It would be helpful if the conservatives, Republicans and libertarians who read these pages might contribute a guest blog from time to time. There is a rich variety of thought out there on politics and contemporary events. While we frequently see things differently we can learn from one another and, in doing so, gain respect…

This was the front page headline in the Dahlonega Nugget, our local newspaper for Lumpkin County, Georgia. The subtitle was “Experts credit vaccine with reducing spread.” I believe this is true along with our habits of doing the right thing by wearing masks and being careful. It is wonderful news. It still confounds me, however,…

Some of the critics who read these pages – conservatives, Republicans and libertarians – seem obsessed with what they see as the threat of authoritarianism emerging on the Left side of politics. They complain about their usual punching bags, the media, the universities and other “elites,” whom they contend control everything from pop culture to…

There are many long term issues that need attention such as immigration, infrastructure, health care, gun carnage, climate change and new energy proposals that will not get fair and serious hearings in the present political climate. The same goes for long standing foreign policy decisions in regard to the Middle East and China. Unfortunately, most…

Tom Oliver, Betty’s cousin and a good pal, recently came up to Potlatch to hang out for a couple days. When he’s in town he frequently stops by with his Lab, Fischer, who is Rucker’s brother. It’s a reunion of sorts and always enjoyable for us and the dogs. This last trip he said something…

By any standards, contemporary American politics has come off the rails. Two hundred and thirty-four years of constitutional government and democracy is being threatened with irreparable damage. This is especially apparent in the most recent maneuvers on Capitol Hill by the Republicans who seem hell-bent on tearing up the very fabric of American democracy. Meanwhile,…

After a late start and several interruptions, the flowers are all set in their places, the gardens are ready for the summer and fall seasons. It’s been a struggle this year, but the effort will pay dividends until the first frost in late November. The perennials – azaleas, peonies and native mountain laurels, dogwoods and…

Last evening I met longtime friends for dinner. It was a wonderful time, finally getting together after almost eighteen months. Much too long. I believe they shared my joy in all of us being together after the long dark pandemic. The only thing that could have made the reunion better would have been if Betty,…

This morning I was thinking about what Theodore Roosevelt would say if he were alive. His leadership was extraordinary given what we experience today. There was corruption and serious partisanship then as well, but Roosevelt stood out for his honesty and principled behavior as well as his many accomplishments. Both Democrats and Republicans frequently exhalt…

A friend recently forwarded this article to me and I found it most interesting even though I don’t agree with all the writer’s characterizations. The author, Charles. D. Hayes, is an unabashed liberal and a self-taught philosopher. He was a U.S. Marine and a police officer before a career in the oil industry. His insights…