We Remember Them
There is a reason that in some parts of the world, they call it "
Remembrance Day.":
Such would become the pattern in the 20th Century. Winston Churchill
privately rejoiced over Pearl Harbor, because he knew that it meant that
Americans would bring our fighting men and women to the rescue of the
free nations of Europe and Asia, who were on the verge of needing to
arrange some kind of truce with the Nazis and with Japan by mid-1941 in
order to avoid being completely overrun by them.
In Korea, Americans intervened to keep all of that then-isolated
Asian country from falling under a Communist regime that many people
there did not want. That regime still exists in one-half of Kora, as the
" starving baffling hermit kingdom" of the world. The other half
remains free, prosperous, and an emerging economic powerhouse thanks in
no small part to the American soldiers and Marines standing guard at the
38th Parallel.
Labels: Faith, Miscellany, War In Afghanistan, War in Iraq
Occupy About-face
Governor Bill Haslam has done a complete 180
on Occupy Nashville:
By dropping the charges, the administration will begin to deflect
positive attention from the sit-in at the Capitol, and once again force
the question: What purpose does this sit-in serve, and what do the
protestors want the Tennessee General Assembly to do? What demands do
the protestors wish to put on the Speakers of the House and the Senate,
or the Governor? What good will being there do when the General Assembly
does not convene again for over two months?
Labels: Conservatism, Democrats, Federal politics, Local politics, Tennessee politics
Apathy Day in Knoxville
An important election where very few people vote:
Voting has reportedly increased somewhat since this morning, but turnout has still been very low (it
is being reported on "the Twitter"-to borrow a phrase from Senator Doug
Henry-that some Knoxville precincts haven't even seen 80 voters today),
and that is somewhat depressing. Local elections like those taking
place in Knoxville and part of Knox County today are the ones that do
more to impact people's daily lives than national elections do, or
probably ever will. Presidents and Congresses do not pave streets, cover
bridges, lay sidewalk concrete, decide property or sales tax rates, or
enforce building and zoning codes. City and county officials and State
legislators decide when and how much of that kind of work-the daily
grunt work of government to provide the services we need to live
our daily lives-gets done. Knowing that, you would think that a whole
lot more people would want to make their voice heard.
Labels: Conservatism, Democrats, Elections, Local politics, Tennessee politics
Hard Knox for Padgett
There are two choices for Mayor of Knoxville, but one has a much better chance than the other of
not driving the city straight into the ground:
Mark Padgett is far from a perfect candidate, and it is true that the odds of a victory for Mr. Padgett tomorrow are very long indeed. He is, however, by far the best of the two remaining candidates. We might not agree with his family politics at our house, but it can't be argued that the Padgett fasmily has a love and a passion for Knoxville and Knox County that can scarcely be equalled. People in Knoxville have two choices in for Mayor tomorrow-one of those choices might not make the city into a total wreck, but the other one almost certainly will not, and that person would be Mark Padgett.
Labels: Democrats, Elections, Local politics, Tennessee politics
