Category Archives: Opinions
Didn’t I see you with Jesus?
I’ve often heard people say that we should not discuss religion or politics, and I agree we are less likely to argue if we avoid these danger zones and just talk about the weather.
There are several reasons why individuals are private about their convictions, and it’s true we do not always need to tell everything we know. Sometimes people are not confident in what they believe and simply do not want to risk being embarrassed. Others may not want
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Courier Obituaries 12-2-20
ANN WILLIAMS SMITH
PICKENS— Ann Williams Smith, 79, of Pickens, passed away on Monday, Nov. 23, 2020.
Born in Pickens County, she was the daughter of the late Nathan and Leila Golden Smith and wife of 
the late Truman Williams and Charles Edgar Smith. Mrs. Smith graduated from Seneca High School and retired from Cornell Dubilier before she became a full-time grandmother who took care of a village of grandchildren. She was a member of Holly Springs Baptist Church.
She is survived by her daughters, Julie Trull (Gary) and Susan Dunaway; her son, Terry Williams (Emily); stepson, Charles “Hub” Smith (Patsy); stepdaughter Joan Summey (John); brother, Steve Smith; sister, Margaret Gibson; grandchildren, Angie Durham, Zachary Dunaway, T.J. Williams, Katie W. Hamilton, Tessa Dunaway, Chloe Dunaway and Gracie Williams; and great-grandchildren, Anna Claire and Caroline Durham, Allie and Hank Williams. She is also survived by her very special caregiver, Mary Javdan-Inaloo, as well as many loving step-grandchildren and other family members.
Funeral services were held on Nov. 27 at Holly Springs Baptist Church. Burial followed in the church cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Meals on Wheels.
Visit robinsonfuneralhomes.com or Robinson Funeral Home and Crematory-Downtown, Easley.
DAVID LEE CHASTAIN
PICKENS — David Lee Chastain, 61, passed away on Saturday, Nov. 28, 2020, at Baptist Easley Hospital.
A native of Greenville County, David was born June 10, 1959, a son of the late Colon Lee Chastain
Still counting our blessings
One of my favorite assignments as a reporter used to be writing a Thanksgiving story to run on the front page of the biggest newspaper of the year.
There have been years when it seemed trivial to write such a story in light of all that had gone on. After 9/11, for example. Or in the aftermath of the economic crash of 2008.
But I don’t recall a year like this, when it seems like one calamity after another has affected so many areas of our daily lives.
On a personal level, my dad died in February. It was only a few weeks later that the word “coronavirus” came into our vocabulary, and it soon consumed our
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Thanking your family
It’s almost Thanksgiving. And although 2020 may have been a difficult year for you, as it has been for many people, you can probably still find things for which you can be thankful — such as your 
family. How can you show your appreciation for your loved ones?
Here are a few suggestions:
• Invest in your children’s future. If you have young children — or even grandchildren — one of the greatest gifts you can give them is the gift of education. You
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A-hunting we will go
Only one generation ago, when hunters entered the field, they were on their own. They’d hunt for sign, and in some cases, as in quail, pheasant and duck hunting, they relied on skilled hunting dogs 
to both smell out the game and retrieve it.
Deer hunters still scout for deer in areas where they’ve been sighted, then spend countless hours up in deer stands watching and waiting.
But since technology entered the field, it’s not as difficult to find deer as it once was.
Unless there are circumstances well beyond the hunter’s control that interfere with a successful hunt.
For example, we have a friend who has permission to
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They’re painting the roses red
The Red Queen is a character in “Alice in Wonderland” by author Lewis Carroll. She’s not very attractive, but we’ve seen her kind many times before. The way she behaves is similar to the way Henry VIII carried on in England hundreds of years ago.
I don’t know what happened to the Red Queen to make her into the monster that she was. I don’t think her battle horse with its armor fell on top of her during a jousting tournament, leaving her out cold for several hours, like the accident that happened to Henry VIII.
Maybe she was just a run-of-the-mill, everyday,
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Courier Letters to the Editor 11-18-20
America, it’s time to heal
Dear Editor,
The answer to “What happened to Americans?” is found in II Chronicles 7:14. “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will save their soul and heal their land.”
According to Micah 6:8, God requires us to do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God.
What a contrast to our present leaders. After four long, exhausting years, may God bless America
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Clean heart and right spirit
The early church began as a small group of Christians who believed in God and the Bible and considered their faith as their highest priority. However, we have sadly observed in recent years, a 
significant decline in morality and a falling away from the awareness and reverence for the Almighty.
When I was young, television would not even show a married couple’s bedroom having only one bed, but instead would have separate beds. Many will laugh at this as being ridiculous, but modesty and a sensitivity to purity was at one time very important to the general public. Having a conscience and spiritual respect for the divine standards of right and wrong was considered normal and accepted as the decency of our culture. It’s sad how quickly our modesty
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And now we begin again
We’ve all been through a very stressful time. Not just the coronavirus — it’s ongoing — but the election process itself.
At last, it’s over. And we can move forward. I’m happy about how democracy was put on display and how reassuring it is to know that even during the worst of times, democracy works.
One wonderful part of having it finished is knowing that that the constant barrage of political ads has stopped.
We have all been affected by the negativity, and it has been stressful. Even the dogs have suffered from anxiety.
The chihuahua has watched the coverage faithfully. He
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Letters to the Editor 11-11-20
What happened to Americans?
Dear Editor,
What happened to Americans?
Where and when did we lose our way? What happened to the bit of John Wayne, Audie Murphy and all of the champions of God, country, mom and apple pie that lived in us? Where are the bigger-than-life Americans who braved the wilds of the country in covered wagons in search of a country of freedom, opportunity and discovery, and a new life — yes, a better life, built with their own hands? Often in this new world they dreamed of, they paid with their lives. Still, they packed up and moved out, full of hope and an indomitable spirit.
The values they had, all of their suffering, bloodshed, lives lost and countries defended through our sacrifice of lives and treasure to save others from what the progressives are now trying to visit on our country, most blatantly through the theft of this presidential election!
Tony Mangan
Pickens
