square (next door to all my good Huntsville pals at AL.com). It was a traditional old hardware store, a place opened in 1879 by the Harrison family and passed along from generation to generation. John Harrison’s death in 1983 appeared to doom the store, until the Historic Huntsville Foundation, a non-profit that tries to preserve the architectural and historical resources of Huntsville and Madison County, bought the place and saved it. Volunteers man it. People contribute remarkable old tools and trinkets, architectural remnants and more. The foundation sells art and Alabama products, but tries to keep it as original as possible. It draws you in because it is cool. And it teaches you a little history without making you think about it. The guiding principle, Historic Huntsville Foundation Executive Director Donna Castellano says, is “preservation before profit.” I’ll buy that. The Decatur Daily – Sure, blame it on the South again In the eyes of many, we are responsible for the vast majority of what’s wrong with America. A recent story by Politico magazine contends the South drags down U.S. rankings in the world because of poverty, violence, social mobility and racism. It says if not for the South, the U.S. would be much more like Canada, Great Britain, Australia or New Zealand. It uses statistics to back up the conclusion, and at some level, yes, we get the point. But too often, the difference is only by degree. Yes, the South is poor. Yes, we are rural, conservative and sometimes stubborn to the point we ignore science in favor of tradition. But to the accusation we are the cause of U.S. overall shortcomings, we’d like to issue a rebuke. Politico defines the South as 16 states carving a line that separates Texas and Oklahoma from New Mexico and Kansas; and Arkansas, Kentucky, West Virginia and Delaware away from Midwestern and Northeastern states to the north. Time magazine, the Huffington Post and the Atlantic during the past decade have blamed us for U.S. obesity, poverty and “general stupidity,” according to a blog by The Washington Post’s Thomas J. Sugrue. The problem in taking these statistics at face value is they simply quantify what we’ve known since Reconstruction: The South has a disproportionate share of poor, and that alone leads to a number of other statistics one can lump together to create a portrayal of fault for any number of social ills. What drives poor health? Obesity. What drives obesity? Ignorance. What drives ignorance? Lack of education. What drives lack of education? Money. It’s not the other way around, and there’s no escaping this one ill creates an endless supply of symptoms. Dothan Eagle – Redneck? We don’t think so Dothan received a dubious distinction this week when it topped the list of the 10 Most Redneck Places in Alabamacompiled by a website featuring what many would call “click bait” – links designed to drive web traffic to a particular site. Those of us who live here and love it may take offense. After all, “redneck” – despite its humble origin to describe hard-working, salt-of-the-earth folks whose sun-scorched necks signified long days in the sun – has become something of a pejorative, calling to mind oafish hayseeds who don’t know how to behave. However, it gives residents an opportunity to think of the things that make our city such a great place to live. It has elements of a larger city, but has a small-town feel. The schools have a good reputation. There are significant efforts to attract new jobs, and construction is booming. The city opened two new libraries last year at a time when many communities are seeing library services reduced. Our medical facilities rival those in much larger cities, and we have a medical school that’s drawing more applicants than it can serve. We’re moving into high-tech, with the possibility of more growth driven by a recent upgrade to become a 100-gig city, which is quite a draw for tech companies. And, hey – we’re getting a Zoe’s Kitchen. So those who would poke fun at Dothan can make all the jokes they want. They’ll only look foolish in the end. After all, our schools have outstanding graduation rates, and the majority of folks who come here want to find a reason to stay. If that’s redneck, then “Yeee-haw!” The Enterprise Ledger – With such leaders, maybe we should all go off grid If I was from,
A round-up of Sunday editorials from Alabama’s leading newspapers
A round-up of Sunday editorials from Alabama’s leading newspapers: The Anniston Star – Bad news and bad reports In the last two days, a collection of abductions, shootings, interstate car chases and murder trials has caused us to scramble to our TV and computer screens. We’ve wanted to know what’s going on. In Colorado, a jury found theater shooter James Holmes guilty on all counts for the killing of 12 people and wounding 70 others in 2012. In Chattanooga, Mohammad Youssef Abdulazeez killed four U.S. Marines before being killed by police. In Cleburne County, two women died following a car chase on Interstate 20 in what authorities believe may have been a murder-suicide. And Friday morning, Maine police caught Anthony Lord, a suspect in another U.S. shooting spree that killed several