Archives
 By  Staff Reports Published 
12:03 pm Saturday, February 16, 2002

Thursday, Feb. 14, 2002

By Staff
Congress should support Amtrak
To the editor:
You're so right that Congress may not be the best people to run a railroad. But they are the ones who have to make the decisions needed to keep a national rail passenger network going in the best county in the world.
Yes, there are still people who need and prefer to ride a passenger train. If Congress can dump billions into yearly support for airline and road building it can support Amtrak.
Walter Forst
Brooklyn, N.Y.
via e-mail
Republic vs. democracy
To the editor:
Our forefathers were a few wise old men who gave birth to a form of representative government, the Republic of the United States of America. A republic backed up by a constitution that in my opinion was divinely inspired based upon Judeo-Christian principles, morals and ethics. Basically it provided a government as free as humanly possible that can be obtained by a responsible people. Thus, responsible people earned the right to vote and elect responsible representatives to run our government. A democracy was considered by these wise old men to be, potentially, too corrupt. They were afraid it would lead to mob rule!
The depression of the 1930s provided FDR the fodder to push his liberal agenda for a democracy with it's potential for corruption so he padded the Supreme Court with justices of his liberal persuasion. Lets take a look at a few things (space will not permit a complete list) that has happened to our republic within my lifetime.
All at once we have a "wall of separation" in lieu of "an atmosphere of cooperation" concerning the Bill of Rights between the church and state.
A secular federal government then began to usurp local and states rights.
A secular federal government finally gave irresponsible people the right to vote. Our republic became a democracy.
Outside the state of Mississippi, a person can register to vote without presenting any identification whatsoever. Wonder how many of the 20 odd millions of illegal aliens are now voting? How is that for irresponsibility and corruption?
Jury panels are still selected from these lists of voters. Guilty or innocent any sane person would desire the jury be a panel of responsible citizens. Except OJ.
So, now we have a secular democracy, devoid of any reference to God. Are we now any more or any less moral? Is our faith weaker or stronger? Do we follow a prescribed standard of conduct to enhance a civilized society as we once did? Do we expect to suffer the consequences of our sins against our society? Have we traded our liberties for a false sense of security? Are we permitting professional politicians to do our thinking for us? Just asking.
Christians are the most reliable people I know. Just telling you, for what it is worth.
Barney Shepherd
Philadelphia

Also on Franklin County Times
Ex-day care owner faces 27-count indictment
Main, News, Russellville
Kevin Taylor For the FCT 
October 15, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE — The former owner of a Red Bay day care center where a 4-month-old died in March 2022 is now facing a manslaughter charge after a Frankl...
AI policies stress proper use over prohibition
Main, News
Alyssa Sutherland For the FCT 
October 15, 2025
Sheffield City Schools’ policy regarding student use of artificial intelligence (AI) at the start of the 2025-26 school year limited the use of the so...
Faith, family and resilience are keys to cancer survival
Main, News, Phil Campbell, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
October 15, 2025
PHIL CAMPBELL — Ten years ago, Melissa Stancil faced a diagnosis that changed her life. Today, she’s not only a survivor of Stage 3 breast cancer but ...
Gilmer fulfills dream competing on ‘Jeopardy!’
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
October 15, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE — Russellville native Slade Gilmer fulfilled a lifelong dream when he competed on “Jeopardy!” in an episode that aired Oct. 7. Gilmer liv...
Police among state’s first certified departments
News, Russellville, Z - News Main
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
October 15, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE — The city’s Police Department is one of the first 12 departments to earn professional accreditation through the Alabama Association of C...
We must break China’s grip on defense supply chains
Columnists, Opinion
October 15, 2025
China’s Xi Jinping appeared supremely confident at a recent military parade in Beijing with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. Xi’...
DKG international president visits Russellville
Columnists, Opinion
HERE AND NOW
October 15, 2025
When educators gather, there’s always something to learn, and this month our local Delta Kappa Gamma chapter, Alpha Upsilon, heard directly from the t...
More than laughs: Improvising for life’s situations
News
Chelsea Retherford For the FCT 
October 15, 2025
When most people hear the word “improv,” they might think of the quickwitted antics of “Whose Line is it Anyway?” But David Grissom, a veteran comedy ...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *