Some folks see this sharply-divided Supreme Court decision as a WIN for “freedom of religion”, but it’s just the opposite!  If corporations are people and businesses can hold religious views under federal law, this decision sets the precedent that ANY business owner can object, on religious grounds, to all kinds of medical treatments and limit what their group insurance will cover for their employees.  Monday’s ruling was the resolution of the Hobby Lobby case (excluding four pregnancy-prevention methods and devices) ; “Tuesday’s orders apply to companies owned by Catholics, who oppose all contraception”.  It’s hard to believe that in 2014  this decision is handed down — that businesses and bosses can dictate what kinds of birth control women can receive, if any, and opens precedent for other religions to refuse their employees blood transfusions, surgeries, and other necessary medical treatments.   Freedom OF religion, constitutionally, also embraces “freedom FROM religion”, that those of us who don’t subscribe to other’s religious views need not be subject to them.  I don’t wish to follow Catholic, Mormon, Muslim, or Scientologist’s edicts.

I support the efforts of special forces going in to Iraq to assess, train, and bolster the crumbling military forces there, at the request of the Iraqi government.  It doesn’t seem likely they can avert a civil war, however.  The U.S. would not supposedly be trying to support any one sect — Shite, Sunni or Kurd, but military action would be against ISIL, because it is a terrorist organization, that intends to carve out an Islamic state straddling both Syria and Iraq.  Sunni extremists, whose advances have basically erased Iraq’s western border with Syria, and captured territory on the frontier with Jordan, is thought to have some 10,000 fighters inside Iraq.  Our special forces are highly trained in special warfare and counter-insurgency and are routinely used to help other countries build and improve their militaries.  It is hoped they can assist in stabilizing and rallying the Iraqi forces in a rapidly deteriorating situation.  Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, is trying to defend the majority-Shite city of Baghdad with his best-trained and equipped troops.  Shites there fear being massacred by the extremists, as do the Sunni residents.  ************************  Weaponry looted from Iraqi warehouses are helping to supply insurgents to battle against Syrian government forces and control the borders.  Syrian warplanes bombed militants’ positions Tuesday around the border crossing in the town of Qaim.  A new insurgent artillery offensive against Christian villages in the north of Iraq sent thousands of Christians fleeing their homes to seek sanctuary in Kurdish-controlled territory.  Iran has been flying surveillance drones in Iraq to gather intel to help Iraqis bolster their defenses.  The involvement of Iran and Syria suggests a growing cooperation among the three Shite-led governments in responding to the raging Sunni insurgency.  The situation could easily morph into an even wider regional conflict.  It appears that presently, the U.S., Iran and Syria are focusing their interests on stabilizing Iraq’s government.  I suggest that we all continue to pray everyday for world peace!

The “Do-Nothing-Good House”?  No!  With the child-obesity and children’s diabetes and other diseases on the rise, we all need to band together to raise consciousness about healthier lifestyle choices.  Core standards in learning were raised this year, and kids need the right fuel in their bodies and for their minds to achieve those standards.  Less salt, sugar and fats; more whole-grains, fruits, veggies, and clean water is what’s needed.  Let’s not undercut our children’s potential.  (Under the Reagan administration, they decided that catsup could be counted as one vegetable).  Let’s base current and future school lunches on current nutritional information.  Most of us need to make healthier eating choices and get more physical exercise.  We need to be the good example for our kids.  When I was in junior high, JFK’s fitness program was instituted in all the schools, and should be brought back; that was part of his legacy.  I believe the GOP’s intention, besides cutting costs of public school lunches, is also continually about blocking a successful, shared legacy for the Obama’s.    *********

The FDA is asking the food industry to lower sodium levels; and in the past decade the number of significantly overweight children has doubled!  Most of us adults in this country are Fat, Lazy, and Stubborn!  We need to put our remotes and tablets down and get some exercise, eat healthier meals, quit our junk-food addictions, quit smoking (because we should know better), and quit drinking to excess, and that also means that second or third refill of soda at restaurants!  It’s a lot of empty calories!  Soda pop is bad for our joints!!  (Yeah, I’m a Pepsi-lover myself!)  More folks in our society are getting hips and knees replaced, more are becoming disabled and dying at younger ages because we are giving into our bad appetites entirely too much!  I’m speaking to my loved ones and myself; I need to take better care of myself, and to be a better example to others, especially the youngsters we interact with.  I want to grow old with you all!  Let’s take up the challenge to create and live a healthier lifestyle!  I say it “in Love” to everyone reading this!!