people in three different locations. In times like this — when terrible news is breaking — it’s imperative that journalists (a.) resist the urge to take chances and (b.) report only what they know to be fact. That’s not as easy as it sounds. In high-pressure situations, and in competitive media markets, being first isn’t a desire. It’s a necessity. Each of those situations — even the Cleburne County case, which The Star’s staff covered at length — could have led to the reporting of wild and unsubstantiated facts. Who shot whom? What is the suspect’s name? Who’s dead? We all want to know, and now. Social media has forever changed news delivery. Now, any news outlet — even newspapers like The Star — can report news instantly and in real time. That capability no longer is the sole domain of our colleagues on television and radio. The Birmingham News – Gay Baptists and black Rebels: an unexpected week in review Alabama’s always been a state of contradictions, and it’s been interesting to see how those have played out over the past several weeks. This week we heard from a few unexpected voices, including a gay Baptists and a few black Rebels. Earlier this week ESPN NFL reporter Adam Schefter published a tweet showing Jason Pierre-Paul’s medical records. By publicly sharing an athlete’s medical records, did Schefter violate journalistic ethics? John Carvalho, associate professor of journalism at Auburn University and a former sports journalist, offers keen insight about the legal and ethical dilemmas at play. Bryan Kessler grew up in the Baptist church. He was also born gay. In a moving essay, Bryan wrestles with the complexities of his soul and his desire to be true to himself while maintaining his faith. It’s a must read. Last week, BP announced a settlement with the five Gulf States seeking damages following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Alabama will receive approximately $2 billion in economic and environmental restoration funds, but the state’s political leaders are divided about whether it’s a good deal for the state. Attorney General Luther Strange argues that it is a good deal and will continue to rejuvenate the state’s coastal environments. Congressman Bradley Byrne, however, says that the state deserves better. He says that too much of the settlement will go to the federal and state government and that “less than $500 million will be under the control of Alabama officials on the Gulf.” The Decatur Daily – New Horizons’ Pluto journey is invaluable When astronomer Clyde Tombaugh, working out of the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, discovered Pluto in 1930, Pluto was just a faint dot moving slowly across the sky, so distant it takes roughly 248 years to orbit the sun once. Through the Hubble Space Telescope, Pluto appears as a shining, white ball. Astronomers can make out its largest moon, Charon, but both still are fuzzy and indistinct. Now Pluto has come into its own, and whether you think of Pluto as a “dwarf planet” or stubbornly still call it the ninth planet, it’s putting on quite a show. The New Horizons spacecraft passed by Pluto on Tuesday and will spend the next 16 months beaming its data back to eager scientists on Earth. Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville is the NASA center managing the mission. The first pictures of Pluto are nothing short of astounding. They show a world much different than the one most scientists expected. The planet’s smooth, copper-colored surface barely has any craters. That lack of surface impact indicates a geologically active world, where the surface is perhaps 100,000 years old — barely anything in the grand scheme of things. Pluto also is dotted with high mountains, some 11,000 feet tall. They’re no Mount Everest, which is 29,029 feet tall, but they’re nothing to sneeze at, and some of them are capped with what appears to be water ice. Most captivating, however, are the surface features that, like the “man in the moon,” remind us of things we see here at home. Near Pluto’s south pole is a whale-shaped expanse scientists have named the Cthulhu region, after horror writer H.P. Lovecraft’s most famous monster. Another dark blotch is named the Balrog region, after the creature in J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings.” Clearly the scientists in charge of naming Pluto’s features are having some fun. Pluto itself, after all, is named for the Greek god of the underworld. Yet the largest feature is a bright spot shaped like a Valentine’s Day heart. That is named the Tombaugh region, after the only American to have discovered a planet in our solar system. Pluto was a planet at the time he discovered it, anyway, and it was a planet when New Horizons launched. Dothan Eagle – Golf carts aren’t street legal A few years back, it would be difficult to find someone who owned a golf cart unless they spent enough time on the links to justify its cost. These days, ownership of these vehicles is far more common, but not necessarily for golfers. They can be purchased outfitted with an additional bench seat where one might usually find racks for golf bags, and they’re used as recreational vehicles in neighborhoods.
