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 – Small steps in Anniston Three recent victories in Anniston’s bid to reduce its collection of empty storefronts: — The Marvin’s building materials building on McClellan Boulevard. — The Food World building on South Quintard Avenue. — The Kmart building on McClellan Boulevard. If you’ve driven north of downtown recently, you’ve seen the progress on the future home of Anniston Fire Station No. 3 at the old Marvin’s site, which had been vacant since 2011. For 15 years, the building that housed Anniston’s Food World just north of Oxford sat vacant in what remains one of the city’s most attractive unused locations. Earlier this year, Tuscaloosa-based Pate Holdings finally removed the eyesore, which improves the city’s ability to market a piece of prime real estate. And the former Kmart building, empty since 2013, is scheduled to be sold to Mississippi-based developer Second Street Plaza, which plans to repurpose the property. The Birmingham News – Don’t blame Trump and Hillary for family spats; Blame the tree octopus You can blame Uncle Charlie’s religion or his medication when he swears, over Thanksgiving turkey, that the world is 6,000 years old and dinosaur bones are God’s clever design to test our faith. Or you can nod knowingly, and blame the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus. You can blame Alabama Public Service Commission President Twinkle Cavanaugh when your father-in-law argues that climate change is a left-wing fantasy, that God’s greatest gift to humanity is warm, comfortable, clean-burning coal. Some might quote NASA, which says “Humans have burned enough fossil fuels to drive atmospheric CO2 to levels that world hasn’t seen in at least 400,000 years. That’s driven up temperatures, melted ice and caused oceans to acidify.” But he’ll dismiss that like a California fairy tale. So nod and smile. And think of the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus. The Decatur Daily – City and schools can be proud of football success When the high school football season began in late August, teams at Austin High and Decatur Heritage Christian Academy had no reason to expect they’d still be playing after Thanksgiving. Austin hasn’t had a tradition of success in the football postseason. Even though the school had a number of winning regular seasons in recent years, the football team hadn’t won a playoff game during the lifetime of any current players. Decatur Heritage also had a modest outlook. This was only its sixth season to field a team and fourth season to be eligible for the state playoffs. The program is so young, it doesn’t have its own stadium. But three months later, Austin and Decatur Heritage have three playoff wins each and spots in tonight’s state semifinals. Austin has a 10-3 overall record, and Decatur Heritage is 12-1. Congratulations to coaches, players and fans at both schools for the remarkable and memorable seasons. The community should savor the accomplishments, recognize the teams are special and take advantage of the rare opportunity to watch a local school play a state semifinal game. This is the first time since 1983 that a city team has made the state semifinals in football and the first time since the playoffs began in 1966 that two teams from Decatur have advanced this far in the same year. Austin will be the home team tonight at Ogle Stadium and faces a tremendous challenge. The Black Bears’ opponent is undefeated Clay-Chalkville (13-0), which is ranked No. 1 in Class 6A in the state and has won 28 consecutive games. Dothan Eagle – Happy Thanksgiving A skit on the long-running Saturday Night Live last week struck a chord with many viewers as the Thanksgiving holiday approached. An extended family had settled in for the holiday meal, and as everyone reached for their utensils, the knives came out. Stereotypical, pointed remarks on political and social issues rubbed folks the wrong way, and a child restored order by pressing play on a tape deck and filling the room with the pleasing sounds of Adele (the program’s musical guest). Comedy works because it pokes fun at our foibles, and many groups of families and friends will tread lightly as they gather for a Thanksgiving meal today. It’s a wise move. Many people will travel long miles for the opportunity to spend time with loved ones. On the menu will be turkey, dressing and vegetables, fellowship, camaraderie and memory making. It may take a bit of effort to ensure those memories are warm and fuzzy, particularly in the midst of a contentious presidential campaign season that grows more divisive by the day. Robert Louis Stevenson once quipped that politics “is perhaps the only profession for which no preparation is thought necessary.” He might well have meant “for which no preparation of thought is necessary,” as politicians and their supporters, critics and apologists all too often speak without thinking. And while Pericles may well have been right in 430 B.C. when he pointed out that “just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn’t mean politics won’t take an interest in you,” it won’t kill anyone to give it a rest for one day. We suggest calling a moratorium on political banter during the holiday festivities, adhering to the adage that politics and religion have no place in polite table talk. Not so much religion; after all, we live in the buckle of the Bible Belt. We cannot imagine a Thanksgiving meal without blessing the food, and in these parts, religion is more comfort than controversy. The Enterprise Ledger – Thanks to Mama for having me in this country I often ride the current administration of President Obama and his cast of misfits – oops, I did it again, didn’t I? But, as I said on the day he was elected, I hope he will become the greatest president ever. Needless to say, my hopes have been somewhat dashed, sooner rather than later I might add. That said, I still hope he can finish his next 13-14 months 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 –Trump’s repugnant comment about Muslims Donald Trump’s propensity for jaw-dropping comments is so strong that it’s more noteworthy when he reins it in. Unless, of course, the Republican presidential candidate goes as far as he did Thursday evening. While attending a rally in Newton, Iowa, Trump said he would “absolutely” force Muslims in the United States to register with the federal government should he become president. After the rally, a reporter pushed Trump on the issue. Would Muslims really be forced to register? “They have to be,” Trump said. Next question: How and where would Muslims register with the federal government? “Different places,” Trump said. “You sign up at different places. But it’s all about management. Our country has no management.’’ That was Thursday. By midday Friday, Trump faced a barrage of condemnations — from Democrats and some Republicans — over his comments. “This is shocking rhetoric. It should be denounced by all seeking to lead this country,” Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton tweeted. In New Hampshire, a key early primary state, the chairwoman of that state’s Republican Party, Jennifer Horn, told The New York Times that “(T)he idea of a national database that tracks people just because of their religion is beyond ludicrous.” She later called the idea “un-American.” The Birmingham News – Medicaid expansion and Bentley’s $3 billion blunder On Wednesday a task force appointed by Gov. Robert Bentley recommended that the state “move forward at the earliest opportunity to close Alabama’s health coverage gap with an Alabama-driven solution.” The task force couldn’t bring itself to say it explicitly, and some of its members danced around what that contortionism really means, but there’s only one clear way right now to “close Alabama’s health coverage gap” as they say. To do that, the state must expand Medicaid. The reasons to do so are straightforward and abundant. In state rankings, Alabama ranks near the bottom of most indicators of public health. We’re 49th in infant mortality. We’re 48th in life expectancy. We have the fifth worst rate of obesity in the country. We have the second worst rate of diabetes. If you’re a