Reflections of An Uncommon Common Man

  This morning as I was preparing to leave for work I watched a reporter interview a young Honduran couple. They were part of the so-called caravan that is headed toward our southern border. The couple was pushing a two year old child in a stroller. Weariness was etched on their faces. For me as a father and grandfather it was heartbreaking realizing their plight. I could not imagine traveling that far in the stifling heat of Mexico under those conditions with a small child. Their options are very limited. Turn back and face the hell that they escaped from or go forward with no guarantee that they will be able to enter the United States. The third option is to seek asylum in Mexico. If I was in their shoes I would probably do the same thing they are doing. As an American, however; I realize that we simply can't allow illegal immigration to continue. We face the ultimate prospect of becoming what these people are escaping from at some point in our future. We must protect our so

  People my age may remember the Walt Disney movie The Great Locomotive Chase. If any historical event deserves a more in depth retelling by Hollywood it is this story. In the Spring of 1862 Union Brigadier General Ormsby Mitchell was camped with his army at Shelbyville Tennessee. Mitchell had his eye on capturing Chattanooga. The capture of Chattanooga would disrupt the Memphis and Charleston railroad and the fall of Chattanooga would open up the deep South to invasion. A black market trader named James Andrews devised a plan to go deep behind Confederate lines with a small group of volunteers. They would tear up and destroy the Western & Atlantic railroad along with the telegraph lines between Big Shanty Georgia and Chattanooga. If they could tear up the rails and bridges on the Western & Atlantic, along with cutting the telegraph lines, they could prevent the Confederate Army from shifting troops from Atlanta in order defend Chattanooga. Chattanooga would then be virt

  I know that many of you are as tired of hearing about Judge Kavanaugh. Especially now that he has been confirmed by the Senate. The fight is not over, however. If the Democrats win the House and Senate in November they will try to impeach him along with president Trump. There is no one who believes in justice more than I do. No matter who you are nobody is above the law. If Kavanaugh had been brought before a criminal court for the crime of attempted rape, which could still happen, he could not be convicted without evidence proving his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. With the lack of hard evidence this case would not even have made it to a Grand Jury. I know a little something about sexual assault. As the parent of a seven year old child who was sexually assaulted by a thirty three year old man there is no way that I want to see a person guilty of such a crime go free. In our case the justice system failed us. The man plead guilty and instead of killing him I put my trust in the