Category Archives: Opinions
Fentanyl is still here, and something worse is coming
Fentanyl is a word you’re probably hearing on the news more and more these days.
Parents often hear the word for the first time when they find out fentanyl was the drug that killed their child.
May 10 is National Fentanyl Awareness Day.
Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid. Medical-grade fentanyl is prescribed by doctors, who carefully monitor its
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Courier Letters to the Editor 5-4-22
Weighing in on Pickens Middle issue
Dear Editor,
The Bible tells us in Proverbs to “train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
Also, we know what the road of “good” intentions can lead to.
What happened at Pickens Middle School is unacceptable. Training children to think it is appropriate to separate them by race for special presentations and
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Analyzing the social construction of reality
Today’s lesson, class, is on “The Social Construction of Reality,” a subject that I think is probably more pertinent in 2022 than it was in 1966, when it was postulated by a couple of eggheads named Peter L. Berger and Thomas Luckmann.
The only reason I know anything about this theory is because my wife, Kathy, wrote a paper about it in college that was so brilliant that her Clemson University sociology professor actually bowed in homage to her as they were
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Guess who’s coming to town
We are always eager to welcome newcomers to our region and hope their time here will be rewarding.
One of our newest residents is a well known couple formerly and currently from Virginia and North Carolina at the same time. This is a state of affairs I thought was impossible. Once again, my assumption was incorrect.
Perhaps everyone knew about this, but it came as a surprise to me and mine.
He is currently registered to vote in our own fair state, although he is also still registered to vote in Virginia. He recently lost his ability to also vote in North Carolina, as it was confirmed that he actually didn’t live there and
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Walk a mile in someone else’s shoes
It’s easy to mock and be critical, and unfortunately our human nature loves to judge unfairly and display negative thoughts about others. If we could only remember that many people are going through some type of painful trial, which usually explains why they seem peculiar.
I often counsel with those who are struggling with personal problems and it changes our perspective when we know the bigger picture. As Christians, we are called to be a light that represents God’s nature and this includes
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Surveys show VA hospitals improving
In the latest Medicare Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems patient survey, the Department of Veterans Affairs outperformed community hospitals in 10 of 11 different categories.
The report said that 54 percent of VA hospitals earned four or five stars, while only 35 percent of community hospitals did. That’s a hefty increase; just a few years ago, only 26 percent of VA hospitals rated four or five
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Surviving inflation
Recent government figures outlined food price increases for one month. The numbers are grim.
Fruits and vegetables went up 2.3 percent, the highest since 2010. Dairy went up 1.9 percent, the highest since 2011. Cereals and bakery items went up 1.1 
percent.
Averaged over the past 12 months, food prices have risen 8.6 percent (the highest increase since 1981), with poultry and fish climbing 13 percent and beef soaring 16 percent.
Wow! We knew it was bad because each time we go to the grocery store, we’re spending more to get less. But to see
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It’s time to go outdoors again
When spring comes, it’s a thing of such rare beauty we just have to go outside and soak it up as long as it’s here.
And in our region, it usually doesn’t last that long.
But when that perfect blue-sky day is out there and the sun is shining, everything comes to life. Maybe today it’s time to put out the hummingbird feeder. Past time, really.
A decision has to be made as to exactly where it will go, as we added
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Jesus gave His life so that we could live
I admit I am an emotional person. I recall going to see the Passion movie a few years ago, and I was disturbed to say the least. It’s not uncommon for me to shed a tear when I witness something that moves my soul, and this was no exception.
Recently, I was watching a program about the Make-A-Wish Foundation and how they provide a way for very sick children to experience a happy but most likely a last request and I cried through the entire program. As the agonizing scenes of what Christ went through were presented, I kept thinking, how could someone watch this and not be deeply stirred in their soul?
I feel the same way about the Chosen series. I’m not ashamed to wear my feelings on my sleeve and have no desire
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Courier Letters to the Editor 4-20-22
Fundraising goal reached
Dear Editor,
I’m sure all of the news outlets domiciled in South Carolina know about the fundraising the Foothills Chapter #301 of the Korean War Veterans Association (KWVA) has been conducting for almost five years.
The purpose of the fundraising was to engrave the names of the 576 S.C. residents who were KIA or POWs in the Korean War in a wall of remembrance in
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