by Dale C. Flowers

We live in a frustrating world. I lost my internet connection for two weeks. That is very frustrating. I felt like I was cut off from the world. I couldn’t get my Ruminations out. Hated that. I couldn’t get reports in. I couldn’t keep up with the planning for the upcoming Wine and Roses at Bluegrass at the end of the month. I couldn’t send news to the church. It was very frustrating. But it got me to thinking about things that frustrate.

People who make a political issue out of common sense requirements, such as requiring a picture ID in order to vote. People who make a political issue over the government dictating to religious organizations, requiring them to do things that violate their belief.

Sumner Countians have a presidential primary coming up on March 6, but if you’re a Democrat or Independent, you probably feel that you don’t have a dog in that race.

But there is an issue on that ballot that could affect every driver. It’s the question of whether to raise the tax you pay to renew your car or truck tag by $25 each year to fund our schools. The increase would mean that every motorist in Sumner County would be paying a whopping $100 each year when they renewed their license tag.

“This is the worst kind of Washington game”

U.S. Representative Diane Black (R-TN), released the following statement after voting no on the final conference report on the payroll tax holiday extension:

“Ultimately I was not able to vote for this package because I would not add nearly $100 billion to our already staggering deficit. This is the worst kind of Washington game, and the Obama Administration has been using it for years--spend more money, run up the deficit and insist that it is the only way for Washington to help people. I came to Congress to fight against this kind of dishonesty and that is why I voted no on this final bill.

“Washington cannot continue to raid the Social Security trust fund and pay for it with the credit card. I made a promise to Seniors to protect their benefits and to the next generation that I would not saddle them with more debt.”

For a long time I’ve worried about this country’s “spiritual apathy.”

We should be in the upper income bracket spiritually – spiritual Warren Buffetts and Bill Gates, but we’re not.

Our TVs and movie houses are laced with violence, explicit sex and nudity – far worse than the kind that used to send little boys racing to the school library to get down the latest issue of National Geographics and look for the pictures of the bare-breasted native of some distance jungle.