Commentary

There has been much news this past week regarding the choosing of the next Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was considered the likely choice and has now become Speaker.

McCarthy, or any Speaker candidate, needs 218 votes to become speaker if all Members of Congress are present. Republicans have a slim majority of 222 lawmakers, so McCarthy could only afford to lose four GOP votes. The House adjourned Thursday evening after eleven attempts to elect a speaker, began its fourth day of votes Friday and McCarthy managed to gain the necessary votes in the 15th round of voting.

My point is that, in one of its frequent overreactions, the national “media” breathlessly proclaimed that “the U.S. House hasn’t failed this many times to elect a speaker since the Civil War.” Or that the failure to immediately elect a speaker resulted in “chaos.”

I respectfully disagree with those characterizations.

Sometimes there are things in life where all we really do is touch the surface. We enjoy them. We bought the supplies. The first project or two are completed. But for some reason, we never take it to the next level.

When you begin living a Simple Life, often times, we think all we have to do is clear our calendar, cook at home, and maybe create a few handmade items. Although that is a good start, if you just dig a little deeper, your life can be so much richer and fulfilling. If you are still stuck on the surface, here are a few things you can do to dig a little deeper: Gardening – growing at least part of your own food can be fun. But don’t just stop there. Try growing heirloom plants and saving the seeds. This not only gives you a deeper sense of accomplishment but can save you money as well.

Following his early training, Simons was sent north to San Francisco where he was assigned to the Philippines Sea Frontier, a commando operation to secure beachheads. From there they moved on to Fort Pendleton where training included hand-to-hand combat. It was July 4 when they went into town, only to return to grab their gear and get aboard another troop train. He received six immunization shots (including the Black Plague) and the next morning got six more.

(Bob Holeman conducted this series of interviews with local World War II veterans as a lead-up to Veterans Day 2011. Virturally all of those 34 American heroes have passed away during the decade following these interviews). When Gen. Douglas McArthur and his forces were driven from the Philippines by the Japanese during World War II, he vowed, “I shall return.” And when he did return, news film footage showed him boldly stepping ashore through the shallow waves to the beachhead.

But one young Navy radio operator from Franklin Parish knew a lot about farming and could realize when some wool-pulling was being done by the military’s media. The general with his corncob pipe faced no danger in his actions. “I’d been delivering mail to men on that same beachhead for three weeks,” declared Navy radio operator James Simons, now of Winn Parish.

He promised he would. For months before the actual consummation of the sale that gave him ownership, Elon Musk vowed to return free speech to the massive social media platform that is Twitter.

And there have been some discoveries that are as stunning as they are unnerving.

The release by Musk of internal emails highlights Twitter’s 2020 censorship and suppression of the New York Post story a month before the 2020 presidential election. These revelations make undeniable the blatant conflicts of interest, influence peddling and likely crimes of Hunter Biden and the incestuous complicity of his business partner, ‘The Big Guy’—then-presidential candidate Joe Biden.

But Twitter suppressed the New York Post story and shut down several prominent Twitter accounts, including that of the New York Post itself, that would have circulated the story.

Domestic violence is never an isolated issue that only affects individuals and their immediate family members. There are, in fact, effects that extend outward to the rest of society. Children who witness violence committed against one of their parents are at a higher risk of developing behavioral problems in the future. There are approximately 3.3 to 10 million children in the United States exposed to violence each year. These children are likely to have higher hostility, anger, anxiety, and mental health instability. Now, imagine this huge number of children growing up and starting their own families. Domestic abuse is a learned behavior. Male children who have witnessed their mothers being abused by their fathers are at much more risk to grow up and do the same thing to their partners. Domestic violence at home quickly spirals into a domino effect that travels far and wide without discrimination as to its next target.

WWII Vet Jack Evans: Smalltown Student to AF Instructor After European Flying Missions

(Bob Holeman conducted this series of interviews with local World War II veterans as a leadup to Veteerans Day 2011. Interviews continued into 2012 with any veteran he could find who, in turn, was willing to talk. Not all were interested. Virturally all of these American heroes have passed away during the decade following these interviews).

The son of a Catahoula Parish logger-turnedfarmer, Harrisonburg High School student Jack Evans had no chance at college due to poverty and the Depression. So he joined the military in 1939 in hopes of receiving training and that higher education “at their expense.”

No More Birds, Please! We have all heard of the song The 12 Days of Christmas. In this song a woman is being given gifts every day for 12 days from an ardent suitor. Considering this song is thought to have been written in 1780, either these items were much less expensive, or her suitor was a prince or king.

If you think you want to give these gifts to someone, you may want to reconsider. According to the PNC Financial Christmas Price Index (https://www.pncchristmaspriceindex.com) the cost of these gifts in 2021 was $41,205.58! But that just is for the gifts. I can’t imagine feeding 50 additional people and 23 birds, much less cleaning up the mess!

So rather than gifts you have to find room for, let me offer you instead 12 Quotes for Christmas. Instead of cooking for all those extra people, you can find some quiet time during the holidays and ponder each one. And you don’ have to clean up the mess!

Dear Editor, I want to encourage the power of working together to create a stronger and more unified community. Without hesitation, several school approved vendors were willing to give back providing something positive for the youth in Winn Parish. Vintage Belle, The Crayon Princess, Kelly & Co, Southern Sublimation, and Denae’s Designs. Your open heartedness to receive this idea allowed the outreach to be successful. Your willingness to go above and beyond is greatly appreciated. Special thanks to the businesses and organizations who saw and helped fulfill that need: Bank of Winnfield, Pharmacy Services, Atlanta Baptist Church, IMPACT, New Zion Missionary Baptist Church, Delta Tire, Sabine State Bank, National Loan, Winnfield Nursing Home and Rehab Staff, Curl Me Crazy, La Dai Wedding & & Events Co., FBC Gail’s Gals, FBC Pairs and Spares, FBC Sanctuary Class, Books & More & New 2 U, Lexi’s Closet, Dirt Road Apparel, Amber Cox Financial Services.

As Veterans Day approached this year, I was working on the idea of recycling a series of interviews I began back in 2011 as we were heading towards the annual Veterans Day program put on by Winnfield Intermediate School students. That would have marked the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 2011.

I was prompted by the passing of World War II Army veteran Richard Wayne Skains, a member of our church who died just two days after his 97th July 4 birthday. I interviewed all local World War II veterans who were willing to talk with me a decade ago. Some did not wish to revisit their memories but 33 did. Now only one interviewee remains with us, Rev. C.W. “Jack” Jones. I recently found that another surviving veteran is Lee Young, father of longtime Winn Parish Enterprise

employee Minnie Young. There may be others I did not reach in 2011.