Opinion

While I don’t condone trespassing nor destroying private property, the words “Christian” and “Joe Biden” in the same sentence makes the comment absurd. His own church rejects him. He supports there being more than one gender, and he supports abortion into the ninth month. I don’t see those positions as Christian...

In every presidential race the incumbent takes credit for any good economic news under his watch. The challenger tries to find some chink in that narrative to exploit. The truth is somewhere in between. So what do the data tell us? Are you better off than you were four years ago?...

Like many of you, I have an alarm clock. Not only do I have a clock, but my watch, phone, computer, television, coffee maker and dog all have some sort of a means of letting me know if I am late, early or just wasting time. In fact, I hear alarms go off almost on the hour. Some keep me on my toes, others just mark the passing of the hour, (think Big Ben)...

When we hear the word discrimination, we think about the stories we see most dominant in the news, bias involving race or gender, but there is another type of discrimination happening across campuses of higher learning all over this country – one based on religion...

I have been a pastor for almost 40 years, and I attended church a lot as a child because my dad was a pastor. Our congregation, like most, did not sing every song in the hymnal. Occasionally, we would have a special service where there would be no sermon, but members could request their favorite hymns...

It is with great disappointment that I write this very disturbing letter to the local newspaper. It appears that we live close to a city that has absolutely no respect for people’s private property, especially if our views differ from theirs. We spent our own money to personally buy and place a sign in support of a truly good Christian candidate whose name just happens to be JOE BIDEN...

It’s hard for those of us who remember exactly where we were on Sept. 11, 2001, to imagine that nearly 20 years have passed since that terrible day. It’s even harder for those of us who mourned that day with families across the United States to imagine that for recent high school graduates, this is a day that only lives in the history books...

In these unsettled times, it is reassuring to have steady leadership at all levels of government. At the federal level, I am thankful for our president. He has proven he can handle that “3 a.m. phone call.” During the recent crises, and throughout his presidency, he has demonstrated an ability to fulfill the rigorous demands of the position...

Missouri’s House displayed unusual constitutional discipline during this summer’s anti-crime special session. House leaders obeyed a state constitutional provision which requires a bill be limited to a single subject. It was a major change. Increasingly, the legislature has created “bloated whale” bills by piling unrelated issues into a single bill to facilitate passage of separate ideas...

We are now less than two months away from an election that gets more heated every day. While the candidates debate the issues, there is one matter within local control — the safety of our polling places. We would like to urge our area counties to consider increasing COVID-19 precautions at our polling places on Nov. 3, both for the health of the poll workers and for those who will come to participate in a great American tradition...

To the Editor: Enough is enough already. Yesterday, Monday, Aug. 10, 2020, the City of Seattle Chief of Police Carmen Best has decided to resign because the city council voted 8-1 with one absentee, to defund the Seattle Police Department by 14%. Then on a brighter note, (sarcasm), in Chicago the Black Lives Matter Chicago group put out a statement regarding the looting and rioting in Chicago on Monday, Aug. ...

Dear Editor, Recently many of us experienced a disruption in our mail service, a service we need more than ever during the Covid-19 pandemic. Our mail is normally delivered around noon but for a week we did not get our mail until 7 p.m. Bills and medications were received late and two shipments of needed items were lost. ...

Is the good Lord trying to tell us something? Over the years, wars have come and gone, each one worse than the one before. With each event, lives have been lost, people have been hurt, homes have been destroyed, but we never seem to learn. Now we have this worldwide pandemic and all these protesting and rioting. Moaning and groaning won’t get it to go away...

Everyday it feels like the news happening all around us is occurring in some alternate universe or far off country. Mob rule, violence, rioting, looting, assaults and even murder. At night, different parts of our country burn not because of social justice, that’s just the veil these violent criminals hide behind, but because of their hatred towards America and their belief that there will be no consequences for their actions...

An unusual challenge. That is what comes to mind when I reflect back on my Summer 2020 focus on Southern Missouri Agriculture. Visiting all 30 counties across what makes up the 8th Congressional District during the normal Congressional August break in voting has been a tradition I have carried on since becoming your representative in the United States Congress...

Editor’s note: Southeast Missouri State University (began) fall classes on Aug. 24. University President Carlos Vargas shared this information regarding plans to protect students, employees and neighbors in response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic...

The Missouri General Assembly was called back by Republican Gov. Mike Parson for a special summer session on crime. One of the issues being considered is giving the Missouri Attorney General’s Office concurrent jurisdiction to prosecute cases without local consent, a move that has drawn opposition from some of the state’s elected prosecutors...

