Thursday, March 31, 2011
Teen shame: Acceptance is kind, but could 'stigma' cut teen pregnancy rate?
It used to be that getting pregnant at the age of 16, 17 or younger was not something you wanted to broadcast. In fact, you were lucky if you got to stay in school. Contrast that with today --...Published: Mar 31, 2011 10:50 AM Full Editorial
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
OK ... but ... president's speech left a lot of questions still to be answered
It was a good speech -- they always are. But after listening to President Barack Obama talk about the situation in Libya Monday night -- and the U.S.'s role in the enforcement action or whatever it is -- it...Published: Mar 29, 2011 10:36 AM Full Editorial
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Yes, no, maybe: Does anyone truly know what American foreign policy really is?
When the sole purpose of your foreign policy is to earn the favor of others -- at home or abroad -- it is not tough to make a decision, but infinitely a challenge to make the right one. The...Published: Mar 26, 2011 7:33 PM Full Editorial
Friday, March 25, 2011
GOP watch: It will be interesting to see what happens when it comes time to commit
They are starting to come out of the woodwork -- the men who are testing the waters to see if perhaps they could be the next Republican candidate for president. And there have been and will be plenty to...Published: Mar 25, 2011 10:56 AM Full Editorial
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Better streets? Infrastructure all over city needs to be maintained, not just downtown
It probably goes without saying, but in light of some of the decisions by state, local and national leaders lately, it is certainly worth a reminder. Big plans are wonderful -- new buildings, downtown revitalization are all factors in...Published: Mar 24, 2011 11:11 AM Full Editorial
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Money, money: Pay close attention -- it is getting close to budget D-day
Here's the truth: North Carolina does not have any choice but to cut back on spending.There are fewer people working -- and even fewer going out of their way to spend money -- so it is not surprising that revenue...Published: Mar 22, 2011 10:35 AM Full Editorial
Monday, March 21, 2011
Tax solution? Celebrities might be key to solving debt dilemma
Matt Damon is a little upset with President Barack Obama. It seems the Hollywood star does not think the president should have succumbed and given him a tax cut. And that's a nice thing. Damon obviously feels that he...Published: Mar 21, 2011 10:33 AM Full Editorial
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Right to know: Public officials need to remember for whom they work
There is this odd misconception among public officeholders in general. It is not something they are born with it. It just comes along with being elected to a position of authority -- and being a bit determined to keep...Published: Mar 19, 2011 11:24 PM Full Editorial
Friday, March 18, 2011
Say thanks: This weekend, thank those who are serving
This week, hundreds of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base personnel returned home from another deployment to Afghanistan. Many of us probably were touched by the tearful reunions, the excited children and the stories of families long-separated who get to...Published: Mar 18, 2011 10:44 AM Full Editorial
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Duh, easy: What could possibly be wrong with requiring voters to carry ID?
It is an absolute mystery how opponents of the bill requiring those who vote to carry identification to cast their ballot can justify their argument. You have to have identification to cash a check, to get into a bar...Published: Mar 17, 2011 10:38 AM Full Editorial
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
$24,000 hammer: Government proves again it cannot be trusted to shepherd anyone's future
Yes, you read it right. A state government that is $3 billion in debt is punishing a county that chose not to spend like a drunken sailor just to make sure it continued to receive the same share of...Published: Mar 16, 2011 10:56 AM Full Editorial
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
General's view: Let's make sure we get this job done, so we don't have to go back
Any leader worth his or her salt knows, you listen to the people who are doing the work. It is fine to sit in Washington as a member of Congress and pontificate about what you think should be done...Published: Mar 15, 2011 10:26 AM Full Editorial
Monday, March 14, 2011
$20,000, really? Imam is coming to speak at UNC and at Duke. Why is he getting paid?
Universities are supposed to explore issues and to debate policy. That is part of a well-rounded education experience. So, it might not be that surprising that officials would want to discuss the issue of the mosque/cultural center near Ground...Published: Mar 14, 2011 10:33 AM Full Editorial
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Idea exchange: There are ways to examine issues with a purpose in mind
It is time to reject crazy. And by crazy, we do not mean ranting and raving Charlie Sheen or the myriad of other kooks who populate the Hollywood landscape. This time we mean people who do not research, who do...Published: Mar 12, 2011 11:30 PM Full Editorial
Friday, March 11, 2011
Not so fast ... Governor's veto of health care challenge not one of her better moves
The governor's chair is a strange mix of politics and leadership. And this week, we got to see exactly what happens when a governor forgets to listen to the people who elected her in the first place. Gov. Bev...Published: Mar 11, 2011 10:58 AM Full Editorial
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Heroes: Flight 93 memorial should get same attention as the one in New York
It is easy to forget about them -- the men and women who took down a plane because they knew it was bound for Washington, D.C., on Sept. 11. There are thousands of open wounds still in New York...Published: Mar 10, 2011 10:57 AM Full Editorial
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Helping hands: Wayne County high schools' Key Clubs chance for students to serve
You might not have heard about them until today. And you might wonder why a county high school would have a club that dealt with "keys" in the first place. But for those who have been lucky enough to...Published: Mar 9, 2011 10:59 AM Full Editorial
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Who will blink: No one wants to cheat state employees. They just want it fair.
To watch and listen to the arguments over state benefits and budgets, you would think someone had told state employees that they were going to have to submit to the whims of state officials and that they would be...Published: Mar 8, 2011 10:41 AM Full Editorial
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Same truths: The values and changes that will fix economy will help society, too
Most of us who are sitting on the sidelines as the economic crisis/recovery unfolds are becoming increasingly sure that predicting what's next could be accomplished just as easily with a coin toss. Trying to figure out whether an announcement...Published: Mar 5, 2011 10:44 PM Full Editorial
Friday, March 4, 2011
Gas crunch: If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck and always has yellow feathers ...
There is a reason that Americans do not trust oil companies. It is understandable that announcements that deal with oil, and the volatility in the areas where we retrieve it, might send the price up. It is even more understandable...Published: Mar 4, 2011 10:49 AM Full Editorial
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Court ruling: Is Supreme Court right? Do protesters' rights supersede father's?
Newspapers support First Amendment rights. So, when the Supreme Court ruled this week -- almost unanimously -- that radical protesters have a right to chant their vile and despicable insults at families mourning the loss of their service member...Published: Mar 3, 2011 11:03 AM Full Editorial
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Star folly : What happens when you ignore excess and stupidity? Just ask CBS.
Anyone who thinks that the reason CBS and the producers and creators of the hit show "Two and a Half Men" did not do something about Charlie Sheen before now was because he was really OK, and they did...Published: Mar 2, 2011 11:15 AM Full Editorial
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Little girl lost: It is time to do something -- before we lose even one more innocent life
She was only 3 years old. Little Princess Shelby King had a whole life to live. Who knows whom she could have been had she had the chance to grow up? She was the innocent victim of a criminal's...Published: Mar 1, 2011 11:23 AM Full Editorial