woman, we’re the third worst in heart disease, and second if you’re a man. You get the picture. The Decatur Daily – Avoiding wasteful incentives An odd thing happened in Limestone County this week. The Limestone County Commission declined to give a tax abatement for a business expansion, but the expansion is happening anyway. It is a sign of how automatic tax abatements have become that it is almost impossible to find evidence, one way or the other, of whether abatements and other incentives are actually effective in generating economic development. The looming but unanswerable question is whether businesses and industries really are making their business decisions based on abatements and incentives that usually are a tiny fraction of a company’s planned investment. While the incentives typically are minor relative to the cost of the project, they often are major relative to the tax revenue of municipal and county governments. If development would come without the incentives, then taxpayers are suffering with no corresponding gain. The project in Limestone County is an expansion of LawLers Barbecue, a fine company that is carefully expanding its footprint. To support its various restaurants, LawLers proposed a $2.5 million investment in an industrial park. The completed facility would serve as a meat production and distribution facility for the company’s restaurants. In addition to the capital investment, the project would employ 20 people. It was not a major project for Limestone County, but still attractive. And as incentives go, the $115,000 abatement LawLers requested was tiny. Dothan Eagle – Closing a chapter on Saints Apartments The buildings that comprised Saints Apartments on East Powell Street just off North Oates Street were undoubtedly an eyesore, and plans to raze the structures for parking surely seemed a more agreeable alternative. However, the Dothan Downtown Redevelopment Authority’s plans sowed seeds of disagreement, and pushback materialized from both a prospective developer who expressed interest in the buildings, and a historical committee that took issue with the plan. Eventually a fire heavily damaged the structures, and they were torn down, raising questions about the disposal of asbestos in the structures. Saints Apartments became the nightmare that appeared to have no end. Until this week, when the DDRA announced it had reached an agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency last month, bringing this chapter to a close. The DDRA agreed to pay a $540 fine without admission of wrongdoing. That’s a small price to pay to put this debacle behind our city, and allow the positive changes at the site to flourish. Where the buildings once were a park is now taking shape, named in honor of Peggy James, longtime executive of the Human Resource Development Corporation located nearby. It’s not quite the plan the DDRA had in mind from the start, but the result is arguably better than a parking lot. An eyesore is gone, replaced by a green space honoring a community leader. The Enterprise Ledger – Heaven help us all when Putin looks good A setback is when Nick Saban loses Kenyan Drake for a few weeks with an injury. A setback is when ALDOT decides paving a particular street must be pushed back another six months. A setback is when you spill a cup of coffee on your dress shirt and you have to be late for work as you return home to change. A setback is when your girlfriend says she just wants to be friends. A setback is not 129 people being murdered and hundreds more injured in the recent terror spree in Paris, which is precisely what our fearful leader called the fight against ISIS. For a country – France – that has long been the butt of jokes regarding its perceived weakness, we had better be prepared to take it as well as we’ve dished it out because no one is perceived
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 fine week for the GOP In the span of two days, Donald Trump has said he would “bomb the (expletive) out of” ISIS if he were president, gave a rambling, nonsensical campaign speech in Iowa and enjoyed a little Friday the 13th fun at the expense of his chief rival, Ben Carson. It’s Trump, unfiltered and raw as he battles Carson for the top spot among Republican presidential polls. At some point, the GOP side of the 2016 campaign will surely evolve into a more thoughtful discussion about policy and America’s needs. For now, however, the second level of Republicans in most polls — Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush — continues to be overshadowed by Trump’s volume and Carson’s odd statements. If the New York billionaire was trying to recapture Republican headlines this week, he succeeded. His statement about ISIS was crude, and it made for a good sound bite. It drew a few laughs, like a dirty locker-room joke. Plus, and let’s be frank, saying you’d bomb terrorists into submission is easy on the campaign trail and much harder to do once in the Oval Office. His 90-minute Iowa speech was less an oration and more of a “sit down at the bar and hear The Donald carry on.” If Trump thought it, he said it, ramifications be damned. He pumped his new book. He touted his resume. He railed against President Obama and Carson, none of which is new ground. No reason to have a script if you’re not going to stay on it, anyway. The Birmingham News – Paris Attacks: Do the bad guys win in the real world? It was a long night in Paris, and they’ll have many more. My wife and I stayed up watching the horrible events unfold. The chaos, confusion and pain were palpable. I imagine this is what it felt like across the Atlantic watching the terrorist attacks of 9/11 unfold in the United States. I was tired this morning. I’ve also been tired of feeling like we’re permanently trapped between war and peace. My sons don’t know what happened in France. All they know was that it’s 6 am on a Saturday. Neither the Legos inside nor the piles of leaves outside are going to play with themselves. As we scrounged for breakfast before setting out this morning, I randomly asked them a question from a heavy heart: “Boys, do the bad guys win in the real world?” Maybe I hoped for them to give me a “superhero” style answer to lift my spirits or at least demonstrate the childish innocence with regard to the evils we truly face. “Of course not, dad,” said my eldest. “If you’re angry, you don’t win.” The Decatur Daily – There’s reason for the early season Every year it seems as if the Christmas season starts earlier than it did last year, and every year the complaints about the early Christmas season start earlier, too. Maybe it’s the sight of artificial Christmas trees for sale before we’ve had a chance to carve pumpkins for Halloween, or maybe it’s the Christmas movies that start airing on the Hallmark Channel in September, but it all seems a little too much. At least the companies that used to sell mail-order Christmas music — compilations of Perry Como, Frank Sinatra or Elvis Presley seasonal standards — had an excuse. Those old vinyl albums and cassette tapes took six to eight weeks to deliver, which is so 20th century. Dothan Eagle – A new generation of appreciation Each year on Nov. 11, many Americans stop to recognize the efforts of the men and women who have served our country in the military. Some communities have parades, some have events, and some have both, but most have some sort of recognition of the sacrifice our veterans have made in the service of our country. These moments are usually attended by adults – veterans themselves, family members, and others who have lived through wartime and recognize the depth of gratitude our nation owes its committed veterans. But on Wednesday in Ozark, the Veterans Day ceremony at Woodlawn Memorial Gardens was remarkable in that there were many young people in attendance, as well as participating in the ceremony in some way. Some are involved with Carroll High School’s JROTC program. Others are involved with Dale County’s Girl Scouts. Some simply attended because they wanted to. What brought the young people to the ceremony isn’t really important; it’s their interest in marking the contribution of the men and women of service that matters most. The Enterprise Ledger – Thank goodness for the buckle polishers On Tuesday, the U.S. Marine Corps celebrated its 240th birthday, and today of course is what we celebrate as Veterans Day, although its origin began as Armistice Day in 1919 when President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the following : “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…” I respect anyone until they give me reason to do otherwise, but someone that has fought for our country so that we can live in the greatest country in the world, well, they get a respect level a notch or two above most. Quite frankly, I’ve had some unpleasant dealings over the years with members and former members of the military. I’ve had a general at a college and a superintendent many years ago with military backgrounds lie to me as sure as the nose on their face, and a law enforcement officer in another state that was ex-military was about the most hypocritical person I’ve ever seen in uniform. Oh, the stories I could