I am proud to live in a country where our system allows disagreements to be settled peaceably, through established institutions like courts and elections. Sadly, it seems that in the current era many of our citizens have resorted to violence, mayhem and other anti-social methods to get their points across...

Tim Tebow is one of the most famous football players to ever fail in the NFL. Before playing professional football, Tebow enjoyed phenomenal success at the University of Florida. He became the first sophomore in history to be awarded the coveted Heisman Trophy. During his junior and senior years, he led the Gators to back-to-back 13-1 seasons...

My heart goes out to the teachers. With school starting up, many are having to do school in new and totally unforeseen ways. In many school districts across the nation, virtual classes will be the norm and not the exception. Many teachers are having to retrain and rethink how to best reach the students and many of the administration are having to wrestle with the day-to-day changes that this type of learning will bring...

My wife and I went to the polling place during the primary at the first part of August. When we walked in, none of the people working there had masks. Most people coming in and out to vote did have. It’s a shame the people who work there can’t follow suggestions and wear masks...

To the Editor: As a citizen of the United States, and a human, it is my duty to stand up against injustice. The crimes committed against people of color HAS TO STOP. One resignation is not enough. Lt. Scott Rowell resigned but will likely be able to keep his pension. ...

To the Editor Enough is enough already. Yesterday, Monday, Aug. 10, 2020, the City of Seattle Chief of Police, Carmen Best has decided to resign because the City Council voted 8-1 with one absentee, to defund the Seattle Police Department by 14%. Then on a brighter note, (sarcasm) in Chicago the Black Lives Matter Chicago group put out a statement regarding the looting and rioting in Chicago on Monday, Aug. ...

Monday will mark the first day of classes for all school districts in Butler County. This is a day normally marked with some trepidation by students, and probably teachers and staff as well. There is a lot of newness to work through in those first weeks...

Managing a loved one’s care is one of the most common challenges I hear caregivers speak about; navigating the health care system and staying on top of all the various tasks can seem daunting and overwhelming at times. It’s easy to quickly feel lost, especially if it’s a new situation or condition you haven’t dealt with before...

Bill Crowder described the remarkable ministry of Joanna Flanders-Thomas in the Our Daily Bread devotional for Aug. 8, 2020. Her extraordinary moving story chronicled the incredible changes God brought to South Africa’s most violent prison. Crowder read her story in the moving book, Vanishing Grace, by award winning author Philip Yancey...

It’s August and here in Southeast Missouri that means the start of good things we’ve all looked forward to, like first days of school and area high school football teams hitting the fields again. Here at the Daily American Republic, this time of year is important to us because we hold our annual Difference Makers campaign. While this is only our second year, it has certainly become something positive that we look forward to, and look forward to sharing with our communities...

Recently the primary election narrowed our choices for the November general election. The parties chose their nominees and in some cases only one candidate filed so we already have a presumptive winner. I congratulate those who were victorious. In addition, I want to recognize everyone who ran and fell short. ...

To the Editor: We humans yearn for freedom of movement, religion, thought and expression. I am afraid there are those which want to prevent much of the freedom we seek. Currently we are in the middle of a pandemic which is being utilized by some movements in order to destroy our government and replace it with a more restrictive form. ...

Sometimes, I go back and look at some of the articles that I have written over the past couple of years.

Every week, the Daily American Republic is contacted by people with questions about their local government, those seeking to right wrongs, or residents who need help promoting community events. We can’t help everyone as quickly as we would like, but our staff tries and understands the importance of the words printed in our pages, and on our digital platforms...

Thank you DAR for the free meal of the hot dog and potato salad on Saturday. It was very, very delicious and very thoughtful of you. Thank you so much. A grateful Poplar Bluff.

Dear DAR Editor: This letter is in response to the editorial published in the Saturday, July 11, 2020, edition of the DAR. I lived here when the (Black River) Coliseum was financed and built. The statements in the editorial that “No tax was created for the sole purpose of constructing the Black River Coliseum” and “It was not created to fund the construction of the Coliseum, so it did not end when that project was paid for” are both technically correct, and profoundly misleading. ...

On April 28, 1999, a mere eight days after the Columbine shooting, shock rocker Marilyn Manson was scheduled to perform in Iowa City. Manson’s music was prominent in the lives of Columbine killers, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, so a lot of emotion surrounded the concert...

