Category Archives: Opinions
Old pro joins the Courier family
Hello, Pickens County!
I’m Ron Barnett, and I’m the newest contributor to the Courier, Pickens 
County’s only locally owned newspaper.
Some of you may know me. For one thing, I’ve lived here most of my life and you could have seen me around Clemson, where I grew up and went to school, or run into me at the grocery store in Easley, where I live now.
Or if you’re a local government gadfly, you may have even seen me at a meeting of the Pickens County Council or school board or one of the city councils in the county.
I was a reporter or editor at The Greenville News for 29 years. Until last month. That’s when I entered into my Golden Age, in which I don’t have to get
Courier Letters to the Editor 2-13-19
New LEC should bear Stone’s name
Dear Editor,
The new law enforcement center on South Catherine Street in Pickens, should be named after David Stone for his honorable service as sheriff from 1968 to 2012.
Alex Saitta
Pickens
Pleased with ‘Something Very Fishy’
Dear Editor,
I’m a 30-year resident of the Liberty area in Pickens County. On Saturday, Feb. 9, I was delighted to be part of the audience at the Pickens County Performing Arts Center in Liberty for the U.S. debut public performance of the educational musical production of “Something Very Fishy.”
The project was a collaboration of Australian songwriter, playwright and director Kathy Prosser, Upstate performers, Clemson University and PCPAC. Extensive research in oceanography and ecology were evident in the one-hour
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Senior scamming 101
One in 18 seniors will become the victim of scammers this year, and those thieves will steal $3 billion from us. Others say these figures are too low because many scams aren’t reported, and the thieves could well be getting as 
much as $36 billion a year.
How do the scammers con us? Maybe we did well in life and not only have money in the bank but we also receive a Social Security check every month, so we’re more relaxed about money. Maybe we didn’t do well financially and could use some extra cash if it’s offered, not
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Old man winter not welcome
When I heard the temperature in Fargo, N.D., was more than 30 degrees below zero, my first reaction was thankfulness that I don’t live there. How do they stand a winter like that?
It doesn’t seem possible. What do people do when it’s so cold that stepping outside will freeze the tips of your ears and nose. How do you walk the dog? They said on the news that your eyes can freeze if you don’t wear goggles.
Maybe that reaction isn’t fair to Fargo. All personal knowledge of that city was acquired by watching the movie “Fargo” a couple of times. Needless to say, the movie didn’t make me want to visit. It looked like a miserable place to be.
If memory serves, and it may not, the coldest temperature we’ve experience was the winter it got down to 7 degrees. It wasn’t a normal
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Do we care about what God wants?
Is God always happy? Well, let me see, this is an unusual question but I would say probably not. Since he is not made of flesh, we assume that he does not have emotions like us. But, on the other hand, we read about his demonstrations of compassion and anger, so I guess this is still up for debate.
It is my opinion that some things please him and others cause him disappointment, and most of it is associated with the way people live.
So what do you think makes him happy? Well, again, we have the
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Courier Letters to the editor 2-6-19
Recognizing Liberty icon
Dear Editor,
On Feb. 11, Liberty will have missed Mr. John William Callaham walking through our town for the last seven years. Mr. John was a lifelong resident of Liberty and spent his 83 years serving and worshiping in his hometown.
I still find myself scanning the sidewalks in town for a glimpse of Mr. John and him throwing up his hand and waving back.
John served our town as mayor, and many can still remember the John Foster Ford Easley commercial’s slogan, “Cause Uncle John is a good ol’ boy” — that was Liberty’s very own John Callaham. John was a devoted Christian man; he was a lifelong member of Liberty Presbyterian Church and was the oldest member of the church at the
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The debate on marijuana
Law enforcement officials have been asked to comment on the upcoming debate of legalizing marijuana in South Carolina and our 
stance in the fight against drugs. Recently, newspaper headlines have offered both criticism as well as support for this movement to include a bill that is now being presented to lawmakers. We have also received many questions on and have seen various publications on a new natural alternative to the common and illegal tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) known as cannabidiol (CBD). Research suggests CBD may be better for inflammation and neuropathic pain, while THC may excel
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Dear Mom and Dad: Cool it
If you are the mother or father of a high school athlete here in South Carolina, this message is primarily for you.
When you attend an athletic event that involves your son or daughter, cheer to your heart’s content, enjoy the camaraderie that high school sports offer and have fun. But when it comes to verbally criticizing game officials or coaches, cool it.
Make no mistake about it. Your passion is admired, and your support of the hometown team is needed. But so is your self-control. Yelling, screaming and berating the officials humiliates your child, annoys those sitting around you, embarrasses your child’s school and is the
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Remember, it’s still just a game
Of course, the New Orleans Saints and all their fans are bitterly disappointed. They won’t be playing in the Super Bowl. They lost the 
game because of a bad call. It was clearly pass interference. And though nobody knows what the outcome would have been without that unfortunate call, there will always be those who will remember and say, “If only.”
This we all understand and sympathize with. But it’s hard to believe there are really people out there who have brought a lawsuit claiming injury suffered due to the bad call, saying it caused them to “lose the ability to enjoy life.” Really? Yes, really.
It’s about loyalty and an identification with a particular team that
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Courier Letters to the Editor 1-30-19
Hidden gem of Pickens County
Dear Editor,
I would like to talk about a hidden gem in Pickens County — Hagood Mill, which has come to be known as one of Pickens’ main attractions.
Hagood Mill has been a part of Pickens since it was built in 1845 by James Hagood. It also has a petroglyph rock that shows the stories of the Cherokee Indians who lived in Pickens many years ago.
People who come to visit Pickens for a vacation or even people who
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