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 of the same in Montgomery Alabama’s General Fund budget is the backyard swimming pool that’s never full. Be it from a leak or lackadaisical upkeep, it’s always on the shy side. Water’s constantly in demand. This week, state lawmakers were warned: the General Fund that this year faced a shortfall of more than $200 million will face a gap of up to $50 million in the next fiscal year. The fixes — read: tax increases and budget cuts — the Legislature arranged this year only fixed the current problem. It did nothing for what’s around the corner. It’s laughable to hear lawmakers this fall spout the usual talking points when told the state’s non-education bank account will need more repair. We won’t raise taxes to shore up the General Fund, they say. “I think there is very, very little likelihood of any new taxes passing,” Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, told The Star’s Tim Lockette. It’s time we look at state-sanctioned gambling to produce new revenue, they say. “Some form (of gambling) is going to definitely be out there during the (next) session,” Orr said. Cuts to state departments, services and agencies will be considered, they say. Funny guys, these lawmakers. The Birmingham News – The real impact of the Alabama Senate’s new budget chairmen It’s musical chairs in the Alabama Senate with Senator Arthur Orr (R-Decatur) and Trip Pittman (R-Montrose) swapping places. Orr will now helm the Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee while Pittman will lead the Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund Committee. With a cash-strapped budget in the General Fund over the last few years, Senator Orr has been forced to scrutinize every line item. Like it or not, Alabama’s General Fund budget is about as tight as they come. To put in in perspective, Alabama’s $1.76 billion General Fund budget for 2016 is over one hundred million dollars less than Metro Nashville’s budget for the same time period. Now Orr will turn his focus onto Alabama’s education spending. For years, the Education Trust Fund has been the proverbial third rail for any politician who dares suggest changes. While K-12 education is often the focal point, higher education has largely avoided scrutiny. In Alabama politics, true coincidence is rare. The Decatur Daily – GOP candidates debate their debates The Republican candidates for president, already frustrated, went ballistic during and after the CNBC debate. Sen. Ted Cruz eloquently, if inaccurately, summed up the frustration. “The questions that have been asked so far in this debate illustrate why the American people don’t trust the media,” Cruz said, in response to a question directed at him about the debt limit. “You look at the questions: ‘Donald Trump, are you a comic-book villain?’ ‘Ben Carson, can you do math?’ ‘John Kasich, will you insult two people over here?’ ‘Marco Rubio, why don’t you resign?’ ‘Jeb Bush, why have your numbers fallen?’ How about talking about the substantive issues the people care about?” While many of the questions could have been phrased more professionally, they were substantive. Whether or not Trump would be a competent president, he makes outlandish claims on the campaign trail. So moderators appropriately asked him about how he would manage the mass deportation of millions of undocumented immigrants. And they were fair in challenging him on assertions he would not just build an impenetrable wall between the United States and Mexico, but get the Mexican government to pay for it. Trump’s claim that he could cut $10 trillion from the U.S. deficit without raising taxes needed to be questioned. Moderators did not ask Carson if he could “do math,” but they did question him on his tax plan. The 15 percent flat tax he proposes would leave a $1 trillion gap between federal expenses and revenue. That doesn’t mean the doctor is bad at math, but it does suggest his cures for America’s ills are reckless. Sen. Rubio was asked about his horrible record of showing up for Senate votes, but moderators weren’t the first to ask the question. Bush, one of Rubio’s constituents, also quizzed him on the issue. Rubio also was asked about a tax plan that would increase the after-tax income of the top 1 percent of earners far more than it would the middle class. That’s a fair subject for questions, even if he’d prefer not to give answers. Dothan Eagle – The elusive illusion of highway funding Drivers along the Ross Clark Circle’s southeast section seem to have come to an understanding about the ongoing construction between Bauman Drive and Fortner Street. They leave a little earlier, drive more slowly and expect delays during certain parts of the day. Local drivers who’ve been keeping up know there could be more to come – years more, in fact – if all the changes that have been discussed come to fruition. Whether that happens is anyone’s guess. The next phase of expansion on the Circle would add lanes from the intersection at Montgomery Highway around to Bauman Drive, and reconfiguration of roadway medians along the affected section. Local officials have been told for more than three years that the state had allocated money for the project. However, a recent meeting of local officials with Alabama Department of Transportation personnel revealed that the money was, as state Rep. Paul Lee put it, “hung up.” It’s a frustration, surely. But it’s not unusual considering the complexities of highway funding involving multiple governmental entities. Long ago, about $40 million was set aside for viability studies for an interstate connector for Dothan. About $28 million of that money remains, and local officials would like to see those funds made available for Circle improvements. This week, Houston County Commissioner Brandon Shoupe resurrected the idea of creating an overpass at U.S. 84 (Main Street) and the Circle on the west side of Dothan. The Enterprise Ledger – Upon further review, we still can’t get it right Following my social media mini-tirade last weekend
