Commentary

July 3, 2023 The Winn Parish School Board met in regular session. This time it was held in Winn Parish School Board meeting room where only 28 people could come in besides the personnel. Also, July 3 was declared a state holiday by the Governor but the meeting was still held. We again were given comment cards to fill out and got a chance to speak and some of us did. The first person from Atlanta wanted to ask a question but was not allowed to – he was told he couldn’t ask questions he could only comment. Since when can you not ask questions at a public meeting? All of the Atlanta High School supporters fell on deaf ears. The board voted 6-5 to close Atlanta High School. Before the meeting was even over faculty and staff received emails telling them if they wanted to continue to work for Winn Parish School Board they needed to fill out paper and send back by July 10, 2023. Seven days…that’s all the time they were given to decide where they wanted to work!

“Now will I praise the Lord” Genesis 29:35(d) Parents have great roles to play in the lives of their children. No exaggeration in saying that this role begins from the time they prepare to have a baby. This is because every circumstance that envelopes the baby’s conception will directly affect the coming child except certain steps are taken during and/or after conception and birth. These steps include praying for the child. Not only this, during pregnancy, parents can begin to influence a child in the womb. What you think, say or do, including what you eat directly affect the child and may possibly affect his pattern of living. So, you can examine your thoughts, utterances and what you do during your pregnancy. It does not end there, you can influence your child and his destiny at birth.

Recent U.S. Supreme Court Decision Ends Institutional Racism in College Admissions

The case is Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College, et al.

In its landmark ruling, the Court held that by prohibiting the use of race in college admissions—broadly known as Affirmative Action but more accurately described as reverse discrimination—the Court returned the nation to the fundamental principle of equality for all, declaring that racial discrimination cannot be employed now—today— in order to fix or remove past racial discrimination.

The Court reasoned that the promise of equal protection simply cannot be reconciled with the use of discrimination by race to make amends for discrimination by race. As Chief Justice John Robert’s wrote in the opinion, “The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.”

I just finished reading the article about Earl K. Long Park.

I have been on the mayor’s Community Improvement Board since Mayor Bevil at the time asked me if I would be a part of it. I gladly accepted and over the years we have made several improvements in our community. We have completed work on the Moss St. playground and also on Lucky St., Narvin Powell and also down at Grove Street with our new walking trail almost finished. .We have several projects in motion and a lot of good things coming to our community in the future and this includes the EKL Park. I was fortunate enough to work for Max Kelley and Dorman Quallims in my younger years as I watched and paid attention to how much both of those two men loved our community.

4th of July and the Glorious Declaration of Independence from Which it Springs

We recall our Declaration of Independence as we honor our enormous debt of gratitude to our Founders and the 1.1 million brave Americans who have sacrificed for our freedom throughout our nation’s history—and who gave that “last full measure of devotion” so that we may be free.

There has simply never been a founding document like our Declaration of Independence.

Why do I say that? Because, far from being merely an eloquent listing by Thomas Jefferson of the abuses that early Americans suffered at the hands of the British King, it also arguably enshrines the most profound principle in history: “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...”

Inscribed on the cornerstone of the state capital, beneath the image of the mother pelican sacrificing herself for her young, are the words “We live for those we love.” Nothing better describes our spirit as a state, or especially our commitment to our children. It is in this spirit that I am proud to have had the bipartisan support of the vast majority of the state legislature in passing Act 422 this past legislative session, signed into law this week. The impact of Act 422 cannot be overstated, as it will ensure that all third graders are able to read before they are promoted.

Exposure to extreme heat can lead to heat stress resulting in heat-related illness. Heat-related illness occur when the body cannot cool itself enough to maintain a normal temperature. Heat illness occurs along a spectrum; recognizing the signs is important for prevention.

Symptoms of heat exhaustion can include muscle pain or spasms; cold, pale clammy skin; tiredness or weakness and dizziness; and headache and fainting. If you’re experiencing these symptoms, move to a cool place and loosen your clothes, put a cool, wet cloth on your body or take a cool bath and sip water. You should seek medical attention for heat exhaustion if you’re throwing up and/or if your symptoms last longer than one hour.

This is a dangerous time for America.

Why? Because as the Wall Street Journal states, “for the first time in U.S. history, the prosecutorial power of the federal government has been used against a former President who is also running against the sitting president.” (WSJ, 6-102023.)

That’s scary. Using the power of government to eliminate political opponents is what happens in dictatorships. It’s what happens in places like China, N. Korea and Iran and banana republics like Venezuela where the strongman in power uses the military to crush his political opposition.

It’s not supposed to happen in America, but it is happening here.

The Trump indictment is nothing other than the Biden forces trying to destroy their chief rival for the presidency and they have formally weaponized our federal government to do it.

Devastating Boycotts Teach Corporate Elites: Go Woke? Go Broke!

I have often pondered the principles of marketing.

Whether we are talking about McDonalds, Coca Cola, the NFL, Target, or Anheuser-Busch—and its previously popular Bud Light beer—I would think the most important consideration would be to successfully target (no pun intended) the most likely consumers of the product and then do everything to gain, keep and increase the greatest market share possible.

In other words, as has always been the case in the corporate world before the “social justice” and Woke movements, the fundamental fiduciary duty to shareholders was to maximize profits. Period.

Well, corporate America has changed, and not for the better.

I love being c reat ive. There is just somet hing about having a mental image of something pop into my head, and then working through the steps to bring it into reality.

It doesn’t matter if it is a weaving project, baking bread, or anything else, I just love taking a project from idea to done.

Creating is a fun past time. But did you know there are also some tremendous health benefits in being creative?

Being creative is a great way to improve your cognitive function. Working with your hands helps not only with improving your memory, but also promotes deeper thinking to find solutions, and with our ability to focus.