Category Archives: Opinions
Courier Letters to the Editor 9-18-24
Violence in schools
Dear Editor,
Upon reading the newspaper and hearing news on TV, our society is in deep trouble!
Students have three levels of conduct: Disorderly conduct. Disruptive conduct. Criminal conduct.
Punishment has been banned in schools, such as paddling, spanking and slapping.
And then we have 14- and 15-year-olds breaking the law by the carrying of firearms and concealed weapons on school grounds, which are prohibited. Yet these teens are carrying these weapons killing students and teachers and harming others.
We have 16,300 students in Pickens County schools. Fourteen elementary schools, five middle schools, four high schools, also a state-of-the-art vocational, career and technology center.
Our kids are the future of our country — protect and love them. Everybody that has been born is a gift from God. No mistakes have ever been made.
Behavioral training begins at home, teaching them right from wrong.
Forty percent of high school students studied reported that they had a feeling of being persistently sad and hopeless.Feeling left out. Some committing suicide. If your child shows signs of this seek, immediate mental health evaluation.
It seems school officials have dropped the ball on ways to stop violence. Now is the time to review this problem and act upon it. Metal detectors should be placed outside every school building to scan for weapons, knives.
Matthew 5:21-22 — That murderous anger can lead the angry man to judgment from God. As quickly as a physical blow. The violence he exhibits toward someone else can be brought back upon himself by God.
Beulah Taylor
Easley
Forum set for Pickens candidates
Dear Editor,
There are eight candidates running for two vacancies on Pickens City Council. On Thursday, Sept. 26,
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The whiplash u-turn flip-flop
Flip-flops are shoes that flip-flop when you walk. Politicians flip-flop when they talk. If you’re going to talk the talk, you’ve got to walk the walk — but not in flip-flops.
Changes in a politician’s position can have a positive effect on a voter’s image, as long as the new position agrees with the voter. Voters often believe the candidate has finally come to terms with their viewpoint and
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Good deeds are not a substitute for love
I was reading an article the other day about how most people are confident that just being nice secures them a place in heaven.
But is this true? Of course, we want to believe that it’s relatively easy to go through the pearly gates but is being a decent person all there is to it? Have you ever heard the expression, “They would give you the shirt off their back” referring to someone’s kindness and generosity? It’s a notable character trait,
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Dealing with COVID … again
Here we go again. Not to be an alarmist, but COVID never did go away. It’s been creeping around, changing its 
composition, infecting people, staying one step ahead of medicine every step of the way. And now it’s surging again, with the biggest rate of positive cases since January 2022.
So says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They’ve been testing wastewater, since that’s the one real and
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Faithfulness and hard work are appreciated
As the calendar eases out of August into September, we thank God for our blessings and will soon see the return of colorful leaves on trees, football season, and bonfires.
The unofficial end of summer also means Labor Day is here. Whether you are retired or still laboring in your career, we congratulate all of you on a job well done! This week many of us will travel, go out to eat, shop, have a cookout, or
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Courier Letters to the Editor
Councilman weighs in on gov change
Dear Editor,
In reference to your article “Mayor Talbert no longer urging change in government form.”
An election to change the form of municipal government can be called for by:
- A certified petition of 15 percent of the qualified electors; orYou must be logged in to view this content.
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Facing fallout from massive data breach
The word going around is that hackers have stolen 2.9 billion Social Security numbers, which means everyone. And now it 
appears all that information, including other personal information, has been released on the internet. That batch of data can include not only Social Security numbers, but names, phone numbers, current and former
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K2 presumptives — too late for too many
Sixteen thousand veterans who served at K2 are now eligible for expanded Department of Veterans Affairs benefits. This 
will be welcome (and overdue) news for many.
K2, also known as Karshi-Khanabad and Camp Stronghold Freedom, was an Uzbekistan airbase used from 2001 to 2005 during Operation Enduring Freedom after the Sept. 11 attacks.
The VA is now making Gulf War illnesses a presumptive in those who
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Investing our abilities into God’s kingdom
As a freelance faith columnist and Christian author, I’m honored to have the opportunity to provide thoughts and ideas to relay to others.
I’m sure all Bible teachers and pastors feel they are God’s messengers. What I do is nothing more special than how millions of other Christians serve Him, and I humbly acknowledge that most are more talented and effective. God’s
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Stranded in space
NASA astronauts Commander Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Pilot Sunita “Suni” Williams boarded the Boeing Starliner for an 
eight-day tour that turned into an eight-month mission (so far).
It reminds me of that fateful day that five passengers boarded a ship called the Minnow for a three-hour tour. They ran into a bad storm and ended up stranded on Gilligan’s Island, a tropical paradise, unable to get back home.
Butch and Suni did not run aground in a storm. Their spaceship had a
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