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 – In some Alabama counties, you only get one day a month The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s repair of the damage done to the state driver’s license offices begins next week. It’s not much of a fix, by the way. For a moment, set aside the justified criticism that ALEA’s closing of 31 locations in mostly rural and low-income areas creates ripe soil for voter-ID concerns. Instead, consider the day-to-day details of the ALEA’s plan. Thirty counties will soon see their driver’s license offices reopen. Most will open one day a month. (Two offices, in Alexander City and Brewton, will be open more frequently.) Better check the schedule. Miss your day and you either have to wait a month, drive to an open office further from your home, or drive without a valid license. The office schedules listed Friday on the ALEA website show none of the closed offices will be open on Mondays. Six locations, including Centre’s, will be open next Tuesday — the first Tuesday of the month. That’s the only November day available at that Cherokee County location to re-up a license. If Alabamians there can’t get off work, or if they’re sick, or if something comes up, well, too bad. Gotta wait until the first Tuesday in December, or drive to another county, provided its office is open when you go. The Birmingham News – In 2016 presidential race, low-information voters and the politics of perception My wife is a remarkably talented political observer in spite of the fact she’s not actually that interested in the minutia of public policy. Most of our political conversations occur as we’re getting ready for bed. This week, I asked who she liked most of all the candidates. “I like Carly Fiorina,” she said. “Why?” I responded. “She looks and acts presidential. She has calm, thoughtful answers, and she’s not into trading insults.” “Does it matter that she’s a woman?” I asked. “No, that probably makes it harder for her. She’s going to have men second-guessing her all the time. But she seems to take it in stride,” said my wife. “I really liked when Donald Trump attacked her, and she turned it into an opportunity.” We didn’t get to policy. We didn’t dive into the specific details of recent debates either. To be clear, she’s more than capable of understanding nuanced policy issues; they’re simply secondary to the traits she’s looking to see in America’s President. The Decatur Daily – The Gadsden Times on payday loans The numbers are astonishing. In the first 10 weeks, payday lenders had to record their transactions on a statewide database, Alabamians took out 462,209 payday loans. Based on those numbers, Alabamians are on course to take out just over 2.4 million payday loans on an annual basis. An industry representative tried to defend payday loans, saying there’s little alternative for the 300,000 or so people who use the service in Alabama. Max Wood, who owns Check Spot stores in a couple of cities, said the database, which is designed to keep people from amassing more than $500 in payday loans at one time, caused many Alabama payday lenders to shut down already. Wood said more than 200 licensed payday lenders have gone out of business in the last year alone. He said other states that enacted databases have seen the number of lenders shrink by 50 percent. While it’s obvious Wood thinks the closures are a bad thing, others disagree. Shay Farley, legal director for Alabama Appleseed, said the state is “above the curve” in payday loan use. Her organization lobbied for stricter regulation of the industry, saying the loans create a debt trap when borrowers have to roll over the loans because they can’t repay the original amount borrowed. Payday lenders charge up to $17.50 per $100 for 10- to 14-day loans. A borrowing limit was in place before the database was authorized, but lenders could simply say they didn’t know borrowers had more than $500 in loans and there was no way to check. Dothan Eagle – Ebb and flow Many residents give little thought to the workings of municipal government unless something goes wrong or there’s some talk of a tax increase. They may find the minutiae of day-to-day governance boring. For the most part, they’re right. That doesn’t mean it isn’t important. A great deal of work goes into arcane procedures and ordinances meant to help keep the electricity on, the water flowing and the wastewater systems in operation. That may seem like something of little concern to residents. But when there’s a problem – faucets run dry, lights and air-conditioning don’t work or sewer systems back up – those things we take for granted become tremendous inconveniences. Residents with a little time on their hands today at 10 a.m. should consider attending an informational meeting in the Board Room on the second floor of the Dothan Civic Center. Members of the Dothan Planning and Development department will present a proposed ordinance on the management of fats, oils and grease to the Dothan City Commission. The proposed ordinance was developed in response to the EPA’s Administrative Order on Consent with the City of Dothan concerning its sewer system, and should help to control the introduction of fats, oils and grease into the wastewater collection system. Fats, oil and grease, or FOG in environmental parlance, can wreak havoc on a wastewater system, and most cities, particularly those with large populations, have gone to great length to minimize the amount of these substances that go down the drain. The Enterprise Ledger – It’s time to change course of this ship ESPN’s popularity took a nosedive when it honored Caitlyn (or is it Bruce?) Jenner with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award, but apparently Glamour Magazine’s executives don’t care about public relations either as it has now named the guy (or is he a gal?) as its Woman of the Year. Several public
A round-up of Sunday editorials from Alabama’s leading newspapers
A round-up of Sunday editorials from Alabama’s leading newspapers: The Birmingham News – Martha Roby: Clinton offers evasive explanation to revealing email As you know, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday appeared the Select Committee on Benghazi to answer questions about what happened before, during and after the September 11, 2012 attack on a diplomatic facility in Benghazi, Libya. It was a long hearing with hours of back-and-forth testimony, and I wanted to share a few quick takeaways from one of my own exchanges with Mrs. Clinton. In my first question, I asked Clinton about an email between State Department employees regarding Clinton’s awareness of the American presence and security situation in Benghazi, Libya months before attack. In an email dated February 9, 2012, Alyce N. Abdalla said the following to State Department colleague Evyenia Sidereas: “Also, the Secretary asked last week if we still have a presence in Benghazi – I think she would be upset to hear that yes we do but because we don’t have enough security they are on lockdown.” The Decatur Daily – Elect a president who is presidential Oh for a Republican presidential candidate who acts like an actual conservative. Still five months ahead of presidential primaries, it’s difficult to see through the fog of Kardashian-esque absurdity dressed like reality. As in reality TV. Donald Trump is still leading the polls, carrying around a Bible — one of the few management books he cannot quote — and unleashing a scorched-earth strategy that lights ablaze all in his path — Democrat or Republican, gay or straight, white, black or brown. Fast on his tail is Ben Carson, who has read a book by a paranoid conspiracist and wants to explain to us how America has become the modern Third Reich. This isn’t real. This isn’t an actual American presidential race. It can’t be. True conservative values embrace passionate speech but do not include turning up the rhetoric to WWE cuss-off level. Trump and Carson, according to Fox News polls, currently have 45 percent of the Republican base cornered between them. At first blush, they are very different. Trump is a blueblood business magnate who owns a chunk of New York City, thumps his chest and shouts down any perceived affront like a 1950s ball coach. He’s a white man who’s angry — about exactly what is hard to pin down, as he claims to have $10 billion and needs for nothing. He promises to build a wall to keep out immigrants, notwithstanding the fact that his current wife, his third, is an immigrant, as was his mother. Carson brings a face the Republicans seriously need: one that isn’t white. He’s African American, and he’s a pediatric neurosurgeon, which means he has achieved brilliance in his field and is capable of presenting himself with a demeanor worthy of that standing. Dothan Eagle – Teenager’s help shows community strength It’s probably safe to say that most high school kids don’t look for opportunities to interact with law enforcement officials – unless it involves some sort of mechanical failure that strands them on the side of the road. When a vehicle fails, any help is welcome. But it’s usually an officer coming to the aid of a civilian, not the other way around. That’s what impressed Houston County Sheriff Sgt. Robert Reichert after he had a flat tire on the way to a burglary call on Oct. 13. Nathan Harper, a 17-year-old Ashford High School