Sociologists are reporting they see a trend that a number of church goers are regularly attending multiple churches in the course of a week or month. Several years ago, in an email column entitled “Monday Morning Insight” (www.mmiblog.com), an article attributed to The New York Times stated that more Christians are picking and choosing among programs and ministries that satisfy their personal needs. These folks are fine with floating from church to church. Read More»

Mr. Parker didn’t get the point of my column about Memorial Day and Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address two weeks ago, so I’ll repeat the point here in fewer words: If you want to know the truth, you often must probe well below the surface veneer of popular history. Read More»

Two recent newspaper editorials illustrate the double-mindedness some feel about President Obama’s decision to provide small arms and ammunition to Syrian rebels.

The Washington Post headlined an editorial: “No time for half-measures: Syria’s rebels need a robust intervention from the Obama administration.” The New York Times took a more realistic approach: “After Arming the Rebels, Then What? President Obama should be careful about being dragged into the brutal Syrian war.”

I’m on the side of the Times. Read More»

One of the most common arguments for allowing more immigration is that there is a “need” for foreign workers to do “jobs that Americans won’t do,” especially in agriculture.

One of my most vivid memories of the late Armen Alchian, an internationally renowned economist at UCLA, involved a lunch at which one of the younger members of the economics department got up to go get some more coffee. Being a considerate sort, the young man asked, “Does anyone else need more coffee?” Read More»

In the past several years, I have had as much luck visiting the historically preserved home of Southern iconic writer, Eudora Welty, as I would have had when she was alive. The front door is always shut to me. Read More»

Among a host of things we need to get done before time runs out, one is to settle the question: Should we get a new dog? The last dog we had was an Irish Setter, and we had to put her down in the fall of 1993.
We loved that dear old soul to distraction, which helped us tolerate the shedding. As a younger dog, there was just no stopping the fun. She made a joke of everything and visited the bases of certain trees and shrubs as though invisible messages were stacked one on another as we went. Read More»

I visited my parents’ graves a few months back. Dad, William E. Epps, Jr. (“Bill” to his friends and “Junior” to his siblings), died in 1996, and Mom (Thelma Kathleen Luster Epps) followed him about six years later. Dad served in the United States Navy during the waning days of World War II and his service is indicated on his marker at Oak Hill Memorial Park.

A few years ago, I started taking an American flag with me when I visited the graves and placing it on Dad’s grave. It was my way of continuing to demonstrate honor to my father. Read More»

Do you remember, Daddy? When I was born, you helped bring me into the world. After cleaning, you snuggled me in a soft white blanket; then placed me in the bassinet next to Mom. I wrapped one of my tiny hands around one of your fingers and held tight. And you held back – an unspoken promise never to let your little girl go.

Since looking up at you that first day, I’ve thought of the many times you’ll hold my hand and help guide me through life. Read More»

Last week, I had the good fortune to attend the Fayette County Republican Party’s monthly breakfast meeting. This event is held on the first Saturday of the month at the IHOP in Fayetteville.

Normally, I am unable to attend these meetings as my kids usually have soccer or softball games. But with the sports season over, I was able to go, and I was so glad I did.

For, I had the opportunity to listen, first-hand, to the founder of the Frederick Douglass Republicans movement — K. Carl Smith. Read More»

For years I have been writing about the failures of the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) as a warning for what the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) will do to healthcare here in the U.S.

London’s Daily Mail has chronicled the growing problems with the NHS, which include declining quality of care and availability of services coupled with increased costs. This is what is in store for us, if Congress does not repeal Obamacare. Read More»