Columns

Webster’s Dictionary defines a hero as, “A person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life.”  With Noah Webster’s concurrence I would add, “and doesn’t talk about it.”    That would aptly describe 94-year-old retired Col. Ralph Puckett, of Columbus, Georgia, the latest recipient of the Medal … [Read more...] about July 4, 2021: A Salute To Georgia’s Latest Medal Of Honor Recipient

It is not always cool being Southern these days.  We are being assailed for the sins of our ancestors. Some of it understandable, some of it out of ignorance. While there are regrettable periods in our past for which there are no excuses, there are also many things about the South in which to take pride and I’m not talking just about Vidalia onions and sweet tea. It is … [Read more...] about June 27, 2021: Paying Homage to The Passing of a True Southern Gentleman

Hard to believe that it has been six months since I lost my soulmate, my anchor, my best friend.  In some ways, it seems like it was yesterday.  At other times, it seems like forever.  Time can play tricks with your mind. For a year-and-a-half, I watched her inexorable descent physically and mentally.  There were the trips to the emergency room, the … [Read more...] about June 20, 2021: Remembering The Past While Focused On The Future

I must confess that as smart as I am, there are a few things in this world I do not understand, such as the unsolved problem in fundamental physics as to whether gravity and the quantum can be made to coexist within the same theory. Egyptian hieroglyphics are a bit challenging for me as are the rules for the Tajikistan sport of buzkashi, which is similar to polo but involves … [Read more...] about June 13, 2021: Trying To Understand Georgia Republicans Not Easy

I got some interesting mail this week. One was from someone who doesn’t read my column but didn’t like something I wrote and told me so. That response reminded me of a 4-page letter I once got from the late Speaker of the House Tom Murphy when I said his political career was “toast” after he had barely won reelection. (He lost the next one.) The Speaker told me he had never … [Read more...] about May 30, 2021: Only Marjorie Taylor Greene Could Compare A Mask to Holocaust