Articles
Developing and Sustaining Thought Deprivation (Part 2)
13 March 2019 This is the second in a series of columns. Here is the opening from the first column and will be repeated in each column in this series: There is a dangerous, but tremendously effective, political approach being employed in America. It could be called “Thought Deprivation”. That is, conditioning people so that […]
Developing and Sustaining Thought Deprivation (Part 1)
25 February 2019 There is a dangerous, but tremendously effective, political approach being employed in America. It could be called “Thought Deprivation”. That is, conditioning people so that they do not think with depth regarding the issues that face us as a nation. Sadly, allowing this “Thought Deprivation” approach to become routine and embedded in […]
U.S. Congress: Far Too Many Bullies and Wimps
15 January 2019 In the three years that my column has appeared in Up & Coming Weekly newspaper, I do not think there has been a time when I forthrightly characterized anybody. Circumstances, and my assessment of them, force me to do so in this column. I must acknowledge that the United States Congress is […]
National Football League (NFL)…Goodbye
20 October 2017 As I was driving home from church on Sunday, 24 September, a report of NFL players kneeling during the national anthem rumbled from my truck radio. The Baltimore Ravens and Jacksonville Jaguars were playing in London. The number of players participating in this protest had dramatically increased from previous games. The explanation […]
Thinking through DACA
6 October 2017 Much of my writing emphasizes the need for, and repeated lack of, Americans thoughtfully examining and responding to the challenging issues of our time. The current DACA debate provides an opportunity to see thoughtful examination and response both happening and not happening. The following overview at https://www.raicestexas.org/pages/faq provides a reasonable starting point […]
Rev. Rob James: Messenger of Encouragement and Instruction
22 September 2017 I am in the midst of a revival of hope and unexpected direction for my life. The past nine years or so have been extremely difficult for me. By no means am I, or have I been, suicidal; however, there have been times when I found relief in the certainty of death […]
A Failing Response to Charlottesville
7 September 2017 I am very sorry and extremely saddened by the recent events in Charlottesville, Virginia. Protesters clashed, a young lady was killed, and others injured when a man, apparently intentionally, drove into a group of people. Further, two law enforcement personnel who were monitoring the protest from a helicopter crashed and both died. […]
Searching for Why America is Off-Course
25 August 2017 Time and time again in these columns, I lament that America is off-course. That is, we seem to be in a decline as a nation. It is reflected in our strained relationships with so many other nations, but also in our inability, at the federal level, to do the routine business of […]
Fayetteville Community Garden: A place of great possibilities
9 August 2017 I often write about the challenges facing American society. Those challenges include poverty, a widening racial divide, crime, political disarray, governmental financial madness…the list goes on. What follows are my thoughts regarding a valuable, but much underutilized, asset. I firmly believe it can contribute a lot toward positively addressing many of the […]
Why I Oppose the Brunch Bill
26 July 2017 In a column titled, “Tim White: Time to kick government out of the booze business,” White wrote, “Remind me again, please: Why is it that North Carolina needs to regulate when a restaurant can serve a drink?” He was referring to SB155: legislation passed by the North Carolina General Assembly and signed […]
