Guest Column

Ban Junk Food

The latest suggestion to ban food junk at supermarket checkouts is excellent but what will parents bribe their little darlings with - a fresh health orange just isn't as attractive to a four year old.

Preventing government data failures

A primary reason governments exist is to protect their citizens from dangerous threats – foreign, domestic and natural. People can play important roles in this arena, but most lack the resources, funds, legal authority or political power to act on their own.

U-Haul statistics, of Americans leaving blue states in favor of red states

There is a very enlightening article in the American Thinker regarding the trend, based on U-Haul statistics, of Americans leaving blue states in favor of red states. This may explain the rabid insistence on maximized immigration, legal and illegal. The states that are losing citizens are the same ones that encourage illegals with benefits, sanctuary and the American right to vote. There is a strong argument to be made that these are not actions made out of compassion but actions made out of desperation to retain their blue state status.

Guns are not bad, guns in the hands of mentally ill, criminals, terrorists and gangsters are bad.

Guns are not bad, guns in the hands of mentally ill, criminals, terrorists and gangsters are bad. While gun bans might provide a false sense of security, the fact remains that all of the above have access to weapons, or can build them. Could we all agree that isolation in society is preventing people from speaking out when there are warning signs? Could we agree that mental illness is at the root of most of the shootings? Could we all agree that perhaps school need to be hardened targets not soft targets? There are things we can agree on, if we will only stop being so "my way or the highway" about it. Both sides are passionate. Both sides have some legitimate arguments. Even though I firmly believe that you cannot prevent people from getting weapons if they want them, even though I believe that political correctness prevents people from identifying potential shooters, and even though I think in all of the cases, someone dropped the ball, I also believe we have to take a step forward. That step being to find common ground. This latest shooting was done by a person who had no right or permission to be on campus. Could that meeting of the minds be a commitment to securing our schools? Who can disagree with that?

Same people clamoring for gun control are against all the common sense steps to address drugs

They are more sensational and more publicized, but are shooting deaths any more tragic, or common than drug related deaths? Actually, no, they are not.

Teacher shortage?

Why is there a shortage of teachers? The answer is the same as for nurses and police - they can't do their jobs. It's not a criticism of their ability or effort but rather the administrative tasks that stop them from doing their actual job.

It's weather, not climate change, Governor Brown

2017 featured incredibly intense, damaging wildfires in California: first the Wine Country fires of October, and later the massive Thomas Fire in December. Each destroyed hundreds of homes, the latter in many of the affluent suburbs and enclaves northwest of Los Angeles and Hollywood.

High visibility Olympic uniforms

Watching the Winter Olympics I wondered where the Occupational Health and Safety officials were. The impacts on knees and backs with the moguls and the numerous potential dangers with the luge and jumps are too serious to ignore, or are they?

A California, Democratic Legislator, has introduced the "Journalist Protection Act"

A California, Democratic Legislator, has introduced the "Journalist Protection Act". It would make it a federal crime to "intentionally cause bodily injury to a journalist affecting interstate or foreign commerce in the course of reporting or in a manner designed to intimidate him or her from news gathering for a media organization". Is that not the most convoluted of statements? Simple English please, how is the word affect being used here? And should a journalist be affecting interstate or foreign commerce?

Trudeau's Speech in Edmonton

For the most part Trudeau actually said very little about anything. No comprehensive plan for doing anything to help Canadians on any stage. And he didn't answer the one question that every Canadian wanted answered, though it was a two part question on the same topic.

Amtrak accidents

I guess if we could figure out how to keep vehicles off railroad tracks when a train is coming and how to keep trains traveling at the posted speeds, the numbers might improve. But 2 Amtrak accidents in one week should, at a minimum, cause some serious concern. Both were the results of vehicles on the tracks. Obviously, we have a malfunction at the junction. Do we need the barriers to be further away from the tracks? Do they need to be stronger? Perhaps double sets on each side, or triple? The assumption being that a driver would get the point after 2 or 3? Is the problem speed? Is it safe to have large vehicles speeding across the paths of autos and trucks? Has our need for speed put a lot of people in danger? These accidents are costly in life, limb and dollars. This is not rocket science. It is train science. We are only a few years from the 200th anniversary of the first train. Surely there are some statistics available that might point to the root problem. With that solutions could be devised. I can't help but wonder how our government run rail system stacks up against other countries and private systems.