A round-up of Sunday editorials from Alabama’s leading newspapers
A round-up of Sunday editorials from Alabama’s leading newspapers: The Anniston Star – The Snake was my leader Football was the surest way to polarize my elementary school classmates. The most stark division among the boys in my class was to bring up the Auburn vs. Alabama rivalry, as was only natural for Alabamians. The second line of gridiron conflict was loyalty to one of two pro football teams. You could be a fan of the Dallas Cowboys, organized, structured, coolly calculating in how the franchise selected players, and led by upstanding figures like coach Tom Landry and quarterback Roger Staubach, the sort of people modern NFL scouts would describe as “high-character performers.” The alternative was to root for the Oakland Raiders, a team that in many ways was the polar opposite of the Cowboys. The Cowboys might have appeared buttoned-down, but the Raiders were like punk rockers who didn’t look the part but, boy, could they rock. The team was full of misfits, talented players whose wild off-the-field antics made them a distraction to less-indulgent teams. The Raiders organization was fine with that so long as the wins mounted. To my fifth-grade eyes, Kenny Stabler, the Raiders’ quarterback, even looked like a pirate. He had long hair, a full beard and a swagger that made no secret of what he intended to do to opponents. As a bonus, the Snake, as he has nicknamed, was a native of Alabama and had played for the Crimson Tide in the 1960s. So, well before Stabler led his team to a Super Bowl title in 1977, I was hooked, destined to pull for the team in silver and black. The Birmingham News – Gay Baptists and black Rebels Alabama’s always been a state of contradictions, and it’s been interesting to see how those have played out over the past several weeks. This week we heard from a few unexpected voices, including a gay Baptists and a few black Rebels. Earlier this week ESPN NFL reporter Adam Schefter published a tweet showing Jason Pierre-Paul’s medical records. By publicly sharing an athlete’s medical records, did Schefter violate journalistic ethics? John Carvalho, associate professor of journalism at Auburn University and a former sports journalist, offers keen insight about the legal and ethical dilemmas at play. Bryan Kessler grew up in the Baptist church. He was also born gay. In a moving essay, Bryan wrestles with the complexities of his soul and his desire to be true to himself while maintaining his faith. It’s a must read. Last week, BP announced a settlement with the five Gulf States seeking damages following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Alabama will receive approximately $2 billion in economic and environmental restoration funds, but the state’s political leaders are divided about whether it’s a good deal for the state. Attorney General Luther Strange argues that it is a good deal and will continue to rejuvenate the state’s coastal environments. Congressman Bradley Byrne, however, says that the state deserves better. He says that too much of the settlement will go to the federal and state government and that “less than $500 million will be under the control of Alabama officials on the Gulf.” Another Alabama congressman responded to a harsh critique about his immigration policy from AL.com’s Kyle Whitmire. Rep. Mo Brooks told Kyle to “bring it on,” and argues that “the damage illegal aliens do to struggling American families is undeniable.” The Decatur Daily – Alabama ranks last on health of its democracy A recent survey on the health of democracy in the 50 states and the District of Columbia ranked Alabama 51st in the nation. The survey, by the Center for Progress American Action Fund, looked at numerous factors. The healthiest democracies, by the group’s standards, were those that provided broad access to voting, equal representation in state government and a limited concentration of influence over the political system. The Center for Progress is a liberal group, but the standards by which it evaluated state democracies are ones the nation has long cherished. On one factor after another, Alabama exhibits a pattern of discouraging people from voting. On accessibility of the ballot, the state allows no voter preregistration for 16- or 17-year-olds. It does not offer online voter registration or portable voter registration. Early voting is not allowed, and its requirement voters show photo identification adds a major hurdle to those without driver’s licenses. The state also scores low on representation in state government. Females, blacks and Hispanics are underrepresented in government. Districts are drawn in such a way as to minimize the influence of black voters, a fact being scrutinized by federal courts. Ex-felons remain disenfranchised even after they served their sentences. Alabama also is one of the worst states in the nation in terms of the influence of money on the political system. There are no contribution limits on individual campaign donations and weak campaign disclosure laws. Legislative data is not easily accessible to the public. It has become almost cliche to marvel at how frequently Alabamians vote against their own interests. We routinely reject tax initiatives that would have minimal impact on the