Thank you DAR for the free meal of the hot dog and potato salad on Saturday. It was very, very delicious and very thoughtful of you. Thank you so much. A grateful Poplar Bluff.

The conditions of Butler County jail were dangerous and unmanageable in 1993 when members of the Poplar Bluff Rotary Club toured the facility. A sales tax on the November 1993 ballot was proposed to help build a new jail. “I think we need to make a commitment to finance a new jail before we’re mandated by some outside agency,” John Holland told a Daily American Republic reporter who was on site for the tour of the facility on the fourth floor of the Butler County Courthouse...

It was legendary author Charles Dickens, who penned the immortal words, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times … ” Those words capture the essence of a trip I took to visit my oldest daughter, who was living in Asia at the time. After not seeing Johanna for well over a year, I was thrilled to once again be with her...

“I’m going fishing.” I absolutely love those words. I like to fish, and the adventure that ensues when you get on the bank of a creek or pond is nothing short of awesome. You never know what to expect when you go fishing. You might catch that monster bass you been working on for years or you might come home empty handed with a lot of newly washed fishing lures...

To the Editor: As a patriotic conservative and Trump supporter, I think you would be hard-pressed to find a right that is more uniquely American than our right to bear arms. Our founding fathers recognized the right and the need for the populace to be armed. People have a right to defend themselves and their property from all those who would do it harm...

The ability to defend your home, your family, and your property is a right that is absolutely protected here in Missouri. It’s also a right that has become even more essential as liberal mayors have failed to control violent mobs that are roaming the streets of their cities and have nothing to do with justice for George Floyd.

To the Editor: Running for office is a courageous act. It is critical constituents of the 25th District know the extent of a candidate’s courage in order for their vote to influence the local, regional, state and national destiny. It’s not a personality or even an achievement contest. It’s a battle for the future of freedom and liberty...

Recently a St. Louis family armed themselves when protesters broke through a gate and entered their property. I believe their actions were completely justified. Of course, they’re not the “poster children” for the Second Amendment. They are city dwellers whom I probably don’t agree with on many issues. Nevertheless, they have the law on their side. Under Missouri’s “Castle Doctrine” and the Second Amendment, they had the right to defend themselves...

We’re a long way from normal. That may be true. But we’ve gotten a little taste of it this week. The St. Louis Cardinals returned to the field Friday for their home opener against Pittsburgh. It will do the hearts of Redbird fans good to see their favorite players on the baseball diamond again...

To The Editor: As a Republican candidate in the Aug. 4 primary election for the Missouri 25th Senatorial District nomination, I have run a positive campaign on my solid qualifications to help solve issues facing Missouri government. However, the outrageously negative fabrications being distributed by Eddy Justice cannot stand unanswered. ...

The 2020 Olympic games have been postponed, but if they had been held, the opening ceremony would have taken place this Friday. With that in mind, I decided to write this week about a previous years’ Olympics. The 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London produced many new American heroes, especially 16-year-old Gabby Douglas, the petite gymnast who captured our hearts with her phenomenal skills and contagious smile. ...

To the Editor: Rocky Hill Cemetery, the oldest cemetery west of the Mississippi River was founded in 1851. This historic cemetery is maintained only through donations. It is important for us to preserve this piece of history and the dignity of those buried there. We are now trying to raise funds to help with the mowing and clean-up. If you have a loved one buried there or just want to help preserve the history and genealogy for generations to come, please send your donation to:...

Dear Editor, In a wildly, unpredictable year there has been one consistent, unsung hero citizens have rallied toward - our public lands. From city parks to conservation areas, from state parks to federal lands, citizens have taken refuge in these spaces to rejuvenate, move and find solace in fresh air and nature. Public lands are playing the largest role they have in generations, highlighting the importance of protecting and caring for our public trust resources...

Letters to the Editor policy for candidates, elections: Letters by a candidate may run one time per month and must follow the existing policy for letters, including no libelous or personal attacks. Letters cannot reference a challenging candidate within one week of election day...

As a fourth-generation family farm owner myself, I take special pride in representing and fighting for the thousands of farming families which call southern Missouri home. We have some of the most diverse and unique agriculture found anywhere in the country and I constantly remind those who have never set foot in our area that if they want to see real Americans working day in and day out from sunrise to sunset, then come to rural Missouri and see what hard work really is...

George Floyd died in police custody on Memorial Day after a police officer pinned the 46-year-old to the ground for 8 minutes and 46 seconds by placing his knee on Floyd’s neck. Floyd was not armed and was accused of possibly passing a fake $20 bill...