student, stopped on his way home from the hospital, where he’d spent the day with his grandfather after heart surgery. Harper approached the vehicle and told Sgt. Reichert, “I got you,” and helped him change the tire. Law enforcement officers across the nation have had a tough time recently. Isolated incidents in other parts of the country began to loom large under the harsh glare of television and social media. But the power of social media has no agenda, as Sgt. Reichert proved by posting to Facebook a video of Harper helping him change the tire on his marked vehicle. The video clip quickly accumulated more than 26,000 views. The Enterprise Ledger – Strange, yet true, once again from around our world Cleaning up some odds and more odds: A 100-year-old woman in Buffalo, New York, is said to work 11 hours a day at a laundromat. She got her first job during the Great Depression and has not stopped. She works from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, six days per week. Her advice: “Get out and do some work.” A high school football coach in Washington State has been threatened with dismissal because he refuses to not pray at midfield after each game. Yep, that’s where we are today, folks. So sad. I’m not sure if this is more sad or strange, but a Puerto Rican family had a big party for a family member recently. All the guy did was sit at a table and look as if he was playing dominoes. He never actually played a tile, but family members, including his mother, would pose with him for photos. The reason the man never moved? He was dead. They propped him up for their wake. The man had been shot and killed at a bar just a few days shy of his 23rd birthday, but the family gave him one last party, even leaving a drink beside him. He was dressed in a jumpsuit holding domino tiles in his fingers. Just weird, right? From the “In Case You Missed It” department, did you see where identical twins also in Washington state could be born more than three months apart? Without going into the medical details, one boy was born on Sept. 29, and the other is expected to be delivered as much as 15 weeks later. It’s a rare complication, but doctors are hoping for a January delivery date of the second twin. TimesDaily – Alabama editorial roundup The Montgomery Advertiser on Justice Parker recognizing the law: Judges in Alabama swear to support the U.S.
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 – H. Brandt Ayers: Anarchy in the U.S. House During a few days in the quaint, clean eastern provinces of Canada, an orderly campaign for the premiership was going on, which seemed not to make even a ripple to disturb its outward calm. On returning home, a traveler finds that a cabal of about 40 “anarchists” in the House of Representatives has frozen the mechanics of government like a motor without oil and will not allow it to function unless it gets its own way. The reference, of course, is to the Tea Party insurgents who forced the shocking resignation of Speaker John Boehner and his successor Kevin McCarthy in quick succession, which raises the question: Is the House governable? The answer is no, not with the current membership. The insurgents are uncompromising in their passionate vision of limited government, and polls show the rank and file of the Republican Party supports that vision. So, the House will be rudderless until a speaker is found who is acceptable to the insurgents, whose view of government is so limited that in its extreme form it is anarchy. There is a certain appeal to simpler times when we seemed to get things done. When I covered Congress in the 1960s, culture-changing acts such as civil rights were passed — and debate was civil. At one point there was a dialogue between Sen. Paul Douglas of Illinois prowling the Senate floor, a large white-haired bear, and Sen. Sam Ervin, merry and bright as a country squire. Ervin asked and politely received permission from Douglas to yield, which gave Ervin a chance to tell “my friend, the distinguished senator from Illinois, ‘puts me in mind of a justice of the peace in Bertie County who cautioned attorneys in his court, ‘I’d appreciate it if you’d make no argument in this case. I find that when I hear two sides of an issue, it tends to confuse me.’” The Birmingham News – That opossum in your yard: They may be ugly but they aren’t dumb Unlike the cliché, familiarity doesn’t seem to breed contempt. It breeds indifference instead. Why else would we take so little interest in one of the most fascinating of Alabama’s wildife – the opossum? That’s opossum with an “o” and that “o” is important. To be technically correct, it’s the Virginia – as in the State – opossum and that “Virginia” is important too. The Virginia opossum got this common name from its Algonquian Indian name “apasum,” meaning “white beast,” and from the state where it was first given an English name in the early 1600’s by Captain John Smith of the Jamestown Colony and Pocahantas fame. The “o” is important because when British explorer James Cook, on his first voyage to Australia some 150 years after Captain Smith named them, encountered other cat-sized animals that nurtured their young in a pouch, his ship’s naturalist erroneously assumed they were the same, or at least similar, species and called them opossums too. It turns out that the Australian marsupials are not closely related to our opossums, so to prevent confusion, scientists now call all Australian species possums – no “o” — to distinguish them from our opossums. The “Virginia” is important because although we only have one marsupial species in the United States, more than 70 more species occur throughout Central and South America. The Decatur Daily – Democratic race all but over Stick a fork in the race to be the Democratic nominee for president. It’s done. Barring the last-minute entry of Vice President Joe Biden into the field, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is poised to cruise to her party’s nomination. After Tuesday’s televised debate, it’s all but a lock. It’s not that Clinton so outperformed her opponents as to wrap up the nomination on CNN’s debate stage. Clinton had her moments, but she also showed the same weaknesses she usually does during debates, particularly her evasiveness when it comes to answering uncomfortable questions. She is a tough debater who gives as good as she gets, but she’s far from invulnerable. No, the reason Clinton should have clear sailing to the nomination — all other things being equal — is her rivals all showed they’re not really running for president. Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, former Rhode Island Sen. Lincoln Chafee and former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb landed a few glancing blows on the frontrunner, but for the most part they held back on really going after Clinton’s record. They have the appearance of candidates jockeying for posts in the Clinton Cabinet. Clinton’s most tenacious rival, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, did draw distinctions between his record and Clinton’s on some issues, including their respective relationships with Wall Street, but his most memorable moment was when he came to Clinton’s defense regarding her private email server. And Sanders did that after Clinton attempted to gut him on gun control, an issue where Sanders long has differed with the pro-gun control consensus among progressives. If Sanders really wanted to be president, he wouldn’t have rushed in as a white knight to shield Clinton from the festering email scandal. Sanders, a self-styled “democratic socialist” and political independent who caucuses with Senate Democrats but is not a party member, appears more interested in pulling Clinton to the left than in defeating her. So far, Sanders has had some success. Dothan Eagle – Political revenge? This week, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Alabama Education Association can’t subpoena the files of GOP politicians to try to prove legislation stopping the AEA from collecting dues by payroll deduction was motivated by political revenge. The court pointed out that the law had been ruled constitutional, and quashed subpoenas for the records of Gov. Robert Bentley, former Gov. Bob Riley, House Speaker Mike Hubbard and Senate President Pro Tempore Del Marsh. While the 2010 law does affect thousands of public education workers
