A city and nation in distress
By Staff
Bob Stickley
Guest Columnist
Does it ever occur to you just how bad our country and city has gotten in the past eight years?
First of all, we lost almost all of the industry that once made Russellville prosperous. HD Lee moved on and Wrangler closed everything except the warehouse they still maintain.
Several hundred people lost their jobs when Spiral Industries closed its doors due to a sagging economy.
Several men and women in Phil Campbell lost their jobs when a mobile home plant was destroyed. They never re-built it, probably because of the economy.
Several more citizens lost their jobs when the Kellwood plant closed and moved away.
I am not particularly blaming our city government, but what did happen still remains a mystery.
Red Bay has several large plant operations, including Tiffin Motorhomes and Sunshine, that have done well but have also had to lay some people off at times.
Our nation’s unemployment rate is a staggering amount, hovering around 10 percent.
One area of great concern, I believe, would be the influx of Hispanics who have moved into our area.
Don’t misunderstand me, I have met some very nice Hispanics and do not have anything against them, but I do believe we should screen everyone a little better.
It is a known fact that many are illegal in our city and country and no illegal alien should keep an American citizen from a job opportunity.
Realizing that our nation is in pretty bad shape, many people, including some politicians, are blaming our president, Barack Obama. Well, I say let’s give him a chance to prove himself.
If that doesn’t work, elect another president.
Nothing in this country can be accomplished by spending thousands, or maybe millions, of dollars on TV advertising just to blow your own horn about what’s being done wrong.
If more people, including politicians, would roll up their sleeves and sit the party of their choice aside and all try to work for a better solution to the problem I believe things could be worked out in a more orderly fashion.
Then maybe we can bring America and Russellville back to what it once was.
As American citizens, we represent the greatest country in the world with more sense to work out problems than many others.
Our country, or city, will be as good as we want to make it. So let’s get together and make it happen.
God bless Russellville and God bless America.
