Category: <span>Opinions & Commentary</span>

Letters To The Editor
Letters To The Editor

Back on December 28, 2008, I had my latest letter to the editor (LTE) published in our local newspaper the Potomac News.  This letter was a rebuttal and answer to our local columnist James Simpson.  Mr. Simpson subsequently promised a rebuttal to my answer, and this week he did just that.

Not much of a surprise there, but what did pleasantly surprise me was his tone.  He actually wrote a respectful response laying out his opinions without any hint of mocking me.

Opinions & Commentary

Letters To The Editor
Letters To The Editor

After a long pause from writing Letters to the Editor (LTE) I jumped back into the fray last week.  The occasion of my return to poking local conservatives was being directly challenged by a local columnist.  It seems even my on-line comments are enough to annoy our conservative writers.

Opinions & Commentary

Letters To The Editor
Letters To The Editor

The Republican Smear Machine has already started cranking out their nonsense in all its finest glory.  Some of it leaked out into our local newspaper editorials section of “The Potomac News” on June 15, about Senator Obama allegedly breaking his promise to not take Lobbyist money.  With this letter, I decided to officially become an “activist” and get clarification directly from the Obama campaign.

Opinions & Commentary

Letters To The Editor
Letters To The Editor

I’ve been a bit slow in re-posting my monthly Letter’s to The Editor (LTEs) for June and July.  As I’ve mentioned before, last July I made it a goal to get at least one letter per month published in our local newspaper The Potomac News.

I’ve actually met that goal so far, having one letter per month published since last August, and one column under my byline. With everything else I’ve been doing these past couple of months, I’ve been a bit slow republishing them here.  So here is my June LTE.

Opinions & Commentary

Fourth of July!
Fourth of July!

It’s the 4th of July again. Just another great day for kicking off the summer season with fireworks, Bar-Be-Ques, picnics at the parks or beaches, or just hanging out with family and friends. Oh, and it’s also the day we celebrate the official birth of our nation.

Opinions & Commentary

Mom and Pop Shops
Mom and Pop Shops

An editorial in today’s local newspaper, coupled with a news story, has gotten me to thinking about the old-fashioned “Mom and Pop” shops.  If you look around, you might think that those type stores, small specialty outlets run by a single family, famous for knowing their customers and offering great service, were going the way of the dinosaur (and gas guzzling monster trucks).

In reality, if you look around you might recognize that those “Mom and Pop shops” have morphed into something bigger and better.  They’ve become the new age of Internet shopping.

Opinions & Commentary

Cartoon Cow
Global Warming-Causing Cow

Once again, I’ve had an interesting on-line “debate” in our very own “The Potomac News.” This time, the issues was global climate change. The letter to the editor (LTE) that started the debate was titled “Global warming: Another big, fat lie,” which is a fairly neutral title that gives one no hint of the general tone of the letter.

Opinions & Commentary

Wherein I Get Called a Traitor with 5 !’s After Eight Short Posts

Letters To The Editor
Letters To The Editor

I’ve made a point of getting a Letter to the Editor (LTE) of our local newspaper published at least once each month since last summer. Over these past months my writing has evolved from simple rebutting of our local Conservative columnists to writing on original topics. Part of the change from rebutting columnists is that the newspaper has introduced commenting in their on-line version. This on-line commenting is moderated but apparently only filtered for obvious spam, as evidenced by the range of opinions that actually gets posted.

A comments thread I participated in became extremely amusing to me extremely fast today. Unfortunately, it is also a sad example of what now-a-days passes for “educated discussion” on immigration in this Virginia county of Prince William.

Opinions & Commentary

Letters To The Editor
Letters To The Editor

This month’s Letter to the Editor (LTE) of our local “The Potomac News” focused on veteran’s issues.  Specifically, I wrote about a current bill in congress that dramatically expands educational benefits for our veterans, submitted by freshman Senator Jim Webb (D-VA).  My letter specifically noted that Republicans, from the Bush administration on down, is actively opposing this bill and none of the chattering class seems to be paying attention.

Opinions & Commentary

Mildred Jeter and Richard Loving - File Photo
Mildred Jeter and Richard Loving – File Photo

Mildred Jeter Loving passed away yesterday at the age of 68.  I didn’t know her or her late husband Richard Loving who passed away in 1975.  But Winnie and I are benefactors of their legacy, especially now that we are living in Virginia.

Opinions & Commentary