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 – Saying ‘no’ to more executions Everywhere they turn, Alabama officials are being told no. No, U.S. District Court Judge Keith Watkins said Thursday, the state can’t kill five death-row inmates with large doses of midazolam, a sedative. No, Watkins said earlier this week, the state can’t kill a death-row inmate by hanging because it isn’t set up logistically to do so. For the same reason, Watkins also said the state can’t kill a death-row inmate by firing squad. No to that, too. So here Alabama sits, desperately wanting to set execution dates for a handful of death-row inmates, and it can’t do it. It’s blocked at every turn. The nation’s slow move away from eye-for-an-eye justice has, for the moment, at least, backed the state against a wall. Our wish is that this court-caused slowdown would cause Alabama officials — and Alabamians themselves — to re-evaluate their love-affair with state-sponsored killings. On this, though, we’re realists and expect nothing but full-steam-ahead stances from Attorney General Luther Strange, Gov. Robert Bentley and the Republican-controlled Legislature. But we can wish nonetheless. Alabama’s in this mess because the three-drug cocktail it had previously used to kill its condemned is no longer an option. Two of the three drugs aren’t available. Five death-row inmates are fighting the state’s new three-drug recipe in court, citing the chance for an “unconstitutional level of pain,” which is why the state “offered” to kill them with just one drug, midazolam. Two other inmates asked about being shot to death or hanged. The Birmingham News – Deontay Wilder’s next fight: Duke Williams? Deontay Wilder is looking for someone to fight. Duke Williams is available and angry. Let’s do this. The 6’7 Wilder is an active WBC heavyweight champion. The man just loves to fight, and he’s really good at it. 35-0 with 34 KO’s. Why wouldn’t the Tuscaloosa native want to take on Auburn’s most prolific fighter? Why wouldn’t the Tuscaloosa native want to take on Auburn’s most prolific fighter? Williams, a talented 6’2 wide receiver, was removed from Auburn after he punched 4 people at a local bar, according to witnesses. Apparently there was some alcohol involved. So he messed up and is looking for a new gig. Why not take a shot at the champ? It’s time to move the T-Town/Auburn thing into the boxing ring, y’all. Are you ready to GRRRRRumble? The Decatur Daily – Racism claims wrong, this time At first glance, the Sept. 30 announcement the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency would close 31 driver’s license offices appeared to be the latest of many exhibits demonstrating the state’s determined effort to suppress the black vote. A year after requiring all voters to present photo identification at the polls — a move that had disproportionately burdened black voters — the state made it harder to get the most common form of photo ID. Indeed, the closures meant state driver’s license offices no longer exist in any county in which 75 percent or more of registered voters are black. It’s a narrative that spread fast and wide. Alabama media jumped on it, then the national media. Would-be presidents highlighted it, and the Rev. Jesse Jackson adjusted his travel plans to include Alabama. The facts do not support the narrative, however. Anyone with the fortitude to follow the three torturous sessions of the Legislature this year sees the problem with ascribing racial animus as the motivating force behind the closures. ALEA Secretary Spencer Collier and Gov. Robert Bentley are in an all-out feud with the Legislature, which failed to adequately address the state’s desperate need for more revenue. Whether or not the closure of the offices was financially necessary, it clearly was intended as a slap at lawmakers. Indeed, the budget included language seeking to prevent Bentley from carrying out the threat to close driver’s license offices, language that was consistent with the legislative dream-world in which budget cuts have no consequences. While the choice of offices to be closed was tone deaf to Alabama’s history of racial relations, it was neither arbitrary nor malicious. The satellite offices closed were those with low traffic. Dothan Eagle – Top-notch nursing programs complement health care Dothan has long enjoyed a reputation as a regional hub for health care, anchored by Flowers Hospital and Southeast Alabama Medical Center. With highly competent specialty programs at both facilities, area patients have access to top-notch care without the need to travel to larger medical facilities, in most cases. And if that need should arise, facilities for those specialties are within easy driving range. In recent years, Dothan has become home of a medical school, which has just held a white coat ceremony for its third class of doctors. But doctors and hospitals are only part of what makes excellent health care. Without nurses and professionals in associated health fields, the delivery of health care would likely screech to a halt. That shouldn’t be a problem in the Wiregrass. Wallace Community College has been turning out nurses with varying training levels for years, as does Troy University in Troy. Graduates of these schools’ nursing and associated health care programs create a strong pool of training candidates to fill the needs of the region’s broad array of health care services. Recently, a trade publication called Nurse Journal ranked nursing programs across the nation, and found that programs at Wallace Community College and Troy University rank in the top 100 for schools in the eastern region. Of more than 1,100 schools in the region, Wallace was ranked at 90, while Troy ranked 36. Our community is fortunate to have nursing programs available for interested students who can receive their training close to home, and then have a strong chance of finding jobs right here in the Wiregrass. And the Nursing Journal rankings should be of great comfort to residents who may someday be under the care of local graduates, because they’ll likely be among the best trained professionals 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 – Shrugging over more senseless gun deaths Come January 2017, someone else will have the awful chore of acting as mourner-in-chief. With the past as our guide, every so often he or she will wearily stand before the assembled press corps in a small room in the White House and tell the world of yet another mass shooting in the United States. Reacting to Thursday’s shooting in Roseburg, Ore., that left 10 dead and seven injured, President Barack Obama suggested the nation has “become numb to this.” Obama, who was visibly angry standing at the White House podium, laid out the steps that usually follow a U.S. mass shooting. A gunman, often a very disturbed young man, uses a firearm to shoot up a school or a church or a movie theater or some other place where the public is gathered. Americans are rightly shocked by this violence. We see lives cut short. Our hearts ache as we watch grieving loved ones. We offer sincere prayers for the suffering. We ask ourselves: How could such an unstable person so easily acquire high-powered weaponry? Then there’s a turning. We become distracted by so much else. The national news media turn to the next big story. The Birmingham News – America’s faith leaders should learn from a political Pope When’s the last time you saw your pastor stand in front of the state capitol and rail against political corruption? Has your minister ever provided biblical insight into the proper balance between respect for our laws and care for the immigrant in our midst? Maybe they’ve weighed in on the issue of how we treat God’s creation? If none of those ring a bell, why not? The modern church has become so weak that its limited voice rarely intersects with civic and political life. These days it’s a brave pastor who’s even willing to stake out a definitive claim on issues of marriage, sexuality, and abortion. We live in a society