Archive By Section - Editorials
Supreme Court and health care
As much as we would all like to believe that judges are not influenced in any way by politics, the real world just doesn't work that way. Those who sit on the bench can't help but be influenced by the philosophies they have developed over their entire lives. So with the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to hear arguments about the fate of President Obama's health care plan, we can all brace ourselves for a ...
Noted and passed -- Nov. 14, 2011
• We note with sadness the death of South Carolina native Joe Frazier, who was the heavyweight boxing champion of the world during the 1970s and fought memorable bouts with Muhammad Ali. "Smoking Joe" beat Ali and then lost to him in Manila in one of the epic fights of all times. He struggled thereafter with being Ali's whipping post but finally assumed forgiveness for the cruel taunts that Ali rained down on him. ...
No clear leader
South Carolina voters have gained a reputation over the past few years of being able to accurately pick the Republican presidential candidate who will end up with the party's nomination. Candidates have recognized that, crisscrossing the Palmetto State in an effort to woo voters here. But with only a couple of months left before the state's first-in-the-South primary, voters in South Carolina haven't locked in on a particular candidate, which probably is a powerful ...
Guilty
The conviction earlier this week of Michael Jackson's physician on a charge of involuntary manslaughter brings to an end one of the most spectacular-yet-bizarre careers ever witnessed in the glitzy world of show business. Jackson was an immensely talented individual whose life became increasingly eccentric as time went on, with well-publicized incidents which highlighted his abnormal behavior as an entertainer and in his private life.
Noted and passed -- Nov. 7, 2011
• We're glad to see that President Obama has finally kicked the cigarette habit. Obama, once a regular smoker, has been struggling with cigarettes for years, but his doctor said recently that the president is now tobacco-free. That's a good thing.
Gene Rollins
Kershaw County has all sorts of unique things that make it a good place to live. One of those is the series of lakeside worship services that's held each summer on the shores of Lake Wateree. The project was begun more than 30 years ago as an outreach of Liberty Hill Presbyterian Church; Gene Rollins was not yet the pastor there, but he came to the church shortly afterward and helped spur phenomenal growth ...
Herman Cain
There is little pressure that can rival the heat of a presidential campaign, and Herman Cain isn't doing the greatest job of dealing with the scrutiny aimed at White House hopefuls. Cain has great appeal -- he's a plain-spoken guy who doesn't apologize for his positions, he has a concept that would radically change the country's impossibly complicated tax system and he retains a certain populist position that is playing well with many voters ...
Noted and passed -- Oct. 31, 2011
• "It ain't brilliant, but at least it's heading in the right direction," was the comment of one leading economist after the latest figures on the U.S. economy were released. Ian Shepherdson was commenting on a growth rate of 2.5 percent, as opposed to the 4-percent growth many would like to see. We'll share his optimism and hope the latest figures are proof that the country isn't heading into a double-dip recession. We'll also ...
Stalemate
It will come as no surprise to most Kershaw Countians that the so-called Washington "super committee" which is charged with coming up with a plan to rein in runaway deficits is not only failing to make progress but now has been witnessing back-and-forth sniping between its members. It's just the latest chapter in a rancorous debate between Republicans and Democrats in Washington, with the loser, of course, being the American taxpayer.
Dot-com bust again?
Most Kershaw County residents will no doubt recall the dot-com bubble of about 15 years ago, when a host of new Internet-based businesses saw their stock prices soar to stratospheric levels, only to come crashing violently to earth a short time later. Many of these companies had dizzyingly fast ascents on the stock market even though they produced no profits; some were barely more than concepts. The investing world declared that such a thing ...
Noted and passed
• We're glad to see that the U.S. Marine Corps has lifted its ban on bracelets which honor U.S. troops killed in combat. Top officials announced last week that Marines in uniform are now authorized to wear killed-in-action bracelets recognizing friends who have died in combat or from battlefield wounds. The change was made after an uproar from Marines when top officers recently began enforcing a ban on the bracelets. Marine brass widely decided ...
Texting ban
South Carolina is now one of 16 states which don't ban sending text messages while driving. In recent years, more and more states have prohibited the dangerous practice -- 13 since the beginning of last year. It's time for the Palmetto State to step forward and join what is a common-sense practice by banning texting while behind the wheel. Republicans who control the General Assembly will sometimes say they don't want to add any ...
Anti-tax pledge regrets
As most Kershaw County residents realize, there's a huge fight going on in Washington over how to solve the immense budget deficits that are plaguing the country. Those on the far left seek large tax hikes -- that's no surprise -- while those on the far right want nothing but spending cuts. Lawmakers in the middle, who are more and more scarce these days, realize that there has to be some compromise if the country is going to thrive economically.
Noted and passed for Oct. 17, 2011
• If you don't think things change rapidly in the political world, you need look no further than Herman Cain, who was a mere blip on the Republican radar a few weeks ago and is now leading the polls. Only time will tell whether his star will fade, and there are many who criticize his "9-9-9" economic plan, advocating 9 percent income tax, 9 percent corporate tax and 9 ...
Vanity plates
Years ago, when non-traditional license plates were first authorized in South Carolina, they were called "vanity plates" because many people who bought them put their initials on them. Since then, the specialty plate trend has grown to the point that the Palmetto State has more than 300 different varieties, ranging from NASCAR fans to Boykin Spaniel owners to Jimmy Buffett mavens. Law enforcement officers are finally starting to say ...
Articles by Section - Editorials
The IRS
There are jokes aplenty about the Internal Revenue Service, but the latest revelations about that agency's conduct in targeting conservative groups is no laughing matter. In reality, it's not about conservative groups or liberal groups or apolitical groups. It's about the abhorrent idea that the IRS would single out any kind of organization or individual to harass -- and indeed it is harassment. <p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="text-align: left; text-indent: ...
Noted and passed - May 13, 2013
• An amazing sight Friday morning: the final two-section, 75-foot portion of the spire atop One World Trade Center in New York City was lifted up and carefully put in to place. With the spire, 1 WTC -- as some are calling it -- became the tallest building in the western hemisphere, topping out at a very symbolic 1,776 feet. While it was an odd bit of showmanship, it ...
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