majority, but that would improve schools and thus increase income mobility. We elect representatives who siphon money from the public schools that educate 90 percent of our children, and who fight federal programs that would benefit most Alabamians. We endure a tax system that exacts a far greater percentage of the income of the poor and middle class than it does of the wealthy. Dothan Eagle – Community involvement on Fort Rucker pays off again Four months ago, some 1,600 people turned out for an economic impact summit at Fort Rucker, a gathering designed to help high-level military personnel understand what the installation means to the Wiregrass community from an economic standpoint. The gathering had been arranged for visiting military officials charged with gathering information that would be considered as the Pentagon decided how to determine where deep cuts in the nation’s defense budget would
A round-up of Sunday editorials from Alabama’s leading newspapers
A round-up of Sunday editorials from Alabama’s leading newspapers: The Anniston Star – A quiz, American style The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service requires that all immigrants applying for U.S. citizenship take a test that measures their understanding of American history and how our government works. As a celebration for today’s Fourth of July holiday, below are some of the questions that are on the test. We’ve taken out most — though not all — of the easy ones. The answers are below. Don’t peek. Principles of American Democracy What is the supreme law of the land? What does the Constitution do? The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words? What is an amendment? What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution? What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment? How many amendments does the Constitution have? What did the Declaration of Independence do? What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence? What is freedom of religion? What is the economic system in the United States? What is the “rule of law”? System of Government Name one branch or part of the government. What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful? Who is in charge of the executive branch? Who makes federal laws? What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress? How many U.S. senators are there? We elect a U.S. senator for how many years? Who is one of your state’s U.S. senators now? The Birmingham News – 9 responses to radio host Rick Burgess on same-sex marriage Alabama radio host Rick Burgess took to the airwaves earlier this week to talk about how Christians should react in the wake of the Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage. His comments were specifically directed at those who said it was unbiblical to judge others. “If Jesus said in the great commission ‘Teach them to obey my commands,” how would I teach someone Jesus’s commands if I’m not ever allowed to say something’s wrong?” he asked. The statements prompted a firestorm of comments from AL.com readers. Here are 9 responses: Disappointed by people who call themselves Christian “I’m pretty disappointed by some of the people who are calling themselves Christians. First, our government is a democracy not a theocracy. Next, I’m pretty sure that when Jesus said that those without sin should cast the first stone he did not intend for you to throw stones and say that HE threw them. I’m also pretty sure he would not approve many of the hateful things some so called Christians spew today in his name,” Andrew Gordon via Facebook Burgess off base “This guy has it all wrong,” Tom Plasket via Facebook Same-sex marriage sinful in eyes of God “Everyone has different views and opinions on same sex marriage. My opinion is that same sex marriage is sinful in the eyes of God. That is my view. I know that it is not sinful in the eyes of man. But I do not look to man for spiritual guidance,” AL.com commenter alhart. The Decatur Daily – The Declaration of Independence Excepts from the Declaration of Independence: When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. … We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on
A round-up of Sunday editorials from Alabama’s leading newspapers
A round-up of Sunday editorials from Alabama’s leading newspapers: The Anniston Star – Marriage equality’s next step in America The question of what follows Friday’s Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriages across the United States is more interesting than the question considered by the justices. All the nine members of the court had to do was judge the constitutionality of state bans on same-sex marriage. Granted, it’s an important matter in a nation where gay marriage is allowed in some states and banned in others. By a vote of 5-4, the high court ruled in favor of marriage equality. So, what’s next? Of course, a stampede of same-sex couples will make their way to local courthouses with matrimony in mind. We wonder where this issue goes for opponents of gay marriage. Already, conservative pastors and congregations have vowed to never take part in a same-sex marriage, as is their right. In one possible scenario, Friday’s ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges could take on the weight of Roe vs. Wade, the