Category Archives: Opinions
Our world today vs. nearly 100 years ago
I was born in 1922, in a little shack seven miles west of Pickens. Going back in time, my mind remembers years ago.
I decided it is not the world that has changed since the beginning of time, it is us — the people — who have changed. Folks then did not have a lot, but we were happy, living without fear that someone would break into our home or while out playing, thinking someone would shoot us.
There were no broken homes. We never heard of divorce, or any kind of crime. We never locked our doors — at night or any other time. Now, we have to keep them locked in the daytime. We had Christian parents and grandparents who loved us, and we
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If you don’t know
A person’s head is attached to the neck, and a mask is designed in a way to fit on a person’s face. Now, for your information, a face has two eyes, one nose and a mouth. It’s on the front of the head. 
There are two ears on the head — one on each side.
Now, in order to protect mankind from the highly contagious coronavirus — which you can have and unknowingly spread while showing no symptoms — we are all asked to wear masks when in public or around people.
Oh my goodness. This is terrible.
Imagine asking people to be safe.
Anyway, in order to wear a mask properly, it should be worn in a way to cover the mouth and the nose. At the
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How to replace fear with faith
We’ve all had our share of battles this year with the virus and the devastation it has caused, and now as the election is just a few weeks away, many are experiencing stress and anxiety about the future.
Each day I hear from people on both sides of the political spectrum about how afraid they are of 
what is going to happen if the other side wins. We agree, this election is one of the most important in the history of our nation, however, we need to take a deep breath and know that whoever wins, it is not the end of the world.
No matter what is going on around us, we are still who we are, and we still have a very critical mission to
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Courier Letters to the Editor 10-14-20
The peace and quiet of winter time
Dear Editor,
I hate hot weather. You cannot get away from the heat! Winter time is different. In winter, you can escape the cold by going inside and building a fire or at least wrapping up in a blanket. I love to go outside at night in winter. The smell of oak wood burning and looking up at an ebony sky strewn with amber-colored stars. Peace and quiet all around. Only the gentle chirping of the crickets and the distant hooting of an owl. In the far distance, the sound of a barking dog echoing across the hollow below.
Returning inside to the warmth of a fire burning in the fireplace giving an amber glow to the walls all around where dark shadows dance playfully on the walls like happy children. A warm drink to
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Support your local newspaper
A reminder — National Newspaper Week is Oct. 4-10.
National Cheeseburger Day was a recent event, and it prompted me to go out and get a 
cheeseburger. Newspapers are far more important to recognize, and they aren’t as fattening.
Let me prompt you to please take time to think about what your local newspaper means to your community
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Ready for the end
Maybe you support a candidate I don’t care for. But that doesn’t make either of us crazy or stupid. It just makes me right and you deluded. And that viewpoint is not the way I’m supposed to feel.
It’s important for me to accept that nothing in Heaven or on Earth will change another person’s mind. They’ve chosen a position, come what may.
We hear the offensive phrases “fake news” and “alternate facts” thrown around. And we see people, especially during campaigns, stand upright, look people in the eye and blatantly rewrite history.
The hardest thing for me personally to do is sit silently
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Courier Letter to the Editor 10-7-20
Democracy depends on your vote
Dear Editor,
Can voters in Pickens County depend on a safe and fair election in November? Will your vote count?
The League of Women Voters (LWV) says YES; our members have been observing the S.C. election process for decades. And not just observing, but working with the S.C. Election Commision and county election offices as they carry out their mandate — safe and fair elections. Not only are our
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I shouldn’t complain, because I am alive and feeling good today.
I shouldn’t complain, because I am alive and feeling good today.
And a lot of people have been through a lot worse than what I have in this pandemic.
But the past month has been an ordeal for me, a guy who has rarely been sick in almost 67 years of life.
Here’s how it happened.
I woke up on Saturday morning, Aug. 29, and my lungs felt kind of funny, like I had slept in a weird position and got them shifted out of place or something. Then I started having a headache and body aches, like the flu coming on.
I wouldn’t have been too worried about it, because I had a flu-like illness around the same time last year,
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Lingering effects of COVID-19 infections
So far, there have been more than 6.8 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. More than 200,000 people have died from COVID-19-related complications, making COVID the third-leading 
cause of death in the U.S.
In S.C., there have been more than 140,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 3,000 confirmed deaths.
Most people who contract COVID-19 do recover. CDC defines recovery as:
(1) At least 10 days have passed since the start of
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A guide to agreeably disagreeing
Back in the olden days when I was a child, our family had heated political discussion at the dinner table. Not heated in an angry way, but passionate, in an interesting way.
We all participated. And everyone contributed their opinions. But there was a rule, unspoken but followed. Everyone had the right to disagree.
When there was a point being debated, the arguments had to be backed up with facts. It was alright to hold different views on issues, but when your particular view was stated, the reason for your view on an issue had to be explained.
We could disagree. But we couldn’t accuse those who disagreed with us of stupidity, ignorance or insanity. We couldn’t call anyone a liar or get up and leave the
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