where we face myriad challenges. They’re not limited to a handful of social issues. If the impact of faith on our daily lives and political decisions is so finite, what’s the point? The Pope’s recent visit offered a stark contrast to the largely-disengaged church in America. During his time in the United States, the Pope refused to shy away from controversial political issues. From immigration and climate change to abortion and capitalism, the Pope addressed one politically charged topic after another. Politicians hated it. The Decatur Daily – Immigration picture gets focus The Pew Research Center on Monday released a “statistical portrait” of the United States’ foreign-born population that turns out to be a rather different picture than the one most Americans envision, and far different from the one most of our presidential candidates paint on the campaign trail. According to Pew, even as unauthorized immigration has become a litmus-test issue for many voters, it has been on the decline. The U.S. unauthorized immigrant population peaked at 12.2 million in 2007, then rapidly declined to about 11.3 million, where it has remained since 2009. Unauthorized immigration may be a problem, but it is not currently a growing one. Another common assumption is most immigrants are poor and poorly educated with few skills, which leads to them becoming a drain on social services. Yet this, too, is increasingly not the case. Since 1990, the percentage of immigrants age 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree has risen from about 10 percent to 16.4 percent. Nearly 12 percent of immigrants have a post-graduate degree. Then there is the matter of who is coming to America. Increasingly, it’s not people from Latin America. Since 2005, new arrivals from Latin America — and especially Mexico — have been on the decline. During the same period, new arrivals from Asia have been on the rise. Since 2008, new arrivals from Asia have outnumbered those from Latin America. If current trends continue, Asian immigrants will outnumber Latin American immigrants in the U.S. by 2055. Presidential candidates who speak of immigrants as invaders and talk about building walls along the U.S./Mexico border to keep them out are not only misguided, they’re behind the times. Perhaps next they will suggest building a wall along the West Coast? Dothan Eagle – A bold idea has taken root Several years ago, a group of enthusiastic visionaries made the rounds in Dothan and the surrounding area talking up a bold idea they’d been nurturing. They planned to make Dothan the home of a new medical school that would train physicians in osteopathy and, they hoped, help fill an impending void in availability of rural healthcare. There were naysayers; there always are. Some were skeptical that the area could support such an endeavor, that there would not be enough students to make the venture successful. That hasn’t been the case. The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine has steadily drawn more applicants than it has spaces and, with its association with Southeast Alabama Medical Center, those students have a ready facility for training outside of the classroom. Earlier this week, ACOM held its third white coat ceremony, awarding the traditional doctors’ garb to another 160 first-year medical students. During the ceremony, ACOM Class of 2018 President Shawn Hamm listed some of the accomplishments of the school in its three years of operation, including recent record-breaking performance by students on a Level I licensing exam and the high number of students ACOM has participating in national public service projects and study abroad programs. The Enterprise Ledger – If only the right questions were asked I am always getting suggestions on how a reporter should ask someone this or that, and on occasion, sometimes they actually have an idea that wouldn’t get the average reporter fired. Rather than ask President Obama the details of the nuclear deal with Iran, why not ask why he made a trade for a traitor in Beau Bergdahl while letting a former Marine
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 – Boehner, Rogers and earmarks In recent years, U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers has done good work in urging his congressional colleagues to lift the ban on earmarks, the method by which lawmakers once could direct federal dollars into local projects. Had Rogers been successful, it’s quite likely Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, wouldn’t be clearing his things out of the House Speaker’s office this weekend. Boehner announced Friday he was leaving Congress and ending his speakership at the end of next month. After almost five years of trying to lead the Republican caucus, Boehner has had enough. It seems from his remarks that he is willing to let someone else take on the job of trying to save extremist Republican lawmakers from themselves. To be clear, it’s not the entire Republican House caucus that is Boehner’s problem. It’s the small band of tea party-fueled representatives who prefer destruction over legislation. They’d just as soon burn down the house and worry about the casualties later. For Boehner’s efforts to avoid self-inflicted pain, this experienced Republican lawmaker became the enemy, despised by conservatives almost as much as the speaker he replaced, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. The power of the pursestrings once brought order to even the most unruly of politicians. After all, each of the House’s 435 districts needs federal funding for something or, more likely, several somethings. Even the most cantankerous and extreme lawmaker represents a district in need of a highway or a bridge or a water-treatment system. When the horse-trading concludes, a speaker gets the votes he needs to pass tough-but-important legislation and a representative can brag to the folks back home that he delivered enough bacon to build that road. The Birmingham News – Boehner’s exit separates the conservative show ponies from the workhorses. At the end of October, Speaker of the House John Boehner will resign. To be clear, the Tea Party contingent of the Republican Party couldn’t stand Boehner—so much so that many actively campaigned on the prospect of voting against him. His task, the same facing his successor, has been unimaginably difficult: Build consensus in a House of Representatives where rock-ribbed conservatives and Republican moderates rail against each other more often than they push back against the Democratic President. In the hours after his announcement, Boehner’s opponents applauded his departure and aspired to “more conservative leadership.” But let’s look at the situation on the ground. By most counts, there are about 50 Republicans that represent the conservative core of the Republican Party in the House of Representatives. They don’t like taxes at all, loathe bureaucracy, and they’re ardently pro-life. Here’s the problem. Their 50-or-so votes aren’t even close to the majority required to elect the Speaker of the House. Their lack of voting clout also highlights an important distinction between the political left and the right. Recently, Democrats have tended to pull leadership from their liberal core like House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid. Republicans have elected leadership with a more pragmatic approach. That trend won’t change. The Decatur Daily – Lesson to city: Protect schools, improve efficiency Common sense and representative democracy merged this week when Mayor Don Kyle and the City Council backed off a proposal to cap local funding of Decatur City Schools. Kyle’s short-lived proposal was a bad idea. He would have diverted to the city proceeds from a 1-cent sales tax that for 35 consecutive years has gone to DCS. If implemented, the plan would have prevented DCS’ local revenue from growing with the economy or even keeping up with inflation. Kyle’s trial balloon deflated quickly, but it served a useful purpose. Decatur residents did not take kindly to their school system being threatened. They participated in the plan to build two new high schools, and they recognize the expense DCS faces as it tries to reverse the