Opinion

Like me, I am sure that you have spent the last couple of days staring at an amazingly beautiful winter wonderland. This is the second snow of 2021 for us here in North Louisiana and that in itself is a miracle. In order for us to get snow, the weather conditions have to be perfect and personally I believe depends on the number of whispered “please let it snow” prayers from school children all over Louisiana.

The title of this article references Florida, but is also associated with Texas and any other freedom loving non-regulated state that enjoys low taxes and unencumbered growth. As we witness what is happening within our great nation the questions must be how do we handle the successes and what should be done with the shortfalls or failures of state and local governments.

Most Americans agree on the importance of safeguarding basic freedoms protected by the constitution. But here’s where it gets a little murky. Do we have to give up certain of these freedoms to be safe and secure? The current and past presidents, one Democrat and one Republican, think that there are tradeoffs, and that individual freedoms have to be compromised for the sake of security. In order to combat crime and terrorism, they say, it is necessary for the government to take away certain freedoms and civil rights.

Sometimes introspection is thrust upon us. It happened to me recently in multiple ways.

Union General Hospital is proud to be actively working to immunize citizens around the area. As of January 29, we have given 427 vaccine shots and have had 116 individuals complete the two-shot regimen.

America is at a crossroads. A contradiction between two alien philosophies of how a country should be administered serves to divide the greatest nation the world has ever witnessed.

As we enter the second month of this brand-new year, most of us are carrying on with life as normal. Despite the ongoing pandemic, the political turmoil and economic uncertainty, humans do what they must do in order to survive.

In the late 60s and early 70s the Chief of Naval Operation was a man named Elmo Zumwalt. He was from California and attended the highly traditional United States Naval Academy.

January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month. Human trafficking is defined as the action or practice of illegally transporting people from one country or area to another, typically for the purposes of forced labor or commercial sexual exploitation.

With one recent Supreme Court Justice confirmed and another just appointed by President Trump, the issue of televising hearings before the nation’s highest court will surely be discussed. The supremes have stood steadfastly against letting the public watch the cases argued before them, even though the court’s decisions can often have major implications for every American. The Constitution guarantees that trials are public and open to everyone. And what could be more public than televising a criminal trial for the whole world to see?