http://www.crossville-chronicle.com en-us Copyright CNHI All Rights Reserved. 5 Wed, 02 Jul 2008 08:49:00 +0000 http://www.crossville-chronicle.com/opinion/local_story_183182003.html http://www.crossville-chronicle.com/opinion/local_story_183182003.html A Fourth of July editorial in 2003 asked “Would You Sign?” I would venture to say that many who saw that heading would ask, “Sign what?” Even though it was clear the comments were about the Declaration of Independence, I remembered a survey that had been taken in New Hampshire in 1993. In that state, one of the original 13 colonies, only six of every ten adults knew we celebrate the Fourth of July because it commemorates the signing of that document. Tue, 01 Jul 2008 18:18:00 +0000 http://www.crossville-chronicle.com/opinion/local_story_183181908.html http://www.crossville-chronicle.com/opinion/local_story_183181908.html The Fourth of July was near. The Kid and the Cub had volunteered to trim bushes and weed flower beds in the veterans memorial park. The Kid occasionally nibbled at a tasty leaf. The Cub was unusually quiet. Tue, 01 Jul 2008 18:17:00 +0000 http://www.crossville-chronicle.com/opinion/local_story_183181805.html http://www.crossville-chronicle.com/opinion/local_story_183181805.html The men who wrote the Declaration of Independence and Constitution chose their words with great care. They took every precaution to make certain that their stated purposes were clear and precise. Long before the establishment of government schools, those colonists went to considerable lengths to ensure the clarity of their iconic documents. Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:18:00 +0000 http://www.crossville-chronicle.com/opinion/local_story_183151929.html http://www.crossville-chronicle.com/opinion/local_story_183151929.html Go to any Fourth of July party on Friday and you’ll find bags and bags of chips. Chips are probably my favorite thing about the Fourth — except for maybe acknowledging America’s independence, fireworks, eating grilled food outside, hanging out with friends and family, coolers full of frosty beverages, and badminton in the front yard. But, yeah, chips are right up there Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:48:00 +0000 http://www.crossville-chronicle.com/opinion/local_story_176194941.html http://www.crossville-chronicle.com/opinion/local_story_176194941.html Two stories in last week’s national news gave me pause for thought. First was that long U.S. Open Golf Tournament in California. It was covered not only in the sports pages but on the front page of newspapers. Second was the startling story from the other side of the country which told of a pact between 17 high school girls, all 16 years old or under, determined to become pregnant. Wed, 01 Aug 2007 19:58:00 +0000 http://www.crossville-chronicle.com/opinion/local_story_213195816.html http://www.crossville-chronicle.com/opinion/local_story_213195816.html Check out some "oldies but goodies" from Mike Moser, David Spates, Dorothy Brush and Ed Wood. There are some doozies in there. Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:45:00 +0000 http://www.crossville-chronicle.com/opinion/local_story_176194617.html http://www.crossville-chronicle.com/opinion/local_story_176194617.html Father's Day means many things to many people. To most, hopefully, it means a day to celebrate the masculine half of that precious parental team that nurtures and protects our children. That "team" has been proven to be more successful than either team member working alone. Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:08:00 +0000 http://www.crossville-chronicle.com/opinion/local_story_175140914.html http://www.crossville-chronicle.com/opinion/local_story_175140914.html Common sense in contradiction with facts is a curse. This article challenges some common sense notions. Throughout the primaries, Barack Obama made “negotiation” the centerpiece of his foreign policy. Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:07:00 +0000 http://www.crossville-chronicle.com/opinion/local_story_175140838.html http://www.crossville-chronicle.com/opinion/local_story_175140838.html I always wanted a nickname, but it was not to be. Yes, plenty of people call me Dave rather than David, but that's not really a nickname per se — it's just a single-syllable reduction. I suppose Dave is better than nothing, but it's sure no Oil Can. Tue, 17 Jun 2008 17:29:00 +0000 http://www.crossville-chronicle.com/opinion/local_story_169173020.html http://www.crossville-chronicle.com/opinion/local_story_169173020.html It is evident that our nation is in the midst of a serious God-problem. Our whole financial system is based on trust in God. All our currency and coins carry our official financial Statement of Faith: "In God we trust." Some of the most substantial buildings in our communities — our churches and banks — testify to this importance. Tue, 17 Jun 2008 17:27:00 +0000 http://www.crossville-chronicle.com/opinion/local_story_169172859.html http://www.crossville-chronicle.com/opinion/local_story_169172859.html In my childhood I was taught personal business was not discussed freely and that especially pertained to bodily functions. Even saying toilet aloud was unacceptable. Much later I learned that the fabled newspaper man H.L. Menken wrote he thought that was pretty prudish. In the 1921 edition of The American Language he complained, “We yet use toilet, retiring-room and public comfort station in place of better terms.” Tue, 17 Jun 2008 17:18:00 +0000 http://www.crossville-chronicle.com/opinion/local_story_169171953.html http://www.crossville-chronicle.com/opinion/local_story_169171953.html In a landmark decision last Thursday, the Supreme Court of the United States effectively granted American citizenship to foreign terrorists. Oh sure, there are those who will say that never happened. They will claim that America has been cruel to those who would kill us. Mon, 16 Jun 2008 19:19:00 +0000 http://www.crossville-chronicle.com/opinion/local_story_168192036.html http://www.crossville-chronicle.com/opinion/local_story_168192036.html Sometimes it takes a child's uncompromised view for us adults to realize just how absurd the world is. We adults have become numb to much of the world's silliness, so we don't notice it like kids do. For instance, the Postal Service wants us to believe that they have a teeny, tiny postman who lives in a box. I've been going to the post office for years and never noticed the mini-postman, but my daughter spotted him instantly. Mon, 16 Jun 2008 19:12:00 +0000 http://www.crossville-chronicle.com/opinion/local_story_168191316.html http://www.crossville-chronicle.com/opinion/local_story_168191316.html Forty years ago, on April 4, 1968, James Earl Ray shot and killed Martin Luther King Jr. In June, Sirhan Bishara Sirhan gunned down Robert F. Kennedy after Kennedy had won the California presidential primary. Wed, 11 Jun 2008 11:33:00 +0000 http://www.crossville-chronicle.com/opinion/local_story_163073033.html http://www.crossville-chronicle.com/opinion/local_story_163073033.html Life was a lot simpler when society advanced at the walking speed of the camel. There are a great many Americans alive today who remember a world in which there were no TVs, cell phones, iPods, or GPS systems.