effects of growing poverty. They see the large population of children who live in homes where English is not spoken — a population that for the good of the city needs to be educated and prepared to join the workforce — and appreciate the enormous challenge faced by DCS. Residents understand that broken families and lengthening work hours have placed on DCS a burden that goes beyond traditional education. Now more than ever, our city’s future is shaped by what happens in the classroom. And Decatur residents have watched as the high value they place on public education has been rejected by their elected state legislators. Every legislative session since 2011 has devolved into increasingly brazen attacks on public schools and the funding upon which those schools rely. Residents’ support for public schools is not a free pass for school administration. DCS enjoys strong local financial support, and that comes with an obligation to be transparent and aggressive in improving opportunities for students. Residents want to see improvements in student test scores, and DCS needs to figure out a way to deliver. But clearly the public’s desire for improved schools is not seen as a justification for reducing financial support. Kyle’s trial balloon did not just lose air; it was pummeled. Decatur’s rich and poor, its employers and employees, gave a resounding response: “Leave our schools alone.” Kyle’s proposal may have been misguided, but it had value. It served to demonstrate residents’ loyalty to their schools. It also was a reminder to those same residents that Kyle and the City Council are faced with difficult decisions. Dothan Eagle – Drugs wanted, no questions asked Anytime someone feels the need to have their hair stand on end, they need only talk to medical personnel – doctors, nurses and other staff – about the sort of frightening cases that wind up in their emergency rooms because of accidental ingestion of drugs. Such episodes rarely make headlines, but they certainly occur. Children get their hands on pill bottles and take what is inside, perhaps because they see their parents taking 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 – Trump swings and misses As America has seen, anything goes in Donald Trump’s world. There is no civility or politeness. Think it, say it, move on. Insults are OK. Factual misrepresentations are allowed. It’s a show as much as a competition for political points. The New York City-bred billionaire and reality TV star wants the Republican presidential nomination, and his supporters have pushed him to the front of most of the GOP’s early polls. As such, his unpredictable campaign speeches, unlike those of his competitors, have become must-cover affairs for cable news. Now those supporters are also making headlines. On Thursday, Trump was hand-delivered a softball scenario in which a town hall attendee in Rochester, N.H., said this about President Obama: “We have a problem in this country. It’s called Muslims. We know our current president is one.” Trump, listening, said, “Right.” The attendee continued. “You know (Obama’s) not even an American.” C’mon, Donald. That’s easy. Only the lunatic fringe continues to wallow in the long-disproven claim that the president is Muslim (which he isn’t) and not an American citizen (which he is). The birther crowd, an irritant during Obama’s 2008 election campaign, is now relegated to the waste bin of ludicrous assertions. Some believe the earth is flat. Or that man never walked on the moon. Or that the president’s U.S. birth certificate is a forgery. The Birmingham News – Evolution is just a theory, right? Earlier this week the national news media was aflutter about the Alabama State Board of Education apparently changing its stripes and striding into the 20th century by mandating in its new science standards that public school students should be taught the principles of biological evolution. Climate change is included in the newly approved standards as well. Board of Education members responded that teaching “the theory of evolution” had been in the state science standards since 1964. In other words, they actually strode into the 20th century only 64 years after it began. I hate to sound cynical about this, but you can generally tell someone’s attitude about evolution by how often they use the phrase “theory of evolution” rather than just the word “evolution” as scientists typically do. I think of it as one word – theoryofevolution – that word designed to make it sound like just another speculative idea such as whether the moon landing was faked or who really shot John Kennedy. There is even a disclaimer to that effect in biology textbooks used in Alabama public schools, which is why I feel compelled to point it out. It’s true that evolution is a scientific theory when “theory” is used as scientists use it – meaning a broad explanation of events or processes that is supported by a mountain of evidence. Thus, in the scientific world we have gravitation theory, for instance, and electromagnetic theory, the germ theory of disease, and so on. Evolution is every bit as scientifically well-established as gravity, electricity, and the knowledge that germs cause diseases. The real question is not what state science standards say but how seriously educators in the classroom actually take the teaching of evolution. The evidence I see is not reassuring, given that few of the students I teach arrive at UAB with any real knowledge about evolutionary processes. When I question them, I hear that evolution is certainly not emphasized, often not even mentioned, in high school biology classes in Alabama. The Decatur Daily – Around the state Selma Times-Journal on making the governor’s divorce records public: The divorce records of Gov. Robert Bentley and his wife, Dianne, should be open to the public. Such is precedent in this state, and there is no reason to do differently in this case. The governor’s personal life affects his ability to do his job and could undermine his integrity, credibility and moral authority to govern. Many were surprised to learn last month the governor’s wife of 50 years filed divorce citing “an irretrievable breakdown” of their marriage. The case was filed on a Friday and the next Monday a Tuscaloosa County judge issued an order sealing all records pertaining to the case. Judge Elizabeth Hamner, who was appointed by Gov. Bentley in 2011 and elected to a full term in 2012, issued the order. Dianne Bentley’s attorney L. Stephen Wright and the governor’s attorney Lisa Woods made the request jointly saying, “(The governor) holds a prominent office in the state of Alabama, and it would be in the parties’ best interest that the public not be able to access the record.” By granting the request, Judge Hamner makes the records only available to the Bentleys, their attorneys and court employees. All documents related to the case, including Dianne Bentley’s original filing, have been removed from the state’s online court records system. Sealing the records is decidedly not in the best interest of the general public. Gov. Bentley is the highest elected official in the state and has a much greater obligation of transparency than ordinary citizens. From the day he was elected and moved into the Governor’s Mansion with around-the-clock security detail, Bentley was no longer a private citizen and doesn’t enjoy the same right to privacy. In fact, the standard for keeping the records open in this case should be higher than in a typical divorce given his position, authority over state personnel and use of resources. We support the efforts of media outlets across the state working to have the governor’s divorce records unsealed. Dothan Eagle – Probate judges, perform your duties or step down What’s the difference between the infamous Rowan County, Kentucky, court clerk, Kim Davis, and a handful of Alabama probate judges who refuse to issue marriage licenses because they oppose same-sex marriage? Other than the glare of the international spotlight, there is no difference. The phalanx of media could just as easily be camped out in Geneva looking for Probate Judge Fred Hamic, or in Troy, hunting down
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