Sure do!  Just by the fact that Republicans are against it shows it must be good for the masses!   Shouldn’t all citizens in a democracy be able to vote?  Should we make it more difficult for busy persons (working all shifts) to get to the polls?  Republicans want to limit the time frame for early voting to only a few weekdays, with no same-day registrations, and limit voting in big cities to election offices only.  Why should voters, in 2014 and beyond,  have to stand in lengthy lines for hours to vote?  And some folks want to claim that early voting would be “incredibly expensive for local election clerks and could be highly manipulated by Democrats”; Really??    Why would anyone want to wait until the last day or hour to vote, when something could occur to make it impossible for them to get to the polls?  If the voter is that “on the fence”, waiting for the last argument to be given to sway them, they should allow more sure-footed voters ahead of them.  I urge everyone to GET OUT and VOTE!   And VOTE EARLY!!

I believe its crucial to move from the last “industrial revolution” into the 21st century model, based on reducing dependence on fossil fuels and utilizing more wind and solar energies, to create a cleaner planet for all of humanity!  With billions of tons less carbon dioxide in the air, and subsequently less trapped heat in our atmosphere, this would be a positive stride forward for health and global warming concerns.  Obama’s initiative gives the states leeway in how they plan and implement the changes, and plenty of time to get moving toward cutting emissions, and incentives to do so.  China is the world’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide, with the U.S. following second.  The U.S. is, however, the world’s leader in many of the best revolutionary ideals.  This initiative will help us be the example other countries need to make similar changes.  China is forming the intention to move away from burning coal as wealthier citizens there are clamoring for a cleaner environment, just as many in our country are doing the same.  The world’s scientists are warning us all about the negative impacts of carbon emissions, and coal-burning power plants are a major culprit.    NOW is the time to BEGIN reducing them where we can.  It’s within our power and know-how.

I think Mr. Pritchard is probably doing a good job; I haven’t heard any big criticisms, except that many residents would like to see the city make good on its promise to provide an alternate community center soon.  We shouldn’t have to wait for a new library to materialize — to see if it can also serve as a community center.  With all the empty buildings in town, surely one would make an excellent center.  The downtown Amory site, with ample parking, might be a good choice.  Even if our future library includes a community room for educational events, I feel that the library should have ample space for exhibits, like how “our town” was part of the underground railroad, early area settlers and their writings, the boxcar people, and other materials that the library has packed away out of sight.  There also should be a room commemorating our most famous home-grown writer, Carl Sandburg, and other local authors.  I’d like to see regular writing workshops held there, encouraging and instructing aspiring authors on “how to” submit work for publishing, e-books, and self-publishing.  We could make Sandburg proud of “his burg”!

It’s easy for us to decide that we don’t want to pay more in taxes, but if voting down extending the tax increase causes hundreds to lose their jobs, and big cuts in education, unemployment insurance, veteran’s services, paying for pensions and prison systems, and cuts in social services that are essential to communities all across Illinois, is it worth it?  I say that legislators should vote “Yes” to keep the tax increase, and “No” to budget cuts.  If they vote Yes, the income tax rate would stay at 5 percent instead of decreasing to 3.75 percent for individuals, and stay at 7 percent for corporations instead of decreasing to 5.25 percent effective January 2015.  Losing the tax increases would reduce state revenue next year by almost $2 billion.  With drug use, like heroin, meth and alcoholism, rampant in our society, we need to invest in the social networks of our communities, the networks that try to avert and fight crime, that try to save and assist families, the elderly, the disabled, the jobless, the children that would fall through the cracks without the networks in place.  These are not the areas in which we can afford to cut funds.