Opinion

In the last several days, the country has been making difficult history. In the past year, its government has been warping history. The forced removal of Japanese Americans during World War II has disappeared. The support of the Equal Rights Amendment by first lady Betty Ford has vanished. The invention of the birth-control pill has passed from sight. The work of Martin Luther King Jr. is played down...

Two words dominated the presidential campaign from the beginning to the end: gas and groceries. For all the twists and turns — Joe Biden dropping out, Kamala Harris jumping in, Donald Trump getting shot — the race remained remarkably static. Inflation is always the most damaging issue because it directly affects every family every day, and the rising price of goods during the Biden administration was the single biggest reason Trump won a second term...

The Biden-Harris administration’s response to Hurricane Helene was a complete and utter disaster in its own right. When the storm made landfall on Sept. 26, communities across the Southeast, especially in the Appalachian areas of Tennessee and North Carolina, were hit hard. As they faced severe flooding and power outages, the lack of an organized federal response left many without the support they desperately needed.

My father had many sayings which have stuck with me throughout my life. He always had advice for me — even when it was unwanted — and he was a regular source of counsel.

For those trying to come to terms with a particularly tumultuous election year full of deep divisions, ideological invective and personal insults, guidance can come from a historical figure whose insights into American politics still prove useful. As I chronicle in my new book, “Citizen Cowboy: Will Rogers And The American People,” Will Rogers stood as perhaps the most influential commentator on public affairs in the United States a century ago. ...

I want to share my thoughts on two important amendments that will soon appear on your ballot—Amendment 3 and Amendment 7. Your vote on these amendments will have a significant impact on the future of our state. I strongly urge you to oppose Amendment 3 and to support Amendment 7, as they touch on issues critical to Missouri’s values, the protection of our children, and the integrity of our elections...

Editor’s note: Area civic clubs will gather at noon today at Poplar Bluff Library to mark Constitution Day. Senior Judge Michael Pritchett will speak. To the Editor, (At) the 237th anniversary of the United States Constitution, signed September 17, 1787, let us remember this document and the enduring impact it has had in shaping and preserving our freedom. ...

Did you see the train? If you didn’t see it, you must have heard it. Normal rail traffic carries across Poplar Bluff’s hills and valleys most of the time. If you didn’t, we’re talking about Union Pacific’s Big Boy, a historic steam engine — a loud, historic steam engine...

As someone who has always fought for transparency and honesty in public office, I must say, the presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris left me deeply concerned — not just about the conduct of the debate, but about the integrity of the process itself...

We want to take a moment to thank the Butler County Community Resource Council, Altrusa and Poplar Bluff Library, and Poplar Bluff Parks & Recreation for all they do to promote children’s literacy. There are multiple events being held over this weekend aimed at promoting reading among children...

The media have always engaged in mass lying about immigration, but they’re really going the extra mile this election cycle. Lie No. 1 is the toughness of the “bipartisan” border bill, covered in last week’s column. (Quotes on “bipartisan” because not a single congressional Republican supports it, even the guy who co-sponsored it.)...

Congress couldn’t pass a new farm bill last year, so it punted. The extension of the old bill ends in less than a month, on Sept. 30. It will likely miss that deadline, too, an unprecedented two-year delay. Farm state representatives predict doom without a new farm bill. They would have us believe we will go hungry and sit naked while parked in line to gas our cars. Scare tactics. Continuing the existing law might be the better option...

As a young kid, I always loved helping out on my grandparents’ farm. It was an opportunity to spend quality time with family and it helped me learn the value of hard work. It’s also what inspired me to join FFA, study agriculture in college, and do whatever it would take to one day purchase the farm, which I was able to do using the money I made from harvesting timber on the property while I was in law school. ...

I’d appreciate it if (Poplar Bluff) would stop killing the dogs that are in custody by the gas chamber method. That is cruel and unnecessary.

To the Editor, The Wappapello Civic Center board members would like to say Thank You to the DAR for publishing the story about out Modern Woodmen Matching Funds Fundraiser (up to $2500) we had on Aug. 24, for the benefit of sealing our asphalt parking lot. The Spaghetti Dinner/Dance/Gun Raffle was a success. Gearld Oliver won the Ruger 9mm gun...

Sleep In Heavenly Peace did something amazing Aug. 10. The non-profit built 150 beds for children in need. This past week they began delivering those beds. It’s incredible to think of 150 beds being built from scratch in just a day. Supplies were gathered, planks of wood sanded, and the pieces assembled in stages to create something with the power to change lives. Not just by providing a place to sleep but through the impact of knowing others care...