court’s 1973 landmark abortion decision. Roe and opposition to abortion is a litmus test for Republican politicians. It’s also a stark divide across the country, with most Americans lining up on one side of the other. This, too, might — might, we emphasize — be the fate of Obergefell. Most 2016 Republican presidential candidates spoke forcefully Friday in opposition to gay marriage. Mike Huckabee called the decision “irrational, unconstitutional.” The court’s majority “follows public opinion polls, and tramples on states’ rights that were once protected by the 10th Amendment of the Constitution,” Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said. It was “the latest example of an activist Court ignoring its constitutional duty,” said Carly Fiorina. And Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker played the old, reliable constitutional amendment card, saying, “the only alternative left for the American people is to support an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to reaffirm the ability of the states to continue to define marriage.” The Birmingham News – So, who is up for a Confederate-themed gay wedding? Man, I don’t know about you but I am exhausted. So much happened this week – and so many readers had opinions on it. Let’s quickly run through the highlight reel before diving into your responses: Republican political leaders throughout the South began calling for the Confederate battle flag to come down (and Governor Bentley went ahead and took it down). Not to be outdone, a glut of businesses began pulling the flag from their shelves (both literal and online) and Warner Bros. even said they were pulling it from future models of the Dukes of Hazards’ General Lee. The Supreme Court found that unintentional housing discrimination was still housing discrimination, altering the way communities will look at Low-Income Housing Tax Credits. The Supreme Court reaffirmed that Obamacare would be the law of the land. The Supreme Court established that same-sex marriage would be legalized and recognized in all 50 states. President Obama led a grieving Charleston community in a stirring rendition of “Amazing Grace” at the conclusion of a eulogy for the Charleston Nine. The US Women’s National Team beat the Chinese in a 1-0 nailbiter Friday night and will face the Germans in a semifinal bout on Tuesday. Ted 2 debuted in theaters. Someday soon, Alabama will probably shock the world by having a Confederate-themed gay wedding. The Decatur Daily – With court battles over, it’s time to improve Obamacare The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling Thursday — that the Affordable Care Act authorizes the payment of premium subsidies in states, including Alabama, that use the federal insurance exchange — was huge for Alabamians. There are 132,000 Alabamians who rely on the subsidies to maintain health insurance. That number is likely to double next year. This is not a program for people who choose not to work. The subsidies do not apply to people below the poverty line. People are eligible for subsidies even if their incomes are four times the poverty level, or well above Alabama’s median income. The subsidies benefit working Alabamians whose employers do not provide health insurance. When what now is known as Obamacare passed in 2010, the typical GOP opposition was that it would damage America’s superb health care system, a system that was the envy of the world. It did not take long for the party to realize the health care system that was superb for those with excellent insurance and no pre-existing conditions was terribly deficient for millions of Americans. To the credit of GOP lawmakers, the opposition has changed. U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Haleyville, trotted out the party line shortly after the court ruled Thursday. “I think that everyone agrees that our healthcare system needed changes and improvement,” Aderholt said. “However, this was a typical bureaucratic, overreaching approach to a situation that did not need to be nearly as complicated.” To be sure, it is complicated. The legislation is a patchwork of compromises designed to provide needed coverage to millions of uninsured Americans while dodging the main objections of insurance and health industry lobbyists. It is far more complicated — and less effective in its goal of making sure all Americans have access to quality health care — than the universal Medicare legislation shot down by Congress during the Clinton administration. Like any major piece of legislation, it needs changes to work efficiently. Already imperfect, its deficiencies blossomed when the U.S. Supreme Court in 2012 struck down a provision effectively requiring states to expand their Medicaid programs. For states like Alabama that rejected a Medicaid expansion, the irrational and sometimes tragic result is that people who make too much money to be on Medicaid but not enough for subsidies are left hanging. The immediate consequence of Thursday’s Supreme Court decision is that 8.7 million Americans will keep the subsidies that make their insurance affordable. The long-term consequences could be just as important if Alabama and the GOP-controlled Congress will quit trying to destroy the law and instead try to improve it. A first step