Emotional support Gorilla

Can I take my emotional support Gorilla on a plane or train? I feel much safer as nobody picks on the little guy who has a pet Gorilla. The recent refusal of an airline to allow a peacock as an emotional support animal has highlighted the use of animals to aid humans.

Do we really want to know?

There have been a number of articles recently relating to medical testing. The positive is the development of memory test to help indicate Alzheimer’s years earlier whereas the negative is the reluctance of men to have prostate cancer testing. However the question that many ask is do we want to know?

Two completely different sets of rules in our country

If you don't believe there are two completely different sets of rules in our country, consider this: There was barely a murmur from the press when President Obama, before his second term, whispered to Russian President Medvedev, that he would have more latitude after the election. Yet, when President elect Trump tries to defuse the damage done by Obama and the United Nations with Israel, the press applies a different set of standard. Seems in the media, Obama can do nothing wrong and Trump can do nothing right. As I said, two sets of rules.

Governors of New York, Connecticut and New Jersey suing the Federal Government over the allowable Federal deduction for State taxes paid

It's actually pretty funny if you think about it, the Governors of New York, Connecticut and New Jersey suing the Federal Government over the allowable Federal deduction for State taxes paid. I'm pretty sure there is no law that requires the federal government to write tax laws with individual states in mind. In fact, I'd bet money that to do so would be illegal.

Our country is dealing with the long time failure of our government to do its job

Our country is dealing with the long time failure of our government to do its job. We are faced with the results of an immigration policy that has been ignored for years. We have within our borders people who do not belong here, yet we recognize that many have been here for years, perhaps their entire lives, and only know this country.

Misprinted tickets invite guests to Trump's 'State of the Uniom' address

Re: Misprinted tickets invite guests to Trump's 'State of the Uniom' address As the President said "It is a damn poor mind indeed which can't think of at least two ways to spell any word." (President Andrew Jackson).

Americans want their politics straight up, no entertainers, entertainment shows, sports figures or sporting events, no social commentary

The evidence is clear, Americans want their politics straight up, no entertainers, entertainment shows, sports figures or sporting events, no social commentary. We go to, or watch on TV, concerts and games to be entertained, not preached at. And certainly, not to have someone else's politics shoved down our throats. Awards shows and NFL games have suffered ratings declines over just this issue. We are weary of the constant barrage of black dresses, pink hats, and people kneeling. Enough already. There is a time and place for everything. If you are trying to wear us down to change our minds, be careful of unintended consequences.

To waste your life using an ambulance to kill others is one of the greatest acts of cowardice possible

To give your life to save others is one of the bravest acts possible. To waste your life using an ambulance to kill others is one of the greatest acts of cowardice possible. No religion has a place in Heaven for you - you will go to Hell as a result of the Hell you have tried to create on earth.

Regardless of Cher's personal feelings on appropriate dress

In case you haven't been following the inane and celebrity driven daily news and if you even remember Cher, you may not be aware of the latest set back for women's rights and empowerment. Cher tweeted out that Sarah Huckabee Sanders should be told not to dress like a "sister wife", implying a dowdiness of Sanders wardrobe. Regardless of Cher's personal feelings on appropriate dress, which I find to be at odds with most women, publicly denigrating other women is uncalled for. Sanders is smart and well spoken while she does one of the hardest jobs on the planet. She, not Cher, is a wonderful example to young women. It is sad that these sorts of ill conceived comments are only causing the divide to deepen. How can we possibly have peace when there are mean spirited people, like Cher?