Opinion

While covering the LaRue County School Board meetings over the last several months, I kept hearing about this “laptop initiative” where high school students will be given laptop computers to use during class and to take home with them.

Then at last week’s board meeting, I sat through the full presentation of the initiative, heard comments from students, parents, teachers and community members, and finally got to see the full impact this program could make on the students and our community.

Wednesday was the last dual of the season for the LaRue County wrestling team. They earned an easy win, crushing Oldham County, 58-7.

But this night, it wasn’t about the team, but about the coach. Heading into the evening, head coach Gary Canter had 399 wins. One more would give him a milestone that very few in the country, let alone the state ever reach – 400 career wins.

At this point I have been involved in helping promote active citizenship for 33 years. I place great value on our United States representative democracy and the responsibility of each of us to keep this gift strong.

After receiving dozens of calls and complaints from Kentuckians, Attorney General Jack Conway has asked Topix.com, an interactive message board Web site host, to provide information regarding its policies dealing with abusive posts that violate the Web site’s terms of service. The Office of Consumer Protection has received calls and complaints from concerned citizens who allege that false and defamatory information about children, as well as adults, has been posted on Topix.

Three years ago, we learned that Steven Spielberg planned to make a movie about our Abe Lincoln. The opening was to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the birth of the 16th President.

If you’re a movie-goer, you may have noticed, ahem, no Lincoln movie.

We ran a front page story with photos of Liam Neeson and Holly Hunter reading lines in front of a gathering of the Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. (Sally Field has since been cast in the role of Mary Todd.) We reported on Neeson’s fact-finding visit to Hodgenville in preparation of the role.

Running, hiding, crawling and hunting. These are only a few of the things that Jews had to do while escaping the German Nazis in World War II. They traveled through tunnels to get to forests. They lived inside forests with their family groups. The food they got they stole from nearby people. Jews stayed in these forest family camps for their own survival and to stay safe from the Nazis.

The underground tunnels allowed the Jews to stay hidden until they found a safe house.

What’s your government and economy type? Is it communism? Communism has a unique history. For the government they have dictatorship. With communism, people have very little freedom.

The dictator controls all political freedoms. A dictator is the leader and makes all laws for the people. The ruler usually takes over by force and relies on the police and military to come into and keep power. Some people say that a dictator rules with an “iron grip.” 

Communism doesn’t end here; it also has a command economy.

I recently had the privilege of meeting with the leadership of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, at their new Fort Knox headquarters. Col. Christopher Toner and his team want to do all they can to help their soldiers and families settle in to our region and we wanted to be sure they knew our region was here to make this job easier. I expressed the great affection our communities have for soldiers and their families and how appreciative we all are for their brave service.

As you read this, the 2010 General Assembly Session has convened. It will be a 60-day session in which our first priority will be developing a budget under serious financial constraints. We also will be looking at pro-life legislation, legislative retirement reform, government transparency, allowing the people to decide on whether they would like to expand gambling, as well as other issues. It promises to be a busy session.